"What, you're talking about that matter? What's up? Did Ding Yi, that person arrived?" Qian Rong, reminded by Leng Hui, also recalled the incident from when Wan'er was born...
"Yeah, he came, and I've seen him too, hahaha, couldn't be more satisfied," Ding Yi said, beaming with joy at the mention of Lin Feng.
"Damn it, can't you stop laughing and just talk?" Qian Rong felt frustrated. His own daughter, Xiao Duo, was two years older than Wan'er and still single. She just wouldn't find a boyfriend, which made him anxious.
"Hehe, why are you so satisfied?" Leng Hui asked with a smile, because he knew Ding Yi must be bragging about his future grandson-in-law.
But he was also very curious, because the incident from those years past seemed like a legendary story, even to someone of his current stature.
"Hahaha, he's composed and not a big talker, extremely wise, not the handsomest, but exudes a more genuine masculine charm. He's always courteous to his elders, you can tell he's no ordinary person. Fluent in many languages and possesses many other undiscovered talents, in short, I couldn't be more satisfied," Ding Yi praised his future grandson-in-law Lin Feng. Of course, deep down, he was keen on showing off to his two brothers. All three brothers had granddaughters, but it was his, the youngest, who had found someone first—how could he not be thrilled?
"What, for real? I don't believe he's as great as you say," Qian Rong said skeptically, thinking, how can a suddenly appearing grandson-in-law be that amazing?
"Well, of course you think your own family's child is the best," Leng Hui commented nonchalantly, with a dismissive air.
"I just made a call, didn't I? He'll be here soon. Once he arrives, you'll be convinced," Ding Yi said confidently. The three of them had each achieved a great deal of success in their respective domains, and their relationship was far beyond what ordinary people could fathom.
Only in their presence did Ding Yi feel free to speak his mind without restraint.
Of course, the routine sparring and comparing of grandchildren had become an essential part of their meetings.
"Old Soldier, Brother Qian, have Xiao Duo and Leng Mei's personal issues been resolved?" Lin Feng had yet to arrive, but Ding Yi, seeing these two old men doubting his grandson-in-law's excellence, felt he had to speak up.
"Damn it, just talking about Xiao Duo gives me a headache. It's my fault for having her by my side since she was little, now she's a full-blown boss lady. Men who know her identity don't even dare speak up. They're all scared away," Qian Rong said, even more upset, regretting having kept Xiao Duo so close—wasn't this sabotaging his own daughter?
"Don't even mention Xiao Duo. Our Leng Mei is already 28, still an ice queen, forbidding to strangers. Boys freeze before they even get close. Who would want her? It's hard to imagine what kind of person could handle her, and with her extraordinary intellect, finding someone to match her is tough," Leng Hui lamented. He was really troubled whenever he thought about this granddaughter. Despite introducing her to a dozen, not one could tolerate Leng Mei's nature—just a few words and they were suffocated. Who could bear it?
The few elderly men had been discussing their precious granddaughters' marital prospects for a decade, each arguing vehemently for what kind of partners they should find. These two old men used to fight red in the face with him, but now it was his granddaughter who was a step ahead.
An army general, a mob boss—normally, he couldn't outargue them or outshout them, but now... haha...
"Never mind us, tell us about your grandson-in-law. Is he really as good as you say? Because I don't believe it," Qian Rong mocked, knowing Ding Yi was showing off, but switching topics was far better than dwelling on his own problems.
"Great, so great. Even though I've only met him once, I haven't seen a young man like him among his peers," Ding Yi affirmed with utter confidence.
"You've only met once, and you dare brag to us he's that good?" Leng Hui interjected skeptically.
"Old Scholar, so you've finally learned to blow your own trumpet," Qian Rong burst into laughter, slapping the table.
"You old rascal, when have I ever bragged? If you don't believe me, ask Old Soldier—have I ever blown my own horn in my life?" Ding Yi immediately glared, surprised; these three had shared years of tribulations and countless experiences.
They knew each other inside out, and these nicknames were unique to them.
Leng Hui also laughed and said, "Old Scholar, I trust your character; you wouldn't lie or boast. But it's normal for one to always see their own family members in the best light."
"Fine, you two old coots. You think I'm lying to you, right? When he gets here, you'll see," Ding Yi, noticing their expressions, couldn't help but understand their skepticism—they both thought he was exaggerating.
"Even if he comes, it won't change things. We still won't believe he's as good as you claim," Qian Rong insisted, shaking his head firmly in disbelief.
Watching these two old coots, Ding Yi didn't know whether to laugh or cry; these two stubborn old men simply wouldn't concede.
Just then Ding Yi saw Lin Feng approaching and hurriedly called out excitedly, "Lin Feng, over here!"
At that moment, Lin Feng had just come from the direction of the chemistry laboratory, and he couldn't care less about how Zhao Jian reacted. Hearing Ding Yi's voice, Lin Feng looked up, saw him clearly, and then realized there were two old men with him.
These two old men both exuded an extraordinary presence, and the average person would feel nervous and constrained even from a distance, but for Lin Feng, who had spent five years on the island with his master, this was nothing.
As soon as Lin Feng walked over, Ding Yi grabbed his hand and pulled him over, then proudly said to the two, "See? This is Lin Feng."
Qian Rong and Leng Hui scrutinized the young man before them, wondering how he looked so ordinary. He wasn't as impressive as Ding Yi had described.
Hmm? What's the meaning of this?
Lin Feng was also a bit confused by the introduction. Wasn't he just here to play chess? Why the introduction?
"Elder Ding, didn't you invite me to play chess?"
"Yes, I invited you to play chess, but not with me, with them." Ding Yi's eyes lit up at the mention of playing chess. Letting those two old guys underestimate him, he thought cheerfully, would be a chance to show off his son-in-law's chess skills. So he pointed directly at Qian Rong and Leng Hui.
"Old Rogue, Old Soldier, you don't agree, right? Now, you two go against Lin Feng together. If you can beat him, it will prove I was boasting," Ding Yi said to the two old men with confidence and arrogance.
"Old Scholar, as if you could ever restrain yourself from boasting. He's so young; even if he's better than you, he's nothing compared to Old Soldier, who has been battling his whole life. You know how powerful his chess skills are. Even grandmasters wouldn't dare be so arrogant in his presence, yet you're sending this young man in?" Qian Rong pointed at Lin Feng, thinking the Old Scholar was talking nonsense.
"Whether I'm boasting or not, you'll know soon enough if you dare to take the challenge," Ding Yi said with a mischievous smirk, openly provoking them.
How could he not know about Leng Hui's chess prowess after all this time? But he also knew Lin Feng's chess abilities, which were beyond anything ordinary. At least Leng Hui could not possibly reach Lin Feng's level of control over the game.
"Old Scholar, what if Lin Feng loses and we win?" Qian Rong asked. In his opinion, how much could Lin Feng really achieve if he had been playing chess since the womb.
"If Lin Feng loses, you can ask me to do whatever you want, but if Lin Feng wins, both of you must agree to help Lin Feng once in the future. How about that?" Ding Yi laughed as he spoke, full of confidence in Lin Feng. He thought to himself that he had almost forgotten they could get something good out of this for Lin Feng. Favors from these two old guys were hard to come by.
His own son-in-law, he thought, if not now, when should you take advantage?
At this point, Lin Feng was baffled by the conversation among the three old men. Were they gambling with him?
However, from the conversation, it seemed they had discussed something earlier related to him. The two men were unconvinced, so Ding Yi had made a bet with them.
Lin Feng was speechless. They always said 'old kids,' and it wasn't wrong. But Lin Feng just stood there quietly, not saying much. There was a unique bond and understanding among these three, a feeling that transcended blood ties. Although they were disputing and betting, Lin Feng could feel the strong relationship between them.
One could say that most people are lucky to find even one or two friends like that in their lifetime, so Lin Feng also felt good and quietly watched them set their stakes.
"Alright then, it's settled. Don't back out on me. I have my eye on that villa of yours; I really like it. I might come live here in the future, live in the university and be a cultured person," Qian Rong said happily, even though a hundred villas wouldn't matter much to him now. But the Old Scholar's villa was different.
"As long as you don't back out, it's fine. I'll go get the chess set," Ding Yi said, glancing at Leng Hui, who, with an amused smile, clearly agreed. He then went inside to fetch the chess pieces.
Qian Rong and Leng Hui exchanged looks and nodded at each other, then they sat down at the stone chessboard in the yard.
Qian Rong thought to himself that although his own skills were not great, he still had the level of a professional 7-dan player. While there was still a gap compared to a true master, he could certainly assist the Old Soldier in finding weak spots. Even if Lin Feng was truly incredible, it was impossible for him not to have any vulnerabilities. Damn it, he was still so young, just a kid in his twenties; how skilled could he be? But it was still better to be cautious. It would be a disgrace to be capsized in a gutter.
After all, since the Old Scholar was so confident, it implied Lin Feng was truly formidable.