Chapter 1109: Who won?Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
In the study.
Zhang Ye was playing Go while eating at the same time.
Wu Zeqing came back into the room from outside.
Zhang Ye asked, "Was that your mom?"
Wu Zeqing gave a soft affirmation.
Zhang Ye blinked and said, "Is it because your dad is getting angry?"
"More or less." Wu Zeqing walked up behind him and took a look at him. Then she looked at the game on the computer and asked, "Oh yeah, Little Ye, what was the name of the account you just kicked?"
Zhang Ye did not really know who she was talking about. "Which one?"
Old Wu said, "The person that you said came into the room and offered to play against you."
"Oh, that newbie?" Zhang Ye placed a stone down and said without much care, "I think he's called Xiang something, I can't remember. That's right, he's called Xiang Rong?"
Wu Zeqing was speechless.
"What's the matter?" Zhang Ye was confused.
Wu Zeqing smiled and said, "It's nothing. Just carry on playing."
Zhang Ye nodded while pointing at the screen. "Your dad is playing this game to such a godly level. If I hadn't kept a trick up my sleeve, I couldn't have held him back. Since he took Black and went first, he had the advantage right from the start. So I was forced to respond to his moves and had to slowly find an opportunity to trick him whenever I got a chance. Haha, look, look, here's another opportunity. I can trick him again with my next move! Hehehe."
He smiled slyly as he directly counterattacked with another move without much thinking!
Zhang Ye boasted, "How's that, Old Wu? This move isn't bad, right?"
Not only was it not bad!
This move had helped him to close the gap by at least two or three points!
"…Just who did you learn Go from?"
"Go? The first person to teach me was my elementary school teacher. After that, it was my extracurricular class teacher in middle school."
"Is that all?"
"That's all. Why?"
"Erm, it's nothing."
"Why don't I let your dad win this round?"
"There's no need to do that. Just play as you would."
"Alright then, I won't hold back!"
...
An hour.
Two hours.
It was already past 8 PM.
But those people from China Qiyuan were still around and had not left. In fact, the number of people gathered here even increased. Many of them were holding bowls of wonton soup as they sat there watching the match on the screen, not moving an inch! Several 9th dan players and national Go team coaches who had been resting at home also came running back after hearing about this.
When these people came in, they immediately started asking, "How is the match going?"
Xu Han 8-dan, who was nearest to them, turned around and said, "It's gotten to the midgame!"
Someone asked anxiously, "Who has the advantage?"
The others looked up at the screen.
Chen Ying 7-dan walked toward them and said, "Master Xiang took Black, so he definitely has the advantage in the game. But if we account for the compensation at the end of the game, the two of them are on par. No one really has the upper hand!"
"Dammit!"
"Why is this guy so strong?"
"Where did he pop out from?"
"Even Xiang Rong 9-dan can't beat him?"
"More importantly, he's just a goddamn amateur?"
"Who is he?"
"We have to ask Teacher Changhe about that. No one else besides him knows!"
"Shh, keep your voice down. I heard that it was Teacher Changhe who somehow offended him. As a result, this YE came to confront him!"
Li Qinqin arrived at China Qiyuan as well.
"Ma'am!"
"Ma'am, what are you doing here?"
"Auntie Li."
"Auntie Li."
Everyone greeted her since they knew her.
Li Qinqin asked, "Where's Changhe?"
Tian Weiwei immediately pointed to him and said, "Teacher is having an argument with President Dan over there."
When Li Qinqin approached, she heard them disputing over something.
Dan Donghe said loudly, "Brother Wu, you must get this guy here!"
Wu Changhe rolled his eyes. "He's just an amateur. Why do you want him!"
"Have you ever seen an amateur play like that?" Dan Donghe pointed at the big screen in a speechless manner and said, "Anyone who can play against Little Xiang that well, no matter how amateurish he is, I want!"
Li Qinqin said, "Old Dan."
Wu Changhe frowned. "Hey, what are you doing here?"
Dan Donghe immediately said, "Sister Li, we have to get this person to join our Qiyuan. I will give him special approval to join us so that he can officially start participating in pro tournaments. I will also reserve a spot for him on the national team next year! Can you bring him here? No, there's no need for you to bring him here. Just let me know who he is and I'll have my way of persuading him! I can definitely get him to join us!"
Wu Changhe scowled and said, "Don't even think about it."
When Li Qinqin heard that, she gave a wry smile and said, "Old Dan, I think it's better for you to give up the idea."
"But why?" Dan Donghe was very thirsty for talent and panicked at this response!
Li Qinqin said very helplessly, "You really won't be able to persuade him. Changhe is right. He's really an amateur and would never join China Qiyuan." Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ N0vᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.
"Joining the national team and becoming a national Go player, do you know how prestigious that is?" Dan Donghe said.
Li Qinqin sighed. "That is exactly what he does not lack."
Dan Donghe said, "What about money? As a Go player at that level, he should be earning at least a few million yuan per year. Although it's not that great monetarily, I don't believe that he won't be tempted. Can he get that kind of income from other jobs?"
Li Qinqin did not know how to answer him. "I don't think income level is a problem for him. Besides, if he really wanted to earn money, he would not be earning just a few million per year. It'd be more likely to be in the figure of a few million per month."
Dan Donghe was stunned. "What?" He looked at Wu Changhe. "Is that true?"
Wu Changhe grunted and did not reply. But that was clearly an answer.
"But…" Dan Donghe refused to give up and said anxiously, "If he joined us, he would be among the top players in the world of Go. It's better than being just average in other professions—"
"But Old Dan, from what I know," Li Qinqin interrupted, exasperated. She thought for a while, then said, "He's considered to be at the top of other professions as well."
Dan Donghe had no reply
What the hell!
Can't we talk this out?
Can't we have a proper discussion?
Dan Donghe was almost in tears.
When the other executives of China Qiyuan and the Go players who were nearby heard that, they were also extremely surprised!
His annual income was in the tens of millions?
He was very famous?
He was considered to be at the top of other professions as well?
Dan Donghe said, "Sister Li, just who in the world is this man?"
Li Qinqin threw up her hands and said, "Without his consent, I don't know if I should reveal him. Anyway, it's probably impossible if you are thinking of pulling him into the world of Go."
Dan Donghe heaved a sigh. "Hai! That's such a pity! It's really such a pity!"
Wu Changhe sneered. "What's so pitiful about that, Old Dan? If you really managed to get him, you would be the one to get pitied instead. If that kid joins, he would definitely turn everything upside down and the entire world of Go would no longer have any peace and quiet!" Wu Changhe did not usually pay much attention to the entertainment industry. But clearly, after Zhang Ye's visit yesterday, he went to check and found out about the news and events related to him. He got to know more about the things Zhang Ye had done in the past.
Li Qinqin glanced at him and said, "Don't keep criticizing him. I think he's quite good."
"That's your opinion. I just don't like him!" Wu Changhe said angrily.
Wu Changhe really felt like today was the longest day of his life. When had he ever been tortured to such a state by someone like this in the world of Go? Never! This was the first time it had happened!
All of a sudden, someone exclaimed in shock!
"He's been surrounded!"
"The white stones in the right corner are in danger!"
"Great move!"
"Master Xiang is all-powerful!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Dan Donghe, Wu Changhe, and the others immediately looked over as well.
Wu Changhe laughed loudly as he slapped his thigh and applauded, "Good, good!"
However, when the next white stone was played, another uproar ran through the place!
Wu Changhe's expression darkened again!
Li Qinqin was tickled at the sight.
"Holy shit!"
"This…this…"
"He has broken the hold!"
"White has broken the hold!"
"The right corner has actually been brought back to life!"
"This is so wonderful to watch!"
"Aiyo, I'm sweating!"
"He can even bring those stones back to fucking life?"
"White is really godly!"
"Damn, whose side are you on?"
"Man, I'm on Master Xiang's side of course, but White played really well! As someone who can make that move, he's definitely at the level of the top three in the world!"
Everyone was exclaiming endlessly!
Then the game fell into a state of monotony again.
Right into the midgame, the two of them began a series of territorial battles. They played very conservatively and neither rushed to make any ruthless moves again!
Half an hour.
An hour.
It was almost 10 PM now.
Neither had managed to take the initiative. The game was still deadlocked!
When Li Qinqin saw that Zhang Ye had actually managed to be locked in such a close battle with Xiang Rong 9-dan, the current number one in the world of Go, she felt an indescribable feeling of shock and confusion. This Little Zhang was way too talented. How does he know everything? And he even manages to do well in any of the industries he goes into?
Suddenly, something unexpected happened.
Xiang Rong yawned and chuckled as he typed something. This was the first time that Xiang Rong was having a conversation with YE since the game began. "If we play to the end, we would need at least another five, six hours to finish the game. Then it would last until tomorrow morning, so why don't we stop here for today. I'm getting sleepy and should sleep soon."
Everyone was stunned!
They weren't going to play on?
Master Xiang did not want to continue playing?
YE replied very quickly: "Then who's the winner?"
Xiang Rong said: "Let's call it a draw, what do you say?"
"Sure."
"Let's play another game some other day."
Xiang Rong then went offline on Wu Changhe's account.
Everyone gathered around him at once.
"Master Xiang!"
"Why didn't you keep playing?"
"If you played to the endgame, you would definitely have won!"
"That's right! How can you call it a draw?"
A lot of people could not accept this result, because in their eyes, Xiang Rong was the legend of the Go world. No one had won against him, and it was unlikely that there would be anyone who could do so!
But Xiang Rong just smiled as he shook his head and stayed quiet.
Wu Changhe, Dan Donghe, and the others went up to him.
Wu Changhe asked, "How was it?"
Xiang Rong gave a wry smile. "He's a very strong Go player."
Wu Changhe said in frustration, "Even you can't beat him? Were you holding back?"
He was raging mad!
Could it be that there was really no one who could deal with that Zhang fellow?
"He is really strong." Xiang Rong said, "Although I'm not too used to playing online Go, and that definitely affected my ability to perform, my opponent probably did not really give his best either. Some of his moves were even more casual than mine. Besides, he also played a lot of games with others before me, and it would surely have affected his mental state. If we continued to play, it would have been difficult to tell who the victor would be." He then threw his hands up and surprised everyone with, "And the most important thing is, even if we carried on that game to the end, the victor might not necessarily be me."
At this, many people fell silent!