Chapter 34: Chapter 34 I Don’t Believe These Two Can Defeat All of Us!

Translator: Inschain Editor: Inschain

From the “wishing you good luck” expression on the Jiao Tong University staff’s face, Qian Quan could deduce that his first opponent, Li Zhiyi, was likely to possess considerable strength. However, he couldn’t have guessed that her skills would be this exceptional.

Sitting across from him, the girl with a bobbed hairstyle, cute yet composed, presented an unusual demeanor during the greeting phase.

“Hello, I’m Qian Quan from Seacoast Normal University,” he introduced himself before the match began.

Unexpectedly, after a brief glance at him, she softly stated, “Li Zhiyi.”

Then, she fixed her gaze on the chessboard and said nothing more.

“Ladies first, please make your move,” Qian Quan acted in a gentlemanly manner.

“You’re playing as the red pieces,” Li Zhiyi said, indicating she would make the first move as the red side.

Since this competition was hosted at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, all players from this university played as the black side, a show of courtesy.

“Alright,” Qian Quan smiled and didn’t refuse further.

In Chinese chess, the impact of moving first on the outcome is relatively minor, with the significance of courtesy outweighing its practical effects.

Qian Quan’s first move was to advance a cannon.

His opponent responded very quickly.

Not wanting to waste time, Qian Quan swiftly followed suit.

After just four or five moves, a group of six or seven staff members had already gathered around the scene.

All of them were senior members of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Chinese Chess Association.

Needless to say, they had come to witness how this seemingly delicate girl was going to overpower her opponent with her aggressive chess style.

Meanwhile, Cao Chuande, the leader of the Seacoast Normal University team, feigned a half-circle turn, showed some concern for the other team members from his university, and then hurried over to observe Qian Quan’s game.

By this point, the match was past its halfway mark.

From the position of the pieces, both sides seemed to be in a deadlock, with neither side gaining a clear advantage.

Judging from the two players’ demeanors, Qian Quan appeared relaxed, seemingly unaffected by the chessboard’s impact.

On the other hand, the girl across from him displayed a calm expression, fully immersed in the game.

The surrounding onlookers seemed tense, brows furrowed, deep in thought.

“So, this is the most formidable newcomer your Chinese chess club recruited this year?”

Seeing that Li Zhiyi hadn’t gained an advantage even after a few moves, the vice president of the Jiao Tong University Chinese Chess Association asked Cao Chuande with a hint of surprise.

“Yes, it’s him,” Cao Chuande nodded. “Given the turnout of your onlookers, this girl must be your seeded player, right?”

“Yes.”

“She’s truly strong.”

“Yours is impressive as well.”

After a few more moves, everyone suddenly heard Qian Quan exclaim, and he looked towards Li Zhiyi.

Li Zhiyi was momentarily stunned and then quickly raised her head, locking her gaze on Qian Quan. She had an unusual expression as if she wanted to say something.

“One Nine Equals Nine?” Qian Quan initiated the question.

“It’s you!”

Li Zhiyi ultimately managed to utter these words, yet they held a wealth of meaning.

“Haha, what a coincidence! Let’s call this game a draw, as we’ve reached this position before,” Qian Quan continued.

As he played on, Qian Quan noticed that his opponent’s moves were becoming increasingly familiar. Eventually, she played a key trap that he had seen before, confirming that she was none other than “One Nine Equals Nine,” the persistent chess friend he had encountered online.

Li Zhiyi didn’t answer; she continued to play her move, practically rejecting Qian Quan through her actions.

With a smile, Qian Quan continued to play along with her, observing as she switched strategies, assuming an attitude of “prefer to lose than to draw.”

Qian Quan didn’t want to take advantage of this situation, so he forced her into a draw, ultimately bringing the game to an unavoidable stalemate.

“Peaceful draw, everyone’s happy,” Qian Quan said with a smile.

Li Zhiyi stared at him, almost as if flames were about to shoot from her eyes.

“You’re Handshake for Peace?” someone nearby exclaimed.

“Yeah, have we played this before?” Qian Quan turned his head toward the person who spoke.

“Hehe.”

“Wait a minute, it’s you!” The vice president of Jiao Tong University Chinese Chess Association couldn’t maintain his composure either.

Their group of chess experts at the association had been researching “Handshake for Peace” for several days, and they hadn’t expected to be him!

“So, it turns out both of you are online friends. Big data is truly amazing,” Qian Quan marveled.

“Let’s play another round!” Li Zhiyi demanded with a stern face.

“That’s not within the rules. If we both make it to the top three, we can play another match,” Qian Quan politely declined.

Li Zhiyi continued to stare at him.

With a hint of resignation, Qian Quan added, “Miss Li, when we play Chinese chess, we’re opponents and rivals. You can try every means to capture, trap, corner, or force me into a dead-end. All of that is fine. However, once the game is over, we’re two chess enthusiasts with a common hobby. If you carry the grudges from the game into reality, I won’t be playing Chinese chess with you anymore.”

Li Zhiyi’s expression tensed upon hearing this. She had heard similar words from her chess teacher but hadn’t taken them to heart. After all, she had been winning all her games ever since she had mastered Chinese chess without any personal grudges.

Now, facing such a formidable and eager opponent, she wasn’t sure how to interact with him in real life beyond the chessboard.

“Alright, however, you choose to perceive me is your call. I won’t stop playing Chinese chess with you.”

Qian Quan sensed they were on completely different wavelengths and didn’t want to lecture her extensively. “I just hope you understand that I bear no ill intentions towards you.”

“I know,” Li Zhiyi unexpectedly replied, her expression quite earnest.

“That’s good then. Let’s proceed with the next round,” Qian Quan suggested. He didn’t want to lose such a strong Chinese chess opponent.

“Qian Quan, you have to admit that online, you only play draws with others in Chinese chess, with a carefree attitude. It’s quite irritating,” the Vice President of Jiao Tong University Chinese Chess Association joked.

“Then try to beat me,” Qian Quan said with a smile.

“Indeed, that’s a good idea. Why didn’t I think of that? Hahaha…”

The competition continued.

In the subsequent four rounds, both Li Zhiyi and Qian Quan didn’t face significant challenges, each accumulating 8 points. Together, they reached a total of 9 points, tying for second place and securing their spots in the afternoon session.

“Please remember this moment for me, when I almost outperformed Li Zhiyi and ‘Handshake for Peace’!”

The player who won all five matches, topping the standings, was a male student from Jiao Tong University. Half-jokingly, he told his classmates after seeing the rankings.

However, his undefeated record would only last until the first round of the afternoon session.

Because his first opponent in the afternoon was Qian Quan.

He already knew Qian Quan’s strength, so he opted for a stable strategy for this match, focusing on defense.

He intended to use strategic tactics to offset the difference in skill.

His goal for this match was to settle for a draw and secure a stable point.

However, he didn’t know that Qian Quan’s “draw peacefully” was only present online.

In this current match, Qian Quan didn’t hold back, ending the game swiftly, much like a gust of wind sweeping fallen leaves.

In the morning session, the top-seeded player struggled to organize a decent defense even once.

The difference in skill was so vast that it surpassed his own imagination.

In the five rounds of the afternoon session, both Qian Quan and Li Zhiyi triumphed in every match, each accumulating a perfect 10 points to share the top spot.

After the top three were decided, it was time for the awards and photo session.

As this was a friendly match focused on camaraderie in Chinese chess rather than cash prizes, the winners received appropriate awards and honor certificates.

Subsequently, the top three took part in exhibition matches.

There were two modes.

The first involved the top three players competing against each other.

The second involved the top three players challenging more experienced club members.

Li Zhiyi, however, only wanted to challenge Qian Quan.

“I have a suggestion,” Shanghai Jiao Tong University Chinese Chess Association vice president suddenly spoke up, “Since we’ve achieved a dual-champion result today, how about the two champions take on the rest of our players in a round-robin competition?”

As this proposal was put forward, discussions broke out immediately. Some were eager to give it a shot, while others thought it might be unfair to outnumber the champions.

“That sounds good,” Li Zhiyi nodded first, then quickly glanced at Qian Quan after agreeing.

“I’m fine with it, too,” Qian Quan smiled and agreed.

Seeing this, the other players realized that the challenge had been thrown down, and there was no backing out now – they had to step up.

At this point, the vice president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Chinese Chess Association added fuel to the fire, “Don’t worry, everyone. Players from all eight major universities will join in. I don’t believe these two can defeat all of us!”