Chapter 108: Chapter 107: She Deserves a Chance
Lu Mian’s arrival brought a refreshing breeze to the already bustling chess institute.
While everyone was curious about who this mysterious invited player was, they saw her casually dressed in sportswear, strolling in leisurely.
Someone stepped forward to stop her, “Young lady, you’re in the wrong place. This area is for the competition, the spectator seats are over there.”
Lu Mian responded with a grin, “I’m here to take the twenty million.”
Her declaration was arrogantly bold, prompting the players at the chess institute to click their tongues, shake their heads, and scoff.
They had competed for half a day and had yet to beat the sixth-dan master Liu Baiyu, yet this girl, who looked to be only seventeen or eighteen, boldly claimed she was going to take away twenty million.
“Hahaha…” The laughter erupted throughout the chess institute’s hall.
Fu Man cared about her image, and her face could hardly maintain composure as the laughter, though aimed at ridiculing Lu Mian, felt nearly as mocking to her.
Scurrying, she pulled Lu Xinnuan, “Nuannuan, let’s go.”
Fearing others might recognize that she was Lu Mian’s mother.
“Send your sister a text too, tell her not to participate anymore.”
Pang Hao and Shouhao couldn’t help but stop her.
“Auntie, don’t go! You’ve got to give Mianmian a chance to show what she’s got, right?”
“Show what? For her to make a fool of herself? I’m clearer about her capabilities than any of you are!” Fu Man snapped back, pulling Lu Xinnuan toward the exit.
Lu Xinnuan followed, thoroughly satisfied.
However, before they could step out of the banquet hall, a chair unexpectedly slid in front of them, precisely blocking their way out.
They turned back in astonishment to see Lu Mian nonchalantly folding her arms, smiling at them.
“Stay and watch before you leave,” she said.
Fu Man’s whole body radiated embarrassment, feeling the burning glares from around her, she could imagine just how much face she was about to lose.
But now wasn’t a good time to quarrel with Lu Mian, so she reluctantly sat back down.
Lu Mian turned gracefully and smiled at Su Qinghe in the seat of honor, then gestured politely to her opponent, Liu Baiyu, to begin.
She didn’t say much, but her words were powerful and compelling.
It was only at that moment that everyone was sure and acknowledged that she was indeed the last player specially invited by Old Su. A paratrooper who bypassed the preliminaries and directly entered the finals.
“Her, on what basis?” someone grumbled discontentedly.
“I’ve never heard of her name in the Go circles. Old Su is really biased this time.”
“A calf doesn’t fear the tiger because it is new. Just watch, she’ll soon find out her real level! No disrespect, but she’s not at the same level as Mr. Liu!”
Liu Baiyu was displeased too. He had worked hard to defeat so many formidable opponents to get to the end. Now someone had parachuted in to compete for the championship with him?
“Old Su, I find this arrangement hard to accept,” he protested.
Old Su, having seen Lu Mian coming to compete, was so delighted that his eyes almost squinted shut, and he hurriedly coaxed, “Liu, my boy, I have my reasons for this. You’re strong. If you can beat this little friend Lu Mian, you’ll be the champion. If you lose to her, it means her skills in Go surpass yours, which also means they surpass those of all other players here. There’s nothing unreasonable about that, right?”
Just from the game he had watched years ago, Lu Mian qualified to be a special invitee.
He wasn’t blindly trusting Mianmian; he had his reasons.
“But…” Liu Baiyu still felt that playing chess with a girl was beneath him.
Lu Mian, on the other hand, was not one to quibble. She never liked useless talk, always preferring action when possible.
At that moment, she had already calmly taken her seat, leaving Liu Baiyu no choice but to sit opposite her.
Meanwhile, at the chess institute’s second-floor window, a girl’s silhouette lingered.
Gazing down at the large hall from above, she had the perfect vantage point to see Lu Mian’s chessboard clearly.
She murmured to herself, “I want to see just why Grandpa is so favoring her…”