"Start!"
Lin Fan, unhurriedly, lost this round according to his own plan.
"Alas~"
A wave of disappointed sighs echoed through the hall.
The people from the Liqi Sect, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief, quietly wiping the cold sweat from their brows.
At this moment, the scores were Lin Fan sixteen, Li Yusheng fifteen.
The key was, there were only three rounds left!
If Li Yusheng wanted to win, he couldn't afford to lose even one more round!
As the eighth round began, the venue became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone held their breath, their eyes wide open, staring at the center of the long table.
"It's a tie, it's a tie!"
"Housemaster Li has caught up!"
"Well done!"
"Come on, Housemaster Li, you can do it!"
The moment the result was announced, the Liqi Sect people cheered loudly, as if they had already won the final victory.
A group of old men never dreamed that one day, a simple game of rock-paper-scissors would keep them so invested.
Li Yusheng's face still showed no sign of joy.
His heart was filled with the feeling of being manipulated.
"Don't I even have the right to lose?"
Just now, his sister had signaled from behind him, telling him to play as he wished.
But unexpectedly, he had won again!
Everything was proceeding according to someone else's plan!
Li Yusheng stared blankly at Lin Fan opposite him, as if he were looking at a celestial being!
"Perhaps I'll never be able to beat him in this lifetime!"
The ninth round, Li Yusheng won again.
At this point, the scores were Lin Fan sixteen, Li Yusheng seventeen.
The Liqi Sect people cheered loudly, unashamed of their excitement.
Only one more round!
If they won one more round, they could completely crush the Xing Shi Sect!
"Old Zhong..."
An Hai, despite his age, was also becoming restless.
Who could have imagined that the excellent situation at the beginning would turn out like this?
"Don't rush, just keep watching."
Zhong Chen glanced around the long table and smiled thoughtfully.
An Hai was taken aback. Did he have a trump card?
Otherwise, why would he be so calm?
"Grandpa, the last round is crucial. I want to take off the blindfold."
Lin Fan suddenly raised his hand.
"Uh?"
Elder Qi looked at Zhong Chen, then at Guo Cheng, in surprise.
They were the main representatives of both sides, so their consent was necessary.
"You can."
"I have no objections."
Zhong Chen and Guo Cheng said one after another.
The two men exchanged glances, seeing much in each other's eyes.
Finally, Zhong Chen smiled triumphantly, stroking his long beard without saying a word.
Guo Cheng turned his head away. Although his expression was neutral, his fists were clenched tightly.
"Tenth round, prepare..."
Lin Fan glanced at Li Yourou, then at Li Yusheng.
If the timing were right, he really wanted to make a silly face at the two of them.
"See, it worked out, didn't it!"
"Start!"
As the words fell, there was no doubt.
Under the power of the Purple Extreme Spiritual Eyes, the Li Yusheng siblings had no chance of winning!
"Lin Fan wins!"
"The competition concludes..."
Elder Qi trailed off, seemingly unsure how to continue.
Everyone at the scene had a strange expression.
"Li Yusheng seventeen points, Lin Fan also seventeen points. It's a tie."
Elder Qi snapped back to attention and announced the result in disbelief.
Silence, so profound you could hear a needle drop.
The people from both factions had different expressions.
Before this, none of them had ever imagined such an outcome.
Li Yusheng, on whom the Liqi Sect had placed so much hope, had actually tied with Lin Fan?
"Alas~"
A sense of loss washed over Guo Cheng, followed by a chorus of sighs from behind him.
Elder Qi waited for a moment, and seeing that Zhong Chen and Guo Cheng had not made a statement, he suggested, "President Zhong, Director Guo, how about we call it a day? The northern and southern factions are kin, and harmony is paramount."
"I have no objections."
Guo Cheng said calmly.
"I have no objections either."
Zhong Chen's lips curved into a smile.
He had already understood some of the inside story from Guo Cheng's eyes.
Both of them knew who had truly won or lost.
"A tie?"
Some people were reluctant.
If they had won just one more round, the two sides could have been clearly separated!
Li Yusheng had won eight rounds in the third match, so with an additional game, his chances of winning would have been quite high.
Some members of the Xing Shi Sect were also unwilling.
They had been suppressed by the Liqi Sect for so long, and now that they finally had a chance to hold their heads high, they were certainly not content with a tie.
What's more, Lin Fan had won the last round. Perhaps he had already seen through the opponent's tricks, and with one more game, victory would be certain!
"President."
"Director Guo."
People from both sides were stirring.
But Guo Cheng didn't give them a chance to speak further.
To continue would be to invite further humiliation!
"President Zhong, as expected, a good teacher produces outstanding students. Elder Qi is right, why don't we prioritize harmony?"
"Haha, it should be so!"
Zhong Chen laughed triumphantly.
He was certain that Guo Cheng was feeling guilty!
Indeed, Guo Cheng's expression was not good, especially when he saw Lin Fan's mocking gaze.
"Yusheng is still young. When the opportunity arises, I will definitely bring him to visit and learn from you."
Guo Cheng cupped his fists, his words resounding.
"We await your visit. I will spare no effort to welcome you."
Zhong Chen returned the bow, his eyes full of confidence.
"Let's go."
Guo Cheng, leading the Li Yusheng siblings and a group of crestfallen individuals, slowly retreated.
An Hai sighed softly, "What a pity~"
"It's not a pity."
Zhong Chen patted his old friend's shoulder. "We didn't lose either. I believe the Liqi Sect will never be as arrogant as before."
"That's true."
An Hai nodded lightly.
Thinking back to how they had been cornered at the beginning, the current outcome was quite good.
"Let's go too."
...
On the bus.
Zhong Chen half-closed his eyes, his body swaying gently with the movement of the bus.
Lin Fan scratched his head and ears, occasionally stealing glances at him.
Regardless, he had taken it upon himself and prevented the Xing Shi Sect from achieving ultimate victory.
Hearing the murmurs of the people behind him, he couldn't help but feel a pang of shame.
"Xiao Fan, we'll talk about it when we get back."
Zhong Chen patted his thigh.
...
Back at the hotel.
Zhong Chen and An Hai first sent everyone away, then looked at Lin Fan with a hint of mystery.
Lin Fan couldn't stand their gazes and immediately revealed the truth.
"What?"
An Hai was utterly astonished, his eyes widening. "You lost on purpose?"
Zhong Chen smiled, unconcerned.
"Uncle-Master, didn't we end up in a tie in the end?"
Lin Fan tried to comfort him.
"You, you, you..."
An Hai was at a loss for words, a mix of laughter and tears on his face. "What do you think this competition was?"
"Alright, Old An, Elder Qi said it himself, harmony is key. Xiao Fan also had good intentions."
Zhong Chen, of course, defended his beloved disciple.
"Old Zhong, you are truly protective!"
An Hai dared not scold Lin Fan, so he could only glare at Zhong Chen.
Zhong Chen patted his shoulder, then smiled at Lin Fan and asked, "Xiao Fan, if you were to compete with Li Yusheng again, would you be confident of winning?"
"Yes."
Lin Fan replied instinctively.
"What are your chances of winning?"