Checkmate!

Xi Lian arrived at the entrance of Mall B. Since she would meet the other two here later on anyways, then she should just duel at the same area. Scanning the badges of the students walking around her, her eyes lit up. So many red ranked freshmen! She approached a girl wearing heavy makeup and expensive clothes.

Tapping on her shoulder, Xi Lian politely asked, "Excuse me, fellow student, I was wondering if you wanted to duel for three points."

The girl with heavy makeup turned around and smirked, observing Xi Lian's image up and down. Then she showed her red badge's amount of points,"You also have three points?"

Xi Lian inwardly celebrated. Success! Her first target had exactly three points!

"I do! However, due to certain reasons I would like to keep my point score hidden."

The girl raised her hand for a handshake, "Just call me Miren. I accept your challenge. However, since you approached me first, I get the right to choose the skill we duel on."

Xi Lian reciprocated with her side of the handshake, "I am Xi Lian. Please state your skill first."

"Chess."

Xi Lian showed a smile and answered, "Alright. Does the case in your hand contain a chess board?"

"Yes", taking the board out onto the case, they found a student to be their referee and laid out the chess pieces. Both of them sat on the ground and faced each other. They scanned each other's badges and waited for the referee to scan her badge.

In her brain, Xi Lian thought 'I really wouldn't have thought she played chess if I hadn't talked to her. Most players treasure their boards and carry it around though. She's genuine."

The referee proclaimed, "May the duel begin!"

As the white player, Miren began by placing her pawn forward.

Sometimes, the beginner moves may seem naive and simple. Those that really played chess knew better than to think that way. Xi Lian copied her move and tapped her index finger against the board continuously. Miren glanced at her tapping finger and her eyebrows furrowed.

For the first few moves, the chess pieces kept rotating and both of them didn't move any other pieces than the pawns. None of the pieces were captured yet. Miren who was at first sitting criss-cross on the floor switched positions with her knees forward, and moved a knight. To capture Xi Lian's pawn, she had sacrificed her own knight, pretending she was impatient and didn't want to keep going in the cycle of a stalemate.

'She believes that when I eat her knight then she can get past to an opening?' Xi Lian smiled, 'She's still a beginner. Using petty tricks.'

For a few minutes, black and white pieces ate at each other savagely. A crowd gathered around the two of them, staring down at the two girls dueling at chess on the floor. Xi Lian's finger never stopped tapping. A few times, Miren would look at her fingers over and over again and switch leg positions.

A long deafening silence.

Xi Lian suddenly spoke, "Miren."

Miren snapped her head up, "What?"

Switching hands to tap the board, she stared into Miren's eyes and grinned savagely. Miren felt a cold shiver down her spine but couldn't move her eyes away from her opponent's eyes.

Xi Lian nudged one of her pieces forward without looking away and whispered, "Your king is surrounded by my queen and bishop. You've lost."

When she realized what was happening, Miren looked down at her king and eye's widened. "B--But how? That's impossible! How did I never notice your tactic? Tell me now!"

Xi Lian frowned. "You still haven't noticed? ...My tapping ticks you off, doesn't it? When you switch leg positions constantly, it means you're nervous. You get jumpy. Impatient. And then you get hysterical inside even when you try to look like you're in control of the board. You're heart wasn't in the board at all. It's no wonder you lost."

Miren's frightened eyes slowly turned lifeless and she stopped talking altogether. Only after the referee had scanned her own badge and transferred three points to Xi Lian did she get up and look down gratefully at Xi Lian with a smile. "You were right. My heart wasn't inside the board. Thank you for your guidance."

Although her opponent was elementary, she was able to retain her sense of self and was respectful to her opponent after tasting a spoonful of defeat. 'I don't know whether she really feels respect towards me, but I know she respects the game. She's not an opponent worth acknowledging. However...She's a person worth acknowledging, I give her that much.'

Xi Lian beamed warmly, "It was no problem! Thank you for the points!"

Upon mention of points, Miren's eyes turned downcast but her smile stayed. "Your welcome. You are one of the toughest opponents I've met. I give the board to you, as a sign of respect."

Xi Lian's eyebrows raised. 'She's giving her board to me? She really values this game.."

"Thank you again then."

With Xi Lian sitting and Miren standing, they shook hands again, this time with more firmness.

"What's your name?"

"Xi Lian, I am Xi Lian." She suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu when she gave out her name. Ah, why did this feel so familiar?

"Xi Lian..." Miren shook her head, "I've never heard of you before but I have now. I'm glad you approached me for this game." Then, she turned around and left.

The winner of the chess game heard sounds of clapping, and the clapping kept ringing louder. The crowd was still there and they were all applauding her win. This happened whenever there was an end to a duel. The geniuses all loved to watch duels, because they gained knowledge from them and loved to ask themselves even as onlookers, 'If she were my opponent, what would my move be?' When the referee was about to leave, Xi Lian stopped her and asked her to wait.

"Excuse me, fellow student referee, would you mind staying for more matches?"

"More matches? Is it chess?" her eyes shone. It seems the referee was a chess fan.

Xi Lian nodded and faced the crowd, "That's right. Since there's a crowd and Miren has given me her chess board, does anyone here want a chess duel?"

A freshman boy with a stub stepped out and volunteered. The referee stayed and another chess match began. The crowd stayed to watch and they would occasionally whisper to each other their reviews of each move. When the half hour was up, Xi Lian was already on her third match with a sophomore. Cheng Tu and Bao Bao found each other and tried to find Xi Lian.

"Little Rabbit, can you find her?" Bao Bao jumped up and down trying to find her friend in the crowd.

"No, why is it so crowded? Could Boss Lian have been pushed away by the crowd?"

Bao Bao didn't worry, "Let's go see why there's a crowd first!"

Together, they pushed through the people and ignored the occasional welps. What they saw first was two people sitting on the ground with a chess board between them. One of the opponents were sweating like a hog, while the other was a young girl with long, silky hair. Since they could only see the back view of the girl, they could only look at the chess pieces on the board.

"Checkmate!" a young delicate voice exclaimed.