Chapter 37

"Lost!" Master Xu wiped his forehead with a towel, his voice trembling slightly.

The gap between them had grown even wider. Though he had improved, his young opponent was progressing at an even more terrifying pace.

"Old Xu, the kids need to eat now," came the voice of Zhen Fugui from the video call.

"Alright, don't let them go hungry. Go ahead and eat," Master Xu replied politely, realizing it was noon and also needing to review the game.

The video call ended.

The other chess enthusiasts who had been watching quickly dispersed to get lunch as well.

"Old Xu, you've really lost it. You're a five-dan player, and now you're playing at a six-dan level just to keep up. Yet a toddler wiped the floor with you." Master Zhang immediately taunted as he saw Master Xu resting.

"You don't know anything; this kid is terrifying. And there's an even more terrifying one," Master Xu said, his hand shaking as he took a sip of goji berry tea, ignoring the teasing.

Go Master Zhang's eyes lit up. "Oh? There's an even more terrifying one."

"It should be his older brother. I lost to him in our first game. These two brothers are unbelievably skilled." Master Xu didn't hide his defeat—losing was losing.

"Then why didn't you recruit them into your chess hall? You've been saying how fewer and fewer people are learning chess these days. Why not bring in such prodigies?" Go Master Zhang asked, puzzled.

"Oh, come on, they're still so young. And judging by their living conditions, they're not short of money. I don't want to be an annoyance," Master Xu explained.

"Besides, chess isn't what it used to be," he added, his face falling as he thought about the decline of the chess community.

"Eh, it's the same with Go. Ever since the Go Ten-Dan champion was beaten by AI, it's like Go was pushed off a cliff," Go Master Zhang said with concern for the state of the Go world.

The two masters sighed in unison, feeling a shared sense of frustration.

"At least in Go, you guys still manage to beat the computer sometimes. In chess, not one of us can," Master Xu complained, frustrated that his field had fallen even further behind.

"Do those prodigies you mentioned play Go as well?" Go Master Zhang's brain kicked into gear.

Although Go had declined somewhat, its annual tournaments still attracted plenty of attention. If his Go hall could bring in a few prodigies like that...

"They do. I've seen the brothers play many different games against each other, using chess as just a form of entertainment," Zhang Zongwei, who had been listening, suddenly chimed in.

"Hiss!" Go Master Zhang sucked in a breath. It was already shocking enough that they beat Old Xu so easily, but to hear they were just playing for fun? What did that say about him, a dedicated five-dan player?

Yes, Go Master Zhang was also a five-dan. In Go, the ranking system was similar to chess.

A five-dan player ranked within the top 100 in the world, a rare elite among billions of people.

Of course, some masters hadn't been officially ranked, but five-dan still represented the best of the best.

"Old Xu, give me their parents' number, would you?" Go Master Zhang asked, realizing he couldn't let such chess prodigies slip by.

"I'll have to ask them first, but I don't think they'll refuse. When I asked before if we could have a game, they said it was up to the kids if they wanted to play," Master Xu explained.

Today's game had been his idea, and Jia Naji had accepted it because he figured it was more useful than just playing around with food presentations.

"Alright, please ask for me," Go Master Zhang said, feeling hopeful now that he was one step closer.

"They're eating lunch right now. Besides, you'll have to consider the kids' schedules too. If they're not free, they won't entertain you," Master Xu replied calmly, drinking his tea and signaling that he wasn't in a hurry.

"No rush, no rush. By the way, Little Zhang, are you planning to advance to the next rank?" Go Master Zhang chuckled, suddenly turning to ask his apprentice, Zhang Zongwei.

"Four-dan… It's a bit difficult. I'll need to study more," Zhang Zongwei said humbly, though he was preparing for the challenge. Boss-level opponents? No problem. He had already faced off against two child prodigies—what else was there to fear?

Right now, he felt invincible. Nothing could knock him down.

Having experienced the humbling defeat at the hands of two toddlers, his mental resilience was now unbreakable.

"And you, Old Xu, how have you been playing chess all these years? You said you lost to both of those kids. That means you lost to two toddlers." Go Master Zhang shifted his teasing to Master Xu.

"Hmph, if you ever play against them, you'll understand how terrifying they are," Master Xu scoffed, unfazed by the mockery. Losing was losing; no point in hiding it.

"You lost to two toddlers~" Go Master Zhang hummed, squinting his eyes in mock pity.

"Get lost and go back to your own Go hall. This is the chess hall," Master Xu snapped, glaring.

"The chess hall master lost to two toddlers." Go Master Zhang started humming louder, almost singing, as he leisurely walked toward the door.

With a cold snort, Master Xu stood up and delivered a swift kick to Go Master Zhang. Sooner or later, Old Zhang would realize just how terrifying those brothers were.

Go Master Zhang was kicked out the door, but he simply dusted himself off, still humming as he walked back to his Go hall.

At the Jia household.

"This is... too delicious!" Zhen Linqi exclaimed after taking a sip of the pork rib and corn soup, her face showing an expression as if she had tasted something forbidden.

The rich flavor of corn, mixed with the savory taste of pork ribs, along with the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and fragrant—it was a dish that tasted like heaven.

"Kiki, look at your expression," Jia Fuhai teased with a laugh.

"Look at everyone else, then say something." Zhen Linqi rolled her eyes and continued eating her soup.

The others were all wearing the same blissful expressions.

If Jia Fuhai hadn't been the one to cook it himself, he would have thought someone had drugged the food—it was that good.

He looked at the fragrant pork rib and corn soup, scooped up a spoonful, and took a bite himself.

His pupils dilated instantly, as if his mind had been stimulated by some extraordinary force.

That flavor~

Mmm! Delicious!

It wasn't exaggerated—he understood now!

Looking at everyone quietly devouring their food, he added more to his bowl.

At that moment, the whole family was eating in peaceful silence.

After finishing the meal, everyone looked content and healed by the delicious food.

"I never expected that a dish directed by Qiyi and made by Fuhai would taste this good," Chen Lina remarked, holding her grandson in her arms. She had watched how it was made but admitted she couldn't replicate it herself.

"What if we can't eat this anymore in the future?" Zhen Fugui suddenly said, his face turning a bit gloomy.

After all, he was only helping out with the children. Eventually, he wouldn't be part of his daughter's daily life, right?

"Dad, you can always come over!" Zhen Linqi said, exasperated.

"Exactly, Dad! We still need your help with the kids. And don't forget, my sister is expecting another one," Zhen Linna quickly added.

"Hmm," Zhen Fugui still frowned a bit. Jia Fuhai's cooking had truly impressed him. Although it was Qiyi who directed it, he couldn't deny that Fuhai had executed it perfectly.

Still, he didn't want to impose on his daughter's life. After all, they had their own family, and he didn't want to be an overbearing parent.

As a doting father, Zhen Fugui always put his daughter's happiness first.

What to do?