The work of the Go master

"It's only been three months, just think of it as a summer vacation." Ke Zhiguang tucked his sunglasses into his shirt with a remarkably dashing gesture.

"I've never heard of a three-month summer vacation." Harujima Kashima twitched her cheeks in annoyance, a rounded (shape) appearing on her face.

"What's wrong? Why are you so unhappy? Do you mean I've been gone for three months and you feel neglected and upset?"

"Tch, I have tons of friends. Believe me, one phone call and dozens of my girlfriends will come and harass you." Harushima Deer proudly puffed out her chest.

The water rippled gently.

Ke Zhiguang paused, rubbed his eyes, and wondered if he had just seen wrong, so he looked more closely—

"What the hell are you doing! What are you doing in public like this!" Harujima Shika shouted, her face flushed.

Ke Zhiguang was puzzled. Although he had heard of the term "second growth spurt," he felt that the term had nothing to do with Qingdao Deer.

At this moment, Ke Zhiguang shifted his gaze to the side and found that Ling was sitting in a coffee shop not far away, casting a knowing smile at Ke Zhiguang through the shop window.

Hmm...who knows what she's been feeding Qingdaolu all this time, making her so fair and tender...it couldn't be coconut milk from Coconut Palm, could it?

"So, did you get what you've been longing for?" Harushima Shika asked.

"I got it. The process was much simpler than I expected. Basically, I just had to dress formally and take a picture with the leaders."

Ke Zhiguang took out the large red booklet that he had been tucking under his arm, which looked like a university admission certificate.

Ke Zhiguang opened it and presented it to Qingdaolu. Its contents were only a thin sheet of paper, quite simple and rough, yet full of...

[In recognition of Comrade Ke Zhiguang's outstanding contributions to a series of Go tournaments, including the Shike Ten-Game Match, the Oshiro Tournament, and the Ryuza Tournament, he is hereby awarded the title of Go Saint.]

The signature in the lower right corner is from the Chinese Weiqi Association, and it also has a seal on it.

Harujima Kashiwa was stunned, feeling that it was somewhat different from what she had imagined.

"That's it? This is the Chess Saint?" Harushima Deer's eyes widened in surprise.

"Ahem, down-to-earth, down-to-earth." Ke Zhiguang also really wanted to complain that this thing was a bit too rudimentary.

The ideal way to bestow the title of Chess Saint is in a palace carved with dragon pillars, dressed in ancient clothes, walking on a red carpet, receiving an imperial edict personally written, stamped, and issued by the emperor under the watchful eyes of civil and military officials. The edict must be of the highest standard, of course... Of course, this is just a wild thought.

Harujima Deer kept looking at the certificate with wide, narrow eyes, feeling that it wasn't an award for honoring the staff, but rather a message saying, "Take it if you want, or don't take it if you don't," giving off a very dismissive vibe.

Looking back three months ago, those ten-game matches that lasted for a whole month now feel like a dream.

On the night the competition ended, everyone held a grand celebration, with orange-yellow champagne soaring into the sky and merging with the fireworks.

On the third day, Dean Chen extended an invitation to him on behalf of the Chinese Chess Academy, and he accepted the invitation, embarking on his journey back to China in glory.

This trip lasted for more than three months. The itinerary consisted of sightseeing, enjoying the scenery, sharing his experiences in the chess world over the past two years, and discussing his future development plans for the chess community.

The former is certainly not difficult, and the latter is not a problem either; he only needs to copy the system from his previous life.

He recounted these events during a slightly tipsy moment at a party. Under the influence of alcohol, he spoke eloquently and animatedly, as if Zhuge Liang, before even stepping out of his thatched hut, dared to discuss his grand ambition of dividing the world into three kingdoms with the Imperial Uncle.

At the dinner table, Dean Chen was so moved by what he heard that tears streamed down his face. He grabbed the hands of Ke Zhiguang, who was decades younger than him, and said, "The future depends on you!"

Hmm... the script seems to have fast-forwarded from the Longzhong Dialogue to the entrustment of the heir at Baidi City...

So, three months passed, and he ended his trip back to China and returned to Japan. At least for now, his main focus of work is still here.

Harushima Kashima stared at the chess master title certified by the General Administration of Sport for a while, but in the end, he solemnly put it away and kept it as his own property.

“Speaking of which, we’ve also prepared a Go Saint title for you.” Harujima Shika smiled slyly, then rummaged through his small bag and pulled out a small scroll that looked quite ceremonial.

The moment he saw this design, Ke Zhiguang's face lit up with surprise; this was exactly the kind of look that suited his aesthetic.

The exquisitely crafted drawer unfolds, revealing the words "Chess Saint" written in flowing calligraphy. There are no further words to elaborate on it, which in some ways seems more concise and straightforward than the Chess Saint certification issued by the General Administration of Sport.

But Ke Zhiguang still accepted it with a smile.

This journey, which lasted for more than two years, has finally come to a perfect end. Everything has come to a close. Flowers are for flowers, applause is for applause, and glory is for him.

His thoughts seemed to evolve into the sky before him, stretching as far as the eye could see.

What awaits him next is a new life, a new era of Go, and a worldview that, just as he had told Shi Xin before, will be a battlefield with the world as its stage.

He will stand at the top of the world, accepting challenges from one powerful figure after another.

"By the way, what did Shi Xin do after that?" Ke Zhiguang asked suddenly.

"Hmph, look at how cautious you are, as if you're afraid your number one spot will be shaken." Harushima Shika covered his mouth and chuckled mischievously. "As for him, ever since he lost to you in the ten-game match, he's become more open-minded and has chosen to leave the monastic life."

"Huh? Returned to secular life?" Ke Zhiguang was taken aback, and in his mind he pictured Shi Xin with thick hair and soft bangs.

Oh no! Not to mention whether his status as the number one player in the chess world is threatened, his status as the number one general is now in serious danger!

"To put it bluntly, he chose to go on a trip, and it was a round-the-world trip. Before he left, he said that he would return to the chess world in three years, and at that time, he hoped to play against you again."

“This is really…” Ke Zhiguang shrugged helplessly.

One has to admire how this person maintained his high-class demeanor until the very end; even his farewell remarks were so tasteful.

That being said, for ordinary people, seeing things clearly is called becoming a monk, but for monks, seeing things clearly is called going on a trip.

"Alright, I'll wait for him and fight him again in three years." Ke Zhiguang seemed to have come to terms with it.

And so, the story may come to an end, but the end of life is still far away.

"Alright, so what should we do next? Should we celebrate our victory from three months ago again? After all, we only celebrated for a day and a night before I was dragged away," Ke Zhiguang asked.

"Tch, it's been so long, I've long lost interest." Harushima Shika snorted and tossed her ponytail aside.

"Is there anything that interests you?" Ke Zhiguang asked, leaning forward as he did so.

With a thud, he pressed his palm against the wall behind Harushima Kashima, a move commonly known as "wall slam".

Under the setting sun, the two shadows stretched long and slanted across the ground.

“Lu, are you interested… in buying two plane tickets to Hokkaido right now? I told you, I have a villa there.” Ke Zhiguang said, looking into the other person’s eyes. It just so happened that they were right next to the airport.

Wait a minute, speaking of which, Zero seems to be in the coffee shop next door. Should we change it to three tickets...?

Hearing Ke Zhiguang's invitation and looking into his eyes, Qingdaolu slightly tiptoed, as if wanting to say yes in another way...

But just then, a new voice came from the other side:

"Oh? So you have a villa in Hokkaido, Mr. Hikaru. I suppose it must have a hot spring, and be able to accommodate many people?"

"Yes, yes, although it's not ski season yet, the mountains covered in red maple leaves must be very beautiful, right?"

"Mahjong! Mahjong! Go go go!"

Ke Zhiguang jerked back, stopped his movement, and turned to the side, only to find... a large group of girls standing to the side with smiles on their faces.

"Why are you all here?" Harushima Deer asked through her teeth, thinking to herself, "The atmosphere I've worked so hard to build up has been completely ruined by you women!"

“It’s not just us, look over there, isn’t that a huge group of people?” Xingcai pointed to the other side.

If this side is the women's group, then the other side can be considered the men's group.

Bamboo sword forger took the lead, pointing a finger at Ke Zhiguang from mid-air: "Want to go to Hokkaido? Perfect timing, I also need to go back there to continue my secluded cultivation. Speaking of which, that's where we officially met! Let's continue the cycle of reincarnation!"

Xuan Yu said, "Come on, Ke Zhiguang, we have thoroughly studied the ten-game match between you and Shi Xin over the past three months. Let's use Hokkaido as the stage to test our strength!"

In response, Yamaoka rubbed his forehead: "You two, aren't you being a little... well..."

Not only were the men's friends present, but the older group, represented by Saito, were also there. They were sitting under a tree drinking tea and waving to Nagisa Tokimitsu.

Everyone has arrived.

"Why are you all here?" Ke Zhiguang asked in confusion.

Before returning to China, he only informed Harushima Shika, and it's unlikely that Harushima Shika would reveal this news to so many people. The only possibility is that Zero leaked it out.

"I didn't tell you all that. To be precise, it was everyone who sensed that coming to the airport at this time of day would bring good fortune, which is why we came," Zero said mysteriously as he walked over.

Although the secret of fortune-telling has been fully circulated internally, it remains a secret to the outside world.

Upon hearing Zero's words, everyone smiled knowingly, joining together to protect this secret unique to the chess world.

Ke Zhiguang's gaze swept over the crowd with satisfaction; every face was familiar.

“Want to come to my villa in Hokkaido? Sure, of course, but there’s a condition…” Ke Zhiguang took a few steps forward and came to the edge of the crowd—the next moment, he suddenly started running.

"Catch up with me, and I'll let you have me!" Ke Zhiguang shouted as he ran.

His shout immediately set the atmosphere into a frenzy, and everyone started running. They might not have wanted to freeload off Ke Zhiguang's villa, but they couldn't help but want to join in the fun, run around, and maybe catch Ke Zhiguang in the process!

In front of the airport, there was a large lawn that looked like a shimmering lake under the golden glow of the setting sun.

And so, Ke Zhiguang led a large group of people to run on the lawn in the sunset, their youthful hormones even more intense than the sunlight.

"You lot, stop right there! That's...that's my villa! Get out of here without my permission!" Harushima Shika sprinted to the front of the crowd.

Saito sat leaning against a tree in the distance, watching with great interest as the young people unleashed their youthful energy, accompanied by a group of old friends of similar age.

"Playing so wildly, no one would believe that these are a group of highly skilled professional chess players, right? After all, in many people's eyes, chess players are all unfathomable old men," someone remarked.

"What era are we living in? People who still think like that are already as old as you and me."

"Today's chess players are really energetic. I really look forward to seeing what kind of future they can create."

The race reached its final moment, and in the end, no one could catch Ke Zhiguang. He had a strange stat boost; while everyone else was exhausted and panting, he remained effortless.

Saito stood up and walked towards the group of young people who were catching their breath and had temporarily calmed down: "You're all calm now, right? That's perfect, since everyone's here, let's take a group photo."

"A group photo?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

"That's right, it's a group photo. In the future, this photo will become a historic moment. When you see this photo in the future, you will all remember this moment of youth, this moment of beauty, and this golden age of Go. This is a shared witness of all of you."

Saito's suggestion was immediately met with a positive response, and everyone lined up in a row.

Ke Zhiguang naturally stood in the middle and became the most eye-catching focus.

After Saito set up the camera, he joined the group.

“Position, get ready…” Ke Zhiguang began.

"Huh? Do we have any poses to strike?" Harushima Shika asked.

"Is there any need to say more? For a chess player, there's only one stance left, isn't there?" Ke Zhiguang nodded confidently, as if he were playing a riddle.

Fortunately, everyone can understand the riddle.

As the camera countdown began, everyone—nearly a hundred hands—pointed to the sky in unison, like a forest of battle flags.

Then—with the force of placing a piece, firmly nail it to the chessboard!

From the front, it looks as if Phoenix Wright, leading all the characters in the Ace Attorney series, is pointing his finger forward and towards the future.