I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 103: The Hand Holding the Cigarette Trembled Slightly

Su Chengping fell silent.

Seeing his reaction, Yu Dongming was taken aback and couldn't help but ask again, "Mr. Su?"

Cai Xiaomei was also anxiously watching Su Chengping, waiting for his response.

Still, Su Chengping said nothing.

Seeing this, Yu Dongming felt his heart sink.

Did that brat Yu Shao really perform that badly? So bad that even Mr. Su didn’t know how to break the news to him?

Well... the game did end in just half an hour, which was way too fast.

Even though Yu Dongming barely understood Go, he knew that games usually lasted a long time. Some matches even stretched over several days due to the ultra-slow time settings.

For this game to end so quickly... Yu Shao must have lost miserably.

At that moment, Su Chengping suddenly spoke, his voice a little hoarse.

Yu Dongming froze for a second, then quickly reacted, hastily extending the cigarette he had almost withdrawn.

Su Chengping took the cigarette from his hand and spoke again, "Fire."

Hearing his tone, Yu Dongming was slightly startled.

It wasn’t that he was unwilling to give him a lighter—he had been about to offer it anyway.

But Su Chengping’s tone carried an air of command, as if it was only natural for him to provide the lighter. It made Yu Dongming feel a little uncomfortable.

Still, as a seasoned businessman, Yu Dongming was well-versed in handling people. His face revealed nothing as he immediately pulled out his lighter and even took the initiative to light the cigarette for Su Chengping.

To his surprise, Su Chengping didn’t even make a token gesture to refuse. He simply let Yu Dongming light the cigarette for him without hesitation.

"Mr. Su... does Xiao Shao not have the talent to become a professional Go player?"

Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, Cai Xiaomei asked anxiously while glancing toward the playing room. "And why hasn’t Xiao Shao come out yet?"

Honestly, even if Yu Shao lacked the talent to go pro, Cai Xiaomei didn’t think it was a huge deal.

She was just worried about how losing might affect him.

She might nag about his shortcomings all the time, acting like she was dissatisfied with him in every way.

But the thought of him looking dejected and defeated made her heart ache as a mother.

Su Chengping took a deep drag of his cigarette, still saying nothing.

Now even Yu Dongming was getting impatient.

Just say something already! Even if it's bad news, just say it!

Right as he was about to push further, Su Chengping finally spoke.

"Talent for becoming a professional Go player?"

He slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke, lifted his head to gaze at the ceiling, and muttered with a dazed expression:

"If he doesn’t have the talent to be a Go player… then I… should probably go be a jockey."

As soon as he said this, both Yu Dongming and Cai Xiaomei were stunned.

"A Go player? Mr. Su, aren’t you already a Go player?"

Yu Dongming didn’t quite catch his meaning—after all, the words for "Go player" and "jockey" sounded the same.

Su Chengping didn’t bother explaining. He simply brought the cigarette to his lips again, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring. The swirling smoke obscured his expression.

At that moment, Yu Dongming suddenly noticed something—his eyes widened in shock.

The hand holding the cigarette... was trembling slightly.

The tremor was so subtle that if he hadn’t been paying close attention, he wouldn’t have noticed it at all.

Go player...

Or was it—

"Jockey?!"

The bold guess that popped into Yu Dongming’s mind was almost unbelievable.

Could it be... Yu Shao won?

And not just won, but won in only half an hour?

He actually defeated a retired professional player?

And made Su Chengping, a former 1-dan professional, say something as absurd as, If Yu Shao can’t be a Go player, I should go be a jockey?

Just then, Yu Shao finally emerged from the playing room.

Seeing Su Chengping, he said, "Teacher, I’ve put away the Go pieces."

Su Chengping glanced at Yu Shao, took another silent drag of his cigarette, then nodded slightly.

Without another word, he pressed the half-smoked cigarette against the trash bin by the door to put it out, then turned and walked back into the playing room, shutting the door behind him.

It was obvious he had no intention of continuing the conversation with Yu Dongming and Cai Xiaomei. His meaning was clear—this conversation is over, you can leave now.

Cai Xiaomei was still completely confused. She turned to her husband and asked, "Old Yu, what did Mr. Su mean by that?"

She still didn’t get it.

What did If Yu Shao can’t be a Go player, I should go be a jockey even mean?

What nonsense was that?

Yu Dongming, who had already put the pieces together, glanced at Yu Shao, shook his head, took a deep breath, and simply said, "Let’s go home. We’ll talk in the car."

The three of them left Yidao Go Training Center and returned to their car parked outside.

The moment they got in, Cai Xiaomei couldn’t hold back anymore. She turned to Yu Shao and asked, "Xiao Shao, how did your game go?"

"It was okay," Yu Shao replied.

"What do you mean 'okay'? Be specific!" Cai Xiaomei said, a little impatient.

Seeing that Yu Shao didn’t look at all dejected like she had feared, she felt relieved.

Now, she was just frustrated because Su Chengping’s reaction—and even her own husband’s—had been so strange. She couldn’t make sense of it, which was making her irritable.

"You won?"

From the driver’s seat, Yu Dongming suddenly asked.

"Yeah," Yu Shao nodded. Then, looking puzzled, he asked, "Didn’t Mr. Su tell you?"

Hearing his response, Cai Xiaomei’s eyes widened in shock.

Even Yu Dongming, who had already suspected as much, took a deep breath.

After all, guessing something and confirming it were two entirely different things.

"A Go player…"

"A jockey?"

Only now did Cai Xiaomei finally realize what Su Chengping had meant.

She swallowed hard, feeling a wave of disbelief.

"Xiao Shao actually beat a professional Go player?"

"This... this is a big deal!"

Meanwhile,

The Go Promotion Tournament—Finals.

After nearly a month of intense battles—from the preliminary rounds to the knockout stages—the best players of the year had gathered here.

They were here to compete for the precious few spots available to become professional Go players.

Making it to the finals meant they were just one step away from achieving their dream.

Among them were complete strangers, familiar rivals, and even childhood friends.

But now, even if they faced their closest companions, they had no choice but to fight with everything they had.

Because in the finals... there was no room for retreat.

There is, and only ever will be, one path.

To walk this path, one must tread over the countless fallen talents, struggling forward with relentless determination.

"For one general’s success, ten thousand soldiers' bones must bleach in the sun."

Cruel and unforgiving.

This road is paved with sweat and tears, yet no one ever stops to mourn. There are always those who, like moths to a flame, step onto it without hesitation, chasing the dream of becoming a professional Go player.

The air was thick with tension, almost suffocating.

Even Zheng Qin felt the weight of this atmosphere pressing down on him.

"Please guide me."

"Please guide me."

After the customary exchange of greetings, Zheng Qin reached into the Go bowl.

He had won the turn order and would play Black; his opponent would play White.

Picking up a black stone, Zheng Qin placed it on the board.

Column 16, Row 4—Star Point.

Sitting across from him was a boy no older than thirteen. But the fact that he had fought his way into the finals spoke volumes about his talent.

The boy studied the board for a moment, then reached into his bowl, placed a white stone on the board—

Column 4, Row 16—Star Point!

Click. Click. Click…

Both players placed their stones at a steady pace. Even though it was just the opening, the long time control in this tournament allowed for careful consideration of every move.

Before long, more than ten moves had been played, and it was Zheng Qin’s turn again.

He fell silent, staring at the board.

That game.

The game he had watched at the High School Go League.

It had been over a week, but he could still recall every move with perfect clarity.

That game had revealed an insurmountable gap—a distance so vast it made him feel utterly powerless.

Every move had felt like it was made from the summit of a thousand-foot peak. Every stone placed carried a weight that echoed like thunder, shaking the soul.

"Hah..."

Zheng Qin let out a long breath, then reached into the Go bowl again.

Click.

The stones clashed, producing a crisp sound.

He picked up a stone and stared at the intricate web of lines on the board.

"Yes, the gap is vast..."

But in the next instant, his eyes sharpened, his hand moving swiftly as he placed his stone.

"But should I let that distance keep me frozen in place?!"

Column 4, Row 17—Attachment to the Corner!

Rather than taking the conventional approach of a two-space jump against the opponent’s Small Knight Approach, Zheng Qin had chosen an entirely new variation—

The Star-Point Attachment!

This was the same move Yu Shao had played against Su Yiming in that unforgettable match!

"He attached directly?!"

The young boy across from Zheng Qin was stunned, his face full of disbelief.

Zheng Qin met his gaze, his eyes blazing like a lion awakening from its slumber.

"I will keep moving forward."

"Step by step, relentlessly onward!"

"They may have walked further than me, but in doing so, they have paved the road ahead. I will walk faster!"

"I will become a professional Go player—climbing ever higher, until I reach the absolute peak!"