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

At 3:30 p.m. local time on October 25, outside the venue of the 147th IOC Session in Gaulpallis.

In late autumn, the sky over Paris is leaden gray, pressing heavily on the ancient buildings.

The wind along the Seine carried a biting chill, swirling golden sycamore leaves that danced and rustled mournfully across the empty square.

Shang Chaotian stood alone outside the massive glass curtain wall. He was dressed smartly in a sharp dark suit, but he couldn't hide the disappointment in his heart.
Half an hour earlier, when the IOC president clearly announced that "the proposal was not adopted," Shang Chaotian felt his heart almost skip a beat!
He had actually been prepared for this result, but when reality struck mercilessly, the chairman of the chess association still felt a bit uneasy about this cruel outcome.

Despite the all-out efforts of the Chinese government, the Chinese Olympic Committee ultimately secured a seemingly "probationary" opportunity—the General Assembly agreed to hold another final vote on whether Go should be included in the Olympic family at the 2032 Busan Olympics in December next year.

But in Shang Chaotian's view, today's "failed to pass" result is almost equivalent to a death sentence!
As the old saying goes: "One should strike while the iron is hot, but the momentum will wane on the second attempt and be exhausted on the third!"

Go has come close to being included in the Olympics thanks to the outstanding performances of Rui Zhao and many other excellent female Go players from around the world, which sparked the movement that "she is not an isolated case".

If this wave of political maneuvering fails, there will be even less hope if it drags on until December next year!

I have no face to see my elders in Jiangdong!

Shang Chaotian let out a long sigh.

And when he thought of the girl who had brought Go to unprecedented heights and poured all her heart and soul into it, his heart tightened even more, and he didn't know how to talk to her about it.

After pondering for a while, the chairman of the chess association swiped the screen and found a name—Lei Qi.

The Changqi Cup is currently underway in China, and Lei Qi, as a participating player, is battling it out with Rui Zhao in Zhenze City.

The Kappo is six hours behind China, so it should be 9:30 pm there now, and Lei Qi probably hasn't rested yet.

It would be more appropriate for him to first find out about Rui Zhao's situation.

"Beep...beep..."

After a few rings, the call was quickly answered.

"Hello, Teacher Shang?" Lei Qi's familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Lei Qi, I'm sorry to disturb your preparations tonight."

Shang Chaotian's voice carried a barely perceptible hoarseness and weariness as he tried to make his tone sound calm:

"Um, I have a question: Rui Zhao, she..."

"Do you know the results of today's vote?"

"of course I know!"

Lei Qi answered without the slightest hesitation:
"Teacher Shang, this is one of her biggest wishes! How could she not care?"

This answer was expected, yet it still made Shang Chaotian's heart sink a little.

"How is she feeling now?"

Shang Chaotian's throat was a little dry, and he managed to utter the question that concerned him most.

He could almost picture Rui Zhao's reaction upon hearing the news, and he was prepared to hear responses like "very down," "very sad," or "silently processing it."

however--

"It's pretty good!"

Lei Qi's answer was unexpected, and even his tone was quite relaxed:

"Just like usual! Train when it's time to train, compete when it's time to compete!"

"Eh?"

Shang Chaotian was startled, almost thinking he had misheard!
This reaction... completely exceeded his expectations!

"Aren't you...not very sad?"

I feel...maybe a little!

"After all, it's something she cares about so much."

Lei Qi's voice remained steady:
"However... Miss Ai had already given her a heads-up!"

"So she was actually mentally prepared for today's outcome."

Ah! That's right!
"She instead asked me to offer you some comfort when I have time, hoping you won't be too discouraged."

"Give me some comfort?"

Shang Chaotian was even more astonished.

He was still struggling with how to comfort his country's military leader, but then...

She's trying to comfort me instead?! Has something gone wrong?!
"Yes! She said...she would take action!"

Lei Qi's affirmative words carried a hint of helplessness in the face of that beautiful woman of the same age:
"She felt her strength was still constantly improving! And..."

"We should also find a clue how to beat AI!"

...

...

"……call……

"Finally! I've met her again!"

October 26th, the quarterfinals of the Changqi Cup.

At 12:40 PM, at the Mida Plaza Hotel.

Just as the chess room was about to open, Nie Yunyi muttered something to himself before leaving the room and heading towards the chess room on the first floor of the hotel.

To be honest, if he were still the conspicuous young man he used to be, he would never have gone to the entrance of the chess room to wait so early.

Finding a place to browse your phone, chatting with familiar chess players, or simply lying in your room for a while is much more interesting than staring blankly at the chessboard in an empty chess room.

But today, the situation is completely different.

On the one hand, since she figured out her own intentions, Nie Miao, who is determined to "follow the old ways of the chess king", has become more mature, pays more attention to the details of the game, and is more accustomed to leaving more time before the game to adapt to the atmosphere of the game in the game room.

On the other hand...

Today, his opponent in the quarterfinals is Rui Zhao!

She is the target he pursues on the chessboard, and the person to whom his heart is bound!
Nie Yunyi knew that Zhaojun always arrived at the chess room early, so he naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to spend more time with her face to face!
What's more, bad news came from Europe last night—the vote to include Go in the Olympics failed.

Nie Yunyi could almost foresee that Rui Zhao would be very depressed... Wasn't this a perfect opportunity to show his concern and demonstrate his masculinity?!

Thinking of this, Xiao Nie, the eighth-dan, subconsciously straightened his back, as if doing so would make him look more reliable and responsible.

Go for it, Nie Yunyi!
you can!

Thinking of this, Xiao Nie Miao, who has been making rapid progress recently, silently encouraged herself.

Ok.

In the past six months, Nie Yunyi's performance has been nothing short of outstanding!
The young players of the Suzhou-Hubei team are no longer the rising stars who can only shine occasionally, but are now truly formidable players who are showing their talent on the top stage!
He not only made history by reaching the main tournament of the Tongge Cup World Championship for the first time and successfully advancing to the 8th dan, but also achieved an impressive record of eight wins and four losses in the new season of the Chinese Weiqi League! He has begun to seriously challenge for the highest dan!
This Changqi Cup is a major breakthrough in his professional career!
After reaching the round of 16 in the Pinghu Rapid Chess Tournament in late August and the Celebrity Tournament in mid-October, he defeated Tao Chen and Man Jiageng in this tournament to advance to the quarterfinals!

This is not only his best result in a domestic open title tournament! It has also led many veteran chess commentators and fans to believe that his true chess strength may have reached the threshold of 9-dan!
His rapid growth and sharp edge are no less impressive than even the once-powerful "deposed crown prince" Lei Qi!

however……

Despite his remarkable progress, Nie 8-dan was far from satisfied!

Recently, some sensitive rumors have been circulating in the Go community about Rui Zhao and that "Qinghua Philosopher God" getting close. This sense of crisis has acted as a catalyst, making his desire to prove himself more urgent than ever before!
When faced with a rival, the instincts of male creatures are fully unleashed!
How can one compare to the "Philosophy God of Tsinghua University," the top academic achiever in all of China, if one doesn't reach the pinnacle in their chosen field of study?!
A beautiful woman... is only fit for the strong!
This somewhat childish thought was branded into his heart, becoming the driving force behind his relentless, crazy training and constant challenge against stronger opponents!
However, Xiao Nie Miao, immersed in the "hero saves the damsel in distress" scenario and the heroic spirit of "proving herself," may have subconsciously overlooked a crucial and cruel reality...

What if the beauty he so desperately wants to win his favor is actually the strongest in the world, the undisputed number one...

So what should we do?

...

As Nie Yunyi gathered the slightly chaotic thoughts in his mind, he walked steadily toward the chess venue for today's game.

But when he arrived at the door of the chess room, he happened to see that familiar figure...

Just then, Rui Zhao arrived at the entrance of the chess room. She was dressed in a simple white autumn outfit, without makeup, exuding a calm and focused demeanor unique to pre-match preparations. Yet, her already exquisite features still made her radiant.

The afternoon sunlight slanted in through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the end of the corridor, outlining a soft halo behind her, making Nie Yunyi's heart skip a beat!
Here she is! I've run into her again!

Nie, the eighth-dan, subconsciously straightened his body, quickly putting on what he thought was the most appropriate smile. The greetings and words of comfort that he had rehearsed countless times in his mind were almost about to burst out...

but--

Just as he was gathering his emotions and organizing his thoughts, upon recognizing him standing in the doorway, Rui Zhao's clear eyes blinked slightly, and she exclaimed in surprise:
"...Ah! Nie Yunyi!!!"

The small exclamation was crisp and clear, like jade striking jade, yet it carried a hint of genuine surprise.

Before Xiao Nie Miao could even greet him, a sentence that made all the comforting words he had prepared get stuck in his throat clearly entered his ears:

"This competition..."

"...You actually made it to the quarterfinals?!" (End of Chapter)