I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 136: The Reason to Keep Fighting

By 5 PM, after a grueling seven-hour battle, the final match of the third round had finally come to an end.

"I lost."

Staring at the board, Pu Weize slowly lowered his head and placed his stones back into the bowl, conceding defeat.

Across from him, Bai Jingchuan was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling. His face was drenched in cold sweat.

Even though he had won, even though he was the victor, he felt no joy—only the lingering shock of barely surviving.

—

"After counting the 7.5 komi, Black wins by… half a point."

—

Since this was the final match of the day, everyone had gathered to watch.

They had all witnessed the full seven-hour battle with their own eyes.

It had been an evenly matched game from the very first move.

The midgame was a relentless clash of strategies—sometimes White would gain a slight advantage, only for Black to fiercely fight back, keeping the game neck and neck.

And in the end, the match came down to the final endgame calculations.

The result—

Pu Weize lost by half a point.

—

This was Pu Weize's second loss in the finals.

And that meant elimination.

He couldn’t continue any further.

For younger players, being eliminated wasn’t the end—they could always come back next year.

But Pu Weize was already twenty-nine years old.

This loss wasn’t just another setback—it was the end of his dream of becoming a professional player.

—

A heavy silence filled the room.

Pu Weize stood still for a moment before slowly rising from his seat.

Immediately, the surrounding players stepped aside, making way for him without a word.

Pu Weize walked out of the match room, took a deep breath in the hotel lobby, then continued toward the main entrance.

—

Just then, Jiang Xiahua—who had just returned from dinner—walked into the hotel.

When he saw Pu Weize approaching, he blinked in surprise.

"Pu-ge, your match ended?"

Pu Weize stopped in his tracks and nodded.

"Yeah. It’s over."

"Who won?"

Jiang Xiahua couldn’t help but ask.

—

Pu Weize fell silent for a moment.

Then, he finally spoke.

"I lost."

—

Jiang Xiahua froze.

—

He remembered—Pu Weize’s opponent this round was Bai Jingchuan.

They were both in the losers' bracket.

That meant—whoever lost would be eliminated.

And Pu Weize was already twenty-nine.

—

"Pu-ge…"

Jiang Xiahua opened his mouth, wanting to offer some kind of comfort.

But he didn’t know what to say.

—

"Come on."

Pu Weize chuckled, seeing through Jiang Xiahua’s thoughts.

"I’m thirteen years older than you—why do I need you to comfort me?"

—

"I really gave it my all."

"But in the end, I was still a move short. If my skills weren’t good enough, then losing is just something I have to accept."

—

Jiang Xiahua didn’t know how to respond.

He felt like Pu Weize was forcing himself to stay calm.

After all—

Getting eliminated was painful no matter how you looked at it.

And for Pu Weize, this was his last chance.

—

"Really, it’s fine."

Pu Weize shook his head.

"That game… I played to the best of my ability. I have no regrets."

"I was completely satisfied with my performance. Losing under those circumstances… there's nothing to be unwilling about."

—

"People have always asked me—why do I keep trying to get my professional rank at this age?"

"After all, if I still haven't made it by now, it must mean I just don’t have the talent."

"For the longest time, I didn’t know how to answer that question."

"But after finishing that game just now… I finally understood."

"Maybe it’s because I was able to play like that—because I could fight in a game like that—that I never gave up, even at the age of twenty-nine."

—

Jiang Xiahua stood frozen in place.

—

Pu Weize patted him on the shoulder.

"Only a few rounds left. Keep going—I’ll be here until the tournament ends."

—

The Third Round Was Over.

Six players from the winners' bracket had fallen into the losers' bracket, leaving only seven players remaining at the top.

Twelve players from the losers' bracket had been eliminated, leaving just thirteen survivors.

—

Now, only twenty-six players were left in the tournament.

But in the end—

Only six players would earn a professional ranking.

—

Surprisingly, none of the already eliminated players had chosen to leave.

They all stayed at the venue—determined to witness the final results of this year's tournament with their own eyes.

—

The Next Day—

When Fang Haoxin walked into the match room, every single person turned to look at him.

Their gazes were filled with shock and disbelief.

—

It was obvious.

The news had already spread.

—

Yesterday—

Fang Haoxin had faced Su Yiming again.

And on the very first move—

He resigned.

—

He was Fang Haoxin.

How could he just… resign on the first move?

—

And because of that—

Both Fang Haoxin and Zhuang Fei had fallen into the losers' bracket.

They were supposed to be the two strongest players, expected to clash in the winners' finals.

Yet, they hadn’t even had a chance to face each other.

Instead—

They had both been knocked into the losers' bracket before they could even meet.

—

Now—

Would they end up facing each other in the losers' bracket instead?

—

The entire situation felt almost comically absurd.

Feeling the weight of everyone’s stares, Fang Haoxin lowered his head, silently finding an empty seat.

—

Once the drawings were complete, Ma Zhengyu announced:

"Players who drew Number 4 and Number 10, raise your hands."

—

"I’m Number 4!"

A sixteen-year-old in the winners' bracket immediately raised his hand, looking thrilled.

—

"And Number 10?"

Seeing no immediate response, Ma Zhengyu frowned slightly and repeated his question.

—

After a brief pause, Zhuang Fei finally raised his hand.

"I… I’m Number 10."

—

Ma Zhengyu nodded, noting down their names.

Then, he continued.

"Alright, players—please proceed to your assigned tables."

—

At those words—

All eyes turned to Yu Shao and Su Yiming.

—

Under everyone’s gaze, Yu Shao walked to Table 3 and pulled out a chair.

Meanwhile, Su Yiming headed straight for Table 1.

Seeing this, Jiang Xiahua let out a breath of relief and went to Table 2.

—

The already-eliminated players, though slightly disappointed that Yu Shao and Su Yiming weren’t facing off this round, quickly split into two groups—

One group gathered around Table 1, while the other group surrounded Table 3.

—

Soon, the crowds around both tables were completely packed.

—

Zhuang Fei gritted his teeth, staring at Yu Shao’s table.

Then, after a moment, he turned to look at Su Yiming’s match.

—

And finally—

He stepped toward Table 1.

—

"Time’s up!"

Not long after, Ma Zhengyu glanced at his wristwatch and announced in a deep voice:

"Each player will have three hours, with a one-minute countdown per move in overtime. Black gives a 7.5-point komi. Let’s begin the turn-order draw!"

Soon, the players had all determined their turn orders.

Then—

The sound of stones hitting the board began to echo through the match room.

Despite the crisp clarity of each placement, there was an undeniable sense of tension, like the clashing of swords before battle.

—

At Su Yiming’s table, the turn-order result was Su Yiming playing Black.

Zhuang Fei watched the board, observing the alternating placement of Black and White stones—

Yet, he couldn’t focus at all.

His mind was still haunted by his previous match against Yu Shao.

—

"After I played the 2-4 invasion… that completely insane two-space extension… and that sacrifice attack… None of it followed conventional logic…"

—

Every time he recalled Yu Shao’s moves, his teeth clenched tighter, his fists unconsciously tightening.

—

Click.

A stone was placed.

Row 13, Column 10—Two-Space Extension.

—

"Huh?"

That single move snapped Zhuang Fei back to reality.

—

"A two-space extension? That's incredibly strong!"

—

Zhuang Fei instantly recognized the power behind the move.

Black wasn’t just securing territory—

It was threatening White’s two stones above, while at the same time expanding into the lower-right corner, solidifying influence across the entire board.

—

Across from Su Yiming, his opponent's expression visibly tensed.

After a long period of thought, he finally placed a stone.

Click.

Row 13, Column 14—Connect.

—

White had chosen to reinforce its shape—

Building a strong structure while also eyeing Black’s weak points.

In this situation, it was the most tenacious response possible.

—

Su Yiming remained expressionless.

Without hesitation, he placed his next move.

Click. Click. Click…

Stone after stone landed on the board.

—

Watching the match, Zhuang Fei’s expression grew more serious.

—

"His ability to evaluate the board is incredibly fast—and scarily precise."

"Even though White's defense is extremely solid, Black's sudden invasion is both bold and shockingly effective!"

"At this rate… Black is going to claim the entire lower-right corner!"

—

As if on cue—

Ten moves later—

Black had completely secured the entire lower-right giant territory.

—

Then—

Five more moves passed.

Black’s turn again.

Su Yiming reached into his Go bowl, picked up a stone, and placed it lightly on the board.

Click.

Row 11, Column 14—Attach?

—

"Attach?"

Zhuang Fei blinked in surprise, staring at the board in confusion.

—

"This attach allows White to invade, doesn’t it?"

"Wouldn’t that let White launch a deadly attack on the corner?!"

—

Across from Su Yiming, his opponent also noticed this possibility.

Without hesitation, he placed his move quickly.

And immediately, Su Yiming responded.

Click. Click. Click…

The sound of rapid exchanges filled the air.

—

Zhuang Fei stared at the board.

Slowly, his eyes widened.

And he wasn’t the only one.

—

The other spectators, watching the match, had similar expressions of disbelief.

Their eyes were glued to the board, completely stunned.

—

"Wait a minute…!"

"Black wanted White to attack the corner!"

"White thought it had an opportunity to profit—but at the crucial moment, Black sacrificed its entire lower-right territory and struck with a sudden peep—completely flipping the game!"

—

"This was a trap—a meticulously planned, ten-layered ambush!"

—

"That attach move wasn’t casual—it was deliberate. He calculated every single variation ahead of time!"

—

"If White refuses to invade, then Black’s move naturally strengthens its own shape. But if White does invade, then White will be… completely trapped!"

—

Zhuang Fei stared blankly at the board, his mind buzzing.

"Impossible…"

—

Su Yiming had planned everything.

A trap within a trap.

A strategy that turned White’s own attack into its downfall.

—

Zhuang Fei gritted his teeth.

His grip on his Go bowl tightened.

He couldn’t accept this.

He refused to believe it.

But—

The truth was right in front of him.

—