The tension in the room was heavy, like a storm waiting to break.
Ryota's eyes scanned the golden card in his hand once again, just to be sure.
"You have potential. Don't waste it…"
That was all it said. Nothing more. No detailed insight. No hints. Just a vague encouragement dressed as mystery.
Enkhtuya, seated on the opposite side of the wall divider, calmly unfolded her golden card. A faint smirk traced her lips as she read aloud, "Mine says... 'You do have potential...'"
Her tone was dry. Almost rehearsed.
Ryota's eyes narrowed for a second, analyzing her facial muscles and blinking pattern. A slight shift. A practiced voice modulation. She was bluffing.
He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he placed his own card down and leaned slightly forward, elbows resting on the cold desk. His voice was calm, deliberate.
"Sounds like a lot of information in that golden card of yours," he said, letting the words hang in the air like bait.
Enkhtuya's expression didn't change much, but the subtle widening of her pupils gave her away.
She wanted to test him.
So this was a psychological play.
Ryota let a smirk creep onto his face. "I see. So, you're bluffing… to see if I got something different."
Neither of them spoke for a few seconds. Silence became a language of its own.
Ryota broke it, his voice shifting into a deeper register. "You know, Enkhtuya, I find it interesting. My criminal records are basically just my casino wins. Every calculated bet, every manipulated tell, every player I crushed at the table—that's my crime. My brain is my weapon."
He tilted his head, now watching her reaction closely.
"But you… your criminal file is empty. Almost spotless. The only reason you're here is some mention of mental instability during your youth. But even that's vague. I've been talking to you for almost twenty minutes now, and you don't seem unstable. You seem focused. Strategic."
He leaned closer to the card panel.
"So tell me, Enkhtuya… what's the real reason you're here? What did you do that even the Game Agents couldn't dig out?"
Enkhtuya's eyes remained fixed on her hands, her fingers interlocked. Her lips parted slightly, as if about to speak, but no words came.
Instead, silence engulfed the room once again.
A silence heavy with secrets.
A silence Ryota intended to break soon.