Today was the first day of school, and most students in Class 1(17) were quite reserved.

However, Shen Fuxuan disregarded the camaraderie between classmates, tore away Duan Qiyan’s fig leaf, and put him in an awkward situation.

If Duan Qiyan refused to fulfill the bet, he would become a dishonest liar. He pursed his lips in embarrassment and frustration. Forced by circumstances, he lowered his noble head and mumbled: “Teacher Jiang…”

“Duan Qiyan, not to criticize you, but isn’t your voice too quiet?” Shen Fuxuan tirelessly stirred up trouble. “You’re the First Wargod from Teachers’ Training Attached Elementary School, can’t your voice be a bit louder?”

Though utterly humiliated, Duan Qiyan maintained a resolute expression. He straightened his back and shouted three times: “Teacher Jiang! Teacher Jiang! Teacher Jiang!”

Before the surrounding classmates could react, Duan Qiyan ran out of the classroom. He ran so urgently, fled so quickly, that he stumbled at the doorway and nearly fell.

Why was Duan Qiyan’s reaction so intense?

When he first heard about the bet, he seemed quite happy.

Lin Zhixia tilted her head. She turned around and also chanted: “Teacher Jiang, Teacher Jiang, Teacher Jiang!”

For her, this title was both playful and respectful. She imitated Duan Qiyan’s tone and inflection, feeling not even a trace of shame. Instead, she enthusiastically stared at Jiang Yubai.

Jiang Yubai slowly turned to the side, deliberately avoiding her prolonged gaze. He felt that Lin Zhixia sometimes confused the concept of winning and losing. Lin Zhixia hadn’t lost to him, so why was she calling him Teacher Jiang? And she was doing it with such obvious delight.

Some classmates nearby noticed something was amiss and suddenly revealed the truth: “Jiang Yubai, Lin Zhixia, you two are very close, aren’t you?”

This student, who saw through the truth at a glance, was named Han Peng. Han Peng had regular features, slightly dark skin, and a neat crew cut. He had graduated from the city’s Victory Elementary School and was Shen Fuxuan’s elementary school classmate.

Shen Fuxuan hooked his arm around Han Peng’s shoulder and said with a laugh: “Jiang Yubai, Lin Zhixia, you two are the only grade-skipping students in our class. You’re both just barely ten years old this year, right?”

Jiang Yubai stood up from his seat. He was two years younger than Han Peng, but his height already exceeded Han Peng’s.

Being shorter than a grade-skipping student made Han Peng feel at ease. Since Jiang Yubai was taller than him, in his mind, Jiang Yubai was his peer. He didn’t need to treat Jiang Yubai like a fifth-grade little brother.

He put his arm around Jiang Yubai’s shoulder: “Come on, Jiang Yubai, shall we three go out and have some fun?”

Without any reason or preparation, Jiang Yubai, Han Peng, and Shen Fuxuan suddenly got along well. They went together to admire the campus scenery, sprinting toward the playground on the first floor—just as Lin Zhixia had expected, Jiang Yubai went to the horizontal bar again.

The playground had sand pits, tracks, horizontal and parallel bars activity area, and a spacious football field. Shen Fuxuan and Han Peng chased and played on the track, having a great time. Later, Jiang Yubai also gave up on the horizontal bar. He stretched his long legs and ran at full speed, like a swift wind that came and went without a trace.

Shen Fuxuan ran ahead of Jiang Yubai and turned back to shout wildly: “Jiang Yubai! Have you tried the 1000-meter race? The high school entrance exam includes 1000 meters for physical education!”

Jiang Yubai’s physical condition was stronger than Shen Fuxuan’s. After running for two minutes on the playground, Shen Fuxuan was out of breath and sweating profusely. But when Jiang Yubai stopped, he adjusted his breathing and quickly recovered.

The sky was azure blue, with cool breezes blowing.

Lin Zhixia stood at the end of the corridor on the fourth floor of the teaching building. She held the railing with both hands and gazed far into the distance, taking in the entire playground. Around the outer edge of the playground grew a circle of lush poplar trees. The early autumn sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, covering the ground with patches of gold of varying depths.

She remembered the magnolia trees and crabapple flowers at the Experimental Elementary School.

Someone called her from behind: “Lin Zhixia.”

Lin Zhixia turned her head: “Hmm?”

Lin Zhixia saw a girl. This girl was her classmate, named Wan Chunlei.

Wan Chunlei’s entrance exam score ranked eighth in the class, just slightly higher than Jiang Yubai. She had also wanted to be Lin Zhixia’s deskmate, but since Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia were close, Wan Chunlei had to give up the idea.

Now, Wan Chunlei took the initiative to talk to Lin Zhixia and even extended an invitation: “Lin Zhixia, do you play Go?”

Lin Zhixia asked in confusion: “Go?”

Wan Chunlei affectionately took Lin Zhixia’s hand: “Yes! Lin Zhixia, everyone says you’re especially clever! Do you play Go? I just discovered that in the small box in our classroom bookcase, there’s a Go board and stones. How about playing a game with me? I won third place in the elementary school division of our city’s fourth Go competition for primary and secondary school students.”

Lin Zhixia allowed Wan Chunlei to lead her back to the classroom.

Her fingers were soft and white, her wrists slender. As Wan Chunlei held her hand, she felt a slight reluctance in her heart.

In any case, Lin Zhixia was three years younger than Wan Chunlei. Lin Zhixia was so young, looked so pretty, and had such pure eyes that she was still a little girl who hadn’t fully matured mentally. She might have struck some incredible luck to rank first in the competition class three times in a row.

Yet Wan Chunlei was going to use a game of Go to test Lin Zhixia’s calculation ability and mental agility.

While Wan Chunlei was still hesitating, Lin Zhixia urged: “Hurry! Let’s go get the board!”

“There’s no time,” Wan Chunlei pointed at the digital clock in the classroom. “Class is about to start.”

Lin Zhixia clapped her hands: “Wan Chunlei, let’s play next class! The break after the next class is twenty-five minutes long, which should be enough for us to play a game!”

“Alright.” Wan Chunlei readily agreed.

As she was talking to Lin Zhixia, Duan Qiyan happened to pass by.

Duan Qiyan had already returned to his normal state. He took two steps for every three across the podium, his athletic pants making a “swish swish” sound as he walked. When he heard the content of Wan Chunlei and Lin Zhixia’s conversation, his right eyelid suddenly twitched. He quickly looked toward Wan Chunlei.

Wan Chunlei had also graduated from Teachers’ Training Attached Elementary School. She and Duan Qiyan were fellow alumni from the same grade.

Although Duan Qiyan had entered the gates of Provincial No. 1 Middle School, his spiritual allegiance remained with Teachers’ Training Attached Elementary School, where his title of “First Wargod” was widely known. Whenever Wan Chunlei encountered him, she always showed him due respect. Wan Chunlei also respected the rules of competition venues. In short, in Duan Qiyan’s view, Wan Chunlei was a respectable person.

Taking the opportunity while Lin Zhixia walked back to her seat, Duan Qiyan grabbed Wan Chunlei and warned her: “Hey, you can’t play with Lin Zhixia, can’t play Go with her.”

Duan Qiyan meant well.

Unfortunately, Wan Chunlei didn’t appreciate his concern: “Duan Qiyan, are you the homeroom teacher? Why are you meddling so much? I insist on playing with her.”

Duan Qiyan crossed his arms and looked down at her condescendingly: “Hey! Don’t you understand? If you lose to Lin Zhixia, you’ll be disgracing Teachers’ Training Attached Elementary School.”

Shen Fuxuan’s seat was nearby. He interjected abruptly: “Duan Qiyan, I must remind you, no matter how much face others lose, it can’t be more embarrassing than you shouting ‘Teacher Jiang’ three times.”

With that short sentence, Shen Fuxuan deeply hit Duan Qiyan’s sore spot. Duan Qiyan turned and was about to run out of the classroom again when the bell suddenly rang, and homeroom teacher Zhang, carrying a stack of test papers, walked into the classroom of Class 1(17).

Teacher Zhang stood on the podium, standing still for a few seconds without speaking. Lin Zhixia then reacted, calling out in a clear voice: “Everyone, stand up!”

All thirty-six students in the class stood up in unison, bowing and saying: “Hello, Teacher Zhang!”

Teacher Zhang bowed in return: “Hello, students!”

He distributed the test papers to the whole class, cleaned the blackboard with the eraser, picked up a piece of chalk, and said in a loud voice: “Everyone, pay attention, I’m now going to help you correct the first written test paper. In this paper, there are a total of seven multiple-choice questions, four fill-in-the-blank questions, two major problems, and one extra-credit question. I’m not joking, if this were given to the most outstanding competition class students in the third year of middle school, they would solve it in at most twenty minutes.”

Below the podium, there was a chorus of “Wow” exclamations.

Teacher Zhang said with a smile: “Let me tell you, don’t ever think you’re stupid. Many times, it’s not that the problem is difficult, or that your brain isn’t good—it’s just that you haven’t learned it, haven’t seen similar problem types, haven’t mastered that knowledge point. If you glance at a problem and immediately think it’s too difficult, that you can’t solve it, and you despair, that really won’t do it—it’s not the style of our competition class. Students in our competition class should believe that they are smart, excellent, and much stronger than Class 18 next door!”

Speaking of Class 18, Teacher Zhang remembered another important matter.

He immediately announced, “I almost forgot, next class is the introduction course for the competition class. You and the students from Class 18 all need to go to the third-tiered classroom to listen. Our grade’s instructional director will introduce the competition class setup, types of competitions, and training methods. After listening to the instructional director’s class, our Class 17 and Class 18 will have an impromptu small competition—a mathematical warm-up quiz where you’ll see which class has students with a more solid foundation and quicker reactions.”

The students’ spirits immediately lifted when they heard the word “competition.”

Teacher Zhang added a diplomatic phrase: “Don’t feel pressured, the important thing is to participate. Friendship comes first, competition second.”

In the first class this morning, Teacher Zhang had stated that Class 17 and Class 18 were brother classes.

But he then said: Even brothers have different degrees of closeness.

Before the competition had even begun, the entire Class 17 was restless. After this class, the class’s desire for competition was like a surging undercurrent that suddenly broke through the surface, reaching a peak period.

Jiang Yubai, however, was calm and composed. He put away his 84-point math test paper, unscrewed his water bottle, and poured half a cup of clear tea. The fresh fragrance of West Lake Longjing tea spread, tea leaves floating and sinking in the cup. He lifted the cup and decisively said: “Class 18 is bound to lose.”

Lin Zhixia turned to look at him: “Are you so sure?”

Jiang Yubai quietly sipped his tea and said calmly: “They know nothing about true wisdom.”

“Hahaha,” Lin Zhixia laughed happily, “Jiang Yubai, who are you talking about?”

Jiang Yubai remained silent.

Lin Zhixia tugged at his sleeve: “Wan Chunlei asked me to play chess! Do you want to come watch? She asked me to play Go. She’s the third-place winner in the elementary school division of the city’s fourth Go competition for primary and secondary school students. So amazing!”

Jiang Yubai clearly remembered that one day, Lin Zhixia had sincerely praised him as super amazing. Perhaps because his impression of that day was too deep, Lin Zhixia’s enthusiastic praise for another classmate made Jiang Yubai feel a bit concerned.

He asked: “Have you played Go before?”

Lin Zhixia looked somewhat bewildered: “I’ve never played with anyone.”

Jiang Yubai pondered her meaning and guessed: “Have you read related books?”

“Mm-hmm.” Lin Zhixia nodded vigorously.

That was enough.

Jiang Yubai was confident of victory.

He held his water cup and stood up: “Let’s go find Wan Chunlei.”

Let Wan Chunlei taste the flavor of defeat—this sentence, Jiang Yubai didn’t say aloud.

*

At a window seat in the fourth group, Wan Chunlei had already set up the Go board. She placed both hands on the table, palms up. Her demeanor was very gentle, steady, full of a master’s bearing.

Han Peng couldn’t help but sigh: “Wan Chunlei, looking at you reminds me of Elder Wuyi’s Zhenlong chess game in ‘The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.'”

Wan Chunlei held a Go stone and lightly tapped the board: “My father is an amateur fifth-dan Go player. He told me about the historical Zhenlong chess game.”

Han Peng and a group of classmates who loved to watch the excitement had already found their positions. They stood or sat, gathered in a group, eagerly waiting for Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai.

As soon as Han Peng saw Lin Zhixia approaching, the corners of his mouth curved into a smile: “Class Monitor?”

Lin Zhixia remembered Dong Sunqi from Class 4(1). She decided to imitate Dong Sunqi and be a respected class monitor. So, she replied: “Please call me Monitor Lin!”

Han Peng was an easy-going person. He sat up slightly straighter and responded: “Monitor Lin.”

Monitor Lin sat down opposite Wan Chunlei.

“Shall we begin?” Wan Chunlei asked for her opinion.

Lin Zhixia was very straightforward: “Alright!”

Wan Chunlei immediately opened with a move and casually asked her: “Have you… studied Go before?”

“I’ve read related books, but I’ve never played with anyone.” Lin Zhixia pushed forward one of her stones.

Wan Chunlei didn’t respond. She had already fallen into deep thought.

While calculating Wan Chunlei’s strategy, Lin Zhixia mused aloud: “I’m reminded of the black and white Mary experiment. It’s a thought experiment in the philosophy of mind. Suppose Mary was locked in a room after birth where she could only watch physics knowledge in black and white through a television. Even if she learned all the theoretical physics of optics, as soon as she left that room and saw a pure red tomato, she would gain a brand new insight.”

By the time she finished speaking, Wan Chunlei and Lin Zhixia had already exchanged several moves.

Before each of Wan Chunlei’s moves, she needed to repeatedly deliberate, while Lin Zhixia made a move every two seconds, with a fierce attacking posture.

They say that one’s Go style reflects one’s character and personal quality. If this saying is true, then hidden beneath Lin Zhixia’s pure, harmless, and cute exterior was a heart so brutal and so unbridled! Wan Chunlei thought to herself.

The surrounding classmates who didn’t understand Go failed to notice the tense atmosphere.

The expression on Wan Chunlei’s face grew increasingly grave. She tried to disrupt Lin Zhixia’s train of thought by proactively asking: “Why are you telling me about the black and white Mary experiment?”

“Ah, I want to thank you,” Lin Zhixia said sincerely. “You’re willing to play Go with me, giving me a brand new experience.”

Wan Chunlei didn’t understand Lin Zhixia’s words. Her mind gradually became disordered. Her eyes remained fixed on the board, but the situation worsened.

Wan Chunlei was at a dead end, barely holding on for the last few rounds. Lin Zhixia’s move swept away her stronghold, and she asked lightly: “Do you concede?”

The fourth group of seats was near the window, with excellent lighting.

When Wan Chunlei looked up, she saw light reflecting in Lin Zhixia’s eyes as she asked: “Do you concede?”

I don’t.

These three words stuck in Wan Chunlei’s throat, and she couldn’t bring herself to say them. Her left hand cradled the bowl of stones, and when she inadvertently glimpsed Duan Qiyan, a sudden inspiration struck her!

She put down the stone bowl and, just like Duan Qiyan in the previous class, ran frantically out of the Class 1(17) classroom. As long as she ran fast enough, she wouldn’t have to face the awkward situation around her seat.

Jiang Yubai watched her departing figure and remarked with a slight sigh: “Another Duan Qiyan. How many more wargods do you have at Teachers’ Training Attached Elementary School?”

Duan Qiyan felt targeted by Jiang Yubai. He held back for a long time, unable to come up with a rebuttal, and could only place his hopes on today’s math quiz.

Their Teachers’ Training Attached Elementary School had a strong foundation in mathematics.

If they could win honor in the quiz, all previous shame would be washed clean.

*

Before the introduction class began, the students of Class 1(17), led by Lin Zhixia, walked toward the third-tiered classroom in the middle school section.

The third-tiered classroom had a very special geographical location. It was situated at the connecting point between the first-year and second-year teaching buildings.

Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai walked in the first row of the class queue. Jiang Yubai was discussing the structure of connected graphs when Lin Zhixia’s voice suddenly diminished. She looked up slightly, watching a group of people coming their way.

There were several senior students from the second-year and third-year advanced classes.

The one leading them was Lin Zeqiu.

Lin Zeqiu had very advantageous physical attributes. Among that group of middle school boys, Lin Zeqiu stood out the most. The crowd created a sense of stars surrounding the moon for him.

Yet at home, Lin Zeqiu often had to clean, wash dishes, and mop the floor with a dusty face, which indeed couldn’t compare to his spirited demeanor at school.

Lin Zhixia paused her steps. She claimed to have something to do and told her classmates to go to the classroom first.

After the students of Class 17 successively entered the third-tiered classroom, Lin Zhixia ran toward Lin Zeqiu. Today, Lin Zhixia had her hair tied with just a deep blue satin ribbon. She ran so quickly that the ribbon fluttered in the wind.

Lin Zeqiu stood still. As she approached him, he asked: “Are you a student from the first-year competition class? You look somewhat familiar.”

Lin Zhixia was stunned.

Lin Zeqiu tilted his head and said to his classmates: “Let’s go.”

He hadn’t taken a single step when Lin Zhixia brushed past him, ignoring him completely. She first greeted a bespectacled boy: “Hello, senior. I saw you on the bus this morning. Are you going to the printing room to collect materials?”

The middle school section of Provincial No. 1 Middle School had prepared a batch of new mental health textbooks. When the second-year and third-year class officers heard the announcement, of course, they had to go to the printing room to collect the materials.

That senior quickly responded: “Yes, yes! You still remember me?”

“Of course!” Lin Zhixia replied enthusiastically.

Then, Lin Zhixia looked at another senior: “Nie Tianqing?” She called out Nie Tianqing’s name with perfect accuracy.

Nie Tianqing’s expression was very intriguing. He smiled, lowered his head, was puzzled, and even sighed: “You remember me?”

“Yes, I do,” Lin Zhixia recounted in detail. “Last September, we played the bubble ball battle in the children’s playground together. You’re Dong Sunqi’s neighbor; he brought you along that day. How is Dong Sunqi doing recently?”

Just as Lin Zhixia finished speaking, Jiang Yubai appeared behind her. From Jiang Yubai’s perspective, there was no need to reminisce with Nie Tianqing. They had no connection or friendship with Nie Tianqing.

So, Jiang Yubai grabbed Lin Zhixia’s sleeve: “The introduction class is about to start.”

Lin Zeqiu’s gaze was like a flying knife, fiercely pinned on Jiang Yubai’s hand.