Chapter 248: Childish Bet
"Another round!"
This sentence, combined with Zhou Jie's almost uncontrollable expression, instantly froze the atmosphere in the chess room.
Ye Fan narrowed his eyes slightly and was about to refuse, but someone beat him to it.
Guo Yuan glared at Zhou Jie with hatred, his voice stern as he scolded, "What do you want? What exactly do you want? Can't you understand human speech? I told you to get lost!"
This bastard!
Not only did he lose the game, but he also lost his dignity!
Gu Yun's face darkened, the previous enthusiasm and politeness vanished without a trace as he said expressionlessly, "That's enough for today. Zhou Jie, go home."
Zhou Jie's intentions were all too obvious.
A dignified professional Go player at the seventh dan level, yet he couldn't accept defeat?
This wasn't just embarrassing for Zhou Jie himself—it was an insult to all professional players. What a disgrace!
Ning Xi and Gu Ziyi, the two women, remained silent. In this situation, they had no place to interject and could only let things unfold.
As for Ye Fan, the protagonist of this scene, when he heard Zhou Jie's demand for another match, his instinctive reaction was to refuse.
Winning once could still be brushed off as a casual game, but if he won twice in a row, there would be no way to explain it!
Ye Fan didn't like standing out. But before he could voice his refusal, an image flashed in his mind—Zhou Jie's fiery gaze at Ning Xi earlier in the living room. Instantly, a surge of irritation rose within him.
Another round, huh?
Fine! Bring it on!
Zhou Jie completely ignored Gu Yun and Guo Yuan's reprimands. His gaze remained locked onto Ye Fan, waiting for his response.
Ye Fan raised his head, glanced at Zhou Jie, and said with a half-smile, "I don't mind another round, but I have one condition."
As soon as he said this, everyone except Zhou Jie was stunned.
He was really going to play another round?
This was ridiculous!
"No matter what your condition is, I'll agree!"
Zhou Jie didn't even hesitate before responding.
For him, as long as Ye Fan was willing to play another game, he wouldn't flinch even if there were ten conditions, let alone one.
"Don't be in such a rush."
Ye Fan shook his head slightly, his tone calm and composed. "My condition is very simple. In this next match, whoever loses must take off their shirt and run down the street for half an hour."
Trying to go after his girl? No way was he letting that slide without consequences!
Hearing this bet, everyone's expressions turned strange.
This bet… was so childish…
But also… absolutely ruthless!
"You said it yourself."
"I did. Do you dare to bet?"
"You don't know your own limits!"
Zhou Jie's face darkened as he said coldly, "Today, I'll show you what a professional seventh dan player can do."
He was certain of his victory!
His loss earlier? He convinced himself it was due to underestimating his opponent.
This time, he would give it his all.
Ye Fan, a mere beginner who had only been learning Go for a little over a month, dared to challenge him?
Running shirtless down the street for half an hour?
Ha—
Just wait to embarrass yourself!
Ye Fan smirked faintly and said, "If we're talking about verbal skills, you certainly have the level of a professional seventh dan. As for your actual Go skills… well, that remains to be seen."
"I hope you can keep up this arrogance when you lose later."
"Enough talk. Let's begin."
Ye Fan didn't want to waste more words on Zhou Jie. He calmly and methodically began resetting the pieces on the board. His movements were unhurried, yet remarkably efficient. In less than two minutes, all the stones were back in place.
Ning Xi, slightly worried, tugged at Ye Fan's sleeve and asked softly, "Why are you playing him again? There's no need for this."
"Just watch quietly. I'll explain later, okay?"
"…Alright. Do your best."
"I will."
In front of everyone, Ye Fan openly and unreservedly pinched the girl's soft, jade-like cheek, his eyes filled with undisguised affection.
Ning Xi's face turned red with shyness, but surprisingly, she didn't stop Ye Fan's actions. She lowered her gaze, trying hard to focus on her toes—but no matter what, she just couldn't see them…
In that moment, the air was thick with the scent of romance.
Gu Yun and Guo Yuan didn't seem to mind much. After all, they were both well into their sixties and had long since become indifferent to such things.
But Gu Ziyi couldn't take it. As a young woman in her prime, she had countless romantic fantasies. Seeing this scene, she pursed her lips into a pout so high that she could hang an oil bottle from it.
Sure, she longed for love, but she didn't want to be force-fed dog food!
And the worst part? Ye Fan and Ning Xi were both younger than her. Being force-fed dog food by a couple of kids left her speechless.
Meanwhile, Zhou Jie's face was pitch-black. If looks could kill, Ye Fan would have died a thousand times over.
Ye Fan reluctantly withdrew his hand and pushed the container of black stones toward Zhou Jie. "You play black first this time, so you won't have any excuses when you lose."
Zhou Jie gritted his teeth, snatched the container, and said nothing. He picked up a black stone and placed it down.
Arrogant bastard!
Just wait and see!
He was already picturing Ye Fan running shirtless through the streets, utterly humiliated. He would make sure to record the entire thing.
Clack—
Clack—
…
The two played at a rapid pace—so fast that even professional players specializing in blitz games would be left in awe.
Seeing this, Gu Yun's brows furrowed with worry.
In the Go world, Zhou Jie was known for his speed. He played fast and with precision, which was why he managed to reach seventh dan by the age of 24.
Most of his opponents ended up getting dragged into his rhythm without realizing it. Once caught up in his pace, they would fall right into his trap.
Clearly, Ye Fan had fallen into it.
Playing at such speed was bound to lead to countless mistakes.
Gu Yun wasn't sure what to make of Ye Fan's skill level.
That miraculous comeback in the last game had been impressive, but the fact remained—he had made several blunders. And not every game would allow for a last-minute turnaround.
Not to mention, Ye Fan himself had said he was playing "casually" earlier…
He might not have meant anything by it, but Gu Yun had taken note.
Judging from everything so far, Ye Fan's victory earlier really could have just been a fluke.
To be honest, Gu Yun didn't think Ye Fan had any chance of winning this time.
"Ye Fan has fallen into his trap," Guo Yuan sighed.
As Zhou Jie's master, he knew better than anyone what his disciple was capable of. Despite being furious at Zhou Jie's behavior, he had to admit that Zhou Jie had undeniable talent and skill in Go.
At this rate, Ye Fan was doomed to lose.
But just as this thought took root, the unfolding match completely shattered their expectations.
Gu Yun and Guo Yuan both widened their eyes in shock.
A novice who had only been playing for a little over a month, going up against a professional seventh dan—this was already absurd enough.
But even more absurd was the fact that this novice was actually dominating the professional player.
Not just holding his own—completely overwhelming him.
Unbelievable!
On the board, another corner battle was unfolding. But unlike before, the situation was entirely one-sided.
The white stones advanced aggressively, forcing the black stones into an ever-smaller space. Zhou Jie's pieces were utterly suppressed, with no room to counterattack.
This…
This had to be a dream, right?
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