I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 4: That High Schooler is Unbelievably Strong

After a brief moment of silence, the crowd finally started buzzing, accompanied by murmurs of disappointment.

"What the heck, turns out he doesn’t know how to play Go at all."

"I got so hyped for nothing just now, and this is what I get?"

"Even beginners should know that opening with a 3-3 Point is terrible. This kid probably only knows the basic rules of Go."

"Ugh, boring, I’m out."

Several spectators, seeing the 3-3 Point opening move, lost interest and even shook their heads before leaving, feeling this match was already decided.

Opening with a 3-3 Point? Is this a joke?

Anyone with a basic understanding of Go knows that the 3-3 Point is a shortsighted move.

Sure, the 3-3 Point secures territory and is solid in itself, gaining an immediate advantage, but this comes at the cost of allowing the opponent to develop an overwhelming position!

You have to understand, in the opening phase of Go, every move is critical—each can be worth more than 25 points in value.

Thus, starting with a 3-3 Point is undoubtedly a case of sacrificing the big picture for a small gain, a classic bad move.

Zheng Qin glanced at Yu Shao and found the situation amusing. He had almost started taking the game seriously earlier, but it was clear now—his opponent was just a total newbie.

"Alright, I’ll hold back a little then," Zheng Qin thought to himself. After a brief pause, he picked up another Go piece and gently placed it on the board.

Click.

Column 3, Row 4—block.

Yu Shao immediately followed, placing his own piece.

Column 4, Row 3—crawl.

Both players began to play rapidly. Black and white pieces fell alternately, and in the blink of an eye, they had played more than ten moves.

The crowd, watching the board, started to notice something peculiar. Their expressions shifted to disbelief.

"Something feels off."

"That kid... doesn’t seem like he doesn’t know how to play. In fact, his positioning is pretty solid!"

"Yeah, his moves might be unconventional and a bit odd, but they’re understandable. He definitely knows how to play Go, and his level seems pretty decent."

"Then why did he open with the 3-3 Point?"

"This… no clue."

"If he does know Go, opening with a 3-3 Point would practically be an insult to his opponent, wouldn’t it?"

"Who knows? Still, no matter how well he’s playing now, the disadvantage from that 3-3 opening is just too big. Once Zheng Qin’s position develops, it’ll be unstoppable."

Hearing this, several people nodded in agreement.

The opening 3-3 Point created too much of a handicap. Even if this high schooler had some skills, it’d be nearly impossible to overcome the gap—especially with someone like Zheng Qin sitting across the board.

Among the crowd, Xu Zijin remained silent, her brows slightly furrowed. Her bright eyes were fixed on the board, as if trying to find something.

For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that, while the board seemed calm on the surface, it actually hid turbulent undercurrents. Every time she imagined the board from the perspective of the white pieces, an overwhelming sense of danger loomed over her.

But why? She just couldn’t figure it out.

"Am I imagining things?"

However, Xu Zijin quickly dismissed the thought.

"No, it’s definitely not an illusion. There’s something here… something deeply hidden, some unimaginable peril!"

At that moment, Yu Shao picked up another black piece.

His hand, steady as a mountain, placed the piece down with a crisp, metallic sound.

Click.

Column 8, Row 12—cut.

"What?!"

"This… this move?"

"Is this for real? Black just went for a cut?"

The crowd erupted, gasping audibly. Faces filled with disbelief, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Even Xu Zijin was momentarily stunned when she saw the move.

Black had actually chosen to go on the offensive?

"How does he have the guts to do that?"

Someone couldn’t hold back and nearly shouted:

"Up until now, Black had secured territory through the 3-3 Point while White had been developing an overwhelming external position. With White’s influence so strong, Black should’ve focused on defending and counterattacking later!"

"After all, the territory from the 3-3 Point is solid. If Black waited patiently for White to make a mistake, he might’ve been able to bite back hard. Even with White’s dominant early lead, Black wouldn’t necessarily have no chance of winning!"

"But instead, he actually chose to attack???"

Not just him, no one else could understand Yu Shao's move either.

To them, Black at this moment was no better than a mad dog.

And White? A lion!

But now, this mad dog was baring its sharp fangs, aiming to sink them into the lion’s throat!

Zheng Qin froze when he saw the cut.

He had already picked up a piece and was about to place it, but his hand stopped mid-air.

"A… cut?"

After what felt like an eternity, Zheng Qin gave Yu Shao a deep look before finally playing his move.

Snap!

Column 7, Row 12—extend.

Right after Zheng Qin played, Yu Shao immediately responded. The two entered a flurry of rapid moves, with crisp clicking sounds echoing as the pieces fell.

But now, it was evident that the atmosphere had completely changed.

Earlier, during the opening phase, the spectators had been whispering to each other, commenting on every move. But now? Silence. Almost no one spoke.

Click.

Click.

Click.

The sound of pieces landing filled the air.

Everyone’s eyes were locked onto the board, their minds fully immersed in the match. Watching the pieces fall one by one felt like witnessing the clash of swords, a battlefield of cunning and ferocity.

The game had reached a point where every move triggered chain reactions, plunging into a life-or-death struggle of the fiercest intensity!

"Are you kidding me? I don’t even dare to breathe!"

No one knew how much time had passed before someone finally broke the silence. Even as he spoke, his eyes remained glued to the board.

"Same here," a young man next to him said, his face filled with awe. "This is incredible! Zheng Qin’s strength is expected, but that high schooler—he’s unbelievably strong!"

"White was going for a counterattack at Black’s critical points. Black should have chosen a standard connection but instead went for an unconventional attach. That forced White into retreat!"

"And when Black launched those relentless, life-risking attacks, White’s responses were impeccable. Especially that move where White ignored Black’s attack to play elsewhere and stick—it showed incredible strategic foresight! I’m completely blown away!"

"I even feel like I’m watching two professional Go players battling it out!"

Hearing this, someone immediately agreed: "For real, I felt the same! To think someone could hold their own against Zheng Qin like this—who is that kid? Is he from a dojo?"

"No, I heard he’s just a regular high schooler, not even amateur-dan certified," someone nearby replied.

"Impossible!"

The man’s eyes widened in disbelief. "A regular high schooler with no dan rank is playing like this? Going toe-to-toe with Zheng Qin?"

"Honestly, I don’t buy it either. How could a kid without professional training play at this level?"

Amid the crowd, Xu Zijin remained silent, her gaze fixed on the board. But in her heart, she rejected the idea others were floating around.

"Evenly matched?"

Xu Zijin lowered her eyes.

"No..."

"It’s definitely more than that. Black is the one attacking, and even though White started out with the advantage, now White is being forced to defend. This means that White is already beginning to fall behind!"