activa-t Chapter 61 Chess Game
Chapter 61 Chess Game
Several weeks have passed since this incident was exposed, and the higher-ups and nobles had tried to suppress it, but they ultimately underestimated the power of the masses.
Countless citizens spontaneously petitioned, demanding punishment for the incident. The petition was massive, even escalating into a protest, and a chorus of curses filled the city.
Under public pressure, the matter finally came to a good end. All the children found a good home, and those who committed serious crimes were punished one by one.
On the day of the execution, the whole country rejoiced, celebrating the people's victory.
Deep within a dense grove of sycamore trees, a quaint little house is nestled. Sunlight filters through the sparse branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground, adding to the atmosphere of mystery and tranquility.
The wooden door of the cottage was tightly closed, with only a wisp of smoke occasionally escaping through the crack, indicating that it was not entirely deserted.
Inside the room, a woman with long pink hair sat quietly, an unfinished chess game on the table in front of her.
He took a sip of tea, as if sensing some subtle change, then slowly put down the teacup and opened a pair of dazzling golden eyes.
"Since you're here, why don't you sit down and have a chat?"
The door to the house opened slowly with a gentle push, and a black-haired youth stepped inside with a hint of unease. He looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old. His eyes tried to remain calm, but a trace of tension and unease was undeniable.
Chang Li chuckled softly, slowly shook her head, and pointed to the seat opposite her, indicating that the other person should sit there.
"Sit down, don't be so formal."
"Brother Mo's contribution in cleaning up some of the maggots inside this time is undeniable."
Although that's what he said, Mo Wunian didn't really think so. Looking at the woman in front of him, he still felt somewhat apprehensive.
After all, he only made a brief appearance in the story he knew, and his role seemed to be Jinxi's teacher.
Although it was just a communication, the face that appeared made it clear to him that this person was definitely going to be added to the gacha pool.
And now, based on what he'd learned of the other party's identity, it turned out the other person was the Prefectural Chief Clerk of Jinzhou! Their status was many ranks higher than his own.
He also knew that a large part of the reason he was able to escape unscathed this time was because the other party protected him.
Otherwise, they would probably have been devoured by those high-ranking officials and nobles long ago, leaving not even a corpse behind.
"No, no"
"I merely submitted the evidence; it was entirely thanks to the Chief Secretary's intervention that we were able to win..."
"Besides, if it weren't for the Chief Secretary keeping a close eye on me these past few days... I'm afraid I would have already been punished by those high-ranking officials..."
"Mo Wunian, don't deny your own contributions."
You are the one who should be thanked.
"..."
There was nothing he could do; he felt guilty about everything he did. Hearing that, he immediately lowered his head, avoiding eye contact and focusing his gaze on the mess in front of him, refusing to look at the person before him.
Changli showed no surprise at the other party's reaction, only a hint of sadness and helplessness flashed in her eyes, as if she had expected this to happen.
"Ugh"
"Mo Wunian, there's no need to have such a mindset..."
"Furthermore, this time it wasn't just me who took action; the general also stepped in to suppress those people's restless intentions."
"what?"
I was just about to have a sip of tea to relax when I heard Chang Li say that even that arrogant guy had stepped in to protect me.
This startled him so much he almost spat out his tea, forcing it down. He coughed a few times and looked at Changli in disbelief.
"You mean... General Geshu also spoke up for me?"
"Yes, I was somewhat surprised as well. We know very well what kind of person that general is."
"It seems...they really value you."
Meeting Chang Li's deep golden eyes, he immediately understood that the other had not deceived him, and his emotions became a jumbled mess in that instant. Unconsciously, he gripped the teacup in his hand tighter.
"...I will go to thank General Geshu in a few days."
"I think if you go and thank me, it will actually have the opposite effect."
"..."
Chang Li didn't say anything. He propped his head up with his left hand, silently watching the other person's struggling expression, and gently shook his head.
"General Geshu is not one to ask for anything in return. He always takes responsibility for his actions alone. Since he took the initiative this time, there's no need for him to feel guilty..."
"If you truly want to repay them... then conquer them on the battlefield with your strength."
He has always had great respect for the strong.
He patted his forehead, knowing the other person wasn't wrong: from the beginning of their interactions, he could sense that this was just the person's personality.
However, due to his "training" later on, a slight change occurred.
"Thank you for informing me, Chief Secretary."
"But I'm afraid my purpose in bringing you here today is not just that simple, is it?"
As his emotions gradually calmed down, his intelligence finally began to kick in. Although he didn't know much about the person in front of him, he could tell that the other person was a strategist.
What they excel at... is setting up a game and planning for the future.
The person before him nodded slightly, gesturing to the chess box lying idle to the side. Then, a slight smile appeared on their lips, and their smiling eyes looked at him.
"A long separation leaves me with a difficult problem, and I need you to help me solve it."
"Me...?"
His pupils dilated sharply, somewhat surprised that his opponent would actually let him play chess. He knew nothing about Go except for Connect Four, and had never even touched Go before.
"My lord... this... I haven't even learned the rules of Go yet..."
"Just call me Changli; that title is a bit too formal."
The other person's sudden approach startled him so much that he involuntarily backed away, almost falling off his chair.
Even though the woman before him was stunningly beautiful, a rare sight indeed, a nameless fear and unease welled up within him.
I always feel that if I were to actually do something, certain people would do anything to keep me somewhere.
Moreover, as the saying goes, the more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to deceive people!
"Lord Changli...no..."
"This endgame wasn't solved using Go techniques... it was solved using Gomoku (Five in a Row)."
"?"
Seeing the other person's shocked and flustered expression, Chang Li closed his eyes, smiled slightly, and then sat back down in his original seat.
"Yes, this game requires a solution using the Gomoku (Five in a Row) method."
After repeatedly checking, he was genuinely a bit bewildered. He really hadn't expected to solve this situation using Gomoku, his favorite game from high school; it suddenly felt like his sophistication had plummeted.
Why not Go?
The moment I opened my mouth, I realized my question was a bit silly: they had already said it was Gomoku (Five in a Row), and I still insisted on asking why it wasn't Go. Wasn't I just causing trouble for them?
"...That's because the initial puzzle already had a solution."
"Someone... has already solved that chess puzzle."
He paused for a moment, then the person in front of him instantly changed his expression—an expression he couldn't decipher.
Changli didn't say anything more, shifting her gaze to the sycamore tree outside the window, watching the leaves fall and then rise again in the wind, before finally turning her gaze back to the person in front of her.
"Someone has already... solved that game using what he considers the perfect solution."
"Now, all the rules have been rearranged, so what we need to do is win this game."
For some reason, he felt the atmosphere suddenly become heavy, and he felt a vague sense of guidance. He wanted to ask something, but then he saw the other person take a white piece from the set and place it on top.
"I've been reminded of some things from the past, but you don't need to take them to heart."
Let's discuss all the possible outcomes of this unresolved situation together.
Looking at the white piece that had fallen on the endgame, and then glancing up at Chang Li's calm yet subtly unsettling gaze, he finally nodded and reached for the box containing the black pieces.
However, reality ruthlessly proved that the gap between amateur and professional is insurmountable. After only a few moves on the chessboard, his pace slowed significantly, each piece landing felt increasingly heavy, the pressure ever-present, almost palpable through the air.
"..."
His competitive spirit flared up. Although he was bound to lose, being defeated in just a few rounds would be far too humiliating.
I played it for about three years back then!
He'd stake his reputation on Gomoku, even if he lost, he'd rather play a few more rounds...
"Lord Changli, I think I have lost..."
A few minutes later, staring at the five pieces on the chessboard that were about to form a line, he felt a pang of despair, regretting that he had been caught off guard and given the opening by his opponent.
The slap in the face came too quickly. He estimated that he had only exchanged seven or eight blows with the other party. He could only say that the other party was indeed a strategist, and his IQ was definitely higher than his own.
No, let's continue.
"I won't place my piece there."
"?"
His hand holding the black piece trembled, almost dropping it onto the board. Somewhat surprised, he looked up at Changli, only to see the other simply shake his head and place the white piece elsewhere.
"Let's see if there are any other ways to win this game from me."
"I'll remind you whenever we need to connect five in a row."
"..."
Is he misunderstanding something? Isn't doing this just like repeatedly rubbing him in the ground and then smilingly saying to him:
You'll definitely win next time!
"Hmm~"
"Yes, Lord Changli."
In the end, he agreed to let them do it, and once again tried to calm himself down, silently placing the black piece on top.
How could that be? The opponent has given him so many chances, how could he not win even once? No way! No way!
Thus, he and Changli were so engrossed in their duel on the chessboard that they lost track of time. From the first light of dawn until noon, when the last white piece was placed firmly, there was no more room for him to place his piece on the board. The situation was clear, and the outcome was decided.
During this period, he didn't have a single chance to win.
Looking at the chessboard already filled with pieces, even though the person in front of him was worthy of his respect, he felt a bit irritated.
"Lord Changli... there's nowhere left for me to place my piece on the chessboard..."
"I've lost this round completely."
"And it's already noon... Aren't you hungry, sir?"
Seeing that Changli was still deep in thought, he ultimately didn't interrupt him. Instead, he silently picked up the teacup beside him and drank it all in one gulp, looking at Changli with a bitter expression.
Indeed... there are no more opportunities for you to make a move on the board.
Chang Li pulled himself out of his thoughts, his golden pupils calmly gazing at the other person, but he slowly sighed.
"It is indeed a trouble for Brother Mo to play this game with me today."
"But there is still a way to break this game..."
"?"
He was a little confused by what his opponent was saying. The chessboard was already full of pieces; how could he possibly win?
Just as he was about to ask something, his communicator suddenly rang—before this trip, he had almost completely blocked all communication, leaving only a few people to contact him.
Furthermore, he used a different message notification tone for work-related communications, and he had explained his situation to them before he arrived.
Then there's only one person left.
"Lord Changli... someone from my family is calling me back..."
"It is indeed noon now... that child won't eat until I get back..."
He wasn't lying. Ji Yan was often so busy that he forgot to eat, and if he hadn't caught him red-handed one time, he would have remained completely unaware.
It's the time when they're growing, and if they don't eat properly, they'll only end up as tall as him!
Chang Li met the worried gaze of the person before her, a flicker of surprise crossing her heart. She smiled slightly, slowly closed her eyes, and then gently nodded.
"Today is indeed a troublesome day for Chang Li."
"If you ever encounter any trouble in the future... you can come to me."
The person's words were somewhat unexpected, but before he could react, they gestured for him to take out his phone, which he instinctively did. The moment he did, the other person quickly scanned the contact with their device. As the notification sound of adding a friend rang, he stared at the newly added contact in his address book and fell silent—
You got the Chief Secretary's contact information just by doing it yourself? That's so easy! How are those hardworking people who are struggling to climb the ladder supposed to survive?
"Don't feel pressured, this is my personal contact information."
"It's already noon, let's go back."
"Don't keep the child waiting."
He quickly glanced at the message; it was indeed from Ji Yan asking when he would be back, and even included a meme featuring himself.
They look so pitiful.
"Then, Lord Changli, I shall take my leave now!"
Changli remained silent, watching the person open the door and leave quickly. With a soft sigh, her gaze returned to the chessboard on the table, and she murmured softly to the empty room.
"There is another way to forcefully break this situation..."
"A way...that I couldn't stop with cunning."
Just as Changli was about to reach for the teacup beside him to take a sip, a fallen leaf drifted silently into the room. In that instant, time seemed to stand still, everything froze, except for the leaf which continued its slow descent, finally settling on the chessboard.
The chess pieces hovered in mid-air, the entire chessboard was suddenly overturned, and the black and white pieces scattered and fell, colliding with a series of crisp sounds. Only a few stubbornly remained in their original positions, becoming the only order in this chaos.
After all this was done, time and space resumed their flow. Changli remained calm in the face of this scene; the black pieces on the chessboard were now connected in a line, and his gaze grew increasingly somber.
"Are you choosing to tell me your final decision in this way?"
"Overturn the chessboard...rewrite the future..."
Why must the person who gave everything... leave like this?
"...We won't let you succeed."
No one answered her; only the fallen leaves on the chessboard were once again blown by the wind and drifted out the window.
"Huo Huo! I'm back!"
Have you eaten? Don't tell me you're waiting for me again.
"I don't need to eat, you know that."
As I pushed open the door, I saw the other person clearing away the dishes, so I quickly went over to help them.
"Teacher... I ate this time."
"That's good. I won't complain about how busy you are in the military and sometimes forget to eat. But don't forget to eat when you finally get a break."
"Aren't you worried? Your mother and I are very worried."
He casually took the task from the other person and began working skillfully, muttering about the other person from time to time, completely oblivious to the complicated expression on that person's face.
"I understand, teacher"
"It's just... in a while... there will be..."
After getting ready, he looked up at the person in front of him, who was stammering, seemingly mustering the courage to extend an invitation. This piqued his curiosity, and he patted his head to reassure him.
"Go ahead and say it. What can't we say to each other?"
"The dragon boat race is about to start this year, and I'd like to ask my teacher to come with me!"
"A dragon boat race?"
Upon hearing the name, he couldn't immediately recall what it was. After a quick search of his memory, he remembered that there seemed to be such an event.
"Oh, that's definitely no problem!"
"This seems to be my first time participating, so I definitely need to prepare properly..."
Speaking of which, he hasn't bought a camera yet! He spent all his salary on logistics as soon as he got paid, and almost forgot about these things.
Is this the teacher's first time participating?
"That's true, I hadn't paid attention to these things before."
Ji Yan fell silent once again. He knew that this kind of activity involved both soldiers and civilians, and it was always incredibly lively at this time.
And yet, his teacher had never participated in such a grand event... What did that mean? He knew perfectly well what it meant.
Someone who, for no apparent reason, appears even more miserable in the eyes of others: Where are the best cameras...?