Even as a "normie," I'm completely oblivious to it.

"..."

This Lü Jun, there was a deep sense of pride in his words.

It wasn't unfounded arrogance; his long-standing victories and unparalleled strength probably gave him the right to be so proud.

Yu Zhe didn't want to say anything more: "Alright, since that's the case, you should know that there's no point in saying more here, so let's get on with it."

I just promised Sister Ye I'd finish the competition quickly, could you please make your trash talk segment a little shorter?

Lü Jun was quite perceptive; he nodded, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the final chessboard.

"Please take your seats, both competitors. You have three minutes to prepare. Please wait for the start of the match announcement."

Yu Zhe was on the red team again this time, and after he sat down, he still wanted to complain.

Why are there three minutes of preparation time again?!

I don't know what there is to prepare. You have this much free time, but the other party might start a new topic at this time. Just now, Lu Jun's harsh words finally came to an end.

You should know that Yu Zhe doesn't actually like to talk much.

But what could he do when Lü Jun hadn't finished speaking in the waiting area?

Taking advantage of the break, he added, "Su Yuzhe, you are really amazing, I have to admit that."

"Eh... really? I don't think so."

"I won't talk about other aspects, I'll just talk about chess. I've collected all the chess data I could find from the past to the present, and after comprehensive analysis, I can conclude that you are absolutely a genius."

"No, no... I wouldn't call myself a genius, I'm just a bit inspired when it comes to chess."

To everyone's surprise, Lü Jun denied it, saying, "No, a genius is a genius, and to the extent that I acknowledge it, because I am one myself. However, I believe that even among geniuses, there should be a difference in strength. Don't you think so?"

I don't really think so...

Why do you find playing chess so difficult? You're almost thirty, yet you act like you're still suffering from chuunibyou (middle school syndrome).

Yu Zhe sighed and said, "Ah, although I don't know why you have such a deep obsession with 'genius,' there are plenty of strong players in the chess world. Even if they are not geniuses, there are people who have reached the top through hard work and experience."

"There's no point in saying more." Lü Jun pushed up his glasses again. "In short, I just want to defeat you, nothing more. I want to prove that with talent, one can create a legend."

How can saying more is pointless? You were the one who started it!

Yu Zhe was too lazy to say anything more.

Yu Zhe simply nodded in agreement with whatever Lü Jun said after that, until the referee announced the start of the match.

So, some people may seem quiet and reserved at first glance, but they're actually quite talkative.

"Red goes first."

Yu Zhe usually starts with a cannon shot at level 8-5, which is the central cannon shot.

In fact, in chess, the opening move is not that important; it is only when the game is actually played that the strategies become clear.

In this game, both sides played rapid chess for the first five minutes.

It must be said that Lü Jun is indeed very talented in chess. Rapid chess is not easy, but he seemed to want to prove that his reaction speed could keep up with Yu Zhe's, so he also started playing rapid chess with Yu Zhe.

The offense and defense shifted extremely quickly, and the large screen on site seemed to be playing at double speed, making the audience dizzy.

After several attacks, Yu Zhe now understands why Lü Jun is so confident and why he was able to defeat the previous champion in the league.

His chess style is indeed very rigorous. Yu Zhe deliberately set traps several times, but Lü Jun did not fall into them. The effect of these traps cannot be seen after a few rounds. Lü Jun's ability to predict in rapid chess proves that he is indeed quite capable.

However, Yu Zhe wasn't in a hurry. He was taking it one step at a time. To be fair, Lü Jun's playing style was indeed quite cautious. In nearly ten minutes, he hadn't lost many pieces. He was focusing on building up his strategy rather than launching a strong attack.

As Yu Zhe placed a chess piece, he began to quickly observe the overall situation.

This time, Lü Jun did not rush to place his piece, but smiled and said, "Su Yuzhe, you basically have no chance of winning. Although I admit that your chess style is unpredictable and difficult to predict, as I said before, I have studied all your previous public games. Knowing yourself and your enemy, I don't think I have any chance of losing."

Then he confidently stated, as if boasting about his victory in advance: "I have played against the most advanced chess team in the country."

Even against a chess simulator, I still have a 50% chance of winning, and I don't think you'd be better than that machine.

Yu Zhe smiled and asked in return, "So, you're evenly matched with that hellish AI from the hundredth level? Hmm, I think so too, that's great."

"?"

Lü Jun didn't understand what Yu Zhe was suddenly saying.

Hmm… Yu Zhe looked at the current chessboard, shall we begin?

41. Giving up? (Bonus Chapter)

Of course he didn't understand. This so-called doomsday AI was the chess software that Yu Zhe used yesterday when he was playing chess to get a feel for the game.

At the time, Yu Zhe didn't say... In fact, the software he was using was obtained from within the Su family and was connected to the most advanced chess simulation computer in the country.

If we substitute it this way, then Lü Jun and the computer are evenly matched.

Ke Yuzhe solved the machine problem very easily back then…

In Yu Zhe's eyes, rigid machines are much easier to deal with than people with thoughts.

However, Lü Jun used that machine as the ultimate standard for measuring strength... and he only had a 50% chance of winning.

The comparison of strengths should be quite clear now.

"If you don't make your move soon, you'll run out of time," Yu Zhe reminded him.

While they were talking, Lü Jun was actually thinking about the overall plan for the next phase.

Now that his mind was clearer, he was even more certain of winning this game.

Perhaps a little overconfident, after making his move with certainty, Lü Jun said, "If my analysis is correct, your next move is to move your rook to the first rank..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yu Zhe had already made his next move without hesitation.

However, it was completely different from what Lü Jun had predicted.

Yu Zhe laughed and said, "Ma Er retreats to four, it's your turn."

"you…"

This time, the situation differed from the predictions, slightly disrupting Lü Jun's grasp of the overall picture.

But he felt it was harmless and that he could just adapt to the situation.

However, in the following rounds of attack and defense, Lü Jun felt more and more that something was wrong.

“No…” Lü Jun’s mindset became somewhat anxious. “This is not right. This is not your style of play at all… This is completely different from the data I collected and the analysis I made!”

Ke Yuzhe simply nodded: "Oh, I understand."

What Yu Zhe said next highlighted a key issue: "You mentioned the data you collected. I'm guessing that you used to collect and analyze a lot of data before each game during competitions. Doesn't that get tiring?"

Because Yu Zhe simply used a different chess-playing strategy than the one described in Lü Jun's materials, Lü Jun was able to waver slightly.

Yu Zhe, who is good at observing details, naturally came to the same conclusion as before. But there's nothing wrong with that. What's wrong with collecting information? Knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle.

However, Lü Jun went a bit too far, because he collected information not only to understand his opponent, but also to change his own playing style to counter his opponent.

This is something that ordinary people really can't do; changing oneself is very difficult, and this may be the real reason why Lü Jun can maintain a high winning rate.

However, this direct revelation severely impacted Lü Jun's self-esteem as a "genius".

Think about it, for example, if there's a classmate in your class who doesn't seem to study at all, but always gets the best grades, and everyone praises him as smart and a genius.

If one day you discover that he's been secretly studying all night and working overtime, this "genius" will definitely have a mental breakdown.

Just like Lü Jun now.

Faced with Yu Zhe's unfamiliar chess style, he had no choice but to discard all the information he had previously collected and analyzed.

Even if the entire analysis is re-analyzed, it doesn't mean that Lü Jun will gain the upper hand.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that as the game progressed, he became increasingly powerless.

Lü Jun now has a feeling that every time he is about to eliminate the pieces set up by Yu Zhe, he can always cleverly resolve the situation, and then, without realizing it, Lü Jun, as the attacker, is actually at a disadvantage.

Lu Jun used to be able to see ten steps ahead, but now he feels like he can only see one step ahead.

Is this also due to a change in mindset? Previously, my research on opponents was always flawless; this has never happened before…

“Su Yuzhe…you shouldn’t have this kind of chess playing style, this isn’t your style…”

"Yes, that's not my style of playing chess at all. Didn't you already investigate that?"

After a quick consideration, Yu Zhe played another move to kill the opponent.

Looking at the game, which was almost hopeless, Lü Jun couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat: "But I don't understand... Your sudden change in strategy is something I, a genius myself, can't understand."

Your level of arrogance is truly astounding.

Watching Lü Jun's next move, a desperate attempt to revive a lost cause.

Yu Zhe is finding himself increasingly bored.

This was much more boring than playing chess with Mr. Xiang Hong'an.

Because of Lü Jun, he became anxious and lost all sense of strategy, showing no sign of thinking while playing chess.

Is he really like this just because Yu Zhe played a move that was completely different from his analysis?

Yu Zhe didn't even understand how he had won the previous matches.

In reality, Lü Jun is currently in a very bad mood; he can hardly tolerate the existence of someone more "genius" than himself.

He didn't consider his previous opponents to be geniuses, which allowed him to confidently complete the game with a superior attitude.

But now Lü Jun is facing the person he most wants to defeat, Su Yuzhe, whom he considers to be on par with him.

In fact, Yu Zhe never took him seriously from beginning to end.

He subconsciously knew this, which is why he was so eager to win and prove himself.

As a result, they made mistakes at every step.

Originally, with his calculation and prediction abilities, he could have exchanged a few moves with Yu Zhe, just like in the early stages of rapid chess.

But now, he seems no different from any other player.

"That's no fun."

Yu Zhe shook his head and simply launched a series of fierce attacks in a few rounds, clean and efficient.

Lu Jun could only frantically defend himself, withdrawing almost all the pieces he could to reinforce his position, but he could not escape the fate of being captured one by one.