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

[To the esteemed 9-dan player Rui Zhao:]

[We are delighted to learn that you have won the 6th "Dream Lily Cup" World Go Open Championship today, achieving an unprecedented seven-peat in the world championships!]

First of all, on behalf of the CEO and the entire team at Deepbrain Artificial Intelligence, please allow me to extend our sincerest respect and congratulations to you!

I deeply admire and sincerely respect the diligence, perseverance, and unwavering spirit you have displayed in playing chess.

We are deeply honored by their intention to launch another formal challenge against Deepbrain's Go-playing AI system after winning the championship.

However, after careful internal evaluation and technical simulation, I regret to inform you that we are still unable to accept this challenge.

This decision is by no means a questioning of your chess skills—quite the opposite. Through real-time tracking and analysis of the data stream from each of your recent classic games, our AI model has given your performance extremely high marks.

Within the realm of human Go, your achievement is near perfect; every move is a vivid interpretation of the "aesthetics of victory and defeat."

However, fundamental differences still exist between DeepBrain's cutting-edge artificial intelligence and top human Go players.

[Although you certainly played what can be considered the pinnacle of human Go performance in the quarterfinals of the Dream Lily Cup, from the perspective of the most advanced artificial intelligence, your performance still falls short of the latest Go AI!]

Within the cognitive framework of deep neural networks, even the slightest difference in skill level becomes an insurmountable computational gap. Our latest adversarial simulation model shows that even if you play at your peak, your win rate against the current version of Go AI approaches theoretical zero. Playing against it is pointless.

[As I stated in an interview a few months ago: Deepbrain's core mission is to advance cutting-edge technologies crucial to the survival of human civilization, such as quantum computing, neural interfaces, and sustainable energy.]

We dedicate the vast majority of our research resources to topics that truly impact the well-being of billions of people. Go AI research and iteration are no longer on the company's strategic priority list.

I fully understand your motivation for continuing to take on challenges—it's the pure passion of an explorer at the pinnacle of human skill, yearning to measure the unknown frontiers.

However, holding a public competition whose outcome has already been fully verified is unlikely to generate any substantial value for promoting social progress, other than wasting the valuable energy of researchers.

To express our respect for your legendary career, Deepbrain cordially invites you to our Open Day.

If you would like to visit Deepbrain's California headquarters, our engineers will give you a comprehensive overview of our many cutting-edge work.

When you witness firsthand these technological waves that are reshaping the future of humanity, you may gain a deeper understanding: a field like chess, where computers have proven to completely surpass the human brain, should no longer hinder our grand journey to the stars.

Beyond the chessboard, a vast universe awaits its illumination.

You have written the most brilliant chapter in the history of Go with black and white stones; and Deepbrain looks forward to using technology as its pen to jointly paint a magnificent picture of a better future for all mankind.

Best wishes for your chess game!

Elon Musk, CEO of Deepbrain and a pioneer in cutting-edge technology.

Local time, 8:00 PM on December 28, 2027.

A conference room in the White House, North America.
Zhang Zhengxi, who was attending the meeting, projected Musk's seemingly well-chosen and humble but actually coldly rejecting open letter onto the big screen, and then looked at Tripp sitting behind the large desk.

"President, just three hours ago, Mr. Musk officially issued an open letter, once again rejecting Rui Zhao's challenge."

"The tone was tactful but the stance was clear; everything was proceeding according to plan."

"Um... that, Zhang!"

Tripp tapped his thick fingers on the table, his usual exaggerated expression replaced by a hint of confusion.

"But isn't this a little too soft?"

"That young Chinese girl challenged us to a fight again and again, but we didn't even dare to show our faces."
"I'm worried that some people will call us cowards!"

"No, no, no, Mr. President, that's not true!"

After repeatedly denying it, Zhang Zhengxi began to analyze the situation in detail for the Grand Commander:

"Avoiding war is by no means a sign of weakness; on the contrary, it is the wisest choice!"

"There are two main reasons."

"First and foremost, and most importantly: when we rejected Rui Zhao's challenge last time, we made it clear that we didn't care. And once that stance is established, it cannot be changed casually!"
"What would it mean if I suddenly agreed to her now?"
"Isn't that acknowledging the opponent's progress and telling the world: This Chinese chess player is so important that we need to change our strategy and take him seriously!"

"This undoubtedly elevates her status indirectly and gives the other side unsolicited attention! It goes against our original strategy!"

"Therefore, despite the fact that Rui Zhao has recently attracted a lot of attention, it may not be appropriate to ignore her challenge."

"But a polite rejection letter is the most appropriate response right now! It's clear in attitude, gentle in tone, and logically sound—it's reasonable, well-founded, and measured!"

At this point, Zhang Zhengxi paused briefly, giving the Golden-haired President time to process the information, before continuing.

"...Furthermore, Rui Zhao is now widely recognized as the greatest player in the history of Go, and he seems to be enjoying unparalleled popularity."

"But as the saying goes, 'when all the good news is out, it's bad news.' At present, Rui Zhao's historical status has reached its limit. No matter what championship she wins in the future, it will not cause much of a stir, and her news value will be greatly reduced."

"Once the hype dies down, it will naturally not have a greater impact."

Zhang Zhengxi was methodically analyzing the situation for the Grand Commander, but to be honest—although he appeared calm and collected on the surface, he was actually completely helpless.

After that divine sacrifice game against Uesaka Rei, Zhang Zhengxi had already decided to continue attacking his opponent by focusing on the AI ​​matching rate. However, he never expected that Zhao Tianhou would counter with an astonishing 98.8% matching rate game, making Manager Zhang's face slap loudly!

Didn't you say my AI's matching rate wasn't high enough? Is it good enough now?!

With this turn of events, the situation on the battlefield of public opinion was instantly reversed. In a short period of time, the left wing was riding high, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to confront them head-on!
Fortunately, Zhang Zhengxi has the backing of the Grand Commander, so his health bar is indeed thick enough.

Since it was a nine-mine attack on one mine, Zhang Zhengxi, who was well-versed in Chinese history, decided to follow the story of King Xuan and planned to wear down the opposing Rui Kongming!
As long as I don't reveal my health bar, the opponent has no chance of breaking through my defense!

As for saving face... well, we can only use sweet words to cover things up for now!
After hearing this, Tripp frowned and thought for a few seconds, and finally seemed to agree with the logic.

After weighing the pros and cons, the skeptical look on his face gradually faded, replaced by his usual appreciative smile that said, "I'm the smartest."

"Hmm... Zhang, you're right!"

"We definitely can't give this little girl any more chances to stage an accident against us!"

The president slammed his hand on the table, the sound booming like thunder:

"What's that old Chinese saying again? Oh right! I remember now!"

"'Having either the Crouching Dragon or the Young Phoenix is ​​enough to bring peace to the world!'"

"Zhang! You are my Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Chick!"

"..."

Upon being suddenly given such a title, Zhang Zhengxi's lips twitched slightly, quite noticeably.

After all, in China today, "Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix" is hardly a compliment...

But his professional political acumen allowed him to instantly suppress this awkwardness. He struggled to maintain his composure, preventing any impolite twitch of his facial muscles, and gave a humble nod:

"You flatter me, Your Excellency. This is my duty."

"From now on, I will always follow in the footsteps of the President and devote myself to serving you with all my heart and soul!"

Just as the master and servant were enjoying themselves and Zhang Zhengxi was considering whether to show his "fist-to-fist" expression, the heavy door of the conference room was suddenly pushed open with a "bang"!

One of Tripp's secretaries rushed into the conference room, his face pale, his breathing rapid, and even his forehead beaded with sweat.

He rushed to Tripp's desk like a gust of wind, not even having time to acknowledge Zhang Zhengxi, and said urgently:
"President, this is terrible!"

The sudden intrusion and the secretary's unprecedented loss of composure caused Tripp and Zhang Zhengxi's expressions to change instantly, and the harmonious atmosphere in the conference room froze.

Tripp's brow furrowed tightly, a mixture of deep confusion and displeasure at being interrupted.
"Damn it! George! What's all the fuss about?! Can't you see we're in an important meeting?!"

"I'm so sorry, Your Excellency!"

"But now... now this matter has really caused quite a stir!"

The secretary, named George, spoke in a trembling voice, his words still carrying an air of disbelief and shock:

"Just... just about fifteen minutes ago! Rui Zhao suddenly posted a picture announcement on all platforms under the account 【Weiqi Xiao Zhao】!"
"This announcement instantly ignited the entire internet! All major social media platforms, media outlets... are discussing it like crazy everywhere! The buzz is completely out of control!"

...Is the hype completely out of control?

Zhang Zhengxi's heart sank! A strong sense of foreboding enveloped him!
Zhang Zhengxi had already experienced firsthand the immense energy that seemingly quiet and well-behaved beauty, a ninth-dan, could unleash from her slender body.

only……

She had just been "rejected with dignity" once again. Under such circumstances, what could that contemporary Zhaojun possibly do?
"...What announcement?!"

Zhang Zhengxi immediately pressed for answers, his voice carrying a tension he himself was unaware of.

"Uh...it's a bit hard to explain in words..."

George's secretary was clearly also quite shocked, unsure how to accurately summarize the immense amount of information and impact contained in that announcement:

"You...you'll understand once you take a look at the public statement on [Weiqi Xiaozhao]!"

"She pinned it to the top of all her social media platforms!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhengxi didn't delay any longer. Almost without saying a word, he immediately reactivated the tablet, quickly accessed the Douyin account of "Weiqi Xiaozhao," and projected the image onto the large screen in the conference room.

What caught the eyes of all attendees was the latest announcement from that account, which had been automatically marked by the system as "explosive news" and "globally discussed"—a bilingual announcement in Chinese.

Announcement Regarding My Withdrawal from All Professional Go Tournaments and the Holding of a "Special Challenge Match with Handicap"

……Eh?

She said she's going to "withdraw from all professional Go competitions"?!
What the heck is this "Special Challenge"?!

Just seeing the title of this announcement already gave Zhang Zhengxi a huge visual impact, so it's no wonder that it sparked global discussion in just over ten minutes!

After a brief moment of shock, he quickly continued reading, eager to see what this chess goddess, who had already created numerous miracles on the chessboard, would do this time!

Dear chess fans and friends from all walks of life who have followed and supported me along the way:

As we approach the new year, I would like to extend my sincerest greetings and gratitude to everyone!

Looking back on the past years, from the beginning of my professional career to the present, it is because of your sincere cheers, unwavering companionship, and righteous support that I have felt unparalleled warmth and strength on this long journey of Go. I will always remember this friendship and cherish it forever.

From the very beginning of my exposure to Go, exploring the mysteries and truths on the board has been an unwavering guiding light for me. This passion and pursuit have sustained me through countless nights of deep contemplation and given me the courage to face any challenge or doubt.

I have always believed that the exploration of the way of chess is endless. Even though I have temporarily reached the pinnacle of human chess skill, the flame in my heart that yearns to climb higher and challenge the unknown has never been extinguished.

I yearn to continuously approach the deepest wisdom of Go, and I hope that the power of artificial intelligence can more profoundly collide with the beauty of the game, giving rise to more possibilities that benefit human thought.

[To this end, I have repeatedly extended sincere appeals and invitations for cooperation to relevant technological fields, hoping to contribute to the further advancement of Go technology and to have an opportunity to compete fairly with the highest-level AI and mutually validate our work.]

Unfortunately, this effort and goodwill have yet to receive the expected response. DeepBrain and its CEO, Mr. Musk, have consistently expressed doubts about my capabilities and sincerity.

That makes things much simpler.

Even if I had reached the pinnacle of the world chess scene, it still wouldn't have been enough to convince them to accept an exchange that should be geared towards the future. So, let me try a different approach and provide the most thorough proof.

After careful consideration, I have decided to make the following decision:

Effective immediately, I am officially retiring from the professional Go world and will no longer participate in any official professional Go competitions except for the ongoing Nongshim Cup.

At the same time, I voluntarily relinquish all professional Go titles I currently hold, including: [Go Saint], [Meijin], [Tengen], [National Master], [Go Immortal], [Zhaojun], [Empress], and [Mulan]—a total of eight.

These honors belong to Go itself, and to all those who support its development. As I announce my retirement from professional Go, I should return them to the association, hoping they will inspire a new generation to strive for excellence.

Of course, this doesn't mean I'll leave Go altogether and go elsewhere.

On the contrary, in order to continue my pursuit of the limits of Go and inject new vitality into the Go world, I am very honored to have partnered with @JianAnNetworkEntertainmentBrokerageCo., Ltd. to jointly host a "Special Challenge Tournament with a Handicap":

[From today onwards, anyone who wins a world championship, wins an unrestricted national championship in China, Japan, or South Korea, or achieves a winning streak of five or more in the Nongshim Cup or ends a tournament, will be entitled to one challenge to a slow game against me with a handicap of two hours and five one-minute overtime periods.]

Each time the above conditions are met, I will gain one challenge right, with no upper limit, until someone finally defeats me!

[This special challenge uses the latest version of the Chinese rules. Black moves first and does not give a komi. If both players have the same number of pieces at the end of the game, the player who makes the first move wins.]

[If the challenge is failed, the challenger will receive a consolation prize of $5000 each time.]

[And as long as the challenger can defeat me...]

That would grant a challenge reward of ten million dollars.

...A challenge reward of ten million dollars?!
Zhang Zhengxi was completely stunned when he saw this line of text!
To be honest, while this amount is outrageous in the Go world, it's not considered exaggerated in the context of professional sports across the entire planet.

The prize money or contract amounts for some single races in top boxing matches, golf, and F1 are far greater than this, so there's nothing to be too surprised about.

But the core of the problem... isn't about money at all, but about the conditions Rui Zhao offered!

He will first accept challenges from all future champions, with no limit on the number of challenges, until he is finally defeated...

The absurdity of this condition is indeed enough to cause a global uproar!
In today's world where Go techniques are constantly evolving and iterating, he understands better than anyone how significant the disadvantage of giving a handicap is!

Although the professional Go community and forums have begun to discuss whether Rui Zhao has the ability to accept challenges with a handicap, that discussion is only about whether the two sides can win or lose!
Judging from the meaning of this announcement...

Rui Zhao clearly felt that even if she let someone go first, she wouldn't have a chance of losing to anyone else!
This is utterly outrageous... this kind of arrogant confidence that defies all reason...

This is something that has never been heard of or seen in other sports!

Under the immense shock, Zhang Zhengxi felt his mind go blank, as if his soul had been ripped out of his body by those few lines of text!
He could only mechanically and blankly continue reading, trying to give his brain time to process the fact...

This challenge is designed to provide an extremely rare opportunity for truly top-tier players to launch their most difficult attacks against me under the most unique circumstances and with the most ample thinking time.

This is not the end, but rather a return to the essence of the chessboard in another way, a return to my initial belief in the pursuit of truth.

I will warmly welcome every qualified and courageous challenger. I look forward to top experts from around the world coming to test their skills!

Thank you again for your understanding and support! May the art of Go forever bloom in the hearts of every enthusiast.

[Rui Zhao, May 28, 2027]

This concludes the main text of the announcement.

At the bottom of the screen is a signature and date written in neat and powerful handwriting.

However, this is not the end of the announcement in the image.

Because after the signature, there is a short message written by the foremost person of the time.

Yet these last ten short Chinese characters seemed to possess an aura of supreme dominance! They left everyone who could understand their meaning breathless…

To gain the upper hand, one must yield the first move to the world.

(Volume 7 [End], Chapter 7) (End of Chapter)