The work of the Go master

Yamaoka nodded: "Anyway, that's what the experts say. It's something like La Niña and El Niño effects, which can trigger many natural climate disasters."

"Oh, it's snowing."

Ke Zhiguang suddenly felt a coolness on the tip of his nose. He looked up and saw that the white crystals had been scattered all over the sky.

"That's a good omen; we'll be back soon to see snow."

"I think for someone who has just returned from Hokkaido, snowfall is not as interesting as rain."

“I almost forgot where you came from, but the snow in the city is quite charming compared to the snow in the countryside. Just enjoy it,” Yamaoka said with a smile.

“That’s right, let’s go then, without an umbrella.” Ke Zhiguang stepped into the snow, a light snowfall that didn’t require an umbrella.

But suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong? Did you forget something at the Go institute?" Yamaoka asked.

"No, I just feel that something bad might happen tonight," Ke Zhiguang said, gazing at the dark, snowy sky.

An ominous premonition returned; every falling snowflake seemed to be black.

Perhaps somewhere tonight, bad guys are having a gathering.

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Dragon Palace of the East Sea

In the dead of night, a snowfall descended upon Tokyo.

Between December and February, it's possible to snow in Tokyo every day, but as a densely populated metropolis, it naturally has a high-temperature effect, so snow doesn't accumulate here. To put it simply, the city is quite warm.

A luxury cruise ship was docked in the port of Tokyo Bay. Because the lights were not on, the entire ship was shrouded in darkness, giving off an air of danger.

A beige Toyota drove in from outside the port and stopped at the entrance of the cruise ship, where steel-framed stairs led to the upper floors.

"This is it, Mr. Nishichi. Mr. Ryuzuo is waiting for you on the deck," the driver said to the people in the back.

Nishi Chiaki glanced out the window at the dark cruise ship and took a deep breath: "I heard that this ship is the venue for this Dragon Throne Battle?"

"That's right. All the matches of this Dragon Throne Tournament will be held on this ship. In early May, it will carry the participating players from Tokyo Bay, sailing all over Southeast Asia. A match will be held every two days, and the entire tournament is expected to be completed in twelve days. After the champion of the final is determined, the ship will sail to Hawaii, just in time for a vacation," the young driver explained.

"It means that the game will be held in the Pacific Ocean. In the past, chess tournaments were held on the Japanese mainland. This time, there is no land at all. The chessboard has been moved directly to the ocean. This kind of gimmick has never been seen before, right?"

Just facing this ship, Nishi Chiaki felt immense pressure.

Nishi Chiaki, the holder of the Dosaku title, is thirty-six years old this year.

Although he is a professional Go player, he has an arrogant head of blond hair like a male escort. In addition to his main job of playing Go, he also acts in movies, associates with many female celebrities, and appears in various entertainment sections, living a very carefree and free life.

While maintaining his playboy-like demeanor, he also maintained strong competitiveness on the chessboard. In terms of being a winner in life, he can definitely rank among the top three in the entire chess world.

But no matter how successful someone is in life, they are still just a normal person, and they can only be apprehensive in front of someone like Tatsuki Koshikawa, who is not normal.

"This was all Mr. Dragon's idea, and the route was also carefully designed by him, especially the location of the final competition."

"The final location?" Nishi Chiaki was puzzled for a moment, but quickly realized, "Isn't it the sea area where Koshikawa Tatsumi had his marine accident?"

"That's probably the only way. Although Mr. Dragon didn't say it explicitly, everyone understands."

"Insisting on setting the finals at the place where he himself was resurrected back then, I must say... no wonder he's Tatsumi Koshikawa?" A few beads of cold sweat appeared on Chiaki Nishi's forehead.

People who have perished at sea often have some fear of the ocean, and dare not even look at it again, especially the place where they perished, a place of shadows they never want to return to.

And this man actually plans to hold the final of the Dragon Throne Battle in this very place.

I can no longer understand his way of thinking.

The more you try to understand, the harder it becomes to understand; and the harder it becomes to understand, the more frightening it becomes.

"Do you think it's possible that the real Tatsumi Koshikawa perished in the deep sea back then, and the person appearing before us now is a sea monster impersonating him?" Nishi Chiaki joked to ease his stage fright.

"Mr. Dragon Throne himself has made this kind of joke before, but that just proves that he is actually a human, since monsters wouldn't dare to reveal their identities." The driver chuckled along.

“That’s true. Humans have even developed nuclear weapons, so taking down a few monsters shouldn’t be a problem,” Xuan Yuzhi said.

Nuclear and radiation are actually somewhat taboo topics in Japan, and are only used by two people telling silly jokes.

Post-war Japanese people had high levels of radiation-induced PTSD. Even thirty years later, their hotels rarely had power outlets on the bedside tables. People had to charge their phones on the table to avoid having their phones next to their heads while sleeping.

"However, nuclear radiation isn't that effective for the chess world," the driver suddenly remarked wistfully.

This joke is something only those in the Go world can understand.

After all, it's not like no one has ever faced off under an atomic bomb. There were three people in the contest, including the referee, and all three of them lived to be over eighty years old. They weren't afraid of radiation at all.

After exchanging many jokes, Xuan Yuzhi opened the car door and stepped onto the stairs leading into the ship.

......

......

On the broad deck at the bow, Tatsumi Koshikawa sat at a white dining table, gazing at the city in the snowy night. A record player on the table spun a classic turntable, and a miner's lamp-like light source created a small awning around him.

A small parasol was placed above the dining table, keeping the snow out, but not covering the area outside the table.

Ryuki Koshikawa remained standing in the snow, his purple trench coat accumulating snow on the shoulders.

The temperature at the port is lower, so the snow doesn't melt.

Upon hearing footsteps behind him, he turned around with delight and spoke in a loud, resonant voice, "My dear Zhang, you've finally arrived."

He then adopted a warm welcome posture and invited the other party to sit at the table, where there was a bottle of red wine with the label torn off and two stemmed glasses.

Nishi Chiaki rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. Who knew if this wine was even real wine?

He sat down opposite her, ran his hand over the bottle twice to make sure it didn't give him any bad luck, and then he felt relieved, but he didn't intend to take a few sips.

"How about it? This place is pretty good, isn't it? To be able to get such a wonderful sea snow without even needing an umbrella is like how the best weather is often not a sunny day, but the kind of light rain that allows you to take a walk alone in the park without needing any rain gear." Koshikawa Tatsumi propped his arms up, as if showing off the treasure behind him.

The snow on his body showed that he had been standing there for a long time, and he was clearly really enjoying the weather.

Even his wild, unruly hair was covered in snow.

"Mr. Koshikawa, you're in such a hurry to meet me in a place like this, so the matter that follows is probably related to the Dragon Throne Battle, right?" Nishi Chiaki straightened his back, intending to speak in a manner that was not inferior to his opponent.

Koshikawa Tatsumi frowned and shook his finger, making a scrambling sound: "Not quite right, Akira. You want to get to the point so quickly. If it were Koji Mitsuaki, he definitely wouldn't mind chatting with me a bit more. I'm sure he's someone who loves snow and drizzly days too."

Nishi Chiaki was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Really? I've heard that his way of speaking is usually very direct. He can propose a match right away and he doesn't beat around the bush."

Tatsumi Koshikawa continued to enlighten him in a mentor-like tone: "No, no, no, think about it again. He is a strong person. Strong people often get straight to the point because they are not interested in the weak. But I am different. I am also a strong person. Before he officially gets to the point with me, he will definitely adjust his emotions and atmosphere to perfection. And isn't all of this the best regulator?"

Tatsumi Koshikawa continued to show off everything around him.

In Tokyo under a snowy night, in the quiet harbor, on a dark cruise ship, a miner's lamp provides only a small patch of light, like an isolated island far from the city.

This place is also covered in snow, but compared to the warm and lovely snow in the city, the snow here seems much colder and more desolate.

The atmosphere does have a certain charm, but it's not a particularly pleasant one.

After regaining his composure, Nishi Chiaki's tone became much more refined, as if he had stepped into the role of an actor: "Indeed, a strong person only slows down when facing another strong person. So... can you tell me the reason why I was summoned here?"

Although Nishi Chiaki seemed to have figured it out, Koshikawa Tatsumi still turned his hand outward, seemingly quite disappointed.

Perhaps the acting wasn't up to par.

"You should know that Yagami Kunikyo has been trying to deal with me lately, and he even summoned a group of old ninjas to Hokkaido for a crucial meeting." Koshikawa Tatsumi cut straight to the point.

“I’ve heard about it; it must be a big plan,” Nishi Chiaki said calmly.

"He's been able to put up with me until now. Should we say he has a good temper, or does he have some bigger conspiracy? The answer is definitely the latter," said Tatsumi Koshikawa.

"Although I don't know exactly what his ambitions are, I already know the outcome of the meeting... With Yagami Kunikyo taking the lead and the other 9-dan players following suit, this Dragon Throne Battle will be conducted in the form of a team battle."

"A team battle? A title match can be conducted as a team battle?" Nishi Chiaki was very surprised.

This is another pioneering approach.

So here's the question: if a team does win the championship, who should receive the title? You can't give the title to all five members, can you?

"How they actually do it is their business, but the reason they decided to hold this competition as a team battle is, frankly, a collective attack on me, just like the eighteen warlords' campaign against Dong Zhuo. For this reason... I also need allies, like you," said Yuechuan Longji.

The icy waves crashed against the hull, making a deafening sound.

The evil dragon extended a team invitation to Nishi Chiaki.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Strange Chess Record Appears Again

Cold snowflakes drifted in from outside the parasol and froze on Nishi Chiaki's hand.

This invitation is highly unlikely to be refused.

Accepting to join a team, in a sense, means binding one's future and fortune to that of Tatsumi Koshikawa; it's as if one has been bound to the other's chariot.

The only problem is that this tank was likely headed straight for the ditch.

"I'd like to ask, how many people will be on each team in this Dragon Throne team battle?" Nishi Chiaki didn't nod immediately.

"Five people, a normal team battle scale, points-based system, every link in the team is crucial."

"This format must be very disadvantageous for you, Mr. Koshikawa. With Yagami Kunikyo's abilities, he must be able to assemble a dream team of five."

“Yes, connections are his forte, and he has a lot of influence, so I had no choice but to ask you for help.” Tatsumi Koshikawa placed his hands on the table, adopting a sincere posture.

“Well, Mr. Yuechuan, if you want to recruit me, you’ll at least have to offer me some tempting terms. Otherwise, if the Kyoto side of Yagami offers even more, I’ll be in trouble.” Nishi Chiaki mustered his courage a bit, his smile becoming slightly unrestrained.

As someone with a title, the courage to fight back in negotiations is certainly present.

"Hmm... the conditions, Akira, now that you've brought it up, it's really hard for me to handle." Koshikawa Tatsumi rested his chin on his hand, gazing into the distance in thought.

Suddenly, as if struck by a flash of inspiration, he snapped his fingers: "For Akira, that should be the most suitable one..."

Whispers echoed across the empty deck before being drowned out by the cold wind.

What followed was a toast of red wine, and an agreement was reached.

“Okay, I agree. So where should we find the next three teammates?” Nishi Chiaki asked.

"This is another headache. Who else is willing to join my team?"

Ryūki Koshikawa stood lost in thought, gazing at the city amidst the biting wind.

......

......

On the other side of the harbor, on the bustling streets of Chiyoda Ward.