Chapter 295 - 293: Don’t Start Trouble Here

"You okay? Is the smoke bothering you?" Jameson Stone asked softly, seeing his reaction.

Ethan Sterling shook his head. "It’s just a little overwhelming all at once!"

Jameson Stone smiled and explained, "A lot of pool halls these days are inside those non-smoking malls, and they’re expensive. This place is way cheaper, they have group discounts, and you can smoke, so a lot of people come here."

As they spoke, the two of them walked inside. Ethan Sterling took a good look and was quite surprised. The entrance had looked completely unremarkable, and he never expected the place to be so spacious.

There must have been a dozen or so pool tables alone, and nearly all of them were taken.

The place was a cacophony of customers talking and the sharp CRACK of pool balls colliding. Add in the smoke curling under the fluorescent lights and the hip-hop blasting from the speakers, and the hall had a distinctly raw, urban vibe.

Although Lorcain Second Middle School wasn’t in the most bustling part of the city, the surrounding area was still filled with modern, urban developments. A wave of curiosity hit Ethan Sterling, and he looked at Jameson Stone. "Where do you even find places like this?"

’The auto repair shop from last time, too.’

"Hey, I’m a native!" Jameson Stone said with a smug grin. "I grew up around here. A lot of the old childhood spots are long gone. Only a few like this are left."

As Ethan Sterling followed Jameson Stone deeper into the hall, he curiously observed the clientele. Most were young people in their twenties. There were some girls, but they were all sitting on the sidelines, scrolling through their phones, most likely here with their boyfriends.

"Jameson’s here!"

Just then, two guys playing at table 7 saw Jameson Stone and called out a greeting. One of them immediately picked up a pool cue and tossed it to him. "Don’t waste money on a new table. Come play with us."

Jameson Stone caught the cue smoothly, then looked at Ethan Sterling. "Friends of mine," he explained. "Want to watch me take a shot first?"

Ethan Sterling nodded, naturally taking Jameson Stone’s backpack from him and finding a chair to sit on nearby.

"He your classmate?"

"Yeah, he’s a Veridian. Just showing him around."

"Well, have him join us."

"Let him watch for a bit first. He doesn’t know how to play."

Jameson Stone exchanged a few casual words with his friend, then stepped up to the table. He bent over, butt in the air, assuming a very professional stance with his hand, eye, and cue all aligned. Then, with a clean stroke, he sent the cue ball flying, smashing into the neatly racked balls and scattering them across the table.

Ethan Sterling didn’t know the first thing about pool, but he was a quick study. After watching quietly for a short while, he had already figured out the basic rules and objectives of the game.

But he had to admit, Jameson Stone really sucked at this!

When the game was over, Jameson Stone walked over to Ethan Sterling and jutted his chin toward the table. "Want to give it a try?"

"I think I’ll just watch today. Maybe I’ll try next time."

’He felt bad about the idea of a complete novice like him practicing on someone else’s table time.’

"Besides, I’m here to hang out with you. Just make sure you have your fun," Ethan Sterling added.

Jameson Stone didn’t push it. He just nodded. "Alright. How about I play a couple more games and then we’ll head out?"

"Sounds good."

After watching a bit longer, Ethan Sterling realized Jameson Stone was the type who had all the enthusiasm in the world but none of the skill. It was almost painful enough to make his blood pressure rise.

He got up and walked over to the counter. "Hi, can I get four bottles of Arctic Ocean?"

He bought the sodas and brought them back, handing them out to Jameson Stone and his friends.

"Oh, thanks!"

The two guys cheerfully took the bottles and thanked Ethan Sterling. Jameson Stone, however, whispered, "They overcharge for drinks here. You don’t have to buy them next time."

Ethan Sterling was about to say it was no big deal when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. His expression froze.

"What’s wrong?"

Seeing his reaction, Jameson Stone paused, then turned to follow Ethan’s gaze, but he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

"What is it? What did you see?" Jameson Stone pressed him.

Ethan Sterling didn’t answer. Instead, he quickly pulled out his phone and brought up the security footage from the parking shelter. He glanced down at the screen, then back up at a person in the distance.

Jameson Stone had been completely baffled, but seeing Ethan’s actions, he immediately understood. "You recognized him?"

Ethan Sterling’s brow furrowed. "I’m not positive."

The security camera hadn’t caught a clear shot of his face, but one of the guys had a very conspicuous jacket: black and white, with a large skull on the back. The person he was looking at now was wearing the exact same design.

"Look at the jacket!" Ethan Sterling said, pointing it out to Jameson Stone.

Jameson Stone saw at a glance it was the same one. "It’s possible. This place is close to Lorcain Second Middle School. It could be him."

"Jameson, what’s wrong?"

Seeing that the two of them seemed to be onto something, their two friends leaned in and asked.

Jameson Stone didn’t go into detail, simply asking one of them, "Walt, you know that guy at table 4, the one in the skull jacket?"

Walt looked up at the mention of him, but after a single glance, he quickly averted his eyes. "You mean Golden Blade?" he asked nervously.

"Golden Blade?"

"Yeah, the guy in the black and white jacket with the skull on the back. That’s Golden Blade. You have a problem with him?"

Jameson Stone glanced in that direction again, but Walt reached out and physically turned his head away. "Don’t stare. If he comes over, we can’t afford to get on his bad side."

"What’s the deal? Is he a big shot or something?" Jameson Stone asked, confused.

He only came to this pool hall occasionally when he got the itch to play, and he usually just played a few games and left. He didn’t really interact with any of the other regulars.

But Walt and his friend were different. They came here practically every day, so they knew the people and the goings-on far better than he did.

Walt lowered his voice to explain. "He’s not so bad on his own, but he runs with Kai. You’re better off not provoking him."

’Kai?’

’Isn’t the owner of this pool hall named Kai?’

That much, Jameson Stone knew.

Although he’d never met Kai, everyone who played at the hall had heard of him. Rumor was, the only reason this place had stayed open for so many years was because Kai had serious connections. No one ever dared to cause trouble for him.

Although Ethan Sterling had no idea who Kai was, he could tell from their tone that this was not someone to be trifled with.

"Ethan, maybe you should sneak out and call the cops?" Jameson Stone said suddenly.

Ethan Sterling froze, then quickly shook his head. ’For one thing,’ he thought, ’I can’t be sure it’s this Golden Blade guy based on a matching jacket alone. Plus, it’s not just Jameson here. There are two other guys who have nothing to do with this. If I rashly call the police now, I’ll definitely drag them into it.’

"It’s not a good idea to call the police. You can’t just mess with people like that. What if the police come, find out we’re wrong, and now we’ve made an enemy?"

The guy next to them nodded in agreement. "Your classmate is right. Seriously, don’t start trouble in here. And definitely don’t mess with Kai’s people!"