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

Chapter 289 Interview
"Snapped!"

"Slap—slap—slap!"

The crisp sound of pieces being placed echoed rapidly in the quiet chess room, as dense as a sudden summer rain pounding on an ancient bluestone slab.

In the second game, Yi Zheng continued his rapid-fire moves.

Park Ji-bin, sitting opposite him, unconsciously wiped his forehead with his hand.

A thin layer of sweat seeped out from his temples, dampening a few strands of slightly disheveled hair. Those unruly strands of hair stubbornly clung to his slightly sweaty skin, becoming another silent testament to the pressure beyond the game of chess.

Yi Zheng felt that his connection with Silla during the Asian Cup was truly inseparable.

A series of "beatings" against Silla's top team? Oh no, to be precise, it was a "precision strike".

Yi Zheng silently reviewed the map of his strange fate with the Silla Go player in his mind, and a faint, darkly humorous smile appeared on his lips.

In the preliminary rounds, they defeated the second-ranked player from Silla and entered the main tournament with their heads held high.

In the first round of the main tournament, he faced Lee Jun-hyuk, the "Stone Buddha" who was still riding high on the glory of the "Great Lee Dynasty" and regarded as the pillar of the entire Silla Go world. With a precise flying knife, he knocked his opponent off the field.

I thought the second round would be a change of pace, but the person on the other side of the chessboard turned out to be the third player from Silla again!

It was Park Ji-bin who, during the pre-match coin toss, had a daring look in his eyes and seemed to be begging for a lucky card when facing the camera, as if afraid of being chosen by Yi Zheng.

As it turns out, luck is a mysterious thing sometimes. What you fear most often comes to pass. In the draw after the first game, fate's mischievous hand gently pushed things along, and Yi Zheng was once again facing "Han San" face to face.

Defeating Park Ji-bin means that a perfect, closed-loop small goal has been achieved—"sweeping the top 3 in the Korean Wave"?
It sounds really exciting, like stamp collecting; it's hard for anyone not to try and achieve something.

The old man across from me, Comrade Park, is probably the last crucial stamp in my stamp album.

However, Yi Zheng originally thought that the opponent's world ranking was similar to his own, so he must have some strength. Who knew that the opponent would play so softly.

But since the other party softened, Yi Zheng naturally hardened up without any reason!

If you soften, I'll definitely have to harden!

The next ten or so moves were a showcase of Yi Zheng's violent aesthetics, with the sound of pieces being placed becoming increasingly coherent and rapid, almost like a continuous barrage of shots.

He was no longer engaging in piecemeal attacks, but was now pursuing the dragon relentlessly with a clear objective and overwhelming momentum!

The white dragon on Park Ji-bin's chart, which should have been connected and might even have become a future "powerful capital", should be regarded as the primary target that must be completely eliminated!

Every move he made exuded a fierce and resolute attitude, as if cutting off its head would cause its body to collapse and severing its tail would cause it to lose its power. He displayed the posture of a desperate warrior who would not rest until this dragon was completely slain.

Park Ji-bin was speechless at the sight. "Hey buddy, what have I ever done to you? Does this have to be so brutal?!"

What did my dragon do to you? This is a violation of the law! If the Silla fans knew I lost so badly... wouldn't they be criticized as a 'bad example' of a player right here on their doorstep?
The pressure is immense! Park Gu-dan's inner monologue is almost reaching the stage of "being exiled to Jeju Island to dig for abalone."

While Yi Zheng was playing chess, Li Junhe was being interviewed.

Unfortunately, in order to ensure the players' performance, during the competition, apart from a few media outlets with strong backgrounds that can conduct short interviews of no more than five minutes after the competition, it is basically impossible for other media outlets to conduct interviews.

However, the losing contestant does not have to abide by this rule, since they don't have to continue competing.

As the focus of the game, the attention did not disappear with the departure of Lee Jun-hyuk 9-dan. Losing a game sometimes means the beginning of another kind of "busy" period.

Therefore, Li Junhe naturally became the subject of interviews by various media outlets. For example, he is currently being interviewed online by Muyehu, and after finishing, he will be interviewed by his own country's media.

Today alone, Lee Jun-hyuk will be giving interviews to at least a dozen media outlets, probably even more than the time spent on the competition.

After confirming that the lights and the camera next to it were in place, the staff of Muye Fox gave an OK sign.

The host, Xi Hu, quickly glanced at the questions on the outline that he was going to "focus on," confirmed that the trigger point was correct, put on a professional but friendly smile, and skillfully began the presentation to the camera.

"Welcome to the special interview on the Muyefox platform's 'Yi Jie' (Go World). It is a great honor to have invited Lee Jun-hyuk, a 9-dan Go master and a symbol of Silla Go, to the Siam Asian Cup today!"

Facing the camera, Li Junhe nodded with his ever-present icy expression: "Hello, host, and viewers."

With decades of professional experience, he already knew how to deal with the media.

"First of all, congratulations to Lee Jun-hyuk 9-dan for winning the Hallasan Cup in Silla this month. This is your fifth time winning this tournament in your career."

"From what I can see, you're still in great shape. Do you have any secrets you could share?" Lee Jun-hyuk, his hands naturally folded in his lap, sat with unwavering composure. "Thank you for your concern."

After a brief pause, Li Junhe seemed to be organizing an official but sincere answer: "It's mainly about a regular daily routine and continuous exercise."

I do a fixed-intensity physical training every day, including running and some targeted core strength exercises. The time is not long, but the key is to stick to it.

At the same time, they pay close attention to their diet, maintaining a low-fat, high-protein, and balanced intake. After all, chess is not only a battle of wits but also a huge drain on the body. They hope that with scientific management, they can extend their peak competitive years as much as possible.

His voice was deep and clear, and every word was spoken with great seriousness: "Judging from the current results, it is indeed quite good. Although it is regrettable to lose an important game yesterday, and my condition was inevitably affected to some extent, these are normal fluctuations, and I will adjust quickly to ensure that it will not interfere with other subsequent events."

The reporter, Xi Hu, skillfully transitioned the topic from the "secret to longevity" to the high-profile tournament in which he had just suffered a defeat: "Your first world-class championship was the Asian Cup, and you have won the same tournament many times since. It can be said to be one of the witnesses to your glorious career."

Now, back on this field, although the result is regrettable, could you share your feelings about this special event? After all, it holds so many memories for you.

When Li Junhe heard this question, he couldn't help but show a nostalgic look: "It was almost ten years ago, but many things still feel vivid in my mind, as if they happened just yesterday."

The Asian Cup has profound significance for me. It was my first step into world chess competitions and an important milestone for me to reach higher levels. I have won several championships there.

Although I was eliminated in the first round of this tournament, and especially since I left with many regrets in chess and didn't perform to my full potential, I feel somewhat saddened.
But I still hope that, both in the future and further into the future, I can achieve even better results in this competition. The championship remains my goal for the next competition.

Although that match was full of twists and turns and some unexpected events, it was an unforgettable memory for Lee Jun-hyuk.

It was this championship that inspired him to have the confidence to strive for an even higher level.

Looking at Li Junhe's watertight answer, Xihu felt a headache coming on. There was absolutely no explosive point. It seemed he needed to increase his aggressiveness.

"Did you read the related comments online after yesterday's defeat?"

Li Junhe shook his head slightly upon hearing this: "I don't care about some of the related comments on the Internet, and I won't deliberately look at them."

Perhaps I'm a bit old-fashioned, but I don't know much about the internet, and I'm not very good at online chess either, so I play very little.

I can roughly guess what the comments will be like, but I know that where there are supporters, there will inevitably be detractors. There's no need to pay attention to other people's comments; just focus on doing your best.

If losing a single game means anything, then I would be worrying about it countless times every year.

No need to worry about it, just focus on your own path.

Li Junhe maintained his perpetually icy expression; it wasn't like he hadn't seen similar comments before.

Moreover, his almost arrogant composure was not an act; he knew better than anyone that keyboard warriors were simply "international beings."

The public opinion environment within Silla was truly a suffocating "pressure cooker."

He was able to gain some leniency only because of his unshakeable "national treasure" status and near-perfect public image.

If it were any other Silla Go player? They would be walking "targets for fire".

Several familiar and heartbreaking case fragments flashed through his mind: a young Silla 9-dan unexpectedly eliminated him, the "undefeated symbol," in a domestic competition, and entered the international finals, only to ultimately fail and lose to his Chinese opponent.

The morning after the match, the player's front door was splashed with some kind of unidentified red liquid that emitted a pungent odor. The Silla media only mildly reported it as "an inappropriate expression by an overzealous fan."

The internet erupted in outrage. A storm of comments like "What a waste of a spot!" and "Shame on you! Swim back to Silla!" swept through major Go communities.

Compared to Silla, the pressure on Chinese keyboard warriors is really not that great.

Therefore, Li Junhe doesn't believe that those keyboard warriors in China can break through his defenses. You really don't know what country I am from.

There's a saying in Silla that goes, "Even without parents, the elders will bully you!"
Upon hearing this, the reporter gestured to a nearby staff member to bring over a laptop, then pointed the screen at Li Junhe: "Have you seen this post?"

A post was prominently displayed on the screen, its title boldly and strikingly large in artistic font:

The world-famous painting "The New Wave"

Below the title is a magnified, high-resolution photo, taken at a textbook-perfect time.

In the picture, Lee Jun-hyuk is seen rubbing his hair in obvious pain; it was a snapshot taken at the moment he gave up.

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

(End of this chapter)