Dragon Clan: Lu Mingfei Returns from Japan

Chapter 701 Extra IF: What if Lu Mingfei was a Go prodigy (Part 6)
Weekend at Baidi Chess Club.

Lu Mingfei arrived fifteen minutes early. Instead of his usual casual T-shirt and shorts, he changed into a clean white shirt and dark trousers, and carefully combed his hair, although a few unruly tufts of hair still stubbornly stuck up.

It wasn't that he valued this informal game so much; it was mainly because Nuonuo had called a day in advance to give him a stern lecture, saying things like, "Losing the game is acceptable, but losing face is not," and "You represent the face of Shilan Middle School, and also the face of me, Chen Motong," forcing him to make some adjustments.

Xia Mi, the junior sister of the chess club, saw Lu Mingfei's outfit and jokingly asked, "Oh, senior brother, you look so energetic today, are you going on a blind date?"

Faced with the teasing from his pretty junior sister, Lu Mingfei could only awkwardly scratch his head and give a vague reply.

However, it didn't take long before the familiar red-haired figure appeared faintly in the distance, accompanied by a long-haired girl, who was probably the mung bean ice cream vendor.

"You're here pretty early? I thought you'd be a few minutes late as usual."

Chen Motong stood in front of Lu Mingfei and introduced the girl next to him: "This is Su Enxi, also known as 'Green Bean Ice Cream'."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Motong turned to look at Su Enxi: "He is Lu Mingfei."

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination... but he felt that his senior sister seemed a little reluctant to introduce him. Even though she had arranged the chess game herself.

However, the message Nuonuo sent him that day, saying that Mung Bean Ice Cream was a great beauty, was indeed not an exaggeration. Mung Bean Ice Cream… Su Enxi is indeed a very pretty girl. In the photos Chen Motong showed him the day before yesterday, Su Enxi was already very pretty, but in person she is even more lively and beautiful.

Su Enxi wore a light blue dress today, its simple design making her skin appear even whiter. Her long hair flowed smoothly over her shoulders, and she still wore her signature rimless glasses, her gaze behind the lenses clear and sharp. She exuded a calm and composed aura.

There seems to be a subtle difference between him and "Green Bean Ice Cream," who aggressively challenged others online and loved to set traps in Go. However, his confidence as a Go player and his subtle sense of pressure remain undiminished.

"Lu Mingfei?"

Su Enxi walked closer, nodded slightly, and her voice was more lively than expected.

"Yes, I am Lu Mingfei. Hello." Lu Mingfei nodded.

"Hello, nice to meet you." Su Enxi smiled sweetly at him and extended her hand. Lu Mingfei quickly extended his hand as well, and the moment their fingers intertwined, a cool, smooth touch gently came from Su Enxi's hand.

Su Enxi's gaze swept quickly over him, finally landing on Lu Mingfei's face, a faint, scrutinizing smile curving her lips.

Is that Lu Mingfei? He looks a bit downcast, not like a Go master... Su Enxi wondered to herself.

However, judging a person's Go skills cannot be based solely on their appearance. The great Go master Lin Xincheng was once a beggar! There are not many people her age who can beat her in Go.

Standing between the two, Chen Motong said, "Let's go into the chess club first."

The two nodded, and Chen Motong led the way, taking them familiarly to the backyard where she and Lu Mingfei often played chess.

Beneath the old locust tree, the stone chessboard was spotless, and two boxes of chess pieces sat quietly to the side. A faint scent of sandalwood and old wood filled the air, bringing a sense of tranquility.

Lu Mingfei took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.

I was a little nervous. It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous, after all, my opponent was a near-professional Go player, and last time I beat Su Enxi... I can't say there was an element of luck involved, but Su Enxi was indeed a bit too careless back then.

Su Enxi looked up and surveyed the courtyard, commenting, "The environment here is nice, quite suitable for playing chess. Shall we... begin now?"

I didn't expect them to get to the point so quickly, but considering this is probably the first time he and Su Enxi have met, and the purpose of their meeting was precisely for this match, it's convenient to get straight to the point.

“Okay.” Lu Mingfei nodded.

In Go, the order of play is determined by a coin toss. The winner of the coin toss gets to play black first, and the loser naturally gets to play white.

Lu Mingfei, playing black, made the first move. Without hesitation, he placed his piece at the star point. Su Enxi placed her piece almost simultaneously, corresponding to the star point.

Her movements were fluid and steady, demonstrating excellent fundamentals. For the first dozen or so moves, both sides maintained a stable setup, almost textbook-perfect.

Lu Mingfei used the most common double star formation, and Su Enxi, just as Chen Motong had analyzed, laid out a small trap.

The chessboard appears calm on the surface, but an invisible tension has already begun to spread.

Lu Mingfei kept in mind the conclusions he and Nuonuo had drawn over the past two days: Su Enxi liked to set traps, control the pace, and use precise calculations to lure her opponents into her pre-set battlefield.

To deal with her, you can't follow her lead.

So when Su Enxi, following her familiar routine, played a slightly unconventional "small knight's move" in the lower left corner, with a clear sense of probing and enticement, Lu Mingfei did not choose the safe response that most players would do, but unexpectedly—he played it safe.

He placed the piece directly near the star point in the upper right corner of the board, a seemingly insignificant large area.

"Oh?" Su Enxi uttered a soft syllable, her fingers holding the chess piece pausing for a moment as she glanced at Lu Mingfei. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes behind her glasses, but it was quickly replaced by interest.

She clearly hadn't expected Lu Mingfei to act so unpredictably, completely ignoring her carefully prepared little trap. It was like two swordsmen dueling; one had assumed a brilliant opening stance, while the other hadn't even looked and was busy chopping tree branches nearby.

This feeling of being ignored was more unbearable for Su Enxi, who was meticulous in her calculations and used to being in control of the situation, than a direct and intense confrontation.

She had to reassess her opponent. This boy named Lu Mingfei seemed to have the same feeling as her during their last online chess game, yet also somewhat different.

Last time it might have been a bit awkward and accidental, but this time, this "doing things my own way" style is more obvious and deliberate.

She frowned slightly, abandoning the complex variations she had planned for the lower left corner, and instead played a safe move to secure territory in the corner. The game began to deviate from her familiar path.

In the ensuing process, Lu Mingfei fully demonstrated this "disregard for the other party" style.

He doesn't play chess fast, but he rarely takes long to think. Often, as soon as Su Enxi makes a move, he can quickly respond, as if he has already planned the next few moves, or even a dozen moves, in his mind.

His choice of moves is often unexpected. Sometimes they seem like obvious "slow moves" or "clumsy moves," but upon closer examination, they subtly point to certain potential, unexplored key points on the board, or foreshadow a fierce battle that may follow.

Su Enxi felt as if she had punched cotton. Her proud calculation and strategic abilities seemed to have nowhere to land in the face of Lu Mingfei's seemingly casual but actually unpredictable playing style.

"Interesting," she murmured to herself, her voice so soft that only she could hear it.

The game continued. Su Enxi quickly adjusted her mindset, realizing she could no longer use conventional thinking to deal with Lu Mingfei. This seemingly ordinary boy possessed an inexplicable and eerie playing style—seemingly chaotic, yet actually full of hidden strategies.

She tried to regain the initiative through several provocations and tests, but Lu Mingfei either easily defused the situation or broke away again, refusing to enter the complex and entangled combat situation that Su Enxi was most adept at.

She decided to change her strategy, no longer rushing into attacks, but instead beginning to consolidate her territory. The black pieces landed on the board with a crisp sound. Su Enxi's move speed noticeably slowed, each move carefully considered.

This situation continued into the mid-game, but fortunately, Su Enxi managed to gain a slight lead in short positions thanks to her strong calculation skills.

Her white stones secured a considerable territory on the right side, while Lu Mingfei's black stones appeared somewhat loose, seemingly lacking a clear target for attack.

But Su Enxi herself felt a vague unease. Although Lu Mingfei's pieces looked scattered, there seemed to be some kind of subtle connection between the isolated pieces, like a large net quietly unfolding, while her own seemingly huge black dragon was having its space for movement compressed without her realizing it.

Most importantly, Lu Mingfei's expression has remained almost unchanged from the start of the game until now. He has not been anxious because he is behind, nor has he been proud because he has made a good move. He has always maintained that slightly tired and calm appearance.

This unfathomable calmness put increasing pressure on Su Enxi.

She began to spend more time contemplating, her folding fan opening and closing unconsciously between her fingers, making a soft "click" sound.

The battle finally erupted in the lower left corner of the chessboard. Su Enxi judged that the time was ripe and decided to launch a full-scale attack on Lu Mingfei's unstable group of pieces, attempting to establish a decisive advantage in one fell swoop.

She placed her piece swiftly, and Lu Mingfei immediately reinforced the defense. However, in the corner of the white territory, the pieces that had previously seemed loose and unorganized were instantly connected because of Su Enxi's move.

Is this the terrifying calculation ability of a semi-professional chess player? Chen Motong, who was watching the game from the side, showed a surprised expression.

Su Enxi's move to seize control of the board looks extremely valuable; even Chen Motong felt that Lu Mingfei's previous move to reinforce the board was too conservative.

Just when Su Enxi thought she had victory in her grasp, Lu Mingfei didn't give it much thought.

After Su Enxi took the piece, she casually made another move.

Su Enxi looked at where Lu Mingfei had placed his piece, leaning slightly forward as she carefully examined the board. Suddenly, she froze. That single move, as precise as a scalpel, instantly reversed the local offensive and defensive dynamics. She had overlooked that move!
Her initially aggressive attack backfired, putting one of her pieces in a difficult situation. She was forced to abandon the attack and instead focus on dealing with her weaker pieces.

With this advance and retreat, the previously accumulated territorial advantage vanished, and the game became incredibly close.

"..."

Chen Motong's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly she couldn't help but cheer for Lu Mingfei.

She finally understood the deeper meaning behind Lu Mingfei's seemingly inexplicable moves earlier—first allowing Black to gain territory, and then gradually eroding Black's advantage through ingenious means.

This kind of move requires immense patience and profound calculation ability. How long has it been since this guy played chess? His calculation ability is still so terrifying!
Su Enxi was clearly thrown off balance by this move. In the following moves, she became increasingly flustered, and her miscalculations and omissions became quite obvious.

Lu Mingfei did not let this opportunity slip by. He pressed forward relentlessly, skillfully expanding his slight advantage step by step.

Like a delicate stream, the white stones silently seeped into every crevice of the black stones. The game progressed into the endgame, with both players entering the final seconds. The clattering of white stones echoed in the quiet courtyard, accompanied by increasingly rapid breathing.

Su Enxi's face grew paler and paler. She realized the situation was turning against her, but she still refused to give up. She desperately searched for any possible opportunity to try and turn the tide.

Lu Mingfei, however, stood like a wall, steadily blocking all of Su Enxi's counterattacks. His endgame moves were incredibly precise, giving Black almost no openings.

……

(End of this chapter)