Reborn as a high school freshman with an awakened system, a fat boy transforms into a male god.

"Grandpa, how many games have you lost?" Shen Qingzhi asked.

The old man glared at her: "How do you know I lost?"

"Every time you lose, you always end up with a strong opening shot in the next game."

elder:"……"

Lin Bei couldn't help but smile slightly.

Shen Qingzhi glanced at him, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment before shifting to the chessboard.

"This move is a knight's move," she said, pointing to a position on the red side of the chessboard.

The old man looked down at her, then looked up at her again.

"Would you like to play a round?" The old man stood up and offered her his seat.

Shen Qingzhi glanced at Lin Bei, remained silent for two seconds, and then sat down.

"You go first," she said.

Lin Bei picked up the cannon and placed it in the center.

Shen Qingzhi jumped off the horse.

Her playing style was completely different from that of the Shen family. The old man was steady, Shen Wancheng was calculating, and Shen Qingzhi was... cold.

Every step she takes is minimalist, without unnecessary movements or unnecessary actions. Just like her, she is calm and unassuming, never wasting a single expression.

After walking a dozen steps, Lin Bei realized he couldn't outrun her.

It wasn't because of her exceptional chess skills, but because every move she made was unexpected. He had saved hundreds of chess records, but Shen Qingzhi's moves were not found in any of them.

It was as if she had invented her own method, without any rules or routines, but every step she took hit his weak spot perfectly.

When Lin Bei made his twenty-third move, his chariot was trapped by her knight. He stared at the chessboard for a full ten seconds, but couldn't find a way to escape.

"Is your horse... somehow possessed?" He looked up at her.

Shen Qingzhi glanced at him, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly: "You're overthinking it."

"Shouldn't I be thinking about it?"

"Guess my next move. Why should I do what you guess?"

Lin Bei was stunned.

She's right.

He had been trying to "calculate" her, using his own logic to predict hers. But Shen Qingzhi had no logic, or rather, her logic was beyond his calculation. Because she was simply not part of his game plan.

Lin Bei sighed inwardly: Just how smart is this girl?

[Host's curiosity detected. Shen Qingzhi, current IQ: 96/100.]

Lin Bei's pupils dilated slightly.

96.

He only got 77 with 5 points added to his IQ, while she got 96?

Shen Qingzhi's intelligence is naturally gifted; she doesn't need any extra points. Furthermore, her 96 points represent "effective intelligence"—she's not only quick-witted but can also translate that wit into tangible results. The host's 77 points are currently in the stage of "being more intelligent than before but not yet knowing how to use it."

Lin Bei: ...

If the host feels offended, it's probably because the truth itself is quite hurtful.

Lin Bei took a deep breath.

She has a beauty score of 97, an IQ of 96, and is ranked first in her grade.

Is this God's own daughter?

[The system has detected that the host's resentment level is rising. It is recommended that the host refocus on the chessboard, otherwise this game will be lost even faster. By the way, Shen Qingzhi is watching you.]

Lin Bei suddenly snapped out of his daze and continued playing chess.

Shen Qingzhi was indeed looking at him. Her eyes were calm and indifferent, without any expression.

In the final few steps, Lin Bei's carriage was completely trapped by her horse.

"I lost," he said.

Shen Qingzhi glanced at him, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly. The curve was so small that if someone hadn't been watching her closely, they wouldn't have noticed it at all.

"You played well," she said, "but too conventionally."

Lin Bei was taken aback.

That's too formal.

He remembered that he had saved hundreds of chess game records, and he tried to find the answer to each move from his memory palace. But Shen Qingzhi didn't have any chess game records; she thought of each move herself.

"You don't look at chess scores when you play chess?" Lin Bei asked.

"Look," Shen Qingzhi said, "but don't memorize it. Chess scores are other people's paths; no matter how much you memorize, you can't forge your own."

The old man, who had been listening for a while with his teacup in hand, finally interjected, "Could you two please say something I can understand?"

Shen Qingzhi glanced at her grandfather: "You lost the game because you didn't think enough."

elder:"……"

Lin Bei added, "I lost because I thought too much."

Shen Qingzhi glanced at him: "You're just imagining things."

Lin Bei: "..."

But he noticed a very quick, almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of her mouth, as if she was trying to suppress a laugh.

The living room fell silent for a moment.

The old man sat beside her, holding a teacup, glancing at Shen Qingzhi and then at Lin Bei, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Alright, alright," the old man put down his teacup. "Qingzhi, go do your homework. Stop discouraging Xiaolin."

Shen Qingzhi stood up, took her water glass, and went upstairs.

When she reached the corner of the stairs, she paused for a moment, but did not turn around, and continued walking upstairs.

The old man watched her figure disappear at the top of the stairs, then turned to look at Lin Bei.

"Xiaolin, don't take it to heart. That's just how she is; she doesn't mince words."

"No, she's right," Lin Bei said. "I am indeed too conventional when playing chess."

"Then you need to change," the old man said. "Playing chess is like being a person; if you're too conventional, you won't go far."

Looking at the old man, Lin Bei suddenly felt that every word he had said today was like a lesson for him.

You only learn from losing.

If you're too conventional, you won't go far.

Lin Bei stored these words in his memory palace, labeled "Grandpa Shen, Golden Quotes".

[The system has detected that the host is storing memorable quotes. Friendly reminder: Storing them is pointless; you need to know how to use them. Simply storing them without using them is like buying a book and not reading it…it just takes up space.]

Lin Bei: "..."

After he finished his game of chess with Shen Qingzhi, Shen Qingzhi went upstairs to do her homework. The old man then played another game with Lin Bei. He had pretty much figured out the old man's playing style, and after Shen Qingzhi's comment that it was "too conventional," he deliberately made some unconventional moves, which surprisingly worked well.

The old man, despite losing the game, laughed even more heartily.

"That's right," he said, putting the chess pieces back into the box. "Playing chess requires having your own ideas. Always following the game record is like being a copy machine, not a chess player."

Just as he was about to say something, the sound of a car engine came from the yard, a low, muffled thud, then silence.

The old man looked up and glanced out the window: "Your Uncle Shen is back, and he brought guests with him."

Lin Bei glanced over as well. Two cars were parked one after the other at the entrance of the courtyard. Shen Wancheng had just gotten out of the first car and was leading the guests into the courtyard.

After waiting a while, the sound of shoes being changed came from the direction of the entrance.

Then, Shen Wancheng's voice drifted in first, deep and steady: "Dad, I brought two friends over for tea."

As soon as the words were spoken, Shen Wancheng led two people in and introduced them to the side:

"This is Wang Kangrong, whom I've mentioned to you before."

The old man stood up, a polite smile on his face: "Welcome, welcome, please come in and sit down."

Lin Bei also stood up, stepped back to the sofa, and gave the seat of honor to the guest.

"Hello, Uncle Shen, sorry to bother you." Wang Kangrong gave a slight bow, his voice not loud, but very clear.

"Mr. Wang, you're too kind. Please have a seat," the old man said.

Lin Bei stared at the face for a moment, stunned.

Wait, what's his name? Wang Kangrong? Why does that name sound so familiar?

Then Lin Bei suddenly remembered.