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Chapter 41
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The Hidden Game Chapter 42
If Caleb had to analyze Marcus the way he did with others, he honestly wouldn't know where to start.He could only say this—Marcus was by far the most interesting person he had ever met.Grabbing that sketchy, unmarked bottle of strawberry jam from the fridge, Caleb hastily spread it over a slice of bread and bit down on his breakfast as he rushed out the door. When he stopped at the only traffic light on his way to work, he finally found a moment to finish his breakfast.He had initially thought the strawberry jam tasted a bit off due to him adding lemon juice to it, but the more he ate it, the more he got used to it. In fact, it started to taste more like real strawberry jam than factory-produced stuff.After polishing off the bread, Caleb glanced at himself in the rearview mirror. Sure enough, there was jam smeared on the corner of his mouth. He immediately licked it clean, but the light turned green before he could wipe up the rest with a napkin. He quickly hit the gas, determi
The Hidden Game Chapter 43
"Where did you hear that?" Marcus suddenly asked. "You said this forum is reputable—who told you that?"Just as Caleb had expected, Marcus wasn't the type to sit back and take hits. He would definitely strike back."I just looked it up online. Isn't this forum considered reputable?" Caleb replied smoothly, throwing the question back at Marcus.Caleb hadn't mentioned the username "Chess Wizard" directly. It was because he knew that with Marcus' sharp mind, showing his trump card too soon would only expose him. But Caleb still underestimated Marcus' level of caution.Instead of answering or probing further, Marcus simply stared at him and said, "Something's off about you today, Officer Johnson."Caleb blinked innocently. "Is that so?""Why the sudden interest in stock trading?" Marcus asked."The warden suggested I use my free time to learn about it. Doesn't hurt, right?"Caleb had already prepared his answer. He knew there was a fine line to teasing, especially with someone as s
The Hidden Game Chapter 44
After a moment, Marcus lowered his hand and looked at Caleb. "I can't taste it."Wasn't that to be expected?!Caleb quickly averted his gaze, not wanting to reveal that his mind had started wandering into inappropriate territory again. But then, he noticed something odd.Marcus' eyes were fixated on Caleb's lips, almost as if silently saying, "I couldn't taste it from my thumb. How about I try tasting it from your lips instead?"A strange thought popped into Caleb's head. Could it be that while he was busy daydreaming, Marcus' mind was also filled with similar inappropriate thoughts?"What are you staring at?" Caleb shifted slightly toward the window. "I just realized—there won't be a next time. I'll buy it myself at the store.""No need for that." Marcus finally lifted his gaze from Caleb's lips. "I can make it for you.""Don't you have anything better to do?" Caleb asked seriously."No," Marcus replied. "You know I've got plenty of free time."Well, that was true. Compared t
The Hidden Game Chapter 45
Caleb kept glancing at the clock.When it finally hit nine-thirty, he straightened up and said, "Time's up. Let's continue next time.""There's one more important thing—when trading stocks, you must maintain a steady mindset. Don't act impulsively-"Caleb quickly cut Marcus off, "Professor Zephyr, we've covered enough for today. It won't hurt to leave the rest for next time."Marcus gave him a long look, then asked, "What did you call me?""Professor Zephyr?" Caleb repeated.Marcus, who only had a high school diploma, seemed quite pleased with the title.He finally let go of the mouse. "Alright. See you this afternoon.""Not this afternoon," Caleb replied. "Some company executives are coming to tour the prison. I'll be accompanying them."Occasionally, groups would visit the prison as a deterrent—to remind themselves not to engage in criminal behavior. It was usually the warden's job to host these tours, but this time, Victor had asked Caleb to join. Caleb suspected it had som
The Hidden Game Chapter 46
As expected, the conversation took the turn Caleb had anticipated. It seemed that, regardless of whether people came from ordinary backgrounds or the elite class, they couldn't escape one eternal topic—matchmaking."My niece is very capable. She has a high income, so she doesn't care much about a man's financial status—it's all about feelings. I'm guessing a job like yours doesn't give you many opportunities to meet women, let alone outstanding ones. How about it? Want to give it a try and meet her?"It was true that Caleb's job didn't involve much interaction with women, but that had never been an obstacle to his dating life."Is your niece already twenty-nine? You barely look like you're in your thirties," Caleb said, smoothly changing the subject.It wasn't just flattery—these successful people took great care of themselves, and this woman looked like she was in her early thirties at most."How could that be? In my thirties? That's a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?" sh
The Hidden Game Chapter 1
On a weekend afternoon, Caleb Johnson was jolted awake from his nap by a series of loud thumping noises. The sound was not unfamiliar—he heard it nearly every weekend. It was the neighbor across the street practicing boxing.Caleb sat up, reaching out to pull aside the blackout curtains in his bedroom. The gentle afternoon sunlight slipped through the gap, casting a line of light and shadow across his fingers.Waking up from a nap always left him with a dry mouth, and on days when the boxing sounds were particularly loud, that dryness seemed even more pronounced.Caleb crossed his legs and stretched lazily, then slowly turned to open the nightstand drawer and retrieve a monocular telescope. The world through his eyes instantly transformed into a perfect circle, the magnified image revealing the pale yellow exterior of a building.Caleb's neighborhood was situated on the outskirts of the city. There were no high-rise buildings, only rows of two-story villas. To maintain a uniform an
The Hidden Game Chapter 2
Once summer began, the temperature began to rise steadily.Unlike the noisy city, the tranquil neighborhood lacked the persistent clamor of urban life. The only disturbance was the occasional sound of trains crossing distant bridges, their brief whistles echoing across the quiet streets.Caleb had never been fond of summer. The blinding sunlight and sticky sweat were detestable to him, and he rarely engaged in outdoor activities under the scorching sun. Even the inmates at the prison joked that his pale skin made him look nothing like a correctional officer.However, Caleb found himself unexpectedly reassessing his opinion of the season this summer.It wasn't due to any profound reason—it was simply because the hotter it got, the more revealing his neighbor's clothing became.Normally, when the man came home from work, he would immediately change into unremarkable loungewear. The loose-fitting white T-shirt he usually wore concealed his impressive physique, making Caleb's covert o
The Hidden Game Chapter 3
On a sweltering afternoon, the asphalt road reflected the blazing sunlight, as if it were emitting suffocating waves of heat.Neighborhood workers had once again arrived at Caleb's neighbor's doorstep, grumbling about the scattered shards of glass and the black ink stains on the walls.Caleb had just gotten home from work and emerged from his garage.Upon seeing him, the two neighborhood workers approached and asked, "Mr. Johnson, do you know when Mr. Zephyr will be home?"Caleb politely shook his head, indicating that he wasn't sure.In this clean and orderly neighborhood, all residents took pride in maintaining the environment. People regularly trimmed their lawns and kept their gardens pristine. Even the public roads outside the yards were occasionally washed down.Yet, amidst this harmonious environment, one house stood out in disarray. Glass shards littered the ground, and ink stains on the walls went unaddressed. It was an eyesore, starkly contrasting with the otherwise wel
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