On the other side, after hanging up the phone, Su Yulin turned around and saw Shen Jianbin with a hint of a sinister smile.
"Yulin, who were you calling?"
Su Yulin quickly locked her phone. "No one."
"Was it Da Fei? Telling him that Northern Band is disbanding?"
Su Yulin was silent.
She was now in a difficult position, her heart not truly with him. However, she was bound by the contract and acting for her future, so she couldn't afford to fall out with Shen Jianbin.
"Haha, it's alright, you're friends, you help each other out! We're also friends, and I was just about to tell him myself."
"But, telling him would be futile. Old Master Chen isn't someone he can just ask."
Su Yulin frowned. "Why?"
"Do you know why Li Beifang, the lead singer of Northern Band, could get him to agree?"
Su Yulin shook her head. "No."
"Old Master Chen loves playing Chinese Chess. Besides music, it's the only thing he uses to pass the time."
"Back then, Li Beifang getting him to agree was already a miracle in the music world. Later, I inquired, and it turned out that Li Beifang's father is Li Shiren, a National Chess Master!"
"I don't know about others, but Lin Chudong definitely doesn't have a chance."
Su Yulin slightly furrowed her brow, unconsciously clenching her fists, her face filled with worry.
Northern Band Studio.
Inside the room, several musicians were dividing up the instruments. "This one's worth thirty thousand, this one's fifty thousand. You take one, I'll take two."
Only one old man sat in the corner, smoking.
And in front of him stood a crowd of people, each carrying gifts. Some even held files, which undoubtedly contained prepared contracts.
A keyboardist rolled his eyes, "Old Master Chen is still the most popular. The band hasn't even disbanded yet, and so many potential employers are already here."
"There's nothing we can do. Our band relies on Old Master Chen. The band is worth a million, and Old Chen is worth nine hundred thousand of it. The remaining hundred thousand is for the lead singer, and has nothing to do with us. I'll just take my guitar and go look for a job elsewhere!"
When Lin Chudong entered, he was also shocked by the scene.
So many people!
He was already quick with the news, and his taxi was fast too, but he was still a step late.
As soon as Lin Chudong entered, he saw two familiar faces.
Shen Lang, the owner of the Prodigal Band, and Hua Tianxiong, the owner of the Fruitless Flower Band.
"Yo, Da Fei, you're here too? Yulin said you were coming to my place, but I waited a long time and didn't hear anything?"
Shen Lang was very enthusiastic towards Da Fei. Their band wasn't doing well, but if Da Fei came, they would definitely climb another level.
Hua Tianxiong snorted, "Bullshit, if he's coming, he's coming to my place. Your band doesn't even have a girl, it's like a monastery. Are you going to have him knock on the wooden fish for you?"
"Can't you speak properly? Are you looking for a fight?"
Seeing that the two were about to start a fight, Lin Chudong quickly said.
"Don't get so worked up, you two. Thanks for your trouble. I've already put together a band. I'm just here to see Old Master Chen today."
Hearing this, the two men immediately lost interest.
Shen Lang said, "Alright, since we're here, let's take a look at the chess game."
Chen Jianguo stubbed out a cigarette, lit another, and said,
"I'm very grateful for everyone's kindness. At my age, almost sixty, I still have so many people inviting me. I'm truly thankful."
"However, I just want to retire and play Chinese Chess with the old men at the nursing home. If any of you can solve my chess game, then we can talk."
Everyone looked troubled. Several people were secretly taking photos with their phones, searching online, and asking some National Chess Masters, but they got no results.
This was Chen Jianguo's own chess game, so of course, there was no way to find a solution online.
Shen Lang said, "Da Fei, you should step back. This isn't a place for you young people."
Hua Tianxiong rubbed his hands together, "Let me give it a try!"
Several people had already lost, and Hua Tianxiong was eager to try, having already checked several strategies.
Chen Jianguo said, "Same rules as before. One chance. If you lose, please leave. This place is too small to accommodate so many people."
"Alright!"
Hua Tianxiong squatted down, looking at the remaining pieces of the game.
Lin Chudong's gaze also fell on the board. He had drawn Chess Mastery (Master Level) from the treasure chest before, and he didn't expect it to be useful so soon!
This time, he wouldn't say the treasure chest was full of useless things. This was a treasure!
There were many pieces in this endgame, but after removing some useless, unmovable pieces, the core was the classic endgame pattern:
Chariot vs. Double Elephant Cannon.
Red has only one chariot, while Black has two elephants and a cannon.
Black aims for a draw. A draw or a win would break the impasse.
Before yesterday, Lin Chudong knew nothing about this, but now, he was already at a master level.
Hua Tianxiong picked up his cannon and made a move.
Chen Jianguo wore a faint smile. After less than ten moves of trading blows, Chen Jianguo captured one of his elephants.
There was no need to continue. The only outcome was Hua Tianxiong's defeat.
Hua Tianxiong was filled with regret, but he couldn't help it; his skill was inferior.
"Old Master Chen, I'll go back first. If no one can beat you, consider me. At least, I'm better than them."
Lin Chudong chuckled. "You're not good enough. Old Master Chen usually wouldn't play with you."
Hua Tianxiong was stunned. "What did you say? If you're so good, then you play! I want to see how you break this game!"
Shen Lang snorted. "Da Fei, I think you should just join my band. Why embarrass yourself here? Do you even know how to play Chinese Chess? Do you know how the Knight moves, and how the Elephant moves?"
Lin Chudong smiled faintly and squatted down. "Old Master Chen, shall we begin?"
Chen Jianguo nodded and quickly set up the board, saying,
"Please."
Lin Chudong opened with a cannon, moving it to the central file, directly blocking the opponent's chariot.
Chen Jianguo frowned slightly. This game actually had a solution. Following the standard steps, it was possible to draw, meaning neither side would win or lose.
Lin Chudong's move, however, was something he'd never seen before.
Interesting.
Chen Jianguo confidently made his move, directly targeting his opponent's general.
Lin Chudong calmly retreated his cannon, as if he had anticipated Chen Jianguo's move.
Chen Jianguo advanced step by step, playing steadily, but Lin Chudong was also handling it with ease, countering each move.
It was as if he could predict Chen Jianguo's every move, responding calmly and unhurriedly.
Chen Jianguo frowned slightly, surprised that this kid actually had some skill.
It seemed he'd need to try something unconventional as well.
Chen Jianguo made a risky move, and Lin Chudong's lips curved into a smile – he'd finally found his chance.
"Check!"
One move, and Chen Jianguo's expression immediately changed, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He loved this immersive feeling the most; playing Chinese Chess was like commanding troops in battle, like fighting on a battlefield, with an incredibly strong sense of immersion.
A moment later, Chen Jianguo said,
"I lost."
Instantly, Shen Lang and the others behind him drastically changed their expressions.
"Impossible!"
Chen Jianguo's chess game was actually broken by Lin Chudong?
It should be known that Chen Jianguo was at the same level as a National Chess Master, and how old was Lin Chudong?
Chen Jianguo became interested, "Let's have a game?"
"Alright!"
The two of them began to set up the chess pieces. The previous game was a remnant, but this time it was a real match.
-----------------------
Completed English PDF of this fan-fic on my Patreon shop if you want to support and own the full fan-fic in one go. Just grab the PDF and binge the entire story from start to finish!
Guys, I've uploaded some High Quality english translated fanfic on my Patreon shop! Feel free to check it out-if you're interested, you can grab a copy and support me there.
Here are a few titles of recently uploaded fanfics:
New Addition
" Signed In for Three Years, and the Band Still Kicked Me Out? "
" Empress for Nine Lifetimes, I Reborn and Crushed the System to Run Away (18+) "
" I Left My Job and the System Told Me to Enjoy Life "
" Harem: Garden of Blossoming Beauties "
" The Beauty Cultivation Harem "
" My Harem of Beauties "
Your support means a lot-thanks in advance, legends!
patreon.com/RoyalStories
(End of Chapter)