“The National Hand Championship has concluded!”

After a long moment, the referee finally tore his gaze away from the board, suppressing the myriad complex emotions surging in his heart, and announced the result of the National Hand Championship: “The new National Champion will be—”

The referee paused, then pronounced each word with weight: “Yu Shao!”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Changdong’s face turned even paler, yet he still fixed his eyes stubbornly on the board before him, unwilling to shift his gaze even a fraction.

After winning the first game of the National Hand Championship, his words “I am above you” still echoed in his ears.

But the second game ended in a crushing defeat with barely any resistance. He had thought it was his own carelessness and resolved to give his all in the third game—

Yet in the third game, he didn’t even get to exchange a move. Not a single battle occurred on the board. With his divine power rendered useless, he gloomily accepted defeat!

This was even harder for him to accept than losing the second game to Yu Shao. His right fist clenched unconsciously, his fingernails digging into his palm, though he was completely unaware.

“In the end, Teacher Jiang Changdong failed to defend his title, losing the National Champion honor.”

Beside him, the recorder looked at Jiang Changdong’s current state and couldn’t help but feel sympathy: “But what’s even more unbelievable is that the person who snatched the National Champion title from Teacher Jiang Changdong is only seventeen years old.”

The female recorder couldn’t resist stealing a glance at Yu Shao, her heart full of mixed emotions, her gaze complicated to the extreme, silently thinking: “A seventeen-year-old National Champion...”

Though the combination of seventeen and National Champion seemed very mismatched, having witnessed all three games firsthand, she felt no sense of incongruity.

She was completely convinced.

Looking back on the three games, only the first was the peak showdown she had imagined, with fierce exchanges and a clear outcome. The remaining two games—

Each was beyond her expectations, completely overturning her imagination. Even now, the resolute decisiveness in every move Yu Shao played in the second game still shook her deeply.

She thought the second game was already the pinnacle, but the third game thoroughly shattered her imagination!

She found herself unable to express the emotions inside in any words—only silence, and a shock that seemed to pierce her very soul.

Winning without fighting, pressing with overwhelming momentum, going with the flow, surrounding without killing, constricting like a python...

She could hardly believe such a game came from Yu Shao’s hand, and even more unbelievable, from a seventeen-year-old boy.

Calm and steady, strategizing before moving, seeing through all like a god, with a panoramic vision of the entire board... these were not words meant to describe a seventeen-year-old boy. At seventeen, one should be ambitious and eager to advance.

This game ended without a single direct confrontation, concluding with unprecedented calmness. Though the board’s content was peaceful, the sound of the stones being placed still deeply shook her to this moment!

“Every year, the title matches draw great attention. Every year, the title matches are brilliant. Every year, the title matches leave unforgettable memories...”

“Because in this tournament symbolizing the highest glory in Go, every move is the culmination of the lifeblood of the two top players, destined to make every Go player in the world bow in respect!”

The male recorder gazed at the nearby board, thinking: “But such a stirring game has never appeared since.”

“The National Hand Championship is destined to be held every year—ten years, seventy years, or even a hundred years from now.”

“But what legendary games have come from the previous championships? Whenever the National Hand Championship is mentioned, those eight games will probably never be forgotten.”

Although it was phrased as a question, your heart is more than certain.

Years ago, seas changed, stars shifted, people and things were no longer the same. Those who saw that game back then may not yet have white hair, but we will certainly remember that National Hand Championship.

Perhaps we will sit under a rattan chair, speaking in nostalgic tones with a senior who just learned Go, telling the story of that National Hand Championship.

Few things can be buried by the dust of time, but those eight games will be forever remembered, frozen in time.

That is the nature of Go...

A hundred years, a thousand years, two thousand years—transmitted endlessly.

Upon hearing the referee announce the result, Yu Shao slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, finally reaching out to begin clearing the stones from the board.

When Yu Shao had collected all the black stones and closed the box lid, just as he prepared to rise and leave, Jiang Changdong, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke—

“You didn’t use your full strength?”

Yu Shao looked at Jiang Changdong opposite him.

Jiang Changdong had somehow already lifted his head, his jaw clenched tight, his expression somewhat agitated, and he asked again: “In the first game, you didn’t use your full strength?”

The two referees and recorders nearby also looked toward Jiang Changdong. Seeing his emotional agitation, they felt a little uneasy.

For Jiang Changdong, compared to losing the National Champion title, he seemed more concerned whether Yu Shao gave his all in the first game. It seemed this matter was even more important than the final ownership of the National Champion title.

Hearing this question, Yu Shao was silent for a moment.

Didn’t give his all?

No, he played seriously in that game. Though there were regrets, every move was exactly what he intended.

After a moment, Yu Shao shook his head and truthfully said: “No, I gave it my all.”

Hearing this answer, Jiang Changdong was stunned, staring hard at Yu Shao’s face as if trying to find evidence of a lie but finding none.

Jiang Changdong opened his mouth to say something but didn’t know what to say.

Seeing Jiang Changdong say no more, Yu Shao finally turned and pushed open the door, leaving the Go room.

After leaving the Go room, Yu Shao didn’t walk far down the corridor of the Go Institute before suddenly stopping.

Not far ahead, a crowd was surging toward the Go room, with many faces Yu Shao recognized among them.

“Yu Shao! Yu Shao!”

Wu Zhixuan waved excitedly from a distance, her delicate face full of excitement.

She took four steps quickly and was the first to reach Yu Shao, stopping in front of him. Then standing straight, she saluted Yu Shao with a serious expression: “Hello, National Champion Yu Shao!”

“You won.”

Yu Shao couldn’t help but smile a little and said: “Thank you.”

“Truly amazing!”

Wu Zhixuan clenched her small pink fists, acting like a little fangirl: “I watched the whole game in the broadcast room. It was incredible. By the end, I was burning all over, wanting to say something but couldn’t get a single word out!”

“That’s not so exaggerated.”

Yu Shao shook his head and smiled.

At that moment, a familiar voice rang out: “What Wu Zhixuan said is true;

she really was like that.”

Hearing this familiar voice, Yu Shao turned his head toward the source of the sound and immediately saw Zheng Qin in the crowd.

Zheng Qin smiled at Yu Shao and added: “Not just her, I also was deeply shocked... It’s hard to imagine... you could play such a game.”

“Really...”

Zheng Qin shook his head and said: “I was stunned.”

In the crowd, Le Haoqiang looked at Yu Shao with a complicated expression, then finally reached out his hand and gave Yu Shao a thumbs-up, saying: “I’m convinced, Yu Shao. I hope I can also play such great games in the future.”

“I will.”

Yu Shao smiled and asked: “I heard you’re close to qualifying for the Meijin Title Match main event?”

Hearing this, Le Haoqiang’s face immediately fell, looking plaintively at Zheng Qin beside him: “I lost to Zheng Qin recently, so there’s no room for mistakes. I have to keep winning to get in.”

Yu Shao looked at Zheng Qin with some surprise. He remembered Zheng Qin’s playing strength used to be below Le Haoqiang’s.

“What’s with that look?”

Zheng Qin was a little dissatisfied and said: “You’ve certainly come far and are now the National Champion, but we won’t stop either, okay?”

“Alright, so you’ve basically locked in your spot in the Meijin Title Match main event?”

Yu Shao smiled and asked: “Ready to challenge Meijin Kong Zi?”

“Ahem.”

Zheng Qin cleared his throat twice and said: “Not confirmed yet. My next opponent is Teacher Chen Shan. If I win, I make it to the main event...”

Toward the end, Zheng Qin’s tone became somewhat weak, clearly lacking confidence. The surrounding crowd couldn’t help but laugh and tease:

“Zheng Qin, you’ve been a professional Go player for two years, and you don’t even have confidence to enter a title match main event? Look at Yu Shao, one year as a pro and already claimed a title!”

“Exactly. You started slow, and no one’s faster than Yu Shao. How can you catch up?”

“Even entering the title match main event in two years is a bit slow...”

At this moment, a cool voice came from within the crowd.

“Yu Shao, congratulations on winning the National Champion title.”

Yu Shao immediately looked toward Xu Zi in the crowd.

Xu Zi’s eyes were clear and bright, fixed on Yu Shao as she continued: “I learned a lot from today’s game... truly amazing.”

Yu Shao smiled, nodded at Xu Zi, and said: “Thank you.”

Xu Zi thought about saying more congratulatory words but was interrupted by a swarm of Go journalists rushing forward.

“National Champion Yu Shao, as a seventeen-year-old champion, what would you like to say?”

“National Champion Yu Shao, I’m a reporter from Xinjiang Media, the largest Go newspaper in the country. May I have an exclusive Go interview? We have a project called ‘Go Players of the New Era’ and want to know your views on carrying forward the era.”

“National Champion Yu Shao, your performance in today’s game deeply impressed me. You’re known for aggressive fights, so why in the last game did you choose such a style, even producing a famous game flowing without rushing?”

A crowd of reporters eagerly began asking questions. One reporter, unable to push forward for a long time, finally stood at the back and loudly asked—

“Teacher Yu Shao, I’m a reporter from Sun Moon Go Talk. Now that you’ve won the National Champion title and joined the ranks of top players, with the world tournaments starting in the second half of the year, do you have confidence for the world competitions?”

To build rapport and win Yu Shao’s favor for a first interview opportunity, he switched from calling him National Champion Yu Shao to Teacher Yu Shao.

Though already in his forties, Yu Shao considered himself a student to many seniors.

In Go, it’s normal to call someone teacher as long as their skill surpasses yours, though most people usually just combine the name and rank out of face.

Now, facing Yu Shao who had won the National Champion title, he was willing to drop that face!

His voice had just sounded when other reporters interrupted again.

“Teacher Yu Shao, you’re so young yet won the National Champion title, undoubtedly an idol and goal for many young players. What would you like to say to other young players?”

The swarm of reporters seemed to have seen meat to feast on, eyes shining, questions coming one after another. Yu Shao didn’t even know which to answer first.

At this moment, another voice rang out from behind the crowd.

“Yu Shao.”

This voice was not loud and should have been drowned out by the reporters’ questions, but a reporter’s peripheral vision caught sight behind and he was stunned, swallowing his words.

Another reporter nearby noticed and also looked back, then quietly shut his mouth.

One, two, three...

More and more reporters saw the newcomer and ceased questioning, suppressing their excitement and parting to make way with shining eyes.

The newcomer was none other than Su Yiming.

Su Yiming had already advanced to the final stage of the Great Go Player Tournament main event, soon to challenge Great Go Player Fu Shunan, also a prodigy much admired by the world!

If it weren’t for Yu Shao, Su Yiming’s achievements would have already shaken the Go world, but unfortunately, Yu Shao existed, and many online said, “If Yu exists, why does Ming?”

Though Su Yiming had never beaten Yu Shao in past matches, in terms of fan count, Su Yiming was not inferior.

Many online fans were drawn by Su Yiming’s determination and fighting spirit emerging from dire situations in those losing games, becoming his fans.

Compared to the questions raised just now, they thought a conversation between Yu Shao and Su Yiming after Yu Shao won the National Champion title might be an even bigger highlight!

Su Yiming pushed through the crowd and soon reached Yu Shao’s side, finally stopping.

Yu Shao looked at Su Yiming calmly.

“I watched the whole game from the broadcast room.”

Su Yiming said, then couldn’t help but think about the game just played and fell silent.

He thought of finally understanding Yu Shao’s intention of winning without fighting and felt a profound shock from his heart and lungs.

After a moment of silence, a smile suddenly appeared on Su Yiming’s face, and he spoke again with sincere admiration: “That game was truly... beautiful.”

Yu Shao said nothing, quietly watching Su Yiming, knowing he hadn’t finished speaking, waiting for him to continue.

“You remember our agreement, right?”

Sure enough, Su Yiming soon asked.

“I remember.”

Yu Shao nodded.

“Next is my Great Go Player Tournament.”

Su Yiming’s smile faded, his expression turning serious as he stared straight at Yu Shao and said: “Once I win the Great Go Player Tournament title, that will be... our match!”

“The Great Go Player Tournament, I will win!”

“After seeing today’s game, I look forward to that battle even more!”

“Even if just for that battle, I will definitely take the Great Go Player title!”

Hearing this conversation, the reporters nearby first froze, then their eyes widened in astonishment!