The world of film and television begins with Hikaru no Go

Time flies, and January is here in the blink of an eye.

Red lanterns were hung in the streets and alleys of Fangyuan City, various New Year songs were played on a loop in supermarkets, and the air was filled with the sulfurous smell of firecrackers.

On New Year's Eve, Zhang Rui stood at his aunt's door carrying a box of tea, a box of pastries, and a bottle of wine.

It was Shiguang who opened the door: "Brother? Why are you so late? And you brought things! Didn't Mom tell you not to bring anything?"

"They were all prepared by Teacher Ban and Teacher Zhu, so I just brought them along."

Zhang Rui skillfully changed his shoes and went inside. In the living room, Grandpa Time was sitting on the sofa watching TV, holding a teacup in his hand. When he saw Zhang Rui, he greeted him with a smile, "Little Rui is here? Come and sit down."

"Grandpa." Zhang Rui nodded and sat down next to the sofa.

Time's mother poked her head out of the kitchen, her apron covered in flour: "Xiao Rui, we're making dumplings tonight, your favorite pork and cabbage filling."

"Thank you, Auntie."

Shi Guang leaned in from behind: "I've been back for several days and haven't seen my mom cook anything delicious for me. But when she heard you were coming back, she started getting busy from morning till night. The difference is just too big."

Zhang Rui ignored him. It's New Year's Eve today, isn't it normal to have a more lavish New Year's Eve dinner?

Moreover, he didn't believe that his aunt hadn't taken good care of him during the first few days after time returned.

Shi Guang sat down next to Zhang Rui and picked up an orange from the coffee table to peel. "Brother, have you been playing chess online lately?"

"no."

"Let me tell you, there's a pretty interesting player on the Go website named Long Yan," Shi Guang said, his mouth full of orange, his words muffled. "His playing style is pretty unconventional. I played against him online once and lost."

Zhang Rui glanced at him: "You lost?"

"I lost a game." Shi Guang scratched his head. "But it wasn't just me. Fang Xu, a 9-dan player, also played a game with him and lost. He's definitely skilled."

Zhang Rui hummed in agreement and silently noted down the name, hoping Ban Heng would keep an eye on it.

This year, Shiguang's father is still in Africa and has not returned. There are only four people in the family—grandfather, mother, Shiguang, and Zhang Rui.

It wasn't exactly deserted; the New Year's Eve dinner was laid out on a round table, with several home-style dishes, steaming hot.

The Spring Festival Gala was playing on TV, and firecrackers could be heard outside the window from time to time.

Grandpa Time drank a couple of glasses of wine and became more talkative. He not only talked about his chess-playing days but also recounted some embarrassing stories from Time's childhood...

"Grandpa!" Shi Guang blushed. "It's the New Year, can't you say something nice?"

"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore." Grandpa waved his hand with a smile and poured himself another cup.

Shiguang's mother placed a piece of braised pork into Zhang Rui's bowl: "Xiao Rui, eat more, you're too thin."

Zhang Rui looked down at the meat in his bowl, said "thank you," and then slowly ate it.

Chu Yingpiao stood in the corner of the living room, watching the family with a faint smile on her face.

February, Seoul.

Zhang Rui arrived in South Korea two days early and stayed at a hotel arranged by the Go Association.

The room wasn't big, but it was very clean, and you could see the night view of the Han River from the window.

On the day of the LP Cup semi-finals, the lobby of the Korea Baduk Association was packed with reporters.

Zhang Rui, wearing a dark gray coat, got out of the car, and flashbulbs immediately went off.

He didn't linger and went straight into the chess academy.

The game room is on the fourth floor. The room is not large, but it is decorated in a very solemn manner.

The chessboard was made of torreya wood, and the chess basket was made of ivory. Sunlight streamed in through the blinds, casting shadows on the chessboard.

Cao Mingxun was already seated, dressed in a black suit, his hair neatly combed, and his expression serious.

Upon seeing Zhang Rui enter, he immediately stood up and bowed respectfully.

Zhang Rui nodded and sat down in the seat opposite him.

The semifinals will still be a single-elimination tournament, with each match determining the winner.

The game began with Cao Mingxun playing black. He made his first move on the star point in the upper right corner, showing great momentum.

Zhang Rui responded with a gesture, pointing to the star position in the lower left corner.

The third move is Black's small eye in the upper left corner.

The fourth move, White's lower right corner – 3-3.

In the observation room, several South Korean Go players looked at each other in bewilderment.

"It's San San again..."

"He does this in every game; it's a habit."

"Cao Mingxun has studied his game and should be prepared."

On the chessboard, Cao Mingxun's response was indeed more composed than that of his previous opponents.

Unfazed by Zhang Rui's three-three move, she steadily occupied key points on the board according to her own rhythm.

During the setup phase, both sides played very quickly, requiring almost no thought.

After entering the middle game, Cao Mingxun began to exert his strength.

Black played a "leaning" move in the lower right corner, attempting to break through White's territory.

Zhang Rui responded steadily, with the white pieces making a slight jump to avoid the black pieces' sharp edge, while simultaneously forming a thin layer of influence on the outside.

Cao Mingxun did not give up and immediately started another battle on the left.

The atmosphere in the spectator room grew increasingly tense.

"Cao Mingxun played very aggressively today."

"But how long can he keep it up? Zhang Rui's defense is too solid, with almost no weaknesses."

"Perhaps... there's no need for flaws, just an opportunity."

On the chessboard, Cao Mingxun's attacks became increasingly fierce, with black stones surging towards white's territory like a tidal wave.

But Zhang Rui's response was always calm and composed, with each step perfectly timed.

When it's time to defend, defend; when it's time to retreat, retreat; and when it's time to counterattack, never hesitate.

In move 127, White played a "point" on the right side.

This move seems unremarkable; it simply diminishes Black's territory.

But the moment Cao Mingxun saw this move, his fingers froze.

He paused to calculate the score. If he didn't respond, White would gain three points here; if he did respond, White would turn the initiative and go for another major endgame move.

No matter which way you go, you're going to lose.

It wasn't a single move that caused the loss, but rather the loss due to the overall rhythm of the game.

However, he did not surrender immediately. Instead, he took a deep breath, placed a black piece, and chose to respond.

Zhang Rui immediately turned around and played a sharp move in the upper left corner, securing a very valuable endgame move.

This back-and-forth movement resulted in a difference of at least five points.

Cao Mingxun's forehead began to sweat, but he still did not give up and relentlessly fought until there was no more place on the chessboard to contest.

On the 189th move, Cao Mingxun put the black piece back into the chess basket and bowed his head slightly.

"I lost."

Zhang Rui nodded, stood up, and returned the greeting.

At the post-match press conference, a reporter asked Cao Mingxun, "What do you think of Zhang Rui 9-dan's performance today?"

Cao Mingxun was silent for a few seconds, then said, "He played very calmly. No matter how I attacked, he remained unhurried, resolving the attacks step by step. I felt... he wasn't playing chess, he was solving a math problem."

The reporter then asked Zhang Rui, "Zhang Rui, 9-dan, what are your expectations for the final?"

Zhang Rui glanced at the reporter who asked the question and said one word: "Win."