Chapter 759

But since the other party had already spoken encouragement, out of courtesy, he still turned his head slightly.

He nodded gently in the direction of the source of the sound.

Seeing this, those girls had blushing cheeks and grabbed each other's arms and shook them, obviously very happy.

Xia Mujun quickly withdrew his gaze and walked quickly through the passage.

Isolating the noise behind him.

Passing through the contestant passage, he stepped into the interior of the hall.

The spacious competition hall was already bustling with noise.

There was still more than an hour before the official start, but the spectator seats had already been occupied by seventy or eighty percent.

A sea of black heads was rising and falling, and the buzzing discussion sound was like a low tide.

Walking out of the contestant passage, he stepped directly into the exclusive contestant waiting area.

This area was simply separated from the spectator seats, and the location was prominent.

Naturally, it also attracted the curious and scrutinizing eyes of many spectators.

When Xia Mujun's figure appeared at the entrance of the waiting area—

A small commotion immediately sounded in the nearby spectator seats.

Some pointed and gestured, some whispered, mixed with sporadic cheers and whistles.

Causing more people around to look sideways.

The criticism in a small area spread quietly.

Xia Mujun didn't care about this.

He just took it as an ordinary noise that happened occasionally in the venue, which had nothing to do with him.

His gaze swept calmly across the contestant waiting area.

It was much more empty here.

The seats were sparse, and only a few figures were scattered among them.

Among them, there were two figures he had seen.

That professional five-dan shogi player who once wanted to take him as an apprentice, Ishida Kazuo.

And the brat with a bad temper beside him, Fukuda Yasuhiro.

For Ishida Kazuo, he still had some basic respect.

But for that Fukuda Yasuhiro with a rebellious look and rude words, he really couldn't have any good feelings.

Just at this moment.

The phone in his pocket vibrated.

Caller ID: Furukawa Masahiro.

Press the answer button.

【Furukawa Masahiro: Xia Mujun, you have already entered the venue, right?】

【Xia Mujun: How do you know?】

【Furukawa Masahiro: Haha, when you walked out of the contestant area, many of your fans saw you, causing a little commotion. Naturally, I noticed it.】

Xia Mujun was slightly startled.

So that noise just now...

【Furukawa Masahiro: By the way, do you plan to sit in the contestant area today? If you don't have this plan, I wonder if you can come over and sit for a while? My granddaughter Caixu was so happy to see you appear, she has been urging me to call you over.】

【Xia Mujun: Of course I can. I don't have anyone I'm familiar with in the contestant area, so it's good to go to your side and wait for the competition to start.】

【Furukawa Masahiro: Thank you very much.】

After informing him of the specific seating area, Xia Mujun looked up, his gaze searching quickly among the huge spectator seats.

He soon locked onto the approximate direction where the grandfather and granddaughter Furukawa were.

He stepped forward to go.

However, two figures had already blocked his path first.

It was Ishida Kazuo and Fukuda Yasuhiro.

The two seemed to have been waiting here, and at this moment took the initiative to greet him.

Ishida Kazuo was about twenty-eight or twenty-nine, with a steady temperament.

He had a warm smile on his face, and his tone was gentle.

"Good morning, Xia Mujun."

After saying that.

He turned his head, looking at Fukuda Yasuhiro beside him as if signaling.

Fukuda Yasuhiro still had a stinky face.

His lips were pursed into a stiff straight line, and his eyes were full of undisguised resistance and annoyance.

For Xia Mujun, he had no good feelings at all.

This guy not only rejected the olive branch his master took the initiative to offer.

But also caused him to be slapped in public by his master because of his loose mouth, and he was severely reprimanded for a long time after returning.

Now he wants him to take the initiative to greet this guy?

Absolutely impossible!

Seeing his apprentice's uncooperative stinky face, a trace of helplessness flashed in Ishida Kazuo's eyes.

But in front of outsiders, he ultimately couldn't reprimand too much.

What's more, although Fukuda Yasuhiro didn't say hello at this moment, he didn't say anything rude again.

He couldn't force it anymore.

He had to gently bring the topic over.

"It seems we are in the same session this time. I hope we don't draw each other as opponents."

He paused, his tone more sincere.

"I heard some things about you from a familiar staff member, um... that is Horikawa Kaori."

"She is a good friend I know, and she mentioned you to me."

"After understanding your situation, I sincerely hope you can go further. At least, win the victory in this fifth round and get that 160,000 yen prize money."

Xia Mujun's impression of Ishida Kazuo was indeed not bad.

He nodded slightly.

"Thank you for your concern."

"I also hope that both of us can successfully advance in this round of competition."

Ishida Kazuo smiled and nodded.

His impression of Xia Mujun had always been good.

Outstanding appearance, proper words and deeds, calm temperament.

It's a pity that the other party's ambition is not here, and he has already clearly rejected his recruitment.

Of course, he didn't give up completely.

The difficulty of this round of "two-match" has increased sharply.

Two consecutive high-intensity matches are very likely to encounter strong enemies whose strength exceeds his own.

However, for him, a professional five-dan, the pressure is still within a controllable range.

He knows most of the professional shogi players in the same division, and each has a strategy to deal with them.

There are not many professional shogi players whose strength is significantly stronger than his, so there is no need to worry too much.

But Xia Mujun is different.

Judging from Horikawa Kaori's description, his shogi strength is about the same as that Asahina Xiaoyue, perhaps around level 1 of the Reward Association.

This strength is probably even weaker than his twelve-year-old apprentice Fukuda Yasuhiro.

Although Fukuda Yasuhiro has a bad temper, his shogi strength is a solid first-dan of the Reward Association.

Reaching the first-dan means having a systematic understanding of shogi.

As long as the age is still under eighteen, becoming a professional shogi player is basically just a matter of time.

His apprentice reached this state at only twelve years old, and his future is indeed limitless.

This is also the reason why he is willing to take him as an apprentice even if he doesn't like his temperament.

After all, temperament can be tempered, but talent cannot be forced.