mesbooks Chapter 76 Father-in-law's Difficulties? One Game of Chess Left Him Questioning His Existence
Chapter 76 Father-in-law's Difficulties? One Game of Chess Left Him Questioning His Existence
In the corner of the living room, the rosewood chessboard gleamed warmly under the light.
The pleasant aroma of food that had filled the air vanished instantly, replaced by an invisible, tense, and menacing atmosphere.
Su Zhentian sat upright before the chessboard, slowly rolling up his sleeves to reveal an old Shanghai watch on his wrist. He gestured to the chair opposite him, his expression indifferent, behaving like an interviewer interviewing a failed candidate:
"sit."
"Since you haven't studied properly, I won't bully you."
The old professor reached out and removed his two "rooks," casually tossing them into the chess box with a crisp "clatter."
"I'll give you two cars, you go first."
This is extremely insulting.
In chess, giving your opponent two rooks is essentially giving them half the fighting strength. Unless your opponent is a kindergarten child who has just learned to read, it's blatant contempt.
Su Qingge stood to the side, her brows furrowed. She was about to speak up to help Lin Zhou out of the predicament when she felt a warmth on the back of her hand.
Lin Zhou gently patted her hand, gave her a "calm down" look, and then pulled out a chair and sat down.
He looked at the chessboard, a signature harmless grin on his face, and picked up the two discarded "chariots" and put them back in their place.
"Dad, there's no need for that."
Lin Zhou's tone was sincere, even carrying a hint of youthful recklessness:
"When playing chess, fairness is key. You're an elder, and if I ask you to give me a handicap, how would I save face? Let's play normally. If you win, it's because you've taught me well; if I win by chance, it's because you've been kind enough to let me win."
Su Zhentian was taken aback for a moment, then let out a soft snort, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.
Ignorant of one's own limitations.
Although Su Zhentian wasn't a professional Go player, he was still known as "Iron Mouth Su" in Beijing's amateur Go community, capable of exchanging a few moves with national-level players. This kid actually dared to refuse a handicap?
"Fine, since you have that kind of backbone, then don't blame me for being ruthless."
Without wasting words, Su Zhentian took the red card and made the first move with a standard "Head Cannon" attack.
[Ding! Host is detected engaging in a high-IQ game.]
[System skill pool has been matched... God-level chess skills (national champion peak version) have been redeemed! 1000 happiness points deducted!]
[Skill loading complete. Wishing you unparalleled dominance!]
With a crisp notification sound in his mind, Lin Zhou's previously somewhat cloudy eyes instantly changed.
The Chu River and Han Border on the chessboard were no longer just wood and carvings in his eyes, but had transformed into a complex, three-dimensional tactical network. The placement of each piece and every possible attack route instantly generated countless variations in his mind.
"Snapped!"
Without a second thought, Lin Zhou placed his black piece, and the screen horse formation was activated.
The speed is astonishing.
Su Zhentian raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that this kid was indeed an amateur. How could someone make a move in chess without thinking?
A contemptuous sneer curled at the corner of his lips. He then leaped off his horse and charged out of the chariot with a fierce attack, intending to annihilate this arrogant son-in-law within ten paces.
however.
Three minutes later.
The cold smile on Su Zhentian's face disappeared.
He held a red "soldier" in his hand, hovering it in mid-air, unable to bring it down for a long time.
His brows had furrowed into a tight knot without him even realizing it.
What happened?
This kid's chess style... it's a bit strange.
His attacks seemed haphazard and disorganized, yet whenever he tried to launch an attack, he always found his escape routes inexplicably blocked. It was as if an invisible net was tightening little by little, suffocating him.
"Snapped!"
Lin Zhou placed another piece, and even leisurely took a sip of tea.
"Dad, it's your turn."
Su Zhentian took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
coincidence.
This is absolutely a coincidence!
This kid must have stumbled upon it by accident!
He gritted his teeth and decided to change his strategy, sacrificing a piece for a strong attack.
However, the nightmare had only just begun.
Five minutes later.
A fine layer of cold sweat appeared on Su Zhentian's forehead.
His once straight back had somehow become hunched over, and he was lying face down on the chessboard, his eyes fixed on the intricate situation, the chess pieces in his hands warm from his grip.
It's completely blocked.
It's completely blocked!
No matter where he wanted to go, it was as if there was an impenetrable wall in front of him. Lin Zhou's henchmen, on the other hand, were like a pack of hungry wolves that had smelled blood, attacking from all directions, each bite aimed at his vital points.
"This...how is this possible?"
Su Zhentian roared inwardly.
This isn't the level of a stay-at-home dad! This is clearly the imposing presence of a professional 9th Dan!
"Old Su? What's wrong?"
Li Yuehua, who was standing nearby, noticed that something was wrong.
Although she didn't understand chess, she understood her husband. Normally, he was a master strategist, commanding the game with ease, but today he was acting like he was constipated, sweating profusely and his hands were trembling.
"Shut up!"
Su Zhentian let out a low growl of frustration, his voice hoarse.
He felt like his brain was about to burn out, and he had to calculate for more than ten minutes for every step he took, for fear of taking a wrong step.
In contrast, Lin Zhou.
He was peeling an orange, handing half to Su Qingge next to him, and stuffing the other half into his own mouth, eating it with relish.
When it was his turn to move, he didn't even look at the board and just casually made a move.
"Snapped!"
Crisp, decisive, and menacing.
That nonchalant attitude was like a ton of critical damage to Su Zhentian.
Two more minutes passed.
With trembling hands, Su Zhentian pushed the last "car" forward a step, attempting a final, desperate struggle.
"General!"
He shouted, but his voice was very weak.
Lin Zhou chewed on an orange, not even lifting his eyelids, and flipped over the "cannon" that had been lurking at the baseline.
"Snapped!"
It fell heavily.
"A counter-attack."
With that one move, the entire situation on the board was instantly reversed.
Su Zhentian's Red General was trapped in the nine-square grid, with no way to go up to heaven or down to earth.
A decisive goal.
An unsolvable, decisive blow.
Su Zhentian froze in his chair.
He stared blankly at the black cannon that had cornered him, then looked at the young man opposite him wiping his wife's mouth with a tissue, and felt his worldview shatter.
Lost.
And it was a crushing defeat.
From beginning to end, he was like a mouse being toyed with by a cat, completely powerless to fight back.
Is this really Lin Zhou, the academic failure who didn't even do well on his college entrance exams?
"you……"
Su Zhentian took off his glasses, his hand trembling as he wiped away the fog. His voice carried an incredulous shock and a barely perceptible hint of awe:
"Who taught you your chess skills?"
"This kind of layout, this kind of calculation... even the national team's head coach probably couldn't do this well, right?"
Su Qingge and Li Yuehua were both stunned.
national team?
Is that really so exaggerated?
Although they knew Lin Zhou had won, they didn't expect him to win so decisively or to be praised so highly.
Lin Zhou swallowed the orange in his mouth, clapped his hands, and the aggressive murderous aura on his face instantly disappeared, transforming him back into the gentle and humble son-in-law.
He stood up, bowed slightly to Su Zhentian, and spoke sincerely:
"Dad, you flatter me."
"I don't have any master. I just figured things out online when I had nothing else to do. Those few steps just happened to be lucky, I just guessed right."
"Just a guess?"
Su Zhentian gave a wry smile.
One step is a blunder, and every step is a blunder?
How much luck would that take?
He is also a person who can take things in stride. Although losing to his son-in-law is a bit embarrassing, he has always respected people with real talent and ability.
"Lin Zhou, it seems I underestimated you before."
Su Zhentian sighed, the disdain and prejudice in his eyes finally dissipating, replaced by a complex appreciation.
He put his glasses back on, pointed to the exquisite endgame on the chessboard, and said meaningfully:
"Life is like chess."
"A person who can play this kind of game must have a profound understanding of strategy and tactics."
"Those moves you made just now, sacrificing pieces to gain the initiative, may seem like a loss, but they were actually part of a long-term strategy. This kind of strategic vision..."
The old professor paused, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Zhou:
"It shouldn't just be used to revolve around the stove."
Lin Zhou smiled slightly, without taking the opportunity to show off or complain.
He simply reached out and slowly placed the chess pieces back into their places on the board, his voice calm and composed:
"Dad, playing chess is actually like being a person. You need to have a big picture perspective, but you also need to have the everyday life experience."
"For me right now..."
He raised his head, his gaze tenderly falling on Su Qingge beside him and the sleepy-eyed Nuonuo:
"Protecting this family and making Qingge and Nuonuo happy is the biggest 'big picture' in my game."
These words were spoken with neither arrogance nor servility, yet they conveyed deep affection and meaning.
Su Zhentian was stunned.
Looking at the young man in front of him, he suddenly realized that he might never have truly understood him.
"Good, what a great overall strategy."
Su Zhentian nodded, his facial features finally softening completely.
He picked up the cup of tea on the table, which had already gone cold, took a sip, and then, surprisingly, revealed a slight smile:
"It seems that Qingge's taste... is indeed better than mine."