Dad, Please Try a Little Harder

On the bus back, Qian Quan briefly reviewed the Chinese chess game between the two old men. He found that as long as he closed his eyes, the game would clearly appear in his mind.

This was undoubtedly a new ability acquired after gaining "Master-Level Chess Proficiency." In the past, when he played blind chess with Ding Linlang, he would become confused after just a few moves. But now, everything had become simple, just like when his senior math teacher demonstrated solid geometry gestures in the air, even without getting confused over drawing three auxiliary lines.

It was a feeling of sudden clarity.

He even had the confidence to play blind chess against his dad, Mr. Ding, and Ding Linlang simultaneously, defeating each of them.

The substantial increase in his skill bolstered his belief in inevitable victory, as his capabilities grew stronger, so did his confidence.

Returning home, he saw his dad sitting on the couch watching the news. He asked, feigning ignorance, "Dad, how did the competition go today?"

Qian Wenlin glanced at him and replied calmly, "Three consecutive wins, I made it to the team."

"As expected." Qian Quan quickly complimented, "How about we play another round?"

He wanted to test where his "Master-Level Chess Proficiency" stood.

"Your mom's about to finish cooking." Qian Wenlin kept his gaze on the TV and then changed his mind, "We can play a round, and I'm in good form now, so it won't take long for me to beat you."

"Okay." Qian Quan swiftly fetched the chessboard.

They quickly set up the board, and as usual, Qian Quan made the first move.

Qian Wenlin thought they would finish the match swiftly, but after about ten moves, he slightly furrowed his brows, while Qian Quan became more at ease with each move.

"Is it because the strong will eventually weaken?" Qian Wenlin muttered to himself.

However, Qian Quan knew better. His chess skills had indeed surpassed his father's, although this ability had been bestowed upon him by his dad.

After a few more moves, Qian Wenlin fell into contemplation. After about three minutes, he said, "Checkmate?"

"Yeah." Qian Quan readily agreed.

As they were about to set up another match, Qian Quan's mom's voice came from the kitchen, "Time to eat!"

They quickly tidied up the chessboard and washed their hands for dinner.

During the meal, Qian Quan's mom asked Qian Quan about his job at KFC, and he truthfully answered, "The tasks are easy to learn, and we're trained by experienced staff. The wage is 10 per hour, and I work for eight hours a day."

"Can you get free meals from the store?" his father inquired.

"No, we have to pay for the food as well, but we do get discounts. If you want to eat there, I can order using the employee discount directly, so you won't need separate coupons."

Listening to their son's description, Qian Wenlin and Yang Yuhua displayed expressions of contentment on their faces.

Qian Wenlin took advantage of a brief break while Qian Quan was in the kitchen to take dishes to speak to his wife, "Have you noticed that after Rocky received his college acceptance letter, he seems to have suddenly matured?"

Yang Yuhua shook her head, "No, in my eyes, he's forever a kid."

Qian Wenlin smiled without saying anything.

After dinner, Qian Wenlin invited Qian Quan to play Chinese chess again. He was still somewhat bothered by the hard-fought draw in their previous match.

Coincidentally, Qian Quan also wanted to sharpen his skills against his father, acting as a whetstone. He hoped to experience higher-level games in advance, hoping it would help him in his own competitions.

They set up the board for another round.

Qian Quan let his dad make the first move, but his dad waved him off, saying, "You go first."

Qian Quan stopped declining and focused on his moves.

After about twenty moves, Qian Wenlin picked up a piece with his right hand but didn't immediately put it down. He contemplated for almost half a minute, exhaled softly, and said, "Let's reset."

This time, Qian Wenlin wasn't as polite. He began by making the first move, and his expression became particularly serious, treating his son as a true opponent.

Qian Quan responded calmly, countering the moves and trying to showcase the intricate paths he had in mind.

After around twenty moves, Qian Wenlin paused and said in puzzlement, "Strange," then made a few more moves. When it was Qian Quan's turn, he remained still and asked slowly, "Dad, should I continue?"

Qian Wenlin put the chess piece he was holding back on the board, smiling as he said, "No need to continue."

Qian Quan quietly collected the pieces without saying a word.

"How did you suddenly become enlightened?" Qian Wenlin looked at his son.

"Because of the Chinese chess manual, you bought," Qian Quan replied with a double meaning.

Qian Wenlin nodded with a smile, "Such things are rare but do happen. When you're in good luck, things come naturally. It's hard to resist."

Qian Quan modestly smiled.

"In the future, when you're in college, if there are Chinese chess competitions you want to join, feel free to participate. But don't be too fixated on things beyond Chinese chess. Keep a balanced mind, and remember two sayings: 'Do without doing and everything gets done', and 'If you can forgive others, then forgive others'."

"Got it, I'll remember that." Qian Quan nodded in acknowledgment.

...

Before going to bed, Qian Quan habitually logged into his alternate account, "Mystery Man," to check the group messages.

He saw someone in the group asking what birthday gift Ding Linlang had given to her best friend. Ding Linlang truthfully answered, and then the group erupted with speculations. Readers expressed that the watch she gave had a romantic meaning.

Ding Linlang helplessly replied, "The watch I gave was just for telling time," and then quickly logged off.

Qian Quan shook his head and chuckled, thinking how imaginative people could be.

The next morning, after breakfast, Qian Quan headed to work.

The store wasn't too busy in the morning, so he was assigned to clean the tables and maintain hygiene in the dining area.

By 11 a.m., customers began to arrive, and the lunch rush was starting. Qian Quan moved to the front counter to handle the cash register.

Half an hour later, three long lines had formed.

As a new employee, Qian Quan was a bit slower, and a man in his thirties waiting in his queue exclaimed loudly, "Can you be any slower? Stop dragging your feet."

The manager stepped in to explain on Qian Quan's behalf, "Sorry, everyone, he's new here."

The dissatisfied customer persisted, "Why are you using a new employee during peak hours? You're wasting our time! If you can't handle it, get someone else!"

Before the manager could continue explaining, someone else in the line chimed in, "If you think it's slow, you can switch to another line. What's the fuss? Besides, which experienced employee didn't start as new?"

Hearing this voice, Qian Quan, who had been attentively processing orders, looked up and found Ding Linlang standing in the middle of the queue, pretending to be an ordinary customer, speaking up on his behalf.

Qian Quan's mood instantly brightened.

The manager took the opportunity to say, "We're really sorry, sir. We don't have many staff available right now, and it's the lunch rush. Let's be considerate of each other."

Then, he said to Qian Quan in a serious tone, "Qian Quan, you better hurry up!"

"Understood." Qian Quan acknowledged, completely ignoring the complaining customer.

Later, it was Ding Linlang's turn. After placing her order, she praised Qian Quan intentionally, "Sir, you've got a great attitude!"

"Thank you for the compliment." Qian Quan felt delighted, maintaining his professional demeanor.

However, this happiness didn't last long. Soon, two more customers interrupted.

They were familiar faces.

Sun Shaokang and Song Xi.

"Qian Quan?" Sun Shaokang's eyes lit up when he saw Qian Quan, who was currently working as a server.

"What can I get for you?" Qian Quan didn't have time for catching up.

"We'll have a family bucket and two strawberry sundaes." Sun Shaokang ordered, wrapping his arm around Song Xi's waist, "Sweetie, do you want anything else?"

"No, these will do." Song Xi calmly shook her head.

Qian Quan swiftly prepared their order.

As Sun Shaokang reached over to pick up the tray from Song Xi's waist, he purposefully patted her curvaceous buttocks right in front of Qian Quan and casually said, "See you."

Even though Qian Quan had moved on from Song Xi, he still felt uncomfortable, experiencing a sense of disillusionment, the feeling that his "once thought of as a goddess" was being casually played with by someone else.

At 1:30 p.m., Qian Quan took his lunch break.

He ordered a double beef burger combo for himself and, while searching for a seat, noticed that Ding Linlang was still there. She sat in a corner with her laptop, typing away.

Bathed in the afternoon sunlight, her upright and handsome figure exuded a captivating charm of earnestness and concentration.

Qian Quan walked over and sat across from her, asking, "Why haven't you left yet?"

Ding Linlang finished typing a segment and looked up, "Waiting for you to finish your shift."

"I won't be off until 6 p.m."

"Then, 6 p.m. it is. Let's have dinner together."

"Sure, I'll treat you to Grilled Sea Bass."

After finishing his burger and chatting with Ding Linlang for a while, Qian Quan headed back to work.

At 6 p.m., Qian Quan clocked out punctually, changed out of his work uniform, and left with Ding Linlang.

Once outside, about to head to a restaurant, they noticed a few people gathered at the entrance of the neighboring Riverside Hotel, playing chess.

"Want to check it out?" Ding Linlang suggested.

"Yes."

The two of them walked over.

The familiar elder man with a fan and a bare forehead was guarding the challenge. He had won several games in a row and seemed unbeatable.

After easily defeating his current opponent, no one dared to challenge him anymore. Everyone chuckled awkwardly and backed away.

"Anyone else wants to come?"

The elder man smiled amiably but with a hint of challenge, speaking with a kind tone that contrasted his arrogant words.

"Let me try."

Ding Linlang, driven by competitiveness, handed her laptop bag to Qian Quan and took a seat across from the elder man.

"A young lady, not bad at all."

The elder man smiled as he used his fan to gesture towards Ding Linlang, "You go first."

Starting with a speedy and aggressive opening, Ding Linlang initiated the game, seeking to end it quickly. However, the elder man was experienced and faced her moves with a calm and composed demeanor.

After about fifteen or sixteen moves, Ding Linlang was defeated.

"Keep practicing more," the elder man said with a smile.

"Got it." Ding Linlang replied nonchalantly, rising from her seat.

"Everyone's being too polite today..." The elder man waved his fan, his satisfaction was evident in his eyes.

"I'll give it a shot too," Qian Quan said with a smile as he sat down.

The elder man glanced at him and asked, "Should I give you a little advantage first?"

"No need, I can handle it." Qian Quan quickly set up the board.

The elder man chuckled upon hearing this, saying cheerfully, "Alright, let's see how you manage. You go ahead."

Qian Quan didn't decline, placing his pieces on the board.

The initial moves were fine; both of them played fluidly and without hesitation.

After about ten moves, the elder man's fan slowed down noticeably.

Five or six moves later, Qian Quan stood up with a smile, "I win."

The elder man stared at the board for a few seconds, then slapped his forehead, "Careless! I got ambushed by you. Shall we play another round?"

"We're going to have dinner now, how about tomorrow?" Qian Quan made a move to leave.

"Are you sure you'll come tomorrow?"

"Definitely, I work at the KFC next door."

"Alright then, I'll wait for you here tomorrow."

The elder man clearly hadn't had enough of the thrill of competition and was still unwilling to admit defeat.