The work of the Go master

"And then that was it, because at that time my boss suddenly fired me. This 3-dan player named Kitagawa Yu disappeared without a trace. His last appearance was at a public charity gala, and his last game was the real estate cup."

"Besides his students, has anyone else's chess skill been affected?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

"Yes, his colleagues are all in good condition and alive. You can ask them for more information."

"I don't have time for that now, we can just start fighting when the time comes," Ke Zhiguang said.

"So confident that you'll get entangled with this thing?" Instead of panicking, Kiyotaki Ayumu's eyes sparkled.

"If nothing unexpected happens, this will be the Rising Stars Challenge, and we'll meet in the finals."

Kiyotaki Ayumu quickly flipped through the match list to see which formidable opponents might make it to the finals, but after looking at the list, he lost interest: "None of them are quite qualified. Apart from you, the strongest one is this An Yongxin, who is actually Korean?"

However, based on this grouping, it is indeed possible that Ke Zhiguang and An Yongxin will face off in the final.

In the official historical world, after the 21st century, in competitions organized by the Japanese, the standard ending was often a meeting between China and South Korea in the finals. Later, the Japanese got angry and stopped organizing world championships, focusing instead on playing title matches behind closed doors.

One consequence of this was that the number of world championship titles held by the South Korean players at the turn of the century was so terrifying that later Chinese players, due to the reduced number of major international competitions, found it difficult to break their records.

However, whether it's this life or the previous life, we are still some distance from that period. It's quite rare for China and South Korea to meet in the finals, and it's worth publicizing.

Ke Zhiguang shook his head: "I don't know. I've seen his games and met him in person. I don't think he's that strong."

During yesterday's opening ceremony, Ke Zhiguang and An Yongxin had a brief face-to-face encounter. An Yongxin's strength was only alternating between orange and red, and he himself did not have much of a pressing presence. Even if he pulled out an Amakusa Maru and ate it, Ke Zhiguang was still fully confident in defeating him.

As for Yamaoka's assessment that this person's personality was terrible, Koji Mitsuaki could understand it.

This person is just a bit sarcastic and sarcastic. He likes to mock others when he wins a game, and pretends to be dead when he loses. He's also a bit noisy. He's not the same style as Yabu, but he's more like Sawako.

In conclusion, it's impossible to see any trace of a boss in him; on the contrary, he seems to have the potential to be a boss's underling or henchman.

That's enough of this casual conversation for now. Koji Hikaru's purpose in talking to Kiyotaki Ayumu wasn't to deduce the truth of the matter like a real detective.

He called Qinglong Bulai mainly to see if he could trigger any events.

Back in the hotel room that had been prepared for him, he unveiled the chessboard—

A small note.

【Bihe Yu's diary】

[A must-have for decent people]

They arrived as expected.

But at least use my black pen to write it! What's with writing it with red ink? Is it really like Bai Meng said, that it looks festive and is a color that represents blessings?

"That dragon is using me to devour everything around me."

"It won't die. Even if you smash it to pieces or sink it in water, it will come back to life and reappear in its original place as soon as it's out of sight."

"The only way to kill it is through the way of chess, but if I do that, I will die too."

"Thank God, I'm finally dead. That madman killed me; he's an even more terrifying dragon."

"I just quietly closed my eyes. Luckily, there was something above my head. It must have been the stairway to heaven. I never thought I would be able to go to heaven."

"But after he killed me, he didn't kill it. Instead, he imprisoned it again, waiting for the next poor wretch like me to fall into the evil path."

And then that was it.

It's like a series of cryptic riddles.

The only one that's relatively easy to understand is his claim that there's a halo above his head.

This person most likely died under the streetlight at the entrance of the alleyway to the music store, under that flickering streetlight.

But curling the lamppost didn't work.

This person seemed to have passed away peacefully and quietly, unlike the kind of lingering, disruptive spirit that disturbs the voltage all day long.

Unfortunately, he actually did put chrysanthemums under that streetlight. If that still can't save it, then we'll probably have to ask a monk to come and give it a good slap.

No, we've already invited monks, so we can just shoot the dragon directly at its body.

After a brief moment of thought, Ke Zhiguang decided to go out for dinner first and experience the hotel's upscale nightlife.

......

......

Meanwhile, An Yongxin woke up in a small, dark room.

When I woke up, I found myself tied to a chair.

His first reaction was—

Damn it, these Japanese have finally made their move against him, the hope of Korean Go! They've gone straight for physical means against him!

Just as I was about to yell, "What kind of hero uses physical means? Let's settle this on the chessboard!" a cold voice suddenly came: "You're awake?"

An Yongxin looked up and saw that the person in front of her... seemed to be called Yabu Ruijin, who was also a well-known figure in the industry.

Behind him stood two burly, masked men who looked menacing.

This makes it easier to understand: as someone of this person's generation, one is even more likely to be envied, resented, and hated. Moreover, given this guy's power, it seems he really could kill someone and silence them without leaving a trace...

Thinking of this, An Yongxin trembled as he spoke, "Good evening! Brother Yawu, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing else, I just hope to form an alliance with you. For the rest of the competition, until the final, you will wear this chess piece."

Yabu placed a small wireless earphone on the table.

An Yongxin was dumbfounded when she saw this: "This, this is for special agents?"

With this equipment, go infiltrate the Russian base! Let's play a game of chess against the Russians!

"This is a very valuable item. It is guaranteed to pass through security. Please keep it safe and do not let it be discovered, otherwise the consequences... cannot be guaranteed."

"Wait, you mean I have to wear this thing and follow other people's instructions to play chess?" An Yongxin roughly understood.

Although I really wanted to rebuke him, saying that as a righteous person I would never play such a rigged game, the two guys behind this man had really big fists.

"Actually, I think with my strength, I should have no problem making it to the finals..." An Yongxin said stubbornly, as a sixth-dan player, she still had the confidence she should have.

"Can you guarantee that if we lose, we'll sink straight into Tokyo Bay?"

"Big brother, I'll do whatever you say!"

"Next is the second request. After we get to the finals, I'll switch places with you. I'll play in the finals, and once it's done, the Rising Star title and prize money will be yours, and you'll also get an extra deposit."

"This...this is so awesome?" An Yongxin was taken aback, but then she realized something was wrong. "You're going to switch places with me after the finals? Is that allowed by the rules?"

“No, but I have a way to trade with you,” Yabu said confidently.

With Yabu so resolute, Yasunaga, who was tied to a chair, had nothing to say.

However, he was also curious: what benefit did the other party gain from such a generous gesture in helping him win the championship?

However, he didn't dare ask the question, because he could see the flames of demonic possession in the other person's eyes, and his whole body exuded an ominous aura that sent chills down one's spine.

It was as if an invisible behemoth had spread its wings behind him.

Chapter 80 Trophy Base

The second day of the competition began, and the venue was moved to the fifth floor. From there, one could see the edge of the sea, and the sea breeze poured in through the windows, filling the entire game room with a vacation atmosphere.

The stadium doors swung open to the left and right, and a group of more than twenty people stepped into the hotel lobby. Cameras were flashing all around them, and the expensive carpet felt comfortable underfoot, giving one a sense of pride in becoming a successful person.

Ke Zhiguang leaned back in his chair, yawning as usual, gazing absently at the edges of the sea view outside the window.

Hotel rooms, of course, don't offer the cozy cabin effect bonus, so their recovery effect is naturally weaker.

After the match yesterday, he strolled around the hotel area, which is close to the coastline and has a great view, especially at night when facing the sea. A cool sea breeze comes from the other side of the horizon, and the artificial islands in Tokyo Bay are illuminated with neon lights, like seashells dotting the night sea.

I heard that this hotel was built more than ten years ago. From the day it was built, it was the venue for the first New Star Title Battle, and the business has been booming ever since. It is very likely that it has benefited from good fortune.

I previously heard Saito mention that Oshiro Go has a method of sharing fortunes to gain actual benefits, and perhaps setting up title matches for a specific company is one such method.

Speaking of which, this place is close to the sea. Could the tsunami scene that flashed by in Godzilla refer to this?

It can't be that far-fetched. They said there's good fortune protecting us here, so we should be immune to these disasters, right?

Wait a minute, thinking about these questions in my mind shouldn't violate Murphy's Law, right?

"Ke Zhiguang, you're playing in this room too?" A familiar voice suddenly came from inside.

It was actually Masae Soma. Her presence has always been strange, sometimes very strong, sometimes very weak.

"So you made it to the main competition too," Ke Zhiguang said, adding that it was a good experience to run into someone he knew here.

"I was lucky. On the women's side, as long as you get through two rounds of the qualifiers, you can enter the main draw. I was lucky in the first round yesterday. My opponent thought I was a woman and tried to harass me in the middle game, but I seized the opportunity and crushed him," said Masae Soma.

This... sounds so violent.

"By the way, Koji Mitsuaki, you're not the type to underestimate someone on the board just because they're a woman, are you?" Soma Masae asked.

“How could that be? I’m never soft on women.” Ke Zhiguang gestured with an accordion in front of his chest.

“Alright, then deal with your opponent this round properly. She’s a woman,” said Masae Soma.

"Ok?"

Just as they were talking, Ke Zhiguang's opponent jogged in and sat down in a flash.

"Sorry I'm late," the opponent said, clutching his heaving chest.

She really is a woman, with short hair and glasses, a very scholarly yet energetic girl.

Ke Zhiguang glanced at the nameplate on the table. Her name was... Maple Syrup Toast? What kind of weird name is that?

Calling someone "toast" is fine, after all, some women are named "cilantro," but does anyone actually have the surname "maple syrup"?

"Haha, isn't that strange? Actually, this is my stage name. As for my real name, I'll keep it a secret for now." She put her finger to her lips and gave him a wink.

"You can use a stage name?" Ke Zhiguang was taken aback.

If I had known that, I would have used it myself!

"This is a privilege exclusive to female chess players. Besides that, I also like rock music and video games. What about you?" she continued her offensive.

“Oh, I like electric cars too.” Ke Zhiguang nodded, showing a hint of appreciation.

This is the first time I've met a girl who's interested in video games. So punk!

But... is this electric motor the same kind of electric motor I'm thinking of?