On Monday, December 20, 1993, the first game of the 18th Celebrity Final officially kicked off.

"Teacher Chihara, are you okay?"

In Room 1203 of Mehei Qing Inkstone, three people were waiting in the living room, all of whom were staff from the Japan Chess Academy. Secretary Bai Zhi shouted at the closed door.

A few seconds later, the door opened with a creak.

Hiroshi Chihara walked out, wearing a dark green kimono, with almost no decorations such as patterns.

Bang!

Secretary Bai Zhi tapped his palms and said with a smile:

"Teacher Chihara, it's very suitable for you!"

Qianhara Hiroshi said "thank you", packed up his belongings, and said to several people:

"Then let's go now."

...

Today's competition location is at the ANA Hotel in Tokyo, not far from Meguro District. It took about half an hour to arrive at the destination.

When Hiroshi Chihara got off the car, a large group of people had gathered at the entrance of the hotel, including both chess fans and reporters.

Under the escort of security guards and others, he was able to enter the hotel smoothly.

"There are so many people!" After rushing into the hotel lobby, Chihara Hiroshi couldn't help but sigh.

Secretary Bai Zhi next to him said with a smile:

"That's certainly, 'Celebrity' is a long-standing title. It's an extraordinary position in the chess world. In addition, you are the side of the game, so it's not surprising that you can attract such attention."

Hiroshi Chihara nodded, tidied up his clothes and asked:

"Has Senior Kobayashi been here?"

Secretary Bai Zhi asked in a low voice to the people around him, and then replied to him:

“Arrived ten minutes ago.”

Hiroshi Chihara took a look at the time, and it was exactly 8:30:

"Then take me to the game room."

However, a minute later, when he came to the game room, he did not see today's opponent, but instead saw Hideyuki Fujisawa!

He sat next to the square table next to the chess table, with glasses on his nose, browsing the newspaper in his hand.

"Teacher Fujisawa, Teacher Chihara has arrived..." the young man beside him whispered.

Hideyuki Fujisawa then raised his head and stood up while taking off his glasses:

"Chanhara, you are here!"

Hiroshi Chihara greeted him and said curiously:

"Senior, why are you here?"

Hideyuki Fujisawa laughed:

"Don't you understand after watching this scene?"

He pointed to the square table behind him, which was the table used by the referee and the recorder, which lies beside the chess table.

Hiroshi Chihara looked behind him, a man and a woman, obviously only a recorder, so he nodded and said:

"I think I probably understand."

Hideyuki Fujisawa patted his shoulder:

"There are quite a lot of people who have signed up for this position, and thanks to my slutty face, I won it now!

"How is Chihara, how does it feel?"

"Yeah, it's very good." Chihara Hiroshi answered, looked around, but did not see Kobayashi, and asked again.

Fujisawa Hideyuki said casually:

"Kobayashi, I'm in the lounge. Why, I have something to say before the game?"

Hiroshi Chihara shook his head.

"You," Fujisawa Hideyuki patted his back lightly and sighed, "Young people should be more passionate. You are so dull and you are even older than me!"

This was not the first time the other party said that, and Hiroshi Chihara handled it skillfully.

"By the way," Fujisawa Hideyuki said to him, "That kid Li Changmin has also come here. He must have found a room nearby."

Hiroshi Chihara was not surprised:

If he encounters such a game, he will not be indifferent.

A few minutes later, Kobayashi Koichi finally came to the game room.

After a few people greeted him, it was already 8:45, and two chess players sat on both sides of the chess table.

The live TV broadcast is about to begin, and Hideyuki Fujisawa has returned to his position.

At this time, Kobayashi Kwangyi on the opposite side suddenly spoke:

"Kun Chihara, please do your best in today's game!"

Hearing this slightly serious sentence, Hiroshi Chihara solemnly said:

"Of course, I will do my best every game!"

Kobayashi Mitsuichi paused for a moment before saying:

"Hope so."

Hiroshi Chihara was a little strange.

Kobayashi Kwangichi couldn't help but think of the last match between the opponent in South Korea:

The mistake in the middle game is really not worthy of chess players of his level.

At 8:50, the camera turned on.

At 8:55, Fujisawa Hideyuki stood up and started the routine.

...

Meanwhile, in a cemetery in Tokyo.

A middle-aged man sat in front of a tombstone, poured a glass of wine, placed it in front of the altar, and some snacks were placed next to it.

The sky was high and the clouds were light, and the cold wind was already a bit thirsty, but he sat in front of the monument and was speechless for a long time.

Ten minutes later, he made a sound, sighed first, and then said:

"Master, time is so fast. This is the 21st year since you left. Don't blame your disciples for not visiting you often. After all, I live in South Korea, so it's better to be in Tokyo...

"Don't blame Senior Brother Wu and Senior Brother Hashimoto, they are both older, especially Senior Brother Hashimoto. I heard that their physical condition is not optimistic recently. After seeing you, I will go and see his situation again...

"I told you about my disciple before, and now I'm getting more and more helpless with him. This year he has won 12 titles in Korea, and I only have the last 4 titles left. I guess there will be no one left next year. You said, I don't know whether to be happy or depressed with such an excellent disciple...

"By the way, no one has told you yet? This year - no, it should be the second half of last year. A genius chess player in Japan named 'Haoshi Chihara'. His genius, you would never have imagined, was the level of a top chess player when he came out, and it was not accurate to say that. He is even higher than the top chess player today. Today, he will have his game, which is a celebrity battle in Japan..."

As he was talking, Cao Xunzhe suddenly fell silent. After a long time, he sighed again:

"I'm sorry for you. If it weren't for me, you would have witnessed it until now..."

He picked up the wine glass, and the crystal wine was poured on the stone turtle in front of the tombstone like a silk thread.

His master was the Japanese Go master Kensaku Se, who committed suicide after returning to serve for one year in 1972.

Although some people say that his teacher was affected by the suicide of his friend Yasunari Kawabata, Cao Xunzhe understood that he was also one of the heavy "straw".

Therefore, over the past twenty years, whenever he thinks of his master, his heart will be filled with guilt.

The wind became stronger, and there were few people in the cemetery, bare branches and cold stones, all gray tones, which looked extremely lonely.

Cao Xunzhe poured another glass of wine, then leaned back on the stone tablet, took a deep breath, and then said:
Chapter completed!