Yu Shao stared at the board, quickly reaching into the piece box to pick out a black stone and swiftly placed it down.

Click!

Column sixteen, row seventeen, extend!

"He extended it!"

Sweat poured down Jiang Changdong’s forehead in dense beads. He quickly reached into the piece box, gritted his teeth, and swiftly placed his stone!

Click!

Column twelve, row seventeen, cut!

Seeing this move, Yu Shao looked at the board but did not continue placing stones. He fell into deep thought.

At this moment, everyone held their breath involuntarily.

Everyone had already realized that the current board had reached a critical turning point.

White had forcibly broken into Black’s formation;

how the board would develop next depended on Black’s response. This could very well decide the outcome of the entire game!

Indeed.

To prevent Black from easily securing territory, White’s last two moves were ruthless, but gains come with losses. These two moves were overly deep and very dangerous.

So, how should Black respond?

Finally.

Yu Shao stared at the board before him, as if that familiar voice echoed once again in his ear.

"Column sixteen, row eleven, shoulder hit!"

Clack!

With the crisp sound of grabbing a stone, Yu Shao took one from the piece box and then slowly placed it down.

Column sixteen, row eleven!

Shoulder hit!

"Shoulder hit? He... he’s not attacking!"

Seeing Yu Shao’s move after his long contemplation, Jiang Changdong’s expression finally lost control, staring at the board in disbelief!

The two referees and the recorder beside him slightly rose, craning their necks to watch this move, their expressions full of bewilderment.

.....

Inside the broadcast room.

"There’s no attack here, it makes no sense! White’s last two moves were too deep;

they’re definitely trying to pressure White!"

Someone watching couldn’t help but shout out loud upon seeing Yu Shao’s move.

His voice was full of shock and deep confusion!

"Because White broke into Black’s formation with excessive force, the shape is very thin. Even if White plays another move, White won’t survive!"

"In other words, if Black wants to attack those two white stones below, it should be effortless."

"Even the most solid player, even one not good at attacking, would definitely attack Black! Absolutely!"

Others in the Go room seemed to have witnessed something incredible, all frozen in place, eyes locked tightly on the TV screen!

"No, actually, if you think calmly, this move isn’t bad!"

After a long moment, Zheng Qin took a deep breath, eyes fixed on the TV screen without turning his head, and said, "He’s not avoiding attack;

strengthening the top is preparing for a future assault!"

"I understand too, but there’s absolutely no need to prepare this much!"

The young man who had just spoken said, "There are enough stones now to attack. As long as they attack White, the pressure on White is already great!"

"Playing a shoulder hit here can indeed make the upcoming attack stronger, accumulating power, but that’s premised on Black ignoring the situation!"

"Clearly, since White is preparing to break into Black’s territory, Black can’t ignore it. Black must respond move for move;

otherwise, this is meaningless."

Hearing this, Zheng shook his head: "No, it definitely isn’t meaningless!"

With unusually firm tone, Zheng said, "Yu Shao must have seen something we didn’t. These preparations must have meaning. When Black launches the full assault, it will surely exceed our expectations!"

At that moment, Xu Zijin’s voice interrupted their discussion.

"White has made a move!"

Hearing this, the two immediately stopped talking and looked back at the TV screen, focusing again on the game.

White placed at column fifteen, row eleven, hane!

"Teacher Jiang Changdong chose to hane, relieving pressure on the weak White stones below!"

Upon seeing this move, Wu Zhixuan immediately spoke, even she instantly understood the intention and brilliance of this move!

Just after Wu Zhixuan spoke, the black stones moved again on the TV screen!

Column fifteen, row twelve, hane!

"Yu Shao... also haned, again preparing for an attack on White!" Wu Zhixuan said hesitantly.

Seeing this move, everyone’s expression subtly changed.

After Jiang Changdong’s hane, Yu Shao could still turn to attack the weak White stones below. White’s weak stones remained precarious.

And now Yu Shao’s hane was also a preparation for a full-scale assault!

Playing this move once is one thing, but twice is a different matter entirely!

Perhaps as Zheng Qin said, Yu Shao saw something they hadn’t. When Black’s plans reach the decisive moment, it will truly surpass everyone’s imagination!

Click!

Click!

Click!

Under the tense gaze of everyone, black and white stones alternately placed down.

In the broadcast room, Su Yiming continuously picked stones, following the moves on the screen synchronously.

Black had not yet acted, but had taken a posture ready to strike at any moment, constantly preparing!

On the board, Black stones were densely clustered, like a looming storm.

Everyone could feel it;

their expressions grew even tenser, eyes locked onto the game without blinking, afraid to miss the moment this storm would break!

Five moves.

Ten moves.

Fifteen moves.

......

Soon, twenty moves were completed.

A trace of confusion and incomprehension gradually appeared on everyone’s faces, even Zheng Qin’s!

This storm everyone felt was about to come, but the waiting had been incredibly long—twenty moves had passed, yet it still hadn’t arrived!

This wait... was far too long!

"What is Yu Shao thinking?"

Su Yiming frowned slightly, looking at the board in front of him, continuously calculating the possible developments: "Is there really a hidden strength here that I can’t see?"

Su Yiming calculated every possible variation, then overturned them, recalculated again, and overturned once more... his frown grew tighter and tighter.

"It seems... there isn’t."

Finally, Su Yiming had nearly exhausted all local variations and drew a conclusion. Although he wasn’t completely certain, at least he could find no other options.

What followed was even more confusion.

Su Yiming took a deep breath, looked at the board again, and calmly pondered.

Suddenly, Su Yiming seemed to realize something, slightly stunned.

The next moment, his heart jolted, he suddenly raised his head and looked at the TV screen with shock!

At last, he understood the answer!

"Yu Shao... does he actually mean this?!"

.......

......

Inside the Go room.

"He hasn’t attacked;

he’s only preparing to attack."

Seeing Yu Shao place another stone, sweat slowly rolled down Jiang Changdong’s face, his expression turning even uglier.

After a moment, Jiang Changdong reached into the box and placed another stone.

Yu Shao glanced at the board, then quickly picked and placed a stone.

"Again like this!"

Seeing Yu Shao’s move to accumulate strength, Jiang Changdong clenched his teeth, growing impatient.

Even he found it incredible. If Black attacked now, his pressure would increase, but watching Black continuously prepare to strike instead, he strangely hoped Black would just attack sooner!

"How long does he plan to keep preparing?"

The sound of Jiang Changdong grabbing stones grew louder;

he forcefully slapped a stone down!

Click!

Click!

Click!

Both sides continued placing stones in endless cycles.

On the board, black and white stones twisted and interlaced. Though many stones had been placed, the board’s changes were not complicated—indeed, very straightforward!

When would Black finally unleash this storm? And when the storm comes, what would the scene look like?

Waiting.

A long wait!

This wait had grown so long that everyone’s hearts grew anxious!

.....

At Central Go Academy, inside a quiet tea room.

"Senior Brother Zhu, when will Yu Shao attack? He’s only been preparing to attack Black. Does he have to prepare one hundred percent before making a move?"

A boy about twelve years old spoke anxiously: "That’s obviously impossible. Who waits to prepare everything perfectly before attacking?"

Hearing the boy’s complaint, Zhu Huai’an still did not take his eyes off the computer screen.

He was silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Little Zhou, have you ever heard the phrase ‘life can be changed, but the trend cannot be reversed’?"

Life can be changed, but the trend cannot be reversed?

The boy was slightly confused.

He looked away from his notebook screen and turned to Zhu Huai’an.

Zhu Huai’an was his senior brother, now holding the titles of "Sage of Go" and "10-dan," the greatest pride of their dojo.

He recalled that although Zhu Huai’an hadn’t been as anxious as he was earlier, he had also been watching the game with tightly furrowed brows.

But now, seeing Zhu Huai’an’s expression, he was stunned.

Zhu Huai’an’s previously tightly furrowed brow had relaxed. A thin bead of sweat appeared on his forehead as he stared at the computer screen in shock!

"If you look at this game from another angle, if you look far ahead and at the whole board, rather than focusing on each move or each point..."

Zhu Huai’an seemed to be asking the boy, and perhaps himself: "Tell me, Black is always preparing to attack, but never actually moves. Doesn’t this long wait feel like... the brewing of a trend?"

The boy named Zhou listened confusedly, half understanding, then hesitated and asked, "Senior Brother Zhu, what... does that mean?"

Zhu Huai’an pulled his gaze from the screen, opened his mouth as if to explain, but the words got stuck.

Finally, Zhu Huai’an smiled wryly and shook his head: "Nothing. You’ll understand someday."

"Senior Brother Zhu, please explain!"

The boy’s curiosity was piqued;

he couldn’t help but plead, "Just a simple explanation?"

Zhu Huai’an looked back at the screen and said, "Don’t you think White’s position is actually getting worse little by little?"

"Is it?"

The boy widened his eyes and looked at the TV screen in surprise: "I don’t feel it!"

"With your current skill, you probably can’t notice it yet. That’s not your fault. I only just realized it myself."

Zhu Huai’an took a deep breath and slowly said, "You’ve always thought Black was preparing to attack White, that Black would attack sooner or later."

"But what if I told you, Black never actually intends to attack White?"

Hearing this, the boy’s eyes went wide with disbelief: "Huh? Black never intends to attack White?"

"Although Black is preparing to attack, Black has never thought about attacking. Black is just maintaining pressure. Of course, if White dares to push hard, the weak White stones below would be fatally damaged immediately."

Zhu Huai’an continued, "Black is not attacking, but by preparing to attack, Black creates what we call 'influence.'"

"Go is not always about individual moves. Sometimes, it’s a battle of influence."

"Direct attack is of course possible, and the most natural way to play, but Black doesn’t play that way."

"Black encircles but does not kill, because Black wants to—"

Zhu Huai’an stared intently at the screen, paused, then firmly said, "Suppress the opponent with influence!"

"Suppressing with influence is obviously less forceful than direct attack. Black seems to make no progress, but invisibly, by suppressing with influence, Black accumulates advantage."

"But this advantage is so subtle that even after more than ten moves, it’s just a little. Yet, this advantage truly exists."

"Black is waiting. Waiting for this advantage to accumulate to a tipping point, when it breaks through completely!"

Hearing this, the boy’s mind buzzed.

Although he still couldn’t fully grasp Zhu Huai’an’s meaning, he vaguely understood something!

"To subdue the enemy without fighting is the greatest skill."

Zhu Huai’an’s gaze was complicated. He stared at the screen in a daze, murmuring softly:

"This is the biggest joke I’ve ever heard. If you’re defeated without even a battle, or even without a chance to fight desperately, what kind of... despair must that be for the opponent."

.......

.......

The game continued.

As stones kept falling on the board, seeing Black not yet strike but only preparing, everyone’s tension grew unbearable.

But gradually, as the game progressed, some began to sense a subtle clue.

One, two, three...

A look of emotion slowly appeared on more and more faces, stirring an unprecedented wave of shock in everyone’s hearts!

"What... is this?!"

Someone shouted in disbelief. Looking back at Black’s previous moves, their hearts were violently shaken!

Inside the Go room.

Silence.

Complete silence.

The two referees and the recorder all stared blankly at the nearby game, their hearts filled with an indescribable shock!

No one could see—

A faint figure stood silently behind Yu Shao!

He calmly watched the board, his eyes seeming to calculate every possible variation of the game!

He was utterly focused, more serious than ever before!

Because this game might be the only proof he could leave in this world!