Chapter 542 Narrow Victory
"You still haven't told me who you gave that top-tier custom Go set I gifted you!"
The crowd went silent, stunned. It seemed like Clarence and Abella were really close.
Was Clarence talking about that insanely expensive Go set that made waves both locally and internationally?
Rumor had it the pieces were super rare. Any piece with chips, uneven color, cracks, or the wrong size was rejected. Just picking the materials took three years.
Then, it took another three years to handcraft the 361 pieces.
After it was made, Go collectors went nuts over it, and Clarence had won it at an auction for $18 million. He cherished it.
But now it sounded like Abella gave it away after he gifted it to her!
Abella smiled and asked, "Grandpa Wodehouse, are you trying to settle old scores?"
That set was what Clarence lost to her in a match!
A bet's a bet.
Once given, it was hers to do with as she pleased.
"That set means a lot to me. I don't care, you have to play Go with me today!" Clarence demanded.
"Here?" Abella looked around at the packed crowd.
Clarence's eyes lit up. "Right here!"
He finally caught her; no way he'd miss a chance to play.
At his level, finding a worthy opponent was tough.
"Are you sure?" Abella teased.
Last time he lost, only a few servants were watching. Now, with so many students around, what if he lost again?
Wasn't he worried about his reputation?
"Absolutely sure!" Clarence whispered to Abella, "I've been practicing a lot at home these past few months!!"
Just to win once and regain his pride.
Abella chuckled. "So... what's the bet this time?"
"No bets," Clarence waved his hands, "Just for fun."
He couldn't risk losing something valuable to Abella again, especially if she might give it away.
That would kill him.
The crowd was beyond shocked.
The famous Go master Clarence came to Innovation University's competition backstage to play with Abella?
How good was Abella at Go?
Even though she had beat Elsa earlier, it shouldn't be enough to catch Clarence's attention, right?
Elsa, on the side, clenched her fists in disbelief.
Why did Dominic and Clarence think so highly of Abella?
Abella grew up in the Wilson family; how did she even know someone like Clarence?
Elsa was upset because even her teacher Ben couldn't meet Clarence whenever he wanted, let alone Abella.
But Clarence had Hubert fetch the Go set, sat down, and started a match with Abella.
The match between these two heavyweights left everyone in awe. From the get-go, they were neck and neck, making it a thrilling watch.
This was what Go was all about!
Clarence was having a blast.
Abella, unlike her cold demeanor with Elsa, seemed genuinely engaged, like she was playing with an old friend. She watched the charming old man Clarence with great interest.
"I captured one of your pieces!" Clarence exclaimed, overjoyed. Capturing one of Abella's pieces was like capturing a hundred from anyone else!
Abella laughed. Clarence's joy over one piece showed how long it had been since he last won.
Everyone thought Abella would lose, but as time went on, they stayed evenly matched.
The students from Medical University were stunned. Abella was actually a match for Clarence!
They had been playing for half an hour, and she still hadn't lost; they had captured an equal number of pieces!
How was she doing it?
Clarence was secretly thrilled; his months of practice were paying off. He could now keep up with Abella!
"I told you, you've been so busy lately that you've neglected your Go practice. Look, how long has it been since you last practiced?"
With Abella's skill, she should have beaten him in about half an hour.
But now...
Just as Clarence was feeling proud, Abella captured three of his pieces. His eyes widened. "You, you, you..."
"What's wrong?"
Staring at the board, Clarence realized he had overlooked a vulnerability that Abella exploited!
From then on, he focused all his energy on the game.
Meanwhile, Brian, the president of the Medical University student council, checked the time and felt worried.
By now, Abella's team should have finished their talent competition, but they hadn't shown up.
'Could it be that her team is completely defeated and she stays behind to comfort a bunch of crying people?'
Thinking this, he sent Abella a message on WhatsApp.
Brian: [Are you done? Need any help?]
Joanna nervously clung to Josie's arm. "Why hasn't Abella come yet? I'm getting nervous."
"Me too."
Their turn was coming up, and Abella had promised to come and cheer them on before their match.
But now, Abella hadn't replied to their messages or answered their calls.
"This..." At this moment, Clarence saw another of his pieces captured by Abella and looked on helplessly.
Although Abella hadn't been practicing at home, she understood Clarence's strategies and knew what kind of defenses he would set up.
So she let Clarence think he had successfully defended, then struck from another direction, capturing his pieces.
Clarence regretted it; he shouldn't have made that move earlier!!
Another half hour passed, and Abella narrowly won by one piece.
The entire crowd was stunned, but no one dared to applaud, fearing it would hurt Clarence's pride.
They looked at Clarence in disbelief; this was the famous Go master Clarence!
And he lost to Abella?
Clarence was about to praise her when suddenly a girl jumped out to question.
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