Dad, Please Try a Little Harder

"Impossible. How can this be?"

Ding Linlang looked at Qian Quan with disbelief written all over her face.

Qian Wenlin smiled and said, "He's had a moment of enlightenment, an instant understanding. It's quite a rare occurrence."

Ding Linlang was somewhat skeptical and said to Qian Quan, "Play another game with me."

Qian Quan smiled and accepted the challenge.

The result was that Ding Linlang couldn't hold on for more than twenty moves before being defeated completely.

Throughout the process, Qian Quan didn't pause for a single move.

Ding Linlang looked at the chessboard, then at Qian Quan, and suddenly realized, "Were you deliberately letting me win before?"

"Really not," Qian Quan smiled and shook his head, "I've just been studying chess manuals lately, and suddenly everything clicked."

Ding Linlang stared at Qian Quan, her face showing a mix of disbelief and admiration, "No wonder you managed to defeat that old man the other day."

Qian Quan nodded with a smile and then inquired about his father's upcoming Chinese chess tournament.

"The first round starts the day after tomorrow. Eight teams with 24 players total. They'll eliminate half of them in the first round."

"Sounds quite competitive. Are they eliminating based on teams?"

"They'll form groups and do team-based matchups. It's a personal elimination, meaning each team's three players will face the three players from the opposing team. The final rankings will be based on points: win 3 points, draw 1 point, lose 0 points. Even if both your teammates are eliminated, you can still advance if you have the highest points."

"Got it," Qian Quan nodded. "By the way, can others watch the matches?"

"Yes, but you are not allowed to bring any electronic devices into the venue, nor are you allowed to give any hints."

"Alright, that makes sense. But I can watch the matches to assess the stronger players and memorize their strategies in advance..."

"Qian Quan!" Qian Wenlin suddenly adopted a serious tone and called out Qian Quan's full name. "Get rid of those thoughts."

Qian Quan was puzzled.

"You're currently riding a wave of success in Chinese chess, and you should use it to understand the essence of it further, not waste your talents on shortcuts. Remember what I told you - 'Do without doing, and everything gets done'."

Qian Quan suddenly realized that despite his master-level skill in Chinese chess, his overall understanding of the game was still not as profound as his father's.

On the surface, his father was talking about Chinese chess, but in fact, he was teaching him how to behave.

"Alright, I understand," Qian Quan said earnestly.

"Actually, I had the same thought as you just now..." Ding Linlang, who had been quietly watching, weakly voiced her agreement.

"Let's continue playing Chinese chess," Qian Wenlin smiled and brushed it off.

Qian Quan hesitated for a moment and said, "I want to try playing a blindfold game with you guys."

"What do you mean by a blindfolded game?"

"I won't look at the chessboard while playing against you," Qian Quan explained.

Qian Wenlin and Ding Linlang felt their competitive spirits rise at his proposal.

Too arrogant!

...

"Who do you want to play against first?"

At the Riverside Hotel, on the third floor, in the gym, Mr. Huang smiled and looked at the girl before him. She was wearing a blue and white tracksuit with her hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Let the two of them face me together," the girl said confidently.

Standing not far from her were two burly, muscular men – gym trainers and subordinates of Liang Wanjun.

"Alright, let's do it your way," Mr. Huang nodded slightly, then signaled the two trainers to step forward simultaneously.

The two trainers hesitated slightly. Even though Liang Wanjun had introduced her as a formidable opponent, seeing her age and build, they didn't consider her to be a match for them, let alone the two of them together.

"I'll go first."

Seeing this, the girl took the initiative to attack.

In a seemingly ordinary movement, she took a step forward and raised her right palm diagonally toward the trainer on her left.

Although there was still some distance between her palm and the trainer, when her palm descended, it barely brushed past the trainer's face, missing him by a mere two centimeters.

The trainer instinctively took a step back, feeling a sharp gust of wind passing by his face.

The girl's palm flipped over, cutting across to the other trainer's throat. Again, it passed by only about two centimeters, forcing the other trainer to retreat two steps.

Her actions were fluid and seamless, executed in a single breath. Although she was attacking both of them simultaneously, it was a complete and undivided move.

One move, forcing back both opponents.

"Go ahead, don't hesitate," the girl spoke straightforwardly, radiating a bold air.

The two trainers, still shaken, understood the meaning of Liang Wanjun's claim of her being a "formidable opponent." They didn't hesitate any longer. They lowered their bodies, clenched their fists, and assumed fighting stances.

The girl smiled with satisfaction, her palms striking simultaneously as she pushed against one of the men. This time, the trainer was prepared and sidestepped, cautiously delivering a punch in return.

The girl responded calmly, seemingly flicking her palm lightly to redirect the punch toward the other man.

Though the two training partners remained somewhat restrained in their strikes, they were slowly beginning to cooperate.

After going back and forth for five or six rounds, the two trainers found themselves completely suppressed by the girl. They could only defend and struggle to counter as if they had transformed into two headless flies. Despite their attempts to escape, they were unable to break free from her control.

With graceful movements, the girl's every move was a blend of strength and speed. She effortlessly used force against force, making it seem like she could easily lift great weights. Her angles were precise, leaving the trainers with nowhere to execute their moves. They were trapped, like two flies in a web, with strength but no outlet.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

The girl quickly retracted her left palm, her right palm tracing a beautifully arcing circle before settling back into its original position.

The two trainers were still somewhat dazed. After a moment of recovery, they admitted somewhat awkwardly, "We're no match for you."

The girl smiled and said, "I had the first move advantage."

"Alright, let's call it a night here." Mr. Huang, who had been watching, walked over with a genial smile and looked at the girl with gratification. "Xiaoyu, you seem to have made significant progress compared to last time."

"I've finished learning 'Eight-Diagram Palm.' My master said that if I have any insights during my time in the countryside, he'll teach me 'Sixty-Four Hands' when I return." The girl called Xiaoyu spoke naturally, devoid of pretense or arrogance.

"Good. Rest well tonight, and we'll head to the countryside tomorrow."

Xiaoyu nodded. "I also want to visit my grandmother's grave."

"Okay."

Mr. Huang left the gym with Xiaoyu. Left behind were the two trainers, exchanging glances.

"If we had gone all out from the start, what do you think our chances would be?" one of the trainers asked.

"Zero chance. She didn't even use her full strength."

"Yeah." The questioning trainer chuckled bitterly.

"Actually, it's not a big deal. After all, she's Mr. Huang's granddaughter and the boss's daughter. Surely, she's been taught by a top master."

"We can only console ourselves this way."

...

Back in the room arranged by her grandfather, Zhao Baiyu freshened up, meditated for half an hour, checked her phone, replied to a few messages, and went to bed promptly at 9 p.m.

This habit of sleeping at 9 p.m. and waking up at 7 a.m. had been maintained for over a decade.

The next morning.

After getting up and freshening up, Zhao Baiyu went to the adjacent KFC for breakfast. While placing her order, she noticed that the cashier was a handsome young man. He was the attractive type that was relatively rare and caught her eye.

However, that was the extent of it. In her eyes, a high-quality man needed more than just looks; he needed strength comparable to her own – at the very least.

After finishing breakfast, she sent her grandfather a message and took a bus to his countryside home.

Her master had said that to learn "Sixty-Four Hands," she needed to travel around, experience nature, immerse herself in the surroundings, and observe the mountains, the sea, the sky, the earth, and the bustling human world. Only when her mindset was ready would she be able to learn.

The deeper the skill, the more important the mindset.

Zhao Baiyu was well aware of this. In fact, it applied to many aspects of life.

As the saying goes, "Mastering the core of one field allows you to excel in related fields as well."

After half an hour on the bus, she arrived in her grandfather's hometown, Goldridge Village. After getting off, she purchased flowers and then walked to her grandmother's grave.

After speaking alone for a while, she stood up and headed to experience the rural scenery.

Born and raised in Azure Bay, she was accustomed to bustling traffic and skyscrapers. However, she could also distinguish between various grains and livestock. Since she could remember, she had visited Riverside every year.

Although the city had large parks, they couldn't compare to the countryside in terms of the vistas and atmosphere.

To wander in the mountains and marshes, to enjoy the forests and fields, to linger among the hills and ridges, recalling the lives of past generations...

Walking around like this, she quickly reached noon. Instead of returning to the county seat, she found a restaurant on the streets for lunch.

In the afternoon, she continued to wander outdoors until around 6 p.m. before setting off back to Riverside.

Upon arriving at the Riverside Hotel, she saw her grandfather playing Chinese chess with someone. To her surprise, his opponent was the handsome cashier from KFC.

Meeting twice in one day – it seemed like destiny.

"Thank you for letting me win, Mr. Huang."

Zhao Baiyu saw the handsome cashier rise from his seat with a smile, clearly having won the game.