Chen Jiaming’s face filled with astonishment at Xu Zijin’s response.
Xu Zijin’s uncertainty carried significant implications—it suggested that, in her view, this Su Yiming might rival Yu Shao.
Previously, Xu Zijin had faced Yu Shao and suffered a crushing defeat. Of all people, she should know best how powerful Yu Shao was.
Yet, even so, her answer was “I don’t know.”
This implied something even more startling—Xu Zijin didn’t believe she could defeat Su Yiming.
Chen Jiaming instinctively found this hard to believe. But after spending a month with Xu Zijin, he had come to understand her character. She was not the type to speak carelessly.
“I only saw one game record,” Xu Zijin added. “And since his opponent was only at an Amateur 5-dan level and it was a teaching game, I can’t fully gauge his strength. But… he’s strong.”
“I…” Xu Zijin hesitated, her expression conflicted. Finally, she admitted, “I couldn’t play like that. So, I truly don’t know.”
Having played against Xu Zijin, Yu Shao knew her game well. Though her skills were still maturing, her instincts were sharp, her sense of the overall board keen, and her judgment remarkably accurate.
In a world without Go AI, Xu Zijin was already an impressive amateur player. While her level might be slightly below Zheng Qin’s, the gap wasn’t vast. Considering that she wasn’t a dojo trainee and spent most of her time on academics, her ability to play at this level was nothing short of genius.
What kind of game could make Xu Zijin admit she couldn’t replicate it?
For the first time, Yu Shao felt a flicker of interest in this Su Yiming.
Unlike Yu Shao, Chen Jiaming and Zhong Yufei found Xu Zijin’s words unsettling.
Their smooth progression to the finals had largely depended on the crushing strength of Yu Shao and Xu Zijin. If Su Yiming was truly as formidable as she suggested, the outcome of this match might be less certain than they had hoped.
“What’s with all the tension?” Zhou De asked, looking bewildered. “I don’t get why everyone’s so focused on how strong Su Yiming might be, as if the finals spell doom for us.”
“Today, nobody expected us to beat South China Third High, yet here we are, storming into the finals with overwhelming momentum. That energy, that vitality—it’s still fresh in my mind.”
“So why is one comment turning this place into our burial ground? Even if Su Yiming is strong, they only have him as their main player!”
“No matter how you look at it, this is two main players against one. The advantage is ours!”
Zhou De grew more animated as he spoke, spittle flying, his demeanor one of a general rallying his troops.
Zhong Yufei shot him an annoyed glare. “Can you just shut up?”
Still, Zhou De’s lightheartedness eased the atmosphere considerably.
As Zhou De had pointed out, even if Su Yiming was an incredible player, Guangzhou Affiliated High had only him. With both Yu Shao and Xu Zijin on Jiangling High’s side, at least one victory was practically guaranteed.
The ideal scenario was for Zhong Yufei to face Su Yiming. Even if Zhong lost, as long as Yu Shao and Xu Zijin secured wins, the championship would still be theirs.
The pressure wasn’t really on Jiangling High; it was on Guangzhou Affiliated High.
“Coach, what’s the plan for the lineup in the finals?” Zhong Yufei asked Chen Jiaming.
Lineup decisions hadn’t mattered much in previous rounds. But now, with Su Yiming posing a potential threat, the lineup was critical.
Though Zhong Yufei had earlier wanted to prove himself, the stakes now made him hope for the chance to face Su Yiming himself.
Chen Jiaming shook his head. “Guangzhou Affiliated High is just as likely to switch their lineup. It could turn into a guessing game, so in the end, it comes down to luck.”
After a moment’s thought, he continued, “Still, we can’t leave things unchanged. We’ll shuffle our order slightly: Yu Shao as the main player, Zhong Yufei as the vice player, and Xu Zijin as the third player.”
The three nodded in agreement.
“Alright, I’ll go inform the referee.”
Chen Jiaming turned and headed back into the venue.
Fifteen minutes passed quickly. Break time was over, and Yu Shao and the others returned to the competition hall.
All other tables had been removed, leaving only three in the center—this was the final battlefield to determine the champion.
The referee checked his watch before announcing loudly, “Time’s up! The finals are about to begin. Will the six competitors please take their seats!”
The six players walked to the three tables, the crowd immediately surging around them, leaving no space for movement.
Yu Shao’s opponent made him pause. It wasn’t Su Yiming but Guangzhou Affiliated High’s third player—a senior boy with a mushroom-cut hairstyle and thick glasses.
Yu Shao glanced to the side. Zhong Yufei was facing Guangzhou Affiliated High’s vice player.
At the third table, Xu Zijin’s opponent in the final was none other than Su Yiming.
Xu Zijin sat silently, her gaze locked on Su Yiming across the board.
Seeing the final matchups, Chen Jiaming’s face darkened slightly. Clearly, he was dissatisfied with the pairings.
From his perspective, the optimal matchups would have been Zhong Yufei against Su Yiming, with Yu Shao and Xu Zijin taking on the vice and third players.
“To reiterate,” the referee said, “each player will have one hour of main time. After that, play enters byoyomi with ten seconds per move.”
“The main players may now determine turn order.”
Yu Shao withdrew his gaze from Xu Zijin and reached into the Go bowl, grabbing a handful of white stones. His opponent did the same, taking black stones into his palm.
Yu Shao released his stones onto the board.
“Two, four, six, seven,” he counted aloud before lifting his head. “Odd.”
The boy across from him took a deep breath, his nervous expression betraying his tension as he opened his palm to reveal two black stones.
The players retrieved their stones and exchanged Go bowls.
“Please guide me,” Yu Shao said, nodding politely.
“Please guide me as well,” the boy replied, returning the gesture.
Yu Shao placed his first move.
Row 16, Column 4—Star Point!