Subduing the Aces (3)

Qi Xia came forward as Yan Qing Shan exited the arena. A sliver of smile in his lips. Compared to Hong Zhen Yue, he didn't dare be complacent. As he sees it, Yan Qing Shan was far from being simple.

"Miss Yan is very formidable, I see. However, my challenge will not involve brawns. May I invite you to a chess match instead?"

The other aces stiffened while Yan Qing Shan raised her brow at their reaction. Jia Yi Lan's gentle voice raised a notch as she protested Qi Xia's challenge.

"No! Absolutely not! That's going to be really unfair. Qi Xia, you're a freaking nationally renowned grandmaster in chess. You expect her to compete against you? Where's your integrity?"

She chided to which the man merely shrugged. Qi Xia was proclaimed a chess grandmaster at age nine. Add up the years of his leisurely plays and competition experiences he was basically unbeatable in the game. Hence, Jia Yi Lan's argument.

Yan Qing Shan found this amusing. Sigh. These kids are really just...kids. One underestimated her. The other is unconsciously showing off. This further strengthened her resolve to them 'kindly' ingrain to them some of her well-intended principles.

"It's fine. If it's a chess match you want, then it's a chess match you'll get."

Yan Qing Shan patted Jia Yi Lan's hand and gave a brief smile. Qi Xia nodded with a smile and their group went to the recreation room of the villa. An elaborate crystal chess set was taken out.

She tsked to herself. The luxury of being an Ace was beginning to get to her nerves. That or her miserly ways was acting up.

If Zi Jue were to hear her thoughts, he would for sure nod vehemently and even say that the only thing she knows how to splurge on was books.

"Let us begin then. I'll take the black ones."

Yan Qing Shan settled herself to the seat where the black pieces were arranged. While Qi Xia took to the other side, though his expression was careless, his fox eyes were guarded.

He was quite confident of his chess skills. Frankly, he may deny admitting it but he refused to believe that Yan Qing Shan will be able to defeat him. This may be his ego as a chess grandmaster talking. Nevertheless, he still kept that voice of reason which was telling him to take this seriously.

He looked at Yan Qing Shan's poker face. He commended her in his heart. Being able to keep an unchanging expression was crucial to the game. At least she had this spot on.

Chess was a game of tactics and strategies. Being the Ace of Business, he was aware that the corporate world was one big chess game. And it was where he thrived. Qi Xia wondered how long this indifferent woman would last against him. His perpetual sly smile was pasted in his lips.

Without further ado, he made his first move.

....

"Checkmate."

The cold voice froze Qi Xia to the core of his very being. Disbelief was written in his face. She beat him. And he didn't even realize that he was losing until she uttered that single word.

But despite being incredulous about it, Qi Xia wasn't a sore loser. Yan Qing Shan beating him in the game simply meant that she was an even more outstanding strategist that he is. Qi Xia was not in any way stifled.

"Really, you are quite an amazing woman Miss Yan. It is an honor to be beaten by you."

Yan Qing Shan gave Qi Xia a half-smile. To be honest, she was amazed by him too. He was not easy to beat. If she had lowered even a bit of her concentration, Yan Qing Shan wasn't sure that the outcome would be the same.

Qi Xia would pose a huge problem to whoever crosses him. Anyone who falls for his schemes wouldn't even know how they died. She surmised that anyone with him on their side was bound to be formidable. Yan Qing Shan was also confident that Qi Xia would make his family's empire bigger than it is now.

The other aces felt surreal at Hong Zhen Yue and Qi Xia's defeat. The two of them were their group's lead brain and brawn. The top brass of this generation's Ace Class. But they lost just like that to the same woman. They couldn't help but look at Yan Qing Shan in a brighter and renewed light.

The lot of them shuddered when Yan Qing Shan looked at their way. They felt their futures suddenly going bleak. Well, except for Ning Xie Zhi, who was quite excited at the prospect of Yan Qing Shan yummy food. And Jia Yi Lan as well, who resolved herself to voluntarily losing since the beginning.

Yan Qing Shan's blank look was directed to no one in particular. Her voice still as cold.

"Who's next?"