"Uh… alright, alright. But speaking of which, Xiaobai, have you figured out how to use those crystals you got?" Meng Qinghuan picked up another pork knuckle and gnawed on it ungracefully. "Need my help?"
Bai Cha glanced at Meng Qinghuan. "Found them?"
She was too lazy to answer Meng Qinghuan's insipid question. Even before Bai Cha's parents sacrificed themselves, the Shadow faction had already begun to show signs. To be safe, all families entrusted their ancient texts and inheritances to the Meng family, instructing Meng Chen, the second-in-command at the time, to lead their escape.
Later, after Bai Cha pacified the Shadows, the families retrieved their essential items one after another, but most were still kept by the Meng family.
So, if you don't ask your family to find them, who else would? Isn't that a redundant question?
"Hey, I was just asking casually," Meng Qinghuan said with a grin. "Oh well, it's not urgent anyway. Whether it's the World Competition or the underwater secret realm, the nearest of these two tasks is still weeks away. We have plenty of time to rest."
Bai Cha pointed at the document. "Scroll down."
Meng Qinghuan looked confused and scrolled further down.
"Two 'che' and three 'paio'," Bai Cha rolled her eyes. "Two big ones and three small ones."
Meng Qinghuan rubbed his face and said nothing.
He suddenly felt quite fortunate to have holidays. His boss, on the other hand, was on standby twenty-four hours a day, thirty days a month, year-round, with no days off. No wonder that big shot felt awkward whenever he saw Bai Cha.
This was too much. Even a donkey pulling a mill wasn't worked like this.
"You're going to spoil the neutral faction along with everyone else like this," Xiang Nan walked over, sat directly on the table, and pushed two glasses of mixed cocktails to Meng Qinghuan and Bai Cha. "Leaving the supernatural incidents to you is one thing, but now you're also being assigned diplomatic and security tasks? What, are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Security out of people?"
Bai Cha remained silent. She had indeed noticed recently that people were bringing her increasingly trivial matters. Regardless of whose professional scope it fell under, any thorny issue was thrown her way.
The first minor task was a "ghost wall," where a special envoy and Dragon Knights were sent to investigate. However, no matter what tools or methods they used, they could only go in circles.
This wasn't a major issue, as there were no disappearances or casualties. Instead, it had attracted many internet celebrities and tourists to visit and take photos. However, there were those in high places who insisted on resolving it.
In summary: they had too much time on their hands.
Of course, they had no choice. No matter how capable they were, they were ultimately employees. Bureaucratic personnel were obligated to obey national orders; that was the most basic principle.
The second task was even more absurd. For the World Competition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wanted them to directly engage in diplomacy with Dragon Knights from other countries, minimizing the involvement of national interests.
Bai Cha found this incomprehensible. They were competing in the World Competition to secure national interests for the country, and now they were being told to minimize the involvement of national interests?
The third task was also absurd: protecting the safety of the participating Dragon Knight contestants.
This meant that if a few people went, a few people had to return unharmed, regardless of their character. So, if there was a liability, they still had to be protected?
Seeing the people around them merrily barbecuing and having a party, Bai Cha's expression turned ugly, and she suppressed the urge to throw her wine glass on the floor.
However, not throwing the wine glass didn't mean Bai Cha's temper had improved. Her good temper was contingent on everything being reliable. Not only were the recent tasks becoming more and more absurd, but all sorts of miscellaneous tasks were being dumped on her, and she wasn't getting any good results.
If something went wrong, it was her fault. If nothing went wrong, it was just her duty. Even with Bai Cha's excellent temper and willingness to work tirelessly, she was still quite annoyed. Bai Cha simply circled the strange and absurd tasks and sent them to the big shot again.
[Bai Cha: Are they sick, and you're sick too?]
[Bai Cha: Have they gotten used to being spoiled? I've sent you all the details of what happened during this mission. Aren't you going to give me an explanation?]
Soon, the big shot replied.
[Big Shot: They gave it to you because the Dragon Knights couldn't solve the "ghost wall" at Fenglin. The other two are because Balance Beam is also participating in this World Competition and has requested that Dragon Knight matters be handled independently without external support from diplomats or the like.]
[Bai Cha: (A friendly smile) And you agreed to that?]
[Big Shot: ...Everyone agreed.]
Damn it.
The curse hovered in Bai Cha's throat for a long time before she forcefully swallowed it. She knew someone must have interfered. Did that person from Asteria have to cause trouble to feel alive?
What made Bai Cha most speechless was that with so many big shots from various countries, they couldn't suppress one person? Was it that they didn't want to, or...?
Thinking of this, Bai Cha frowned again. Each country had organizations similar to the Shadows. Did it mean that the Shadows of those countries were also facing similar problems?
[Big Shot: The Twelve Constellations, who previously withdrew from Balance Beam, have returned for resources. With the Twelve Constellations reunited, we also have some reservations.]
Reservations, my ass. Two-thirds of the Twelve Constellations are my friends. Are you afraid of war then?
Bai Cha was furious, pushed her phone aside, and took a gulp of her drink.
Xiang Nan's bartending skills were indeed excellent. He used the simplest ingredients and the lowest proof alcohol to create the most potent flavors. The ice spheres spun in the dark liquor, causing a layer of frost to condense on the glass walls, effectively transforming Bai Cha's inner rage into helplessness.
"It's best to have a good talk," Xiang Nan glanced at Bai Cha, whose expression was grim, and advised, "If they truly take your contributions for granted, you'll soon lose your motivation."
Bai Cha remained silent for a moment, then smiled. "Xiang Nan, even as a disciple, you're lecturing your master."
Xiang Nan didn't reply, his eyes showing a trace of concern.
Bai Cha was right. He was half a disciple to Bai Cha. Although their martial arts paths were different, their tactics, strategic vision, and the like were completely inherited from Bai Cha.
"Lucifer, come with me." After a moment of thought, Bai Cha called to Lucifer beside her and then said to Meng Qinghuan, "In three hours, have Cangliu and Yunhe come over as well."
Lucifer looked puzzled. He could see that the gathering and celebration were centered around Bai Cha; Bai Cha was like the center of a circle. If Bai Cha left, the enthusiasm of the crowd would diminish by at least a third. Bai Cha didn't seem like someone who would dampen the mood like this.
Despite his doubts, Lucifer followed. Bai Cha led him to a room in the innermost part of the second floor. The decor was very simple, in black and white, yet aesthetically pleasing. Even the fluffy carpet on the floor was black and white.
Lucifer followed Bai Cha, took off his shoes, and walked in. The carpet was soft and comfortable, clearly a rare high-quality item.
"Sit properly," Bai Cha pointed to a cushion by the low table in the center, signaling Lucifer to sit. She opened a drawer, which contained various chess sets, all made of lustrous jade pieces.
Bai Cha picked up a Xiangqi set and arranged it on the table, her expression serious and indifferent. "Do you know how to play Xiangqi?"
"I've looked up the rules," Lucifer replied truthfully. He had an understanding of everything in this world, but he hadn't researched chess as deeply as he had medicine.
"Play a game with me." Bai Cha, with a commanding tone, set up the Xiangqi board and pushed the red pieces towards Lucifer.
The red side, moving first, naturally had an advantage. The player with red could choose an opening they were familiar with, or avoid one they weren't, or even choose an opening unfamiliar to the opponent if they knew them.
Lucifer didn't understand Bai Cha's intention. After a moment of hesitation, he began to play earnestly.
Lucifer had been interacting with Bai Cha for some time, and he believed he could understand Bai Cha's intentions in most situations. Moreover, after dragon species shared human intelligence through resonance and empathy, their brains and reaction speeds became more active. Initially, Lucifer thought he was just keeping Bai Cha company to alleviate boredom.
However, less than five minutes into the opening, Lucifer's expression grew solemn. He didn't know how to proceed. Although neither side had lost a single piece, all his chariots, horses, and cannons were trapped by Bai Cha along the lines.
A cannon could "jump" over obstacles, but if it jumped to capture Bai Cha's horse, Bai Cha's chariot would immediately counterattack, resulting in more loss than gain. If he tried to move his chariot, any step he took would result in the death of his trapped cannon or horse, and he wouldn't be able to harm Bai Cha at all.
At the very beginning of the game, he was already forced into a dead end.
"Can't move anymore?" Bai Cha looked at the thin sweat on Lucifer's forehead, reached out, and turned the board around, giving the black pieces to Lucifer. "Continue."
Lucifer was stunned, and at the same time, the pressure was greatly reduced. He no longer dared to be careless and played seriously. However, after only a few moves, he was trapped again.
The black pieces were already in a winning position. Lucifer decisively captured one of Bai Cha's chariots. The chariot was a major piece; as the saying goes, "one chariot is worth ten soldiers." However, to Lucifer's dismay, after sacrificing a chariot, Bai Cha forced him into a desperate situation again after only a few moves.
Moreover, if Bai Cha's horse moved one more step, his chariot would be lost. What made Lucifer even more awkward was that if his cannon didn't retreat, it would also fall into a dead end in the next move.
With no other option, Lucifer had to sacrifice his cannon. To his surprise, Bai Cha didn't rush to capture the cannon. Instead, she moved a pawn to block his horse's legs.
Time and again, Lucifer was forced by Bai Cha to reset his moves, countless times unable to move his pieces. By the time Bai Cha changed the board for the sixth time, Lucifer was covered in sweat.
Although he hadn't exerted himself physically, his concentration was extremely high, and he had been cornered repeatedly. The seriousness and anxiety made Lucifer feel somewhat helpless.
"Alright, stop. You're not there yet. Being able to play like this is already good," Bai Cha finally stopped Lucifer's actions. A full two hours had passed. Lucifer rubbed his eyes, feeling a slight strain.
"Did you see anything?" Bai Cha picked up the teacup beside her and took a sip. This time, it was Meng Qinghuan who had brewed the tea, not Lucifer.
Xiang Nan had also followed. Together with Meng Qinghuan, he looked down at the chessboard, a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes.
"Okay, it seems a bit like the Sky Island amusement park last time," Lucifer rubbed his eyes, finally feeling relieved. However, he had indeed seen some patterns. He hadn't expected Bai Cha to be able to depict scenes with Xiangqi.
The chariot Bai Cha used at the beginning wasn't to capture his pieces but to trap his pieces. The other chariot, which only entered the game at the end, represented Meng Qinghuan and Xiang Nan. Of the two horses, one was accompanied by a small pawn that could block the path at any time, representing Cangliu and Yunhe. The two cannons represented Bai Cha and himself.
In fact, Bai Cha had deliberately allowed her cannons to enter Lucifer's game several times, even maneuvering to save her own pieces. All her attacks and defenses were almost identical to the last time at Sky Island.
"Cough, don't be disheartened, little black dragon. Xiaobai went easy on you," Meng Qinghuan tried his best to suppress a smile and said with gloating. "Xiangqi is easy to pick up. If you try Go, you probably won't last half an hour."
"Your turn?" Bai Cha glanced at Meng Qinghuan. "I'll give you my chariot, horse, and cannon."
Meng Qinghuan's face instantly stiffened. "Cough, no, no, it's fine. Guiding your little dragon is more important."
Giving away chariots, horses, and cannons wasn't to say Meng Qinghuan couldn't beat Bai Cha, but it was simply too tiring. Playing Xiangqi against someone as versatile in attack and defense as Bai Cha, who also had extreme patience, would drain so many brain cells. They couldn't even finish in two hours.
"Xiangqi is like using people. You need to abandon pieces in time, weigh the pros and cons, and think ten steps ahead. You need to consider what to put out first and where to occupy in advance."