The sound of the chess pieces landing on the board was crisp and pleasant to the ear.
Fang Qiong did not know how to play Go, but she watched from the side nonetheless.
She couldn't understand the game on the board, but she was intelligent enough to focus her attention on the two people playing.
She tried to gauge the game by observing the changes in their expressions.
However, even when the black and white stones occupied more than half the board, she couldn't discern anything.
The two were not entirely devoid of facial changes; on their faces, she could see their admiration for their opponent's skill.
When brilliant moves were made, neither of them concealed their appreciation for the other.
Yet, even when deep in thought, they never showed any sign of dejection or helplessness, let alone anxiety or worry about an unfavorable turn in the game.
She looked at the board, black and white intertwined, advancing and retreating, neither giving an inch.
Time flowed by, and she didn't know how long had passed. When the last piece was placed, Wu Zhao shook his head.
Then he let out a laugh that Fang Qiong couldn't comprehend.
Wu Zhao said, "That was exhilarating, I've never been so exhilarated. In the end, I still lost by half a point!"
Half a point was the smallest margin of victory in Go.
Chen Fan shook his head and said, "If it were the usual komi of six and a half points, you would have won by half a point."
"But this is seven and a half points!"
Wu Zhao said, "A loss is a loss. I prided myself on securing every sente move, yet I still lost by half a point. Mr. Chen's response to every move was textbook Go."
"Mr. Wu's skill surpasses that of a national master. I haven't encountered an opponent like you in many years. It was indeed exhilarating. Shall we play another game?"
Chen Fan was equally astonished by Wu Zhao's chess skill.
In this game, he had used his full strength, calculating every move to its extreme, and in many places, he had barely held on.
His opening, middle game, and endgame were all impeccable.
His ability to preserve and utilize sente moves was particularly masterful, possibly even surpassing that of current top professional players.
If Chen Fan hadn't possessed an exceptionally strong calculation ability, he truly wouldn't have been able to withstand it.
After all, a small mistake could lead to a difference of one or two points, or even more.
If it had been like this from start to finish, Chen Fan would not have been the opponent.
However, the opponent's pursuit of perfect board shape had given Chen Fan some small opportunities, allowing him to maintain a slim advantage until the end.
"My enthusiasm is sated!"
Hearing Chen Fan's invitation for another game, Wu Zhao smiled and stood up, saying, "I still have matters to attend to, so I must take my leave. I believe we will surely have another opportunity to play!"
Chen Fan didn't think much of it and smiled, "Then we'll settle it next time."
"Next time, the effect of sente will be amplified!"
Wu Zhao smiled, extended his hand, and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Chen. Farewell!"
Chen Fan shook his hand.
The moment their hands clasped, his gaze sharpened.
Through this physical contact, he felt an inexplicable aura emanating from Wu Zhao's body.
This aura was somewhat similar to the aura of the Dragon Pattern Compass, but it was definitely not the same.
After smiling, Wu Zhao released his hand, waved to Fang Qiong, turned, and left, quickly disappearing through the doorway.
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes, finding the man truly special.
"Mr. Chen, this person seems very unusual?"
Fang Qiong said.
Chen Fan nodded, his eyes squinting, "A very interesting person. I wonder if it was a coincidence or intentional."
"Intentional?"
Fang Qiong blinked in surprise.
"Of course. This game didn't take too long, but it was at least an hour, and no one came to find us during that time."
"Did... Young Master Li forget about us?"
Fang Qiong said.
Chen Fan chuckled, "We'll know when we go out and look."
The two left the chess room and went to the KTV area.
It was deserted, with no one around.
A server approached, a look of surprise on his face, and said, "You two didn't go for your meal?"
"Has everyone else gone to eat?" Chen Fan asked.
"Yes."
The server said, "The restaurant is downstairs. I'll take you there."
As he spoke, he reported their location via walkie-talkie.
Fang Qiong was taken aback, finding it very strange.
Her status was insignificant, but Chen Fan was a distinguished guest, as Li Qian had personally stated. To be truly forgotten seemed rather abnormal.
Chen Fan, however, was not bothered and followed the server downstairs.
As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, Chen Fan saw Li Qian and Du Fumin.
"Ah, Zhuo, what's going on? You're on the 26th floor, not the 27th?"
Li Qian said with an apologetic expression, "I sent people to look for you, and the answer I got was that you were having a... a moment of eternal bliss... Forgive me, forgive me, I've been negligent. I was preparing to send food to your suite on the 27th floor."
Chen Fan's expression shifted, "Who told you I was in the room upstairs?"
"That... who was it? Who was it?" Li Qian scratched his head and beckoned the club manager over to ask.
The manager quickly said, "I'll have someone check immediately. Young Master Li, please accept my sincerest apologies. Mr. Chen, I apologize."
Chen Fan wasn't one to hold a grudge and looked at Du Fumin.
"I was planning to come find you."
Du Fumin smiled and said, "A server told me you went to book a room. You can't blame me for that. I thought about calling you, but then I figured disturbing your good time might displease you."
From Du Fumin's expression, it was impossible to tell if he was being sincere or feigning.
Chen Fan smiled and said, "You've misunderstood. I was playing a game of Go with someone over in the entertainment area. The person I played with is named Wu Zhao, and he said he was a friend of Young Master Li. Do you know him?"
"Wu Zhao?"
Du Fumin shook his head.
Li Qian also looked bewildered and said, "I don't know anyone named Wu Zhao. Was there someone like that in the club just now? How come I didn't know?"
Fang Qiong, standing beside them, was dumbfounded.
The Wu Zhao from earlier, with his demeanor and presence, was extraordinary. Yet no one knew him, not even the host, Young Master Li?
As Mr. Chen had speculated, this person was indeed very strange.
Chen Fan's heart also tightened. His earlier suspicion that Wu Zhao was unusual was just a guess, but now it could be confirmed.
He then described Wu Zhao's appearance, paying close attention to Du Fumin's reaction as he spoke.
Du Fumin was very adept at hiding his emotions, and Chen Fan couldn't discern anything from his face.
This made it impossible for Chen Fan to be sure whether he genuinely didn't know the person or was pretending.
Li Qian shook his head in astonishment and said, "Zhuo, I truly don't know this person."
He then looked at the club manager.
The manager, understanding, immediately used his walkie-talkie to inquire with the servers and staff.
"Forget it, we'll investigate this later. Let's go eat first."
Li Qian scratched his head and said, "That person definitely wouldn't have appeared out of nowhere. We can have the club retrieve the surveillance footage, and then it will be clear."
This was the only recourse. Chen Fan motioned for the club manager to retrieve the surveillance footage immediately and then asked, "Has Young Master Wu arrived?"
"Yes, he's eating inside."
Chen Fan nodded and strode towards the restaurant.
In the luxuriously decorated restaurant, Li Qian's guests and the models were all present, creating a lively scene.
Chen Fan's gaze swept across the room and landed on Wu Chaoyang and Wu Manzhu.
He walked over and approached Wu Chaoyang.
Wu Chaoyang looked at him, then at Fang Qiong following him, and chuckled, "I didn't realize you were such a ladies' man. Sit down, have someone change our dishes!"
Several other young masters at the table also laughed.
Chen Fan said, "I won't sit here. I'll find a quiet spot inside, I have something to tell you."
Wu Chaoyang nodded, stood up, and went with Chen Fan to a quieter table.
Chen Fan recounted the earlier events and described Wu Zhao's appearance, saying, "This person called himself Wu Zhao. Have you met him?"
Wu Chaoyang heard this and smiled, "The description you've given does match one person quite well."