Dad, Please Try a Little Harder

After enjoying two drawn games with Li Zhiyi, Jiang Shilai went all out in the third round. Drawing upon his seasoned experience and profound chess skills, he barely managed to secure a win.

In terms of his personal feelings, if it were a best-of-three series, he wasn’t confident he’d win for sure.

This young lady had an aggressive chess style, amazing calculation abilities, and a momentum that seemed unstoppable.

What puzzled him the most was her variety of unconventional skills for drawing games.

Who had she learned them from?

Truth be told, if she had aimed for a draw, he might not have been able to beat her.

In the competitive arena, one’s weaknesses would often become visible only when one tried to win.

Carrying these questions with them, the two chess masters continued their “campus tour” until they reached Seacoast Normal University, where the mystery was finally solved.

They met Qian Quan, the person Li Zhiyi had mentioned.

This guy had also played a drawn game in the Turn-based Battle, and subsequently won two one-on-one challenges against chess masters, astonishing even the accompanying media.

“Qian Quan is the strongest!”

They finally realized that when Li Zhiyi said this, she was not limiting it to college circles-she meant Qian Quan was the strongest.

“Who taught you to play chess?” Jiang Shilai asked Qian Quan incredulously.

“My father was my first teacher, and then 1 studied chess manuals,” Qian Quan answered.

“So you’re a prodigy. Your skill level is at least at a master’s level. Haven’t you participated in any formal competitions?”

“No.”

“You and that girl from Jiaotong University, Li Zhiyi, should register for the Individual Championship. With your skills, you’d have no problem competing in the Masters’ Tournament and the Wuyang Cup,” Jiang Shilai advised and showed his affection for talent.

“Sure, I’ll be representing our school’s Chess Association in some national competitions later on,” Qian Quan responded.

He was rather fond of Jiang Shilai, who had lost to him without losing any grace.

The “Master Challenge” gained extra dramatic flair because of him and Li Zhiyi.

Someone entered a challenge and beat the master.

Initially, the news sparked discussion among various colleges, and then the media picked it up and it caused quite a stir online.

A college student challenging and defeating a renowned chess master was newsy enough.

However, due to the niche nature of chess as a topic, the related news stayed in the middle of the trending list for a while and gradually cooled off, continuing to spread on a small scale among chess enthusiasts.

It only resurfaced when it was revealed that the chess prodigy Qian Quan was the same person as the Internet celebrity Qian Quan and the “courageous good Samaritan” Qian Quan.

“I feel like an extra after reading about Qian’s experiences.”

“What’s this guy’s background? He seems to excel in both academics and sports.”

“Funny, brave, intelligent, good-looking, and skilled, truly a gem of a guy.”

In the digital age, trivial matters could be magnified tenfold. When marketing accounts and self-media stepped in, the hype would skyrocket to a thousandfold.

But for Qian Quan, this trending topic was somewhat inexplicable. These were three separate incidents, but due to the Internet’s memory, they got linked together.

The impact on his current academic life was primarily an influx of friend requests, to the point where he had to disable the friend-adding function on his social media.

Moreover, there were some group visits from students of Azure Bay and nearby universities to Seacoast Normal University, where he studied. They came to see him, gave him gifts, wrote letters, and even passed along love notes.

In class, he sporadically received snacks from female classmates from other departments. Even students in his class started bringing him breakfast.

And it went without saying that several Internet celebrities seeking to ride the wave of his popularity showed up on campus to see him.

These changes left Qian Quan feeling uncomfortable and bewildered. It seemed that no matter why someone became famous, they would always garner a following.

What was the logic behind this?

Another amusing development was that the drama club’s creative team, seeing his trending status, debated adding more lines for him in their upcoming performance of The Love Story of the Snail and the Oriole. They also considered highlighting his name on the poster.

Their attitude was entirely that of the contemporary entertainment industry!

Qian Quan firmly opposed the idea, responding in the group chat, “Dear seniors, I’m merely the sixth male lead!”

In the end, everyone decided to respect Qian Quan and didn’t go through with the changes.

However, attendance for the next drama performance did see an increase, as students from other universities came out of curiosity.

Fortunately, the quality of the drama was good, so no one left feeling disappointed.

And so, things buzzed along until the end of October.

Another big event commenced across all major universities in Azure Bay.

Hosted by the City Sports Bureau, the Azure Bay University Student Athletics Association, Student Affairs & Youth League Committees from various universities, and the Martial Arts Associations of the universities together organized the “Stellar Cup” Freshmen Partnering Tournament.

The event, covering almost all universities in Azure Bay, had been in the works since September. After nearly two months of preparation, the curtain finally rose.

Aligning with national initiatives, the competition was themed “Balancing Physical and Mental Growth,” and attracted 115 freshmen from over 60 universities.

According to the rules, the champion would not only receive a trophy, a certificate, and a cash prize but also the honor of being called the “Sixth Star of the Big Dipper.”

“Because it’s a partnering match, there are some set routines and performances. You can’t simply knock everyone out on your way to the finals. Generally speaking, as long as you have the upper hand during exchanges, you’ll win.”

Bai Yuanzhi individually emphasized the rules to Qian Quan during the first two days of the official competition.

Had it not been for these restrictions, with Qian Quan’s skills, not to mention new students, even if the presidents of various martial arts associations participated, they would still be lined up for defeat.

“I understand,” Qian Quan assured, indicating he had no intention to intentionally injure anyone during the competition.

“However, from what 1 gather, there are a few very strong contestants in real combat, like Zhao Baiyu from Azure Bay University, whom I mentioned before. Be extra careful,” Bai Yuanzhi warned.

“I’ll adapt and exercise caution,” Qian Quan replied. Having registered early, he was committed to seeing the competition through to the end.

On the 31st, a Tuesday.

Qian Quan, who had originally planned to invite Ding Linlang to a movie, unexpectedly received another invitation.

Mr. Huang had come to Azure Bay and wanted to meet up.

Both of them agreed upon this during the National Day holiday, and Qian Quan readily agreed.

However…

The given address was Funing One, making Qian Quan puzzled.

That’s the name of an entertainment club!

Had Mr. Huang let his hair down so much in Azure Bay? Was he still a force to be reckoned with?

Moreover, he even arranged for a car to pick Qian Quan up.

Qian Quan, who was feeling somewhat skeptical, boarded the discreet Buick business car and headed toward the destination.

About 30 minutes later, the car arrived.

Qian Quan got out, and a tall, cheongsam-clad female attendant welcomed him and led him into Funing One.

As he stepped through the entrance, from the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a familiar figure.

Not paying too much attention, he followed the attendant toward the elevator.

Not far behind him at a booth, Song Xi stared at his back in confusion, wondering if she had recognized the wrong person.

Why would he be here?

The attendant led Qian Quan to the elevator, which went directly to the third floor. As they waited, a few young people also walked in, heading straight for the elevator. To Qian Quan’s surprise, he recognized the young man leading the group.

The owner of the Porsche 918, Qin Li.

They were going to a private room on the second floor.

“Qian Quan?” Qin Li called out in surprise upon seeing him.

“Hey, Mr. Qin.”

“Here to have some fun?” After asking, Qin Li noticed something, “You aren’t heading to the third floor, are you?”

Those who were familiar with Funing One knew that the third floor was not open to the public.

Not to mention, he even had a dedicated attendant.

“Yeah, meeting a friend,” Qian Quan replied.

“Is Xiang’er upstairs?” Qin Li inquired tentatively.

“No, he’s not here.”

As he finished speaking, the elevator doors opened.

“Have fun,” Qian Quan waved.

“You too,” Qin Li raised his hand, his face showing a thoughtful expression..