The Master’s Mask Unveiled Again
Chapter 911 - 910: Participating in the Man-Machine Competition

This prestigious master of the Go world—Master Jing—was indeed highly respected and revered in the field of Go. But, well, his personality was explosive and eccentric, notoriously difficult to deal with.

How difficult?

It was to the point where he had no discernible patterns in his words and actions—he spoke whenever he wanted to and did whatever he felt like. Outsiders trying to curry favor with him often couldn’t figure out where to even start.

At the same time, he was theatrical in nature. One moment, he’d be laughing heartily, and the next, if someone said something wrong and stepped on one of his triggers, he’d flip out right then and there. He cared not one bit about the person’s status or the occasion—if he wanted to lose his temper, he would.

There were, in fact, several times when he caused quite a scene.

That said, once you earned Master Jing’s approval, he would be incredibly protective of his own.

"Old Jing’s hot-tempered nature probably comes from his youth spent training in martial arts," Xiao Jianli mused, casting a glance at Lu Mian, who was quietly and obediently nibbling on her burger. He decided against introducing this girl to that fiery-tempered master.

If Old Jing threw a tantrum and ended up upsetting Mianmian, what then?

Unaware of Xiao Jianli’s internal deliberations, Lu Mian lifted her head during a pause in their conversation and smiled faintly.

"My friend at the Go academy said that Director Zhuge was considering inviting me to participate in some human-vs-AI competition. He mentioned that Master Jingpei would also be invited."

Jingpei—Master Jing’s full name.

Xiao Jianli frowned, "A human-vs-AI competition? In Go?"

Lu Mian nodded.

Kunyang set his chopsticks down. "I’ve heard of such competitions internationally before. Those AI robots have exceptionally powerful calculation and self-learning capabilities. Humans aren’t really their match... Why would Director Zhuge suddenly organize such a competition? Is it to train his academy’s students?"

Xiao Jianli paused. If they were inviting both Lu Mian and Old Jing, it likely wasn’t as simple as that.

"Mianmian, what are your plans? Do you want to participate?"

Lu Mian tilted her head slightly. "If I have time, I’ll go check it out; if not, I’ll pass."

"That..." Xiao Jianli wanted to explain that this wasn’t simply about having time or not.

It wouldn’t be a big deal if humans lost to AI, but if Jingpei specifically named Lu Mian to participate, things would get more complicated.

Though he wasn’t too worried.

Mianmian was part of the Xiao Family. If Jingpei or those people dared to push Mianmian around, he wouldn’t hesitate to butt heads with them.

——

Jinjing Central Hospital.

After chatting briefly in Ya Ling’s office, Shen Yixin headed for the inpatient department.

In the quiet VIP ward area, Shen Yixin moved with the ease of familiarity. All the nurses at the station recognized her and greeted her with warm smiles.

"Miss Shen, here to see Mr. Chu Kong?"

Shen Yixin smiled, "Yes."

Walking through the corridor, Shen Yixin knocked before entering Chu Kong’s hospital room. The caregiver automatically stepped aside.

"Master."

"Yixin."

On the bed lay Chu Kong, the principal pianist of the Stardust Symphony Orchestra, looking haggard and frail.

He suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that modern medicine had yet to conquer.

His condition had worsened since the Chinese New Year.

After the concert at the beginning of the year, Chu Kong had been hospitalized, undergoing continuous treatment. Recovery was unlikely; the best they could achieve was slowing the progression of the disease.

Chu Kong struggled to breathe but was visibly happy to see his beloved student.

"The piece I asked you to practice last time—did you finish it?"

Shen Yixin smiled as she sat down. "I’ve practiced it all."

"That quickly?" Chu Kong glanced at her left hand. Though the injury scars hadn’t fully healed, the fact that she’d regained her pre-injury ability filled him with relief. "But there’s no need to rush. Make sure to rest your hands adequately."

"Master, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m doing just fine."

"Yes, yes. So, did you attend the music festival? How was it?"

When the music festival was brought up, Shen Yixin’s gentle expression flickered, revealing a hint of complexity.

"What’s wrong?" Chu Kong pondered. "Didn’t you meet Mi Lu?"

He was aware that Shen Yixin’s biggest wish in attending the festival was to meet Mi Lu in person.

"I did."

"Then why don’t you seem happy? Did you not get along with him?"

Shen Yixin offered a placating smile. "Master, don’t overthink it. Mr. Mi Lu was great. It’s just that we’ve all met her before, and I was caught off guard for a moment."

"Oh? I’ve had the honor of meeting him too?"

"..." Shen Yixin deftly comforted Chu Kong by pacing him. "Yes, you even clamored to take her as your successor once."

Chu Kong didn’t immediately catch on.

"Mi Lu is Lu Mian. Lu Mian is Mi Lu. Master, you might want to stop dreaming about taking Miss Lu as your student."

"..."

Chu Kong let out a hiss, and upon realizing the truth, he wheezed intensely for half a minute. Luckily, Shen Yixin had preemptively helped regulate his breathing, sparing him from excessive agitation.

When he finally looked up again, his eyes were laden with complexities.

"I’ve disrespected her..."

——

Since Mo Ying had sent Lu Xinnuan’s family of three away, Lu Xinnuan’s Weibo account had promptly announced her permanent withdrawal from the entertainment industry.

Given her newbie status and small following, the news barely made a ripple.

After learning of this, both the Lu Family in Wucheng and Fu Yao’s family chose to stay silent, too cowardly to speak up. The Lu Family in Wucheng, especially, were filled with deep regret.

But they dared not bother Lu Mian again, fearing they’d meet a similarly grim fate.

Meanwhile, in the music industry, veteran singer Pu Jing shot up the trending charts several times. Due to personal misconduct, he was dismissed from his position at Beijing University, and his reputation took a hit. His multiple apology statements on Weibo failed to mend his image.

Pu Jing had a massive fanbase and was a prominent figure. The revelations shocked many of his fans, leaving them feeling deeply betrayed.

Hashtags like #PuJingPersonalMisconduct# trended for two days straight.

Li Aiqi silently observed these changes within their circle, overcome with emotion. She was glad her sharp judgment had kept her away from associating with someone like Lu Xinnuan, who played the pity card, nor had she offended Lu Mian.

It was as if she’d narrowly escaped with her life!

While scrolling through trending comments on her phone, Li Aiqi’s mother knocked and entered her room.

"Kiki, instead of spending so much time at home, you should visit your uncle’s house more often. Making your presence known will do you good."

Li Aiqi pouted. "He’s my paternal cousin’s father, not even that close. Why would I hang around there for no reason?"

Though she carried the surname Li, she wasn’t a direct member of the Li Family.

"What’s wrong with that? Isn’t being a paternal cousin close enough? The Li Family wouldn’t be where it is today without relying on your cousin’s father’s side."

"Mom." Li Aiqi suddenly sat upright, looking her mother in the eye with resolve. "Honestly, I’d rather build a relationship with the Xiao Family. Too bad I don’t have that kind of luck..."

Li Mother reacted as if she’d heard something utterly outrageous. "Are you crazy? What nonsense are you spouting? You’re part of the Li Family. Cozying up to the Xiao Family would be disloyal—like biting the hand that feeds you!"

"I just think..."

"I don’t care what you think!" Li Mother cut her off.