The Master’s Mask Unveiled Again
Chapter 874 - 873: I Am Right Here

Chapter 874: Chapter 873: I Am Right Here

"Oh? That impressive?" Xiao Jianli perked up with interest. "Have you tried it yourself?"

Zhuge Heng stood up and showed Xiao Jianli his phone, where a photo of the endgame was displayed.

"I’ve tried, but White has the advantage, and it’s difficult for Black to turn the game around. Plus, for both sides to reach this point, it’s really hard to analyze how they got here."

"Could it be some famous game?" Xiao Jianli’s fingers itched to try it.

Zhuge Heng caught on to his thoughts and sent a message to Su Luo, asking her to come upstairs.

He explained along the way, "The students explored all sorts of moves, but none managed to make Black win. I tried several times as well, but no luck..."

Zhuge Heng chuckled awkwardly. "Su Luo said a friend of hers set this up. Looks like this person has some skills. We really ought to meet them someday..."

"Have you shown it to Old Jing?" Xiao Jianli asked while studying the photo of the endgame on the phone.

"How could I dare bother him... Master Kunyang, Master Jing, and yourself are collectively known as the three masters of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. With you dropping by our Go center today, I already feel like the sun rose in the west. Usually, we wouldn’t dare disturb you three."

Xiao Jianli let out a nonchalant "Mhm," his attention fully absorbed by the endgame as he slowly calculated the situation aloud.

"White holds a strong foundation, threatening the surrounding Black pieces. The optimal move for Black here would be to make a leap in this spot, which helps secure this territory and connects with the surrounding stones."

Hearing this, Lu Mian nonchalantly replied from the side.

"Under normal circumstances, that would indeed be the optimal solution. But White has already anticipated this move. Ten steps later, Black will end up in an even weaker position."

Lu Mian spoke with conviction, leaving Xiao Jianli momentarily stunned. "Mianmian, how do you know?"

Zhuge Heng also glanced over, somewhat surprised.

She actually knows a thing or two about Go?

But considering she hadn’t even glanced at the game board and was spouting off so casually, it almost came across as overconfidence.

Zhuge Heng shook his head.

Before Lu Mian could explain, Su Luo arrived with La Wenwen by her side.

When the two spotted Lu Mian there, they were visibly taken aback.

Before they could exchange greetings, Zhuge Heng spoke up, "Su Luo, set up that endgame for Mr. Xiao."

Su Luo had the endgame memorized by heart; setting it up was an effortless task for her.

However...

She pointed at Lu Mian in confusion. "Director, the person who arranged that game is right here..."

So why was she being asked to do it?

Zhuge Heng didn’t quite catch her meaning and gestured for Su Luo to elaborate.

Su Luo furrowed her brows. "This endgame was set up by Lu Mian. She’s very skilled at Go."

La Wenwen chimed in as well, backing her up, "That’s right, I watched her set it up with my own eyes!"

"..." Seriously, it was her?

Zhuge Heng was taken aback, licking his lips awkwardly. So, it turns out she not only understood Go but was quite adept at it?

Though embarrassed, he couldn’t help feeling a bit deflated.

After all that he had said earlier, why hadn’t she stepped forward to explain?

He sheepishly smiled. "Well, it turns out to be Miss Lu."

Xiao Jianli’s eyes instantly lit up like stars. "Mianmian, you know how to play Go too?! Doesn’t your brain ever get tired from holding so much knowledge?"

Zhuge Heng: ...

"It’s not like I created it. I just set it up," Lu Mian explained humbly to the elder.

She sat on the bench and adjusted her posture, letting more sunlight hit her.

Seeing this, Xiao Qimo shifted his hand lower, shielding her from the sunlight.

Zhuge Heng, while still feeling awkward, quickly consoled himself—after all, she was simply showcasing someone else’s work. That thought made him feel much better.

"Su Luo, go ahead and set it up for Mr. Xiao," he said.

Su Luo nodded, taking a seat with La Wenwen to begin arranging the pieces.

Meanwhile, Lu Mian mindlessly stared off into the distance, paying no attention to them. She finished the small snack in her hand and idly played with the now-empty container, lost in thought.

Xiao Qimo, unsure of her thoughts, let his dark eyes fall onto her over-the-shoulder strands of hair. With a soft laugh, he mused, "Looks like you can wear a little hair tie now."

"What?" Lu Mian turned her head to look at him.

"..." Xiao Qimo stretched out his hand, gently and firmly turning her head back. "If you don’t get it, forget it."

"Oh." The straight-shooter Lu Mian nodded considerately. "If you don’t want to say, then don’t say it."

Xiao Qimo: ...

Meanwhile, Su Luo sneaked a glance in their direction, marveling inwardly at how wide and wondrous the world truly was.

Who would have thought that their very own Director Qimo had managed to win over Lu Mian?

Amazing.

During their brief exchange, Lu Mian noticed a girl walking out from the particularly crowded pavilion area. This figure seemed distinctly at odds with the Go center’s atmosphere.

The clash was due to her mature professional attire, complete with high heels, exuding a commanding presence as she walked.

Lu Mian furrowed her brows slightly.

"What’s wrong?" Xiao Qimo keenly caught the subtle shift in her expression.

Lu Mian pointed her lips towards the girl. "That’s Yun Sang’s sister."

The two didn’t have much they wanted to say about Lu Yutian, but shortly afterward, a student hurriedly approached Zhuge Heng, practically out of breath yet filled with excitement.

"Director! It’s a draw! A draw!"

Zhuge Heng narrowed his eyes with the poised demeanor of the Go center’s director.

"Calm down. What was drawn?"

"It’s that endgame from Xuan Class! Someone managed to make it a draw!"

"What?" Zhuge Heng stood bolt upright, visibly stirred. "Who solved it?"

This game had seemed like a guaranteed loss for Black, though not without potential opportunities. The tricky part was that no one could locate those opportunities, making it impossible to shift the tide. For someone to now wrestle it into a draw meant they not only understood the game deeply but possessed impressive skill.

"It’s not someone from our Go center. I think it’s a friend of your niece, Zhuge Lin. Director, you should come take a look!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jianli, Su Luo, and La Wenwen were all intrigued.

Zhuge Heng extended an invitation. "Mr. Xiao, shall we go take a look?"

Xiao Jianli glanced back at Lu Mian and Xiao Qimo, knowing the two didn’t enjoy crowds. He asked anyway.

"Are you two coming down?"

Lu Mian and Xiao Qimo shook their heads in unison.

"Grandpa Xiao, you go ahead and watch. We’ll wait for you here."

"Alright, I’ll be back soon."

Xiao Jianli headed off, with Zhuge Heng accompanying him. Before leaving, he also called Su Luo and La Wenwen, saying they should learn something from this.

The pavilion was left with just Lu Mian and Xiao Qimo.

Lu Mian took Xiao Jianli’s seat and casually picked up a black piece. As she placed it on the board, she asked absentmindedly, "Earlier, Grandpa Xiao and the others mentioned the Lu Family. Who’s that?"

Xiao Qimo gazed at her for a few seconds. "They’re part of Lu Yutian’s branch, from Yun Sang’s grandfather’s side."

Lu Mian uttered a soft "Oh," nodded slightly, and added, "That’s right. Yun Sang took his mother’s surname."

Within moments, while conversing with Xiao Qimo, she had already played several rounds against herself, alternating black and white stones.

Xiao Qimo chuckled helplessly, marveling at how sharp her mind was. She could carry on a conversation and still manage to play Go against herself effortlessly.

——

Meanwhile, Zhuge Heng and Xiao Jianli arrived at Xuan Class, following the student. When they entered, the crowd naturally parted to make way.

Feeling indifferent, Su Luo and La Wenwen stood farther away from the commotion.

La Wenwen sneered, "Zhuge Lin really brought in outside help. She’s clearly treating this as a head-on challenge to you! It’s infuriating."

Zhuge Lin had always been Su Luo’s rival for a spot in Di Class. Despite having similar achievements, Zhuge Lin was given priority, thanks to her Zhuge Family background.

Su Luo remained unfazed. "If her friend is skilled, there’s no point in feeling upset."

"Ugh..." La Wenwen still couldn’t accept it. "If only that endgame had been solved by your friend, Lu Mian... Too bad she’s just a pawn mover, after all..."