Chapter 999: The Chessboard
Compared to Qi Xia's camp's tactical arrangements, Chu Tianqiu's camp appeared slightly more chaotic.
"What do you mean...? I don't understand at all..." Dr. Zhao said. "Can I really be of help?"
"If there's anything you don't understand, I can explain it to everyone," Chu Tianqiu said.
"I understand," Wen Qiaoyun said. "We need to collect various radical components, piece them together to form new characters, and then give them to Chu Tianqiu to 'score points'."
"Correct," Chu Tianqiu nodded in agreement. "That's the general idea."
"But how do we go about 'collecting' them?" Xu Liunian asked again.
"Didn't I just say...?" Yan Zhichun, who had been silent all along, spoke up from the side. "Either 'snatch' them, or use your own 'character' to wager against the opponent's. As long as both sides have no objections, anything goes."
"But where exactly are we supposed to go to snatch and 'wager'?" Dr. Zhao asked. "Just charge over there with a big group...?"
"Have you forgotten?" Chu Tianqiu replied. "At the beginning of the game, we entered through the door on the far right, and Qi Xia entered through the door on the far left. There were seven 'doors' on the field at that time. In other words, all the rooms behind the five doors in the middle could potentially be our playing field."
Chu Tianqiu crouched down and roughly sketched the map of the area on the ground.
"If I'm not mistaken, all these 'rooms' should be arranged in five rows and seven columns. Our 'Preparation Zone' and Qi Xia's each occupy one column. That means the rooms in the middle should be five by five, a total of twenty-five rooms forming a square. These rooms are the fields where we will conduct our 'snatching' or 'wagering'."
The group looked down at the map and roughly understood their positions.
"I don't think that's right," Wen Qiaoyun said. "Tianqiu, you overlooked one point."
Hearing this, Chu Tianqiu paused slightly, his expression becoming complex. He was silent for a long moment before turning his head to ask, "What point did I overlook...?"
There was both anticipation and nostalgia in his eyes, and upon closer inspection, a trace of despair.
"If this game references 'Chinese chess', then it shouldn't just be the 'pieces' that are referenced," Wen Qiaoyun said. "The 'chessboard' should also be considered."
"'Chessboard'...?"
"Right." Wen Qiaoyun bent down and modified the map Chu Tianqiu had drawn, erasing the five central rooms and writing a few words in their place.
"Chu River, Han Border."
"Tianqiu, this is more like it," Wen Qiaoyun said. "Although the board has changed compared to the traditional one, according to 'Chinese chess', the middle row of rooms should count as the 'river', and not be considered part of the playing field."
Chu Tianqiu took a deep breath after hearing this, feeling this situation was particularly nostalgic for him.
Every time he made a suggestion, there was always someone who would step forward to tell him 'something's missing', and then fill in the gaps in the whole suggestion with a few words.
This kind of planning was inseparable from both Wen Qiaoyun and himself.
"You're right..." Chu Tianqiu nodded. "Since it's a square 'chessboard', this is the only way to get closer to the 'Chinese chess' setting."
Yan Zhichun stood in the corner, seemingly out of place with the others. After a moment of silence, she spoke: "Since it's 'playing chess', how do we move? We all carry 'characters' with us, and then you take a step, he takes a step?"
Chu Tianqiu listened, lowered his head to think for a moment, then shook his head: "Probably not... Although it's called 'chess', it's not a turn-based game, because it's unlikely that everyone can hear the 'Commander's' orders from every corner. So, I deduce that besides the 'Commander', the remaining six people should all be moving simultaneously."
"Simultaneously...?" Wen Qiaoyun and Yan Zhichun furrowed their brows at the same time.
"So in this game, besides competing for 'characters', 'intelligence' is also crucial," Chu Tianqiu said. "Just like marching and fighting in ancient times... Although our field isn't large, our vision is blocked by high walls and doors. Even I, as the 'Commander', can't know the battlefield situation in real time. That's why we need an 'intelligence officer', so I can better control the overall situation."
Having said this, Chu Tianqiu turned his gaze to Jin Yuanxun.
"Jin Yuanxun, your ability is the most suitable for being the intelligence officer," Chu Tianqiu said. "Has your 'Belief' improved now? With doors blocking the way... can you 'teleport' freely?"
"It's hard to say, bro," Jin Yuanxun shook his head. "Without a good understanding of the terrain, I can't risk trying that. Otherwise, I might accidentally 'teleport' somewhere else."
Chu Tianqiu nodded after hearing this. If Jin Yuanxun accidentally 'teleported' into 'Heaven's Mouth', it would probably be directly considered an 'escape'.
"Then spend some time familiarizing yourself with the terrain first," Chu Tianqiu said. "Report the situation on the battlefield to me as much as possible."
"Okay," Jin Yuanxun nodded.
"Next, I'll distribute the 'characters'," Chu Tianqiu said, scanning the people before him. "You are all smart people. You should know that 'characters' cannot be exposed. After the game starts, we'll spend a few minutes 'probing'. First, guess what the opponent's 'character' is. Second, survey the structure of the 'battlefield'."
"Okay," everyone nodded in agreement.
"What about you?" Yan Zhichun asked. "Are you going to stay in the 'Preparation Zone' the whole time, sending us to the front lines to fight?"
Chu Tianqiu smiled and nodded after hearing this: "I believe Qi Xia will do the same as me. In the first few minutes of the game, he'll first use his teammates' 'characters' to score points. After all, only the 'Commander' can score points. In the time that follows, he'll score points one by one using the 'characters' his teammates snatch."
The group fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
After speaking, Chu Tianqiu picked up the seven 'characters' in his hand and said to everyone: "Our team's composition is different from Qi Xia's. Here, many of you don't know each other very well, so 'individual ability' is far more important than 'teamwork'. I won't ask you to unite. Just act according to your own ideas. If you're unsure about a tactic, you can ask Wen Qiaoyun or Yan Zhichun. If they can't decide, you can come to me."
Upon hearing this, the group felt that Chu Tianqiu's leadership strategy was a bit unusual, but it was also the best choice at the moment.
"I also have to state upfront that my wisdom is no match for Qi Xia's. To avoid being erased in this game, we have to rely on the 'Echoes' you all release," Chu Tianqiu said. "But most of your 'Echoes' are still unstable and need time to adapt. So we'll make our move in the later stages and win the game in one fell swoop."
Next, Chu Tianqiu took out the 'characters' in his hand, thought for a moment, and distributed six of them to the group.