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

Wu Yueyun was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. Then, the corners of her mouth turned up almost imperceptibly, revealing a knowing smile.

She picked up her phone unhurriedly, her tone carrying a leisurely and teasing quality, and answered the call:

"Hey, Chaotian."

"Why are you calling me instead of watching the Tongge Cup finals?"

"Ah, good afternoon, Mr. Wu!"

On the other end of the phone, Shang Chaotian was far less relaxed than Old Wu, his voice betraying a barely concealed weariness and the urgency of being overwhelmed with numerous tasks.

"But something new suddenly happened last night!"
"I just participated in a video conference organized by the State Administration of Radio and Television, and I have a ton of things to keep an eye on..."

"Oh? Then how come you have time to call me?"

There was a very brief silence on the other end of the phone, then Shang Chaotian's voice rang out again, his tone becoming extremely solemn:
"Uh...well..."

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, before speaking sincerely.
There's something I'm a little confused about.

"After much thought, I'd really like to ask you for your advice first. Is this a convenient time for us to chat?"

"How could I dare refuse when the boss gives the order! Just say it!"

Wu Yueyun's smile deepened, half in jest and half in agreement.

However, in response to Wu Yueyun's teasing joke, Shang Chaotian on the other end of the phone, unusually, did not respond with his usual obsequious politeness, but instead asked directly:

"...That's right, Mr. Wu. Female chess players..."

Are they really that eager to beat male chess players?

"Huh? Is that even a question?!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yueyun almost burst into laughter, the short but clear sound coming through the receiver:
"You don't even need to ask me. Just ask your wife when you get home, and she'll know, right?"

Shang Chaotian seemed unsurprised by this seemingly ordinary yet incisive answer, but his voice not only didn't relax, it became even lower, and he pressed on with a very short, simple question:
"……Why?"

"……Um?

Why did you suddenly ask that?

Sensing Shang Chaotian's serious expression, Wu Yueyun stopped smiling and turned her gaze to the bright sky outside the window.

Shang Chaotian took a deep breath, as if he had opened a floodgate of words:

"Well... I asked the chess players we sent out to 'teach' today, and they all said that female amateur chess players in Europe and America have been influenced by Rui Zhao recently and are working much harder than male chess players! Their level of hard work is almost astonishing."

"But I'm a little confused: Rui Zhao works so hard because she has a natural love for Go. But what about these female amateur Go players from Europe and America?"

"Is it really worth going to such lengths just to prove that you are no less capable than men?"

"After all... as you know, Elder Wu, practicing chess is inherently extremely tedious and very, very arduous!"
"Moreover, there is no large-scale professional Go system in Europe and America yet, and the economic prospects are extremely uncertain."

"In other words, they put in so much sweat that is hard for ordinary people to imagine, but in the end... they may not get any particularly significant practical benefits."
Is it... worth it?

Wu Yueyun listened quietly to Shang Chaotian's reasons, but did not answer directly. Instead, she softly posed another question:
"Then... facing the sky."

"When you first helped our country win the Nongshim Cup, the prize money wasn't that high, but weren't you still incredibly excited?"

Upon hearing this, Shang Chaotian on the other end of the phone seemed to have been hit over the head with a blunt object, unable to utter a sound for a long time, with only slightly heavy breathing continuing to come through the receiver.

Several seconds later, the chess association president finally retorted with a hint of urgency, attempting to distinguish the differences:
"...Old Wu! This...this is different!"

Wu Yueyun responded to Shang Chaotian with an extremely calm silence.

She didn't argue or explain; she simply waited patiently, even with a hint of knowing meaning.

Wu Yueyun's silence clearly conveyed a sense of disagreement, which seemed to make the chess association chairman on the other end of the conversation somewhat uneasy. He quickly reiterated the point:
"This is truly different!"

"...Perhaps!"

Wu Yueyun uttered these three words softly, as if acknowledging the other party's viewpoint, but then her tone changed, becoming even more understated yet incredibly clear:

"But I think, towards the sky."

"You should already understand what I mean."

This sentence is like a simple and unpretentious "technique," seemingly ordinary, yet firmly occupying a key position.

A deeper, longer silence fell on the other end of the phone, as if time had frozen for a moment amidst the flow of radio waves.

Wu Yueyun then composed herself slightly and continued her explanation:

"To be honest, any creature with sufficient intelligence is compelled to strive to prove its own worth, rather than living within the definitions given to it by others... Ah!"

"Although... it seems like the phrase 'undefined' has become tainted, right?"

Old Wu habitually added a few lighthearted jokes to her speech, but sensing that the other person didn't seem inclined to respond, she continued speaking without a care:

"...As a woman, although I consider myself to have made my own way in life, I have also experienced some confusion—after all, I don't know if the road ahead will be passable."

“And now, if a shining North Star has illuminated the path for those who come after, it’s naturally hard not to follow it… It’s really that simple.” After a brief silence following these words, Shang Chaotian’s voice finally rang out again.

This time, all the confusion and anxiety subsided, leaving only a solemnity like the sun breaking through the clouds and a barely perceptible sense of respect:

"...I understand. Thank you!"

"You're welcome."

Wu Yueyun's lips curved into a gentle, relaxed smile, and her tone returned to the easygoing and friendly one she had when she answered the phone.

After hanging up the phone, the former "first female chess player in history" maintained her usual calm and indifferent expression, as if the conversation that had touched on the core issues was just an ordinary exchange between chess friends.

She casually placed her phone on the coffee table beside her, then turned her gaze back to the large-screen TV opposite the sofa—the screen was now lit up, showing the live broadcast of the second game of the Tongge Cup final.

Wu Yueyun picked up the teacup, refilled it with hot water, gently blew on the floating tea leaves, and began to focus intently on the match before her.

Outside the window, the afternoon sun in Dongjiang City was still shining brightly.

Just like 35 years ago, in that summer when she became the first female chess player to reach the semifinals of the World Championship.

...

...

"Brother Tian, ​​what does Old Wu think...?"

Will more women participate in Go in the future?

Meanwhile, in a small meeting room at the Gezhou Hotel.

Seeing that his chairman had just hung up the phone, Lu Wenjie couldn't help but ask.

Shang Chaotian, who had just hung up the phone, sighed, his voice carrying a heavy sense of understanding:

That's basically the gist of it!

Lu Wenjie received an affirmative answer, but he didn't feel relieved at all. Instead, he crossed his hands and rested his chin on them, his brows furrowing even more deeply.
"...Um, Brother Tian."

"I have a real feeling that I'm about to make headlines."

He looked up at Shang Chaotian, his speech involuntarily quickening:

"Although Xiao Yang, Uesaka Rei, and Xiao Zhu have shown a level that is in no way inferior to male players of the same age, and Uesaka Rei is even in a leading position in her generation, they have not yet won any unrestricted championships and do not yet have such a significant influence."

"Therefore, even though Rui Zhao is already the number one person in the world, everyone thinks that it is precisely because Rui Zhao is so unreasonable."

"But now, the women have won the championships in two amateur leagues in Europe and America one after another. In particular, the North American champion, Lily, shouted so excitedly at the award ceremony that it almost instantly ignited the enthusiasm of the entire left-wing public opinion!"

"The hashtag 'She's not an isolated case!' is now trending at number one on all social media platforms! Some people are even starting to defend the Olympic Council of Asia's arbitration decision!"
"Not to mention! Brother Tian..."

His voice suddenly rose, filled with the urgency of being whipped by reality:

"...Since losing to Lei Qi in the regular season of the Chinese Weiqi League at the beginning of the year, Rui Zhao has now achieved a 57-game winning streak in official matches!"
"This is utterly arbitrary and domineering!!!"

Shang Chaotian's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he didn't say anything more.

He was well aware of the uproar that female chess players' successive victories in the competition would cause in the public opinion—but this was entirely beyond his control.

In the face of absolute power, all explanations are futile.

As Lu Wenjie said—

In this Tongge Cup World Go Open, Rui Zhao, the reigning Go master of China and the world's number one player, was invincible all the way, and his moves were unstoppable!

In the round of 32, he crushed South Korea's "legendary figure who has fallen" Park Min-yeol 9-dan;

In the round of 16, he defeated the world's second-best player and former Go master, Lei Qi 9-dan.

In the quarterfinals, he controlled the entire game and defeated Sun Yi 9-dan, a "strength and weakness tester";
In the semifinals, he effortlessly defeated South Korea's strongest Go player, Yoo Se-hyun, 9-dan!

A group of top male chess players seemed unable to even touch the hem of Athena's dress!

In the first game of the final the day before yesterday, she played black and made the first move. She then dominated Chu Jun 9-dan, who had a good draw in this tournament, and gave him no chance to breathe. In the end, she won a clean and decisive victory!

At this moment! When Wang Zhaojun is truly at the pinnacle of her career, achieving a historic five-time consecutive WorldSkills Championship title and standing tall above all others…

Only one more victory left!
...

...

Ultimately, with the world's number one player delivering a near-flawless performance, today's match was still a foregone conclusion...

In the second game of the final, the world's number one player, Crushing Russo, forced Chu Jun to resign again after 152 moves, and successfully won the championship of the 4th Tongge Cup!

He also surpassed the all-time best Choi Myung-ho, and with the miracle of "five consecutive World Championship titles", he holds the record for "the longest consecutive World Championship title in history"!
He won his fifth title at the age of 22 years and 137 days.

In the all-time ranking of "youngest person to win a fifth title," he is only behind the three leading figures from China and South Korea—Lin Ruixin, Choi Myung-ho, and Choi Sung-seok—currently ranking...

Fourth in history. (End of Chapter)