As soon as Master Spencer and Colin heard that the young man entering the room was a freeloading son-in-law from a humble background, their eyes filled with disdain. In the eyes of this master-disciple duo, August bringing in a useless son-in-law to play chess with them was nothing short of an insult. If it weren’t for Jack’s presence, they might have walked out long ago.
August breathed a sigh of relief as he rose from his chair, addressing Leo, “Leo, you’ve finally arrived.”
Jack pointed at Leo in disbelief, “Jack, are you seriously inviting him to play the game for you?”
Colin immediately scorned, “A freeloader playing Go? Can he even understand the game?”
Some of the people Jack brought along chimed in, “A worthless son-in-law who probably only knows how to play match-three games on his phone!”
“I can’t understand why Mr. Browne would bring in a freeloading son-in-law to help. Is this any different from admitting defeat outright?”
Countless taunts and jeers rained down on Leo like a tidal wave. Leo, however, ignored the mockery and calmly approached the stone chessboard, silently observing the game that had just been played between August and Colin.
Colin couldn’t stand Leo’s indifference and took a jab, “Your name’s Leo, huh? You’re nothing more than an amateur. You should leave before embarrassing yourself.”
Leo simply brushed off Colin’s comments and shifted his gaze from the board to August, asking, “Mr. Browne, are we here for a Go match today?”
“Yes,” August nodded, beginning to introduce Leo, “This is Master Spencer, a national chess champion, and his talented disciple, Colin. They have achieved…”
Before August could finish his sentence, Leo waved his hand dismissively, his expression still placid, “Just two ignorant clowns.”
Ignorant clowns? Wow, this son-in-law was seriously arrogant. How could anyone, unless they were a complete fool, say such things about Master Spencer and his disciple?
Everyone’s eyes focused on Leo. Many wondered if there was any precedent for a son-in-law in the world of Go.
In no time, the consensus was clear: this son-in-law was here to show off.
After a brief pause, Colin erupted in anger, “You trash, who do you think you’re calling clowns? You want to play Go? I’ll show you what it means to get schooled!”
Leo’s expression remained unchanged as he casually responded, “A barking dog seldom bites; a biting dog seldom barks.”
“What the hell? Did this son-in-law just call Colin a dog? Am I hearing things?”
“Does this guy, Leo, actually believe he’s good enough to challenge Colin?”
Colin was successfully provoked by Leo’s words, and he pointed a finger at Leo like an enraged shrew, “You trash, I know you’re doing this to provoke me for our next game. Fine, let’s see if you can back up your words or if you’re just all talk!”
Colin settled back into his chair and, without further hesitation, made his move by placing a black piece on the board with a resounding “thud.”
The room fell silent as the crowd of onlookers shifted their attention back to the chessboard.
The spectators were eager to witness how this unexpected son-in-law would meet his tragic end at the hands of Colin.
However, Leo didn’t act immediately. Instead, he held the white piece in his right hand, gazing at the board, lost in thought for a while.
What was there to contemplate about the first move? It was just a simple placement of a piece, right? Most people in the room believed that Leo probably didn’t understand Go.
The look of disdain in Colin’s eyes deepened. In his opinion, Leo could make any move, and he would dominate the game effortlessly.
Master Spencer, on the other hand, considered Leo a complete amateur pretending to be profound, which was beneath his notice. He believed that dealing with someone of Leo’s caliber was akin to crushing an ant.
Finally, two minutes later, Leo made his first move. When the onlookers saw the position of Leo’s white piece, they were left bewildered. Even those who knew little about Go could tell that Leo’s initial move was essentially a blunder. Placing the white piece in the top left corner was a beginner’s mistake, something only someone completely ignorant of Go would do.
“People are ridiculous. This freeloading son-in-law acted all arrogant earlier, and I thought he was a Go expert. Turns out, he’s just an amateur who knows nothing.”
“This guy should stop pretending. He should go back to living off his wife; Go is too highbrow for him.”
Master Spencer, sitting on the side, seemed to have expected Leo’s level of play and couldn’t be bothered to look at the board. He gestured to one of the students from the Extensive Martial Arts Training Center to refill his tea.
Jack was delighted and took the opportunity to taunt August, “August, you should just surrender and admit defeat. This freeloading son-in-law is a complete waste of time.”
August’s face displayed a hint of unease, but he maintained a facade of confidence. He retorted, “Jack, don’t be hasty. The game has only just begun. Until it’s over, we can’t be sure who will emerge victorious.”
Jack scoffed, “You can keep pretending, but I’ll see how long you can keep it up!”
Colin, somewhat indifferent, placed the second black piece on the board, then impatiently turned to Leo, “Freeloader, it’s your turn.”
Although most people in the room had already dismissed Leo, they couldn’t help but turn their attention back to the board. Leo made his second move swiftly, appearing to place a piece carelessly, without any apparent strategy.
Colin was further provoked, “Do you even know how to play Go, or are you just toying with me?”
“Having a chess genius play against a son-in-law who doesn’t know the game-this is unprecedented in the history of the chess world,” someone remarked.
“I don’t understand how he had the nerve to call Master Spencer and Colin clowns earlier. I’m beginning to think he might have a mental illness,” another person added.