Everyone turned to the person who spoke up and saw Kai Xin with her hand raised.
"Yes, Young Master K?" Old Mo asked with a curious tone. This young man had surprised him earlier at the archery range and he was curious on what he was planning to do now. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Kai Xin walked to the front with her chin up like a proud peacock.
When she was standing in front, and next to Song Qiao, she loudly complained, "It is not fair that only the ladies get to play! Let us men join in too!"
With a gentle tone, Song Qiao explained, "Maybe Young Master K did not hear clearly.The prize is a dance with President Du. Why would you want to join?"
DX chuckled as he watched the scene unfold before him. He leaned back as he watched his little minx fooling around. She had always like to create trouble.
Kai Xin stood akimbo as she replied her, "Well, I'm just saying that the game should be fair. It should not be sexist. Don't you think so, Ms Song?"
Song Qiao was unable to retort without going into a deeply sensitive issue. She knew that some of those present at President Du's party had a different sexuality. Even though most of them kept it as a secret, she cannot risk offending them. So, she merely shook her head and turned to DX for help.
Kai Xin followed her and turned to DX and asked loudly, "Surely President Du is a fair person? Or are you afraid you might fall for a man?"
Without showing any expression, DX turned to Old Mo and nonchalantly said, "We cannot be sexist."
Old Mo turned to Old Madam Du.
The old woman sighed and nodded, "Let him do whatever he wants. It's his birthday"
In her mind, she had thought it out. Even though the strange young man won against Song Qiao in archery, that might be due to the fact that he was a man and was stronger.
However, when it comes to intelligence, she was sure that he would never win against Song Qiao who graduated from Princeton, summa cum laude.
Furthermore, to boost Song Qiao's standing in front of DX, Old Madam Du had purposely chose the game that Song Qiao was best at and yet would not exposed her to accusation of being bias.
Old Mo nodded and went back to the stand. "Well, it looks like everyone can join the game! Who else wants to join? Come forward now!"
The men looked among themselves. Some of them voluntarily stepped forward. Some of them were pushed forward by their friends.
Once Old Mo saw that no one else was stepping forward, he announced, "The application to be President Du's dance partner today is closed."
Two attendants carried in a large board covered by a large piece of black silk cloth with a gold dragon embroidered on it.
After the attendants left, Old Mo grabbed a corner of the cloth and continued, "The game for this year is…."
He pulled the cloth away, revealing the board game for tonight, "...Weiqi!"
A man gasped, "Weiqi!"
Soon, there were a discussion going on.
"Isn't that Song Qiao's forte?"
"It's true then that there is going to be a union between the Du and Song?"
"But GO is also Old Madam Du's favorite pastime."
"It is normal for Old Madam Du to choose Weiqi. My dad and her used to play all the time when they were younger."
Kai Xin thought out loud, "Luckily I used to play reversi."
Except DX, everyone was stunned when they heard her.
The man standing next to her whispered to his friend, "Is he actually an idiot?"
To show her benevolence self in front of DX, Song Qiao kindly explained, "Young Master K, even though it seems similar, Weiqi is a completely different game that comes with different rules."
Kai Xin blinked at her. "But they both required me to surround, captured, and attack, right? So, aren't they basically the same?"
Song Qiao was stunned by her stupidity. She refused to downgrade herself further by talking to Kai Xin. Obviously, the strange man had a loose screw somewhere.
Old Mo explained the rules, "We will have elimination rounds. We will give you a set of puzzles of increasing difficulties. Each round will last for 30 seconds, and the last four person standing would compete it out in a Blitz game."
As the attendants handed them a small whiteboard and marker each, Old Mo placed a few stones on the magnetic board. Once everyone had their stuff, he said, "Please solve this puzzle."
Song Qiao managed to easily solve the puzzle. Even though she felt unnecessary, she still glanced at Kai Xin.
Kai Xin kept scratching her head as she frowned in confusion.
"This is harder than reversi." She lamented loudly as she tried to look at the others board.
Song Qiao sneered as she mumbled under her breath, "Pathetic."
Naomi managed to solve it and she purposely placed her board behind her, answer facing outward, for Kai Xin to look at.
Song Qiao noticed it but she was too proud to point it out. She merely whispered to the blonde American man standing next to her, using him to expose the two.
When the American saw it, he immediately shouted, "Hey, that's cheating!"
"Is there a rule that says cheating is not allowed?"
"Obviously, this is a game."
DX secretly waved at Old Mo who understood what the former wanted.
He went to the stand and said, "The rules are clear. Applicants must solve the board. There is nothing against collaboration."
Kai Xin stuck her tongue out at the American and did a little chicken dance to taunt him, before turning over to Naomi and gave her a thumbs up.
Because of her, many of them started to group up. Only 2 people were eliminated in the first round. 5 more were eliminated in the second round. By the fourth round, only 4 left.
As the attendants prepared the tables, the audiences started to discuss among themselves.
"Looks like the finalists are Song Qiao, Naomi Nakamura, Jacob Ledger and that weird guy, K."
"Isn't Jacob Ledger the runner up for last year National Weiqi Competition for America?"
"Ha! Song Qiao was the winner for the International Weiqi two years back!"
"Naomi isn't bad herself. She was the runner up for the National Weiqi this year."
"Whoever that K guy is up against, he is bound to lose. If it wasn't because of Naomi, he would have lost out in the first round."
Old Mo cleared his throat before announcing who would be playing against who.
"Table 1 would be Miss Song Qiao versus Mr. Jacob Ledger. Table 2 would be Miss Naomi Nakamura versus Mr. K."