In the afternoon, Jiang Zhida and Shen Chuan caught the fewest fish, even Cen Huai’an caught more than the two of them.

The most fish were caught by Cen Zhengnian, Jiang Zhishu, and Tu Hongxiao, who were the quietest among them.

Zhang Lu and Cen Huai’an counted their fish, and in the end, Cen Huai’an won.

He had Zhang Lu give him five yuan because he couldn’t think of anything else he wanted her to do.

Just as Zhang Lu handed the money to Cen Huai’an, they heard Chuxia and Jiang Zhida laughing loudly.

Cen Huai’an and Zhang Lu instinctively looked back and saw Hua Hua, Blackie, and Huangzi, all five dogs, each adorned with various colorful braids.

They were the most eye-catching sights at the reservoir.

Zhang Lu burst into laughter even louder than Chuxia and the others, and even Cen Huai’an couldn’t help but smile.

The dogs looked pitiful, but they didn’t dare resist their owners, so they ended up like this.

But one had to admit, with the braids, the dogs looked much more refined, like elegant young ladies.

Jiang Weixi, though initially puzzled by the laughter, joined in, giggling along with everyone.

Overall, the outing was a success, and on the way back, Chuxia and the others were already planning their next outing.

After March, Cen Huai’an started preparing for the Chinese Go Association’s Dan Promotion Tournament.

This tournament is held annually, and participants must be at least 5-dan amateur and under 25 years old.

Each year, many players participate, divided into men’s and women’s groups.

The top players are awarded new ranks based on their performance.

Besides Cen Huai’an, Hong Youxuan also participated this year, waiting for Cen Huai’an.

Hong Youxuan said, “My level isn’t as high as An’an’s. I’m not in a hurry to participate if he isn’t.”

After they decided, they often played Go together. Zhang Lu, Jiang Weixi, and Jiang Weixian frequently visited Hong Yuande’s house with Cen Huai’an, making Jiang Grandpa a bit jealous.

“They’re my great-grandchildren, but now they seem to belong to your family.”

Hong Yuande chuckled, feeling quite proud. “That’s because my place is better than yours.”

Jiang Grandpa retorted, “Stop flattering yourself.”

The two elders’ bickering was a common sight, and everyone had become accustomed to it.

They no longer even paid attention.

As the weather grew warmer and the Go tournament approached, Cen Huai’an and Hong Youxuan were well-prepared.

The competition day arrived, and they signed up for the men’s division.

This year’s tournament was particularly competitive, with over two hundred participants, a record number.

These players came from all over the country and represented the highest level of Go players of Cen Huai’an’s generation.

Many people learned Go, but few achieved the 5-dan level required to compete in the Dan Promotion Tournament.

Before the match, Cen Huai’an was brimming with excitement, eager to pit his skills against top players from across the country.

The feeling was indescribable.

Today, Cen Zhengnian and Chuxia came to watch Cen Huai’an play.

It wasn’t just because Cen Zhengnian had time, but he didn’t come very often either.

He patted Cen Zhengnian’s shoulder. Unknowingly, Cen Huai’an had grown nearly as tall as him.

An’an was growing up, and he and Chuxia were slowly aging.

These were subtle changes over the years.

“Don’t be nervous.”

“Mm.”

Cen Huai’an entered the arena, while Cen Zhengnian held Chuxia’s hand and sat outside, showing even more nervousness than Cen Huai’an.

Chuxia gently stroked his hand, trying to calm him. “You know An’an’s level. Be confident in him.”

Cen Zhengnian replied, “I know.”

But the anxiety was something he couldn’t control, and Chuxia could only hold his hand tightly.

She was a bit nervous too.

At this moment, Cen Huai’an had drawn his opponent, a boy from Huai Province, about seventeen or eighteen years old, who looked at Cen Huai’an with curiosity.

He was different from the chess players Cen Huai’an usually saw.

He wasn’t as composed; instead, his behavior and gaze were lively everywhere.

“Cen Huai’an? How old are you?”
“Thirteen,” Cen Huai’an replied. The boy’s eyes widened immediately. “You’re so young! If I compete with you, wouldn’t that be bullying?”

Cen Huai’an glanced at him, picked up some chess pieces, and said, “Go skills don’t depend on age. Odd or even?”

“Odd.”

Cen Huai’an won; he played black pieces and made the first move.

At first, the lively boy felt a bit reluctant to play too aggressively against Cen Huai’an, considering how young he was and that he was older and had been learning chess longer.

Unconsciously, he thought of going easy on him.

However, just a few minutes into the game, the lively boy completely abandoned that idea and played with all his might.

This boy, four or five years younger than him, was surprisingly skilled at Go, and the lively boy looked at Cen Huai’an with disbelief.

But he quickly averted his gaze, too focused to get distracted; otherwise, he wouldn’t win. Despite his full concentration, Cen Huai’an still managed to win by four pieces.

The lively boy had initially underestimated him.

He was no slouch.

Because he didn’t take Cen Huai’an seriously at the start and had held back, it led to him being unable to salvage the game later.

If he had approached it seriously from the beginning, he wouldn’t have lost by so many pieces.

But a loss was a loss, and the lively boy took it well: “Let’s be friends. My name is An Bin.”

“Cen Huai’an.”

“You were amazing at Go just now! How many years have you been learning?”
An Bin was very curious about Cen Huai’an.

Cen Huai’an replied, “I started learning when I was six.”

An Bin’s face showed shock. “I also started at six. I’ve been learning for a few more years than you, yet I couldn’t beat you…”

He let out a long sigh: “I knew I wasn’t talented! My teacher insists I have talent; if he knew you, he would definitely stop saying that!”

As Cen Huai’an exited the competition, Cen Zhengnian and Chu Xia stood up, looking at his face with concern and worry.

“An’an.”

“Mom, I won.” Cen Huai’an’s lips curled upward; no matter the match, he was always happy when he won.

Chu Xia excitedly hugged him: “An’an, I’m so proud of you I don’t even know how to praise you!”

Cen Huai’an’s smile widened again.

Cen Zhengnian patted his head and said, “Great job.”

Hong Youxuan also won his match, and there was a spark of enthusiasm on his face: “An’an, this national-level promotion match is indeed different. I think I’ll make significant improvements after this competition.”

Cen Huai’an shared the same sentiment.

The promotion matches were progressing normally, and both of them participated in every game, striving to improve their winning rates to accumulate points and raise their rankings.

This wasn’t a knockout competition; instead, the players’ rankings were determined by their win rates against opponents, and in the end, the top players would successfully achieve promotion.

In the promotion matches, there weren’t many individual players like Cen Huai’an; most were from provincial teams or the national team.

These players had professional coaches, giving them more confidence compared to Cen Huai’an and Hong Youxuan, who were competing solo.

However, Cen Huai’an didn’t pay much attention to that; he focused on his matches and didn’t notice that his ranking was climbing rapidly.

Many coaches involved in the promotion matches took notice of him.

One coach who recognized Cen Huai’an expressed regret: “What a great prospect for the national team.”
It was a pity he wasn’t pursuing a professional career.

Cen Huai’an was unaware of all this.

He immersed himself in his games and encountered many different opponents, unlike those he had faced before.

Some of them were truly skilled, and Cen Huai’an couldn’t win every match.

He lost once to a twenty-year-old man, and he lost by half a piece.

That man said, “If you had another six months, I wouldn’t be able to win against you.”

But losing was still losing, and Cen Huai’an cupped his hands and said, “I hope we get to play together again in the future.”
The man looked at him deeply: “We will.”

Cen Huai’an wasn’t too upset about the loss; he spent the whole way home thinking about how he could win in such a position, but he couldn’t figure it out.

He was just a little short of finding the solution.

As soon as he got home, he called Grandfather Jiang.

When he returned, the furrow on his brow had relaxed, and he exuded a sense of ease.

“Did you resolve it?”

“Mm.” Cen Huai’an rubbed his spotted head and said, “Great-grandpa taught me how to break the deadlock.”

It actually wasn’t difficult; Cen Huai’an was just too close to the situation and lacked experience.

A little guidance from Grandfather Jiang made everything clear.

Chu Xia and Cen Zhengnian finally felt relieved; they had been worried that Cen Huai’an might be feeling down on the way home.

In July, the promotion matches concluded.
Cen Huai’an successfully ranked second and achieved a professional level, while the man he lost to ranked first in the promotion competition.
Out of over two hundred participants, only the top 20 players successfully achieved promotion, making the ratio quite daunting.

Therefore, some players couldn’t hide their joy when the list was announced.

Others looked dejected, as if they had suffered a heavy blow.

Hong Youxuan also achieved promotion, ranking fifth, while An Bin narrowly made it at twentieth.

He stood beside Cen Huai’an, patting his chest and saying, “I’m glad I got promoted; otherwise, I would have been scolded to death by my teacher.”

Even as the last one, he felt overjoyed.

An Bin also saw Cen Huai’an’s name and wasn’t surprised at all: “If you hadn’t been promoted, I would question the fairness of the competition.”

Cen Huai’an: …

“Thank you for thinking so highly of me.”
An Bin waved his hand: “No, I’m speaking from the heart.”

After successfully achieving promotion, Cen Huai’an felt like he had completed a phase of his mission, and he relaxed completely.

Their high school also had a break, and Zhang Lu wanted to learn swimming and asked if Cen Huai’an wanted to join.

Cen Huai’an was still considering it when Chu Xia directly agreed, saying he could go.
“Staying at home during the summer isn’t much fun. It’s just right to learn swimming for exercise.”