“Hello, is anyone home? You have a package.”
Grandpa Ao ran to open the door.
After some murmuring.
“Xiao Yingzi, the gift Grandpa sent you has arrived.”
Grandpa Ao held a cardboard box in his hands and presented it to Ao Ying as if it were a treasure.
The box moved and made whimpering sounds.
He opened the box.
“A Chinese Pastoral Dog?”
“Didn’t you always want one? Grandpa went to many places to find it.”
“Thank you, Grandpa.”
“Give him a name. The little guy is sneaky and looking right at you.”
“Pointy ears, pointy nose, yellow fur, about half an arm’s length. How about Little Huang?”
Woof—
Little Huang expressed dissatisfaction.
“Haha, just kidding.”
Ao Ying rubbed his nose, “He looks a bit like a fox, so let’s call him Kogitsune.”
Woof woof!
Kogitsune wagged his tail, surveying his new home.
...
At Toya Akira’s house.
Clack, clack...
Ogata Seiji sat opposite Toya Koyo, placing Go stones one by one.
Toya Akira sat in the middle, occasionally interjecting a few words.
“Oh, so something so interesting happened after we left?”
Toya Akira nodded, “Shindo Hikaru reviewed that game of Go with Senior Brother.”
“Here, here, there, there... all were moves he thought of on the spot.”
On the Go board, black stone and white intertwined, like two fierce beasts wrestling and tearing at each other.
“Up to this point, Shindo Hikaru resigned.”
Clack!
Toya Akira placed the last stone.
“The white’s reading... no, the Go intuition is very sharp.”
Toya Koyo swept away all the Go stones and reset the board, move by move.
“The two 3-3 Point responses in the opening...”
“Ao Ying said these are amateur-exclusive moves?”
Toya Akira looked up, puzzled: “Yes, Ao Ying said that, and I also think it makes sense. Father, is there a problem with what he said?”
“No, from his perspective, he is correct.”
Toya Koyo shook his head, “But most professional Go players don’t have that kind of calculation power. Shindo Hikaru’s method is very effective, clear, and won’t Go wrong.”
Ogata Seiji echoed: “Indeed, leaving aside the tenuki, the double hane is very clever and doesn’t lose territory.”
His moves followed Go principles; each move needed to be justifiable. The double hane gained corner territory, which was not a small profit.
The review continued.
The game of Go progressed to a black stone jump from the center point towards the middle.
Clack!
Toya Koyo placed a white stone, a poke, which was exactly Shindo Hikaru’s move.
“Such insight shouldn’t appear in a child.”
“Xiao Liang, in your game of Go with Shindo Hikaru, and Ao Ying’s game of Go with him, the moves he displayed were very old and very solid.”
“It reminds me of someone, Honinbo Shusaku.”
Toya Akira was startled, “Shindo Hikaru’s Shusaku-style formation certainly resembles it, not just a single local area, the entire game of Go exudes a strong retro flavor.”
Ogata Seiji pushed up his glasses, “Interesting, as if Honinbo Shusaku was reincarnated in modern times and hadn’t yet had a chance to encounter new Go concepts, then by chance met you and Ao Ying.”
Toya Koyo glanced at him.
Noticing the gaze, Ogata Seiji said indifferently: “I was just joking. The person who taught him Go must have a deep understanding of ancient Go scores.”
“Father, if Ao Ying had agreed to join the study group at that time, would you have accepted him?”
Seeing this, Toya Akira quickly changed the subject. He knew that once Go was involved, his father didn’t like jokes.
Well, although he usually didn’t like jokes either, he wouldn’t explicitly reject them.
“Yes, Ao Ying’s talent is something I have only seen once in my life.”
“This move, could you have thought of it from the center point stage?”
Toya Koyo placed a stone, black stone sacrifices a stone and presses, a move actually played by Ao Ying.
Toya Akira and Ogata Seiji stared intently at the Go board, pondering deeply.
A moment later.
“I can’t.”
“Neither can I.”
“Teacher, do you think Ao Ying had already calculated the subsequent changes when he played the center point as his fifth move?”
Ogata Seiji’s eyes gleamed.
“As a player, you also saw the opponent’s design afterwards, but you just couldn’t believe it started so early.”
“But precisely because it’s hard to believe, it can be reasonably explained.”
Toya Koyo’s expression was solemn, with a hint of regret.
Clack clack—
Several stones were placed.
“Shindo Hikaru’s Go intuition is above Ao Ying’s. It’s not easy to cultivate this, and the person behind him is very remarkable.”
“As for Ao Ying... his future breakthroughs will be stuck in the area of Go intuition.”
“Unless his calculation power shows an overwhelming advantage, then whether his Go intuition is strong or not doesn’t matter.”
“At our top level, calculation is one aspect, but Go intuition is even more important.”
“Avoiding danger and reversing the situation often rely on a sixth sense on the Go board, rather than pure calculation.”
Ogata Seiji nodded at Toya Koyo’s statement, deeply understanding.
From the review, he was confident that his calculation was not weaker than Shindo Hikaru’s, but his Go intuition was a stark contrast.
“Teacher, I think you can take Shindo Hikaru as your disciple.”
“No.”
Toya Koyo shook his head, “It’s not suitable for me to take Shindo Hikaru; he will be a good opponent for Xiao Liang.”
What kind of father cultivates a super opponent for his son?
Moreover, Shindo Hikaru is very strong.
If he were to take him, he had a feeling that Xiao Liang would live in the other person’s shadow his entire life.
A good opponent?
Ao Ying also said that, Toya Akira clenched his fists, and a burning fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.
Then he suddenly remembered something.
“Father... Ao Ying’s suggestion to you, about breaking through...”
“Seeking change?” Toya Koyo narrowed his eyes, “I will seriously consider it.”
If an ordinary middle school student dared to make such a suggestion, he wouldn’t even bother, but that person was Ao Ying, a Go player qualified to play an even game of Go with him.
Ogata Seiji nodded slightly, thoughtful, seeking change...
He inherited his teacher’s mantle, what applied to his teacher also applied to him.
And through face-to-face games of Go, his feelings were more direct; Ao Ying was unfathomable.
“Ogata Seiji, on my behalf, Go say hello to the Ki-in. Don’t make it difficult for Ao Ying regarding his nationality for the professional examination.”
“Let him Go to Kansai Ki-in. They have a pilot program for foreign Go players there.”
“Understood, Teacher.” Ogata Seiji nodded, “Actually, we could have him take the professional exam at the main Ki-in.”
Toya Koyo displayed several variations, saying calmly: “Those people at the main Ki-in are too conservative; they won’t allow a foreigner to share the prize money.”
At the mention of the main Ki-in, the three fell silent.
Sakura Country’s seven major title matches had a total prize pool of 180 million.
Clack, clack...
In the quiet Go room, only the sound of Go stones falling remained, like raindrops falling into the center of a lake, creating ripples.
After a long while, a calm voice sounded.
“Xiao Liang, for now, don’t study Ao Ying’s Go style too much.”
Toya Akira trembled, “Father, why?”
Toya Koyo said expressionlessly: “His moves are based on massive calculations. Too much exposure early on will damage your Go intuition.”
“Do you want to become a problem-solving machine?”
“A precise machine is indeed very strong for mortals; some people will never be able to defeat it in their entire lives, but a machine is just a machine.”
“The way of Go should not be like this. I invited him to join the study group precisely because I wanted to correct this point.”
“He is still young; it would be a pity if he continues down the path of pure calculation.”