Chapter Fifty-Three: Base, Sordid, and Vulgar

An Xueyao’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Lin Chen. She didn’t understand Go, but her father did—and he had never praised anyone so highly before. The admiration in his expression was absolute and profound.

This meant one thing: Lin Chen’s skill at Go was exceptional, far beyond ordinary, even surpassing her father’s level. This guy had given her such a tremendous surprise! Not only was he skilled in medicine and martial arts, but he was also a formidable Go player. How many secrets did he still hide?

An Xueyao felt as if a mist surrounded Lin Chen, and she longed to dispel it immediately to see the true man beneath.

Lin Chen casually placed a white stone on the board again, then said calmly, “You lost.”

Sweat pouring down his face, Zhang Rongkai abruptly stood up and shouted angrily, “Are you playing me? You definitely haven’t only studied Go for a year!”

When they reached the midgame, Zhang Rongkai had felt utterly overwhelmed—like the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan facing off against Huang Lao Xie in a Jin Yong novel. It was a clash of entirely different levels; he was completely crushed.

That stifling frustration almost made him spit blood. If a newcomer with less than a year’s experience could play like this, then what did that make his own twenty-plus years of study? Was he some kind of idiot?

Lin Chen was a true master, a genuine expert. Zhang Rongkai was now convinced that Lin Chen must have studied under a renowned teacher since childhood; no matter how hard he thought, he could never guess that Lin Chen had actually learned Go in his dreams!

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow and said, “Enough with the nonsense. Lost is lost. Honestly, with your level, I could play against a whole group of you, a hundred of you thinking together, and still crush you!”

“You…” Zhang Rongkai ground his teeth in fury but could not argue, for Lin Chen was absolutely right.

“Alright, a bet is a bet. Time to pay up. And from now on, don’t bother An Xueyao anymore. Of course, if you want a best-of-three, that’s fine—I don’t mind crushing you again,” Lin Chen shrugged nonchalantly.

Zhang Rongkai’s face flushed a dark purple. He had no interest in being humiliated again. Even if they played a hundred times, he knew he wouldn’t win once. The gap between them was fundamental.

“Zhang Rongkai, what do you mean? Honor the bet!” An Xueyao said excitedly. “You called the poor shameless just now. Are you going to back out now? That would be truly shameless of you!”

Zhang Rongkai clenched his teeth; his face turned pale and then flushed. Finally, he slapped himself hard across the face.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

“Poor people… poor people are my father. I am the real despicable, vile, and base one!”

Though the blows were not heavy, each slap made his heart spasm painfully, especially when he said those words—it felt like he might vomit blood! He had cursed the poor before as despicable and base, and now he applied those words to himself. It was a slap in the face, leaving him wishing he could crawl into a hole and disappear.

He had never been so humiliated in his life. At this moment, he felt like a complete clown, utterly disgraced.

An Xueyao’s eyes narrowed in delight, as if her gaze itself was smiling. “Since you’re so despicable and base, then don’t come bothering me anymore! Hee hee.”

“Uncle An, I have work at the company. I’m leaving now!” Zhang Rongkai didn’t want to stay a second longer. He left immediately, almost running as he sped away.

Once Zhang Rongkai, that persistent fly, was gone, An Xueyao burst with happiness. “Haha, Lin Chen, I didn’t know you could play Go—you’re amazing!”

An Zhongzhou smiled helplessly. “You really dislike Rongkai that much, huh?”

“Of course! That guy is so hypocritical—I don’t want anything to do with him.”

An Xueyao showed no attempt to hide her disgust for Zhang Rongkai. Then, happily, she said, “Dad, Lin Chen is so good at chess now he can keep you company.”

An Zhongzhou twitched his mouth. Though he enjoyed playing Go, he didn’t like being beaten. With Lin Chen’s fierce, ruthless playing style, challenging him would be asking for trouble.

At that moment, Lin Chen’s phone rang. It was an unknown number, so he stepped to the door to answer.

A woman’s voice came through—sweet, soft, and a little coquettish. The moment it entered Lin Chen’s ears, his heart ignited with a strange heat. Such a seductive voice!

Hearing it, a single word popped into Lin Chen’s mind: temptress.

“Hello, is this Mr. Lin Chen?”

“Yes, who’s this?” Lin Chen asked, puzzled. He didn’t recognize the voice—it was the first time he’d heard it. Otherwise, such an alluring voice would be unforgettable.

“Mr. Lin, I’m Su Man, the general manager of Huading Group. I’d like to invite you out for a chat. Do you have time?” The charming voice was polite.

Lin Chen was somewhat surprised.

He knew of Huading Group—it was famous in Yuehai City, on the same level as the An family’s Sky Dome Entertainment. But he thought he had no connection with them.

The girl who had raced her motorcycle recklessly before had said she was the second daughter of Huading Group; Su Man was her older sister.

Was this woman seeking revenge for her sister? But judging by her tone, it didn’t seem so.

“I don’t think we know each other. What do you want to talk about? Can’t we just discuss it over the phone?” Lin Chen asked.

The coquettish voice giggled softly, and Lin Chen suddenly wanted to see what this woman looked like; the voice was too captivating.

“Hee hee, Mr. Lin, are you afraid I’ll eat you up? Don’t worry, I don’t eat people. But if I did, I’d make sure you’d do it willingly.”

Lin Chen cursed inwardly: truly a seductress!

“Mr. Lin, what I want to discuss will be greatly beneficial to you. I’ve already booked a room. Will you come to the hotel and meet me?”

Lin Chen was stunned. A hotel? What was this woman up to? And the room was already reserved?

After asking which hotel and the room number, Lin Chen said he would come if he had time, then hung up.

Though curious about the “benefits” she mentioned, he wouldn’t rush over eagerly.

After all, he was An Xueyao’s bodyguard. If she went out, he needed to stay close to protect her.

He asked An Xueyao, who replied she would stay home during the day but that in the evening Lin Chen would accompany her to a party. She even told him to change into something more formal to avoid embarrassing her—after all, the guests at the banquet were all distinguished figures.

With that, Lin Chen left the An residence, still curious about the woman with such a seductive voice. What did she really look like? Could she possibly be an ugly witch?

After Lin Chen left, An Zhongzhou smiled at An Xueyao and said, “Yao Yao, Lin Chen isn’t really your boyfriend, is he?”

An Xueyao blushed and flustered. “Dad, Lin Chen is my boyfriend. You don’t need to bother introducing anyone else.”

An Zhongzhou chuckled. “You can’t fool me. I’m a man, and I can see that Lin Chen’s eyes show only admiration and amazement when he looks at you—there’s no romantic feeling. But you… you seem to have something special for him.”