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

Chapter 283 The person who will stop you is me
Uncomfortable!

I feel extremely uncomfortable!
Jiang Mobai listened to everyone discussing Yi Zheng, feeling extremely bitter and distressed.

This kind of discomfort is not the resentment after losing a game, nor the disappointment of being outmatched.

It felt more like the frustration of having one's ultimate goal snatched away by someone else, or of having one's lifelong pursuit of a beacon ruthlessly taken away. It was enough to make Jiang Mobai feel that his little pearls were really about to swirl in his eyes, and he had to hold them back to prevent them from falling.

After all these years of trying and all sorts of ways to show off, from turning his back on the world to displaying his prowess in front of others, he still couldn't match the effect of Yi Zheng's first performance on the international stage.

On his very first appearance, he effortlessly achieved the ultimate show-off effect he had longed for and spent half his life striving for! He was like God's illegitimate child, radiating holy light with every breath!

At that moment, Jiang Mobai was not merely observing Yi Zheng from the sidelines; he was seeing himself—perfect, flawless, and so incredibly cool that he could ascend to immortality—that existed deep within his own dreams!
But the problem is that the person wasn't himself, it was Yi Zheng!
"Since Bai was born, why was Zheng born!"

A surge of anger, jealousy, and intense injustice welled up in Jiang Mobai's throat. He could no longer contain himself. He hugged the pillar with both hands and began banging his head against the valuable pillar in the rest area.

"Don't generate electricity here!"

Yun Linglei was speechless as he looked at Jiang Mobai, whose mental state had been abnormal since last night.

Damn it, if you can't accept losing to Yi Zheng and his new wave of players, and you get mentally broken down on the chessboard, I can understand.

Although it was a bit embarrassing, it was still within the realm of understanding. If you're not as skilled as others, you have to accept it and come back stronger.

But Jiang Mobai's breakdown point was too damn strange. The reason he broke down was that he couldn't outdo Yi Zheng in showing off!

When did Go become a sport that relies on showing off as its main element?
Dude, this is Go! Go! That ancient intellectual sport that emphasizes strategy, calculation, and composure, full of the elegant charm of "hand-to-hand combat"! When did "showing off" become a key KPI in the judging criteria? And it's even become the most important point?!
Yun Linglei's lips twitched as he barely suppressed the urge to throw the cup of hand-drip coffee that the coach had just brought from outside onto Jiang Mobai's face, which was filled with the expression "I feel so wronged".

But if you think about it carefully, it seems that several strong players are prone to showing off.

Lee Jun-hyuk also showed off a lot yesterday, saying that winning one game in his first competition would be a good result.

Needless to say, Yi Zheng has been incredibly popular, constantly spouting memorable quotes.

As for Jiang Mobai, the ninth-dan player who's banging his head against a pillar right in front of him... he's either learning how to show off or on his way to showing off, and who knows how many abstract maneuvers he's come up with.

Yun Linglei's eyelids twitched. His memories were instantly filled with all sorts of high-concentration, ridiculous scenes of Jiang Mobai. This guy's history of showing off could fill a book, titled "Fancy Ways to Show Off and How to Accurately Fail."

An idea that made Yun Linglei think deeply and whose values ​​were beginning to waver uncontrollably surfaced: Could it be that... in today's chess world, you can't win a game if you don't know how to show off?

Does that mean you can't win at chess if you can't learn how to show off?
Should you practice your talking skills before learning chess?
Yun Linglei began to doubt himself as he thought about this. Could it be that only by putting on a show can one play chess well?

Damn it, they don't know how to act cool at all. All I have is a handsome face and a group of ex-girlfriends who are model-level in appearance and provide me with emotional support.

Jiang Mobai looked at Yun Linglei, who was leaning against a pillar with one hand and rubbing his forehead with the other, looking melancholy and deliberately letting the reporters take pictures. He had a feeling that the other man was thinking about something that made him uncomfortable.

Moreover, it's the kind of thing that will definitely make you feel 100% smug and heartbroken.

"Actually, the one under real pressure should be Yi Zheng. If he wins today, even if he doesn't win the championship this time, his popularity will explode."

Whether in terms of commercial value or popularity, this is probably going to be a huge success in Wuhu.

But if he loses today, how many of those fair-weather friends who are currently praising him to the skies, calling him a "conqueror of the Heavenly Emperor," and wildly playing the "I'll definitely make the Heavenly Emperor change the world" meme, do you think will instantly turn into "darkened toxic fans" and activate "divine cutting" mode?

Yun Linglei has seen a lot of the world and knows exactly what kind of people many fans are.

Yi Zheng? I'm really not familiar with him. I saw long ago that his chess style was too reckless.

Exaggerated claims? Just a marketing ploy!
The young man got too cocky; good riddance!
Similar remarks are bound to become widespread.

Just like winning a game is like a snail shell, while losing is like being trapped in a cage, the main strategy is a sacred cut.

The more they boast now, the more they'll criticize if they lose.

The reason why Ethan's popularity has declined in the past two years is essentially because he has no achievements; even breathing is wrong.

The fans are all aggressive!
Competitive sports, especially one-on-one.

If you win the game and crawl out onto the field, everyone will say you crawled so coolly. If you lose the game and step out the door with your left foot, that means you have no ability and no mentality, and you deserve to be ridiculed!

At this moment, Yi Zheng, at the center of the storm, certainly did not feel any of the legendary "pre-match pressure cooker" atmosphere.

While Yun Linglei and the others had already arrived, Yi Zheng was leisurely brushing his teeth carefully and meticulously in front of the mirror in the bathroom of the hotel's luxury suite.

Anyway, the timing has been calculated, so I can arrive just in time.

As for pressure, why should there be pressure?
With all my understanding! With my life's work on the game of Go!

With my unparalleled wisdom! With my invincible talent!
You know, last night I was completely filled with drinks by Old Ke.

"Perfect timing, let's go."

……

At the competition venue, the chessboard, specially made of huanghuali wood, was already set up neatly, and the chess boxes containing black and white cloud-shaped chess pieces were placed in front of the respective players at both ends of the chess stand.

The competition organizers could be said to have specially raised the bar for these two individuals, aiming to maximize viewership.

Li Junhe, 9-dan, was already sitting upright in his seat, wearing a dark suit. His aura was as cold and icy as ice, and the temperature in the entire game room seemed to drop by two degrees.

He habitually twirled a cool, cloud-like seed between his fingers, feeling the delicate texture on his fingertips.

But when he heard the referee glance down at his watch, indicating that the staff had already made adjustments and the match was about to begin, Li Junhe couldn't help but frown, even though the opposite seat was still empty. A barely perceptible crease appeared on Li Junhe's face, which was known for its unchanging expression – a slight furrow in his brow.

A subtle doubt and a barely perceptible sense of being looked down upon quietly began to grow.

Yi Zheng was actually late?
How could he be late?
Given Yi Zheng's sharp and decisive demeanor yesterday, he shouldn't be so careless...

Do they really not value this semi-final match, which could define the transition between the old and new generations of both sides?
Or perhaps... a possibility that would displease Li Junhe even more arises—is he playing psychological warfare? Is he employing some kind of "underhanded tactic"? Is he trying to disrupt his opponent's focus and create an invisible pressure through this belated underhanded method?

Do you think I'm a child?

Li Junhe gripped the chess piece in his hand tighter with his fingertips. He adjusted his posture slightly, straightening his back even more. No matter what the opponent's intentions were, he would never be swayed by such a low-level trick.

Of course, Yi Zheng was not late and entered the competition venue right on time.

Yi Zheng was quite speechless. He had calculated the time perfectly and should have been able to arrive about five minutes early, but who knew that there were Siamese officials and their families watching the competition outside the venue.

Ordinary people are one thing, but this is a heavyweight NPC, a minister-level figure.

Because of what happened yesterday, Yi Zheng is also extremely popular in Siam, especially among female fans, such as the minister's youngest daughter.

Several people dragged Yi Zheng to take photos for several minutes, and only reluctantly let him go when they heard the competition bell ring.

Yi Zheng burst in at the last second, like a movie protagonist making a grand entrance, and instantly found the only empty seat. Li Junhe's cold, hard gaze immediately swept over him as he coldly watched Yi Zheng, sitting opposite him, sign the competition confirmation form.

Yi Zheng, this name streaked across the chess world, which had been silent for many years, in less than two years, with the speed of a comet striking the moon.

In less than two years since becoming a professional Go player, he has gone from being a Rookie King to a National Champion, defeating Kuroki in the China-Japan competition and Ethan in the Go Tournament, achieving an undefeated record. This year, he won the Divine Calculator title in East China and will make a further push for the Chinese Go Saint title next month.

To put it bluntly, it's simply unbelievable that someone could achieve this much at this age, not to mention that Yi Zheng's professional career has only lasted less than two years.

There was a so-called "gap period" before, but now many people have imagined this gap period as a period of seclusion and accumulation of knowledge.

The first reaction of everyone regarding Yi Zheng's career is that it's either turned off or on.

If this isn't cheating, then what is?
Even when Lee Jun-hyuk looks back on his own equally brilliant youth, he must admit that Yi Zheng's talent and explosive power have reached an unbelievable level that is "very un-Go-like".

To describe Yi Zheng as a pure genius would be an understatement.

There's a Chinese saying that goes, "Heroes emerge from among the young."

This rare praise is even uncommon in Lee Jun-hyuk's professional career.

He had to admit that if Yi Zheng were given a few more years, not to mention Silla, probably no one in the world of professional Go would be able to catch up with him! A sigh of "Lian Po is getting old" lingered in his heart.

Ke Lao chimed in with a sarcastic remark: "Isn't there an old Chinese saying that goes something like 'Wei Junjie of Xixi Material'? Don't you know what's going to happen in the current situation? It's time to relinquish the world's number one position, Lao Deng!"

After Yi Zheng finished signing, he was a little surprised to hear what Li Junhe said. Li Junhe could actually speak human language? Could it be that he was hallucinating?
You can't really blame Yi Zheng. After all, during his peak, Li Junhe always looked like everyone was trash and said some very hurtful things, and then later claimed that he was just stating objective facts. He was practically a performance art master who "said the most infuriating things with the calmest face".

Yi Zheng put on an innocent look and spoke in a relaxed tone as if he were discussing what he had for breakfast: "Li Junhe, a 9-dan player, holds the record for the Asian Cup at the age of 20, right? It seems that I'm going to break that record today."

But records are meant to be broken, right, senpai?

Lee Jun-hyuk won the Asian Cup at the age of 20, which was hailed by many as a miracle and the greatest genius in history.

It could even be said that he is the most dazzling jewel in Lee Jun-hyuk's crown of Go.

Of course, since that year's competition was hosted by Shilla, and due to various competition incidents, it was criticized by many people for being rigged.

Li Junhe's path to the finals can be described as a draw for the chosen one. All potential rivals seemed to "just right" meet him early, exhaust each other, or be avoided by some strange twist of fate during the draw.

In addition, the tournament organizing committee's series of actions regarding the postponement of the competition and the rest arrangements were criticized by other teams as "shameless" and "the ultimate in stalling tactics."

It can be said that this is both Lee Jun-hyuk's greatest honor and one of his darkest histories.

However, after so many years, apart from a few chess fans who are deeply involved in the two points, most people have gradually forgotten about this matter, and some don't even know much about it.

Of course, even with a custom champion, there are still a lot of people who don't understand how to play it.

Li Junhe remained expressionless upon hearing this: "You're still young, only seventeen years old and not yet eighteen. Let's go to the next class; there's still time."

"If it comes to the next edition, I'm afraid I'll think you're definitely the best candidate for champion."

The next Asian Cup is two years away, and Lee Jun-hyuk feels that he will be powerless to do anything about it then.

Two years later, Li Junhe realized that although his experience might be more refined and mature by then, his physical reactions, energy, and the perpetual motion-like calculation ability he had in his youth would inevitably decline.

Back then, facing a fully mature Yi Zheng with all his abilities maxed out, who could stop this monster? Only heaven knows.

It might just be a mystery, or maybe this kid will suddenly announce one day, "I'm tired, I'm retiring to start a live stream."

"However--"

Li Junhe's icy eyes, now refocused and incredibly sharp, were fixed on the boy opposite him.

"Now, the one who will stop you is me!"

P.S.: Please vote for me, everyone!

(End of this chapter)