I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 290: What Kind of Game Will They Play This Time?

Evening, Jiangling.

In a quiet Go room, Zhuang Weisheng sat face-to-face with Zhuang Fei.

“This cut here is problematic.”

Zhuang Weisheng pointed to a black stone on the board and said slowly, “You were too eager to counterattack. This cut looks severe—it splits White into two weak groups—but you’re exposing your own shape as well.”

He began laying out a variation on the board.

“If you had played a dig here instead, you would’ve cut off my White stones' connection. If White tried to escape, Black could’ve suppressed them completely.”

“White wouldn’t have died, but their development would’ve been seriously restricted.”

Zhuang Fei listened intently, studying the board and the sequence Zhuang Weisheng demonstrated. A thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

“And here,” Zhuang Weisheng continued, “you played too conservatively. You avoided a complex fight, but by constantly backing off, you gave White too much.”

Just then, Zhuang Weisheng’s phone rang, cutting his words short. He glanced at the caller ID, then picked up. “Hello?”

“Mr. Zhuang Weisheng, I... I’d like to show you a game record.”

A young voice came from the other end. After a moment’s hesitation, he added, “It’s the game played today between Yu Shao, 2-dan, and Pan Xi, 8-dan, in the National Master Tournament.”

At the mention of “Yu Shao,” Gu Chuan blinked and instinctively looked at Le Haoqiang.

Le Haoqiang didn’t say much—he just replied into the phone, “Send it over.”

“Alright, I’ll send it right now.”

The young man hung up quickly.

A moment later, Le Haoqiang’s phone vibrated. He received the game record.

He cleared the stones off the board, then opened the file and studied it for a moment. Soon after, he reached into the Go bowl and began laying out the game.

Tap. Tap. Tap...

Across from him, Lai Sha watched the board carefully. Before long, Black and White had mirrored the layout from that game: White’s low extension, Yu Shao’s low approach, then White’s two-space low pincer, followed by Yu Shao’s jump...

But as he watched, Gu Chuan’s expression subtly changed.

White’s moves were slow and deliberate, yet they revealed the weaknesses in Lai Sha’s shape. White grasped the advantage and started building territory with thickness, aiming for a massive framework.

As Le Haoqiang silently continued reconstructing the game, Gu Chuan’s face changed again.

“This...”

And as more stones hit the board, Lai Sha’s expression grew increasingly shocked.

Gu Chuan stared blankly at the board, disbelief flooding his eyes. He couldn’t help but mutter, “How is this possible?”

“White’s pace was so slow, but... they didn’t lose momentum. White actually—”

He was flustered. “Actually failed to complete the framework?!”

Le Haoqiang didn’t answer. He just kept placing stones.

Finally, when the last White stone was set and the game record ended, Zhuang Weisheng also stopped.

The outcome was clear: Black had no chance to recover. The gap was too wide. Continuing the game would’ve been pointless—resignation was the only option.

Zhuang Weisheng stared at the dense battlefield on the board, brows unconsciously furrowed.

—

After that round of the National Master Tournament, Yu Shao didn’t return to school. He rested at home for two days. On the third day, he received a call from the Go Association.

“The main player selection match is the day after tomorrow?” Yu Shao asked.

“Yes,” the staff member explained, “Though the Team Tournament is a best-of-three, and technically the board order doesn’t matter...”

“Still, most teams arrange players based on skill—from the first board to the fifth. So the Association wants to organize a main player selection match.”

“Of course, it’s not part of the main event—just an internal match. It won’t count toward your official record, and there’s no appearance fee.”

Yu Shao replied politely, “Got it. Thank you.”

“No problem,” the staff member chuckled and hung up.

Yu Shao put down his phone and stared at the board in front of him. After a moment, he reached into the bowl, took out a White stone, and placed it gently on the board.

This was a game Su Yiming had played recently against Yin Qisheng in the Go Master Tournament.

“That jump move... absolutely brilliant.”

Yu Shao’s gaze dropped as he studied the White stone he had just placed.

He hadn’t seen it coming. It had that otherworldly brilliance only the best players could touch—part spiritual, part celestial. That one move had crushed Black.

After a while, he cleared the board and started replaying another game—Su Yiming’s match against Cao Hanyu, 8-dan.

“That attach—on the surface it was aggressive, but really it harmonized the entire board.”

---

Two days passed.

Inside a spacious playing room at the Southern Go Association, Qin Lang, Le Haoqiang, and Gu Chuan were eating breakfast and chatting.

“I thought I was gonna be matched against Che Wenyu,” Gu Chuan said as he bit into a youtiao, laughing. “But he slipped and lost to Zhou Wei.”

“I seriously thought I was gonna lose to Zhou Wei too. Then—bam—one flash of inspiration, and that atari I played? Pure genius!”

“Blowing your own trumpet again?”

Qin Lang raised an eyebrow. “You still lost to Le Haoqiang after that. Che Wenyu beat Le Haoqiang.”

“Come on!”

Gu Chuan shot him a glare. “Can’t you let me have one cool moment?”

Le Haoqiang snorted, looking at Qin Lang. “How do you manage to offend two people with one sentence?”

“Can’t even speak the truth anymore?”

Qin Lang sipped his soy milk, then looked at Gu Chuan. “After watching Yu Shao and Su Yiming play, don’t you think it’s a little embarrassing that you nearly lost to Zhou Wei?”

Gu Chuan and Le Haoqiang fell silent.

Gu Chuan leaned against the window, chewing on his youtiao, and muttered, “This match today—it’ll decide who’s the main player.”

“Honestly, I admire both of them. They’re insanely strong. Can’t believe I’ve lived to genuinely admire two people my own age.”

Qin Lang frowned. “Don’t admire them too much, or you’ll never beat them.”

“I know.”

Gu Chuan’s voice was odd. “I want to beat them. But... I also want to see them play a move so far beyond me, it crushes me.”

That stunned both Qin Lang and Le Haoqiang.

“Maybe I’m just a masochist,” Gu Chuan smiled, gazing out the window. “I want to witness a move that’s out of my reach.”

“I want to see what a game I can’t even comprehend looks like.”

“If seeing that kind of move means I’ll never beat them in my life... I’m still willing.”

After that, Gu Chuan seemed a little embarrassed and changed the subject quickly. “Why’s the weather so gross today? Feels stuffy. Is it gonna rain?”

Qin Lang and Le Haoqiang exchanged glances but didn’t call him out. They looked out the window too.

Today’s weather in Jiangling was grim—thick clouds shrouded everything in gray. A downpour seemed inevitable.

Maybe it was the gloom, but the three of them fell into silence, quietly finishing breakfast.

---

Soon, the playing room’s door creaked open, and a figure walked in.

All three of them turned, expecting Yu Shao or Su Yiming.

Instead, it was a bald, well-built man in a suit.

“Teacher Lu Bo.”

Hong Leju greeted him first. Lai Sha and Bai Zi quickly followed suit.

Qin Lang nodded at him, then quietly found a seat and sat down.

A few minutes later, the door opened again. This time, a thin woman in her early 80s entered—sharp-eyed, well-dressed in a suit.

Lai Sha and the others recognized her instantly.

Hong Leju, 9-dan.

Seeing Lu Bo already seated, she smiled. “Didn’t expect you to get here before me.”

Lu Bo pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered her one. “I live closer to the Go Academy.”

She accepted it and sat down across from him, lighting up.

“Terrible weather today,” she said.

“Yeah,” Lu Bo sighed. “Hope it doesn’t actually rain. I didn’t bring an umbrella.”

Le Haoqiang and the others exchanged looks.

This playing room wasn’t scheduled for any matches today except for the main player selection. So why were top players like Hong Leju and Lu Bo here?

Soon, another man entered—glasses, early 30s.

Seeing the others, he frowned slightly.

“Teacher Luo Yaoguang, you’re here too?”

Lu Bo greeted him with a chuckle. “I heard your win against Ruan Shi, 8-dan, was amazing.”

“You weren’t too shabby yourself, beating Teacher Li Jun,” Luo replied as he found a seat. “Looks like you’re in good form this year. Coincidentally, so am I.”

Tension instantly filled the room.

Four years ago, Luo Yaoguang held the Meijin title—but lost it to Lu Bo the following year. The rivalry had lasted ever since.

A bit later, another man entered—sharp-eyed, lean.

Chen Shan, 9-dan.

Le Haoqiang and the others were speechless.

Then more and more players filed in—high and low ranks, male and female. Among them were Zheng Qin, Xu Zijin, and Wu Zhixuan.

Each time a player arrived and saw how packed the room was, they looked stunned.

But eventually, everyone took a seat.

Then, another figure appeared—and this time, even Le Haoqiang, Qin Lang, and Gu Chuan were floored.

Even Hong Leju and Lu Bo looked surprised.

“Teacher Zhuang Weisheng, you came too?”

Lu Bo greeted him in surprise. “Haven’t seen you since the Challenge Match two months ago.”

Zhuang nodded and sat near him. “Didn’t expect to see so many familiar faces here.”

“No one expected it,” Qin Lang muttered, exhaling smoke. “But after seeing their Hero’s Pride Cup game, it’s natural to be curious about this one.”

“Their match was a masterpiece,” Lu Bo said. “Like your game with An Hongshi—it changed the course of Go.”

“But that was you and An Hongshi,” he added with a smile. “These two...”

He paused, then took a drag and exhaled slowly.

“What kind of game will they play today?”

Zhuang was silent for a while. Then he replied, “That’s what I want to know too.”

Their voices were low, barely audible—only Hong Leju nearby could hear.

Still, seeing legends like Zhuang Weisheng, Lu Bo, Hong Leju, and Chen Shan all gathered in this room... no one could stay calm.

This wasn’t even an official match—just an internal selection. No prize. No record.

And yet... the attention it had drawn was beyond anyone’s expectations.

“Just what kind of game will this be?”

That thought echoed in everyone’s mind.

—

At last, a figure appeared at the door, catching everyone’s attention—even Zhuang Weisheng turned.

Su Yiming entered the room.

Seeing the crowd, he showed no reaction. Calmly, he walked to the center table and sat down.

The room quieted.

Then Yu Shao arrived.

He scanned the room—Zhuang Weisheng, Chen Shan, Xu Zijin, Wu Zhixuan, Zheng Qin...

His gaze finally locked onto Su Yiming.

Then he stepped forward and sat across from him.

With both players seated, all whispers died out.

Tap. Tap. Tap...

Outside, the sound of rain finally began to fall.

Jiangling—was raining at last.

Maybe it was the gloomy weather, or maybe something else—but a strange pressure filled the air.

“Rain? And no umbrella? F***ing weather...”

Ma Zhengyu, soaked to the bone, cursed under his breath as he hurried toward the match room.

He was today’s referee—since this wasn’t an official match, there was only one.

When he left home, the sky had just been cloudy—but it darkened fast. He’d sensed a bad omen and picked up his pace.

Still, the rain caught him.

Now drenched, he finally reached the room—and froze.

He even spotted Zhuang Weisheng inside.

“What the h***?”

Ma checked the room number—Table 7. He was in the right place.

Taking a deep breath, he walked in.

Zhuang Weisheng nodded at him. Ma nodded back, instinctively quiet.

He moved to the front and looked at the two players.

Five minutes to go.

It felt like a long five minutes.

Though the room was packed, it was silent. Only the sound of raindrops tapping on the floor echoed like the sound of stones falling.

Everyone waited.

Finally, the time arrived.

Ma Zhengyu looked at Yu Shao and Su Yiming.

It was just a selection match. Just one referee.

But somehow, he felt solemn. Under pressure.

He took a deep breath and declared:

“Match time!”

“Each player has two hours. Overtime is one minute. 7.5-point komi to White.”

Another deep breath.

“Please begin the turn-order draw.”