I really don’t want to play Go!

Chapter 428 Before the Phoenix Cries
Is two years a long time?

Upon hearing Yu Shao's words, Zheng Qin was immediately plunged into doubt about life.

It seems quite fast to have progressed from the title match main tournament to the world championship in just two years.

Why do I suddenly have the feeling that it takes two years to make it to the World Championship?
"Two years has flown by, okay? Don't generalize individual behavior to the whole group."

Zheng Qin finally caught on after a while, and grinned as he said, "The requirement to participate in the World Championship is to have reached the main tournament of a title match in the last three years. How many people go from being a professional to reaching the main tournament of a title match in just two years!"

"Um……"

After thinking about it carefully, Yu Shao realized that he was still too influenced by his past life.

In my previous life, if you wanted to register for the World Championship, you didn't need to look at your results at all; you just needed to pass the World Championship selection. But in this world, because there are so many chess players, the rules are a little different.

When he heard that it would take two years to reach the World Championship, he subconsciously felt that it was very slow. In fact, in this world, reaching the World Championship in two years is indeed extremely rare.

"correct."

Yu Shao suddenly remembered something and asked, "Isn't it said that you need to have reached the main tournament of a title match in the last three years to be eligible to participate in the World Championship? Hasn't Araki not competed for ten years?"

"Arakino-sensei?"

Zheng Qin thought for a moment and explained, "Teacher Araki is participating with a wildcard, which is a special case. Every year in the World Championships, there are a few wildcard slots. With Teacher Araki's past achievements, getting a wildcard would be a piece of cake for him."

Upon hearing the word "wildcard," Yu Shao immediately understood.

In the past, wildcard players were used in various competitions, not just Go, but also in e-sports, tennis, billiards, and so on.

Wild cards are sometimes given to less developed regions, and sometimes to players who failed to pass the selection process for various reasons. In a sense, the latter is an invitation for the player to participate in the competition.

Of course, invitations cannot be made casually. The person invited must have sufficient influence, otherwise it will be difficult to gain the respect of the public, and Araki clearly has sufficient influence.

However, on the other hand, most of the players who receive this "invitation to participate" wildcard are more than capable of participating through normal channels.

Players without this level of skill cannot get wildcards, so such wildcard players are actually very rare.

Not long after, another young man in his late twenties pushed open the door to the game room. After looking around, he focused his gaze on Yu Shao for a few more moments before entering the game room.

"Ninth Dan Choi Jun-cheol, you're here. We were just talking about you." Someone greeted the young man with a smile.

"You've arrived a little too early."

Cui Junzhe smiled and replied.

Yu Shao also looked at Cui Junzhe with some curiosity.

Although he had heard of the name Choi Jun-cheol, as a fellow player from the Southern Go Academy, he had never met Choi Jun-cheol before, nor had he ever played against him.

All he knew was that Choi Jun-cheol was originally a 9-dan player with a mediocre record, but recently he had performed exceptionally well in the Gosei title match, winning all the way to the main tournament and thus qualifying for this year's World Championship.

At this moment, Cui Junzhe also looked at Yu Shao. Seeing that Yu Shao was looking at him, he extended his hand and said with a smile, "Master Yu Shao, I've heard so much about you, it's a pleasure to finally meet you today."

"Nice to meet you."

Yu Shao composed himself and extended his hand to shake hands with Cui Junzhe.

"Generally speaking, title holders should have played against all high-ranking players, so there is no one they don't know."

Seeing this, Ma Zhengyu joked, "It turns out that Yu Shao, you not only didn't get to know all the people, but you haven't even played chess with Zhu Huai'an, Kong Zi, and Zhang Dongchen yet. This is probably the first time I've seen this."

"It's not just the first time we've met, it's the first time we've met two at once. Isn't Su Yiming the same? He's never even met Teacher Zhuang Weisheng."

Cui Junzhe withdrew his hand and laughed, "It's quite an eye-opener for me. I was a 9-dan last year and I'm still a 9-dan this year, but two young players who became 9-dan last year have surpassed me in the blink of an eye. My feelings are really complicated."

"Hahahahaha."

Ma Zhengyu chuckled twice and asked, "Why are you feeling so conflicted? What are your thoughts? Are you feeling pressured?"

"Somewhat."

Cui Junzhe shook his head, looked at Yu Shao, and said with some emotion, "But actually, I feel mostly lucky."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shao was slightly taken aback, and the others couldn't help but look at Cui Junzhe.

"To be honest, I started paying attention to you from the Yingjiao Cup."

Cui Junzhe smiled and said to Yu Shao, "Although the Torch Relay caused quite a stir before, I didn't take it to heart at all until the Yingjiao Cup, where your game with Su Yiming deeply shocked me."

"It's a bit funny that a 9-dan player would be so impressed by the games of two lower-dan players, but that's the truth."

Cui Junzhe continued with a complicated tone, "When I saw that game, my first thought was, I could never play such a game. I am far inferior to anyone, whether it's black or white."

"I achieved my professional rank at thirteen, and through hard work and perseverance, I finally reached the ninth dan at the age of twenty-five. To others, this is already a remarkable achievement, but I know that this is probably where I am going to be."

“I’ve always been hovering on the edge of the title match main draw. Sometimes I can get in, sometimes I can’t. The title match is always out of reach. I’ve found that no matter how hard I try, it’s hard for me to go any further.”

"However, everything has been different since the Yingjiao Cup."

Cui Junzhe smiled and continued, "After the Yingjiao Cup ended, I often thought about what the game would be like if I played chess with you. Where would you attack? Where would you defend your pieces? Where would you sacrifice pieces?"

"At that time, I was thinking about how to beat you. I watched every game of yours and reviewed each game repeatedly in order to find a way to defeat you when we meet again in the future."

"But later, my thinking changed."

Choi Jun-cheol paused for a moment, then continued, "Perhaps, I want to lose to you, who knows?"

Want to lose?

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged bewildered glances, and even Yu Shao showed a hint of surprise on his face.

"I really don't want to lose, but I also want to see every move that I can only dream of."

With a somewhat emotional expression, Cui Junzhe said, "Seeing that completely unattainable place, seeing my views on Go overturned after more than twenty years, seeing every move that cannot be described in words..." "Although we had never met before today, nor played a single game together, in my heart, we have already faced each other countless times."

"As I kept studying your game records and analyzing each of your moves, I suddenly realized that my chess skills were also increasing day by day. Opponents who I used to find incredibly difficult to deal with suddenly seemed so insignificant when we played against them again."

"I found that your landing technique suits me very well, and I understand it much faster than others. While others don't understand the landing techniques like the 3-3 point, the pin, or the shoulder punch, I can quickly figure them out and apply them in actual combat."

"That's how it is. I've won all the way and finally made it back into the title match main tournament. Now I even have some ideas about the Gosei title. All of this... is thanks to you."

Choi Jun-cheol said with a smile, "I've always wanted to thank you, and today I've finally found the opportunity."

"Although I am almost ten years older than you, I can say that you are the second teacher in my Go career."

After hearing Cui Junzhe's words, the game room fell silent.

Ma Zhengyu stared blankly at Cui Junzhe, his heart trembling with shock.

It's important to know that some people are 9-dan because there are only nine dan ranks in Go. The difference between some 9-dan players can be much greater than you can imagine.

In the previous few years, Cui Junzhe's record was indeed unremarkable. Although he was a 9-dan, he was only at the level of an average 9-dan.

However, in the second half of last year, Cui Junzhe suddenly emerged as a dark horse, defeating countless strong opponents as if he had suddenly realized something. Even Kong Zi was defeated by Cui Junzhe, which was extremely exaggerated. In the end, he made a strong entry into the title match and became an existence that no one could ignore.

He was also incredibly surprised by Choi Jun-cheol's performance this year, but he never imagined that Choi Jun-cheol's excellent performance this year was actually related to Yu Shao.

Upon closer reflection, it does seem to be true.

He had looked at several of Cui Junzhe's recent game records, and almost all of them contained Yu Shao's signature moves. However, since many players were now learning these moves, he hadn't paid any attention to them at the time.

"Of course, that's one way of saying it."

Cui Junzhe smiled and continued to say to Yu Shao, "If we unfortunately meet in the World Championship, I will also go all out and fight with all my might."

Hearing this, Yu Shao finally came to his senses, looked at Cui Junzhe, remembered the name Cui Junzhe, nodded slightly, and said seriously, "Me too."

In a previous life, there were actually chess players like Choi Jun-cheol.

The emergence of Go AI has been a devastating blow to many Go players, but some players, who may not have been particularly strong to begin with, have adapted very well to the AI.

They can quickly learn and understand AI's moves, and some players, even at a very old age, can experience a second spring in their careers.

Yu Shao never expected that in a world without Go AI, he would unknowingly play the role of a Go AI.

Cui Junzhe stopped talking and silently waited for everyone to arrive before setting off. The others in the game room also suddenly fell silent for some reason, their emotions fluctuating wildly.

Shortly after, with a creak, the door to the game room was pushed open again, and Su Yiming walked in, once again attracting everyone's attention.

Su Yiming looked around and quickly noticed Yu Shao. He then walked straight towards Yu Shao and stopped beside him.

Everyone couldn't help but look at Su Yiming, then at Yu Shao, their gazes becoming even more complicated.

"Yu Shao, Su Yiming..."

Ma Zhengyu's gaze kept shifting between the two of them, his heart filled with turmoil.

"This is their first time participating in the World Championship, their first time coming to this cruel world that countless people yearn for, yet also that countless people feel saddened."

"The world's strongest chess players, from China, North and South Korea, Japan, the United States, Europe... no matter how far away they are, have traveled to Phoenix to compete for the championship."

"Although the World Championship is known for its cruelty, shattering the dreams of countless players, burying the bones of countless strong players, and being covered with the blood and tears of countless geniuses!"

"But perhaps, this is precisely the place that suits them best."

Ma Zhengyu's gaze was fixed on Yu Shao and Su Yiming, as if he wanted to see their future clearly!
"Because it's a battle of raw talent, where only the strong survive!"

"The cruelest place is the stage!"

Time passed by, and soon two or three more people pushed open the door and entered the game room.

They didn't quite understand the somewhat oppressive silence in the room, but influenced by the atmosphere, they eventually kept quiet as well.

Finally, around ten o'clock, Ma Zhengyu composed himself, glanced at his watch, and said, "Everyone's here, and it's about time to set off."

Ma Zhengyu took a deep breath, glanced around the game room, his gaze lingering on Yu Shao, Su Yiming, and Zheng Qin for a moment before he spoke:

"Everyone should be familiar with the format of the Phoenix Cup. It starts with a single-elimination tournament, then a double-elimination tournament begins when 64 people are eliminated, and finally the champion is determined."

"The fact that you are all here means that you are all seasoned chess players. It is not appropriate for an outsider like me to say these things, but I still have to say them."

Ma Zhengyu said in a deep voice: "Don't overthink things just because it's the World Championship, and don't go into the competition with the idea that you must get good results. In the World Championship, no matter how strong you are, there is always the possibility of being eliminated in the first round!"

"Don't think you can perform exceptionally well. If you encounter a stronger opponent, it's normal to lose. Just play each move well and play to your usual standard, that's enough."

"As for whether or not we can win, that's the opponent's problem, it has nothing to do with us."

Ma Zhengyu paused for a moment, then continued, "In the World Championship, it is often difficult to turn the tide when you are at a disadvantage. Because it is the World Championship, everyone will be under pressure to some extent, so when they see that the situation is unfavorable, they will lose their composure."

"Therefore, treat the World Championship like a regular game. The worse the situation, the calmer you need to be. The variations in Go are as vast as the universe. There is always hope until the very end."

"Players participating in the World Championship for the first time often feel immense pressure because they are representing their country, but there is really no need for that."

"The World Championship is not a team competition. In the World Championship, you do not represent your country. You only represent yourselves and your own Go!"

"The World Championship is where you can show the world your Go skills!"

"This year's World Championship is called the Phoenix Cup. The start of the World Championship is the time when the phoenix cries out!"

At this point, Ma Zhengyu paused, then spoke again, his words firm and resolute: "Alright, let's go!"

P.S.: I didn't delete all the previous drafts... Because I habitually keep adding line breaks while typing, the previous drafts were moved to the very back of the page, and I didn't see them at all. It was a funny situation, I laughed and cried.

(End of this chapter)