Go: The live broadcast queen launched a gorgeous rebellion against the dog

The last few warm breezes of May, carrying the scent of fading locust blossoms, quietly slipped away. The languid heat of late spring was imperceptibly replaced by a more stagnant, damp stuffiness.

For several days in a row, the sky remained overcast, brewing a rain that was slow to fall. The beads of sweat on people's foreheads were no longer easily dried by the wind, but clung stickily to their skin, carrying the dampness unique to early summer.

Before we knew it, it was June 7th, the day of the third game of the best-of-five series in the 6th Huaxia Chess Saint Tournament.

At 5:30 p.m., in the players' lounge of the Dongjiang Zhijin Hotel at the Dongjiang Center, the venue for the third match of the Chess Saint Tournament.

At this moment, the third game of the Chess Saint Tournament had just ended. Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the Huangpu River flowed endlessly, its surface reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun, which was somewhat dazzling. Yet, the atmosphere carried a sense of tranquility after the dust had settled.

Lei Qi returned to the lounge looking relieved, but the news he brought back was not good:

"...I'm sorry, Dad, Mom."

"He didn't win a single game in this Chess Saint Tournament."

Xiao Lei, a ninth-dan player, gave a helpless smile and first apologized to his parents who had been waiting for him for a long time.

As Lei Qi said, not long ago, he lost to his peer for the third consecutive time, and also handed over the title of "Chess Saint" that he had held for two years and which symbolized China's leading position with a total score of 0-3.

Rui Zhao, the world's number one player, won his third and most prestigious unrestricted title, naturally becoming the fourth holder of the "Chess Saint" title.

This outcome was considered a natural result by the Chinese chess community and even the world chess community. The couple waiting for their son's return were also mentally prepared.

"...It's alright, son! I think you've played very well these past few games!"
"The main problem is that Rui Zhao is just too unreasonable to be strong right now!"

Lei Jingming stepped forward, patted his son on the shoulder, and laughed nonchalantly:
"As for losing the title... I think we've already won the title of 'Chess Saint' once, had our fill, and that's enough!"

"Our family has everything we need now, and we have more than enough money! You've won world championships and led teams! You're way better than your old man! There's no need for you to cling to this 'Chess Saint' title every day! If I had to say something..."

"If we could go back and find another opportunity to end the Nongshim Cup, then everything would be completely perfect..."

"..."

"Tsk! What nonsense are you spouting, you old codger?!"
"My son has already won seven consecutive games in the Nongshim Cup! Why are you still nitpicking like this!"

Seeing that her son's expression was slightly unnatural, Qin Xiaoxue, with a hint of reproach, pushed away her outspoken husband and turned to her son, saying:
"Son, don't listen to your dad!"
"Just do your best in the Nongshim Cup, don't overthink it!"

"Ah, I still want to try my best in the Nongshim Cup!"

Lei Qi looked at his mother, a relieved smile slowly spreading across his face:

"after all……

"We can't always put the burden on her alone!"

Qin Xiaoxue's heart skipped a beat. She sensed a hidden meaning in her son's words—it seemed to go beyond just a reflection on the shared responsibility within the chess world.

She looked at her son's profile, young yet already showing signs of maturity, and tentatively asked in a soft voice:

"And...what about other aspects?"

"Others? You mean... um!"

Lei Qi subconsciously repeated half of the sentence, somewhat puzzled, then seemed to be enlightened and instantly understood what his mother meant by "other aspects" behind her subtle question.

A faint blush rose to his cheeks almost imperceptibly, then turned into a helpless, bitter smile:

"...Same here!"
Even if I can't beat her, I'll try my best to stay in her sight as much as possible and see if I can get a chance!

"Yes, it is like that!"

Lei Jingming was completely oblivious to the undercurrents hidden in his wife and son's conversation. He only felt that his son's fighting spirit in chess had not diminished—which was exactly what he wanted to see.

"Although it is indeed difficult to beat Rui Zhao now, we cannot give up just because the chance is slim!"
"I heard that Lin Ruixin is still scrambling every day, just waiting to beat Rui Zhao in one game! How can my son be worse than him... uh, wife..."

Why are you rolling your eyes at me?!

Qin Xiaoxue, her eyes practically rolling to the sky, took a deep breath, just about to start scolding her husband, when Lei Qi interrupted her:

"Yes, Dad, you're right! I can't just..."

"Isn't he worse than Lin Ruixin, who's quite old?"

...

...

"...What did you say? Say it again?!"

Meanwhile, at Lin Ruixin's home in the Longxiang Shengjing Villa community in Dajing City.

After listening to what Shang Chaotian had just said on the phone, Lin Ruixin, who was reviewing the match in front of her computer, suddenly raised her voice.

Shang Chaotian was clearly a little embarrassed by Lin Ruixin's tone, but he still forced himself to continue organizing his thoughts:

"...Uh, I...I mean, Rui Zhao is right next to me. I just talked to her about your recent situation, and I think things aren't going to work out like this. It would be best to find an opportunity to reconcile!"
"She said if you felt you needed her help to save face, she was willing to lose a game to you in an official match, but she needed to confirm that it was your own decision, so I made a special call to you..."

After the words were spoken, a suffocating silence stretched across both ends of the phone. The study was so quiet that only Lin Ruixin's suddenly heavy breathing could be heard.

Shang Chaotian on the other end of the phone seemed to clearly sense the sudden drop in atmosphere, and hurriedly continued to try to persuade him:

"...My initial thought is that you two don't actually have any irreconcilable conflicts, and Rui Zhao doesn't need your apology."

"Or we can just take the opportunity Rui Zhao offered..."

"Old Shang, what the hell are you spouting?!"

Lin Ruixin suddenly stood up from the chair, the chair legs scraping against the expensive wooden floor with a piercing screech!

The room owner's roar seemed to make the study vibrate, each word as sharp as a tempered blade:

What do you mean by 'she helped give me a way out'?!
"Do we want her pity?!"

Shang Chaotian on the other end of the phone seemed completely stunned by this sudden outburst of anger. He could only hear Lin Ruixin's voice on the other end, sharpened by extreme rage, clearly carrying a frenzied fury born of deep insult:
"What I want is to leave her speechless and utterly defeated by me!! To show her clearly the difference between mediocrity and genius!"

"Stop pretending to be a good guy... Tell her she'll pay for this!!!"

After uttering the last word, he didn't even give Shang Chaotian any chance to explain or comfort him. He hung up the phone and then smashed it on the desk next to him!
With a loud crash, the chess game being reviewed on the desk was smashed, sending chess pieces flying everywhere, clattering and rolling all over the floor. Only heavy breathing echoed in the study.

A full half minute passed before Lin Ruixin's violent chest heaving gradually calmed down. He looked at the mess on his desk, the scattered black and white chess pieces seemingly mocking him silently.

However... he no longer cared about the ridicule of others, let alone this little bit of embarrassment of being alone.

The former Chinese chess master slowly bent down and began to carefully pick up the scattered chess pieces one by one.

Five seconds.

ten seconds.

In less than half a minute, the desk was back to its original state. The scattered chess pieces were sorted, and the chessboard was rearranged to the position he had just been reviewing and studying.

Lin Ruixin took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly.

His gaze returned to the game record of the third game of the Chess Saint Tournament. The rage and loss of control on his face receded like the tide, vanishing without a trace in an instant. It was as if the person who had just been yelling at the Chess Association president and smashing his phone had never existed.

He pulled up a chair, sat down again, and once again immersed himself completely in the game of chess.

The rhythm has returned.

Despite being at odds with Rui Zhao, from a purely objective perspective, the strength of the contemporary Zhaojun is something even the internet celebrity Lin Da has to admit.

The King of Kings Tournament, the Chess Saint Tournament... Rui Zhao faced Lei Qi in six consecutive slow chess games—the one who was recognized as the second best in the world and the only one who could come close to her—and she did not lose a single game!
It should be noted that Lei Qi today is no longer the somewhat immature "perennial runner-up" in front of Liu Shixian a few years ago; his progress in strength is clearly visible.

So far this year, apart from his match against Rui Zhao, he has only lost two games in the World's Strongest Player Tournament—one of which is widely speculated to be a possible tactical concesion—and has won all the other games!
In terms of overall strength, Lei Qi is now definitely above Liu Shixian at his peak!
Yet this top-tier champion, who would have been a force to be reckoned with in any era, was utterly defeated by Rui Zhao, suffering a thirteen-game losing streak! He was completely suppressed, with almost no chance to fight back!
Having won the top two domestic tournaments consecutively, combined with her previous four-time World Championship title, Rui Zhaojun's popularity has reached its peak! Some are already suggesting that she has a good chance of challenging for the all-time best!
However... Lin Ruixin is no longer surprised that the other party has taken over the title he was once most proud of.

Rui Zhao is incredibly strong, so strong that he is the undisputed number one player in the world and the most dominant player in history—he had known this for a long time.

Today's 3-0 victory over the "Chess Saint" title is just another stark reminder of this vast disparity in skill.

Although he had to admit that the gap between his current state and Rui Zhao's current level was probably so huge that it was almost despairing, Lin Ruixin could feel that after devoting all his time to the extremely tedious review, training and research, his strength was indeed constantly increasing at an undeniable speed!

It's hard to say who's progressing faster between him and Rui Zhao right now...

Although almost no one believes that he, who is eight years older than Rui Zhao and has completely retired from his peak, still has the opportunity to cause any trouble for Empress Zhao...

He still firmly believes in a most basic logic:

As long as his brain can still think and his hands can still make moves!
As long as he is still breathing, he is still trying his best to squeeze out the last bit of potential to go down!

Then there is definitely still a chance!
Perhaps, a thirty-year-old chess player is indeed unlikely to shake the power of a twenty-two-year-old deity.

Even if ten years pass and Rui Zhao completely retires from the front line, I, who will be forty years old and inevitably in a serious decline, will probably not be able to pose a real threat to her at all.

But... what happens next?

When both players' physical peaks begin to fade, when the marks of time are etched between their brows, when the match becomes a contest of pure wisdom, experience, and will...

Between fifty and fifty-eight years old, who can truly say how much of a decisive advantage the "younger" side has?

There is no absolute answer.

Ultimately, Go is all about accumulation and perseverance!
Then... what he needed to do became incredibly simple...

It means pouring every minute and every second of your remaining life, except for the bare minimum for survival, into that small chessboard without reservation!

Driven by this, he used what is widely regarded as the greatest talent in history to fight for the chance to kill the gods!

—Just like what they did when they surpassed me! (End of Chapter)