Chapter 121: Passing on the Torch

"I can understand if you say Zhuang Fei is the second generation, but if Fang Haoxin is his great-great-grandfather, then that must be five generations, right?"

Hearing Jiang Xiahua's words, Yu Shao couldn't help but laugh and said, "Wealth only lasts for three generations."

"Then he is also a returnee, so he is different!"

Jiang Xiahua shook his head and said, "Besides, he has been in Seoul for so long, so he should have qualified as a professional chess player there. Why would he compete with us for the qualification when he returned to China? I really don't understand."

At this time, the elevator finally reached the first floor. Yu Shao walked out of the elevator, and Jiang Xiahua hurriedly followed, and the two walked out of the hotel together.

"What about other regions?"

As Yu Shao walked, he asked curiously, "Are there no popular seeded players in other regions?"

Because there are a large number of chess players in this world, and also to encourage chess players from all over the world to compete with each other, a competition zone system is set up. There are a total of five major competition zones: Southeast, North, South, North and Central.

Jiangling, where Yu Shao is located, and the provinces near Jiangling belong to the southern competition area.

This year's Langke Cup Go ranking tournament is also a place for all players whose hometowns are from southern provinces to compete for six professional player spots at the Southern Chess Institute.

Each of the five major competition areas in the country has six places for professional chess players. Together, this means that every year there are thirty people in the national men's group who can become professional chess players.

If we add the thirty places for the women's group, there will be sixty people.

In previous lives, only twenty men could qualify as professional chess players every year, and the number of professional chess players seemed to be even smaller than in this world.

However, considering that the base number of chess players in this world is much larger than in the previous life, if there are only ten more places, the promotion will actually be much more difficult and cruel than in the previous life.

This also means that if an amateur chess player wants to get promoted to a professional chess player, it is actually very good if he can get one or two out of the thirty places.

"I don't care about that. After all, before becoming a professional chess player, you only need to focus on your own region. How can you have time to care about other regions?"

Jiang Xiahua shook his head and said, "But there are definitely some. No matter which division or year, it's not that easy to get promoted."

"This year is difficult, but last year was not easy either. Last year, there was a Zheng Qin in our division. An amateur chess player was so strong that it was unbelievable..."

At this moment, Jiang Xiahua suddenly stopped and looked towards the entrance of the hotel.

Yu Shao was a little confused and looked towards the hotel entrance with a slightly surprised expression.

A young girl with long hair and a pretty face, wearing an off-white short-sleeved top and loose black trousers, dressed very simply.

But even so, she could instantly attract everyone's attention when standing in the crowd.

This girl was none other than Xu Zijin, whom Yu Shao hadn't seen for almost a year.

Xu Zijin also saw Yu Shao at this time. She stopped suddenly and looked at Yu Shao quietly.

After a long while, Xu Zijin finally did not come up to say hello. Instead, he slowly withdrew his gaze, nodded to Yu Shao, and turned away.

Yu Shao was not surprised at this, as it was very much in line with Xu Zijin's personality. She was not the type of person who would take the initiative to say "long time no see".

"She was looking at you?"

Jiang Xiahua was shocked and asked, "Xu Zijin knows you? How does she know you?"

"You know her, too?"

Hearing this, Yu Shao was a little surprised and said, "She is my high school classmate."

"She is Chang Yan's only disciple of the ninth rank."

Jiang Xiahua looked at Yu Shao in surprise and said, "Besides, she is Mr. Xu's daughter and she is so beautiful. When the news that she wanted to be a professional chess player came out a few days ago, the internet went crazy!"

apprentice?

Xu Zijin went to find a master? Yu Shao shook his head, a little embarrassed, and said, "I usually go online to play games with my friends, and I play from morning to night, always thinking about winning the next game."

This matter is thanks to Zhou De and Zhang Wenbo, those beasts! Yu Shao himself felt strange, he was already past the age of caring about winning or losing in games.

But after hanging out with Zhou De and the others for a long time, he inexplicably began to care about winning or losing in games, as if he had really returned to high school.

"Also, who is Mr. Xu?" Yu Shao asked.

"Xu Duanhua, the president of Jinxiu Group, is engaged in real estate development. Some professional competitions are sponsored by the Xu Group behind the scenes." Jiang Xiahua explained.

Hearing this, Yu Shao was a little surprised.

Although it has been rumored in school that Xu Zijin has a good family background, no one actually knows what kind of family background Xu Zijin has.

"Aren't you familiar with each other?"

Jiang Xiahua couldn't help but ask.

"Not too familiar."

Yu Shao shook his head and said, "We just went to a high school Go competition together before, and after the summer vacation, she never came to school again."

The two quickly left the hotel, found a restaurant near the hotel, and ordered a rice bowl each.

However, compared to his liveliness just now, Jiang Xiahua became a little dull because he talked about Zhuang Fei and Fang Haoxin and thought about the difficulty of this qualifying tournament.

Yu Shao didn't know what to say, and the two of them just ate in silence. The atmosphere was a little dull.

"I started learning chess at the age of seven and started to get promoted at the age of eleven."

After a while, Jiang Xiahua finally spoke again, without even looking up, "It has been five years since I was promoted to the dan level."

Yu Shao put down his chopsticks and looked at Jiang Xiahua.

“Every year, Master places great expectations on me, but I always disappoint him.”

Jiang Xiahua was silent for a moment, then said, "Every time I failed to qualify, when I returned to the dojo, my master would not blame me, but would just pat me on the shoulder and comfort me."

"It was like this in the first year, and it was still like this in the second year... Although the strength of Master's pats on my shoulder was actually about the same every time, I felt that the strength was gradually getting heavier."

"Even... now it has reached the point where I feel I can't bear it anymore."

Jiang Xiahua finally exhaled a breath of turbid air and said, "No matter what, I will get the upper dan this year. I don't want to disappoint my master again."

Yu Shao thought for a moment and asked, "What was your result in the qualifying tournament last year?"

"I was eliminated in the finals, just one step away."

Jiang Xiahua smiled bitterly and said, "Except for the first two years, I made it to the finals in the next three years. But unfortunately, I was just a little short every time."

Hearing this, Yu Shao couldn't help but be a little surprised.

Having reached the finals three times, Jiang Xiahua was close to the professional level when he was about thirteen years old. If he had been luckier, he might have become a professional chess player by then.

“I actually wish I hadn’t made the finals in the first three years.”

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Jiang Xiahua's face was full of bitterness. He said, "I can make it to the finals every time, but every time I just fall short by a little bit. It's so uncomfortable, and it always makes me feel that I have made no progress over the years."

"As a result, this year..."

Jiang Xiahua took a deep breath, and the dejected look on his face was gone. He said firmly: "Forget it, no matter what happens this year, I will definitely get promoted. My master is waiting for me in the Xinhuo Battle!"

Xinhuo War? Hearing this unfamiliar term, Yu Shao was a little confused and asked, "What is Xinhuo War?"

"Don't you know?"

Hearing this, Jiang Xiahua was a little stunned, his eyes widened and he asked.

"I don't know." Yu Shao shook his head and told the truth.

"Once you are successfully promoted to a professional chess player, your first battle will be a battle of success."

Jiang Xiahua introduced: "At that time, a combination of a 9th dan player and a 1st dan player will be arranged to face another combination of a 9th dan player and a 1st dan player."

"Go doubles match?"

Yu Shao was a little surprised and asked.

"Yes, a two-person Go match."

Jiang Xiahua nodded and said, "Both sides take turns, the first dan player makes the first move, and then the ninth dan player makes the next move, and the other two players do the same."

"Because the ninth dan and the first dan are fighting together, it represents the inheritance of the torch, so this battle is called the Torch Battle, which is the first battle for all chess players who step into the professional world."

“Although the Xinhuo War is mainly for symbolic significance and entertainment purposes, and is not counted in the official results, it is still very exciting!”

"My master is Zhu Xinyuan, 9th dan. If I succeed in getting promoted to upper dan, my master will apply to form a team with me."

Jiang Xiahua became a little excited and said, "When the time comes, with the tacit cooperation between me and my master, maybe I can defeat a nine-dan chess player in my first professional match!"

Yu Shao nodded thoughtfully.

This kind of competition is refreshing, as there was no such thing in the previous life.

However, the Torch War is indeed mainly in symbolic meaning. After all, two people's ideas about chess may be completely different, and tacit cooperation is required from both sides.

Yu Shao suddenly thought of a question and asked, "But, you have a master, right? What about amateur chess players without a master?"

"The chess association randomly arranges it, depending on which 9th-dan chess player has time."

Jiang Xiahua couldn't help but laugh and said, "This is a major shortcoming of amateur chess players. In the Xinhuo Battle, if both sides are not familiar with each other's chess moves and have no tacit understanding, it will be very difficult to win."

"But it doesn't really matter. The Xinhuo Battle is mainly symbolic anyway. It is used to motivate the newly promoted first-dan players every year. Winning or losing is normal."

The two chatted as they ate, and soon finished their meal. They returned to the hotel and took the elevator to the twelfth floor.

"By the way, I don't have your contact information yet, let's add WeChat."

When the two were about to part, Jiang Xiahua finally remembered Yu Shao's friend, took out his cell phone, and spoke with a smile.

"OK."

Yu Shao nodded, took out his mobile phone, and quickly added Jiang Xiahua on WeChat.

"Tomorrow is the main competition, you should also do your best."

Jiang Xiahua smiled and said, "I wish both of us can succeed in getting promoted this year."

"Okay, I wish both of us can succeed in getting promoted."

Yu Shao smiled and nodded, then said goodbye to Jiang Xiahua and returned to their respective rooms.

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(End of this chapter)