The classroom was empty except for a desk in the center.
And a chess board.
Not digital.
Not glowing.
Just—
Wood.
The boy pulled out a chair.
"Sit."
Mei Chen crossed her arms.
"…We're not playing."
He shook his head slightly.
"No."
He gestured to the board.
"I'm teaching."
That caught Lin Xia's attention.
"…Why?"
He sat across the board.
"…Because if you don't learn," he said calmly,
"…you'll lose something you can't get back."
Silence.
Yue Ning sat first.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Mei Chen sighed and dropped into a chair.
"…Fine."
Lin Xia sat last.
Eyes fixed on the board.
The boy placed the pieces neatly.
"Xiangqi," he said.
"Chinese chess."
He looked at them.
"You know the basics?"
Lin Xia nodded slightly.
"…Some."
"Good."
He placed his hand on a piece.
"This is your General," he said, pointing.
"It must stay inside the palace."
He traced a small box on the board.
"If it's trapped… you lose."
Yue Ning leaned closer.
Watching.
The boy moved another piece.
"This is a Chariot."
"It moves in straight lines. Any distance."
He slid it forward.
One… two… three spaces.
The sound echoed softly.
Mei Chen leaned in.
"…So it's like a rook."
He glanced at her.
"…Yes."
Then—
He reset the piece.
"Now watch carefully."
He moved a soldier forward.
One step.
"Soldiers only move forward," he said.
"Until they cross the river."
He tapped the center of the board.
"After that…"
He moved it sideways.
"They can move left or right."
Yue Ning whispered:
"…So they become more flexible…"
He nodded slightly.
Then—
He sat back.
"Now," he said,
"we play a real sequence."
The air shifted slightly.
Not a full game.
But something close.
"Opening move," he said.
He picked up the soldier.
Moved it forward.
One step. Center file.
Lin Xia watched carefully.
"…Control the center," she murmured.
He looked at her.
"…Good."
Mei Chen moved next.
She picked up her chariot.
Moved it forward—
Then stopped.
"…No. That's too aggressive."
She changed her move.
Moved a soldier instead.
The boy nodded slightly.
"Now," he said,
"watch what happens when you rush."
He moved his chariot.
Straight down the board.
Fast.
Direct.
Yue Ning blinked.
"…That's dangerous…"
Lin Xia's eyes narrowed.
"…It looks strong, but it's exposed."
The boy smiled faintly.
"Exactly."
Mei Chen leaned forward.
Then—
She moved her cannon.
Positioning it behind a soldier.
"…Cannon needs a screen," she said quietly.
The boy's eyes flickered.
"Very good."
The tension grew.
Even though it wasn't a real match—
It felt like one.
Every move mattered.
Every decision had weight.
Then—
He stopped.
"…Now imagine," he said quietly,
"…this board decides if you keep your eyes."
Silence.
Yue Ning's breath caught.
The pieces suddenly felt heavier.
Real.
The boy stood.
"You don't lose because the game is hard."
He looked at each of them.
"You lose because you panic."
A pause.
"Or because someone forces you into a game you're not ready for."
He stepped back toward the door.
"Next time you see a match…"
He glanced at them once more.
"…don't just watch."
Then he left.
Leaving them alone.
With the board.
And the understanding—
That every move…
Could cost them something real.