But Zheng Zong didn't regret his decision. He had already learned from his old friend Yan Gui about Xu Lai's world-changing contributions to the medical field. However, Zheng Zong was extremely curious.

He wondered if Xu Lai had taught Ruan Lan and Lu An anything else. He immediately had his student book a hotel for him near Dongli University, as he wanted to see for himself.

Xiao Duo, along with other Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Dan Go players, also booked rooms. They were simply too curious! How many years had it been since the stagnant world of Go had seen new strategies that dazzled the eye and made one's scalp tingle with their meticulous joseki and techniques? If there were more surprises to come and they weren't there to witness them, it would be a terrible pity.

So, veterans and the younger generation of players alike flocked to East Sea City, making the Hua Country Go scene as lively as New Year's.

…

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

The second round of the National University Go Tournament began, with one hundred players competing for twenty-five spots, eliminating seventy-five. What was most puzzling was the group of old men and women in the spectator seats—people who normally wouldn't have been there.

But no one dared to ask them to leave.

They were Ninth Dan masters like Zheng Zong, Xiao Duo, Jiang Nana, Yuan Yizai, and Qing Luyao, along with various professional Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Dan heavyweights. Even the young prodigy Ke Ji, currently ranked number one in the world, sat obediently in the third row. After all, while the grandmasters in the first two rows might not match his current skill, their status and experience were leagues ahead of his.

The contestants looked at each other, all of them stunned. An amateur competition that was practically child's play had attracted half of the Go world of Hua Country... no, half the Go world had come to watch!

"My goodness, they must have heard I'm going to win the championship. Did they all come to congratulate me?" a male player muttered. "To think such a small tournament actually alerted the national team..."

"Stop dreaming," his classmate rolled her eyes. "They aren't here for us."

"Please remove the 'us' and the 'not'," the male player said confidently.

"..."

The discussions were endless. The atmosphere in the venue reached a fever pitch, especially when a group of Ninth Dan masters volunteered to serve as referees for the tournament.

Every contestant experienced a burst of inspiration, playing at a level that surpassed their rank. But the Ninth Dan masters all appeared relaxed, their gazes constantly darting toward the preparation area, wondering why Ruan Lan and Lu An hadn't appeared yet.

Still, there were some promising new talents worthy of attention.

For example, Xiao Ling.

Facing the president of Yanjing University's Go club, an amateur seventh dan, she won decisively, drawing silent nods of approval from numerous professional players. As expected of Ninth Dan Xiao's eldest daughter, she had a bright future.

Finally, as the competition progressed, it was Ruan Lan and Lu An's turn to play.

A group of old men and women immediately crowded around their Go board, shouting, "Make way! You're blocking the board!"

"Zheng, your head is poking me."

"Old Xiao, your daughter's Dong University Go club and the Dongli Go club are mortal enemies. You have the cheek to come watch?"

"I have thick skin."

"..."

It was as chaotic as a street market.

The tournament organizer said awkwardly, "Respected seniors, please take your seats and don't disturb the players..."

"I'm a referee."

"I'm also a referee."

"Me too."

"..." everyone else thought.

No wonder a group of Ninth Dan masters had been scrambling to referee this tournament—this was the reason! At the same time, the students' expressions grew complicated as they finally understood why all the giants of the Go world had gathered today.

It turned out they had come solely for Ruan Lan and Lu An.

This scene made Xiao Ling's face turn cold. Her father had traveled two thousand kilometers from the distant northwest to East Sea City, not to watch her, his eldest daughter, compete, but to see two amateur players.

She felt an inexplicable resentment in her heart!

But soon, Xiao Ling's face turned pale. They were using new joseki—and not just one or two.

The Go styles of Ruan Lan and Lu An were brilliant and unrestrained. The professional players in the room watched with astonished eyes, immediately beginning to review the game in real-time on spare Go boards.

At this moment, these Go fanatics, who had devoted their lives to studying the game, didn't realize they were about to witness history.

The college competitors at the time also didn't know that this would be the last year of the tournament. In the future, it would simply be called the Dongli Cup. The Dongli Cup would go on to become the world's most prestigious Go competition. From then on, the strategic landscape of Go was no longer a three-way standoff between Hua Country, Sakura Country, and Goryeo Country. Instead, Hua Country would lead the pack by a wide margin.

This was because fourteen of the eighteen members of the Dongli Go Club would become Ninth Dan players, each developing their own distinct style of play.

Among them was a female Go Saint with the surname Lu who would dominate the world of Go for a hundred years.

…

「The school infirmary.」

Li Shouzhong and the other doctors had gone to the lab to conduct research, leaving only Liu Nanwei and Xu Lai in the room. The once-bustling office now felt somewhat empty.

Liu Nanwei found it particularly strange. Out of boredom, she looked over at Xu Lai and made small talk. "Director Xu, if I remember correctly, Ruan Lan has a match today, right?"

Xu Lai nodded. "Yeah, you remembered correctly."

Liu Nanwei was at a loss for words. "...Then aren't you going to go cheer for your sister-in-law?"

"No need," Xu Lai shook his head. "Lu An will be the champion of this Go tournament."

"What?" Liu Nanwei was completely bewildered. The second round wasn't even over yet, and the champion had already been decided?

Zhou Feng also found it a bit odd.

A faint smile touched Xu Lai's lips. Compared to his sister-in-law, who was a lousy Go player, Lu An's intuitive understanding was clearly on another level.

And indeed.

An hour later, Li Cheng arrived with good news. "Consultant Xu, President Lu and Ruan Lan have both won two consecutive victories and entered the top twenty-five!"

He paused, then added excitedly, "Ninth Dan Ke Ji, Ninth Dan Zheng Zong, and Ninth Dan Xiao Duo are all reviewing the games and explaining them to everyone."

"Oh," Xu Lai responded indifferently, returning to his National Geographic magazine. He was busy wondering if he should take his wife and daughter on a trip this weekend.

"Ke Ji?" Zhou Feng, who had been an insignificant presence in the room until now, suddenly grew excited. "The Ke Ji? The world's number one prodigy? He's in the gymnasium?"

Li Cheng, startled, replied weakly, "Yes."

"I'm his biggest fan!" Zhou Feng grabbed a pen and paper from the desk, ready to bolt to the gymnasium for an autograph.

But before he could even get out the door, a teenager wearing glasses pushed the door open and asked shyly, "Excuse me, is Mr. Xu Lai here?"

"K-K-K-K-Ke... Ke Ji!" Zhou Feng stammered.

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