Global Games: Old Chess Players

2025, April 12.

An Senlu slowly raised his heavy eyelids, as if he had had a long... very long dream.

The afterglow of dusk spilled into the classroom and shone on his peaceful cheeks.

He seemed to be lying on the table, taking a small nap, he stretched in a daze, everything seemed to have never happened, it was just a long dream.

The clock is still hanging on the wall of the classroom, and the hour hand is turning "tick tock", and the classroom is empty.

When the school bell rang, the students picked up their schoolbags and walked out of the classroom talking and laughing.

"Hey, Anson Deer, hurry up and go to duty, it's your turn today."

A familiar voice came, and turning around, it was Xiong Haodong.

"I'm not on duty anymore, Brother Dong, there are other things to do." An Senlu smiled at him.

"What did you say?" Xiong Haodong's tone gradually became fierce.

"Brother Dong, thank you for helping me protect Asuka." An Senlu got up from the table, didn't even bother to arrange the books in the table cabinet, and carried his schoolbag.

"No, what are you talking about?"

Xiong Haodong was dumbfounded.

"Brother Dong, I'm going to travel the world."

Carrying his schoolbag, An Senlu walked to a corner of the classroom, looked at the calendar on the wall, and murmured.

"Let me make a plan, um... first go to Huashan, then take a plane to Tokyo, then go to Mexico in the United States, and then see what university the crying bag went to, and finally, I Going to Iceland... yes, the capital of Iceland."

"It's over, it's all over, there must be something wrong with this kid's brain." Xiong Haodong was shocked.

An Senlu looked a little complicated, looking at the calendar with a smile on his lips.

The date above is December 2025, 12. Originally, on this day, he became an old chess player, but now he just slept in and the time came after school.

The friendly bell after school lingers in my ears, students are constantly passing by outside the classroom window, and birds at dusk land in the corridors of the teaching building.

"Goodbye, Brother Dong, I may not come back in the future." An Senlu tore off this page of the calendar, and walked out of the classroom while talking.

The fresh air is spreading over the surface, and Shangshi City still has the same smell. The afterglow of the setting sun is sprinkled on the whole city, and the setting sun is slowly sinking below the horizon.

An Senlu took a deep breath of air, and walked briskly in the teaching building at dusk, as if he really...really was that 17-year-old boy.

He suddenly looked towards the sky and read a sentence in a voice that no one could hear clearly.

"Christmas sleigh, come to me."

no response...

"Arrange chess pieces, Christmas sleigh."

Still no response...

An Senlu lowered his head, put his hands into the pockets of his school uniform jacket, and smiled lightly.

Sure enough, just as Naxiu said, he became an ordinary person just like everyone else... But so what.

"Then I have to find the crow first." Anson Lu lowered his head and continued walking, "Otherwise, who can help me organize this world trip?"

At the moment when he walked to the end of the corridor and his body was about to be swallowed by the shadow of the stairs, a strong wind blew up, blowing his hair, and the sound of thunder shook the sky.

An Senlu was stunned for a moment, then turned around suddenly, and what came into view were two elk dragging a red sled.

On that day, there was another strange story on the campus of Shangshi High School. At dusk, the empty teaching building and the sleigh fell from the sky.

That night, Anson Deer had just gotten out of the shower, and with a towel draped over his shoulders, he changed into a gray hoodie.

With a "ding", he received a text message.

[Naxiu: After careful consideration, I decided to keep your ability and give it to you as a gift for clearing the game.

but!We must sign a contract, Mr. Anson Lu, in my next selection game, you are absolutely not allowed to make a move, otherwise I will be very angry if the balance of the game is disrupted, you know the price. ]
After reading the text message, An Senlu turned off his cell phone, climbed from the narrow apartment window to the roof, leaned on the railing, and called to the night sky.

"Christmas sleigh, take me to Tokyo, Japan."

The cold evening wind blew in and patted Anson's deer on the cheek.

"Yo-"

Soon, the reindeer came with their hoofs accompanied by thunder, and Ansen's deer got on the sleigh. On this night, he felt unprecedented freedom.

2025, December 12, early morning, Japan, Tokyo Prison.

The man in prison uniform was sitting on the bed, playing a few cards boredly, let go of his fingertips, and the Joker card slowly fell to the ground.

"Someone is here to see you." As the guard said, he opened the door of the cell with a key.

...Is someone coming to see me?

...Is it the casino's enemy?

...Oh, it's really bad under such circumstances.

Ritsu Urushihara raised his eyes, and found that the guard's state was not right, his eyes were covered in pitch black, as if possessed by something.

Immediately, a teenager wearing a hoodie and a hood slowly walked into the cell, with a black swan standing on his shoulder.

The boy said, "Black Swan, tell the guards to go out."

The swan flapped its wings, and the guard left the cell obediently. This scene still looked weird.

The cards in Ritsu Urushihara's hand fell to the ground with a clatter, he raised his eyebrows and asked with great interest:

"So, who are you?"

"My name is Ansenlu." The boy took off his hood, revealed his pair of brown eyes, and let out a long sigh of relief: "I'm here to look for you."

On the afternoon of December 12th, a private high school in New York, USA.

The black and gold school badge was embroidered on the school uniform. The pretty girl put on her earphones and walked out of the classroom slowly, holding a mobile phone in her hand.

On the screen of the mobile phone, she was hesitating whether to send a message to a friend, and densely packed characters were typed in the sending box.

This friend's note on her mobile phone is "Xiao Liuli".

At this moment, he took her mobile phone with one hand, tapped "Send" for her, and then turned off the phone.

Asuka Uesugi was taken aback for a moment, then frowned: "Are you sick?"

An Senlu took off his hood, returned the phone to her, passed by her side, and patted her shoulder lightly:

"Don't you want to travel the world with her? Life is short, so be honest so you won't leave any regrets."

Asuka turned her head blankly, she didn't know why, she always felt that this person was somewhat familiar, but she didn't know the source of this feeling.

Moreover, why did she know about little Liuli?

"who the hell are you?"

She asked Anson Deer's back.

An Senlu didn't turn his head back, he just waved his hand and gradually walked away.

"Oops...the message can't be withdrawn, it's all due to this inexplicable idiot." Asuka Uesugi frowned and muttered, turning on the phone angrily.

At this time, she opened her eyes slightly and stayed where she was. In just a short while, Shendai Liuli had already sent her many, many messages.

[Xiao Liuli: Okay, I've been waiting for the eldest lady too, this summer vacation, let's go on a trip together. ]
Asuka was stunned for a long time, the corners of her lips curled up slightly, and her slender fingers tapped out a message on the phone screen.

[Uesugi Asuka: Well, let’s go together. ]
December 12th, night, America, Mexico, an underground bar.

Wearing a black trench coat, a man with a cold demeanor was sitting on the bar counter, his face was a bit scary against the gloomy lights.

He picked up his phone and looked at the message he had just received.

——[David: Juliu, happy 21st birthday, you have grown up before you know it. ]
Juliu took a sip of the red wine, his eyes flashed.

——[Juliu: Thank you, wait for me for a while, and sooner or later I will help you find the identity of the soldier from the government. ]
At this moment, a man in a suit walked quickly from the door and whispered in his ear: "Snow Wolf, I'm here to look for you."

Juliu asked blankly, "Who?"

"He said he came from China, and he didn't look very old, but he gave the right code, and he was right, so I came to tell you."

Juliu hesitated for two seconds, then said, "Let him in."

Soon, a teenager in a hoodie walks into the speakeasy.

He directly ignored the two men in suits, sat down next to Juliu unceremoniously, and ordered a glass of orange juice with the boss.

"Come to the bar to drink orange juice? How did you let this kind of kid come to see the boss?"

"He got the password right, and he also knows our boss's name, not a single word is missing."

The two men in suits behind Juliu couldn't help whispering when they saw the bar waiter bring over the orange juice.

"Shut up." Juliu said coldly, "Get out, I want to talk to the guest."

The two bodyguards were silent and walked out of the bar quickly.

"What's good about wine, of course orange juice is better." The boy in the hoodie shrugged his shoulders, "Healthy, healthy."

Juliu turned his head and asked coldly: "So, you are?"

"I'm here to make friends with you." The boy spoke fluent English, "My name is An Senlu. I believe you will need my help in the future."

"I'm really confident, do you know who I am?"

"Of course, maybe..." An Senlu laughed, and said quietly, "I know you better than yourself."

December 12, at dusk, Rome, Italy.

A young man came to the beach slowly. He was pushing a wheelchair. A boy with blond hair and blue eyes sat on the wheelchair. The boy looked at the sea.

The afterglow of dusk fell on the sea, and the tide gently slapped the beach, rising and receding, and seagulls flew by in the sky, circling near the lighthouse.

"Brother, what did the doctor say?"

"Say your feet will heal soon."

"It's deceiving, isn't it?" Cosimo's eyes were covered by the blond hair, "I know better than anyone else the condition of my body."

Lorenzo was silent for a long time, his blue eyes drooped, and no sound came out of his throat.

Cosimo smiled: "It's okay, brother."

At this moment, a teenager in a gray hoodie came from the other end of the beach. He was holding a glass of orange juice and wearing sunglasses, looking carefree.

The boy in the hoodie stopped in front of the two of them, quietly looking at their faces.

"Who are you?" Lorenzo asked.

The boy ignored him, just glanced at Cosimo's legs, then drank the orange juice in his hand, and said:

"Natasha, come to me."

A girl in a purple dress and a pair of cool purple pupils appeared next to him. This scene made both Lorenzo and Cosimo stunned.

"Natasha, use the skill, Lamp Healing on this brat."

"What do you want to do?"

Lorenzo frowned, and rushed to Cosimo's body.

At this moment, the boy and the girl named 'Natasha' had disappeared. Cosimo was startled for a moment, and stood up from the wheelchair directly.

"Cosimo, are you alright?" Lorenzo turned his head and froze on the spot.

"elder brother……"

Cosimo stood upright on the beach, staring blankly at his legs, and murmured.

"I can move, my feet can move..."

In the distance, An Senlu and Natasha were walking on a quiet side street. The sunlight was cut into strands by the iron mesh of the dome, but they still followed their figures.

"It has to be you, Natasha, who went to the hometown of the ninja master and learned the medical skills by the way."

"That's a necessary lesson."

"I don't know what's delicious in Italy, forget it, let's eat all of them."

"Well, as ordered."

At this moment, An Senlu suddenly stopped, and he looked at the sausage shop at the corner of the street.

A young man with long black hair and a sword bag on his back stopped in front of the sausage shop. He stared at the signboard with a solemn face, his cheeks were sunken, and he looked like he hadn't eaten for a few days.

"What's wrong?" Natasha asked softly.

"I met an acquaintance. I didn't expect such a coincidence. I said why I didn't find him in Huashan." An Senlu walked towards the sword bag youth and said:

"Hey, are you traveling around the world too?"

Hearing this sentence, the sword bag youth was taken aback for a moment, and then said: "Well, I came out to relax, to bid farewell to the past."

"Shall I treat you to a meal?" An Senlu patted him on the shoulder.

The young man with the sword bag originally wanted to refuse, but after hesitating for two seconds, he nodded, "Thank you, my name is Chu Qimo, and you can find me if you have anything to do in the future."

"My name is Anson Deer, and I also came out to travel poorly, but my mafia friend in Mexico gave me a sum of money."

An Senlu walked into the sausage shop one step ahead of him.

"By the way, remember to collect enough money first when you go on a trip in the future. You can find a job in the Children's Palace around Beijing, teaching kendo."

Chu Qimo followed him, walked into the sausage shop, and asked with a puzzled expression, "How do you know I know swordsmanship?"

"Guess, we haven't met before."

"so."

"By the way, if you really want to teach swordsmanship in the Children's Palace in the future, then I have to call you 'Teacher Chu'."

"The teacher is still a bit too far, and you are thinking too far."

An Senlu found a seat and sat down, opened the menu, and looked at him with a smile:

"It doesn't matter, so what do you want to eat, Teacher Chu, I'm treating you."

December 12th, night, Iceland, Reykjavik, a hospital.

The girl in hospital gown slowly woke up from the hospital bed, she opened her eyes, her snow-white hair drooped on her shoulders.

Books as high as mountains are piled up on the ground beside the bed, covering half of the sunlight from the window, and the branches outside the window are swaying lonely in the cold wind.

She moved her eyes and looked out the window.

Snowing.

The sky is shrouded in a ray of pure cyan aurora. From a distance, you can see the famous Perlan in Reykjavik.

The appearance of the Perlan is like a transparent crystal ball. This huge sphere is embedded in the center of the Icelandic capital, and it is brightly lit at night.

At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded in the silent room.

"It's so cold in Iceland."

The white-haired girl turned her head, her clear eyes looked at the boy in the hoodie standing by the wall.

"you are?"

"I'm here for a trip," the young man said while helping his forehead with a headache, "I was still walking in Hokkaido, but I lost my way while wandering around, and I was already here when I came back to my senses."

"Walking in Hokkaido, I can get here..." The girl's voice was cold, "This is not a walk, it can already be regarded as 'sleepwalking'."

She answered the same thing again, same as then.

"It seems to be..." An Senlu lowered his head and smiled slightly: "Hokkaido and the capital of Iceland are a bit far away."

He casually picked up a book piled beside the bed, flipping through it quietly under the moonlight, tears slowly falling from the corners of his eyes.

A brief silence hung between the two.

The clock was still ticking, and the white-haired girl was watching him, clearly never seeing each other, but he always gave himself a sense of familiarity.

"Why... are you crying?" she asked softly.

"Because I saw someone I missed."

"...You, are you here to look for me?"

"Yes, I'm here to find you."

"Thank you, no one has ever looked for me."

An Senlu opened his mouth slightly and lowered his head. The night shrouded his cheeks like a curtain. The girl couldn't see her expression clearly, and could only hear his voice:
"Winter is coming to an end, and then summer and autumn are coming.

"So, how about going out with me to see the world? How boring it is to stay in the ward all the time."

It was still snowing outside the window.

"You're really weird," she whispered.

"I know too." An Senlu laughed at himself, "So, will you come with me?" He stretched out his right hand while speaking.

The pile of books covered the moonlight shining on Yuri. She lowered her clear eyes. After a long time, she raised her head and caught An Senlu's hand:

"I'll go with you."

(End of the book)