"Do you really think it's ok kill me now?" I said not bothering to face him, instead I stared at the horizon.

"Ok? Explain to me what do you mean by ok."

"This." I held out the competitor ring. Louis's competitor ring.

"That's the competitor ring..."

For a moment he didn't say anything, a few seconds past a shocking expression flashed across his face as he backed up a few steps.

"When?!" The look on his face was priceless.

"When we shook hands. Though don't worry you have not lost your place in the game yet. In the rule book it says that the competitor ring has a life detecting system installed in it. Once the ring leaves the finger, the life sensing system will be still turned on for the next 24 hours and if the ring is not worn by the original owner till then, then you will be officially counted as lost."

"Then I can shoot you right now and take my ring back."

"Are you sure you want to do that? Even though the competitor ring is quite durable, but I am sure it won't survive a thousand feet drop. " I leaned my back against the railing.

"Are you threatening me?"

"No...I am threatening myself." I flashed a grin while looking towards the sky. Louis's expression tensed.

"Threatening yourself? Ling you are a man of surprises, but now I would like you better if you were less special." His lips curved into a snake like smile.

"You want to hear what I have to say?" I asked but I wasn't asking a question.

"How do you say that in English again...I am all ears."

"If you missed anything I am about to say, don't expect me to repeat it."

"Va bene." He cursed the stress bringing on his Italian side. What he meant was 'alright'.

"How about pointing your gun at other direction first. It's not like I have wings."

"I suppose you are right. Though I would love to see you fly." He pointed his gun at the ground.

"Maybe another time, maybe never. So here's the deal..." I cleared my throat before I spoke again.

"Let's forget all this happened and both exit this building and turn our back on each other and walk a thousand miles in opposite directions."

"This plans sounds like a pizza all for yourself, and I don't get a single wedge. And I like my slice now and hot." He grunted though his expression showed none of it.

"There is still plenty of time, the pizza is still in the oven." I said.

"I would like to have a pre-tasting."

"There is a saying in Chinese, 'an impatient heart will not eat the hot tofu'." I replied in a cool way.

"It was pizza a moment ago, now its tofu." Louis said questionably.

"Doesn't matter what food it is, you are going to burn your tongue for being impatient."

"I am used to it."

"Well here's the dish. We part ways at this building and you can have one of your bodyguards to follow me and I will give him your competitor ring at a certain place."

"Ling." He said coldly.

"You like the taste of it?" I replied.

"How long have we known each other?"

"Four days if you do not count the time zone difference."

"Four days! I thought you as a friend I have known for four lifetimes! But only till now I learned your true nature. I really thought that you were my true friend at one point..."

"Do you point guns at all your friends?"

"Shut up! You betrayed me first. I knew ever since the start you were plotting against me, I should have kept a close eye on you the whole time. Back in Japan I let you out of my sight for just a little too long and look what happens now. This is what happens if you be too generous to a beast thinking of it as your pet. The moment you release its leash it not only will try to escape but also try harm its master..."

"Oh. Who is this beast and who is this master?"

"A rhetorical question."

"I may be a beast, but you were never merely a master. You know what you are truly better than me."

"I know who I am. On the contrary I know all about you Ling. Your little tricks will die with you today."

"Not even close. And speaking of how much see of you...I see right through you because there is nothing inside."

"Big talk."

"If anyone should feel sorry, it would be me feeling sorry for you."

"How so?" he said with a poker face.

"You used a lowly commoner like me to do the dirty work because you were too afraid to do it yourself. People like you are arrogant whenever they can be: especially when they are in control. But the truth is; it was never them in control it was only power. And once power is gone to support you; you will collapse upon your own dead weight. You let your pyramid of heart be made out of pride. But pride is very fragile. Once it's damaged it will be impossible to recover."

"I don't get what you are saying." he said with a low voice facing the ground. "You know what's much better then pride?"

"Modesty. It's the opposite of pride. It earns more respect than pride and is much stronger and durable. Modesty won't be easily fractured much less break. And it shines brighter through a person than a prideful tongue. People like you never change; they are blinded by their pride. I wanted to remove your blindfold but you wouldn't let me. And what I wanted you to see with your blindfold off and see the world truly of what it is: a place that is not for arrogant people." I said

"Oh Ling...if I was an arrogant fool what does that make you? A judgemental bastard who sticks his nose where it might get bit?" his eyes were wilder then any beast.

"Don't get me wrong. No one is truly perfect. We make mistakes and sin. But those can be forgiven.

"I am done with your bullshit. I am going to kill you right now." he pointed the gun at me like a manic though both his hands were shaking really bad.

"You can forget about what I said earlier, but won't you consider about my plan even once?"

"Your plan is bullshit too."

"Really because you don't have much of a choice and time is running out."

"What time?"

"The authorities are coming soon."

"Impossible! There is no one you know who could have arranged a set up with the local authorities this morning. You have no connections!"

"True because I don't need connections."

"What do you mean?"

"Back in the elevator. When you asked Silk about the perfume...it's a type of highly flammable perfume and she carried a bottle with her. When she left the elevator she set the perfume on fire with her lighter at certain spots in the building...once the smoke is detected the fire alarm will go off . Oh if the fire alarm does sound a few moments from now it also means she took over security."

"You are only bluffing, Silk is on my side."

There were few seconds of silence then the fire alarm went off.

"You have five minutes till the authorities reach this building. And there are only 2 choices...the win win situation where we both get away. You get your ring and we say goodbye to each other forever. The other choice is the lose lose situation where we both get arrested by the authorities. Though with all the evidence pointing towards you I will be able to get away scoot free. You may get away but that means you lose the game, and in the worst situation you might have to go to jail for a while. So what's it going to be?"

"...hue...hue...HUE HUE!" he laughed hysterically into the sky. His eyes snapped back to me. "This is my answer, I kill you right now and I win and you will die and lose!" his finger went to the trigger and for a second I felt distressed. I didn't expect things to do this way. I knew this plan was risky, but now it seemed that it was doomed to failure. So I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath then exhaled deeply and thought. My next move will be life or death.

I looked into Louis's eyes. His spelled the word insane: his entire body trembled unnaturally, his laugh became more and more hysterical. The time for talking was dead. So I bent my knees getting into a dodge position and waited for the sound of gunfire...the impact of the bullet...the trickling of blood...then I heard a thwack, for a moment I couldn't accept reality. Louis's jaw was hanging lifelessly looking towards the ground. A huge silver sword pierced his chest from behind. The sword pulled back from Louis's chest letting his body drop the ground like a hollow shell. I was stunned speechless. The image of his lifeless body rang though my mind again and again like an ever spinning hamster wheel...the image before me was driving me crazy. Louis was dead.