I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 31: It Really Can Shine?

Wu Shuheng took a moment to calm his emotions. Lowering his head, he studied the Go board for a long time before finally picking up a piece and placing it down.

Click.

The sound of the Go piece hitting the board echoed.

After Wu Shuheng's black stone was played, Xu Zijin immediately followed with her move, her expression focused and serious.

Wu Shuheng frowned, deliberating briefly before placing another piece.

Click.

Click.

Click.

The steady rhythm of the stones hitting the board filled the air.

The audience of students below the stage watched the match intently. Some were so engrossed that they couldn't help but swallow nervously.

"Hey, do you feel like... Xu Zijin becomes a completely different person when she's playing Go?" someone asked quietly, shielding their mouth with the back of their hand.

"You feel that too?"

The classmate being asked glanced up at Xu Zijin on the stage, visibly shaken, and nodded slightly. "Her presence is overwhelming. Even though I don't really understand the game, I can't help but feel stifled by her aura."

"Exactly... When Xu Zijin is playing, it feels like nothing else matters to her. She’s entirely absorbed in the game, as if everything else in the world is irrelevant."

Another classmate chimed in, equally stunned as they watched Xu Zijin. "Even just looking at her, you can feel the pressure. Compared to before, she seems even more distant and unreachable!"

If the old Xu Zijin felt like someone who merely kept people at arm's length, this Xu Zijin now radiated a chilling indifference. She seemed cold, utterly detached.

On the big screen, the game continued to progress!

Sweat began to bead on Wu Shuheng’s forehead as he stared at the board.

At this point, the battle had escalated to a bloody confrontation in the center of the board. Neither side was holding back; both aimed to crush the other completely!

Although Wu Shuheng could see traces of inexperience in some of Xu Zijin’s moves—occasional missteps that showed her immaturity—every one of her black stones exuded an undeniable brilliance, placing immense pressure on him.

"Mr. Wu—"

The photographer standing behind Wu Shuheng hesitated. He had intended to remind Wu that he had spent too much time on this game, but when he noticed the beads of sweat on Wu Shuheng’s brow, he swallowed his words and kept quiet.

Finally, after another seven or eight moves, Xu Zijin paused to think again instead of immediately making her next move.

Wu Shuheng let out a breath of relief, wiping the sweat from his face as he moved to the next board.

He glanced at the board briefly before quickly placing a move.

Click.

Row 8, Column 17—a pincer attack!

"He played here?"

Watching from below, Wu Zhixuan looked surprised at the move displayed on the screen. "That... doesn’t look like a move a professional player would make against an amateur opponent."

As a professional Go player, when facing an amateur, one would typically make solid moves in the center area, rather than resorting to sharp, aggressive plays like a pincer attack.

This pincer, while an excellent move, felt ruthless—a choice made to secure victory at any cost.

"But why? The opponent is clearly weaker. Why would Wu Shuheng, as a professional, resort to such tactics?"

"He feels the pressure and wants to end things quickly..." Wu Zhixuan murmured, seeing through her brother's intentions.

Wu Shuheng was already feeling the strain from his matches with Xu Zijin and Yu Shao. He needed to wrap up the other games as fast as possible so he could devote more attention to those two challenging boards.

"My brother... he no longer has absolute confidence that he can win all the games..."

As the pieces flew across the board, the student facing Wu Shuheng stared at the game with a flushed face, realizing the situation was becoming increasingly dire.

Wu Shuheng continued moving from one board to the next, abandoning his earlier style. Instead, he relentlessly pressed his opponents, every move fierce and merciless. His goal was clear: to eliminate them as quickly as possible.

Finally, Wu Shuheng returned to the board against Yu Shao.

"An extension?"

Wu Shuheng raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.

Yu Shao, who had been deliberating for a long time earlier, had simply chosen a basic extension when it was finally his turn. Wu had expected a more complex move but found Yu's decision to be simple yet flawless.

Without hesitation, Wu Shuheng picked up a stone and placed it down.

Click.

Row 5, Column 14—a seal.

Yu Shao, unfazed, immediately placed another piece on the board.

Wu Shuheng paused for a moment before making his next move.

Suddenly, Yu Shao’s pace picked up. His moves now came as fast as in the opening phase of the game.

But Wu Shuheng no longer dared to match Yu Shao's speed. Nor did he rely solely on his intuition to play.

The current game had reached an extremely complex state due to the ongoing ko fight. Every move required deep calculation and repeated value assessments before placement.

Click.

Click.

After seven or eight more moves, it was Yu Shao’s turn again.

Clatter.

Yu Shao calmly stared at the board as his right hand reached into the bowl of stones, the sound of the pieces colliding crisp and clear. Slowly, he picked one out.

The next moment, he raised his hand and decisively placed the stone down.

Smack!

Row 8, Column 15—a hane!

The sound of this stone landing seemed deafening in Wu Shuheng's ears, like thunder crashing down!

"This..."

"This is..."

Wu Shuheng’s pupils contracted to pinpoints as he stared in disbelief at the lone black stone that had boldly invaded his white formation.

He hadn’t anticipated this move—a single black stone fearlessly diving into the heart of the white territory.

If the white stones closed in and captured it, the black stone would perish instantly.

But…

That stone had been placed with the resolve of certain death, like a martyr singing a tragic song of valor!

For the sake of ultimate victory, it willingly sacrificed itself!

"If I capture it, my formation will become flawed. The black stones will immediately launch a fierce offensive on the right flank, overwhelming me with an unstoppable attack!"

"But if I don’t capture it..."

Unbeknownst to himself, sweat had soaked through Wu Shuheng's back. His eyes were glued to the board, unwilling to blink.

"Then the black stones might initiate another ko fight here. This game would then have two simultaneous ko fights! The situation would become unimaginably chaotic!"

"My white stones... are already paralyzed!"

Below the stage, Zhou De stared dumbfounded at the game displayed on the big screen, unable to say a word.

He had been closely following Yu Shao’s match, thinking that Yu's reckless ko fight earlier was nothing short of a joke, given his lack of ko threats.

But Yu Shao's recent hane felt like a heavy hammer, pounding Zhou De's mind until it buzzed.

If the game developed into a double ko fight, the usual outcome would be each side neutralizing one ko.

But the problem was that no matter which ko was resolved, the result would be unacceptable for the white stones!

As Zhou De stared at the board, he found himself momentarily hallucinating—was that black stone... glowing?

"Turns out... Go pieces really can... shine?"