231 Genius 231: Strange message

Genius 231:

At the 30th floor of the Su Financial Bank, Evan's body was glued on his chair. He didn't get up since he arrived in the morning and stayed focus at his job, refusing to think of anything else than the numbers in the paper. 

He stretched a hand to pick up his mug only to find out that the coffee which he hasn't drink was cold. After a long sigh, he picked up the phone on the table and about to dial his secretary extension number when a beeping tone sounded from the speaker. 

His expression congealed as he put the phone down. He recently noticed his phone line beeping abnormally, before he could dial anyone's number the beep rang nonstop. It can be fast or slow but the volume was the same, it's loud enough to hear and ruin his concentration. 

Leaning his back against the chair, Evan stared at the ceiling, the room was so quiet that he could even hear his own breathing, it was so lifeless despite the decoration and flowers around and it seemed so empty even though he was inside. 

Gr… his stomach grumbled. 

Feeling hungry, his hand travelled to his stomach and massaged it lightly. 

What time is it? He asked himself. 

As he turned to look at the clock, he found out that it's past four in the afternoon and he hasn't eaten his lunch and neither had his breakfast at the Villa. 

Reaching for the phone, Evan's eyes shut. His secretary was old so he might need to send her to retirement. 

As he waited for his secretary to pick up the phone, the sound of the dial tone beeping continuously rhythmically matched his growling stomach. 

Waiting patiently, Evan tapped his fingers on his table, the DIT and DAH sound of the dial tone pounded his brain. 

\"Dah, dit, dit, dit,\" his lips parted to imitate the sound the dial tone was making out of boredom. 

\"dit, dah.\" 

\"Dah, dit, dit, dit.\" 

\"dit.\" 

He paused when the sound suddenly stopped. With his brows creasing deeply, Evan stared at the phone. 

\"Wait,\" he said but trailed off after drawing breath. He ended the call and dialled a number once again though this time he took a paper and pen. 

He had a little knowledge about Morse code from when he enlisted himself in the military. That must be the reason why the sound pattern was vaguely familiar and catchy. 

\"Babe,\" he murmured as he deciphered the code. 

As the suspicious grew in his mind, Evan ended the phone call and dialled his secretary number. 

The same tone sounded, so he grabbed another piece of paper. 

When the beeping sound ended, Evan squinted his eyes. He gulped hard, heart raced uncontrollably and despite the cold room, sweat formed on his forehead. 

Evan's face hinted at lighting and thunderstorm, his hand shook as he hastily grabbed the phone Bing gave and dialled his number. 

\"Bing, meet me at Gentleman's bar and I need you to bring someone who can decipher the Morse code.\" 

Without waiting for his friend reply, Evan ended the call, he once again dialled his secretary number and recorded the strange beeping sound of the dial tone in his phone. 

-- 

The Gentleman's bar hasn't opened yet Evan was already inside. 

Sitting on a high chair, he tapped his fingers anxiously on the counter, waiting for Bing to arrive. 

He looked down at the counter where he placed his phone. Shifting his sight to the entrance anxiously, then he blew out a sigh. 

Out of nowhere, a woman approached him. A flirty smile on her lips, \"Mister, would you like a company?\" 

Evan shook his head without giving her a glance and the woman left after his rejection. 

He sighed and looked at his watch, starting to feel impatient. 

After an hour of waiting, Bing finally arrived. He was accompanied by another man, round eyes behind his glasses while his height made him look a dwarf. 

Bing waved a hand at Evan but the latter frown in response. 

\"Sorry, I am late. Traffic,\" Bing said and sat on the chair next to him. 

\"Listen to this recording and decipher it,\" Evan handed the phone to the petite man without bothering to know his name. 

The recording was not long so it only took some minutes for the man to decipher it.  

\"The recording sound is so weak. If you can give me a clearer record, I will try again but for now, this is what I got.\" 

After the man handed the paper to Bing, his eyebrows creased. Then, he gave the paper to Evan. 

Before reading it, Evan took a sigh. When Daniella kissed him back at the police station, he saw part of her thought though it was unclear and chaotic making him confused. 

\"Babe, I hate you. Proceed or I will kill you.\" 

As he said those words, a line slowly appeared in between his brows.  

\"What does it mean?\" he said waving the paper in the air. 

\"What do you mean by what does it mean?\" Bing shook his head in disbelief, \"it's crystal clear, she said that she hates you and you need to proceed to I don't know what or she will kill you,\" Bing explained with a smirk. He understood why Daniella sent a message using the code, Evan's house and office were packed with cameras watching all his movement. 

Evan blew out a sigh, still confused. Does she hate him so much that she needed to send a code to tell him that? 

\"What's happening?\" 

Ken's voice made Evan quickly hid the paper behind him while his eyes widened in anxiety. 

\"Nothing,\" Evan swiftly replied. 

\"Your reaction and voice don't sound nothing, spill it, Evan, what do you have behind you?\" 

\"Nothing, Ken.\" 

Narrowing his eyes, Ken took a step closer to Evan, \"show it Evan or I will force my people to get whatever you are hiding behind you.\" 

Evan gulped hard, \"it's nothing just a paper,\" then he got up, swiftly walked past him while trying to shove the paper in his pocket. 

Ken lay a hand on Evan's shoulder and twisted him around to face him. 

\"I am your best friend Evan, show me that.\" 

Knowing Ken's temperament and patience, Evan handed the paper to him. 

\"Babe, I hate you. Proceed or I will kill you.\" 

After Ken read that aloud, a laugh full of amusement sounded in the bar like a lion roaring in the forest. 

\"Seriously? That poisonous flower is really unpredictable,\" his head shook, and then gave the paper to Evan, \"at least she called you babe,\" he winked at Evan with a tease, \"babe… babe… babe…,\" he continued imitating Daniella's voice. 

\"What does she mean by 'proceed'?\" Ken asked. 

Evan became quiet, Ken was not aware of what's happening around as he knew that he preferred violence, and right now, the last thing he wanted was to cause pain to anyone which could disrupt Daniella's plan. 

\"Its nothing,\" he snatched the paper from Ken's hand and ripped it into pieces. 

\"So, where is that shorty?\" Ken looked around, searching for a particular woman with a flowery scent. 

\"She's not here Ken. We can't find her,\" Evan replied. 

\"Are you sure? Her ex called her mushroom so she must be around, who knows she might be-\" Ken's lips froze as he scanned the place. When his eyes ended at the man standing next to Bing, his lips curved a lopsided grin, \"do you really think you can fool me again Shorty?\" and without a warning, he squeezed the man's cheek. 

\"Ouch!\" The man groaned in pain. Only when his eyes shed tears, Ken let him go. 

\"Oh, so you are you,\" Ken pulled out a small bottle from his pocket and sprayed his hands with sanitizer. 

\"Does it mean you and Daniella are back together?\" Ken confusedly asked, looking back at Evan and acted as if he didn't just hurt a stranger. 

Evan, with a poker face, shook his head in response, \"no.\" 

\"Why not?\"  

\"Because it's a no, Ken.\" 

\"so, you are still marrying that maid?\" Ken's face screwed up. 

\"Camille is not a maid. She's a model,\" Evan replied in a flat tone. 

\"A supermodel,\" Bing commented. 

Both Ken and Evan looked at him. 

\"Oh! didn't see you there,\" Ken said in surprise, he stretched a hand and shook Bings' while the latter gave him an awkward smile. 

Ken's attitude has always been like this. He only saw Evan and Glen while the rest were just a background. 

\"How's my shrink?\" 

Bing waggled his brows once, his awkward smile became a genuine smile. 

\"She's fine but her new assistant is scared of you Ken. Whenever you visit the office, she always hides under her table.\" 

Ken stared at Bing for a moment and then shifted his sight to Evan, ignoring the words he heard from him. 

\"Do you know Jared? The son of the Golden Club boss?\" Ken asked, his face remained emotionless while Bing and Evan threw glances at each other. 

\"Yeah, why?\" Evan replied eventually. 

\"He was here a few weeks ago and he wanted to meet me.\" 

\"What does he need?\" Bing this time asked. 

\"I don't know, the last time I saw him was in Macao,\" pointing a finger at Evan, he continued, \"remember when I met you there with shorty?\" 

Evan nodded, upon remembering the time he spent with Daniella in Macao, a smile formed on his lip. 

\"What does he want?\" Bing asked once again. He knew Jared, there was a rumour that his father was the person behind the President. 

\"We did some business together a few months ago.\" 

\"What business?\" Bing asked once again, fear strained in his shaky voice. 

\"What do you think? Guns and Drugs, at first he wanted to pay with women but,\" Ken scoffed, \"I prefer money than women,\" then he reached for his pocket and took out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter. 

Evan narrowed his eyes, then switched his sight in between Ken and Bing. One is a drug lord while the other is a soldier.  

\"Did he pay you?\" Bing accepted the cigarette Ken offered and puffed a cloud of smoke as the end fired up. 

Ken shook his head, \"no. No money and no women. I should have accepted those women and open a strip club,\" he ticked his tongue repeatedly, disappointed by the money he lost. 

Evan's lips tightened, knowing Ken he wouldn't let anyone get away with his money but the Golden Club was so powerful, that even Ken wouldn't dare to offend them. 

\"What does he want from you?\" Evan asked as he opened his phone and read the message Camille sent. 

\"I don't know but he wants to meet me. Want to come?\" Ken tauntingly said to Bing. The General despised the side business he was doing, his power might not be as much as Kim, the boss of the Golden Club or Jared but he's still powerful in this country. 

Bing's face instantly darkened. Instead of responding, he turned to the man he brought with him. 

\"Let's go,\" he said.