I Don't Feel Like Losing Today

"In my opinion, the White Room's provocation is nothing but a mayfly trying to shake a tree, and the so-called artificial genius is nothing but a delusional fraud."

Alice!

As the girl's face was fully revealed, her fairytale-like silver-white hair and delicate features made Matsushita Chiaki's mother let out a loud scream, so intense that Matsushita Chiaki rolled her eyes.

"Only I am suited to burying hypocritical geniuses."

Raise your cane, point forward, and make a declaration:

"The only value of the White Room is that it has made my life, so far, a little bit more enjoyable."

"I will prove to everyone why geniuses are called geniuses."

Her words were resounding and powerful, and with the background music building to a climax, they easily stirred emotions. As the last note faded, Sakayanagi Arisu's name appeared.

It must be said that the packaging ability of Japanese variety shows is truly unparalleled. Matsushita Chiaki's emotions were unconsciously stirred, and she couldn't help but lean forward slightly, as the next scene slowly began to appear.

"Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School? You mean that 'prestigious' high school whose entrance exam I passed with ease?"

The boy in the picture smiled, showing his teeth.

"Honey! I'm joining the White Room Faction!"

Matsushita Chiaki simply thought this boy was more handsome than anyone she had ever seen; his smile seemed to have touched her very heart. Meanwhile, Mrs. Matsushita had already decisively switched allegiance.

"What do you think about us having another son?"

Mr. Matsushita nearly spat out his tea. He coughed heavily a few times, and before he could reply, he realized that his two children were already glued to the television screen, looking even more focused than before.

To be honest, only a not-so-clear video of Kitagawa Ryo circulated online before, and most netizens only learned about this news through various tabloids or marketing accounts. Many people didn't really notice that this child was actually so good-looking.

"As for what to say to Sakayanagi Arisu..."

The boy's tone suddenly filled with intense confidence; he opened his arms, and the camera began to zoom out, responding under the [WhiteRoom] sign:

"Can you really bury me?"

The sound echoed through the mountains and forests, and the last thing to appear was Kitagawa Ryo's fleeting black eyes.

The scene cuts back to Sakayanagi Arisu and Kitagawa Ryo, who have entered amidst applause from the audience and are standing on either side of the host.

"Through the short video we just watched, you should all recognize the two people sitting next to me."

"However, would you two please introduce yourselves again?"

The host smiled and squatted down.

"I am Sakayanagi Arisu."

Sakayanagi Arisu was dressed very warmly today, and perhaps because of that, her face was a little flushed. Although she was secretly scratching herself so hard she could practically scream "Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School," she still introduced herself with a smile.

"I am Liang."

Kitagawa Ryo's self-introduction was also quite brief. His somewhat slender figure looked even narrower than Sakayanagi Arisu next to him. Before Matsushita Chiaki could react, she was pulled into her mother's arms. She looked up in confusion and found that her mother was watching the TV screen intently, her eyes full of loving eyes.

Oh no, I think I've become a meal replacement!

After the two people finished introducing themselves, the host spoke again:

"Alright, as we could already see from the short video, these two children each represent ANHS and White Room, respectively. So, we've also invited a few guests today."

The previously dark corner of the stage was immediately illuminated, and the first person to stand up under the spotlight was Sakayanagi Narimori.

"Welcome Mr. Sakayanagi Narimori, the current Chairman of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School."

Enthusiastic applause.

"Welcome, Ayanokoji Atsuomi, senator and founder of the White Room training institution."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi also greeted people with a smile; his smile, honed over many years as a politician, appeared quite Affinity.

"Then comes Jean Piaget, one of the world's leading child psychologists and a cognitive neuroscientist from Switzerland."

(Note: Jean Piaget passed away in 1980. This is for plot purposes and has no impact on the main storyline.)

The elderly scholar with white hair stood up and waved, his deep eyes watching the two people on the stage with great interest.

"Finally, it's Mr. Koenji Conglomerate Koenji."

The last person to stand up was a rather well-off-looking man who waved with a broad smile.

For the Matsushita Chiaki family watching television, or rather, for most ordinary families, these four people were considered important figures. At least, their string of titles sounded quite intimidating, which immediately heightened their anticipation for the upcoming program.

It looks so professional, after all.

"Now, let's hear from our four guests about their thoughts."

The host quickly changed the subject; he was someone you really couldn't afford to offend.

"Yes, what I wanted to say has already been said by Arisu."

"Me too."

Sakayanagi Narimori and Ayanokoji Atsuomi were locked in a tense standoff, and the background music further enhanced the atmosphere of impending conflict.

"I'm just really interested in these two, and I want to see if... they really are that talented?"

Piaget pointed to his brain as he spoke:

"Children's brains should be immature."

"So, I'm really looking forward to it."

The last speaker, Mr. Koenji, gave a very understated speech:

"My son thought it was quite interesting, so he asked me to be a guest to see if it was just for show or something."

A loud commotion was produced.

The host quickly added:

"If Mr. Koenji doesn't believe it, he can come down and supervise in person later."

"Um."

After the four guests finished speaking, the host began again:

"Before the competition officially begins, I would like to ask everyone about the definition of genius, or rather, in which areas must one be extraordinary to be called a genius?"

After thinking for a while, Matsushita Chiaki couldn't help but speak up:

"Memory."

After all, for children her age, whoever has a good memory will have good grades and can naturally be considered Tian.

The parents agreed, nodding in agreement.

Sure enough, the host smiled and said:

"The thing that got the loudest shouts from the audience just now was about memory."

"Then let's start our duel with memory."

Are you both ready?

Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu spoke together:

"Ready."

"Alright, let's look at today's matchup."

The scene shifts again, and what appears before Matsushita Chiaki is a deck of cards.

"Memory Challenge: Advanced Concentration"

Concentration, a very popular card game in Japan, was known to even Matsushita Chiaki.

A deck of cards is shuffled and arranged face down on the table in an array or in a random manner. Each of the two players takes turns flipping over two cards. If the cards have the same value, the player wins, takes their hand, and takes another turn. If the two cards have different values, the player loses, flips their two cards back over, and ends their turn.

The game ends when all the playing cards are collected into one's hand; the player with the most cards wins.

It is indeed a game that tests memory, but when Matsushita Chiaki plays with her friends, they usually just guess. It's already quite impressive if they can remember the positions of a few cards.

However, the rules shown on the television screen were different from those that Matsushita Chiaki usually played:

[Advanced Concentration: Two decks of cards are shuffled and placed face down in a square array on the table. Each player turns over two cards each turn. A win is achieved when both the rank and suit match (e. g., three of hearts and three of hearts). The player then removes their hand and takes another turn. Any other outcome is considered a loss. After each successful turn, a blank card is immediately placed in the corresponding empty space. If a player later turns over a blank card, they lose that turn and are penalized with a one-turn pause.]

[The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins.]

"Oh My God..."

Not only Matsushita Chiaki, but even her parents were getting restless. Generally speaking, the advanced version of Concentration uses two decks of cards, called Double Concentration. However, the new rules added to this advanced version have increased the difficulty on the basis of Double Concentration.

Because in the game of Concentration, there are always fewer and fewer cards left on the table in the end, which reduces the pressure on memory. However, this rule ensures that there are always 108 cards from beginning to end, which greatly increases the pressure on memory.

The reason this game is called "Concentration" is because even the most basic rules often leave ordinary people dizzy and disoriented from remembering the card positions, much like experiencing Concentration.

Is this really a game that people your own age play?

Matsushita Chiaki trembled.

"No problem."

"It's ready."

On television, Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu nod to each other.

Just like the Ellery Queen brothers back then, the prerequisite for a successful show is having real talent.

So.

Give it your all.

Sakayanagi Arisu a deep breath, but noticed that Kitagawa Ryo's gaze was somewhat unfocused.

Following the other person's gaze, she found a girl about her age sitting in the front row of the audience.

She clasped her hands together as if in prayer, her beautiful purplish-red eyes reflecting only the image of one person.

Chapter 104: I Don't Really Want to Lose Today

"May I examine the playing cards?"

After the rules were read out, Mr. Koenji, who was in the guest seats, immediately raised his hand.

Cheating can occur in any card game, including those involving Concentration. A common cheating method is to tamper with the patterns on the back of the cards to convey information.

"Of course, no problem."

The host nodded and handed two decks of playing cards to Koenji, who had come onto the stage. Mr. Koenji then made another phone call, and soon his assistant brought over a brand-new deck of playing cards that he had just purchased, matching the style of the props.

The newly purchased deck of cards was compared one by one with the prop cards, and the backs of the two decks of cards were also shown on the screen. The viewers in front of the TV screen squinted and stared at the cards for a long time, as if they were playing a game of spot the difference.

"It should be the same, just ordinary playing cards."

Matsushita Chiaki stated with certainty that this was the common type of poker she usually used when playing with her friends.

As expected, Mr. Koenji quickly finished his inspection and nodded.

"No problem."

"Thank you for your verification, Mr. Koenji. Now, the duel officially begins."

After the host finished speaking, the staff members next to him stepped forward and randomly shuffled the playing cards and covered them on the table. In order to further demonstrate fairness, they even asked each of the four guests in the guest seats to get down and move a few playing cards.

One hundred and eight cards were neatly arranged on the table, and Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu, who had been waiting for a long time, walked step by step to the center of the stage under the spotlight, confronting each other around the card game.

Since Kitagawa Ryo won the previous coin toss round, he has the first move.

However, this can hardly be considered an advantage, because in the game [Concentration], the initial stage is purely a memory-based process, not to mention this advanced version, the chance of successfully pairing up right from the start is pitifully small.

So Sakayanagi Arisu didn't panic. She was a child with a strong desire to win. Even though she had many questions in her mind, the moment the duel began, she became the same Sakayanagi Arisu she used to be.

The first half of the game "Concentration" isn't about finding a match, but about memorizing.

Because of the setting that allows an extra round after a successful pairing, as long as the opponent's hand size does not exceed half of the total, it is possible to achieve an incredible reversal through continuous successful pairings.

Kitagawa Ryo first turned over two cards: the three of hearts and the five of spades, and unsurprisingly, he failed.

Sakayanagi Arisu memorized the position, suit, and number of the two cards, and then began her turn.

Human memory is limited, especially when it comes to rote memorization.

Therefore, association and constant recall are necessary.

Concentration is no exception.