#China Gaming Chair Factory

[ergonomicfdesk]

While it's not at all as versatile as a few of the other gaming chairs about this list

Prime 5 Best Gaming Chairs

A gaming chair is a type of chair that is created specifically for gamers and often attributes ergonomic designs to generate it more secure for long periods of time while sitting inside the same position. Gaming chairs are usually well padded from the seat and back again, have adjustable armrests and headrests, and can also come with lumbar support to counteract pain in the spine. They are as well usually height-adjustable to support different players so to allow them to realize their desk or perhaps monitors easily.

While there are lots of gaming chairs accessible, it is imperative that you choose one that has the design and features that could best meet your requirements. China Esports Gaming Chair Suppliers The most common design feature in which separates gaming ergonomic chairs from office chairs is the reclining mechanism, which allows the user to help adjust the angle in the seat backrest to be able to change their pose while sitting while in the chair. Many of these chairs have got a tilt functionality that lets the consumer rock between the two in their safety. However, it is crucial that you note that not all gaming chairs have a quality reclining mechanism and several require a variety of physical effort to move the chair backward and forward.

Gaming chairs are sometimes made of low-quality materials and are also not as sturdy as office chairs, so it is not optional to purchase a new high-quality gaming seat that will last a long time. Most of that top-rated gaming chairs has a sturdy steel frame that is built to withstand heavy make use of. Additionally, they could have caster wheels which can be covered in polyurethane to counteract them from dangerous your flooring. Moreover, the seat cushions ought to be made of your durable material for instance leather or mesh that could resist usage.

The Asus ROG Destrier Ergo seat has all the stuff you would expect from the premium gaming easy chair. It has 4D supply rests and happy lumbar support that molds for a body, and it also has a plethora of healthy posture and comfort maximizing adjustments. It even features a built-in footrest!

While it's not at all as versatile as a few of the other gaming chairs about this list, the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 offers many adjustment options to fit a considerable amount of body types and also playing styles. Additionally , it has a large selection of color and upholstery possibilities, including fabrics empowered by popular esports teams and video games. The Titan Evo boasts a generous assortment of backrest angle flexibility and involves multiple headrest realignment options.

Choosing the proper gaming chair can help to improve your performance while gaming. In case you are more comfortable while sitting in your chair, you will be able to focus on the game without staying distracted by pain. Moreover, a good gaming chair might help to alleviate back and neck discomfort, which can result in a decrease with your overall gaming performance. The Herman Miller Embody will be the Rolls Royce of gaming chairs and it will be a pretty dime, but it is merely worth the investment if you have the money to spare.

[tincci-tenchee]

Are you looking for a gaming chair base that is of great quality and affordable? Look no further than factory direct quality gaming chair bases for Diablo Chairs. As a leading manufacturer of gaming chair bases in China, we offer a wide selection of chair bases to meet all your gaming needs.

[chaos0pikachu]

Hi Pika, I don't know if you've been following gmmtv's take over of wabi sabi, I just want to ask you: given that so many companies are part of TBLC which is like a Thai BL content association, do you have any idea why gmmtv isn't a part of it? BOC, DMD, Star Hunter, Copy A Bangkok, Channel 3 are all part of it, I'm just wondering why gmmtv isn't even thought it's the biggest bl company? Wabi Sabi was/is a part of it. (idk exactly)

I can't emphasize enough that I am NOT an expert on this snaps lmao so anything I say that isn't like a direct link to an article or further reading source is speculation on my part. You're a sweetheart Anon but I just wanna let you know that like if you wanna know about the American publishing or entertainment industry but I don't wanna present myself as like ~an expert~ when my ass ain't ya know?

So my short answer is fuck if I know lol I hadn't even heard of the TBLC till this ask

For folks interested in it, here's the livestream they hosted for it (it's 45ish minutes) and it doesn't have subs though. But it seems to be connected to Thailand's soft power committee, here's an article on that:

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who chairs the committee, tasked deputy chairwoman Paetongtarn Shinawatra with leading two national initiatives: One Family One Soft Power (OFOS) and the Thailand Creative Content Agency (THACCA). The goal of the initiatives is skills training to create 20 million jobs that will generate annual income of 4 trillion baht. OFOS and THACCA will be implemented in three phases: First, to boost human resources, 20 million children, adults, and seniors in under village and community funds will get free training in fields such as food, Muay Thai, arts, performance, singing, design, fashion, e-sports, and more, free of charge.

For folks who may not know, soft power is a term coined by political scientist Joseph S. Nye Jr. in his article Soft Power published by Foreign Policy magazine.

"In the 1980s, political scientist Joseph Nye Jr. coined the term soft power, defining it as a country’s ability to influence others without resorting to coercive pressure. In practice, that process entails countries projecting their values, ideals, and culture across borders to foster goodwill and strengthen partnerships." (source)

Soft power is a form of governmental influence internationally, and works conjunction with "hard power".

Examples of "soft power" are the American space program, athletes performing at the Olympics, and on the media side, military propaganda films like Captain Marvel, (yes I consider Captain Marvel a military propaganda film the film opens with a freaking air force ad lmao).

You see other countries using similar tactics as well, for every Top Gun there's China's Wolf Warrior 2 or Hidden Blade. For South Korea, BTS and k-pop is most definitely used as a source of soft power. This is just something governments do.

Okay so like, gmmtv and BL we've been hearing for a minute now that BL and GL are part of the Thai governments plans for soft power.

Mile and Apo have spoken about this specifically when promoting Man Suang and here's a recent video of them working in conjunction with the government on Shine:

(source)

Even Mew's talked about Thailand's soft power in interviews before (context, Mew was the first Thai musician to break into the American Billboard charts):

(source)

It's not just BL either, Idol Factory's Freen and Becky of The Gap fame got in on this too:

So like, it sounds like this meeting/committee in general is just an extension of the Thai governments plans for expanding their soft power which includes how to better support this now highly in demand industry (BL/GL shows) b/c the government sees its international value.

I can only assume that like, gmmtv feels it doesn't need~ government support as a production company? They're the biggest BL studio in the game and have an annoying stranglehold on territories like America and Latin America already. It doesn't really matter what the quality of the shows even are, gmmtv have that sweet parasocial grip on audiences.

[my forever frustrations with gmmtv and how they sell idols and parasocial relationships not BL/GL shows is a totally different post so lemme stop]

Other companies don't really have that same hold on international audiences. At least not consistently? And the biggest concern is funding.

I think anyone with eyeballs can see Kinnporsche is the best well produced BL that's come out of Thailand (argue with the wall) in terms of overall technical quality. But that level of quality is expensive, the CGI in The Sign is freaking expensive, The Next Prince's pilot is so obviously pricey as all fuck you can tell the studio is banking on it selling.

Which is why studios like Idol Factory, Domandi or BOC only come out with a one or two shows a year in comparison to gmmtv's like 16. They need funding, not just for filming the show but also marketing. Filmmaking is hella expensive.

[I'm not talking about whether y'all liked this show or that show, I'm talking about technical quality, shows like Kinnporsche, The Sign, Pit Babe are all better on a technical level than stuff like 1000 Stars, Only Friends or Cooking Crush.]

Why didn't gmmtv attend the event or participate, baby I legit do not know. I can't answer that with any sort of certainty only their execs could answer that, I can only guess.

And my best guess is b/c the company feels confident they're fine on their own. They don't need funding assistance, nor assistance reaching an international market (tho maybe some assistance in getting their contracts straight hope Ossan's Love doesn't face the same distribution issues as Cherry Magic lmao).

For more information on the event itself I really liked this post on reddit that I felt broke everything down very well.

Anyway sorry this got so long Anon but I hope it at least provided some interesting information!

[starseedfxofficial]

Unexpected Trends APAC Traders Missed Is It a Mix or a Mess? APAC Stocks Keep Traders on Their Toes In the ever-unpredictable world of APAC trading, where a dip in one market turns into a jump in another, the last 24 hours delivered a rollercoaster. Picture this: the S&P 500 and DJIA achieved new record highs—like the thrill of finding a rare trading opportunity. Meanwhile, the small-cap Russell 2000 was more like that impulse buy you regret—it just couldn’t keep up, underperforming amid the recent tariff threats from Trump. When someone’s off-key, the whole orchestra feels it. Australia’s Gold Rush and Tech Highs: Glistening Opportunities or Fool's Gold? The ASX 200 marched on higher ground, with gold stocks gleaming in the spotlight. Imagine you’re at a dinner where everyone’s enjoying some hearty gold-flavored dessert—oh, and tech stocks, because who doesn’t love some flashy innovation? Mixed data releases were the garnish, providing encouragement despite a somewhat confusing mixture of softer-than-expected CPI figures and a positive rise in Q3 construction work done. It’s like when your favorite sports team is losing, but you still see hope because their defense is better than last season—a small win worth cheering. Nikkei 225 and the BoJ Conundrum: An Interest Rate to Love or Hate? The Nikkei 225 didn’t quite join the party. And if you think it’s because everyone was busy celebrating gains elsewhere, think again. Japan’s stronger yen made things shaky. It’s like trying to swim against a strong current—you’re expending all your energy just staying in place. Money markets are also pointing towards a hike by the BoJ (Bank of Japan) next month. So, if you’re a trader thinking about Japan, keep your eyes peeled for changes—the BoJ is a fickle friend, but their moves can make a big splash. Traders would do well to listen in on what might turn from whispers to moves, especially considering the next interest rate hike. China's Factory Blues: Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp Squeeze Out Wins Over in China, the Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp eked out some gains, but not without bumps along the way. Picture them moving slowly, dragging themselves upward. The industrial profit data for October still shows a double-digit decline year-on-year, though less steep than last month. It’s like that friend who always shows up late—at least they’re improving, right? Gains were capped as no major new catalysts emerged, but, for now, a positive is a positive. Keep an eye on potential shifts, though, because catching that movement early could be your next big win. A Deluge of Data and the Euro Stoxx 50: Like a Game of Musical Chairs Across the pond, U.S. equity futures are rangebound ahead of a data-filled Thanksgiving feast—let’s hope for more than just turkey. European equity futures point towards a negative cash open, with the Euro Stoxx 50 leading the march downwards. It’s like everyone is playing musical chairs, and nobody’s quite sure if there will be enough seats. As we head into the festive holiday, traders are looking at mixed signals and wondering, “Which data will lead the way?” It’s the equivalent of waiting for your aunt to confirm if she’s really bringing the pumpkin pie. Let’s just say uncertainty is the name of the game today. Hidden Opportunities to Eye: Here’s Where the Magic Happens While all eyes might be on the tariff threats, currency strengthening, or the underperformance of the small caps, here’s a little-known strategy: look for correlated opportunities. When U.S. indices go high, particularly the S&P 500 and DJIA, this often hints at rising global investor sentiment. Instead of just watching the big numbers, why not look for FX pairs that historically correlate with rising equities, like AUD/USD? Finding that sweet spot might just be your golden ticket to outperformance. Moreover, contrarian traders might consider focusing on the Russell 2000’s underperformance. Historically, underperforming small caps in a strong equity environment tend to catch up. It’s about seeing what others are missing—like spotting the real deal on the sale rack that everyone passed over. Don’t be afraid to be contrarian—the masses aren’t always right, and sometimes, opportunities hide in the nooks of forgotten trends. Just like today’s mixed APAC scene, if you can find harmony in the chaos, you’ll outplay those sticking to the well-trodden path. Advanced Strategy Insight: Buying the Underperformance For traders looking to get tactical, consider using simple moving averages to identify oversold conditions in the Russell 2000. Historically, some of the best rebounds occur when sentiment feels weakest—right before it’s about to turn. Use this opportunity to research possible re-entry points that align with data expected over the next few weeks. Also, a simple but powerful trick? Watch for a stronger yen to potentially signal good entry points for Japanese exporters. There’s more than just buying the breakouts—sometimes, a firmer currency can present timely opportunities, but only if you understand what’s happening behind the scenes. Remember: Trading success isn’t about brute force but finding where sentiment and data align, like how a chef aligns ingredients to create the perfect dish—a little bit of everything, just enough to keep things balanced and ahead of the trend. From Humor to the Hard Numbers—Finding Your Edge Markets can often feel like a mixed bag—some days, they’re serving you a Michelin star meal; other days, it’s ramen noodles. The key, dear traders, is knowing how to handle whatever’s put in front of you. With APAC trading serving up surprises left and right, remember: don’t just stick with the status quo. Look for those hidden cues, work your way through the clutter, and find opportunities where others overlook them. And most importantly, don’t forget to keep your trading toolkit sharp, your sense of humor intact, and your strategies ready for action. Stay informed. Stay witty. Stay winning. —————– Image Credits: Cover image at the top is AI-generated   Read the full article

[kechenfurniture]

5132 Adjustable angle gaming chair PU computer chair ergonomic chair office chair

[sillycyan]

Trump being all buddy buddy with Elon Musk is genuinely so ironic.

In his "Message to America's Auto Workers" under Agenda47, Trump very openly criticized electric vehicles, claiming they are "these electric vehicles that very few people want" and part of a "disastrous electric car scheme" and insisting he’ll protect the traditional auto jobs.

Yet here he is, loving it up with Elon, one of Tesla’s co-founders, damn near pioneering the EV market right now, who’s built his entire brand on electric cars, and (at least somewhat openly) supporting and trying to take climate conscious initiatives.. How can Trump claim that he’s committed to "taking back our industry" in the auto working market while trashing EVs, the very technology Elon has been taking pride on????

Also, for some reason, thinks that it is a mandated thing to have an electric car...?Biden did not say this himself, but his administration has encouraged people to consider other options.

Then there’s the trade situation with China. Trump talks all this big game about cutting trade ties with China saying "As part of my plan to obtain total independence from China-" (timestamp at 1:17) that counts for everything from electronics to literal pharmaceuticals. But here’s the kicker there, that would very much disrupt Tesla’s production. While Tesla has gigafactories in the states, we obviously can not overlook the Shanghai factory, the company’s largest and most efficient one. China plays a huge role in Tesla’s supply chain and ability to meet global demand as a whole. This doesn't just go to Tesla, but a lot of the things we own and use on a day to say. If Trump’s policies were implemented, they’d pull the plug on a critical part of Tesla’s operations, potentially kicking the chair to its access to more affordable parts and slowing down production by a ton.

All this aside.. The point I’m trying to make is that both of them have their priorities in the wrong places, and it show just how quickly people will support public figures without looking into their backgrounds or actions.

Blind support cost lives.

[ebelal56-blog]

BOOMING Asia Economies You Won't Believe Exist Today

Explore the rise of Asia and its impact on the global economy in this informative video. Learn about the growth of countries like South Korea and China, and how the stock market plays a role in shaping the future of the world. Learn about the rise of Asia and its impact on the global economy in this video. From the stock market to South Korea's economic growth, we'll explain how Asia is becoming a new powerhouse in the world. If you're interested in economics and global trends, this video is a must-watch! Have you ever really thought about how the center of global power has shifted throughout history? It's like watching a game of musical chairs, isn't it? Picture Europe, dominating the scene from the 16th century to the early 20th. Those countries were like kids in a candy store, establishing colonies everywhere, extracting wealth like it was their birthright. Then came the Industrial Revolution, a game-changer that put Europe ahead with steam engines, railroads, and factories. They controlled trade routes and production like never before. But history isn't linear; two world wars hit hard, weakening Europe and creating a vacuum. Enter the United States, stepping into the spotlight after World War II, booming economically and culturally. But then, Asia began to rise. China, India, Japan-they're not just players; they're becoming leaders. We might be entering an "Asian Century." It's a wild ride, and we're all part of this unfolding story. What's next? Only time will tell!

[xiapiintelligenttechnology]

Xiapi (Anji) Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.

Xiapi (Anji) Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. is a 

China Sponge Cushion Gaming Chair Manufacturers And Custom Ergonomic Office Chair Supplier

. We are a company dedicated to the design and production of high quality gaming chairs.As a professional esports chair manufacturer, we pay attention to the needs of players, focusing on innovation and quality.

[anjihuaqi]

OR-053 Left and right upholstered U-shaped sofa bed

Convenient, comfortable, storage, USB charging port quartet.1 convenient, easy two-step operation, a pull and mention, sofa seconds into a bed; 2 comfortable and wide large U-shaped sofa, embracing you in the arms; 3 easy storage, left and right toffee lie, easy to lift the cover, large storage space immediately, more convenient storage at hand, so that the environment is more tidy; 4 armrest pre-built USB port, charging at will, sitting and lying games

Company Name:Anji Huaqi Furniture Co., Ltd. Web:https://www.noreuhua.com/product/assembly-sofa-with-broaching-bed-for-storage/or053-left-and-right-upholstered-ushaped-sofa-bed.html ADD:Kangshan Industrial Park, Dipu Town, Anji County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China Phone:86-572-5018855 Email:huaqimao@163.com Tip:313399 Profile:As a famous enterprise in Anji, the "hometown of the Chinese chair industry", HUAQI represents the profound understanding of furniture customization by the Chinese furniture craftsmanship team. From the first day the factory was established, we have been committed to integrating furniture production technology with the art of realizing home life.

[homefurniturehjg]

A great computer gaming chair is key to a comfortable and ergonomic launch

The best Computer Gaming Chair With regard to Comfort and Ergonomics

Personal computer Gaming Chair Factory  A great computer gaming chair is key to a comfortable and ergonomic launch. Most China Computer Gaming Chair Manufacturers games take place on the computer or console, which requires long sessions of near a screen. This is often uncomfortable over time, and it also can also cause again and neck pain. The most effective gaming chairs are designed to be both comfortable and ergonomic, with features in which promote proper posture plus support. These features include things like adjustable armrests, height in addition to width-adjustable seat, lumbar support, and tilt limiters. While some gaming chairs have additional features, such as winged backs or bucket seats, many are often not necessary regarding comfort.

The gaming chair industry is filled with options, but some manufacturers own taken the time to pay attention to making the most ergonomically-sound ergonomic office chair. One such company is definitely Anji Judor Furniture Co.,Ltd.,which recently launched a chair designed with input from over 30 PhDs in ergonomics, vision, and biomechanics. Anji Judor Furniture Co.,Ltd. unique silhouette and features make it stand out from additional gaming chairs. It is priced inside upper range of games chairs, but it can still be afforded by most game enthusiasts.

Another high-quality chair that's both ergonomic and comfortable will be Anji Judor Furniture Co.,Ltd..This chair is constructed of breathable materials and consists of cold-cure foam that helps keep your skin from sweating while you're gaming. It is also created from high-quality PU leather as well as has an aluminum base which could support up to 330 lbs. This chair is which is designed to provide premium comfort and support for all those types of gamers, whether there're casual or professional. ​ However, they have also produced a name for themselves inside gaming chair market using their WW T1 racing massage chair. The chair is the race-style chair that looks more being a car seat than the office chair. It is built with a reclining mechanism which allows the user to change the backrest angle, which is good for long gaming sessions.

The breathable material from the seat and backrest keeps your skin from getting sweaty, possibly during lengthy gaming techniques. The chair also provides an acoustic panel that helps block distracting noise and keep your gamer in the zoom.

[horrorkingdom]

The Satellite Images

A friend of mine showed me how to use Google Maps. I'm sure you've seen it. It lets you use satellite images to look at locations all over the world. A few years ago, I was in a car accident. Since then, I really don't leave the house that often. It's difficult, and the idea of a seeing a car drive by me makes me feel lightheaded. I was fascinated by the fact that I could see all over the world, almost like being there. I could virtually walk down the streets, and it almost felt like I was really there.

I became instantly hooked. It gave me a real eye on the world. I could go to almost any major city, and I did. I'd seen streets in China, Japan, Germany, and England... so many places. I'd even gone to tourist attractions like the Great Barrier Reef and Dracula's castle.

My favorite was to go to random places in major cities and see how many people and animals I could find. The faces of the people were always blurred to protect their privacy, but it was still enjoyable to see them out there, enjoying their life, walking like it was no big deal.

"She must have good taste," I laughed.

I zoomed in closer and noticed the grey bag she carried on a grey and purple shoulder strap. She was walking in a relaxed manner, one hand trailing the wall beside her. I bet if I could have seen her face, I would see that she was smiling. I began to feel a little sad. I let my hands fall onto the arms of my wheelchair and looked at her for a minute more. I wished that I could be there, walking so carefree with her. That wouldn't happen though, until I died. I was stuck in this chair. I sighed and zoomed out of Tokyo. Enough of this for tonight. I turned off the computer and went to bed.

—

I got up early and decided to look around Paris. Paris was always fun. I liked the look of the city, with all of the old, beautiful buildings and so many people to watch. I randomly zoomed to an area and saw a street, lined with old brick buildings, a few small shops, and an old tan brick church. Ahead was an intersection, and dozens of people walked by. A balding businessman walked quickly past, looking back at an old woman, hair covered with a scarf, carrying a large purse. A curvy woman in black pants that were too tight stared into a store window, and two women led a group of small children around a corner.

I spun the view around a few more times, and then saw something peculiar. Sitting on the bench at the bus stop, were two people. One of them was a young woman with her feet stuck in front of her in a relaxed manner. She was wearing a pair of red sneakers, like my own. I was startled for a moment; as I noticed the black pants, white t-shirt, and black hooded jacket. Her dark brown hair was tied loosely behind her head. A grey bag sat on the bench beside her, the shoulder strap hooked over her shoulder.

"This is crazy," I thought. "It can't possibly be the same woman. This is a different country, different continent even. How could it be her?"

This was stupid. It wasn't as if these were live photographs. They were taken ahead of time and then stored. It's not like she was in two places at once. She could just be a traveler. Besides, without seeing her face, it was impossible to tell it was the same person. Brown hair was probably the most common hair color in the world. Those red sneakers were something I purchased online. I'm sure a million other people did too. I shook my head and went to fix some lunch.

When I got back online, I decided to look at Berlin. I picked a random street, as usual. It looked pretty empty. There were brick buildings lining the streets, looking more like factories than anything else. There were also empty lots, full of long grass and piled gravel. There wasn't much to see at all, really. There was a line of motorbikes and a car with two German flags sticking up from it. After more searching, I found one kid. He looked like he was dressed for school, a jacket thrown over his bag. He was intently looking at some kind of mobile device. I was disappointed. I started to leave, but then I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I turned the view, and there they were. Those damned red sneakers.

She was standing on a street corner, next to some kind of signpost. She had a hand on the post, looking down the street, as if waiting to cross the street. I stared, in shock. How could she be there too? Even if she was traveling, there's no way I would find her every time. Even finding her in Paris would have been one heck of a coincidence, but this? This was crazy. Was this some kind of joke? Had Google decided to play a prank on its users that used their product so much? It would have been a great joke...

I did a quick search, looking for a note about a woman that shows up like Waldo. There was nothing. I looked through articles on strange things you can see on Google Maps, but none of them mentioned the woman that travels the world with you. This was crazy. Had my self-imposed isolation driven me mad? Had I become so lonely that I created a hallucination for myself?

Leaving the Berlin image on my screen, I sent a text message to a friend, asking him to look at the locations. I asked him if he saw the same woman. Then I waited, hands sweating, heart thumping in my chest. I jumped when my phone beeped with a return text message, ten minutes later.

The text read, "I see the lady you're talking about in Berlin. I didn't see her in Paris or Tokyo. Is this some kind of game, or what? Are you okay?"

I didn't respond, instead returning to the locations in Tokyo and Paris. There she was. She was there, but it was different. She no longer sat on the bus-stop bench, in Paris. She was standing in front of it, looking for something in her bag. In Tokyo, she was blocks away, squatting down to pet that calico cat. I shivered. Who was she? What was happening?

I switched the map to Brussels. It was another city street. It was lined with old looking buildings, with shops on the ground level, and what I guessed was apartments above. I quickly scanned the streets. They were empty, other than a stocky woman in a bright blue sweater. I did a second sweep. She wasn't there. I sighed in relief. I couldn't believe I was getting so worked up about this.

It was nothing but a coinci-- I stopped, my eyes frozen on the screen. There was a building at the point of a fork in the road, white with a black-ironwork-framed balcony jutting from the second floor. I hadn't seen her, as I had been looking at the sidewalks. There she stood, standing on the balcony, her head tilted in the direction of the camera, almost like she was coyly looking toward me. My breath caught in my throat.

I switched to Sydney. She was leaning against the wall, inside the doorway of a bright blue Carricks Pharmacy building. London showed her getting ready to step onto a red double-decker bus, her head turned to look over her shoulder. She was everywhere I looked. She stood on a brick sidewalk on a bridge in Venice, she walked across a yellow barred crosswalk in Zurich; and in Hong Kong, and she stood between a Wing Lung Bank and a McDonald's adjusting the strap on her bag. In each picture, she came closer and closer to looking directly at me with her blurred out face.

My heart felt like a terrified bird, slamming around inside my chest. I couldn't catch my breath. I wasn't sure what to do. I couldn't call the police. Should I send screenshots to Google?

I clenched my fists tightly and closed my eyes. Who was she? Was she following me? Was I following her? I wish I could see the expression on her face, know what she saw when she looked back at me. I wanted to get out of the chair and run. Why is it that the only thing that made me feel free again, was the thing that made me feel even more trapped? I had to know.

I typed in the name of my town and zoomed into a random street. It was a couple of miles from my house; the gates to the city park were shown in the clarity of daylight, despite it being night here. There she was. There... There she was. She was only a few miles from my house, standing under the ironwork arch that stated the name of the park. She looked directly at the camera, directly at me. I felt like I might throw up. She was near me, and she was watching me. She was coming for me. What did she want?

I typed in the name of the apartment complex where I live. I could see the outside of the building. The parking lot was full of cars, and there were a few blurred out children on the playground. I searched everywhere for her. She wasn't in the parking lot or on the sidewalks, not hiding between the buildings or standing in the playground. I even scanned each of the cars, behind the bushes, and each of the blurred windows. She wasn't there. I curled tightly around myself and lay my head down on the desk.

This place was safe. I didn't leave the apartment anyway. I would never use Google Maps again. I would never see her again. She could stay at the park for all I cared. I smiled to myself and was surprised to find a tear slipping down my face.

"I'm safe," I said to myself in a whisper. It felt good to hear it out loud. "I'm safe."

As I said it, there was a knock at the door. A chill ran down my spine. I had a camera hooked to my computer that showed who was at the front door, which made it easier for me, with my mobility issues. I slowly reached for the control to show myself who was outside, but my hand trembled furiously. As I touched the control, I realized my mistake. The last of Google's images that I'd seen had only shown the outside of the building. Just the outside.

I looked at the screen and saw a woman in a white t-shirt, black pants, black hooded jacket; and carrying a grey bag with a purple and grey striped shoulder strap. Of course, there were those red sneakers. She looked directly at the camera, her face still a complete blur. As I tried to stifle a scream, she raised a hand and knocked loudly on my front door.

[yuhangfurniture]

Gaming chair with Retractable Footrest

Anji County Yuhang Furniture Co., Ltd is famous China computer gaming chairs suppliers and computer racing gaming chairs factory, located in the "No. 1 Bamboo Town in China" and "China Chair Art Town"——Anji, Zhejiang. Founded in 2001, our company covers an area of more than 20,000 m2, with a plant area of more than 30,000 m2 and 200 employees. We are specialized in the research and production of computer gaming chair, racing chairs, office furniture, and leisure household supplies, Gaming chair with Retractable Footrest , etc.

Over the past two decades, our company has been adhering to "Inclusive Development Vision, Customer-Orientation Service Concept, Craftsmanship Spirit, Unremitting Struggle". We are committed to the main business with down-to-earth spirit, which has won the recognition of domestic and foreign customers.

[cavitymagazine]

𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞

Mom had begun to cry in silverfish, those insects named for the way their bodies seemed to swim across kitchen tile in a steely glint unique to armor or else fish scales; when she wept they poured from her eyes in the place of tears, six-legged and writhing all over her face. Why she cried so often and lately I did not know. In her retirement she had become fascinated with immortality, spending her social security checks on powders and pills, saying things about cell death, how if you kept shedding the details of yourself you could live forever, so long as the sickness drifted dust-like out and off your skin, so long as you continued cycling regularly through the decayed layers of yourself. To me it all sounded like so much dirty laundry. After a glass of wine, then, she’d bring up the story about how some priest sixty years ago had ruined her youth when he stuck his tongue down her ear, wiggled it around in there like an overfed slug. All the while as she talked silverfish tinkling against the counter before they scuttled off into silence.

We lived in the marsh. At night there would be the smashed egg smell of sulfur. There would be strange lights shifting on the horizon. There was only one job you could get in town, and that was at the mattress factory in the very center of everything. Most days looking at its smokestacks and turbines and cargo trucks spewing as ventricles I wondered where does a body begin—for it seems to me it must start with a heart before all else, the bones and meat growing around it to fit like petals encompassing a bud. Inside the factory our sweat boiled. My shifts were corridored by yellow warning tape on the floor between the machines and a screeching plugged by the foam we had been mandated to jam into our ears. 

Our product was made in America, as we were in America, making it. The metals and parts we used were from China or else Vietnam or whatever corner of the earth steel is oozed from. This was a key selling point, the salesmen said, this made in America stuff—they would tell it to customers on polished sales floors wearing their polished shoes and this would transmogrify these customers into buyers. 

“A customer becomes a buyer,” the salesmen would explain to us in corporate meetings, our bodies crunched against foldout chairs, “when a relationship is built.”

And then the conveyor belt that was the week, Monday through Friday, machines trembling, needles automated and sewing, my sweat following me into my sleep. Once when I was on lunch I ran into one of these salesmen, or I guess I should call her a saleswoman, in the breakroom where she started a conversation with me. She started it the way you would a match, like an idle flick of the wrist. 

“I had to bring my car to the mechanic this morning,” she said, darting around like a mosquito. “It was making strange noises. Turns out there’s a whole family of mice living in the engine!” She smiled glassily, pausing in the middle of loading the coffee maker. “I bet it’s like a Disney musical in there…all the little forest critters singing and dancing…throwing a party! Ratatouille!”

The mattress coils we made in the factory were renowned for how much crushing they could withstand. They could be crushed one hundred billion times and still spring back to shape. In fact, during tests we had to turn the hydraulic crushing machines off, just because things reached a point where it was obvious the coils would not break and to try any further would be a simple mathematical loss of time and money. 

So, the priest’s tongue in my mother’s ear, that pink slug. I could understand slugs, at least: my own life was detestable, yet I managed to endure it enough to keep trailing the mucus of myself everywhere I went. All the guys I worked with had a wife or a kid and in both situations at least a girlfriend. When I imagined these relationships, semblances of a family, they appeared to me in my head like a manmade star in those science fiction movies, metal constructs planet-sized and still half-finished. Myself, I was always roaming bars and backroads laden with dirt. I’d had my allotment of intimacy, quick suction of lips, a rasp like something slipping down a sink drain. A customer became a buyer when a relationship was built. I felt myself as a terrestrial mollusk, my shell the bathroom stall at work I could duck into once every two hours during my approved bathroom break.

Meanwhile Mom was having ideas about repainting the inside of the house. She moved all the furniture out and onto the mud of the front yard. She wrapped every last surface in plastic, the stairs and counters and railings. By this point her eyes had vanished into insect nests, dual pools of writhing silver. “What do you think about this color,” she said, holding up a bucket of cement as bugs dripped down her cheeks.

At work I was promoted to delivery driver, the daily factory hum translated to the low grumble of a truck. I still sweated, but it was inside people’s homes, airy spaces with sunlight and windows as I jammed a mattress up a staircase. I saw the world outside my town’s sludge, marsh reeds giving way to gold-tinged fields and plains, and perhaps this made me greedy. I wanted to be everywhere as a cancer.

In the factory parking lot I encountered the saleswoman again. I offered her a ride. We fucked in the back of my truck, atop shrink-wrapped mattresses whose coils could get crushed continually and always and then pop back to life, retaining their shape. When I was younger there was an arcade now boarded up and filmed with dust, and I would go there to play a game called Whack-A-Mole, in which moles would pop out of holes and you had to hit them, suppress them back down into the plastic machine meant to represent earth and dirt.

Wind caught in the cellophane sheets of my home. All night you could hear the air trapped there and crinkling. Mom’s painting was erratic, half-hazard smears crumbling off the walls. The bugs had spread from her eyes and taken free reign of the place, swarming colonies in every room, and I woke most mornings to their crawling on my skin, although otherwise they did not make a single sound in all their scuttling.

“The problem with cells,” Mom said as I stomped in from another shift, “is each individual unit is an entire prison in and of itself. The military industrial prison complex of the self compartmentalized, partitioned into the four walls that surround you and the room that is your entire life. So if you can destroy the cell…break down the membranes…everything bleeding and oozing together and into unity. No more walls. Life, then, freed and unbounded…eternal…” 

I was taken aback to hear her speak. She had not talked in months, and her voice had obtained the frayed quality of torn paper. When the other delivery drivers talked at work, it was all the same, a recycled joke about how it was someone’s job to sleep on all the mattresses we hauled, to test them for quality. “Wouldn’t that job be nice,” we would laugh to each other, jamming a bed up yet another staircase. It was also probably somewhere someone’s job to design child-sized crash test dummies and then launch those dolls into fiery car explosions, but I did not mention that subject. There were a lot of things, I noticed, that I let go unsaid in a day.

Another promotion and I was a salesman, working in coolly air conditioned stores, hair slicked and wearing even a tie. I spoke rapidly and at all times, firing off mattress dimensions and coil count and foam measurements. I only sweated then in my sleep, entombed by insects. I learned how to make my smile dazzle, having gained the unfortunate tendencies of sustaining eye contact and layering my voice hypnotically, and this resulted in sales, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of mattresses sold. I was building relationships. I was better off than I had been on any factory floor.

What was next? Life seemed infinite as the interstate. I could be a regional district manager, a CEO. I explained enthusiastically to customers that our mattresses were special because of the coil, American-made and resilient, designed to withstand millions of pounds of hydraulic crushing, springing always back into shape. I did not mind the silverfish so much anymore, for they wrapped my body like blankets. I could not locate my Mom, searching all the cabinets and corners of the house, shouting out for her in the middle of a night. The painting was left half-finished. Sheets of cellophane fluttered in the hallways like curtains. I was surprised to find myself so old and suddenly.

[Author Bio]

Nathaniel Duggan lives in Maine. He can be found on Twitter @asdkfjasdlfjd.  Website: https://neutralspaces.co/nathanielduggan/

[kechenfurniture]

5124 Home backrest mesh breathable gaming chair computer chair game chair

[sooghostwriter]

Iliada

Pairings: Do Kyung Soo x OC 

Genre: Mature,  Romance, AU, mention of violence, action, bad language,  Smut in future chapters

Warnings: Kyung Soo is not a good guy. Mentions of violence. 

Summary: After a long and hard assignment, Yoon Suji is sent to a new mission that involves less violence but needs a lot of acting. Do Kyung Soo has one of the biggest drugs rings in South Korea, but police haven’t been able to get him. They need proof that he is the one in charge and Suji is the one sent to get them. 

She has the freedom to decide how is she going to get his trust. 

Notes:  I wrote this story a while ago, I published somewhere else (LJ I think) then I read it again and I didn’t like it, so I changed some things and some characters. Since this story is already written, there will be a new chapter every week. Also, here Kyung Soo is a bit older. This is not child’s game. Also if you are Russian, this is nothing against your country. I grew up in the ’90s when every bad guy in action movies was Russian. 

Chapter 1

There are many stories about the fearsome female warriors from ancient Greece: stories about women that, since they were little girls, were trained in the art of war and the handling of weapons, as well as trained to support all kinds of physical sufferings. These stories contain passages that give us hints about how they defeated regiments of man on the battlefield.

-----

From December 16th to December 20th

December 16th to December 17th

Inside the room, Suji was accompanied by three more girls. None of them looked older than 16 years old. Probably outside there was 3°C, but inside and sitting on the floor it felt like minus 3°C. It was her third day in Russia, and as soon as the airplane landed, everything felt like hell.

And she was ready for hell.

Sadly, the three girls in front of her weren’t. It was obvious that their young bodies went through a lot. Their ankles and wrists were bruised, and their mouths had traces of blood in the corners. “Did you guys eat something?” She asked them. Just one of them answered. No. Suji got up and rummaged inside one of her boots and found what she was looking for. Two protein bars. 

“They taste bad, but they have a bunch of protein, minerals, and all that crap, they will make you feel better” She cut the bars in half and gave one half to each girl. They bowed at her with gratitude.

She came back to her position and rested her head against the wall. She had to wait until midnight to make a move. At that time, Zala, the big blond guy that received her when she arrived, was supposed to “check the products”. 

She felt bad for the girls in front of her, they would be taken soon.  She had a plan, but she wouldn’t be able to help them sooner than that. 

This was the last day of a one-year mission. Svavelsjo was the biggest human trafficking group in Eastern Europe. And they spread around the world like the plague. What started as a denouncement of a missing person in the suburbs of Busan, ended up as a secret mission of 50 people from the Switzerland and Korean governments to dismantle the Svavelsjo group. Suji was the undercover agent of the circus. She got into the group as a product, as one of the young girls brought from Korea to be sold in the black market as ‘Tender Meat’ as they call girls under eighteen. She was already past eighteen, but her body constitution made her look younger. Illegally younger. 

It was probably around 10 when they came to take one of the girls. She struggled a bit but was quickly calmed down with a slap. The guy grabbed her by the hair and pulled her outside the room. Immediately the other two girls began shaking and crying, scared, but already surrendered. Suji rearranged her position and waited for her turn.

“It's 11:30, if you can hear me, cough twice” Suji did as told. Minseok’s voice sounded low but clear. Apparently, the small communicating device hidden in her ear was working. 

“We are already located in our positions, the map you gave us was pretty close to the actual deal, at 12 o’clock we will knock down the glass in the ceiling and come in, try to be safe until that happens, I’ll cut communications for now…and Miss Yoon, good luck”  Suji smiled at no one and wished for the same.

She kept looking at the two remaining girls in front of her. She wanted to calm them down, but she knew no words were good enough. In one year as an undercover agent, she saw hell in the eyes of all those young girls and boys. She went through hell too, but she was ready for it, she knew how to deal with it. They didn’t. They were just kids. Scared kids.

She was rather grateful when Zala appeared at the door. Looking at her with dark eyes, licking his lips. At least those two girls will be free soon.  “How’s my china girl?”  Suji kept quiet, hiding her face with her hair. The man grabbed her by the arm, pulling her up, and grabbed one of her hands looking at her long pink nails. He licked one of her fingers, sucking it and biting the tip. She felt like hitting the guy down his throat, but she had to stay calm “People say you did a good job at Japan and then at Russia, so let’s see how you do here” He sucked at her fingers for the last time and then grabbed a stronghold on her hair “Come with me slut!” She followed him, faking some resistance, and heard the door was shut behind her. 

Zala walked along a dark alley, she couldn’t see a thing and felt insecure about the future of the operation. But they reached the room he was looking for and felt relieved when a strong beam of light passed through the open door. He pushed her inside the room and took his time to close the door. Suji looked around her and the content of the room made her feel sick. A gurney, old hospital equipment, oxygen tanks, dirty scrubs, and a wall covered with refrigerating units “You are useless to us now, we will take the last thing we need from you” He grabbed her by the neck and tossed her on top of the bed. She hit her head on the landing and the squeal she made, made Zala laugh. She was getting more and more grossed out. “Yoon, 10 seconds” She sat on top of the bed, holding herself in her hands “9…8…7…6…5…4” Zala was preparing a needle with a dark liquid inside, and approached her slowly “ 3…2…1” 

Chaos reigned. 

The two short-range bombs in the two main doors exploded and quickly the SWAT team invaded the hall of the abandoned factory that worked as an operation center. Zala looked at the door, not knowing what was going on. Screams and shooting noises started to fill the air. He looked at Suji and fear got into his bones when he saw her break into a smile, appearing under the hair that was covering her face “I thought I will have to fight barehanded, but since mister Zala is an amateur doctor, now I have a weapon” It was faster than his ability to react. One of the scalpels that were inside a small trash can went inside his left eye. Suji knew that the hit wasn’t enough to knock down a man like him, but it was very painful, and it will give her time to move from there. “You fucking bitch!” He dashed in her direction, with his fist high up, gaining some momentum. The fist landed in the wall and he saw how Suji moved under his legs, grabbing one of the steel chairs and swagging it towards him, hitting him in the back of his head. “Suji?!, We are in, where are you?” 

“Last room to the left! Hurry up” Zala couldn’t understand what she was saying or to who she was talking to, and the pain on his back didn’t let him think. Suji had to move. She grabbed a cord from the floor and went behind Zala, passing the cord around his neck. She was able to grab a stronghold. He kept cursing in Russian, she could understand only half of it. He kept struggling, making it hard for Suji to hold on. He was too big and too strong for her small frame.

Suddenly things looked dark for Suji. 

Zala had a gun in his hand. Inside his boots, she thought, feeling stupid. He threw an accurate blow to her head, hitting her with the barrel of the gun. She landed on the floor, feeling dizzy. She could only see his blurry figure move close to her. He mumbled something, but she couldn’t get what he said. 

She didn’t feel the bullet sink in her thigh, but the smell of gunpowder stung her nose. “Suji, was that you?”

“Hurry up Minseok!, I got shot!” She heard Minseok cursing and a second later someone was trying to open the door. 

“Minseok! It’s closed, use the bomb!” Zala looked at the door and then at her, then back to the door 

“Suji, move away!”

“Doesn’t fucking matter, just blow the door!” Minseok obeyed, she was the one in charge anyway. Zala couldn’t understand what they were talking about. 

“You better lay down Zala” Suji told him with malice in her voice. But it was too late. She was fast enough to turn herself into a ball, covering her ears and hiding her head from the fragments of the explosion. Maybe a minute passed when the dust started to dissipate and Minseok came to her rescue. 

Suji looked like a different person, he hadn't seen her in maybe six months, and she already looked this bad. He suddenly felt enraged towards those pigs “Pick me up, we have to clean this mess” Minseok helped her get on her feet. She looked around and found Zala on the floor, with a big bleeding wound on the side of his head, not very conscious. 

“I got you pig, you and your friends can begin to think about fucking each other in jail” He didn’t need to speak Korean to know that she was cursing at him. He cursed the day he decided to bring her from Korea. 

December 17 Th

Baekhyun had gathered all of Kyung Soo’s potential business partners at the big dining room at Kyung Soo’s favorite restaurant. It wasn’t that hard. To the call of easy money all the easy people come.

It was a top-secret reunion. All the attendees agreed with it. If someone knew where they were now, it would be a tragedy, to say the least. Twelve people gathered, nine old collaborators and three new ones. Kyung Soo was excited. With a bit of luck, this could help his business. Make it grow. 

“My dear friends, welcome '' There was a collective greeting, and Kyung Soo sat with his guests, adopting a solemn aptitude. Everyone went silent so Kyung Soo could start talking. 

“We are all very busy, so I’ll give a brief but clear explanation of what I need and what you people can win. Last month, a new bill was sent by the prime minister to congress. Legalization of Marihuana. And not just that. The bill says that the state will sell it, ergo, all the money will go to the government. Now that is very bad for us, the president is taking away a big part of our job!...So this is what I need. That law can not pass. Period. I don’t think I need to explain myself”

“But there’s 26 more of us in congress, of course, we are going to say no to that bill, but what can we do with the rest?”

“Use your best words, your best smile and convince the people from your party. Of course, I’ll do my part, I have people in a lot of places, but I need help” The reunion finished fast. All of them promised to do whatever was in their hands. Kyung Soo gave them a week.

December 17 to December 18

The effect of the painkillers started to fade out. Suji’s eyes opened slowly, getting used to the sunlight that came from outside. It took her a couple of seconds to realize where she was.

She hated hospitals. The smell was unbearable, too clean, too warm. She looked at her left arm, growling at the intravenous going inside her skin. Her head felt heavy, she tried to move, but it hurt too much. 

“I see you’re up?” Suji looked at the door, where a tall blond guy got in. 

“I’m your doctor, tell me, how do you feel?”

”Good enough to leave this place”

“I don’t think so, the wound in your thigh is still healing, thank god it didn’t reach your bones, it did quite a damage, you will need rehab, but your people told us that they will do that in their hospital, you got a rib splintered, and some burns in your arms due to the explosion…now, we found some other wounds…and…we took care of some of them…are they related with your undercover work?”

“Yes” She didn’t give him the explanation he was looking for.

“Well, you took good care of some of them”

“It’s not my first time”

“For me, it was the first time I saw those kinds of wounds in a female agent” Suji looked straight at his eyes. She hated to give explanations when she didn’t have to, but it was easier this way. One fast answer was better than being asked ten times the same question. 

“I had to fuck some of those guys, it was that or lose months of undercover work, it’s not as bad as what happened to all the girls there, so don’t think too much about it, did you give me a blood test?”

“Yes”

“Did you find anything? HIV, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis?”

“Nothing” She was relieved. But she had some questions now. 

“What happened to the rest?”

”Well, most of the guys…” She interrupted him right there. 

“I don’t give a damn about those bastards, I should have killed those sons of bitches, I’m asking about the kids”

“Oh, sure, well…they brought 15 women and 5 kids, 10 of them are now out of danger, we gave them vitamins, food, and today they came to take their confessions, the other kids are under intensive care now, due to critical wounds and neurological damage” Although it looked bad, those were good news for Suji. They were safe.

Eventually, the doctor left, leaving her with a bad taste in the mouth. His questions remind her of what happened that year. She wouldn’t say this was the hardest mission – her first mission as an agent in North Korea won by far – but the physical abuse was like nothing she had experienced before. But she still considered herself lucky. She wasn’t selfish enough to feel bad about her situation, she saw some girls drop dead in front of her due to extenuation.

She shook those thoughts away. She was alright right now. And all that hell was in the past. For her and for the victims. 

After a really bad hospital lunch, Suji got the first visit from someone from the team. With a box of pizza and a bottle of Sprite, Minseok and Junmyeon, her boss,  arrived at her room. 

“Suji!, I brought someone” Suji bowed instinctively at the sight of her boss.  “Miss Yoon, you look great”

“Thanks boss, Minseok?  Thank you for saving me”

“Na, it’s nothing, I’m glad we could make it” Minseok arranged the sliding table in front of Suji and put the box of pizza and a glass in front of her. 

“Doctor says you can eat normal right now… the first time I saw you I couldn’t recognize you, you are so skinny!! Well, you have always been skinny, but muscular, you know? Now you are just bones, you need to gain those muscles back, I’ll help you” Suji patted Minseok’s head and accepted his proposal. 

Kim Minseok was one of her closest friends at the agency. Six years ago he recruited her. Minseok was one of those hidden gems. Her first impression of him was negative. He was small and his appearance was too soft. But when needed, he transformed. And it always surprised her how serious he was towards his work.

Junmyeon walked to the window and looked outside with a brooding face, the angle of his eyebrows kept getting deeper. “Minseok, I need to talk with Yoon Suji, will you give us a minute?”

“No…sorry boss, but she was my partner in this mission, and I’m worried as you are, she got the worst part of it” Junmyeon didn’t answer. He could understand that much. 

Kim Junmyeon was known for his fatherly behavior towards his subordinates. It was a double-edged sword, good for the agency, bad for his nerves. Sending Suji to this mission was something that kept bugging him. He never liked the idea, but she was the only option. And her stupid superwoman complex made her beg him to give her that mission. Now, after reading her medical record, he felt as if someone had done that to her little sister. He kept looking outside the window, with his hands inside his pockets. 

”I hate this country…is so damn cold, and I feel like in every corner someone is been killed in cold blood…or maybe I have watched way too  many spy movies”

“No sir, it is like that, at least that’s the only Russia I have seen”

“I’m sorry you have to see it, I’m sorry I send you to this goddamn mission” Suji rearranged her position in her bed, grabbing a second slice of pizza. 

“If you’re apologizing for giving me this job, you can stop right there, we planned this attack with Minseok from the beginning, and it worked out just as we imagined, so I was ready for the beatings, the cold, and the lack of sleep and food, although I will probably need some help getting it over, I have been having dreams…” Minseok patted her arm and sat next to her. 

“Boss, the only thing we could do for Suji now is to give her the good news and then take her with us back to Korea'' Junmyeon finally looked away from the window, meeting Suji’s eyes, smiling, for once. 

“The trial that will be held next week with Zala and all the people from Svavelsjo, is a mere formality, they infringed too many human rights this time, no lawyer will save them…and since it was such a wide group, each member will be judged under the laws of their respective countries, so some of them will be sentenced to death” Those were the words she wanted to hear. Not only they saved everybody, but also those sadist bastards were getting what they deserved.

She felt better now.

From January 10th to March 23th  

January 10th – January 11th

She was abruptly awakened by the sound of her cellphone. It was 8 o’clock, and she had to be at the airport in 3 hours. She got up, turned on the television, and opened the curtains of her hotel room. Although more than a hotel, it was like a palace. The island of Koh-Kood, in Thailand, was by far the best retreat place she has found in several years. Set amidst a tropical rainforest, Suji found a place where she could be far away from home, with no communication whatsoever, but still with the facilities she needed right now. As an expertise masseur, a fully equipped gym, good food and a beautiful waitress who could cover her natural necessities, like breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sex. Because after so many bad experiences with guys, her body only could react to the touch of a woman, and Jayne was that woman. A British 20 something girl, who decided to change the cloudy Manchester for a sunny island. And that girl was knocking on her door, her breakfast was ready. Suji put on some clothes and went to open the door. 

“Good morning!” She pushed the food cart inside her room, with her characteristic smile and her beautiful British accent. 

“Good morning, how was the night shift?” 

“Boring, I’m sorry that I couldn’t be here on your last night”

“It’s alright, we had a nice time the night before”

“True, true, so…are you ready?” She looked around, finding Suji’s only suitcase next to her nightstand. 

“I’m ready, I will eat this amazing breakfast, take a quick shower and then go downstairs” Jayne looked at her, a bit gloomy “Jayne, beautiful, don’t be sad”

“I’m not sad, is just…I will miss you, single women don’t come often to this place, you know how hard it is  for a lesbian?”

“I can imagine, sorry” She shrugged, and patted Suji’s shoulder, walking outside the room, closing the door behind her. Suji did as she said, and in less than an hour, she was returning her key at the reception. 

It took her two days to be back in Korea. In between a plane from Koh-Kodd to Bangkok, scales here and there, and the long ride from Incheon to her apartment, she was finally at home. Or at least what she called home. 

The refrigerator was empty, and the place smelled like humidity. With resignation, she took off her clothes, changed into clean sweats, and dropped dead on the couch. It was already midnight, the convenience store in front of her apartment was open, but before anything, she needed some sleep. 

                                                          ≠

Kyung Soo got up that morning feeling like a kid that didn’t want to go to school. Baekhyun went to his room two times to wake him up. The third time, he didn’t give Kyung Soo an option, he pulled his friend outside the bed. 

“Kyung Soo, come on, in an hour the guys will be here” Kyung Soo only released a grunt and walked to the shower.

“Boss!” Four guys receive him in his office. Kyung Soo bowed at them and sat on his chair in front of them. He turned on a cigarette, drank from the cup of coffee that was waiting for him, and gave a signal to the guy in front of him to talk. 

“Boss, we followed Nam Jangmin, and he indeed has been meeting with that freelance journalist that showed up the other day here asking to talk with you about your business, we took some pictures, Mister Byun has them” Kyung Soo looked at Baekhyun and he gave him a nod. The pictures were clear.

Nam Jangmin was the new governor of Daegu, and also one of Kyung Soo’s oldest business associates. Kyung Soo saw him as an investor. The man looked like a promise in politics, not because he was a good politician, in fact, he was quite bad at it, but he was good with words. With all that cynicism he could run that country. Just when Jangmin was in need of money, Kyung Soo appeared, with a good deal. He would give him the money he needed. In exchange, Nam Jangmin had to do him some favors. Favors that he would ask in the future. With time, Nam Jangmin got hooked on the easy money and Kyung Soo’s hypnotizing voice. But now Jangmin had his first child. Now he wanted to make things right. Kyung Soo could understand that. But Nam Jangmin was an idiot. It would have been easy, Kyung Soo thought, to ask him for a meeting, and explain to him why he wanted to leave Kyung Soo’s side. Kyung Soo would have wished him luck, and let him run free.

But he didn’t.

Nam Jangmin decided to inculpate him. And as soon as someone asked him something about Kyung Soo and his business, someone like that freelance journalist, Jangmin opened his mouth.

“Ok, it’s quite clear now. What can we do?” Kyung Soo only asked out of politeness. He already knew what he had to do, and he didn’t like it too much. 

“We could give him a visit”

“Visit him and his family”

“Sure, but we have to be sure, sure that he will not speak, guys…you know how to shut up someone, just do it beautifully, ok?” The four men gave one single nod at the same time, got up and left the house. 

“He has a son”

“I know Baekhyun, but he should have known better, now if you excuse me, I need to go out”

“Where?” Kyung Soo didn’t answer and left the room. Baekhyun didn’t bother to follow him.

Kyung Soo climbed the stairs to the temple feeling as if the air was going thin. After two weeks of being locked in his house, it felt nice to feel the cold air in his face, slipping through his scarf. The stairs were still wet due to the heavy rain that fell the night before and some old ladies were carrying an umbrella just in case. He will buy one later, he didn’t know when he would be back at home. There was no line in front of the altar, and as always, he felt a bit anxious in front of it. He looked at the few people going in and out and slowly walked inside. Kyung Soo tossed the coin, put his hands together and prayed, screaming loudly inside his head. 

“Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me”. He made a deep bow and walked away. As he stepped into the stairway, a single drop landed in his head. He looked above, frowning at the sky. From one time to the other it went dark. He hated it, each time his people were commanded to do the job, it rained.

After a quick lunch at some ramen shop, he stopped a taxi. 

“To Gangnam please” The driver nodded once and took the main street to the left. Kyung Soo didn’t look outside the window, his stare fixed on his hands. After 15 minutes, the driver spoke to him. 

“Sir, we are in Gangnam, where exactly do you want me to drop you?”

“In the next corner please” The driver nodded again and stopped once they reached his destination. Kyung Soo paid him, telling him that he could keep the change. The streets were already packed with office workers getting ready for a long night of drinking. Kyung Soo felt sick. He walked faster. 

He knocked at the door twice. “Who is it?”

“Customer” The door was quickly opened by a middle-aged woman with a bright smile. Kyung Soo smiled back at her. 

“Mister Do, you are here! So long no see! What? Are we stressed?”

“Yes”

“Don’t worry, one of my girls will take care of it, who do you want?” Kyung Soo hated when she talked about her ‘girls’ as if they were flavors of ice cream that you could pick, covered in chocolate and cream. Although he liked that idea. 

“Is Sara available?”

“She is, you know where you can find her” Kyung Soo nodded and walked inside the flat. The place didn’t have a name, it didn’t need it either. It was well known between the people that required those kinds of services. Kyung Soo found out about it through Baekhyun. Apparently, one of his classmates at university used to work there.  The place itself looked like a normal flat from outside, but the neighborhood said everything. Still, it was a secret place. And Kyung Soo liked that. 

He reached Sara’s room and knocked at her door. She was a psychology student at Seoul University. Smart, funny, and sexy. Kyung Soo always asked for her services. 

“I thought I heard your voice Kyung Soo”

“Hi” She grabbed his hand and guided him to the bed. He sat, closing his eyes and feeling how Sara arranged behind him, caressing his shoulders. 

“Something happened”

“Yeah…I want the same as always”

“Understood” Sara kissed his temple and took off her t-shirt. 

The next day Kyung Soo woke up feeling sore and still sleepy. Sara was already awake reading a book “What are you reading?”  

“Sartre’s, La Nausée” He joined her, resting his chin on her naked shoulder. “Why are you reading something so despairing?”

“You mean realistic?” Kyung Soo looked at her frowning, pouting in a rather cute way, at least for Sara. 

“Is it for your classes?”

“Yeah, I’m preparing for a clinical case that I have to defend, so I’m trying to understand my patient” Kyung Soo started to doze off again when Sara interrupted him. 

“Kyung Soo, I like you” Before Kyung Soo could freak out, Sara explained herself. 

“No, not that kind of like, I admire you”

“And why is that?” Kyung Soo couldn’t understand why she would admire him. As far as she knew, Kyung Soo was a drug dealer with a lot of money and status. 

“Well, first, you don’t stick to the routine that is killing us, you don’t try to demonstrate your existence by appearances, looking for superiority or heroic acts. On the other hand, you allow existence to invade you sharply, it weighs in your heart like a beast…without that…there’s nothing left inside us” Sara’s words sounded like nonsense. He was nothing like that. Sara was saying that he was the kind of man that Sartre approved of, that he was the contradiction of the nausea, and that was just nonsense. He felt like the nausea itself. Kyung Soo tossed the book on the floor and got on top of Sara, looking for that beast that she said he had inside his heart.

January 12th to January 14th

Her plan after arriving home was to sleep. Sleep until her body couldn’t stand the pain in her back due to the horizontal position. But a knock at her door interrupted her. She tried to ignore it, it was probably her landlord. She covered her head with a pillow, going back to sleep, but the knocking continued. 

“Suji, let’s go play!” Suji’s eyes were wide open. 

“Chanyeol?” She asked to herself. Chanyeol knocking at her door could mean only one thing.

Work was calling.

“Suji, let’s go play!” Her legs worked without her consent. She walked with short, lazy steps to the door, picking up her underwear from the floor and an oversized t-shirt that could cover her body.

“Yoon Suji, let’s go…” She opened her door before he could finish. 

“I got it, I got it, let’s go play, just please allow me to take a shower”

“That would be nice because you stink” She kicked him in the leg, making him yelp. 

“Minseok said you looked bad, but you don’t”

“Well Chanyeol, I spent some weeks getting back in shape, remind me to hit Minseok for saying that” Chanyeol set his suitcase on top of Suji’s kitchen counter, under the curious stare of his colleague. From inside his suitcase, Chanyeol took a bottle of Coke, a package of chocolate cookies, and a bar of white chocolate. 

“I thought you would be hungry, now go take that shower, we have to be at the agency at 10”.

Park Chanyeol was Suji’s coworker. He got into the agency three years earlier than her. How he got hired was kind of special. After spending five years in America studying Computer engineering he came back to Korea after they found him hacking the computer of the dean. He wanted to change his English notes in order to save his scholarship. Suji always wondered how he could survive 5 years in America with that crappy English of his. Once he was back in Korea, with an unfinished career, he began working as an IT in an important high school. Doing his work, which was only maintenance, he found some very suspicious folders in the computer of the headmaster. Curious as he is, he opened them. The folders contained huge amounts of child pornography and some naked pictures of some students. Without telling the police, Chanyeol did a perfectly held investigation that led him to one of the biggest groups of child pornography in South Korea. He found himself with a big scoop that was out of his reach, so he contacted the police. By the time Junmyeon received the case, the only thing left to do was put those bastards behind the bars. Chanyeol, in less than a month, put together names, institutions, bank accounts, addresses, telephone numbers, and emails, all of them related to the culprits. When asked how he did it, he explained how, with a program created by him, he could get a replica of the computer’s hard disc of each affiliate. That gave him full access to their transactions, their meetings, and the names of those who were selling them the images. But despite all the great work, what Chanyeol did was illegal. Junmyeon offered him a deal. He would keep him out of jail, but in exchange, he had to work for him.

Chanyeol was everything Junmyeon needed in his team. Compromised, smart, thorough, and hard-working. And Suji was grateful for that. She has been working with Chanyeol since her first mission, and he had never failed her. More than once, his ability to get into people’s data systems has saved her life.

                                                          ≠

Kyung Soo looked outside the window and the sun was up already, people down there walking from one side to the other. Sara had already left, not without giving Kyung Soo a last service. He made sure to pay her more than the normal fee. After a short shower, he turned on his phone, finding what he thought he would find.

                  -Boss, work done. No more worries-

Kyung Soo closed his phone and smiled to himself. It was time to come back to reality.

                                                         ≠

Suji walked next to Chanyeol as they got inside the agency. The few people there welcomed her with wide smiles. Apparently, for what Chanyeol told her on their way there, everyone read the report from her last mission and now she was a heroine. Some memories from those days threatened to come back. Maybe she would ask for that psychologist that the agency offered her.

When Chanyeol opened the door of the meeting room she met with some old faces. Junmyeon and Minseok. 

“We arrived early?” She asked, sitting next to Minseok, hitting him in the ribs. 

“No, in fact, you’re late, but let’s start” Junmyeon got up from his seat, walking toward the digital board, opening some files. 

“Oh, just the four of us?”

“Yeah, just the four of us” Suji looked at Minseok, asking for an explanation. He gave her a signal to wait. The meetings were held in front of 10 or 15 people. From the boss to the director of the SWAT team. Now it was just those three guys and her. Suddenly she felt unsure about being there. 

“I know you are wondering what is going on with this meeting, Why so few people, and the answer is simple. This mission doesn’t need big weapons or teams, Chanyeol please” Suji was a bit lost. Junmyeon was acting somehow vague. Chanyeol got up, excited with the idea of showing his short but fruitful investigation. 

“For over 3 years, the police have been behind this man” A passport picture appeared on the screen. Damn fine, was the first thought that came to Suji’s after seeing the picture, and she was surprised by her own reaction. 

“Do Kyung Soo, 30 years old, single, no studies. The police have caught him twice, but they haven’t been able to put him behind the bars for the simple reason that they have zero evidence, Not a single picture or fingerprint. Nothing”

“So how do they know is him?” Minseok asked the obvious. 

“It’s like a well-known secret. As soon as the name Do Kyung Soo comes up, everyone goes silent, You know what I mean?” It wasn’t a rhetorical question. 

“I think so, they know he does it because the guy is a big gangster or something, and probably they have seen him, but nothing more than that?”

“Exactly, and the two times he was arrested, this guy over here took him out” A new picture appeared on the screen. This time a man that looked like a high schooler with a nice suit. 

“This guy is Byun Baekhyun, 31 years old, single, lawyer. There are no records about him being involved in Do’s business, but there isn’t evidence that states the opposite. He only acts as his lawyer. Nothing else. But they hang out together a lot” Chanyeol touched the screen, closing Do’s and Byun’s pictures. 

“Do’s business is pretty simple. Importation and exportation of drugs, money-laundering, and blackmailing” Chanyeol saw how Suji s’s face broke in surprise. Junmyeon got up from his seat again and stood next to Chanyeol. 

“It’s a hard case, and it was sent to us because detectives can’t do more. We need to get inside and get some evidence” He said, signaling at Suji. She looked at Junmyeon and adopted her negotiation aptitude. 

“Then convince me, boss” Junmyeon smiled at her, he knew he would get that answer.

TBC

[ebelal56-blog]

The Rise of Asia: A New Era of Global Power

Have you ever really thought about how the center of global power has shifted throughout history? It's like watching a game of musical chairs, isn't it? Picture Europe, dominating the scene from the 16th century to the early 20th. Those countries were like kids in a candy store, establishing colonies everywhere, extracting wealth like it was their birthright. Then came the Industrial Revolution, a game-changer that put Europe ahead with steam engines, railroads, and factories. They controlled trade routes and production like never before. But history isn't linear; two world wars hit hard, weakening Europe and creating a vacuum. Enter the United States, stepping into the spotlight after World War II, booming economically and culturally. But then, Asia began to rise. China, India, Japan-they're not just players; they're becoming leaders. We might be entering an "Asian Century." It's a wild ride, and we're all part of this unfolding story. What's next? Only time will tell!