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

Chapter 290 World Famous Paintings
"Li Jiudan, have you seen this picture before?"
In the past day, it has generated considerable buzz and discussion not only within the Go community but also on larger platforms.

The reporter, Xi Hu, spoke with a deliberately provocative tone, leaning slightly forward as she observed Li Junhe's changing expression upon seeing the screen.

The composition of the photo is "professional": the background is the familiar dark solid wood checkerboard table in the Asian Cup match hall, with the edges blurred, and the focus is firmly locked on the person in the center left of the picture - it is himself, Lee Jun-hyuk 9-dan.

In the photo, Lee Joon-hyuk's head is slightly lowered, and his hair, which is usually neatly combed and shines with his signature silver light under the lamp, looks a little messy at this moment.

The most glaring detail was between his fingers: two pure white beads, representing an admission of defeat.

The cold chess pieces lay quietly in the corner of the chessboard near him. The complex battlefield formed by the intertwining black and white pieces was still spreading, but the two white pieces, symbolizing the "end," appeared particularly isolated and desolate in the contrast of light and shadow.

The entire scene is frozen in a breathtaking tension: the desolation of a former king, the helplessness of being overwhelmed by the new generation, and the dignity of silently acknowledging defeat.

A suffocating sense of profound sorrow, a feeling of "the changing of the times," washes over you through the screen.

Li Junhe's gaze fell on the computer screen; he genuinely hadn't realized that someone had taken this photo yesterday.

Moreover, it must be admitted that the angle, lighting, timing... this photo was captured to an art form, so artful that one would want to award the photographer an "Annual Heart-Piercing Award" on the spot!
But weren't all the reporters and media at the scene cleared out? How could there be such a professional photographer?

The referee who took the picture said, "I really didn't know. I just randomly took out my phone and took a picture. I didn't expect the effect to be so good."

The air seemed to freeze instantly due to the extreme cold, and only the monotonous buzzing of the air conditioner vents could be heard in the interview room, which sounded like some kind of eerie countdown.

The photographer next to him noticed something and immediately zoomed in for a close-up, capturing every muscle movement on the legendary chess player's face.

His hands, which had been resting steadily on his lap, twitched slightly in the little finger, almost imperceptibly.

The air in the interview room was thick with the quiet, a silent storm brewing beneath the surface, and even the light seemed to dim slightly.

For the first time in his life, Lee Joon-hyuk regretted ever knowing Chinese...

The comments below made him feel a surge of inexplicable anger, almost bursting through the calm shell of a professional chess player.

The buzz, the explosive number of shares—especially that one comment that received a ton of likes, was quoted and used in memes, and was pinned to the top of the charts:
Why is there no new generation in "The Tide of the New Era"?

Because the new generation is on patrol.

fun!
That's so mean, damn it!

Two short lines, a precise finishing blow! Li Junhe felt his temples throbbing, and his blood pressure soared to a level he had never experienced before.

"I can't hold it in anymore!" "That's so mean, damn it!" "Shrimp and pig's heart!" Countless words in the comments section were frantically scrolling through his mind, each one hitting his nerves.

There isn't a single swear word, but the text is full of highly technical sarcastic remarks and internet deconstructionism.

Pure, extreme, and unconventional psychological damage! Utter humiliation! For the first time in his life, Li Junhe genuinely suspected that he had a tendency to develop high blood pressure.

How are you feeling right now?

Xi Hu looked at Li Junhe, who was sitting not far away from him, with a hint of smugness and a probing spark. He could clearly feel the instantaneous change in Li Junhe's expression.

A very fine crack appeared on that expressionless face.

Was it astonishment? Anger? Helplessness? Or a sense of absurdity at the complex moment captured so precisely in the photograph, a moment that even the photographer hadn't fully appreciated?
Xihu is certain that she has successfully breached Li Junhe's defenses!
This is the secret to a successful interview—never let the interviewee remain in that highly rational "wise man mode" while being interviewed. Otherwise, all you'll get are empty platitudes and empty rhetoric, like a pile of dry tinder that no one will bother with.

There must be a needle that can pierce through the defenses.

And this carefully prepared picture post is the best weapon.

"What is your assessment of yesterday's opponent, Yi Zheng, 8-dan?" Xi Hu pressed on, throwing out a crucial question, like inserting a lever into a newly opened crack.

Li Junhe took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down and regain his composure, letting his professionalism prevail: "He is a good young man, but he is very young, lacks depth in chess, and his basic etiquette during games is not very good."

Although he has already obtained a Chinese title, he may need more time and experience to achieve even higher levels of success.

Rome wasn't built in a day. While young people are very impactful, especially now that Yi Zheng is riding high and seemingly invincible, if they lack depth, their momentum will eventually falter.

"Without the support of profound inner strength, how to recover and set off again after a setback is his biggest challenge for the future." These words were laced with barbs and implied deeper meaning. Li Junhe was clearly using the opportunity of evaluating Yi Zheng to indirectly criticize another person: Ethan, the ninth-dan.

Last year's World Cup final, which shocked the chess world and was comparable to a "miraculous comeback", saw Lee Jun-hyuk complete an incredible "comeback from 0-3 down to win 4-3" and snatch the championship from Ethan.

Ethan, who was hailed by the entire American chess world as a "once-in-a-millennium genius" and "destined to reach the top of the world rankings," did not fall into a slump, but afterwards it was as if the most crucial spine had been removed, and he was stuck at the threshold of the top five in the world rankings, like the strongest king stuck in the promotion tournament and unable to move up.

At the time, public opinion generally believed that after this battle, Ethan should have easily challenged for and taken the world number one spot within a year! But what actually happened?
Li Junhe was also reminding others that Ethan was a prime example; he was much more attention-grabbing than Yi Zheng was back then, but look what happened now.

Everyone has their glorious moments, but don't mistake a moment for eternity!

"What are your goals for the rest of your career?"

Lee Jun-hyuk resumed his masterful tone, only speaking slightly faster than before: "As a professional Go player, I have basically achieved many of my goals. At present, I am more focused on maintaining a calm mindset and hoping to continue to achieve better results."

Although I lost this competition, I still feel that I gained more than I lost. If I encounter young players like Yi Zheng again, I am very confident that I can win.

I also hope to face Yi Zheng in more matches, so I can give him the most direct response and proof.

Lee Jun-hyuk was clearly influenced by the photos and comments in the end, and still made some strong statements.

As a reporter, Xi Hu's eyes were practically overflowing with laughter, yet he maintained a professional and serious expression.

The bombshell is in! The conflict is in! The highlights are off the charts! This interview was a huge success! To get such a tough, almost confrontational expression from Li Junhe, who is known for his impeccable composure and aloofness, is already an achievement beyond expectations.

"Thank you so much for accepting our interview!"

"kindness."

Li Junhe didn't even raise his hand, merely nodding with an extremely small, almost negligible arc, before standing up cleanly and decisively, his movements carrying a hint of cold, resolute indignation at being offended.

The camera then shifts back to the competition venue, where Yi Zheng forces Park Ji-bin to admit defeat.

Park Ji-bin originally thought that although the gap was quite large, twenty or thirty points, it was already the legendary garbage time.

But for him, it's better to play for a longer time, until he finishes the whole game.

As for whether it's impolite to use garbage time, that's not within our consideration.

If you get to know someone too early, you'll definitely get criticized. It's better to drag it out a bit. Most people will hold back and back when they have a big advantage later on, so in the end, you won't lose by too much and you can make it look like you narrowly lost.

However, Yi Zheng didn't buy into that at all! After entering the endgame, this young man showed no awareness of "being a little more righteous after winning". Instead, he was ruthless and precise, targeting every possible weakness in Yi Zheng's game!

Each step became more cunning, each move more ruthless.

This is a perfect example of a young man who lacks any sense of martial ethics!

Park Jibin cleared his throat with difficulty, his facial muscles twitching uncontrollably. The words of surrender rolled three times in his throat, but he finally squeezed them out in an extremely aggrieved and unwilling tone: "...I surrender."

The voice was so low it was almost inaudible, but the referee next to him had been waiting for a long time.

Damn it, I have to work overtime too!

Yi Zheng didn't even lift his eyelids, but nodded slightly in response.

However, having completed the last small piece of the top three Korean stamp collection, Yi Zheng tidied up the chessboard and left the scene immediately.

Yi Zheng's thoughts had already shifted to what he should eat tonight.

However, as soon as Yi Zheng stepped off the competition venue, he was caught by media outlets from his own country whose names begin with the letter C.

"Five minutes! Just five minutes!"

PS: Please vote with monthly tickets, everyone! The last chapter was somehow rejected by the editor, I'm trying to get it released.

(End of this chapter)