The work of the Go master

In the eyes of those who are influenced by these suggestions, billboards appear brighter and their desire to consume becomes stronger. The resonance between people's thoughts creates this dreamlike, crystalline world.

In the blink of an eye, the competition has reached the sixth round, and the qualifying spots for the group stage are about to be revealed.

2→1.

The competition was held in an office building resembling twin towers. Groups A and B each had their own building, and the organizers specially cleared out two spaces for the competition.

In front of a sign plastered with sponsor advertisements and logos, he sat facing his opponent across the chessboard.

Today's opponent is Shuichi Suzuki, who has just turned thirty and is a former champion.

The camera lights fell from the sky, surrounded by makeshift broadcasting equipment.

Looking at the gleaming exterior of this building, you'd never guess that the competition venue would be so simple.

That's normal. Apart from some venues that are frequently used for competitions, most chess tournaments are held in very down-to-earth locations.

On the chessboard, just as the countdown was about to reach zero, Ke Zhiguang put down his teacup and placed his piece.

In this final round, with only 3 rounds and 30 seconds left, being able to squeeze in a sip of tea under such intense pressure can put immense psychological pressure on your opponent.

But opponents who can fight to this level have impeccable mental fortitude, so naturally they won't be swayed by this.

On the contrary, it was the commentators in the commentary booth who wavered.

"W-what? Shinseiki-kun actually took a bite at such a crucial moment. Is this some kind of underhanded tactic?"

"That depends on whether he made a sound when he shouted. If he did, he could get a warning sign."

"In that case, Takami, you have to apologize to me!"

"Hmph, I never made a sound while drinking. Your imagination doesn't count."

"But you're drinking Coke! Coke has a natural power to distract your opponent! Especially the canned kind!"

"Get lost! You just wanted a Coke but forgot to bring it in!"

"No, I'm a Sprite fan!"

"you......"

Sitting side by side in the commentary booth were Xiong Ying and Ying Mei.

Chess tournaments often invite popular active players like these to provide commentary, especially for rapid chess tournaments.

In slow chess games, there is ample time for professional commentators to analyze the board, present the variations, and clarify the game situation.

However, in rapid chess games, the player who sets up the pieces on the large chessboard is often not as fast as the player who moves the pieces, and in such cases, the opportunity is given to the professional player.

Especially for female chess players, those who are compatible with each other will become a comedy duo whenever they appear together.

After the two met in the group stage, Yingmei won, but she was quickly sent home by Kezhiguang in the next round.

Then he went up to the commentary booth and started praising Ke Zhiguang.

After all, boasting about the person who killed you is also good for your own face.

Furthermore, they and Ke Zhiguang are friends who have traveled together, so it's perfectly reasonable for them to say a few words of praise for him.

On the chessboard, the strings were stretched to their limit, turning into a much-anticipated battle of dragon slaying. Koji Hikaru's white pieces were the hunted, while Suzuki Shuichi's black pieces were the hunter.

deal with.

The maneuvering continues...

Ke Zhiguang leaned forward slightly, his hand involuntarily tugging at his hair.

"It's here! It's Shinseiki's signature thinking action: pulling his hair!"

"This gesture is indeed quite rare; most people would just bite their thumb at most."

"Is it mainly because most chess players cherish their hair? Or maybe they simply don't have any hair left to pull?"

"This... seems to be true."

"So that's why Shinseok-kun can be so reckless with his hair! Isn't he afraid of going bald?! He's been pulling his hair for so long, how come it's still so shiny and oily?!"

Just as the two were complaining, the game came to an end.

Shuichi Suzuki's brows furrowed deeply, but then suddenly relaxed—

With a snap, the surrender button was pressed.

Although they can still hold out for many moves on the surface, ... as things go on, it will only be a show of force, so it's better to just resign and admit defeat.

The referee team was also stunned by the sudden end of the game, much like in some games where a single move was not broken and the game was immediately over.

"Congratulations to Ke Zhiguang, 6th dan, for successfully advancing to the final round-robin stage of this Masters Tournament," the referee announced.

Under the spotlight, the shutter clicked, and both Ke Zhiguang and the other party breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for your guidance, Suzuki-senpai."

"Not at all, I still have a lot to learn." Suzuki Shuichi smiled faintly. "Titles have a natural magic for Go players, especially for those who have won one once. They can't help but want to try for it a second time. Perhaps only by becoming an eternal title can they satisfy this desire."

Ke Zhiguang remained silent, unsure whether the other person was expressing their own feelings, offering blessings or making a joke to the victor as a loser.

In the end, the two shook hands, and Suzuki Shuichi walked straight out of the spotlight.

In another building of the Twin Towers, the bamboo sword forging game also entered a tense and suspenseful final stage, with both players secretly sweating profusely.

Naosaka Kuranosuke is the commentator for this game.

Because this guy was such a sycophant, in order to prevent him from being too nauseating in front of the camera and affecting the audience's viewing experience, he was assigned to the table next to us.

"The current difference in points is about one and a half to half a point. It is expected that Bamboo Blade will operate safely and win this game without any major incidents. By the way, the table next door, where Ke Zhiguang is playing, has already finished, and he has indeed won." Xingcai said in the tone of reading from a script.

"Oh? Really? Koji Mitsuhiro, he really is..." Naosaka Kuranosuke immediately perked up.

"Ahem, please be more reserved. Please think carefully about why you weren't able to sit at the commentary table over there." Xingcai's tone as she read the script went a step further.

Naosaka seemed to be awakened, and quickly coughed twice to straighten his posture.

With each countdown, the bamboo sword forger finished off the last single piece of the weapon.

"A 1.5-point victory. Congratulations to the 7th Dan of Bamboo Sword for successfully advancing to the final round-robin stage of this Meishou Tournament."

Upon hearing the news of the victory, Taketsuka Toki finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In such a tense and competitive match, there is little time to count the points. Guided by a strong sense of victory and defeat, every point must be fought for, and the heart must always be in a high position.

It was very dangerous.

His path to advancement almost backfired again.

It wasn't the current game that turned the tide, but rather the third round, which almost fell into the woman's hands again.

In the second round, Yamaoka was defeated by Soma Masae, sending her forward to the next round.

As a result, she encountered Bamboo Knife Forging in the third round.

Just as the womanophobia on the chessboard was about to flare up, Bamboo Knife Forging suddenly noticed something.

—The other person doesn't seem to be the typical, overtly feminine type; if you had to describe her, she even has a bit of masculine or boyfriend-like qualities...

My fear of women on the chessboard was immediately relieved.

He quickly rallied and finally turned the tide against Soma Masae, narrowly avoiding a crash.

Otherwise, he would also be on the jokes section between black and white.

As the interview session began, all the attention was focused on the winner, and the lights on the commentary booth quickly dimmed, indicating that it was time to leave work.

Not long after, Xingcai packed her things and stood up from the commentary table: "Then I'll take my leave now."

"Are we going to Ke Zhiguang's place?" Naosaka asked.

“Yes, it’s more interesting over there. Alto and Horie-senpai are there too,” Hoshino readily admitted.

To be honest, she wasn't that close to Xiong Yingying and the others. Mentioning their names now was somewhat of a smokescreen.

"Then I wish you and your friends a good time... By the way, for the upcoming final round, your parents, the Inoue couple, will be there as referees and the chief host."

Naosaka's words made Hoshino pause in place: "Will my parents also be there?"

"Yes, for major battles with titles like this, there are usually 9-dan players present to act as referees and hosts. For example, in the last Nova Battle, it was Xia Fuying... although it seems like he's everywhere."

The Inoue couple, also known as the Seventeen Dan couple, are a family of two generations. The father, Inoue Masakado, was a 9th Dan, and the mother, Inoue Marie, was an 8th Dan. Their combined rank is exactly seventeen.

Marriage between male and female Go players is common, but the Inoue couple is the only one where both partners have reached such a high level of skill.

The Inoue sisters, who were born under such a dazzling halo, must have been blessed by the heavens, right?

Xingcai nodded: "I understand. I will pay my respects to my parents then."

And so, Xingcai left quickly, her high heels clicking rapidly on the floor.

Watching her departing figure, Naosaka showed some confusion.

—It seems like she doesn't have a good relationship with her parents?

In the office building of Group A, Ke Zhiguang had just finished his impromptu post-match interview when a can of Coke was thrown at him.

He then caught it steadily.

"As expected of the new star, you do have some skills." Xiong Ying said with a look that said, "You've got me." "Alright, that can of cola is yours now, hurry up and open it and drink it."

Judging from the force with which that can of cola was thrown, if it had been opened directly, it would have probably sprayed all over someone's face, right?

"I prefer Pepsi to Coca-Cola." Ke Zhiguang successfully found an excuse and put the Coca-Cola on the table next to him.

As everyone knows, Coca-Cola is only fit to be used as toilet cleaner or as a stepping stone to help consumers stand higher and reach the Pepsi on the top shelf.

Realizing her trick had been exposed, Xiong Ying pouted and said, "Tch, she didn't fall for it. She's clearly a master at scheming against Ying Mei."

Eagle Beauty's head twitched: "Alright, you stupid bear, just give me a casual congratulation and leave. Stop with the nonsense."

"Go for it! Take down A-Duan and A-Zhi, and next time we meet, I'll call you 'Master General'!" Xiong Ying gave Ke Zhiguang a thumbs up.

She was quickly dragged away by Yingmei, and the two of them disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Ke Zhiguang let out a soft sigh, finally feeling a sense of relief that the incident had temporarily come to an end.

The twelve days and six rounds of time flowed by very quickly, like a skillful camera cut, compressed into a single moment of memory.

The next cycle will begin in five days, specifically chosen between Friday and Sunday to maximize traffic.

"Alright, let's hold another press conference, then we can go hunt for points again..."