The match was more intense than anyone had imagined. While other groups had already finished their matches, one pair was still locked in a duel.
"Who is that?" someone finally asked.
"The young master from the Zhan Corporation on the left, Zhan Jinzhi. As for the one on the right..."
"Isn't that Qiu Shaoyi? He was the national champion of the children's group in the Go competition last year."
"What?" Wei Yumeng almost jumped up in excitement upon hearing this.
This was just the preliminary round; how could Zhan Jinzhi already be facing such a formidable opponent?
On the board, the two players were still in a fierce struggle, with Zhan Jinzhi currently in a defensive position.
If it continued like this, the outcome was not optimistic.
Zhan Mohan, however, nodded. "This is good, too. Let's decide it in one go."
Wei Yumeng was helpless. Wasn't this making it impossible for other students to compete?
Moreover, this was Zhan Jinzhi's first time participating in such a competition, and he had encountered such a skilled opponent. How could she not worry?
Zhan Shiqing's eyes were wide open as she watched the two, feeling incredibly tense.
From beginning to end, Zhan Jinzhi maintained a composed expression; he never allowed any flaws to show on his face.
Qiu Shaoyi, on the other hand, wore a look of certain victory.
"Junior, I think you should stop struggling. From the start until now, you've only been following my lead. Although you've deliberately tried to disrupt my game with every move, look at your own stones – they're scattered and disorganized, unable to form a coherent pattern."
But Zhan Jinzhi merely replied, "What you see is not always the truth."
Qiu Shaoyi was dismissive; he never believed he could lose.
At this moment, Qiu Shaoyi's parents approached the referee and said a few words. The referee then announced, "Alright, let's take a short break."
Zhan Shiqing immediately ran from the stands towards Zhan Jinzhi.
"Brother, why have you been playing for so long?"
Zhan Jinzhi simply said, "He's very skilled, and not easy to deal with."
"But you're definitely more skilled than him, right?" Zhan Shiqing said with a giggle.
Wei Yumeng and Zhan Mohan also walked over.
Wei Yumeng wiped his sweat and handed him a bottle of water. "This is just a competition; don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
"I'm not pushing myself; I'm actually very excited," Zhan Jinzhi said. "I've never been able to beat Dad, because he's far stronger than me. I'll probably need a lot more time to catch up to him. But playing against Qiu Shaoyi made me realize that our abilities are actually quite similar. The only difference is in our mindset."
He took a sip of water. "His playing style reminds me of myself, which is why I want to try harder to defeat him."
Zhan Mohan patted his shoulder upon hearing this. "I believe in your ability. You have to believe in yourself too."
Zhan Jinzhi nodded.
As Wei Yumeng and the others returned to the stands, she couldn't help but ask, "Mohan, it feels like you already knew Jinzhi would win?"
Zhan Mohan curved his lips. "Yes, that's right. What you see is not always the truth."
Wei Yumeng didn't quite understand, but since Zhan Mohan said so, the outcome should be without any surprises.
Before long, the break ended, and the match resumed.
Perhaps due to the short break, Qiu Shaoyi's playing style became even more aggressive, and his moves were faster.
Zhan Jinzhi didn't fall behind either, countering almost every move Qiu Shaoyi made, blocking each of his stones.
"It looks like this match will take a while to decide."
Some people were already growing impatient.
"Yeah, with this kind of play, one won't win, and the other probably can't lose. If it continues like this, it'll be an eternal match."
At that moment, someone noticed something was wrong.
"Look, is something wrong with the Zhan kid?"
Zhan Jinzhi's condition seemed to have deteriorated significantly. His speed couldn't keep up with Qiu Shaoyi's, and large beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.
If one weren't paying close attention, they might assume the sweat was due to nervousness from being unable to defeat Qiu Shaoyi.
But Wei Yumeng knew it wasn't the case.
"Mohan, Jinzhi isn't well; he seems uncomfortable."
Zhan Jinzhi held a Go stone in one hand while clutching his stomach with the other, indicating the source of his pain.
Zhan Mohan frowned and strode forward, calling for the match to be paused.
"Brother, what's wrong?" Zhan Shiqing asked, her face full of worry.
"I don't know, my stomach just hurts," he groaned in pain.
Qiu Shaoyi, witnessing this, sneered dismissively.
"I think you're just making an excuse to leave because you can't beat me and are too proud to admit it."
However, his words were quickly silenced by a glare from Zhan Mohan.
"I can still play. I will win."
Wei Yumeng felt heartbroken. "Okay, okay, I know you'll win. But this isn't the time for competition. Let's take a break first, alright?"
Soon, the school doctor arrived.
After an examination, the doctor stated, "Based on the initial examination, this student likely ingested something unclean, which caused the stomach pain."
"Is it serious?" Wei Yumeng asked.
"Not very serious, but he probably can't continue with the competition."
"No, Doctor, I can still compete..." Zhan Jinzhi insisted. "Just a little longer, I'll win soon."
But how could Wei Yumeng let him continue like this?
"Jinzhi, nothing is more important than your health right now, understand?"
"Brother..." Zhan Shiqing looked at Zhan Jinzhi with great sadness.
She knew how long Zhan Jinzhi had prepared for this competition and how much he had looked forward to the outcome.
It would be too cruel to make him give up.
Zhan Shiqing suddenly had an idea and stepped forward. "Brother, let me compete for you!"
She explained, "Since Brother can't sit at the board and play now, I'll be your hands. I'll place the stones wherever you tell me to, okay?"
Zhan Mohan nodded upon hearing this. "That's a viable solution."
Wei Yumeng rubbed her forehead. Although the idea seemed feasible, she wasn't sure if the school authorities would approve.
"Are you the person in charge of this competition?" Zhan Mohan found the event organizer. "I think we should have a chat."
The two then went to a secluded corner to discuss.
Meanwhile, another person was watching all of this from the shadows.
"Zhan Jinzhi, let's see how you can compete this time."