LOL: Can’t I play other games professionally?

Chapter 578 You hid the plane ticket, didn't you?

The most obvious mistake in the whole operation is right here.

Apart from that, Park Jung-hwan couldn't find any other mistakes he made.

In other words, were there any other mistakes besides this one? It seems not.

All the subsequent defeats were merely attempts to make up for that mistake, but Lin Ruo's ability to seize opportunities was simply too strong, leaving him no room to make up for it.

Therefore, in Park Jung-hwan's view, whether or not to revisit the incident is no longer meaningful.

He knows his biggest and only mistake better than anyone else, so there's no need to discuss it.

Moreover, Park Jung-hwan felt very bad about losing to Lin Ruo, a young man who was only eighteen years old.

In the world of Go, it is common and normal for new talents to emerge and for veterans to be eliminated, but when facing Lin Ruo and Park Jung-hwan, there is always a sense of unwillingness to admit defeat.

After suffering an epic defeat in the history of the Mlily Cup, this indomitable spirit was already planted in Park Jung-hwan's heart.

After all, Park Jung-hwan has lost many matches since his debut, including several finals. But to be completely outplayed like a bot in a final for the first time would be a disgrace to anyone.

I am the number one player in South Korea, and you're telling me I was killed on the board before the hundredth move in a world final?
Even with the most forgiving heart, Park Jung-hwan will never forget this humiliation.

Losing the game again today is like putting a thick coffin lid on this shameful situation.

This made Park Jung-hwan feel extremely ashamed, so why bother with a replay? His strong sense of pride made him want to escape the scene as quickly as possible.

Especially after yesterday's draw, he was so confident that he would defeat Lin Ruo and get revenge, but today he was easily crushed.

What Park Jung-hwan found most unacceptable was that, good heavens, their table was the first to finish eating.

Yes, it's normal that the match ended in just over a hundred rounds, making it the fastest match of the entire event.

This further hurt Park Jung-hwan's pride; was he really the first to be eliminated from the top 16? No wonder he became the focus of attention at this moment.

Perhaps no one would have thought that the first to end would be the world war between Lin Ruo and Park Jung-hwan.

But that's the way it is.

So some of the players who noticed this during the match looked up in surprise.

How could Park Jung-hwan be eliminated so quickly? Is Lin Ruo crazy?

For a moment, it seemed as if everyone had stopped thinking.

Even Ke Jie looked over, his eyes revealing undeniable surprise. His anticipated biggest rival in the Samsung Cup had gone home just like that?
But after only a brief moment of thought, Ke Jie had to return to his game.

In the current stalemate, he has not gained any significant advantage.

Well, a thought flashed through Ke Jie's mind: Could there really be such a thing as a nemesis?

Liao Yuanhe's game was relatively easy, and he had already gained a considerable advantage, so he had enough attention to spare for reflection.

"Lin Ruo is really amazing, she took down Park Jung-hwan so quickly."

He was the one who trusted Lin Ruo the most among all the contestants, so before the competition, he was very confident that Lin Ruo would win.

I just didn't expect to win so quickly.

It's as if the two people are not on the same level.

Liao Yuanhe originally thought he would be able to leave the stadium before Lin Ruo in today's match, but it seems he was a step behind.

After all, how could he possibly compare his speed to that of the Great Killer Lin Ruo? That was just wishful thinking and arrogance.

However, what he didn't expect was that Lin Ruo hadn't actually left the scene at all, because he had discovered a very interesting rule.

So, it turns out that the two players who have finished their match can remain on the field, as long as they don't disturb others.

Park Jung-hwan, having failed, certainly didn't want to stay, but Lin Ruo did.

So for the rest of the time, Lin Ruo acted like a referee patrolling the field, looking around with his hands behind his back.

Let's go check on our idol first. The situation seems a bit bad, so let's shake our heads.

Then let's check on Liao Yuanhe. He's doing alright, so let's nod in approval.

Oh right, and where is the future Demon King, Xiao Shen?

Having found her spot, Lin Ruo stood and observed for a while, clearly indicating that she was beginning to shift towards a more stable approach.

Lin Ruo checked out every contestant she vaguely recognized or had heard of throughout the event, aiming to have them all.

Park Jung-hwan, who had walked offstage, felt that Lin Ruo's absence was a deliberate attempt to sabotage him, as almost all the media cameras were focused on him at that moment.

Without anyone to share the burden, Park Jung-hwan had no choice but to face a barrage of criticism from the South Korean media.

The South Korean media, of course, were no pushovers either, asking sharp and pointed questions.

How does Park Jung-hwan view this loss, and will it have a significant impact on his future career?

"After today's match, Park Jung-hwan, you have now suffered two consecutive losses against Lin Ruo. Did you expect this result before the match?"

"Yesterday, Park Jung-hwan said he was determined to defeat his opponent, but he didn't succeed today. In your opinion, do you know where things went wrong?"

harm.

Faced with these endless questions, what can Park Jung-hwan do? As a seasoned veteran, he clearly knows how to face the reporters' attention when he fails.

So before answering, he habitually bowed to the camera, and then began his sob story:

"I am very sorry that I did not win the game today. I am very sorry to all my fans who support me. I will go back and study hard to improve my performance and strive to see you on the field again next time. Finally, I hope that the other Korean players can defend the glory of the championship as much as possible."

This set of words, coupled with an expression of extreme disappointment or even uncontrollable tears, is usually effective in most situations.

But the relentless and ruthless actions of the Korean fans who would send large trucks to deliver the gifts were undeniable.

What's the point of an apology? If apologies were useful, what would we need trucks for?

[If you played poorly, you played poorly. Get out of here and stop embarrassing yourself.]

[I haven't seen any progress in the past six months. Is Park Jung-hwan reaching the age where he should retire from mainstream competitions?]

[I'm sure Park Jung-hwan will work even harder after he gets back, but sorry, right now you're a complete failure.]

[Sigh, it's no use playing the victim after being beaten like that by that brat Lin Ruo. Park Jung-hwan, you've really disappointed us. Nobody will believe you next time.]

[Yeah, yesterday they were so confident they'd win, but they played like this. How can we accept that? If they really didn't have the ability, they shouldn't have made such boastful claims.]

Yes.

What South Korean viewers hate most isn't losing face on the field, but rather confidently saying they must win when they know they can't do it.

Is it just to appease these fans? Then this kind of appeasement is terrible.

Confidence is a good thing, but if you're too confident and get slapped in the face, it's your fans and audience who will lose face.

It's no wonder that South Koreans are angry; after all, they can't just forget everything once the sun is high in the sky after a good night's sleep.

Such an experience, on the contrary, torments them for a long time.

But the one who suffers the most must be Park Jung-hwan. You guys are disappointed, but I'm not?

Disappointed, Park Jung-hwan also had to endure the anger of fans, which made him a little overwhelmed. So, after giving a vague answer in the interview, he quickly left the scene and then quickly left the training institute.

Staying any longer would only lead to endless suffering; it's best to run away quickly.

This training base, which he once loved most, has now become a nightmare place where he loses matches.

The thought of being the first player to lose in the round of 16, and facing the strange and surprised looks from the other players, made Park Jung-hwan feel like he had lost all his self-respect.

Once upon a time, now it's...

Forget it.

...

When Lin Ruo walked out of the stadium after watching the game to her heart's content, she faced the same situation as Park Jung-hwan: a swarm of media reporters rushing to get her in.

However, Lin Ruo was much more composed.

Well, after all, he's an honest person with a stellar reputation. He's someone who wins when he says he will; it's not just empty talk.

Such a person can go anywhere without any problems.

The South Korean media could only be thankful that Lin Ruo didn't show any arrogance today. As for saying he wanted to win the championship, that wasn't really showing any arrogance.

They've already beaten Park Jung-hwan, who would be joking if they said they wouldn't win the championship?

Maybe it's just to amuse people.

Thinking back to the barrage of negative comments when she defeated Yu Meimei in her last Weibo post, Lin Ruo quickly posted a second Weibo post after leaving the competition venue, adding the hashtag and leaving a brief three-word message.

"What do you mean?"

Alright, now the people who were having fun no longer dared to be stubborn.

You really took care of Park Jung-hwan so easily, what are we supposed to say? Just go through the motions.

[I'm sorry, Lin Shen. I shouldn't have laughed at you because of Yu Meimei. You're amazing, you're practically a god of war.]

[Holy crap, Lin Shen, I knew you'd do it! Wow, you're amazing!]

[Whoever is Korean, I will end their life with a single strike. Lin Ruo's rune for one-click slaughter of Koreans is now configured.]

[100% success rate against Korean opponents throughout his career. A certified super killer by Korean oppas. Proficient in both League of Legends and Go. Orders welcome.]

[That's outrageous! Park Jung-hwan did it all, are you trying to win the championship?]

[Isn't that obvious? What competition can't I, Lin Shen, win? If I don't win, am I still Lin Shen? It's just a fight with Park Jung-hwan, why are you all so excited? And that Shin guy, the number one ranked player in Korea, stick your neck out!] [Stop talking, poor Shin is already trembling with fear. Don't scare him so much he won't dare to fight.]

[Alright, alright, let's just invite the next Korean player. Stop dawdling, or you can just present the award to my great Lin Shen.]

[It doesn't necessarily have to be a Korean. How about Ke Jie? I've been annoyed with that kid for a while now. I heard he's even more arrogant than our Lin Shen. We should teach him a lesson.]

Yes, yes.

A person from the LPL (League of Legends Pro League) suddenly realized that it seems like doing Ke Jie (a famous Chinese football player) is also quite good.

First of all, he is very strong. He was already a three-time Samsung Cup champion before this. Compared to so many Korean players, Ke Jie seems to be a greater threat.

Yes, according to the rankings, Ke Jie is indeed one of the biggest contenders to win the Samsung Cup.

Secondly, Ke Jie is arrogant.

Logically speaking, the most arrogant person in the world should only be our Lin Shen, how could there be a second one? Therefore, we must take down Ke Jie.

That's what they say, but people will soon find out that Lin Ruo and Ke Jie actually have no chance to meet at all.

Both teams are in the upper half of the draw, so they're bound to meet in the draw. How could they not have a chance?
Oh, so Ke Jie isn't participating in the draw. That makes sense.

Yes, Ke Jie will not participate in the next round of the draw because he has been eliminated.

If Lin Ruo's victory over Park Jung-hwan wasn't a major upset, then Ke Jie's elimination by Tao Xinran was a huge upset.

This was nothing short of a bolt from the blue for Chinese Go fans who were still basking in the joy of Park Jung-hwan's elimination.

After all, Ke Jie is a three-time champion. He has always been an unstoppable force in the Samsung Cup. It can be said that before Lin Ruo defeated Park Jung-hwan, Ke Jie was the best candidate they could hope for to win the championship.

Just when everyone thought their team was sure to win the championship, Lin Ruo was finally showing his strength, one of the two strong players suddenly fell.

Anyone who didn't know better would think it was a one-for-one exchange with Park Jung-hwan.

This is a mixed bag of good and bad news.

Ke Jie never imagined that he, determined to defend his title, would fall in the round of 16, and to the relatively unknown Tao Xinran, who had always been a bottom-tier player in world competitions.

Well, Ke Jie, who regrettably lost the game due to a difference of just a few points, is now sitting in his seat and no longer dares to disbelieve in fate.

Tao Xinran is indeed not as good as him, but he has defeated him in the domestic league more than once or twice. Almost every time they meet, it's like he has a buff.

Even natural enemies are no more formidable than this.

This is also why the coach was worried before the match. First, Ke Jie's recent form has indeed been mediocre, and second, he is a true nemesis.

As it turns out, this concern was not unfounded.

The reason Ke Jie is not worried is not because he looks down on his opponent. After being defeated several times domestically, how could he not be careful?

The real reason is something else entirely, which is that you're doing me a disservice in the domestic world championships, so what does it have to do with it?

Yes, Ke Jie thinks it's one thing to play well domestically, but the environment is different on the world stage. You still want to unleash your buffs? No way.

But the fact is, they still won at the World Championships.

Ke Jie ultimately faced elimination, missing out on a fourth consecutive Samsung Cup title.

Ke Jie, who had fought to the very end, was somewhat bewildered at having to leave the training institute so soon.

Even more bewildered than him were the Chinese Go spectators who learned of the news, all asking who Tao Xinran was.

Yes, if you weren't a long-time follower of the Chinese Weiqi League, you wouldn't actually know who Tao Xinran is, but that's how Ke Jie was eliminated.

I was really hoping Ke Jie would win his fourth title, but he's gone so quickly.

[Sigh, who could have predicted this result? We were unexpectedly upset, and this is probably the first upset of this Samsung Cup.]

[Actually, I had thought about it. I watched the Chinese Weiqi League and saw that Tao Xinran was somewhat effective against Ke Jie, so I was wondering if Ke Jie might be eliminated. I didn't expect it to happen so quickly.]

[That darn Ke Jie! I was so happy Park Jung-hwan got sent away today, but less than two hours later you left too, and I'm suddenly not so happy anymore.]

Although Tao Xinran is also a Chinese player, but...

It goes without saying that almost everyone knows that Ke Jie has the ability to compete for the championship, while Tao Xinran, although capable of defeating Ke Jie, may not necessarily have the ability to win the championship.

His greatest strength and potential seem to have always been reflected in his rivalry with Ke Jie.

However, since Ke Jie couldn't even get past Tao Xinran, it's understandable that she advanced.

However, the audience was not really happy.

At this moment, the people who should be happy are obviously the South Korean audience. They were still immersed in the grief of Park Jung-hwan's elimination, and now you're telling me that Ke Jie, the biggest favorite to win the Samsung Cup, has been eliminated?
Well, suddenly the South Korean audience wasn't so sad anymore.

After all, they can treat this as a one-for-one exchange. Park Jung-hwan was eliminated, and Ke Jie was also eliminated, which means that both sides lost a favorite to win the championship.

So, with four subtractions and five withdrawals, doesn't that mean both sides are now equal...?

[Hey Ke Jie, well done! With Ke Jie gone, we've lost one of our biggest rivals.]

This is really good news. Without Ke Jie, China is like losing a key left-hand man.

However, we're down one player, so we'll have to watch the duel between our two right-hand men.

[Come on, Shen! Maybe if you can get past Lin Ruo, you'll win your first world championship.]

Korean viewers certainly don't want to see Shin Jin and Lin Ruo face off so soon, but since both of them are in the upper half of the bracket, they're bound to meet in the quarterfinals, even if they don't meet in the semifinals.

There is absolutely no chance of a final showdown.

Since that's the case, let's just go for it. We'll go for it sooner or later, so let's just do it.

This also avoids the unnecessary suffering of losing the game at the last minute.

Fortunately, the Samsung Cup tournament was short, so there was no need to wait too long. Less than two hours after all the matches ended, the remaining eight players gathered in the reception hall.

Compared to yesterday, the number of people was reduced by half, and the reception hall was much quieter at 5 pm.

Liao Yuanhe is probably the one who makes people the least peaceful.

From the moment he returned to his dorm, he had been looking for Lin Ruo to review the game he played against Park Jung-hwan. Yes, he wanted to watch and learn from it. For him, experiencing the game firsthand would definitely be very rewarding.

How could Lin Ruo bear to refuse such a young man who loved learning?

Fine, fine, if you give me half of your nutritional supplements, I'll reluctantly explain the intricacies of the game to you.

Liao Yuanhe naturally agreed, and sure enough, Lin Ruo felt that he was too nice.

It would be hard to find another person in the world as selfless and great as him.

Unfortunately, the discussion didn't seem to be finished in the afternoon, so it continued while people gathered in the reception hall. The discussion only came to an end as the draw for the quarterfinals began.

The quarterfinals of this Samsung Cup are now entirely comprised of players from China and South Korea, with five Chinese players and three South Korean players.

In terms of sheer numbers, South Korea is perfectly comfortable with this outcome.

Having three players in the quarterfinals is already a great achievement for them; now it all depends on the draw.

The first draw was still held in the upper half of the bracket. The current list of four players in the upper half includes Lin Ruo, Shin Jinseo, and Tao Xinran, who defeated Ke Jie, plus Yang Dingxin, a 9-dan Chinese Go player.

The organizers successfully drew Tao Xinran in the first draw, which made everyone look forward to the second draw. The result of the second draw will undoubtedly determine the result of the third and fourth draws.

So when the second draw resulted in Yang Dingxin, the Chinese and South Korean reporters present erupted in cheers.

The first pairings are out, and the second pairings are obvious as well. Since there are only four people in each half of the bracket, the second pairings will definitely be a super battle between Lin Ruo and Shin Jinseo.

Compared to Park Jung-hwan, this battle obviously has more hype, because Shin Jin-seo and Lin Ruo are both from the new generation born in the 2000s.

Shin Jinseo may not have won any world championships yet, but he is the undisputed number one ranked player in South Korea. Lin Ruo's rating is not even in the top tier in the Chinese Go world, although he has won a world championship.

With his elimination of Park Jung-hwan yesterday, he can almost be considered the Chinese player in the best form and strongest at present.

So even before the draw was completely over, both China and South Korea had already come up with the titles for their press releases.

Why even think about it? Isn't it just something you write on the spur of the moment?

[A premature final? The battle between the strongest players from China and South Korea kicks off in the quarterfinals!]

Look how catchy this title is! It's bound to generate a lot of buzz, and everyone's expectations are at their peak.

"Damn, you're going to fight Shin Jinseo again? What kind of luck is that?"

When Liao Yuanhe saw the lottery results, he finally realized that he wasn't the most unlucky one.

"Yeah, I'm really unlucky," Lin Ruo said enthusiastically, taking a sip of water.

Little did anyone know that Liao Yuanhe meant something else entirely: "Shin Jinseo, what luck! You actually ran into me in the quarterfinals. Looks like we're going to see the Korean audience screaming again tomorrow."

Well, Lin Ruo didn't expect Liao Yuanhe's recognition of her to have reached this level; she should be able to compete for solo fans.

However, Lin Ruo wouldn't blame him. Lin Ruo would only say, "Young man, you have good taste. Yes, next I will put on a show of beating up Shin Jinseo."

"But you have to keep going!" Lin Ruo turned around and encouraged her again.

Liao Yuanhe's opponent in the lower half of the draw is also formidable: South Korean player Shin Minjun.

In other words, apart from one Chinese civil war in the upper bracket, the other three brackets are all China-South Korea battles.

Then, in the final four, a very exciting result is very likely to occur: all the South Korean players will be eliminated, and Chinese players will sweep all four spots.

This is also a concern for the South Korean media. They don't have an internal conflict, but Chinese players do, and they have clearly already secured one of the top four spots.

However, thinking about that now is obviously meaningless; their attention is still focused on Shin Jinseo, if he is no match for Lin Ruo.

That's really all there is to it.

(End of this chapter)