Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
In the villa.
The gentle sea breeze was lapping against the windows.
Zhang Ye, who was seated at the computer, narrowed his eyes. Although it looked like he was spacing out, he had in fact become completely unaware of his surroundings. All of his focus and concentration was on this game. His brain was speedily doing calculations by the second and analyzing the situation.
Should he make a cut?
The black stones were in an uninteresting state of play.
Perhaps he could do a push through here?
White advanced.
Black was able to play on and the stones’ formation was good.
After some thought, another black stone was played.
It was still as uninteresting a move as it could get, yet the black stones did not lose its advantage!
No one had ever seen this playstyle of Zhang Ye’s before. Today, he had schooled this world with a jaw-dropping lesson in Go. Compared to his previous world, this world’s standard in Go was behind by too many years. They were too fixated on creating playstyles and strategies. The Zombie Flow? The Cosmic Flow? The Higher Chinese Opening? The Lower Chinese Opening? A lot of professional Go players were overly infatuated with such things and ended up neglecting the fundamentals of Go. In fact, for the competitive professional Go games back in Zhang Ye’s previous world, especially in the higher-ranking matches, special playstyles were hardly seen unless very unique circumstances called for their usage. This was due to an elevation in standards as the level of Go developed.
In the past, Zhang Ye had also pursued the surprise element that playstyles had. During the war against machines four years ago, that was exactly how he had won. In the game against PeterGo yesterday, he had also done it this way. But now that four years had passed, PeterGo had improved by too much after receiving an upgrade to its system. Zhang Ye had used seven to eight different strategies that involved never before seen complex josekis to take on Peter to try to make it fumble, but he still won the game by just half a point. At that time, Zhang Ye knew exactly why this world’s professional Go players were unable to win any games against PeterGo. That was because PeterGo was already ahead of them. Its massive computing system had already overcome the surprise element of all their so-called styles and strategies. As such, Zhang Ye thought it through before he started his match today regarding how he should handle this game. He considered everything before finally deciding to just compete on the most basic rules of Go.
Zhang Ye had only thought of giving it a try by tossing away all playstyles, tricks, and disguises. In this way, they would find out who was actually the one skinny dipping.
Without any playstyles.
Without any surprises.
Without any magnificent moves.
Zhang Ye was now suppressing PeterGo with just his level of play!
…
Japan.
Many of the professional Go players were dumbfounded from watching.
“How is Peter getting pushed around like this?”
“This is simply unbelievable!”
“This Chinese person is too skilled at Go!”
“Can Go even be played in such a way?”
…
Korea.
Several Go masters were gasping.
“Just who is this person that is playing?”
“Even 9-dan Wu Changhe and 9-dan Xiang Rong did not possess such great prowess at their peaks!”
“This is too scary!”
“This is absolute strength!”
…
America.
“Dammit!”
“What’s happening with Peter?”
“Why hasn’t it taken the game yet?”
“They’re advancing into the endgame!”
“There’s no time left! Hurry up and finish it off!”
…
On Weibo.
“Oh my God!”
“Can he win?”
“Can he really win?”
“Th-This is such a fucking unexpected situation!”
“How did they end up playing to such a state?”
The game had developed in an unprecedented way!
With the most common of openings!
With the most basic way of playing!
Yet as they got closer to the end, the more shocking it was for everyone watching!
Xiang Rong was very strong. As the former world number one player of the Go world, his playstyle was thunderous and he was good in both attack and defense.
Tian Weiwei was also very strong. As the current world number one in Go, his playstyle was highly varied and he was full of tricks and magnificent moves.
Thus, in the eyes of many, these two people were indeed both very strong. This strength of theirs was enough to make anyone exclaim in admiration. With just a look at how they played, one could tell that they would never be able to win against them in their lifetimes. But it wasn’t until today that a lot of people finally understood the true meaning of strength after witnessing this game. This was a feeling that would make anyone tremble with fear. It was a feeling of not ever wanting to play against such a person!
…
At Central TV.
In the live coverage studio.
The host was exclaiming anxiously, “You can guess who it is?”
Xiang Rong said, “I probably can.”
The host hurriedly asked, “But this playstyle of his hasn’t been seen before?”
Xiang Rong said with a smile, “The way a person plays can always change. Their moves can change, and their playstyles can even be disguised. However, there’s one thing that cannot be hidden.”
The host asked, “What is that?”
Xiang Rong looked at the screen and said with a smile, “It’s the level that one is at.” With a pause, his eyes showed reminiscing. “In all of the world, there’s only that person who could possibly reach this level in Go.”
The host looked confused.
That person?
Which person?
…
At China Qiyuan.
Hu Liang said excitedly, “He has played another stone!”
Xu Han clenched his fists and said, “Peter has already been tested four times!”
A professional 5-dan player shouted, “How scary! This person is such a fearsome player!”
Wu Changhe even started swearing. “Who the fuck is this person?”
9-dan Li Yi stamped his feet and said, “Yeah! Who is this person? Who the hell could it be?”
A female Go player said, “When I played against Little Tian in the past, I could still see a chance of winning whenever I analyzed our games after my loss. If I didn’t make some mistakes or if I had played some moves at a different position, there would have been a possibility of me winning. At least, that’s how I feel. But this HEOR is really too scary. Watching up to here, I suddenly realize that even if I were to play a hundred games against him, even if I were to play to my fullest potential in all of those games, and even if I were to get a little lucky in them, I would still never be able to win a single game against him. This is the first time I’ve felt like that since my debut. He’s the most terrifying player I’ve ever encountered!”
Wu Changhe said in annoyance, “An expert like this would never have just popped out of nowhere. Think about it, everyone! We definitely know this person!”
Hu Liang gave a bitter smile. “I don’t know if I know anyone as strong as this.”
Xu Han said, “Yeah, a player of such a level is really unheard of. Even Master Xiang at his peak and the current level that Little Tian is at are still not as strong as HEOR.”
Hu Liang remarked, “Unless that person has come back, otherwise—”
All of a sudden, Hu Liang froze.
Then 9-dan Li Yi also froze!
Xu Han was so startled that his legs started trembling. Then he glanced at Wu Changhe.
Li Yi drew in a deep breath and said, “Teacher Changhe, do you…do you think that it could be—”
Wu Changhe said flatly, “Impossible!” Then, he took a look at the screen with every move that HEOR had made. Seeing that, he didn’t feel so sure anymore. “Damn! Surely not, right?”
…
Sanya.
Chen Qiqi cried out, “What a good endgame!”
Chen Niannian was nearly kneeling. “My idol! HEOR’s gonna be my idol for life!”
Chen Ying gasped in amazement. “This is what you truly call assuming formlessness 1 !”
Everyone was dishing out praise over and over again.
But off to one side, Tian Weiwei was looking visibly excited.
Chen Ying looked at him. “Little Tian, what’s the matter?”
Tian Weiwei looked at her. “Sister Chen, do you think—”
“Think what?” Chen Ying asked.
Tian Weiwei pondered for a moment. “Do you think that that person could be back?”
Chen Ying was instantly startled. “What?”
Tian Weiwei gave a bitter laugh. “Other than him, I can’t think of anyone at all.”
