I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 197: Are You Guys Having a Team-Building Event Here?

Three days later, at the Southern Go Association—

The National Master Tournament qualifiers had begun once again.

Unlike usual, when the professional players arrived at the playing room today, they all seemed distracted, frequently glancing toward the entrance.

The match schedule for the qualifiers had been released three days ago. Ever since Yu Shao had defeated Tong Lecheng, every opponent he faced became the center of attention—this round was no exception.

Everyone knew exactly who Yu Shao’s opponent would be today.

A fellow amateur player who had secured a flawless record in last year’s promotion tournament and, in just a year and a half, had carved his way from the low-dan divisions all the way up to the high-dan matches—

Zheng Qin, 3-dan!

Zheng Qin was currently twenty years old. Reaching the high-dan matches at that age wasn’t unheard of—Zhang Dongchen had even reached 9-dan by twenty-one and claimed a title that same year.

But the key difference was that just a year and a half ago, Zheng Qin had only just become a professional. He wasn’t even one of those dojo-trained prodigies. He had suffered his first professional loss to a mere 2-dan player, yet within a year, he was competing at the high-dan level!

“Didn’t expect his luck to be so bad, running into Zheng Qin this early.”

A brown-haired young man looked at the currently empty Table 10 and secretly let out a breath of relief.

“Well, at least he’s facing Zheng Qin. If it were someone else, they might not be able to stop him. Looks like his streak will end before he meets Su Yiming…”

“But really, it’s about time. Thirteen straight wins—these two first-dan players are terrifying.”

Thinking about it, his mood grew heavy.

He had originally thought Tong Lecheng would put an end to Yu Shao’s run, yet Yu Shao had won. Then he went on to claim two more victories, making everyone feel an overwhelming sense of pressure.

If it weren’t for the misfortune of running into Zheng Qin this round, Yu Shao might have kept winning.

But even if Yu Shao lost today, his strength was already far above that of a player like himself, who had been a professional for three years yet remained stuck at 3-dan.

“Looks like only a true genius can stop another genius,” the brown-haired player mused.

Many shared his thoughts.

However, Hong Shengchen, sitting at Table 22, was staring toward Table 10 with a much more serious expression—unlike the others, he wasn’t feeling optimistic at all.

Most people were estimating Yu Shao’s skill based only on his victory over Tong Lecheng. But Hong Shengchen had watched that entire game from start to finish, move by move!

Even now, when he recalled the moment White played a 3-3 invasion twice in a row, then played a tenuki to attach elsewhere, he still felt utterly shaken.

“That attachment move… it was as if the heavens had blessed it…”

“If that game wasn’t just a fluke—if that was his actual level—”

Hong Shengchen’s heart pounded as he reached a terrifying conclusion: Even someone as strong as Zheng Qin might not necessarily win!

“This match could go either way… this is going to be a brutal fight.”

Le Haoqiang had an ominous premonition—today’s game would be far beyond his expectations.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have a match today, which meant he wouldn’t be able to witness it firsthand.

“Who will win in the end…?”

Inside the playing room, everyone had different thoughts. But one thing was certain: this match had captured everyone’s attention like never before.

At that moment, a seventy-something-year-old man hurriedly walked into the playing room, immediately drawing everyone’s gaze.

“Sheng Ziyan, 7-dan?”

Seeing Sheng Ziyan enter, the players were slightly surprised.

After all, he wasn’t competing in the National Master Tournament today. Even if he were, he wouldn’t be in this particular playing room.

Was he here specifically to watch Yu Shao versus Zheng Qin?

They remembered that Sheng Ziyan had paid special attention to Yu Shao’s match against Tong Lecheng. But for some reason, after that game, he hadn’t watched any of Yu Shao’s subsequent matches.

Just as Sheng Ziyan entered, another figure—a lean, twenty-something-year-old player—walked in right behind him.

The crowd froze.

“Xi Ye, 7-dan?”

But it didn’t stop there.

After Xi Ye walked in, a third player, seemingly around twenty-five years old, followed.

Then a fourth.

A fifth.

A sixth…

The entire room was stunned, their gazes locked onto the entrance.

“He Yu, 6-dan… Tan Han, 5-dan… Chu Zhize, 6-dan… Wu Boming, 7-dan… Du Yongqiang, 8-dan?!”

The players were completely dumbfounded as they watched a wave of top professionals enter the playing room.

What were all these professionals from Shou Zhuo Dojo doing here?

Are you guys having a team-building event?!

Even though they didn’t want to admit it, the only reason all these players were here today was to watch Yu Shao versus Zheng Qin!

Not long after, another player walked in—this time, a tanned, sharp-eyed teenager.

“Le Wuqiang, 5-dan?”

The room grew even more chaotic.

“Is he here because Yu Shao is also competing in the Young Prodigies Cup? Does he see Yu Shao as a threat?”

“No way. He recently defeated Zhu Xinyuan, 9-dan, and almost made it into the Ten-Dan Title Match as a 5-dan. He’s one of the top contenders for the Young Prodigies Cup championship. How could he possibly see Yu Shao as a threat?”

“Maybe it’s not about Yu Shao—it could be about Zheng Qin. Zheng Qin might actually pose a challenge to him.”

“…Or maybe it’s both?”

When Le Wuqiang walked in and spotted Sheng Ziyan’s group, he froze for a moment.

Sheng Ziyan’s group also looked surprised to see him.

The room was now filled with professional players eyeing each other. The tension was palpable.

And yet, the two main players hadn’t even arrived yet.

The air grew heavy. Everyone kept glancing at the door, waiting for Yu Shao and Zheng Qin to enter.

Finally, after a few more minutes, a young figure appeared at the entrance.

Instantly, every single gaze in the room locked onto him.

One of the main players had arrived.

Yu Shao entered, glanced at Table 10, and saw that both seats were still empty. Zheng Qin wasn’t here yet.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire room, Yu Shao walked over, pulled out his chair, and sat down, quietly waiting.

Time crawled by. The tension grew unbearable. Players alternated between staring at Yu Shao and watching the door.

For some reason, time suddenly felt much slower.

Then, finally—

In the midst of the silent anticipation, Zheng Qin appeared at the entrance.

He had arrived.

Standing at the door, Zheng Qin looked toward Table 10.

Upon spotting Yu Shao, he clenched his right fist and took a deep breath. His eyes sharpened—there was even a hint of coldness in them.

Under everyone’s gaze, he strode forward, pulled out his chair, and sat down across from Yu Shao.

At last, both players were in place.

For some reason, seeing them face each other, the entire room felt an inexplicable sense of pressure—as if a storm was about to erupt.

This was just a qualifier, yet it felt like a title match.

“Finally, I get to play against you again,” Zheng Qin said. “It’s been almost two years since our last game.”

Hearing this, Yu Shao felt a strange mix of emotions.

It really had been two years.

Back then, right after he had transmigrated, Zheng Qin was his very first opponent in this world. He never imagined that Zheng Qin would rise to this level.

“You beat Qin Haisheng, 7-dan, and made it into the Regional Team Tournament’s main event,” Yu Shao said, smiling. “Congrats.”

“Thanks. That match was incredibly difficult.”

Zheng Qin shook his head. “If I played him again back then, I’m not sure I could’ve won.”

Yu Shao paused, sensing he had more to say.

Sure enough—

“But today—”

Zheng Qin lifted his gaze, eyes burning.

“If it’s me today, I can win.”

His pupils blazed like fire.

Yu Shao fell silent.

“I’ve waited for this game for one year and nine months.”

Zheng Qin lowered his eyes to the board.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about what our next match would be like… and now, the day has finally come.”

Then, he lifted his head again, staring straight at Yu Shao.

“Yu Shao, 1-dan—I will give this game everything I have. I will fight to the death.”

Yu Shao’s expression gradually turned serious.

“I understand, Zheng Qin, 3-dan.”

They only addressed each other by rank.

No warmth, no familiarity.

Because for this game, there was only one role they could play—

Mortal enemies.