The fake heiress loves to act? The max-level boss isn't interested in playing along.

The chessboard is laid out on the round table, with the red and black pieces in their respective positions.

Several old comrades-in-arms gathered around; they were all seasoned chess players, and they frowned as soon as they saw the situation.

"This round..."

Grandpa Fu stared at the chessboard and pondered,

"Red's rook, knight, and cannon are in terrible positions, and Black's two rooks are pressing in. Winning is impossible, and even a draw is difficult."

"It's more than just difficult!"

Another white-haired old man shook his head.

"This is a notoriously dead end among the eight great intricate puzzles of the martial arts world."

"Red can only last for twenty moves at most, then they will surely lose."

Old Master Lin chuckled but didn't say anything.

I recreated the way Fu Hua walked that day, step by step, just as I remembered it.

Pawn advances one rank, General moves to rank 4.

Rook moves to the sixth rank, and the advisor retreats from the fifth rank to the fourth.

Horse moves from rank 8 to rank 7, Chariot moves from rank 5 to rank 3.

……

When they reached the tenth move, the expressions on the faces of several veteran chess players changed.

"That's a brilliant move!"

Grandpa Chen slapped his thigh, "The red horse used the general's strength to checkmate the black chariot, forcing it to retreat and disrupting the black team's offensive!"

"more than!"

The other one got even closer.

"Look at the red side's rook; it seems to be escaping, but it's actually setting a trap. In the next three moves, black must sacrifice the rook to save the king, or it will be checkmate!"

Grandpa Lin continued setting the table.

He remembered clearly that when Fu Hua played chess that day, every move was decisive and swift, requiring almost no thought.

That girl seems to have an entire chess manual in her head.

In the fifteenth move, the red knight jumps into the black palace.

Step 18: The red car sinks to the bottom, checkmate.

Step 21: Red cannon in position, two generals!

"We won!"

Old Master Lin placed his last piece, his face glowing with health.

"See that? Twenty-one moves, and you won! Those swindlers turned green with shock! They probably never dreamed they could win."

Several veteran chess players stared at the chessboard, speechless for a long time.

They had studied this game; it was always the red side that lost.

I can only hold out for fifteen or sixteen steps at most. But this way of moving...

"Old Lin, where did you get this chess record?"

Old Master Chen's eyes lit up.

"Anyone who can come up with such a variation is definitely a master! A national-level player!"

"I don't think he's just an ordinary national team player!"

Another person sighed, stroking their chin: "This way of thinking is too unconventional, completely breaking away from the norm."

Look at Red's twelfth move, that seemingly insignificant "idle" move—how cunning! It's designed to force Black into disarray!

The table was filled with continuous exclamations of praise.

Even the other guests at the main table were drawn over, and they gathered around the chessboard, discussing it animatedly.

Grandpa Fu stared at the chessboard, his expression complex.

He understood chess; he clearly saw the intricacies of this game.

A person who can play this move

Not only is he a master of chess, but his mind is also frighteningly meticulous.

"Old Lin, stop keeping me in suspense."

Old Master Chen urged, "Where is this expert? Please come and meet him! We old folks can learn a thing or two from him."

Others chimed in, "Exactly!"

"Anyone who can play a move like that is definitely not an ordinary person!"

But do national team players who are only teenagers really exist?

Old Master Lin stroked his beard, smiling without saying a word.

"Say it then!"

Even Grandpa Fu couldn't help but ask.

Grandpa Lin then slowly spoke: "Far away, yet right before our eyes."

Everyone was taken aback and looked around.

Besides the Fu family, there were only a few old comrades-in-arms in the hall.

Where did this chess master come from?

"Old Lin, stop teasing us," Old Master Chen said with a laugh.

"Don't we all know our own limitations? None of us can make a move in this game!"

Grandpa Lin laughed heartily and pointed at Grandpa Fu: "Hey, that's your second son's daughter, Fu Hua!"

"My grandson Xingzhou even tutored her, saying that she's incredibly smart and learns everything very quickly."

"I also heard from Xingzhou that this girl grew up in the countryside? What's going on? How could someone from the Fu family be mistaken?"

"If you ask me, we need to send that adopted daughter away as soon as possible, so she doesn't stay here and cause trouble for the child."

"..."

The hall was deathly silent.

Grandpa Fu's expression instantly became incredibly interesting.

He recalled Commander Hua's praise earlier.

I remembered the first prize certificate in the competition.

I recalled Fu Hua's cold words as she left: "Remnants of feudalism."

Now another chess master has arrived?

"Old Lin, you...you're not kidding?"

Grandpa Chen found it hard to believe.

"Are you kidding me!"

Grandpa Lin said solemnly, "I saw it with my own eyes last Saturday at Shichahai Park, where five swindlers set up a stall to cheat people."

This is the girl who stepped up, played three endgame puzzles, and even won the last one against "A Lone Wanderer"!

He became more and more excited as he spoke, "His demeanor, his composure—you could tell he came from a military family. You didn't see it, even the police praised him!"

With each word he spoke, Old Master Fu's face grew more and more grim, and his hand holding the teacup trembled.

He suddenly remembered when Fu Hua left her seat earlier.

The harsh words I said...

"The Fu family doesn't have a granddaughter like that."

Looking back now, how ridiculous it seems.

Grandpa Chen stood up agitatedly: "Old Fu, you have such a granddaughter, you shouldn't...?! Sigh..."

The old comrades looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

This is ultimately their business.

Grandpa Fu opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something.

He looked at Fu Xiao, who had just returned, his eyes questioning.

It also carried a hint of barely perceptible regret.

Fu Xiao's face turned pale, and he said in a low voice, "Dad, Huahua... she wasn't feeling well just now, so she went home first."

"Did you go back?"

Old Master Lin was taken aback and looked out the window at the swirling snow.

"How could you let her walk alone in this cold weather?"

He frowned. "Old Fu, no offense, but such an outstanding kid should be protected by you all. How could you...?"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already quite clear.

The atmosphere inside the hall was eerie.

The people from the first and third wives' families had their heads down, seemingly lost in thought.

Fu Chaochao bit her lip hard, her nails digging into her palms until blood seeped out.

Su Yurou's face turned pale as she recalled what she had said when she apologized on behalf of Fu Hua: "Country kids don't know any manners."

Looking back now, every word feels like a slap in the face.

The banquet continued with difficulty in an eerie atmosphere.

But everyone was distracted, their eyes constantly glancing towards the main table.

He glanced at Old Master Fu's unpleasant expression.

Old Master Lin was a straightforward person and didn't notice that something was wrong.

He was still there, marveling, "Old Fu, your Fu family has produced a phoenix! Good at studies, excellent at chess, and even got into a research station!"

I heard that Commander Hua of the military personally invited her to be his advisor?

He shook his head. "All my grandchildren combined don't compare to your one granddaughter."

With each word he spoke, Old Master Fu's face grew darker.

He finally understood that Commander Hua's visit earlier was not "on the way" at all.

Instead, they came specifically to see Fu Hua.

This also tells everyone: the military values ​​Fu Hua.

And what about him?

He drove the phoenix away in front of so many people.

Grandma Fu sat beside her, her face even more unpleasant.

It's all her fault, she listened to a few words from Fu Chaochao.

They felt that the child was unfilial and had no respect for his elders.

They even dared to be late for the banquet.

That's when I thought of teaching her a lesson.

Only now did she belatedly realize that

The second son's family, the granddaughter who came back from the countryside,

It might really be... something serious.

That child, how dare he say those things?

Maybe they really don't care about the Fu family.

He doesn't care about his grandfather.

They don't care about the so-called birthday banquet at all.

This realization made Grandpa Fu's heart tighten.