Dad, Please Try a Little Harder

"Three sets of endgame positions are free to choose, but you must pay upfront."

Seeing the two youngsters being taken aback as expected, a hint of satisfaction crept into his tone.

"Did you set up these chess positions?" Qian Quan, who had now partially absorbed the information from the system reward, looked at the man and asked.

"Of course not. I'm just an observer, helping out when things seem unfair."

Qian Quan chuckled, "Don't be so modest. You're all in this together."

"What did you say?" The muscular youth's aggression surfaced.

Someone nearby chimed in, "Are you playing or not? Don't waste other people's time!"

Quietly, Ding Linlang tugged at Qian Quan's sleeve.

"We'll play, of course. But not following your rules; we'll play by my terms."

"What rules do you have?" The muscular youth's impatience was evident.

"You three will play against me simultaneously using these three endgame positions. If any of you can win, I'll consider it your victory, and I'll offer 100. But if none of you can win, then I'll consider it my victory and each of you will give me 30. How does that sound? Fair deal?"

As soon as Qian Quan's words fell, the genuine onlookers around started discussing.

"That young man has quite the attitude, challenging three at once..."

"The young person is daring, but trying to win against three opponents at the same time seems difficult, in my opinion."

"He doesn't even need to win, didn't you hear him? Just not losing is enough."

"That's also challenging; this chess setup is full of mysteries and complexities, traps with every move. One wrong step, and it's over."

"It's tough for everyone, no doubt."

The muscular youth exchanged a glance with the old man at the chessboard, and the latter shook his head slightly.

They could easily secure 100, so why take such a risk?

"I think you're not here to play Chinese chess at all but to disrupt things. Picking on the old man because he's elderly, right?" The muscular youth had clearly lost his patience.

"If you guys disagree, we'll leave right now." Despite Qian Quan's confidence, he didn't want to resort to violence in front of Ding Linlang for now. Otherwise, he'd have to come up with another excuse during the explanation later.

After all, it would seem quite unbelievable for an 18-year-old high school graduate to take down three adults with his bare hands effortlessly.

"Such a waste of time, take out your phones and format them, then get lost!" another person chimed in.

The muscular youth dropped the pretense entirely and approached the two with a fierce demeanor.

"Either compensate with 100 or format your phones, stop the pointless talk," another individual joined in the coordination.

"Either you pay 100 or format your phone."The other person was still cooperating.

Some of the other onlookers were still uncertain about the situation; some saw the scheme but didn't want to get involved, and others were purely there to enjoy the spectacle. Not a single person came to the aid of them.

Qian Quan whispered something to Ding Linlang, "Call the police," and then reached out to grip the muscular youth's wrist, saying, "Can't trick us, so now you're resorting to robbery, huh?"

The muscular youth's hand was caught, and he instantly flared up, trying to pull away with force. To his shock, he found that he couldn't move!

It was as if an iron vice clamped down on him.

Panic set in his heart.

Seeing this, another accomplice stepped forward and pushed Qian Quan.

Qian Quan suddenly pulled the muscular youth, causing him to collide with his accomplice.

This was the "Chasing Hand" skill from the advanced Wing Chun set, "pointing finger," a strategy frequently employed when outnumbered, entailing using one person's hand to obstruct the hands of others.

The third accomplice lunged forward without hesitation.

Qian Quan's swift and accurate footkick met the oncoming attack. He struck the front leg of the man, causing him to lose balance and tilt forward significantly. Seizing the opportunity, Qian Quan grabbed the man's ear and smoothly threw him to the ground, leaving him sprawled on the floor.

As Qian Quan retracted his foot, he stepped on the back of the man's hand.

"Ah!" The man let out a pained cry.

Taking control of the three men happened in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, Ding Linlang's call to the police hadn't been answered yet.

"D*mn, it turns out he's skilled!"

The accomplice who collided was now seething with anger, attempting to circle around and attack Qian Quan. However, the muscular youth, who was still under Qian Quan's control, blocked his way.

It was almost like playing a unique game of "Eagle & Chicken."

"Let go of me!"

The muscular youth was trapped and couldn't free himself, his hands still held tightly, leaving him to gnash his teeth and scream in frustration.

"Hello, officer? We're near the Sanyuan Fang bus stop on Southern Song Imperial Street. There's someone engaged in fraud and robbery here."

Ding Linlang's call had finally connected, and she quickly explained the situation.

"You dare to call the police?"

The man who collided couldn't reach Qian Quan and charged at Ding Linlang instead.

Pulling the sturdy young man, Qian Quan advanced his foot forward, executing a cunning Tiger Tail Kick at an acute angle, striking the man's waist, which sent him flying.

If Qian Quan hadn't held back intentionally, the man would have been incapacitated.

Two of the three assailants were sprawled on the ground, while the remaining one, resembling a sparrow trapped in one's palm, surrendered, no longer putting up resistance.

"Sir, please let me go. We admit defeat, okay?"

The onlookers were dumbfounded, and even Ding Linlang stared in astonishment at the scene before her.

Was that Qian Quan, the person I know?

The old man who set up the chessboard realized the situation was dire and abandoned the chess set, fleeing directly.

Before long, the police arrived, seeing the chessboard on the ground and the three people crouched beside it, immediately understanding what had happened.

This type of scam occurs nationwide every year, persistent despite efforts to prevent it, executed by individuals or groups.

They specifically targeted those who were knowledgeable about Chinese chess or believed their chess skills were exceptional.

And due to their fa?ade of voluntarism, the public didn't report these incidents every time.

However, this current scene was peculiar.

Why hadn't the suspects run away? Why were they sitting there obediently, waiting to be apprehended?

Furthermore, they looked like they'd just been beaten up.

"Handcuff them all and get them into the car, pack up the chess set too."

The older police officer in charge ordered, then asked the bystanders, "Who called the police just now?"

"It was us," Ding Linlang stepped forward and said.

"Alright, come with us for a statement." The leading officer nodded approvingly.

Qian Quan and Ding Linlang also got into the police car.

...

"Can we just not talk about this?"

After completing the statements, Qian Quan and Ding Linlang left the police station. Walking in silence for a while, Qian Quan broke the silence.

"If I don't ask, will you tell me voluntarily?" Ding Linlang countered.

"If I don't tell you voluntarily, will you get upset?"

"If I won't get upset, will you..."

"Enough!" Qian Quan interrupted with a wry smile. "Continuing this back-and-forth won't lead us anywhere. I can tell you it's a kind of combat skill, and I'm not skilled yet. I used it for the first time today, and you saw how clumsy it was."

An expert would definitely recognize that he was using Wing Chun skills.

"When did you learn it?"

"I didn't deliberately learn it. Otherwise, you would have figured it out a long time ago. I usually read books, watch instructional videos, boxing matches, and even action movies. Then, in my free time, I contemplate, ponder, and mentally simulate. I just used it in a hurry earlier. Honestly, I didn't know I could fight like that..."

"So, are you saying you're also a one-in-a-million martial arts prodigy?"

"That part should come from my dad," Qian Quan admitted.

Ding Linlang fell silent. Though something felt off, it seemed reasonable as well. After all, his talent in Chinese chess had also suddenly emerged.

In this world, there were geniuses that defied conventional wisdom. Just as some people can compose music at five or six, recite poetry at seven or eight, enter university at eleven or twelve, or write novels at sixteen or seventeen.

"One can only say that each individual's constitution is unique. In extreme emotions, some people indeed manage to unleash unexpected potential," Qian Quan explained further.

"Like performing a tiger tackle?" Ding Linlang joked, having apparently completed her mental preparation.

Qian Quan inwardly sighed in relief. Fortunately, he didn't deliberately show off, like beating them up with a flurry of punches as in the movies, akin to Yip Man's rapid strikes, or explaining it would have been a real challenge.

Setting aside these matters, this incident could be considered a memorable experience during their graduation trip.

After exploring the Southern Song Imperial Street and Hefang Street, on the third day, they visited Song Cheng, the first large-scale theme park in Hangzhou, constructed based on the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" painting.

They watched the performance of The Romance Of The Song Dynasty.

It combines tradition, technology, and impressive choreography, which is certainly worth the ticket price.

On the fourth morning, as planned, they began their journey back.

Someone had been waiting for them at home for quite some time.

Hence, as soon as Qian Quan and Ding Linlang returned home, they were summoned by Qian Wenlin, who said there was something important to tell them in person.

Indeed, Qian Wenlin demonstrated the "Little Idea" right in front of the two children.

The graceful and fluid movements, coupled with his vitality, reminded Qian Quan and Ding Linlang of how he was in his youth.

Energized, with a spark in his eyes.

On this day, Qian Wenlin had advanced to the primary level of Wing Chun!

As for Qian Quan, who had already reached the level of a Wing Chun Grandmaster, watching this filled him with both gratitude and emotion.