I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 61: "I Was Just Joking, But You Took It Seriously?"

Hearing the commotion, Yu Shao instinctively glanced in the direction of the noise.

At that moment, Su Yiming, who had just defeated his opponent, stood up.

Yu Shao recognized him as the person who had nodded in acknowledgment when he first entered the venue. A bit surprised, Yu Shao gave Su Yiming a second look before averting his gaze.

Finally, not long after.

"I..."

The boy across from Xu Zijin hung his head low, his words seemingly too heavy to be spoken.

"I..."

Clenching his teeth with a face full of reluctance, he eventually blurted out the remaining two words in one breath:

"I lost."

Xu Zijin nodded politely and softly said, "Thank you for the game."

The boy, still bowing his head, hesitated for a moment before replying in a low voice, "Thank you for the game..."

Behind him, the Go coach from Jianghai Affiliated High alternated his gaze between Xu Zijin and Yu Shao, falling silent.

In the past, he had seen matches played by South China Third High students who had trained in Go dojos. They were undeniably skilled.

But honestly, he didn’t think those former dojo trainees could have played as dominantly as what he just witnessed in these two games.

"Maybe Jiangling Fifth High running into South China Third High in the first round wasn’t so unlucky after all..."

Seeing both of his teammates had already conceded, Jianghai Affiliated High's third player was utterly dejected.

This meant that regardless of whether he won or lost his game, their team would be eliminated in the first round.

"Everyone’s lost."

His eyes dimmed as he stared at the board, his spirit deflated.

"Even if I win this game, we’ll still lose overall. What’s the point? And my position isn’t great right now anyway... maybe I should just give up."

But the thought only lingered for a moment before he clenched his teeth and reached into the Go bowl once again.

"It doesn’t matter. Even if we’re destined to be eliminated, I’m going to win this game!"

He placed a stone with determination.

Click.

17th column, 10th row—Press!

The news of Jiangling High’s victory in two games and their advancement to the next round soon spread, creating a sensation!

"Jiangling High has already won two games and advanced?!"

Many were wide-eyed and incredulous.

"You’re kidding, right? I haven’t even finished one game here; both sides are locked in an intense fight. And you’re telling me Jiangling High is already through?"

"Forget your game. Even South China Third High hasn’t finished their first match yet!"

"What’s going on? Were Jianghai Affiliated High’s players that bad? Both of them? No way!"

"Did Jiangling High get juiced this year? How are they this strong?"

At the referee’s table, Jiangling High’s principal maintained a facade of composed dignity, though his ears were perked up, clearly listening.

One of the referees chuckled and said, "Principal Luo, Jiangling High is the first to advance! Looks like your school might pull off an upset this year—maybe even take down South China Third High and win the championship!"

"Sigh, it’s not that simple," Principal Luo replied, shaking his head. "South China Third High has been the reigning champion for two consecutive years. They won’t be easy to beat."

Hearing this, the referee was momentarily stunned.

"I was just joking, and you actually took it seriously?"

Come on, South China Third High has two players who trained in professional Go dojos!

Do you know what it means to train in a Go dojo?

The students there are the most promising seeds for becoming professional players. Even if they haven’t earned their ranks yet, they’re still far beyond the reach of ordinary amateur players. Some dojos don’t even allow their trainees to compete in amateur tournaments!

And you think your school can go toe-to-toe with South China Third High just because you won the first round faster than they did?

While a quick win can reflect strong skill, it’s by no means an accurate measure of strength.

If Jiangling High were to face South China Third High, their opponents might adopt slower, more cautious strategies to avoid losing quickly.

Initially, the referee thought Principal Luo was joking, but upon seeing his earnest expression, he was completely baffled.

Still, since Principal Luo seemed so serious, the referee hesitated to say more and instead forced a laugh. "Haha, well, I’ll look forward to seeing it!"

As the referee’s eyes drifted back toward He Yu, he still couldn’t figure out why a professional Go player like He Yu was attending this tournament.

The matches continued, with the sound of stones being placed echoing across the venue.

Before long, more players secured victories, and the second school to advance to the next round was revealed—South China Third High.

No one was surprised that South China Third High advanced. What shocked them was that Jiangling High was the first to do so.

The players from Jiangling Fifth High, who had lost, sat dejectedly in their chairs, their faces full of despair.

Seeing this, many in the audience sighed inwardly, feeling a tinge of pity for them.

Single-elimination tournaments are the harshest and most unforgiving of all formats. Success depends not only on skill but also on luck—unless your skill is so overwhelming that luck becomes irrelevant.

Jiangling Fifth High was no pushover; they had the potential to make it to the second or even third round. But fate dealt them the worst draw, pairing them against South China Third High in the first round, sealing their doom.

With two schools advancing to the second round, the atmosphere in the venue grew increasingly tense.

More players experienced crushing defeats, some even shedding tears of frustration, while others breathed sighs of relief as they triumphed.

The contrast between joy and sorrow was stark, a reminder that emotions in competition are never truly shared.

"I lost," the boy facing Zhong Yufei said with a sigh of resignation, conceding the game.

Despite his best efforts—relentlessly pressing black’s formation and slightly narrowing the gap—he still lost by two points in the endgame.

"Thank you for the game," Zhong Yufei said, finally relaxing.

With this, Jiangling High secured a clean sweep in the first round, winning all three games!

Ten minutes later, as more schools resolved their matches, the venue became even more intense. Many players entered their overtime countdowns, their allotted time completely spent.

At this stage, it was clear that most games were tightly contested, with outcomes hinging on the final moves in the endgame.

Advancing to the second round:

• Jiangling Second High
• Ziyang First High
• South China Affiliated High

Finally, after another ten minutes of intense play, the first round concluded.

Half the schools were eliminated, while the other half advanced to the second round!