After saying goodbye to Kojiro, Ye Qingqing and Lu Mo took Wuchen and the others out for a big meal. Kojiro mentioned that there was a pretty good hot pot restaurant nearby, run by Chinese people.

They quickly found the hot pot restaurant. Seeing the picture of a fat sheep on the signboard made them feel a sense of familiarity. The owner was indeed Chinese, and his authentic Beijing accent made them feel even more at ease. Ye Qingqing ordered two broths, one vegetarian and one meat-based. Everyone ate until they were sweating. The taste was indeed very authentic, but the vegetables were more expensive than the meat. Ye Qingqing loved eating vegetables when she had hot pot, and Wuchen ate countless plates, which made Ye Qingqing feel a little sorry for him.

"Finally, I'm full. I'll come back for dinner tonight."

Wuchen let out several satisfied burps. Ye Qingqing initially wanted to roll her eyes at him, but quickly pulled them back and readily agreed. She still needed this unlucky kid to do something for her the day after tomorrow, so she had to make him happy.

The match between Xiaotong and Cuishi is still the day after tomorrow. It's more of a private match, and the spectators are all local chess players. The match will be held in the morning. Ye Qingqing will go watch the match first, and then go to give her husband Ma Yi acupuncture in the afternoon.

The match was also held at the hotel. Since it wasn't a public tournament, the venue was rather casual, right in Cui Shi's room. About ten men in suits arrived, looking very respectful. Ye Mingcheng said they were all local players of 7-dan or higher. Ye Qingqing did indeed see a few familiar faces; she had seen them before at a celebration banquet in China.

The room was quiet, and everyone remained silent, not making a sound. Cui Shi and Xiao Tong knelt facing each other. At first, Xiao Tong played very quickly and didn't think for long, but as the game progressed, she spent more and more time thinking, and sweat beaded on her forehead. Cui Shi, on the other hand, seemed very relaxed, playing chess at a moderate pace.

Although Ye Qingqing didn't understand chess, she could tell that Xiao Tong's level was still far from that of a master, and losing was inevitable. She had expected this outcome beforehand. She participated in this competition to improve Xiao Tong and help him progress faster.

Ye Qingqing didn't quite understand the rules, but Xiao Tong was playing black and Cui Shi was playing white. The number of black pieces on the board was decreasing, and they were surrounded by white pieces. It looked like they were about to be completely wiped out.

Xiao Tong looked very serious, taking a long time to consider each move. Cui Shi was not in a hurry, waiting patiently. His calm and composed demeanor truly befitted a world-class master.

After thinking for several minutes, Xiao Tong made a move that seemed completely random, but both Cui Shi and Master Nie showed admiring glances, indicating that this move held great significance.

Ye Qingqing soon discovered that the situation, which had been almost completely surrounded, had changed. Some of the black pieces broke through the encirclement, as if they had been brought back to life.

Only then did Cui Shi begin to focus on the game. His expression was not as relaxed as before, and he played for a longer time, indicating that he was thinking. The other players watching were all engrossed and nodded from time to time.

What was thought to be a quick end to the match turned into a protracted battle due to Kotori's sudden move. An hour passed, and the two were still locked in a stalemate. However, Kuroko was surrounded again, and the situation was very bad.

In the end, he lost, but in fact, he won because he was facing a top master. Every minute he could hold on was a victory.

"Thank you, Master!"

Xiao Tong bowed respectfully to Cui Shi, her face covered in sweat. Cui Shi smiled slightly and praised, "You're very good..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Tong's expression changed slightly, and he involuntarily rubbed his temples. He swayed a few times, and Cui Shi had to support him to prevent him from falling.