That evening, Jase received a call from Trevis.
"Let's talk business. I'll give you 20% of the shares, and I want you to produce in bulk, you know?"
But Jase replied,
"No, I want 50-50, and I can't do bulk."
Trevis said,
"Are you serious? I'm the one feeding you, kid."
Jase thought that if Trevis didn't have a producer, maybe he could impose himself.
"So?" Jase challenged.
Trevis countered,
"60-40, but you cover four neighborhoods."
Jase accepted, and Trevis said,
"Here's your share."
Jase received 3,000 FCFA.
A few days later, it was a Monday afternoon. Teenagers were returning from their vacation classes, others played football outside. But Jase was at home, getting dressed. He wore a tank top and was pulling on his cargo pants in his room. A pullover and a durag lay on the bed.
Meanwhile, his father called out,
"Jase, I'm going out for an interview."
Jase replied,
"Good luck."
His father was in a suit and tie, carrying a bag. He ordered a taxi.
Jase finished dressing and received a call. It was Eliana. He answered,
"I'm ready."
She said,
"Damn, I've already had time to have kids."
Jase replied,
"Okay, where are you?"
She said,
"Well, I'm coming to your place."
Jase asked,
"Why?"
She answered,
"Okay, you'll come to my place another day."
Jase said,
"Okay."
Eliana said,
"I'm in front of your house."
Jase asked,
"How do you know where I live?"
She replied,
"I could find anyone in this neighborhood."
Jase looked through the window and saw Eliana. She wore cargo pants, a crop top, and a shirt, waving to him.
Jase left the house and closed the door behind him. He used the Yango app to order an autonomous taxi. He opened the door and said,
"After you, madam."
Eliana replied,
"Mouais, m'sieur."
She got in, and Jase followed, telling the car,
"Take us to the nearest cinema."
The car started moving.
Eliana asked Jase,
"You've never been to the cinema?"
Jase said,
"No."
Eliana said,
"Seriously?"
Jase replied,
"Bruh... you've been, haven't you?"
Eliana didn't answer but pointed at something behind Jase. He turned and asked,
"What's up?"
Eliana said,
"Nothing," with a smile.
Jase said,
"Don't dodge the question."
She said,
"No, but..." and bent down.
Jase asked,
"What are you doing?"
He looked through the window and saw a police officer staring at him. The two cars split at the intersection.
Eliana stood up, and Jase asked,
"Are you a criminal or what?"
She replied,
"No, it's my dad. If he sees me with you, I'm dead."
Jase said,
"So that's why you don't want me to come to your place?"
The silence was like an affirmation.
Trying to change the subject, Jase asked,
"Do you play video games?"
Eliana said,
"Erm, I play roleplay games."
Jase said,
"Eww, that's weird. And what were you doing at the Otaku club the other day..."
Eliana cut him off,
"Shush," and wrote on her phone, showing him,"All cars are bugged."
The car stopped. Eliana got out, and Jase followed, looking at the car with a scared expression.
He wondered how many things were being monitored daily and asked Eliana,
"How did you know that?"
She replied,
"My dad is kind of a cop. But hey, we came to talk about a movie or what?"
They entered the cinema and paid for the tickets.
Jase said,
"My wallet's crying."
Eliana didn't care. They watched the movie. It was a western film, which explained the high price, but for Jase, it was worth it.
During the movie, Eliana said,
"I went to the Otaku club because it was the most fun place near my house. Dad doesn't want me going out because of my illness, but I told him I'm fine. He doesn't listen."
Jase asked,
"Didn't he put a GPS or something on you?"
She replied,
"Yes, but I can hack it for three hours."
The cinema hall was dark. Jase and Eliana sat in the middle back on the left side.
Jase said,
"Let's enjoy the moment."
They continued watching the movie, feeling good. Jase didn't understand what he was feeling, but he liked it.
Two years later, August 26, 2059
Essos was plagued by crime. Eliana's father had become the chief of the police department in the neighborhood.
Jase had become a real gangster, and the neighborhood gang had grown. He was angry that his neighborhood had become so dangerous. He wanted to kill all the gangsters because they were trafficking drugs.
He was in the police station. His office was perfectly tidy; everything resembled geometric shapes.
Someone — it was Trevis — entered his office and said,
"Good morning, Mr. Brawn. How are you today?"
The officer replied,
"Good morning, sir. I'm fine. What is your problem?"
Trevis said,
"Not my problem... our problem, you see..."
He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Mr. Brawn was shocked and said,
"Smoking is forbidden..."
Trevis interrupted,
"I can help you dismantle the gang in this neighborhood. I know their boss and where to find the evidence."
The officer said,
"I'm all ears."
Meanwhile, Jase was at Eliana's, embracing. Their eyes were filled with passion and love.
Eliana said,
"Wanna do a cinema?"
Jase's phone rang. He said,
"Wait."
He picked up and went outside. McLaurence was on the line, saying,
"Bring yourself, we found him."
Jase said,
"Seriously? I'm with my girl."
McLaurence replied,
"Bro, I have more girls than you, but I'm on site, so bring your ass."
Jase called back inside,
"I'll be back soon."
Eliana said,
"I'm not dumb; I told you to stop this nonsense."
Jase replied,
"Don't worry, I'll stop."
She wanted to say more, but Jase put the remote control in her mouth and said,
"Bye."
(Jase was wearing a shirt and oversized pants. He had two cornrows, a periodic table tattoo, and stars covering his left chest, healing marks from a sorcerer's wound. Eliana wore an oversized sweater covering her down to the thighs, and her hair was violet.)
Jase left and received the target's location. He went home, knocked, but no one was there.
He thought,
"Dad's working hard, it seems."
He armed himself and took a balaclava.
Jase also took some grenades and dressed in a tracksuit. Before leaving, he ate a pain au chocolat and drank a glass of orange juice.
He mounted his bike and headed to Omnisport, where the target was.
He arrived and saw McLaurence wearing a balaclava, along with other gang members. They were all in tracksuits, armed to the teeth.
They stood in front of a dark apartment. Whispering was heard. A dozen men were preparing drugs.
Jase put on his balaclava and knocked on the window.
A man opened and took a bullet from McLaurence.
Everyone used advanced silent rifles.
Jase threw a paralysing grenade.
The rest of Jase's group smashed the front door and opened fire.
Jase used his chip to track enemies and navigate the paths.
He killed them one by one.
A few minutes later, everyone on the ground floor was dead.
One man told Jase via the chip that the building was empty.
There were lifeless bodies everywhere on the ground floor.
Only one man remained, tied to a chair, bleeding and begging,
"Please, I'll stop."
McLaurence slapped him and said,
"Shut up! We warned you before."
Jase said,
"We're not killing him. Trevis said we'd leave you tied up here."
McLaurence sniffed some stampede powder and said,
"That's disgusting compared to what Jase does. Who pays for this?"
They took the powder.
In the evening, Jase was at Franky's shop, asking McLaurence,
"Aren't you tired of all this?"
But McLaurence said,
"Even if I were tired, I couldn't leave because Trevis watches everything. So I chose to be the predator, not the prey."
Jase said,
"Tsk, maybe together it could work?"
McLaurence said,
"You don't know Trevis. Even I don't know where our men come from or go. We'll end up with more holes. Better to climb the ladder to be comfortable."
Jase said,
"Maybe."
Jase left and said,
"Bye."
McLaurence said,
"Take care, bro."
Jase said,
"Thanks."
He returned home, changed into night clothes, and went to eat with his father.
He asked,
"Have you improved at cooking?"
His father said,
"Yep. I watch some cooking videos during breaks at work."
Jase's father finally felt useful. He finally felt at home.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Jase got up, opened it, and said,
"Damn, who's bothering me at this hour?"
He opened and saw Mr. Brawn with other officers.
"You're under arrest," they said, showing an arrest warrant.
They entered, and Jase asked,
"Where are you going?"
Jase was shocked as the officers headed to the basement, opening the door to his laboratory.
Mr. Brawn said,
"Jase and Mr. Mengjon, follow me."
Jase said,
"My dad has nothing to do with this."
But Mr. Brawn was stoic, and the officer came to arrest them.
Jase got into the police car with his father.
He wondered who could have betrayed them.
The whole neighborhood was shocked, saying, "Let him go; he's not guilty."
But through the crowd, Jase saw Trevis on a balcony, trying smoking for the first time without a suit.
Jase understood everything — Trevis had betrayed him because he wanted the other drug dealer to replace him.
"TREVIS, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AND YOUR WHOLE FAMILY!" Jase shouted.
His father was shocked at what his son had become.
Hours later, Jase's father was at Officer Brawn's office, begging,
"Punish me. I'm the one who left him on the street. Please, take me."
The officer said,
"Just because you're not involved in these crimes doesn't mean I can't deal with you, so get out."
The father left.
Then police officers told Mr. Brawn,
"It's ready."
Mr. Brawn closed the police station door and went to the interrogation room.
Jase was drowsy, tied to a chair.
The room was white, with bright lights.
Mr. Brawn asked,
"How's my beauty with the sleeping voice?"
Jase asked,
"What do you want? I'm guilty."
Mr. Brawn said,
"I know. But I was also told you're messing with my daughter, so I'm going to make you suffer so badly that the soldier will never get up."
Suddenly, the police station door opened.
An officer came in and said to Mr. Brawn,
"The Forest Ranger just arrived."
Mr. Brawn muttered,
"Damn it."