HBWMA -Chapter 336 Conspiracy

“Yo, did Shen Guiling lose a game of chess and throw a tantrum?”

Shen Guiling paused slightly, then looked up to see Huashan pulling Shen Mianzhi’s hand while gossiping loudly.

“See that? A player’s character reflects their personality. I told you his temper is pretty bad.”

Shen Mianzhi gave an awkward smile. “Brother A-Ling.”

Last night everyone had a great time and stayed up very late. Su Zhuo took Su Miao back to the hotel to rest so as not to disturb the others, while Shen Mianzhi shared a room with Jiang Huashan.

Shen Guiling nodded with a gentle smile. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“I slept too well, that’s why I woke up this late.” Shen Mianzhi looked a little embarrassed and glanced around. “Where’s Brother Lanxi?”

Shen Guiling bent down to collect the chess pieces. “He went out. There’s breakfast in the kitchen.”

Shen Mianzhi stared at the chess in his hands for a moment, then hesitantly asked with anticipation, “Brother A-Ling… can I play a game of chess with you?”

In truth, she was quite skilled in chess herself. Everyone said Shen Guiling was amazing, and she had always wanted to challenge him. But before, she always felt she wasn’t qualified, so she never dared to ask.

Shen Guiling glanced at her and agreed readily. “Of course.”

Shen Mianzhi’s face lit up as she knelt by the chessboard, full of excitement.

Jiang Huashan ran into the kitchen, grabbed a corn cob, and broke it in half. “Here, eat while you play.”

“Thanks.” Shen Mianzhi took it, eyes sparkling as she looked at Shen Guiling. “Brother A-Ling, please don’t go easy on me.”

Shen Guiling hesitated slightly. “Are you sure?”

“Mm.” Shen Mianzhi was full of confidence. “I want to test my real level.”

Three minutes later.

“……”

The board was in a dead position. Most pieces were still intact, but the king had already been completely cornered with no escape.

Shen Mianzhi quietly took a bite of corn, a little unwilling. “Can we go again?”

Shen Guiling nodded.

This time it lasted a bit longer—about five minutes. And even that was only because Shen Mianzhi spent most of the time thinking.

“……”

Jiang Huashan finished her corn and patted Shen Mianzhi’s shoulder like an experienced elder. “Want to beat him? I’ve got a way.”

Shen Mianzhi, who had just been a little discouraged, immediately brightened up. “Really?”

Only by actually playing against him could one feel how terrifying Shen Guiling’s overall control of the board was. Beating him was far from easy.

Shen Guiling curved his lips slightly. “Now I’m curious.”

Jiang Huashan wiped her mouth with a tissue. “Regular chess is boring. Let’s play dark chess.”

Shen Guiling raised a brow. “Street rules?”

“What street rules? Rules are made by people. Why must chess always stick to tradition?”

That was hard to refute. Shen Guiling nodded. “Fair point.”

Jiang Huashan flipped all the chess pieces over and randomly arranged them face-down across one side of the board.

“I’m red, you’re black. Now neither of us knows what piece is what. We rank them from king downward. Higher-ranked pieces can capture lower-ranked ones. Even a pawn can surround and capture a king. We take turns flipping pieces—whether it’s yours or mine depends purely on luck. Once a move is made, it can’t be undone.”

“Oh, almost forgot—there’s a special rule. If you flip a cannon, it can attack from a distance, but whether it hits friend or foe… is also pure luck.”

Shen Guiling chuckled. “Got it. So your strategy is to rely purely on luck against absolute skill.”

Jiang Huashan rolled her eyes. “Shallow.”

Shen Mianzhi nodded enthusiastically. “It actually sounds pretty fun.”

Shen Guiling asked, “Who goes first?”

“Obviously me.”

Before he could respond, Jiang Huashan made her move first and flipped a piece in the center.

Good luck—it was a red cannon.

“Ah!” Shen Mianzhi looked excited.

Even Shen Guiling didn’t expect her luck to be this good. He chose a corner and flipped it over—red elephant.

“Heh~” Jiang Huashan immediately used the red cannon to capture a piece from afar.

Shen Mianzhi grabbed her. “You just ate it like that? What if it was your ally?”

Jiang Huashan waved it off. “Since there’s a cannon rule, it means it’s an important piece. Luck can be good or bad. Since this game is about luck, then we just rely on luck.”

With that, she flipped the captured piece—and revealed a black king in her hand.

Shen Mianzhi was stunned. Even Shen Guiling paused slightly.

“You see? We’re pretty lucky.” Jiang Huashan smiled. “Your turn.”

The board descended into chaos. With just a cannon, Jiang Huashan dominated the battlefield, firing from afar and completely suppressing the black pieces with no room to fight back.

This kind of chess game didn’t require much thought at all. The match ended in just two minutes, leaving Shen Mianzhi stunned.

Jiang Huashan took a bite of the corn from Shen Mianzhi’s hand, speaking as if it were nothing important.

“Don’t waste yourself in areas where others are strongest. In their domain, you’ll never win. We can change our thinking—either change the rules or switch the battlefield. Then you’ll realize your opponent is nothing at all.”

Of course, she herself would never have been able to say something like that. In her memories, there was an old man who sighed helplessly as he picked up the fallen chess pieces from the ground.

“Don’t be angry. Grandpa will teach you another way to win, alright?”

Shen Mianzhi had a sharp mind, but she wasn’t cunning enough. Learning a bit of indirect strategy would only help her.

Shen Guiling glanced thoughtfully at the girl across from him.

“Ding-dong—”

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

Shen Mianzhi immediately got up to open the door. Su Zhuo had originally been standing behind Su Miao, but the moment he saw Shen Mianzhi opening the door, he quickly pushed Su Miao behind him.

“We’re planning to return to Whale Harbor, so we came to say goodbye. We… wouldn’t be disturbing your rest, would we?”

Su Miao looked at the broad back blocking her view and was completely speechless. Hey! She was the one who came to say goodbye!

Shen Mianzhi smiled politely. “Of course not. Please come in and talk.”

Su Zhuo immediately followed inside, then casually shut Su Miao outside the door.

Su Miao: “……”

Once inside again, Su Miao had no intention of dealing with Su Zhuo at all. She dragged Jiang Huashan straight into the bedroom to talk privately.

Originally, she was supposed to stay the night with Jiang Huashan, but Su Zhuo insisted it was “improper etiquette” and dragged her to a hotel instead. She thought about it over and over and still couldn’t understand—what was improper about a few girls sleeping together?

When she finally asked, she nearly exploded from anger.

Su Zhuo had said seriously, “Your sleeping habits are bad. You kick off blankets and talk in your sleep. You’ll disturb Miss Shen’s rest.”

Su Miao slammed the door shut, fuming. “It’s over. I didn’t expect our Su family heir to be a lovesick fool. Grandpa must be having a hard time.”

Jiang Huashan held back a laugh. “You’re going back?”

Su Miao composed herself and nodded seriously. “Some things eventually have to be faced. I can’t keep running away.”

Jiang Huashan thought for a moment, then beckoned her closer.

“Perfect. I have something I want to ask you to do.”

“……”

In the living room.

Su Zhuo sat upright, though his eyes kept drifting toward Shen Mianzhi before quickly looking away again.

Shen Guiling noticed everything but said nothing.

At that moment, Lei Xing walked in from outside.

“Young master.”

Shen Guiling stood up smoothly. “Mianzhi, I have something to take care of. Please help me entertain Brother Zhuo.”

Shen Mianzhi nodded with a smile. “Brother Zhuo, do you know how to play Chinese chess?”

Su Zhuo paused, steadying himself. “I do, but I’m not very good at it.”

Shen Mianzhi smiled this time. “It’s alright. I’m not very good either.”

On the other side, Lei Xing followed Shen Guiling into the study.

“Young master, the people at the hotel have all withdrawn.”

Shen Guiling didn’t respond.

Lei Xing continued, “Young master, I’m sorry. Gao Zhi must have realized I deliberately got him drunk last night.”

“… ”

Shen Guiling hadn’t expected that to be the point of his guilt. After a brief silence, he asked, “How do you know you’ve been exposed?”

Lei Xing immediately pulled out his phone. “Look. He blocked me.”

Shen Guiling glanced at it, his expression calm.

At that moment, a new notification popped up.

The other party has added you back as a friend.

Lei Xing looked confused. “Young master, what does Gao Zhi mean by this?”

Shen Guiling turned his gaze toward the harbor outside the window, thinking for a moment.

“Invite him out for a drink.”

“Huh?” Lei Xing didn’t understand why the young master would do something that was obviously going to be rejected, but he still obeyed.

At the same time, in the presidential suite.

Gao Zhi frowned as he handed over his phone.

“Young master, that idiot is inviting us out for drinks again. Does he think we’re fools?!”

Shen Lanxi glanced at it briefly.

“Let him choose the place.”