The Master Programmer-Chapter 105: A Tale of Two Faces 2

Jason’s voice turned quieter, as he leaned in, building intrigue. "He presented Thomas with a chest, smaller than a loaf of bread, but it glowed with an otherworldly light. ’This is the Chest of Infinite Fortune,’ the shopkeeper whispered. ’It will grant you untold wealth, more than you could ever spend in a hundred lifetimes.’"

Jason looked down into his hands as if they held the chest, and when he finally looked up at them, his eyes were filled with wonder. "Thomas’s eyes grew wide with greed, and he reached for the chest without hesitation. ’What is the price?’ he asked, his voice trembling."

"The shopkeeper’s smile grew wider, more sinister. ’The price, my dear boy, is simple. You must never lie or deceive again. For if you do, the chest will take not only your wealth but also your very essence.’"

Jaosn’s expression turned sombre at this moment and leaning back, his tone became wistful.

"Thomas, blinded by greed, agreed without a second thought. He took the chest and left the shop, the wind screaming in his ears like the voices of the damned. The next morning, Thomas discovered the chest to be true to its name. It produced gold coins whenever he wished, and his wealth grew like a ravenous beast. However... the chest grew heavier with each lie he told."

"At first, the weight was bearable," Jason said, his tone growing more and more solemn as the man’s situation worsened. "but soon, it grew so heavy that he could barely lift it. His lies grew as plentiful as the coins within, and with each one, the chest grew heavier. The gold coins turned cold in his hand, feeling more like leaden stones that weighed him down."

"Thomas’s friends and family grew suspicious, then afraid. His eyes grew hollow, and his smile forced, as his chest began to consume him from the inside out. His skin grew pale, and his body frail, as if the very life was being squeezed from his bones."

Jason’s voice grew softer at this moment, his expression a bit more tame. "One fateful day, unable to bear the burden of his greed, Thomas tried to rid himself of the chest. He took it to the town square and called for all to see. ’I am no longer a greedy man,’ he declared, his voice shaking. ’I will give away my fortune to the poor and live an honest life!’"

"But as he opened the chest, a shadowy spectre emerged, a monstrous form that mirrored Thomas’s greed. It grew larger and more terrifying with each lie he had told, its eyes burning with the fire of a thousand betrayals. The townsfolk screamed and fled, leaving Thomas to face his shadow alone."

Jason paused at that moment, and as he sat there looking at the men who were practically falling off their seats, he almost began laughing. Well, it was a good story. And it was made even more relatable by the main character’s name. Thomas. Jason was effectively telling them that Thomas was going to have a bad fate. It did not matter if it was true or not. What mattered was the fact that he said it.

"The shadow reached out with skeletal hands, grabbed Thomas, and pulled him into the chest. The lid slammed shut with a thunderous boom, echoing through the deserted square. The chest grew smaller until it was no larger than a coin purse, and then it vanished into thin air, leaving behind a cold, empty space."

"The townsfolk, hearing the commotion, returned to find Thomas gone. In his place stood an aged, withered tree, its branches twisted into the shapes of claws reaching for the sky, as if forever grasping for more. The leaves were gold, but they turned to ash at the touch of anyone who tried to claim them. Thomas soon forever became the story of the man who never should reach for more than he could grasp."

Jason’s voice dropped to a chilling whisper that made the men turn to him, even shifting their bodies to look over. Jason was lucky he was at the red light. "From that day forward, the townsfolk spoke in hushed tones of the Shadow of the Insatiable Chest. The tree stood as a grim reminder of the cost of greed and deceit."

Jason paused for a moment, allowing the silence to linger as he looked at the men, meeting their gazes before suddenly looking ahead with a frightful expression. The two men turned to the front and when they did that, they saw the frightful thing that Jason had seen that was... Nothing. Jason had given them a fright for free. This Bastard.

"Sorry, I thought I saw something…" Jason said to himself, smiling and chuckling. How was he supposed to tell them he was merely anchoring and associating the story with the feeling of fear? Jason looked out of the window, thinking to himself and he sighed reminiscing. "You know my dad would say, So, my friend, remember Thomas’s fate. Let go of your greed and embrace honesty. For the weight of deceit is a burden no one can bear, and the shadows we cast may one day consume us whole."

After saying this, Jason sighed, shaking his head and wiping something from the side of his eye as if there was a tear falling from there. He was oh, so emotional at that moment. Woe him.

"Back then when I heard the story, I used to think about the times I’ve felt greedy or been dishonest. How did it feel? Did it bring me true happiness or peace? I could Imagine the weight of that chest on my shoulders, growing heavier with each untruth…" Jason said with another sigh. "And honestly it terrified me."

Jason chuckled as he looked at the roof of the car. "It reminds me of that thing… That quote. Make the choice today, to be honest, to seek contentment in what you have, and to share your kindness and generosity with others. The warmth of your heart will be the richest treasure you’ll ever know…"

After saying that with the most empathetic voice he could bear, Jason went completely silent sighing once again. The men were silent too and the car ride soon assumed the exact same state it was before. He kept completely quiet at that moment and he may have completely kept quiet even if they asked him a million questions. But he knew they wouldn’t.

They were probably feeling conflicted at that moment. After all, they had a weight on their chests too did they not? Even if they had not accepted cash for doing this to Jason, they would still feel a weight of guilt. Jason had just made sure to make it real to them, in the most sensory states in their brains.

The rest of the ride was just like that, with all of them merely sitting there, saying nothing. Jason was done anyway. There was nothing else for him to say. If they ever inclined to apologise they would do it with open hearts. At least that was what he hoped.

As the car screeched to a halt in the station’s parking lot, Jason took a deep breath. He stepped out, his eyes scanning the area, searching for any hint of his salvation as he was soon escorted inside in handcuffs. Salvation was nowhere to be found outside, and neither was it to be found inside. All he found were the cold, unyielding bars of a holding cell and the sneers of the other inmates.

"How much did he pay you?" Jason asked the officers, his tone laced with the challenge of a man who knew he had the upper hand, while also landing the final blow, saying it in the voice of the shopkeeper from the story. But they remained silent, their eyes flickering to the bulges in their pockets. That could only mean one thing...

Money talked, and it seemed Mr. Grayson had spoken quite eloquently. That balding Fucker.

Heh… Well, Jason had to respect him more. He needed to, after all, that was going to be his father-in-law soon. Maybe calling him a Badling fucker was not nice. Hm... Testicle Face?

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The cell door slammed shut with a finality that echoed through the barren corridor. Jason’s heartbeat was the only sound in the deafening silence, the rhythm of his thoughts racing as he took in the scene around him. The inmates eyed him like a tasty morsel. It seemed they wanted to eat him up.

We’ll see about that.

One of the burlier men sauntered over, his gaze lingering on Jason’s tailored suit. "Nice threads," he drawled, his breath a noxious cloud of stale cigarettes and despair. "Think I’ll take ’em off ya."

Jason’s smirk was the only response he gave. He knew that in this cage, power was not determined by the size of one’s wallet, but by the strength of one’s will. "You want ’em?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "You can try. I promise I’ll give you a chance."

The man’s friends laughed, the sound like a scratch of tape or some broken nails. It was thoroughly disgusting and a sound that nobody wanted to hear. But Jason’s eyes never left the ringleader’s. He knew that in this game, fear was a currency more valuable than any gold.

As the early morning stretched on, the banter grew more heated, and the man’s demands escalated from the suit to his shoes. It seemed he was testing Jason’s mettle. Well, Jason was ready for it, remaining unfazed. "If you can take ’em, go ahead," he said, his tone a dare.

The challenge was accepted, and the man lunged. But Jason was ready.

He twisted the attacker’s arm behind his back, the sickening pop of a dislocated shoulder silencing the laughter of the others. The two remaining goons approached, but Jason was a force to be reckoned with. He dispatched them with an almost poetic ease, leaving them writhing on the cold, hard floor.

He didn’t even look at them once he was done. They were literally beneath his notice. Why would he?

The officers rushed in, their batons raised trying to break up an imaginary fight, but Jason stood his ground. "They tried to take my stuff," he said, his voice calm amidst the chaos. "I was just defending myself."

Just as the two men from before were about to hoist even more charges on Jason’s head, another officer entered, a woman, and from the way the men reacted it was either they were into her or they had something to fear, maybe her authority or her connection...

Jason noticed her immediately. That uniform clung to her as if it did not want to let go. Those green eyes, that fiery hair. It was the officer he had met only a few hours after he left the messy meeting he had with Troy. What were the odds?

But before Jason could say anything to save himself, the woman smirked. "You’re coming with me," she said, her eyes gleaming with a knowing look. "For the gunfight yesterday. Did you think we wouldn’t find you?"

Jason felt a cold trickle of sweat slide down his spine. So, Troy had covered his tracks well... Otherwise, she might have said something about him too. But it was unfortunate. She had only said something about him, Jason. And now it seemed he was the only one who was going to have to bear with the troubles.

She seemed to think she had a piece of the puzzle. Jason had ways to convince her otherwise, and it might be useful if he did something like that too. But it might be unnecessary. He would hear her out first, and then see if there was anything he needed to do.

If she had something, he would make sure to evade all the clues that might lead to his arrest. If she had nothing, he would see if he could build a connection with her. There was nothing better than having a deep connection with law enforcement.

What?

It wasn’t like Jason was into those curves or anything. Deep connections can be platonic too.

She dragged him away from the two random officers who gazed at her for a long time. After separating herself, she put him next to a wall. Jason was kind of enjoying this domination play. But now was not the time to be playing around. He had to be serious.

"I wasn’t there," Jason insisted, his voice a masterful blend of sincerity and deflection. "I heard the shots, and that’s why I ran."

"Sure thing..." turning back, she looked at those guys who were staring at her ass. "Get me his documents! And open up interrogation room 3. He’s a dangerous suspect for another investigation."

Jason soon found himself in an interrogation room, his hands cuffed to the table in front of him. Wow... she even had domination tools at hand. How cool.

Her gaze searched his, looking for any crack in his armour. But Jason’s mind was a fortress, his thoughts a maze that no one could navigate without his consent. He waited, his heart pounding in anticipation. If she pushed further, he would have to pull out his tricks.

But she didn’t. Instead, she smirked again, that knowing look in her eye. "So you’re not going to tell me anything?" she said, turning away. "We’ll see."

"Wait, are you really going to leave me here?" Jason asked her, only to have her look back at him with a smirk. Damn, he was late for work! He also realised that there was no problem with leaving him here and the reason was simply because he was already a perp.

"If you tell me something good I might say something for you. After all, you’re here for a rape charge, but the person who put the rape charge up is nowhere to be seen. If you stay here for over 24 hours you might have a permanent charge on your profile. Imagine getting a job in that kind of situation... Yikes... You need to get out before it’s too late. Think about it."

Jason smirked. Using fear, punishment and reward mechanisms... So she thought she had him. However, Jason knew for certain that was not the case.

She did not have anything on him, and this was exemplified by the fact that she was not going to talk to him or bring out any piece of evidence. She was leaving him here to steam in his thoughts. Jason was a master of his thoughts though.

Jason leaned forward. "I dont know why you’re so focused on me. But… If you manage to find anything of mine on the scene I will cooperate. But before then, I will get out of here. Whether you let me or not."

She smirked. "If you come out of here without a chare I’ll give you my number."

Jason raised an eyebrow after hearing those words. What was she saying? "I think it would be more fun If I use your number and then give it to a random person out there, maybe one of the relatives of the criminals you put away all this time?"

She looked at him, and narrowed her eyes but right before she said anything, another man came into the room before she could say anything she saw who it was.

"Lieutenant," she said with a voice that was way more subdued than the one she had used with Jason. Ah... the beauty of heirachy.

"Mh." The man said with a smirk, as he turned his head to Jason. "You have been let go. The man who put the charges against you has withdrawn them and apologised for the misunderstanding. Well done."

"What about the man? Is he not going to be forced to regret his actions through some disciplinary action? Is that how the police roll? After all, he wasted the resources of the police." Jason said looking to mess Thomas Grayson’s life up a bit more.

"No need. That man is a veteran. He was just worried about his daughter. He explained it and they let him off with a warning. It’s the least we can do for a man who helped our country in such a long time."

When Jason heard those words, he smiled. It seemed something was going on that he had no idea about. His last words to the three goons were to collect information... but for Thomas to do things all by himself... was he repentant?