Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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When playing games, if he faced opponents he couldn’t beat, Stanley had a habit of knocking on doors to convince Quinlym to help.
As he entered the house today, his eyes quickly caught sight of the scene in the living room, and he instantly felt the urge to
flee.
Yet, he had barely taken a step when Curtis’s deep voice echoed in the air. “Such a lack of manners. Don’t you know to greet your superiors? Stand at attention.”
Almost instinctively, Stanley obeyed. He straightened up, brought his legs together, and shot a perfect military salute, shouting, “Salute, Commander.”
Curtis studied him for a moment before saying, “At case.”
regret
Stanley relaxed. His expression looked like that of a man mourning–filled with regret for stepping foot in Anderson Manor again; had he known what awaited him, he wouldn’t have come.
Thoughts of staying overnight had completely vanished from his mind.
Quinlyn, who had been watching Stanley closely, turned to meet Curtis’s intense gaze for several seconds. She moved to Edward’s side, calmly saying, “Grandpa, I’m back.”
“Quinlyn,” Edward greeted her warmly, his tone all affection, as though the previous sternness belonged to another person entirely.
He rummaged through the table and pulled out a piece of candy, teasing her, “Were you good in school today? If so, I’ll reward you with some sweets.”
Quinlyn nodded. “I was good, but I shouldn’t eat too many sweets, Grandpa. They can cause cavities. You shouldn’t either.” As she spoke, she lifted Edward’s blanket and found all the candies hidden in the side pocket.
The candies were there intentionally, as Edward had a sweet tooth. However, his blood sugar was a bit high, and Archer had secretly asked Quinlyn to keep an eye on Edward.
Caught with the sweets in front of his friends, Edward felt embarrassed but couldn’t bear to scold Quinlyn. Instead, he directed his frustration at Stanley.
He said, “I can’t believe I sent you to the science academy for advanced training, and you got sent back within six months.”
Stanley rubbed his nose, feeling quite wronged. “They bullied me first. Their computer skills were terrible, but they reported me for messing up the campus network.”
“Getting tangled up in trouble and yet being clueless about it is just plain silly,” Edward remarked bluntly, though he knew Stanley had been a star at the science academy, outshining everyone with his computer skills.
It was those university students who, unable to keep up, had resorted to dirty tricks that led to his expulsion.
Everyone knew this reality, and Edward brushed it off lightly, turning to introduce Quinlyn to the others. “This is my granddaughter, Quinlyn.”
He said to Quinlyn, “Quinlyn, these are friends from my younger days who have come to keep me company out of boredom. Why don’t you show them your skills and send them all home?”
The three men in the room exchanged puzzled glances. Stanley thought to himself, ‘Edward is sharp today!’
Quinlyn acknowledged that bothering others was impolite but replied, “Grandpa, I don’t have any special skills.”
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Chapter 44
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That was the truth. At school, there were teachers for different subjects, and even Harriet excelled in Mordorian, but Quinlyn felt she didn’t have any remarkable talents, especially since she was short for basketball.
“Don’t worry.” Edward chuckled when he heard this, giving her a gentle pat on the head. “Just use what I taught you; that will be enough.”
Quinlyn thought for a moment about what she had learned in the past few days and nodded. “Alright.”
For her grandfather, she was determined to give it her all. The others in the living room exchanged looks, unsure of what to
say.
Stanley felt the weight of responsibility to protect Quinlyn.
He discreetly pulled Quinlyn aside and said, “Every guest is an important figure in their own right–a retired national chess champion, a distinguished physics professor from a top school, and a renowned drill sergeant who trains top soldiers. Each one of them is a powerhouse.
“I was beaten down so badly by them that I barely managed to pass; you can’t possibly meet their expectations, so don’t let Grandpa fool you.”
“Fool? Grandpa wouldn’t do that.” Quinlyn frowned at the implication.
“Of course, Grandpa would never fool you.” Stanley felt overwhelmed by her unwavering faith in Edward. He could only suggest, “If you find yourself outmatched, act cute; don’t charge recklessly into battle.”
Quinlyn understood this meant asking for mercy to soften their hearts, so she silently took the advice to heart and nodded, heading back into the living room.
“Let’s start when you’re ready, little girl,” Danny said, the first to lift the chess cover, inviting her to take a seat while teasing, “I’ll give you a five–piece head start; if you manage to win, I’ll consider you skilled.”
Chess had been the game she practiced just days prior, and the rules were in her mind. Although she sensed that five pieces were quite generous, she held her tongue, honoring the wishes of her elder, and set her pieces in place.
Danny raised an eyebrow when he noticed her posture while handling the chess pieces. “You’ve just begun learning chess, haven’t you?”
Quinlyn met his gaze with sincerity. “Five days.”
Leonard nearly choked on his drink, thinking Edward was completely ridiculous.
Danny shot Edward a look that seemed to say, if you dare to mess with me, be ready for the fallout.
Curtis remained unusually quiet, occasionally glancing at Quinlyn, remembering the moment their eyes met when she entered the room.
It was the first time he had encountered such a composed child, unbothered by his stern presence; her eyes sparkled with bravery, reflecting bold innocence instead of fear.
With just one glance, Curtis recognized this child was special.
The game unfolded in careful silence, sunlight streaming through the window, casting long shadows over the chessboard.
Danny had expected an easy win, but halfway through the opening moves, his expression changed dramatically.
“Did your grandfather teach you this chess strategy?” Danny asked, unable to contain his surprise as he looked at the girl across from him.
Quinlyn said, “After losing a few times, I searched for chess strategies online and memorized them.”
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Chapter 44
Danny inquired further, “How many have you memorized?”
Quinlyn, unable to give an exact number, estimated, “A few thousand games.”
This revelation left everyone in the living room shocked and speechless.
It was well known that every chess move and its sequence held great strategic importance, and memorizing chess strategies meant remembering a complex series of steps. To memorize thousands of games was truly an impressive feat.
