Chapter 374 - Beauty's Plea
Chapter 374 of "Invincible Young Master in the City" introduces the scene: The elderly man with the surname Renâs chest heaved as he said, âNo, you must... Keep going!
The elderly man with the surname Renâs chest heaved as he said, âNo, you must play two more games with me.â
Ye Fan shook his head with a smile.
âAre you just hungry?
If you play two more games with me, Iâll treat you to dinner last night.
You can choose any hotel restaurant in Hua Hai!â Ren said.
Ye Fan still shook his head.
âWhat will it take for you to agree to play chess with me?â Ren asked, his eyes widening.
Ye Fan spoke calmly, âYour chess skills are profound, and I admit that I am far from your match.
Thereâs no need to waste time.â
âYou, youâŚ
you sly boy!â Ren was so angry he could hardly speak.
Zhou Zhiqian, standing by, was frightened and hastily began patting Ren on the back to help him catch his breath.
âYe Fan, please just play two more games with Grandpa Ren,â Zhou Zhiqian pleaded.
Ye Fan looked at Zhou Zhiqian, then at Ren, worried that he might actually cause Renâs blood pressure to rise and kill him with anger.
âAlright, Iâll play two more games.
But playing full games takes too much time.
I have other things to do this afternoon, so letâs just play two endgames,â Ye Fan said, giving face to Zhou Zhiqian.
Zhou Zhiqian expressed her thanks gratefully: âThank you, Ye Fan.â
Seeing that Ye Fan had finally agreed to play chess, Ren said, âEndgames it is, since we were playing endgames just now anyway.â
The spectators, hearing Ye Fan agreed to play two more endgames with Ren, couldnât help but look forward with anticipation.
As for the earlier jeering and mocking, it had completely disappeared.
Ye Fan sat down again, and someone had already brought over a copy of the âMysterious Chess Scriptureâ from the chess house service counter.
Ren, holding the chess manual, said, âI wonât take advantage of you.
You can choose both endgames.â
Saying this, he handed the âMysterious Chess Scriptureâ to Ye Fan.
Ye Fan unapologetically took it, aware that Ren, having immersed himself in chess for many years, must have thoroughly studied the âMysterious Chess Scripture.â
The âMysterious Chess Scripture,â also known as the âXuanxuan Collection,â is a famous ancient Chinese chess book.
Written during the Yuan dynasty and revised several times after, it has become a must-read classic for chess players and is considered a sacred text in the world of chess.
The life-and-death problems or endgames in the âMysterious Chess Scriptureâ are very classic and intriguing, holding significant research value.
Leafing through the âMysterious Chess Scripture,â Ye Fan couldnât help but smirk inwardly: âThis old man Ren still overestimates himself; heâs practically asking for punishment!
I might not be able to outplay you, but could my chess teacher not surpass you?â
The person who taught him chess was no ordinary individual but a famous national chess master.
His chess teacher held a pivotal position not only in the domestic chess scene but was also well-regarded globally.
The âMysterious Chess Scriptureâ was part of the curriculum back then, and Ye Fan had analyzed the positions within it.
About a dozen games were used by his teacher to exemplify techniques, and those dozen had been analyzed to perfection by his teacher.
All he needed was to pick any two from those dozen games, enough to make Ren unable to cope!
Soon, Ye Fan made his choice and said, ââTaiyi Lotus Boatâ and âMing Emperorâs Trip to the Moon Palace.'â
âGood!
âTaiyi Lotus Boatâ and âMing Emperorâs Trip to the Moon Palaceâ it is!â Ren responded.
The two men then started setting up the board, one playing black and the other white.
The âTaiyi Lotus Boatâ position was quickly set up, and Ye Fan and Ren began the official game.
âYou have the black pieces, you move first,â Ren said.
Without speaking, Ye Fan picked up a black stone and placed it on one of the star points on the board.
He didnât need much thought, directly applying the sequences his chess teacher had taught him.
When it was Mr.
Renâs turn to place his chess piece, he observed Ye Fanâs move, which seemed rather ordinary.
However, to be cautious, he pondered for a moment before making his move.
Although he was not convinced by Ye Fanâs sneak attack that had won him the previous game, he understood that Ye Fanâs chess skills were not to be underestimated, and he did not want to fall into the same trap again.
After a dozen moves, Ye Fanâs strategy began to show its strength, and Mr.
Ren felt the pressure increase significantly, his brows furrowing as he took over ten seconds to contemplate each move.
As the game approached the middle stage, Ye Fan had already gained a dominant advantage, leaving Mr.
Ren struggling desperately.
At that moment, Ye Fanâs phone suddenly rang with a text message.
Ye Fan was playing quite leisurely, so he casually took out his phone to check the message.
When he unlocked his phone and clicked on the message, it turned out to be from Zhou Zhiqian, who was sitting opposite him.
Ye Fan didnât immediately look up at Zhou Zhiqian but read the message in an undisturbed manner.
The text from Zhou Zhiqian read, âYe Fan, could you please let Grandpa Ren win?
He has a close relationship with my family.â
After reading the message, Ye Fan turned off his phone, placed a piece on the board, and then turned his gaze to Zhou Zhiqianâs beautifully delicate face.
Zhou Zhiqianâs bright, beautiful eyes pleaded intensely.
âFine, since I came here to play rather than compete, and Iâve had my fun, thereâs no need to worry about winning or losing.
Iâll give Zhou Zhiqian this favor.â
With that thought, Ye Fan gave Zhou Zhiqian an imperceptibly small nod.
Seeing Ye Fan agree, Zhou Zhiqianâs face showed joy, and her eyes lit up with gratitude.
Therefore, in the following moves, Ye Fan intentionally made a couple of minor mistakes.
Mr.
Ren, being a master of chess, swiftly capitalized on Ye Fanâs errors and eventually turned the game around, winning by a slim margin.
Although he won, Mr.
Ren just breathed a sigh of relief, not daring to boast about his victory.
He knew very well that his win was solely due to taking advantage of the minor mistakes made by Ye Fan.
Zhou Zhiqian laughed and clapped, exclaiming, âGrandpa Ren, youâre so good!â
She cheered happily, her face turned towards Ye Fan, her eyes sparkling and smile blossoming.
Ye Fan just felt as though the entire Go hall suddenly became much brighter.
Mr.
Ren just smiled and didnât say anything.
âGrandpa Ren, letâs keep this momentum and beat him in another game, show him what a true master of chess is!â Zhou Zhiqian cheered.
Mr.
Ren nodded, but internally, he sighed ruefully, regretting his earlier hubris in allowing Ye Fan to set up two challenging endgames.
He barely managed to win âTaiyi Lotus Boatâ by capitalizing on Ye Fanâs mistakes in the late stage, but would Ye Fan really repeat the same errors in the upcoming âMing Emperorâs Trip to the Moon Palaceâ?
According to the best of three rounds, he was ultimately going to lose, and that too in front of many peers in a rather humiliating fashion.
After a brief rest, it was finally time to start âMing Emperorâs Trip to the Moon Palace.â
Ye Fan changed his style completely from before, with each move aggressive and bold, causing Mr.
Ren to tremble more than during âTaiyi Lotus Boat.â
However, as the game neared its critical juncture, Ye Fan again made a few minor errors, which Mr.
Ren seized, ultimately managing to win.
Finally, he had won!
Zhou Zhiqian and the spectators couldnât help but cheer excitedly.
Mr.
Ren looked squarely at Ye Fan; he was no fool.
The minor mistakes Ye Fan made at almost the same time in two consecutive games made it clear to him that Ye Fan was deliberately throwing the game.