I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 129: All for Nothing

Early in the morning, Yu Shao left his hotel room and took the elevator down to the lobby.

After the brutal battles of the main tournament, most of the other playing rooms had been cleared out, leaving only two—the final battlegrounds for both the men’s and women’s divisions.

Fifty players in each division, one hundred in total.

Here, they would fight for the twelve coveted spots to become professional Go players this year.

Every player who had made it this far had stepped over countless fallen opponents, emerging from a battlefield of thousands.

Not a single one was ordinary.

Each of them was worthy of being called a prodigy.

And none of them wanted to come all this way only to fail at the final step.

From the moment Yu Shao entered the playing room, he could sense that today’s atmosphere was different.

More oppressive.

More tense.

Mixed within it was a sense of uncertainty about the future—and an overwhelming desire to become a professional player.

One more step.

Just one more step, and they would become professionals.

It would prove that all the effort they had poured in, all the sacrifices they had made, were not in vain.

Yu Shao had arrived early, and there weren’t many players in the room yet.

But the moment he stepped inside, every single person looked at him.

To reach the finals meant being strong.

The weak had already been eliminated in the preliminaries and main tournament, left behind as stepping stones for the survivors.

Before, most had been curious about Yu Shao.

But now?

They were more wary than curious.

Yu Shao scanned the room briefly before finding an empty seat and sitting down.

For fairness, the matchups in the finals were not determined by the tournament system.

Instead, players would draw lots to determine their opponents.

Until the drawing was complete, there were no assigned table numbers, so players could sit wherever they liked.

Soon, more and more players arrived.

Yu Shao recognized several familiar faces—Wan Baihan, He Zhi’an, Qiao Anli, and Jiang Xiahua.

They all saw him as well, and while their expressions differed, every single one of them looked conflicted.

With each new arrival, the weight in the room grew heavier.

And when Zhuang Fei, Fang Haoxin, and Su Yiming finally entered, the pressure reached its peak.

No one spoke.

But nearly everyone was discreetly glancing at those three.

Especially Su Yiming.

His presence dominated the room.

Shock.

Apprehension.

Fear.

Those emotions were evident in every gaze directed at him.

Everyone had known Zhuang Fei and Fang Haoxin were strong—that had been a certainty even before the tournament began.

But Su Yiming?

His sudden rise had caught everyone off guard.

“That’s Su Yiming?”

Zhuang Fei narrowed his eyes, staring intently at him.

Subconsciously, he clenched his jaw, and a memory surfaced in his mind—Ma Zhengyu’s words from before.

"But that was a teaching game!"

“What kind of joke is that?!”

Even now, Zhuang Fei struggled to believe it.

Was it really possible for anyone to be strong enough to give Fang Haoxin a teaching game—and at the Go Promotion Tournament, no less?!

He turned toward Fang Haoxin, but his rival had his eyes closed, his expression unreadable.

Meanwhile, Su Yiming casually glanced around the room.

His gaze briefly landed on Yu Shao, but upon seeing that the seat across from him was already occupied, he looked away.

Then, after taking a deep breath, he quietly chose an empty seat and sat down.

Once all the finalists had arrived, Ma Zhengyu entered the room with another referee, accompanied by several reporters and cameramen.

At his arrival, everyone immediately straightened up, holding their breath.

Ma Zhengyu scanned the room, his gaze pausing for a split second on Su Yiming before quickly moving on.

After ensuring that all 25 tables were filled, he cleared his throat and spoke.

“Everyone is here. Now… let’s begin the drawing. The player at Table One will start.”

The two players at Table One immediately stood up, their faces serious as they walked over to the referee’s table and reached into the box to draw their lot numbers.

Then, the second table.

The third.

One by one, the drawing continued.

When it was Yu Shao’s turn at Table Eight, he walked forward, picked a lot from the box, and returned to his seat.

Once the drawing was completed, Ma Zhengyu called out, “Who drew number one? Please take your seat at Table One.”

Two players stood up and moved to their assigned table.

This process repeated until all players had settled at their designated spots.

Yu Shao had drawn number six.

As soon as his number was called, he walked toward Table Six, where his opponent was already waiting.

The moment he saw who it was, he paused in surprise.

Across from him sat Pu Weize.

The nearly thirty-year-old man whom Jiang Xiahua had mentioned to him before—the man for whom this was his last chance at professional status.

When Pu Weize noticed Yu Shao looking at him, he simply gave him a silent nod.

Yu Shao returned the nod respectfully.

With all players now seated, the atmosphere in the room grew even heavier.

Especially those who had drawn Su Yiming, Zhuang Fei, or Fang Haoxin as their opponents.

Their expressions were grim.

"Alright, time to begin!"

Less than five minutes later, Ma Zhengyu checked his watch and announced:

“Each player has three hours of main time, with a one-minute overtime countdown. Black gives a 7.5-point komi. Let’s start the nigiri.”

The sound of stones colliding rang out in the room, followed by the murmured exchanges of traditional pre-game courtesies.

And then—

The snap of the first move landing on a board.

Instantly, the already tense atmosphere turned even sharper.

The cameramen and reporters positioned themselves at different angles, capturing footage of the players.

One particular reporter—sporting a thick beard—snapped a few photos, then suddenly shook his head and walked out of the room.

“Old Zhang, leaving already?”

Ma Zhengyu, recognizing him, called out.

Zhang Feng forced a wry smile. “The atmosphere here is way too suffocating. I can’t take it—I need some fresh air. I’ll come back later.”

Ma Zhengyu fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

After Zhang Feng left, Ma Zhengyu turned back to observe the players, his eyes lingering briefly on Zhuang Fei, Fang Haoxin, and Su Yiming.

Then, he let out a slow, heavy sigh.

"Every year, the Go Promotion Tournament is already nerve-wracking enough.

"But with those three here… even more people will leave empty-handed this year."

And at that thought, his heart felt inexplicably heavy.

There were times when Ma Zhengyu resented the cruelty and harshness of the Go Promotion Tournament.

So many people poured everything into this dream, yet only a handful could achieve it.

Ma Zhengyu took a deep breath, gazing across the playing room at all the young players.

“Most of you may never become professional players.”

“But even so, when you look at the dazzling moves you’ve played—moves that shine brilliantly on the board—you’ll realize that all the effort you put in for this day… was not for nothing!”

After saying this, his eyes landed on Su Yiming.

After a brief moment of thought, Ma Zhengyu began walking toward him.

Soon, he stood behind Su Yiming, silently observing the unfolding match.

Table Six

"He played a small knight’s approach instead of the high approach?"

Pu Weize frowned as he studied the board.

The game had developed into a diagonal small-point double star formation.

As Black, he had secured an Unassailable Corner.

But instead of playing a high approach, White had opted for a small knight’s approach.

Instinctively, Pu Weize glanced at Yu Shao sitting across from him.

However, Yu Shao’s expression remained perfectly calm, his gaze steady on the board, revealing nothing.

Shaking his head, Pu Weize pushed aside the distractions and refocused.

He wasn’t going to underestimate his opponent just because of an unexpected opening move.

"Anyone who has made it this far isn’t weak. Even if his opening theory has flaws, his midgame strength must be terrifying. I can’t let my guard down for even a second."

Without hesitation, Pu Weize reached into his stone container, placed a stone on the board, and responded.

Move at Row 17, Column 11—Two-Space Extension!

"Again, diagonal small-point Unassailable Corner..."

Yu Shao studied the board before swiftly placing his own move.

Move at Row 15, Column 16—Flying Press!

The game quickly escalated.

Move after move, both players continued placing stones, their battle unfolding across the board.

Yet as time passed, Pu Weize’s serious expression began to shift.

Confusion.

Then disbelief.

Then… cold sweat.

After another few moves, sweat slowly formed on Pu Weize’s forehead.

His fingers trembled slightly as he picked up another stone.

"Why is White’s pace so fast?! My Black stones—my overall development potential—are being completely restricted?!"

Over Two Hours Later

“I… lost.”

Bai Jingchuan gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and reluctantly admitted defeat.

His frustration was evident on his face.

He had studied Zhuang Fei’s past games before.

Zhuang Fei was strong, but Bai Jingchuan hadn’t thought he was unbeatable.

If he played at his best, he believed he could win.

But the moment Zhuang Fei sat across from him, the moment their battle began—he finally understood.

Understood just how deep the gap between them truly was.

Zhuang Fei was only thirteen years old, yet his understanding of thickness and influence was already astonishing.

During their midgame fight, Bai Jingchuan made just one slightly slow move.

And in that instant, Zhuang Fei seized the opening and relentlessly attacked.

The pressure was unrelenting.

He chased Bai Jingchuan across the board, pressing him into a corner.

Until, finally—Bai Jingchuan had no choice but to resign.

Seeing Bai Jingchuan place his stones on the board in surrender, Zhuang Fei didn’t even spare him a glance.

Instead, his eyes immediately turned toward another table.

Su Yiming’s table.

The game there wasn’t over yet.

Without hesitation, Zhuang Fei stood up and strode toward Su Yiming’s board.