The work of the Go master

Just as she was making these calculations, Hoshino's voice suddenly came from behind her: "Senior is as capable as ever. What were you talking about hunting? Did you think Mr. Suzuki Shuichi wasn't good enough to fight?"

Ok?

Points just came to me like that?

“No, I mean…would you like to play another game of chess later? I’ll give you a two-piece handicap.” Ke Zhiguang asked.

"Oh, so I'm the one who's being hunted?"

"I didn't say that. I just sensed you approaching from behind and spoke in advance by showing my back."

Inoue was already used to this kind of serious nonsense. He sighed and said, "Today is the last bit of my precious weekend. Let me spend it peacefully by myself. If you need to play Go, please ask Harujima-senpai."

"She's back?"

"I'll be back in a few days, and the first thing I'll do when I get back is commentate on your Grandmasters Tournament final."

"She can be in the commentary booth too?"

Is there a problem?

I have a feeling that something is wrong.

But they couldn't pinpoint the problem.

"So please do your best then. If Harushima-senpai catches you making a mistake while she has the microphone, her laughter will echo throughout half of Japan, and your name will become even more famous."

That's right! That's the problem!

"Well... I think if her laughter gets out, she'll most likely be the one who's embarrassed..."

Xingcai nodded in realization: "That's right, self-destruction has always been her forte."

The auditory hallucination of "Achoo!" came from right next to Ke Zhiguang's ear again.

Xingcai chatted with Kezhiguang about various topics for a while, and the content was the same as usual, touching on work and study, and occasionally mentioning the sheepdog of the Qingdao family.

"Then I'll be going now, it's getting late." Xingcai got up from the sofa.

Her gaze suddenly fell on the Coke can on the table.

She rarely saw Ke Zhiguang drinking Coke; she usually saw him drinking coffee or hot chocolate. This can of Coke was most likely given to Ke Zhiguang by some staff member trying to get closer to him.

"Anyway, you probably don't drink this anyway, so why don't you just give it to me?" Xingcai's lips suddenly curled into a mischievous smile, and her fingers naturally climbed onto the Coke tab.

Everyone has moments when they want to be a little mischievous.

Besides, we're all adults, so opening a can of Coke isn't a big deal.

"Huh?" Ke Zhiguang didn't react immediately.

In that brief moment of hesitation, Xingcai gently applied pressure with her fingers.

Click.

The pull ring was pulled open.

Sizzle! The cola shot out.

Caught completely off guard, she was sprayed all over the face.

The mischievous smile gradually disappeared.

Her movements froze, and the only thing visible on the screen was the Coke still bubbling out of her hand.

"Senior, can you explain?" Xingcai raised her resentful eyes at Ke Zhiguang, with black Coca-Cola droplets still clinging to her eyelashes.

"This...this Coke was given to me by my hater." In a sense, this is the truth.

To be honest, it's kind of satisfying to see someone who was just trying to be mischievous get caught in a trap.

After that, Xingcai angrily accepted the match, completely forgetting about the last moments of peace on Sunday.

And then I got beaten up again...

Points, +80.

And just like that, five days passed quickly.

The final has begun.

That morning, a special car pulled up in front of Taohuazhai. It was the car that was specially sent to take Ke Zhiguang to the competition venue.

Under the watchful eyes of most of the fellow Daoists from Peach Blossom Abode, Ke Zhiguang stepped into the car.

Fast forward to the final round.

Chapter 40 I heard this is dark humor

After an hour's drive, the car approached its destination in the cold wind.

This area consists of quiet, deep alleys, with bare branches climbing up the walls of the courtyards. It is foreseeable that when spring officially arrives, this place will be a sea of ​​pink cherry blossoms.

The courtyard was already filled with people involved in the competition, and a red carpet stretched from the courtyard entrance all the way to the foyer.

Everyone was dressed formally, and to outsiders it looked like a film festival was being held here, and those qualified to enter were all heavyweights in the industry.

This is the venue for this tournament of famous generals, at Gen-ok Tomo's residence.

"It's really cold here. It's supposed to be spring, but there's hardly any warmth," said Sasahara Noriyuki, his breath steaming in the cold air. As a member of the special inspection team, it was necessary for him to be present.

No one can guarantee that participants won't bring in any illegal cheating items.

"This might be related to the trophy in this tournament," said Shunji Narita. In every respect, this pair can be said to be deeply intertwined.

The championship trophy for the Meisho Tournament is shaped like a samurai sword.

Moreover, it's not a trophy-shaped samurai sword made of metal, but a proper samurai sword, complete with a scabbard. Although it's not sharpened, the craftsmanship is indeed top-notch.

The core concept of the game is fast-paced chess, emphasizing speed and efficiency, and requiring players to possess the courage and wisdom of famous generals from the Warring States period. Therefore, the design was inspired by a samurai sword.

And blades are naturally associated with coldness; their presence naturally makes the surroundings feel cold and desolate.

“It’s more likely related to the homeowner’s personality. Xuan Yu is a very aloof chess player, and his chess is full of the artistic beauty of cherry blossoms in winter.” An elegant voice came from behind the two of them.

The two turned around and discovered that the other person was actually Nishi Chiaki.

At that moment, he was wearing a flashy light blue suit jacket with zebra-like stripes, and a matching top hat.

Although his outfit looks like something out of a movie, it is actually his formal attire.

"Mr. Dosaku, you've come too?" Narita Shunji said in surprise.

“No matter what, I am the current holder of the Dao Ce title, and Xuan Yu is my good friend, so of course I have to show my face and support him,” west Qianzhang said with a smile.

Narita Shunji had never heard of any personal relationship between Nishi Chiaki and Gentama Tomoyuki.

The personal relationships of those who hold the title are not good. Narita Toshiharu can only speculate that this is related to the fortune associated with the title, but he does not know how.

Narita Shunji subconsciously turned around and glanced at Gen-okami Tomokazu, who was sitting in the center of the living room.

He didn't look too good.

Just then, the sound of a car came from outside, reminding the last two main characters of the day to arrive.

As if timed perfectly, the two cars stopped at the courtyard gate at the same time. Ke Zhiguang and Zhu Daoduan got out of the cars at the same time and walked towards the red carpet under the escort of the camera shutter.

Nishi Chiaki whistled: "Phew—this is the first time I've seen Koichi Hikaru in real life. I've only seen him in newspapers and on TV before. I haven't played many of his games. I'll have to catch up on them in the next few days."

As one of the most carefree people in the entire Go world, Nishi Chiaki spends a lot of time dealing with the entertainment industry, only cramming for a few months before the Dosaku Tournament.

The principle is to work hard for only three months a year and spend the rest of the time on vacation.

In some ways, he is a role model for Ke Zhiguang.

"What does Mr. Dosaku think of him?" Narita Shunji asked instinctively.

"Judging by his aura alone, he is indeed not to be underestimated, especially... especially that arrogant and lazy look in his eyes that doesn't take others seriously." Nishi Chiaki nodded appreciatively.

"That... that's probably just his sleepy expression..."

"Huh?" Nishi Chiaki was taken aback.

As expected, Ke Zhiguang yawned in front of the camera and answered the media's pre-war outlook interviews listlessly.

Narita Shunji struck a "see?" pose.

"Okay, actually I'm not very good at judging people." Nishi Chiaki shrugged helplessly.

The interview ended briefly, and Ke Zhiguang and Zhu Daoduan headed straight for the entrance of the mansion.

According to the competition ceremony schedule, Xuan Yuzhi, as the host, will then lead them on a tour of the mansion, show them their accommodations, inquire about their arrangements, and demonstrate his hospitality as the host.

I don't know who came up with this ritual tradition, but it's quite darkly humorous that the players who are going to kill each other's knights on the chessboard are supposed to act like hosts and guests.

Today is the first day, so let's settle in here, get familiar with the environment, and start the battle early tomorrow morning. We'll finish it over the weekend.

As he walked towards the entrance, Ke Zhiguang's gaze wandered around, appreciating the atmosphere of the courtyard. His eyes naturally fell on west Qianzhang.

It's hard not to be drawn to his movie star-like attire.

Daoze, I didn't expect this person to come too...

Even more unexpectedly, this person actually had 50 points on them.

It has to be said that this points display is much more interesting than the warning color display, and it always gives people some unexpected surprises.

"Hello, Kojiko. I never expected to meet you for the first time at another title match," Nishi Chiaki greeted him warmly.

"Greetings, Senior Xiqian. We will meet at the Dao Ce Battle," said Ke Zhiguang.

"Trying to provoke me right from the start, huh?" Nishi Chiaki shrugged with a smile, then looked down at Koji Mitsuaki's shoulder. "Was it necessary to bring the Go board along as well?"

"Just consider it a habit. I prefer to practice on my own familiar chessboard." Ke Zhiguang patted the cloth-wrapped chessboard behind his shoulder.

This is an important transport point for props moved from Peach Blossom Studio.

As I said before, if anything goes wrong, we can always bring out the god of quantum mechanics.

Although this is Xuan Yuzhi's home turf, as long as this chessboard exists, this is his home turf, effectively preventing any other tricks.

At this moment, a security guard approached and said, "Please turn around, both of you. This is a security check according to regulations."

It's surprising that there's such a security measure. It seems that after the eavesdropping gadgets that were stolen last time, the chess world has paid much more attention to this aspect.

The inspection team, Narita Shunji and Sasahara Noriyuki, were also present. They must have inspected the entire mansion and confirmed that there were no problems. It was a clean and fair competition.