I'm Really a Superstar

In China.

In the morning, Zhang Ye went outside to exercise.

In the end, all he could hear on the streets and alleys were sounds of discussion.

"The whole Go world is going to get destroyed!"

"This will really look bad on them!"

"Do you think that it will only be the Go world that gets affected? Peter is challenging the intelligence of all of humanity!"

"Yeah, it wouldn't look good on any of us!"

"Will Xiang Rong 9-dan accept the challenge?"

"I don't know. There's been no news from China Qiyuan at all."

"Xiang Rong might not necessarily win either. This AI is too strong!"

"The key issue was that it won so easily. Both the world number two and three suffered terrible losses. If they had been only marginal losses, there would still be some hope!"

The situation was starting to get worse!

The discussions were also becoming more and more pessimistic!

All this was because of humanity suffering a terrible defeat. Admittedly, Xiang Rong 9-dan had still not stepped forward yet. But even though he was at a higher level than Shinji 9-dan and Park Yuhee 9-dan, it wasn't that great of a difference. In the regular international tournaments, even he would not be able to win ten out of ten games when he came up against either of those two, and he would still suffer one or two losses occasionally. The outcome of a Go match was too uncertain, and no one could be guaranteed to always win. If the situation was analyzed from this angle, Xiang Rong 9-dan would probably not be Peter's equal either! Of course, this was just an analysis.

On the way back, Zhang Ye bought two copies of the newspapers.

Flipping one of them open, the headlines were all about the "war between humans and machines." Seeing how the representatives of each country were getting defeated one by one, Zhang Ye did not have anything to say and could only sigh. Then he took a slow jog home to eat breakfast.

As expected, Peter and AlphaGo were the same thing!

In fact, this AI might be even stronger than AlphaGo!

The Go world was in danger!

…

Online.

The call for battle was getting louder and louder!

"Fuck! Fuck it!"

"The Americans are too arrogant!"

"How can you compare the intelligence of humans to a machine?"

"If you think it's so good, why don't you compete with humans on complex reasoning? Compete in art? Compete in creative works? Do you people dare to do that? Using Go to compete with humanity on the intelligence of humans! They were basically targeting us right from the start!"

"The Americans are too abhorrent!"

"Let's win against them! Fuck!"

"Xiang Rong 9-dan, fight it out with them!"

For the past two days, the Americans had constantly been making their stance known. They were very arrogant and were aggressively provoking the Go world. They posted a statement or a challenge almost every few hours. Their eyes were already turning to China. This was because everyone knew that when it came to Go, if China claimed that they were second, no one would dare to proclaim themselves first. In the end, the Americans even called out Xiang Rong 9-dan!

A lot of people to become angry over this!

"Fuck!"

"They're being so arrogant!"

"You people gathered all the Go players' data and analyzed it, then copied all of the matches and game record data into the machine as well. That in itself is already unfair! That in itself is the crystallization of humanity's intelligence. It is the collective acquired wisdom of the Go players throughout history. By using that to fight against us, how can you people still be so arrogant?"

"I'm so pissed off!"

"I don't believe that no one can win against it!"

"Right, I don't fucking believe that either!"

…

At China Qiyuan.

In the Go association.

The courtyard area was overwhelmed with reporters. Many of them had been here since two days ago. Some of them even decided to set up tents and spent entire days there. In the surrounding area, many foreign reporters were also present!

This place had become the center of attention through Asia!

Everyone was watching and waiting for them!

Outside, there were also quite a few Go enthusiasts and common folk holding up signs and protesting!

"Vanquish Peter!"

"Vanquish Peter!"

"Vanquish Peter!"

Their shouts were deafening!

It could even be heard clearly from inside the Qiyuan.

In here, almost all of the professional Go players were present. Some of them had not been home for two days. They stayed up, bags under their bloodshot eyes, to research the games in the Qiyuan, analyzing every move Peter made. This was a catastrophe for the Go world, so who could possibly rest?

Li Yi 9-dan said with a dark look, "It's too difficult!"

Another 9th dan player shook his head. "Peter's data is too complete. Every move it makes takes into account all kinds of considerations. There isn't much hope if we want to win against it!"

Xiang Rong said calmly, "Go and inform the media outlets."

"Old Xiang!" Li Yi 9-dan exclaimed.

Dan Donghe added anxiously, "You must think this over carefully!"

Xiang Rong said, "I've already considered it very carefully."

Chen Ying came up to him. "Brother Xiang, if you accept the challenge and lose, the entire Go world will no longer have a place to stand!"

"Yeah!" Xu Han also said in disagreement, "You're the last line of defense and the last card that our Go world has. If you lose, what will we do?"

"Right, just ignore them!"

"Let the Americans continue being arrogant. We can just pretend to have not seen or heard them!"

"You cannot accept the challenge!"

"Master Xiang!"

"Master Xiang!"

Wu Changhe looked at him. "What do you think your chances are?"

Xiang Rong thought about it and said truthfully, "At most 20%."

20%?

This was as good as a certain loss!

If even Master Xiang himself could say this, then what was the point of accepting the challenge!

Wu Changhe said, "Have you thought over this carefully?"

Xiang Rong acknowledged, "Yes. No matter how it goes, I still have to give it a try. We're at this juncture, so if I retreat from here, that would be even more embarrassing than losing. I cannot retreat!"

Wu Changhe grit his teeth and said firmly, "OK, gather the reporters!"

President Dan Donghe said angrily, "Brother Wu, I am the President of the Qiyuan!"

But Wu Changhe said, "Stand aside! They've come knocking on our doors to seek a fight and you're still thinking of hiding? Where can you hide? Even if we fucking lose, our China Qiyuan will still lose with pride!" Wu Changhe's temperament had always been this way. He was always the aggressive type!

Immediately, some people responded!

"Right!"

"Teacher Changhe is right!"

"We cannot be frightened by them!"

"I don't believe that the machine is really going to be so difficult to overcome!"

"Master Xiang will prevail!"

…

Half an hour later.

China Qiyuan made its announcement!

—Xiang Rong 9-dan has accepted the challenge!

The venue: China Qiyuan.

Time: Tomorrow morning.

Weibo instantly exploded!

"Xiang Rong has stepped forward!"

"Oh God, he's really come forward!"

"This is going to be big!"

"Whoever wins this match will surely send a shockwave across Asia!"

"Master Xiang, you can do it!"

"You're the trump card of the Go world!"

"Good showing, Master Xiang! I was afraid that you wouldn't step up to the challenge!"

"Fight against it!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Unexpectedly, many of the Go enthusiasts from Japan and Korea also sent their full support to him!

From Japan.

"Let's go Chinese players!"

"Thrash that Peter!"

"You can do it!"

From Korea.

"Don't lose!"

"Xiang Rong, avenge us!"

"Show that machine the conviction of us humans!"

A lot of the well-known international professional Go players also voiced their support for Xiang Rong 9-dan. There was an unprecedented show of unity throughout the Go world!

Almost everyone in Asia was on Xiang Rong's side!

…

The next day.

This news had spread everywhere!

The newspapers sold like crazy!

The entrance of China Qiyuan was filled with people from very early in the morning.

"Xiang Rong will prevail!"

"Humanity will prevail!"

There were a lot of people shouting this catchphrase to show their support!

Central TV Sports Channel, Beijing Television, and many other foreign television stations also received the rights to broadcast the event live. They gradually entered the building and waited for the game to begin after setting up their equipment.

No, perhaps this shouldn't be called a game!

This was a war!

A war between humanity and artificial intelligence!

Before the game began, only Central TV managed to secure the rights to a pre-game interview. The person interviewing Xiang Rong was Yu Yingyi.

The live broadcast began.

All cameras focused on Xiang Rong.

Yu Yingyi gripped her microphone and said, "Teacher Xiang Rong, as everyone should already know, you're the number one player in the international Go community. Faced with the AI's challenge, everyone would like to know what your chances of winning are."

Xiang Rong looked at her and said, "The odds are not great."

With that said, everyone burst into an uproar.

Yu Yingyi was also stunned. "If you lose as well, the Go world will have lost its last line of defense. So why did you agree to the challenge?"

Xiang Rong said calmly, "First, I have no reason not to accept. Second, I would also like to play against the computer program. Third, what you said just now was wrong. I could never be the last line of defense for the Go world. Even if I lose, I believe that someone else will step forward to battle against the machine!"

There was still someone else?

There was still someone other than you?

Yu Yingyi said astounded, "Is there really someone who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you in the Go world?"

Xiang Rong smiled. No one knew if his words were directed at Yu Yingyi or to the camera, or perhaps even to the artificial intelligence program. "Never, ever look down on humans!"

The interview ended.

Xiang Rong strode up into the room holding the game and sat down.

A lot of people could not understand what he had just said!

…

Back at home.

All of Zhang Ye's family was watching the live broadcast.

His father said in surprise, "What does Xiang Rong 9-dan mean by that?"

His mother said, "Isn't he the best player in the world of Go? There's still someone else other than him who can play against the machine?"

"Who could it be?" Zhang Ye wondered.

His father said, "Who knows?"

Zhang Ye looked at the TV showing Xiang Rong 9-dan. He suddenly had a feeling that he would not win. He probably knew this himself as well, but still chose to sit down there.

Zhang Ye suddenly gained a bit more respect for this man!

This type of person who would still enter into a battle knowing that he would not be able to win truly deserved respect!

But he wondered who that person he was referring to could be.

If he really lost this match, would there really still be someone else who could take on this AI?

The game began.

However, Zhang Ye quietly walked away. He did not want to watch this, nor could he bear to watch it.

His father asked, "Where are you off to?"

"I'm going for a stroll." Zhang Ye went out. He wasn't a member of the Go world, but he did not wish to witness for himself this darkest day that was going to descend upon the Go world. He did not wish to see all the defeated expressions of everyone. He knew that in this world, there should not be anyone who could win against that machine called Peter.

He strolled about.

He turned in and out of the alleyways.

And had a meal outside.

The television was on, and many of those who were eating were also watching the live broadcast at the same time. Amazingly, no one recognized Zhang Ye.

"Dammit!"

"He still lost!"

"How could that be!"

"Even Master Xiang has lost? Then who can win?"

"Ah, Xiang Rong is requesting for the second game to begin immediately!"

"But why? Why doesn't he want to take a break first?"

"Yeah, why isn't he spreading it out over the day?"

"Continue?"

Zhang Ye looked up at the television.

The first game of the match ended after only three hours. He did not watch how it progressed and only saw the final layout of the board. Xiang Rong had lost by a mere two points!

The second game began immediately!

Everyone was feeling regretful about the result.

"He nearly won!"

"Yeah, it's only two points!"

"What a shame!"

"He's indeed the best player of the international Go world. He's so strong!"

"What's the use of that! He still lost!"

"Let's watch the second game. There's definitely still some hope!"

However, after another hard-fought five hours, Xiang Rong lost the second game. He lost by a mere one point this time. Peter had managed to turn things around at the critical juncture right in the endgame!

Xiang Rong was defeated!

Humanity was defeated!