The work of the Go master

Chapter Twenty-One: Everyone, charge!

Around noon, Ke Zhiguang and Qingdao Lu arrived at the Go Academy.

From the moment he stepped onto the steps at the entrance of the chess academy, Ke Zhiguang sensed a difference from the past.

The place was unusually quiet, with far fewer people around, and the main door was half-closed, as if it were on holiday.

Today is September 16th. Even the most laid-back Go players have ended their holidays and started preparing for various tournaments. The new batch of students should also be starting school today. However, none of this is happening today.

Entering the training hall of the chess academy, I found everyone slumped over the chessboard, looking dejected. Some were questioning their existence, some were angrily pounding the table and cursing, and others were pacing around in circles, deep in thought.

In short, everyone looked rather unwell.

"Ke Zhiguang is here!"

Someone shouted, and everyone immediately perked up, rushing towards Ke Zhiguang in a throng, while Qingdao Lu was swept away in a flash.

"With the arrival of the Emperor, justice will prevail!"

"Quickly explain to us what's going on. Last night... last night..."

"I heard that you won over your rival with your good looks, is that true?"

Ke Zhiguang coughed: "Well... it's a long story, but it's true that I passed the test because of my looks."

"Really? Tell us your hair care secret! I've wanted to ask you for ages. Why are you always pulling your hair out? But now your hair isn't bald at all, and it's even getting thicker."

Seeing that everyone was talking at once and steer the conversation astray, Harushima Shika shouted, "Enough! Quiet down, everyone. Someone come up with a representative to describe last night's events in detail."

As expected of a female leader, her shout silenced everyone.

After a moment of silence, Narita stepped forward: "It's like this..."

The description largely matched Ke Zhiguang's expectations.

Yesterday was the final night of the double title race, and the catalytic effect of good fortune made the chess academy exceptionally lively last night. Many chess players also took the opportunity to stroll around the streets.

However, starting at some point, they were approached by other chess players who asked them to play a game.

Under normal circumstances, most players would probably refuse the other's offer, since they've already finished a major tournament series and definitely need to rest for a few days first.

But last night, as if possessed by a chess master, they inexplicably agreed.

"Then...then halfway through the game, we suddenly realized that the player sitting opposite us was from ancient times! And he was using some very famous ancient opening moves!"

However, at this point, they could no longer escape from the chessboard. If they did, they would be judged to have lost, and the consequences of losing would be severe.

"So, all of you went through a round last night?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

Everyone nodded.

“I was lucky; my opponent last night was a court Go player from the Kamakura period, not particularly strong. But some people weren’t so lucky, and none of them showed up here today,” Narita said.

Ke Zhiguang glanced around and found that there were indeed fewer people; many old friends hadn't come to work today.

Noriyuki Sasahara's plane crash.

Ernst & Young's heart is in the plane crash.

Some of my fellow Daoists from my time at Peach Blossom Abode also crashed.

As for the new generation of aspiring second-dan players... they all crashed.

In every sense, the casualties were indeed heavy.

Xiong Ying exclaimed in surprise, "What? So everyone encountered paranormal events last night? Why didn't we?"

Takami nodded righteously: "That's right, none of us encountered the ancient ghosts you mentioned last night. If you don't believe me, ask the priestess."

Xingjia stood to the side, giving him a kind smile as if she were showing concern for a fool.

Seeing her expression, the two of them realized something with a start: "No way? Did we really run into each other? How come I don't remember anything about it?"

Hmm... maybe that's the advantage of being a fool, you only realize your fears belatedly.

"So... after what happened to you last night, you still have the mind to come to work today?" Ke Zhiguang asked this question.

This question truly stumped everyone, causing them to exchange bewildered glances.

Logically speaking, after experiencing a paranormal event, even if someone is terrified all night, they should make the most rational decision the next day—such as calling the police.

And these people actually came to work like this? It can't be because they're dedicated, can it?

No one could answer this question right away.

Yamaoka, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his hand and spoke up: "It's hard for me to explain the specific reason, but this morning I suddenly felt that the Go Institute might be the only safe place, so I came here... I think everyone else feels the same way, right?"

Everyone agreed with this abstract statement.

Large-scale psychological suggestion is the driving force behind fortune.

Xingjia said, "I also received a similar psychological suggestion, the specific content of which was... the Chess Academy will become our last fortress, and it has the ability to provide protection."

Ke Zhiguang was somewhat surprised, not expecting Xingjia to bring this matter to the forefront.

The secrets of one's fortune should not be revealed casually, otherwise it will bring disaster, from climate disasters to something as simple as your little finger hitting a cabinet corner while walking barefoot at home.

Of course, Ke Zhiguang has also been doubting recently whether this rule still exists, because he feels that more and more people are becoming aware of its existence.

"Hey, is it really okay to say something like this?" Harushima Shika was the first to get anxious.

Xingjia shook her head: "It can already be said, because this instruction was issued by the Wood of Chess Luck itself."

"Itsself?"

"That's right, it doesn't have much longer to live, this can be considered its distress signal."

Ke Zhiguang can understand.

When the swarm of black snakes was summoned, the Wood of Chess began its death countdown. Although Ke Zhiguang could not see its true form, he could imagine that it had already decayed and degenerated from bottom to top, and its life was hanging by a thread.

This distress signal seems like a last gasp before the flames die out.

It's as if the Frozen Throne is facing a crisis, and the Lich King quickly summons Arthas back to target Illidan.

Calling for a war to protect the luck of chess.

Is this what it means to gather everyone's strength?

Yamaoka said, "Alright, Koji Mitsuaki, tell us now. I've been in this business for so long, and I have a vague idea about the existence of some mysterious forces. But I always thought that I was just a fourth-level cultivator and it wasn't time for me to know the inside story. However, the situation seems quite urgent now, so it's time to tell us everything, right?"

“Yes, we even saw an ancient spirit chess player last night. If one person encounters a ghost, it can probably be treated as a supernatural event, but we all encountered them. This is like a disaster movie. No matter how you try to fool us, we can’t fool us anymore.”

"I was prepared. If I'm not mistaken, Yagami Kunikyo's overly youthful appearance is also due to this mysterious power."

Yamaoka's question was met with approval from everyone.

Narita nodded. Although he was a member of the patrol team, he could only patrol the field. He vaguely knew the word "fortune," but no one told him the inside story.

Everyone quieted down, looking solemnly at Ke Zhiguang, like a crowd in a storm, waiting for the leader on the stage to speak.

Both Harujima Deer and Hoshino were looking at Keiji.

Now that all the 9-dan players have been sent away, he has become the de facto leader of the Go world.

Looking at the determined gazes of the crowd in front of him, Ke Zhiguang suddenly had a feeling that the grand finale was just around the corner.

A truly exhilarating ending, where everyone joins the racetrack leading to the final destination, working together to push open the door to the last obstacle.

Just as he was organizing his thoughts, he paused, startled.

"Turn on the TV first, switch to any channel, there's an important announcement coming up," Ke Zhiguang said.

He probably understood what psychological suggestion was all about; luck really is a powerful thing.

The television was turned on, and the Go channel was about to broadcast news about the Oshiro Go Tournament.

Yagami Kunikyo, dressed in a gleaming white suit, sat solemnly behind his desk, facing the reporters in front of him.

The press conference was quite formal, a stark contrast to Tatsumi Koshikawa's crime-themed opening, which perfectly reflected the impression these two gave to the outside world.

"The start date for this year's Imperial Castle Chess Tournament remains unchanged at December 17th. However, the tournament format will be quite different from previous years. I will be the one to invite the designated opponents to participate," said Yagami Kunikyo.

Ke Zhiguang was taken aback.

As a title holder who is supposed to be on the field and playing in the competition, how can he have the right to designate who can participate as his opponent?

"Are you serious, Mr. Oshiro?" the reporter asked calmly.

"Yes, this is the result of my repeated consideration and coordination with all parties." Yagami Kunikyo nodded.

His communication and coordination methods probably involve packaging "all parties" and sending them to Europe.

"This time, I have only one opponent in mind... Ke Zhiguang, 9th Dan, the new generation holder of the Dragon Throne."

"Only him? In other words, this Imperial City Chess Tournament is actually just a simple championship match, requiring only two participants and a best-of-five series to quickly determine the winner?" The reporter was also shocked to hear this news.

The people in the chess academy watching on the screen were so shocked that their jaws dropped to the ground, and they exclaimed in astonishment.

In the past, the Imperial City Chess Title Tournament lasted for half a year, starting from the preliminary rounds and then moving to the main tournament. The tournament progressed step by step in a double-elimination format, ensuring that the final showdown would be the highest quality match. Every step of the process was designed to follow the ancient methods.

As a result, he only chose one opponent to fight here, treating this as a draft invitational tournament!

"You can understand it this way: Ke Zhiguang and I will start a five-game match on December 17th, and the winner will be decided no later than December 31st. The score will be 3:2, which is exactly half a month."

"But... but I still don't understand. The Imperial Castle Chess title is the most prestigious in the chess world, with a prize of over 240 million yen for the champion. This title also represents a huge decision in chess matters. Such an important competition... is it too much to have just two people compete in it...?"

Yagami Kunikyo said calmly, "I can understand the public's dissatisfaction with this decision, whether it's the players, the audience, or even the sponsors. The Imperial Chess Tournament should be a feast for all players, not just for one person... However, there is one point that I think everyone will agree with, and that is, if it really proceeds according to the normal procedure, the person who will stand in front of me in the end will only be Ke Zhiguang. Apart from me, no one can stop him in his current state... No, even I may not be able to stop him."

"This...this is indeed difficult to refute; based on this reason alone, I'm afraid..."

Yagami Kunikyo continued, "I know that this alone is not enough to convince everyone, so throughout December, I have prepared a series of tournaments, from professional to amateur, with a total of more than 20 tournaments and a total prize money of more than 4 billion yen. This is as compensation for the shortcomings of the Oshiro Go Tournament."

Upon hearing the figure of three billion, Yamaoka shuddered: "Four or four billion? Did this guy just rake up his bonuses with his mouth? He just throws them around like that?"

"They even included amateur competitions... Excuse me, can I resign? I think amateur competitions are more appealing," Narita said with a wry smile.

"Which sponsors have this kind of spare money? Rockefeller Building was also bought by your group, wasn't it!"

The reporter also became a little uneasy: "This total prize money... could it be that it was all sponsored by you, Mr. Yu Chengqi?"

It's obvious that sponsors are only interested in title matches, let alone amateur tournaments.

"Yes, as I said, the Imperial City Chess Tournament should be a grand feast for the entire chess world. When it cannot serve everyone, other competitions must be arranged to compensate so that every chess player can participate in the feast."

Ke Zhiguang estimated the figure of 4 billion in his mind. Although money came in a particularly fast way in this bubble era, it must have been a huge investment for Ye Shen Guojing to take out 4 billion in one go.

Perhaps this is what "all in" means; this terrifying man has already prepared for a do-or-die battle with no way out.