The work of the Go master

Considering his relationship with Harushima Shika, Inoue Masakado probably already sees him as a thorn in his side.

No wonder I didn't get a friendly reception when I met him at Xuan Yu's house a while ago.

Although receiving two runner-up finishes might not be a good thing for Inoue Masakado, Hoshino might be secretly smiling happily, having slid down her knees twice in the living room.

"Let's get back to the point. The spell my father cast on me was to monitor me. He can keep track of my movements anytime, anywhere. Don't be fooled by his apparent reluctance to see me. His controlling nature is just as strong as it is. He even has the audacity to say it's to prevent me from running into bad people. How wonderful is that?" Xingcai shrugged, mocking him without a care in the world.

This is the same point that Ke Zhiguang thought.

When Xingcai uttered the line, "They are watching her," it definitely meant that.

“Actually, I was quite happy when my father said he was going to kick me out of the house. I had wanted to move out for a long time. But who would have thought that he would put me on surveillance cameras instead… I don’t know if he wants me to leave his sight or stay in his sight forever. I don’t know, I really don’t know,” Xingcai murmured.

This touches upon a blind spot in Ke Zhiguang's knowledge.

"Then how do you interpret the statement that you are trying to defeat yourself?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

“This is how to break the spell; it requires me to defeat myself in my perfect state,” Xingcai said.

Ke Zhiguang was stunned.

There is almost no solution.

If it's against other people, at least you can catch up slowly.

But now the opponent is yourself, and you are in your perfect state. Could there be a new buff that can surpass your perfect self?

This is like a strongman being unable to lift himself.

"How about that? Doesn't it sound hopeless? I actually thought about challenging my perfect self as my opponent. Isn't that stupid?" Xingcai said.

It's actually quite remarkable. If Ke Zhiguang encountered this kind of problem, his first reaction would be that the question is wrong, and he would start looking for loopholes in the question.

The second reaction is to scrutinize the wording, looking for a way that is more than perfect, and only the third reaction will decide to personally take action and smash into this insurmountable wall with all one's might.

"Then what does this have to do with passing through my Erzi Pass?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

"Actually, there's no hard and fast relationship. I was just thinking that if I can't even get past your two-piece challenge, then I definitely can't beat my perfect self... If I win, I'll go and officially challenge this lock."

How do I take on the challenge?

“The person who controls this lock is my mother. Because of the Dragon Throne War, she will be accompanying my father on the ship. She is currently at the port. Normally, I might not have time to go see her, but now that she is in Tokyo, this is my best opportunity,” Xingcai said.

Upon hearing this, Ke Zhiguang glanced eastward, towards the direction where the cruise ship was currently located.

The threads of fate ultimately pointed to that ship.

Although Ke Zhiguang approached Xingcai with the intention of bringing Xingcai into the team, after hearing this part of the story, it felt that Xingcai's significance even transcended the chess game itself.

After the story was finished, the two of them fell silent, looking at the rain and sipping their drinks.

Xingcai finished her matcha latte, and there was a hissing sound of air flowing through the straw, but she was too lazy to throw it away. Meanwhile, Kezhiguang calmly bought a strawberry milk.

Strawberry milk is so delicious, I can leave now without worrying about the hot chocolate.

After a short silence, Ke Zhiguang continued, "If I remember correctly, you had an interview where you said you have no resistance to cute things and that you wanted a younger brother?"

"Well, when I was being interviewed, my sister was connecting with me through our senses. She said something like, 'Xingcai, I wish you were a boy,' so I just said I wanted a younger brother." Xingcai answered naturally, "Yeah, if I were a boy, I probably would be much better off than I am now. I would be stronger and braver, and maybe even my grandparents, who don't like girls, would like me a little more."

But she quickly changed her tune, coughing with a flushed face, and said, "But to be fair, Kaoru is really great. After being attacked by your combination of a cute boy and a cat when we first met, I've started to understand how good it is in this aspect."

"Okay, I promise that the next time you meet him, he will have lost the innocence he had when you first met."

"So, you really wanted to do this?" Xingcai tensed up and shrank back nimbly.

"Just kidding."

Xingcai choked slightly.

"Okay, you scored this time, senior."

"Then... one last question, what are your thoughts on your father, Mr. Inoue Masakado?" Ke Zhiguang asked, as the sound of rain intensified again.

Ke Zhiguang really wanted to know the answer to this question.

At this point in the conversation, the intention of using her as a starting point was no longer there; the goal was simply to understand the other person's thoughts.

The emotions have reached their peak.

Xingcai's iris twitched, as if a soft spot in her heart had been touched.

"I don't know either. I work so hard, study so hard, learn chess, is it because he's always watching me, and I want his approval..." Xingcai's voice was much lowered, and the empty drink bottle was crumpled by her fingers.

"I think so. Putting aside everything else, at least... after proving yourself to your parents, there's a certain thrill in it, isn't there?"

Of course, this slap in the face is satisfying for both sides. The child can prove himself to his parents who have never been very optimistic about him, which is a kind of exhilarating feeling of annulment.

As for the parents, needless to say, their children have already proven themselves, so they can forget about saving face.

"Yeah, I should have those thoughts... but, but, I also really want to... punch him in the face!"

With this powerful declaration, Xingcai used all her strength to throw the crumpled drinking bottle into the rain.

Unfortunately, it didn't hit the trash can; instead, it bounced off and landed to the side.

However, her actions did not end there.

"Senior, please let me... join your team. I want to face my father in the Dragon Throne Tournament, on the chessboard of a major tournament, and defeat him. Please!"

She suddenly bowed ninety degrees to Ke Zhiguang, her hands tightly folded between her legs.

This... Ke Zhiguang was shocked.

An unexpected turn of events occurred.

Perhaps the psychological suggestion was so effective that the other person's actions might have been somewhat impulsive.

Although it's catchy, it also feels quite genuine.

Especially this one "Dad," suddenly changing from "my father" to "Dad."

This reminded Ke Zhiguang of that conversation with Harushima Kaoru, during which she briefly changed her address for Harushima Isshin from "old man" to "dad".

It moves people for no apparent reason.

The passersby were also stunned. In their eyes, the two seemed to be having a nice conversation, but suddenly they started smashing bottles and bowing deeply.

Is this a breakup scene or a confession scene?

Fortunately, it was late enough and the rain obscured the view, so the onlookers didn't recognize Ke Zhiguang for the time being; otherwise, this scene could have been used as material for another story.

It's still material from the relationship magazine next door.

After Xingcai calmed down a bit, she realized that she had done something too impulsive.

[Earn Cash by Reading] Follow our WeChat official account [Book Lovers' Base Camp] to earn cash while reading!

It's even more embarrassing than confessing your love on the playground.

Although there are large crowds watching, which tests one's shamelessness, confessing one's feelings on the playground still has a certain chance of being accepted, while applying to join the team here has a zero chance of being accepted.

In the end, she hadn't even gotten past the opponent's two-stone barrier. If we divide the game into levels based on one point, two stones is about fourteen levels apart.

"I'm sorry, I acted impulsively just now. Forget what I just did..." Xingcai said with her head down, her sense of shame being pushed to its absolute limit under the gaze of those around her.

"Such heartfelt words, I will never forget them." Ke Zhiguang breathed a sigh of relief and calmly walked into the rain, helping Xingcai to throw the beverage bottle that had missed the trash can back into the trash can.

"Huh? So I didn't throw it in just now?" Xingcai covered her face, her level of embarrassment dropping even further.

After throwing the bottle, Ke Zhiguang faced the rain, looked towards the end of the street, and spoke with his back to the camera: "Let's go to the chess club."

"Going to the chess club, this is..." Xingcai didn't quite understand the other party's intention.

"What you're saying is that chess players should express their thoughts on the chessboard through hand-to-hand communication."

"Did you... agree to my request to join the team?" Xingcai's eyes widened slightly. To be honest, after calming down, she was having second thoughts and hoped to take back her earlier statement.

"No, but at least I can help you review the game. In our last match, I said you were just a little bit away from winning... No, strictly speaking, you already won. I'll show you what happened in that game now."

Chapter Sixty-Two: Comrade, bottoms up with this bottle of vodka!

As the rain subsided, the two went to their usual chess hall and sat down facing each other.

“Take a deep breath, relax, think carefully, and see where the winning strategy lies. You can call a halt at any time,” Ke Zhiguang said.

"Okay, I'll try." Xingcai began to regulate her breathing, just as the other person had suggested.

For her, it all happened so suddenly, like a scene change, and she was sitting here. She had forgotten what she was thinking on her way here.

Since that's the case, let's clear our minds and honestly follow what the other party said to carefully review the situation.

"Well then, let me begin..."

Ke Zhiguang then began reviewing the game, perfectly replicating the match from the day before on the board.

But he placed the pieces very slowly, with each move spaced five seconds apart, and his hand gestures were standard, making the pieces tap on the board with a crisp sound.

The scene that day was replayed in Xingcai's mind in slow motion; even the weather was the same—a rainy day—except for the other friends.

Ten hands.

Twenty moves.

The game continued until move 117, when a ko fight broke out on the left side of the board.

This stalemate originated from Ke Zhiguang's intrusion, which stirred up trouble in Black's territory.

Xingcai had already foreseen the outcome of the battle; she anticipated that her side would be outmatched and captured. Therefore, she resigned at that moment.

"After the review, did you find any problems?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

Xingcai remained focused, her gaze fixed firmly on the chessboard.

Suddenly, a subtle vibration flashed in her eyes.

"I think I saw it, but I'm not sure." She had a vague feeling of unreality.

Relying on muscle memory, she picked up a piece from the chess box and placed it on the far left side of the chessboard, on the first line.

The sound of the chess pieces roused her from this daze, and the first thing she saw upon waking was the unparalleled move she had made.

"Is this a magic move?" Xingcai was a little incredulous that she could encounter a stage that most chess players dream of.

"Yes, a very beautiful move. You have now successfully brought it back to life on the board."

The seven columns, held high along the ground, successfully gave the fight a much-needed boost. The final result would be her quick kill of her opponent, thus securing victory in this round.