Go: Is the portable old man the nine-time champion?

Chapter 266 Match Experience
Yi Zheng watched Yun Linglei walk out the door and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders finally relaxing almost imperceptibly.

Today's game was unexpectedly easy to win, but Yi Zheng didn't dare to relax at all until the very end.

Those seemingly casual shifts and maneuvers on the chessboard are actually precise calculations, like licking blood off a knife's edge. Yi Zheng was afraid that if he revealed even the slightest opportunity, he would be attacked by Yun Linglei like a hungry wolf.

"Never let your guard down! The easier it is to win, the more cautious you need to be. There are many cases where you win the first game easily, but then you become careless and lose the second game of a best-of-three series."

Seeing that Yi Zheng seemed to have relaxed, Old Ke quickly sat down opposite him and reminded him, "There are still countless bloody lessons in front of us, and right in front of Yi Zheng. Don't let Yi Zheng go down some strange old path again."

Yi Zheng nodded upon hearing this: "Don't worry, I know. Those who are careless are those who feel that their opponent is not as strong as themselves. I won't feel that Yun Linglei is not as strong as me just because I won this game."

Yi Zheng's answer was quite insightful, much better than that of a hothead who gets carried away after winning.

However, when Old Ke heard this, his expression became a little strange. Although he knew that Yi Zheng couldn't possibly know anything, he felt that this kid was deliberately pointing fingers at him.

Looks like I haven't been beaten enough!
I'll see how I beat him up when this is over!
It seems that the alphago account hasn't faced off against Yi Zheng, the top rising star, yet.

This is the opportunity we've been waiting for.

After throwing the trash on the table into the trash can, Yi Zheng opened the door and went out.

As soon as Yi Zheng pushed open the heavy soundproof door, waves of sound crashed into him like a tsunami, and flashes of light formed a blinding galaxy. A dozen recording pens instantly pierced the air and were brought to his lips.

Originally surrounded, Yun Linglei, as expected of a seasoned veteran, seized the opportunity and slipped into the fire escape like a nimble eel, disappearing in an instant, leaving Yi Zheng alone to face a barrage of cameras and microphones.

There's no other way; I'd rather die than let my fellow Daoists perish!
Junior brother, don't blame your senior for being ruthless! This has always been how the competition for titles goes!

In order to maintain their form, especially during a best-of-three match, chess players are often reluctant to give interviews, especially lengthy ones.

Therefore, during many important matches, chess players would quietly slip away through the back door to avoid being affected by reporters.

To put it bluntly, reporters often won't let you go until they get something out of you. Some reporters even conduct interviews like interrogations, making it seem like they're interrogating a criminal.

But reporters definitely wouldn't agree. If you don't give interviews, what are we supposed to report? How much buzz can a simple article about the competition results generate?

Reporters always want first-hand news, and some journalists and media outlets with certain authority would rather interview you as many times as possible, sometimes for several hours at a time, until you say something they want to hear, and then cut out less than a minute of the content to broadcast.

You say that others are taking things out of context and they are perfectly justified in doing so. I didn't misinterpret your meaning; I just took a part of it. So tell me, is this what you said?

However, the problem is that today's match is being held in the highest-level game room of the Yunyi Chess Academy. This place only has a front door and no back door, so Yi Zheng and Yun Linglei don't even have a chance to sneak away.

No, Yun Linglei has already seized the opportunity to sneak away.

Yi Zheng now deeply understands why competition experience is so important; it really is!

"Mr. Yi Zheng, how do you feel about your easy victory today?"

"You're just one step away from the title. Is there anything you'd like to say?"

"Congratulations, Teacher Yi Zheng! You won this game so easily today! I heard that your senior brother used to say that your game records were 'too aggressive and not experienced enough.' But you lost so quickly today. Do you think that your senior brother Yun Linglei's playing style is really a bit 'outdated' and can't keep up with the pace of you young people?"

"You and Yun Linglei come from the same school, and today you defeated him in your first title match final, and so decisively! Do you think this signifies that 'the student has surpassed the master,' and a new era has truly arrived? He didn't look too good after the match. How do you plan to 'comfort' this mentor? Tell him something from the bottom of your heart!"

Some reporters asked relatively normal questions, while others were deliberately provocative, trying to get Yi Zheng to say something negative about Yun Linglei. Some of their questions even seemed to be trying to sow discord.

Reporters were indeed unusually excited, as this was the most anticipated match of all the title challenge matches. Whether it was a match between fellow apprentices from the same school or Yi Zheng, the biggest dark horse of the year, the match's popularity was at an all-time high.

Yi Zheng usually doesn't mind being interviewed, but today he clearly wasn't interested and simply waved his hand, saying he had no comment.

However, the reporters were clearly unwilling to let Yi Zheng leave so easily, and they blocked him away layer by layer.

Where are the staff? Where are the staff?!
Please help!

Fortunately, Yun Yi had security personnel on his side. With the help of a group of staff, Yi Zheng seized the opportunity to break through and finally escaped from these reporters who were like sharks that smelled blood.

And just like that, the suit he was wearing was pulled into messy wrinkles, haute couture, damn it!

After leaving the house, Yi Zheng got into a chess academy's car and drove away immediately.

"Going home or...?"

Looking at Miao Jun, who was already sitting in the car, Yi Zheng said helplessly, "I guess there are already reporters lying in wait at my rented house."

It's no secret where Yi Zheng rents his apartment; in fact, Yi Zheng now regrets that the security in the neighborhood he rented wasn't good enough.

Upon hearing this, Miao Jun couldn't help but shake his head: "Congratulations on getting it right. Although the security in the community is quite strict, I did see some suspicious people around."

"Let's find a more upscale hotel, otherwise we probably won't have a peaceful day off tomorrow."

Tomorrow is another day of rest, and whether you rest or continue preparing is extremely important. If it gets ruined by reporters or the like, that would be a real problem.

Yi Zheng was also a bit helpless. It seemed that the project's high popularity was not a good thing, and he was now having a huge headache.

Miao Jun chuckled upon hearing this: "Don't worry, I'm more experienced than you. I've already booked it for you—a penthouse suite with a robot for food delivery."

Keep it up! Just one more game and I can call you the God of Calculation. How do you feel right now?

"No, Yun Linglei will still be a diviner this year."

"what?"

Miao Jun was completely bewildered by these words. How could someone belittle their own team by boosting the enemy's morale? Didn't Yi Zheng push through the first game smoothly? Why would he lack confidence?

Under Miao Jun's astonished gaze, Yi Zheng sank back into his leather seat, his voice as soft as a falling chess score: "Because after twelve consecutive wins, they should call me the Chess Saint."

Neon lights flashed across Yi Zheng's eyes, where an ambition burned brighter than the stars.

Jiang Mobai, far away in the capital, couldn't help but sneeze. He had just gotten up and glanced at the results of today's title challenge.

"I wonder how many old friends and how many new faces will be in the third phase."

Just as Jiang Mobai was about to open the Go software, a news pop-up appeared.

"The Elegant and Divine Strategy of Yi Zheng: Shifting from Beginning to End, Stirring Up Trouble at Every Turn, and Making the Whole Scheme Flawless"

(End of this chapter)