To her fans, Wendelyn radiated an air of calm confidence by letting her opponent play the black pieces and make the first move, as if victory was already in her grasp.

On the public chat screen, the comments flooded in.

[Oh my god. Isn’t Wendy classy?] [At first, I was just a fan of her looks, but now I’m totally hooked! She’s amazing. It’s like she can do anything. I totally respect her.] [Wendy is like an angel…] [I never thought I’d see Wendy playing chess in person today. This is such a pleasant surprise. Who’s she playing against?] [I’m so excited! Is Wendy’s opponent any good? What rank are they?] [Don’t forget, Wendy beat a professional player just a few days ago.]

The fans showered her with praise while sending gifts like crazy. Honestly, Wendelyn had the charisma to start her own cult.

Wendelyn grinned slightly at the barrage of praise, her vanity satisfied beyond measure. Her eyes then drifted over to Shermaine.

Under the lights, Shermaine wore a blue-and-white dress, her hair tied in a simple bun, looking calm and unassuming. But she was effortlessly stunning, graceful, and radiant like the moon in the sky.

In comparison, even with her light makeup, Wendelyn couldn’t hold a candle to Shermaine’s natural allure. Jealousy clawed at her chest, and the urge to crush Shermaine’s radiance consumed her.

Wendelyn kept the camera focused on Shermaine’s hands, intentionally avoiding her face. Meanwhile, she made sure her whole body was fully in frame.

Wearing casual loungewear, glasses, and light makeup, she basked in the soft glow of beauty filters that added an extra layer of charm. From every angle, she looked stunning in the eyes of her viewers.

Wendelyn knew that if the viewers saw Shermaine’s stunning face, they’d be instantly charmed, completely forgetting about her–the talented girl they had admired. She couldn’t bear the thought of them calling Shermaine more beautiful than her.

Shermaine raised an eyebrow, seeing no reason to turn down Wendelyn’s offer to go first with the black pieces. She casually picked up a black piece and said nonchalantly, “Alright, then.”

Her voice was soft and lazy, carrying a charm that could make anyone’s knees go weak. It was utterly captivating.

Wendelyn continued, “Playing just chess is boring. How about we make a bet, Shermaine?”

Shermaine loved betting. She hadn’t gotten much excitement from her bet with Mason–it was just too easy. But this time, Wendelyn was wearing her cheating device, so it might be a little more challenging.

Shermaine raised her gaze, her interest piqued. “What do you want to bet on?”

Meanwhile, Janice felt a sense of foreboding. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Wendelyn was like a fox in the henhouse, up to no good.

Wendelyn smiled, her eyes glinting with the determination of someone sure to win. “The loser has to agree to one request from the winner.”

Shermaine didn’t think twice. She smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and replied, “Sure, as long as you can win, I’ll agree to anything. But don’t forget–you might lose too. Be ready to accept whatever you might lose.”

Wendelyn clenched her fists and lowered her gaze. “I don’t have much to lose. The only thing I’ve ever wanted… is already yours, Shermaine.”

Chapter 48

Her pitiful tone was perfectly calculated, and the live stream audience took the bait, immediately spinning tales of family drama. Everyone knew Wendelyn was the Jean family’s heiress, but recently, rumors had spread about the return of the Jean family’s long lost true heiress.

It was said that since her return, she had quickly gained a bad reputation, accused of causing trouble wherever she went, relying on her newfound status and Joshua’s support.

The audience was shocked that she even bullied her sister.

Janice…

Wendelyn looked aggrieved, “Grandma, don’t be…”

“You…” Janice stammered, consumed with fury.

“I’ll stop.”

In an instant, both Shermaine and Janice were getting bombarded with insults by the viewers of the live stream.

Janice was fuming. Worried about her health, Shermaine quickly stepped in to calm her down. “Grandma, please don’t get upset. It’s not worth it.” She turned to Wendelyn and said, “I keep my word. If you manage to win, I’ll grant you any wish you want.”

Wendelyn’s eyes sparkled with determination. “Shermaine, I will beat you.”

Shermaine smirked, her smile confident and alluring.

[Shermaine’s way too arrogant. Wendy is definitely going to beat her. She talks like she’s some kind of big deal.] [Wendy, we’ve got your back! If you want something, go for it! Only after trying will you have no regrets.] [You’ve got this, Wendy! You’re the best!]

Some random viewers couldn’t help but be drawn to Shermaine. [Am I the only one who thinks Shermaine is kinda cool?] [Nope, not just you.] [Her voice is amazing too.]

But they were immediately attacked by Wendelyn’s die-hard fans and fell silent, only lurking in the chat.

As for Wendelyn’s chess skills, she had competed in an amateur tournament above the state level, winning a championship and attaining the Class D level. While she wasn’t a professional player, her victory in such a challenging and complex tournament had made her quite well-known at the time. But Shermaine thought that Wendelyn’s championship probably had more to do with the high-tech cheating glasses she was wearing now.

Wendelyn streamed everything–drawing, playing the piano, singing–and of course, playing chess. She’d often play against others on a platform called “World Chess,” where amateur players from different countries gathered, and even professional players sometimes joined under pseudonyms to dominate the games.

Wendelyn had consistently won her matches there. She was ranked Class C and close to advancing to Class B.

When she played against Owen that day, she didn’t wear the glasses–likely afraid he’d catch on. After all, Owen, being a National Master, was no ordinary player.

Professional players are sharp and meticulous, especially those who’ve won awards in major tournaments. Trying to cheat in front of them is asking for trouble. That’s why Wendelyn only dared to play against amateur players.

Even when she did encounter a professional, it was usually someone at the Expert level, easy to fool and unlikely to notice her tricks.

Meanwhile, in the AI Technology Department on the 65th floor of the York Group building, Joshua walked in and glanced at the blue-haired Roy. “How’s it going?” he asked.

Chapter 48

Right now, they were working on upgrading and optimizing the face recognition 3.0 system, and the team was burning the midnight oil.

Roy had been called in to help solve some issues. Of course, he wasn’t doing it for free. Even though they were close friends, Joshua made sure to pay him what he was worth.

Roy stretched his neck. “Almost done. Should be finished before midnight.” Standing up, he added, “I’m hungry. Let’s go out and grab something to eat.”

Joshua’s face remained expressionless. “I already had Bradley order takeout.”

Roy’s mouth twitched. “Seriously? I’m helping you out, and you won’t even treat me to a proper meal?”

“Didn’t I pay you enough?” Joshua replied flatly.

That wasn’t true. Joshua, known for his generosity, had paid Roy tens of millions for his help.

Soon, Bradley brought the takeout in.

Roy thought eating alone was a little sad, so he decided to just eat in Joshua’s office. If they couldn’t go out, they’d at least eat together here. He’d make do.

Joshua, however, showed no intention of eating. He was focused on the project reports submitted by the higher-ups.

The York Group, with its unshakable position in Basterel, was originally built on real estate and aviation manufacturing, industries in which they were leaders.

When Joshua took over the family business after retiring from the military, he established a new department–M&A Strategic Investment Department.

In just five years, he spearheaded the acquisition of over 40 companies, large and small, domestically and internationally. He also led the group’s overseas commercial bank in securing several billion-dollar mergers, earning him a stellar reputation in the financial world.

He had a broad portfolio of ventures, including major investments in AI and new energy. The returns from breakthroughs in AI and new energy alone had driven the York Group’s market value past $900 billion.

As Roy ate, he suddenly shoved his phone in Joshua’s face. “Look at this! Wendelyn is so beautiful–graceful, elegant, and incredibly talented. Just look at how stunning she is while playing chess.”

Joshua remained indifferent, his gaze briefly shifting to the screen. His attention was drawn to the hand holding the black piece–slender fingers with neatly trimmed nails that had a soft pink hue. Despite the bandages still wrapped around the back of her hand from an injury, she made her moves without hesitation.

He immediately noticed the insults directed at Shermaine and even Janice. His gaze darkened.

Roy continued, “Joshua, who do you think will win–Wendelyn or Shermaine?” He immediately voiced his opinion. “I think it’s Wendelyn. I’d put money on it–she’ll definitely win.”

He remembered Wendelyn’s impressive chess skills. Among players her age, she had few equals. There was no way Shermaine could be a match for Wendelyn.