Song Zhuangyi pushed the black chess box in front of Qiguan Yuan.
The result of the divination was that Qiguan Yuan played black and Song Zhuangyi played white.
Song Zhuangyi picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, put the cup down, sat up straight, and placed his hands on his knees.
Qiguan Yuan picked up a black piece and placed it in the small eye in the upper right corner.
Someone in the live chat recognized this move.
[A small opening, very orthodox]
[Where would White typically play White's first move, the small eye point?]
[See how the president handles this]
Song Zhuangyi's white piece landed in the lower left corner star position.
Qiguan Yuan's second move, a black stone, landed in the upper left corner (small eye position), while Song Zhuangyi's white stone landed in the lower right corner (star position).
After four moves, the situation on the board is balanced, with neither side having an advantage.
Qiguan Yuan picked up the third black stone and placed it not in the corner, but on the edge star position.
This move is quite uncommon, and it generated a lot of discussion in the live chat.
[What is the meaning behind Black's move?]
[It's not a set pattern; he went it on his own.]
His playing style is very flexible.
Song Zhuangyi glanced at Qiguan Yuan, and the white piece landed in the lower right corner, guarding its corner.
Qiguan Yuan's black stone turned down from the edge star and landed at position 3-3 in the lower right corner, with two black stones echoing each other.
Song Zhuangyi placed his white stone in the upper left corner, probing for Black's response.
Qiguan Yuan's haters didn't leave; they just stuck to him.
Song Zhuangyi frowned.
This move is aggressive; it's not defensive, it's offensive. If White retreats, Black will continue to press forward, compressing White's space.
Unexpectedly, this seemingly lazy young man made sharp moves in chess. Song Zhuangyi did not retreat either, and the white pieces moved in response.
The barrage of comments slowed down; after some thought, a discussion began.
[That's a fierce move.]
[Black shows absolutely no intention of retreating]
[White did not retreat.]
[Who is this person, daring to talk back to the chairman like this?]
[I don't know, but his hands look very young.]
The black and white stones on the board fought for more than a dozen moves on the left side. Black always had a slight advantage over white. White neither lost nor won, and the situation seemed to be under Black's control the whole time.
Song Zhuangyi picked up his teacup and took a sip. The teacup was already cold, but he didn't pay attention.
He picked up a white piece and placed it in the center, attempting to open up the game.
Qiguan Yuan's black stone followed closely, landing in the center and blocking the white stone's escape route.
Song Zhuangyi's brows furrowed even more.
After the middle game, Song Zhuangyi's game began to show signs of fatigue.
It's not that his chess is bad, it's that Qiguan Yuan's chess is too good.
Qiguan Yuan moved his hand in front of Song Zhuangyi's intended path, as if he knew his intentions beforehand.
Song Zhuangyi's white stones attempted to make a living group in the lower right corner, Qiguan Yuan's black stones intervened before the living group could be formed, destroying the white stones' eye and leaving the white stones in the lower right corner isolated.
The discussions in the live chat became increasingly professional and intense; it was a battle of wits between masters, and the game was truly breathtaking.
[Black's move was perfectly timed.]
[If White had waited one more move, White would have lived.]
[He anticipated the chairman's intentions.]
[Not only did they foresee it, they also sealed it off in advance.]
[This level of skill is unlike that of an ordinary person; he's a very experienced player.]
[Who exactly is he?]
Song Zhuangyi's white stones struggled for a few moves in the lower right corner, but ultimately three of them were captured by black.
The losses were not significant, but the situation began to tilt in Black's favor.
Song Zhuangyi took a deep breath and began to wrap things up.
His endgame skills are top-notch; this is his forte.
He thought he could close the gap in the final stages.
Unexpectedly, Qiguan Yuan's endgame was more stable than his midgame.
Every point is calculated precisely; what should be collected is collected, what should be yielded is yielded, and not a single point is lost that shouldn't be lost.
Song Zhuangyi's white stones gained two points on the left side, Qiguan Yuan's black stones gained one point on the right side.
The gap between the two sides remained at around eight or nine points.
The number of the Go Association members in the live chat is increasing.
[The president didn't have a good game this time.]
[It's not that the president is having bad luck, it's that the opponents are too strong.]
[This person's playing style is so mature that it doesn't seem like that of a young person.]
[Who is this powerful player? They're incredibly strong!]
The vice president, who had been watching the entire match from behind the screen, was also shocked. He thought about who might be able to play against Song Zhuangyi and found that none of them resembled him.
I wonder if he'll have a chance to play a game with this person now that he's heading to Jiangcheng.
He posted a comment in the live chat using the official account of the Go Association: "This person's Go skill is no less than the president's."
The chat was silent for a moment.
The fact that the vice president used the association's official account to say this carries significant weight.
Song Zhuangyi played his white pieces in the upper left corner, and Qiguan Yuan played his black pieces in the center.
Song Zhuangyi looked at the chessboard, remained silent for a moment, then picked up two white pieces from the chess box and placed them on the edge of the chessboard.
To resign and admit defeat.
The chat in the live stream exploded with comments.
[The president conceded defeat? He lost?]
[Throwing the ball]
[Wow, this is amazing! Who is this senior?]
Song Zhuangyi leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
He stared at the black and white pieces on the chessboard for a long time.
"I lost."
Qiguan Yuan put the black pieces back into the Go box. "Not a big loss, ten points."
There are fewer than five people who could achieve this level under his supervision.
Song Zhuangyi shook his head. "It's not a matter of how much I lost, it's that you dominated my game, and I couldn't turn the tide from start to finish. I haven't encountered this kind of play in a long time."
The last time we met was when I was sixteen, during that game of chess I played with my master.
Qiguan Yuan remained silent.
A waiter came over with a tray, on which was Qiguan Yuan's cup of tea. The tea had gone cold.
The waiter said softly, "Sir, your tea hasn't been brought to you yet."
Qiguan Yuan glanced at her. "It's not your fault, I changed seats first."
He pushed the cooled tea aside and asked the waiter to make him a fresh cup.
The waiter brewed another cup of Longtuan Shengxue tea and brought it over. The tea soup was clear and bright, with a very faint aroma.
Qiguan Yuan picked up his teacup, poured one for Song Zhuangyi first, and handed it to him.
"You gave me a peach, I returned a precious jade. It's not a repayment, but a token of lasting friendship. Mr. Song's chess skills are worthy of this cup." (Interpretation: We appreciate each other's kindness and understanding; I reciprocate with sincerity and generosity, not seeking equal return, but only wishing to forge a lasting friendship.)
Song Zhuangyi took the teacup.
He glanced down at the color of the tea, smelled its aroma, then looked up at Qiguan Yuan, somewhat surprised. "Dragon Ball Tea Surpassing Snow? Not many people drink this anymore."
Qiguan Yuan poured himself a cup, picked it up, and took a sip. "The Northern Garden is about to present it to the Emperor, and the heroes of the woods are already vying for beauty. This is a rare and fine tea."
Song Zhuangyi smiled, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.
Before the teacup could be put down, someone walked in through the door.
Pei Yubai was wearing a dark gray long robe, with a scarf draped over his arm, and his hair was a little messier than when he was filming that morning.
He walked over to Qiguan Yuan, Qiguan Yuan glanced at him sideways and asked, "You're here?"
Pei Yubai sat down next to Qiguan Yuan, their shoulders touching.
He glanced at Song Zhuangyi and nodded slightly. "Uncle Song."
Song Zhuangyi looked at Pei Yubai, then at Qiguan Yuan.
Pei Yubai's arm was draped over the back of Qiguan Yuan's chair. Qiguan Yuan's tea was placed beside Pei Yubai, and Pei Yubai's fingers rested on the rim of the teacup without picking it up.
The two people were very close.
Song Zhuangyi's gaze swept back and forth between the two men before he asked, " Xiaobai, is this young friend yours?"
Pei Yubai withdrew his hand from the teacup and placed it on Qiguan Yuan's shoulder. "He's my boyfriend."
Song Zhuangyi looked into Qiguan Yuan's eyes, and Qiguan Yuan looked back at him.
Song Zhuangyi was silent for a moment, then spoke, his tone very serious. " Xiaobai, your son's skill in Go is unparalleled. Don't drag him into your entertainment industry and hold him back. He belongs to Go."