Moreover, joining the provincial team would involve many competitions, including traveling to other cities and even abroad.

Cen Huai’an was still too young, and Chu Xia was not reassured.

Later, as Cen Huai’an participated in fewer competitions, the provincial team lost interest in him.

When he entered the venue for this tournament, his coach, who had always been optimistic about Cen Huai’an, kept his eyes fixed on him.

Each game he watched only made him more excited.

National team coaches who knew him noticed his intense focus on this one player and naturally paid more attention.

Cen Huai’an’s game strategies, his mindset and approach were all extremely stable, far surpassing his peers.

Moreover, he continued to improve.

Such a player seemed to be born for Go, and both the provincial and national teams were missing such a talent!

Therefore, after the day’s games ended, when Cen Huai’an was heading towards Grandpa Jiang and Jiang Zhida, he was intercepted by two coaches—one from the provincial team and one from the national team.

Both asked if he wanted to join, offering various benefits with no conditions attached.

“We offer free accommodation and meals, a monthly salary, and bonuses for winning matches. In the national team, you’ll have a dedicated coach to guide your Go skills and a specialized doctor to take care of your health.”

Besides these, there were other enticing benefits.

Seeing the national team coach also competing for Cen Huai’an, the provincial team coach, who frequently supplied talent to the national team, also helped persuade Cen Huai’an.

The benefits were tempting: various honors, substantial prizes, and the chance to participate in international competitions to bring glory to the country.

However, Cen Huai’an’s expression remained unchanged, and there was no sign of wavering in his eyes.

He shook his head and said, “Thank you for the invitation, but this is something I need to discuss with my parents.”

The coaches slapped their foreheads, realizing they had acted hastily.

They were afraid he might leave, so they rushed over.

Given his young age, they knew they should first consult his parents and seek their consent.

“Did your parents come with you today?”

“No.”

Seeing Grandpa Jiang and Jiang Zhida waving to him from outside the venue, Cen Huai’an turned and said, “My family is calling me.”

He then nodded and ran towards Grandpa Jiang and Jiang Zhida.

The coaches hurried to follow.

They knew Grandpa Jiang and had interacted with him many times.

“Grandpa Jiang.”

Grandpa Jiang raised his hand to stop them from speaking. “I understand your intentions. Whether my great-grandson joins your team or not depends on his parents. Talking to me won’t help.”

The provincial and national team coaches had to leave, but they hadn’t given up. Cen Huai’an was too promising a talent to let go.

By the time Cen Huai’an got home, the sky had darkened.

It was deep autumn, and the days were getting shorter and nights longer.

Jiang Zhida had brought him home and was about to leave when Cen Zhengnian stopped him. “Dinner is ready. Stay and eat before leaving.”

Jiang Zhida ruffled his short hair. “Then I won’t be polite!”

He said, heading into the house without a hint of hesitation.

Three dogs came running to greet their master.

Jiang Zhida stood beside Cen Huai’an, petting the dogs along with him.

“Spots has grown well, looking spirited! An An, Yunmengze’s Little Black is too lonely. Can you give me Spots?”

Cen Huai’an hugged Spots’ head. “No, he’s used to being at my house.”

He didn’t want to part with any of his dogs—Blackie, Yellowie, or little Spots.

Jiang Zhida looked regretful.

He had hoped to get a descendant of Black, but for the health of Black and Yellow, Chu Xia had had them sterilized.

In her previous life, she was a surgeon and had researched some veterinary books, so the procedure was straightforward for her.

Previously, she hadn’t graduated from university and lacked the means to sterilize the dogs.

Now, working in a hospital with medical qualifications, she acquired the necessary equipment and performed the surgery with ease.

The two dogs recovered well, so getting a descendant of Black was no longer possible.

Jiang Zhida always felt regretful whenever he visited, enviously eyeing Spots.

After dinner and seeing Jiang Zhida off, Cen Huai’an took the initiative to speak with Chu Xia and Cen Zhengnian.

Chu Xia turned off the TV, pulled Cen Zhengnian to sit beside her, and both looked at Cen Huai’an with serious expressions. “What do you want to discuss with us?”

Cen Huai’an recounted what his homeroom teacher had said and the offer from the two coaches.

“Mom, Dad,” Cen Huai’an’s eyes showed confusion, “I don’t know which path to take in the future.”

Chu Xia and Cen Zhengnian exchanged glances.

This was indeed a significant and tricky issue.

The direction of Cen Huai’an’s future life might be decided today, making Chu Xia’s heart race.

“You speak first,” Chu Xia nudged Cen Zhengnian.

“An An,” Cen Zhengnian began, organizing his thoughts. “I previously talked about pursuing my dreams.”

Unlike An An, who hadn’t decided yet, Cen Zhengnian had known early on what he wanted to do and had worked towards that goal.

“In considering your future, you should first think about your interests. Whether it’s mathematics, Go, or something else, as long as you enjoy it and want to do it, your mom and I will support you. But I understand you’re confused about how to choose between two interests you enjoy.”

Cen Huai’an nodded; indeed, his confusion lay in this choice.

Cen Zhengnian continued, “Let me explain the future paths for mathematics and Go. Mathematics is a fundamental subject used in many jobs, including my own. If you want to engage in research in the future, mastering mathematics is essential. On the other hand, a career in professional Go has a different trajectory. It involves participating in numerous competitions, and after retiring, you would likely work as a coach or in another Go-related role.”

After Cen Zhengnian finished, Chu Xia nodded in agreement. “Your father’s analysis is accurate. Now, you need to decide which direction you want to take.”

Cen Huai’an thought for a moment and said, “I don’t want to pursue a professional Go career. I enjoy Go for the process of playing with others. If I had to study Go and compete every day, it wouldn’t be the life I want.”

Chuxia and Cen Zhengnian understood that An’an treated Go as a hobby.

Whenever he felt inspired, he would participate in competitions and play against others, without wanting to dedicate all his time to it.

“Then you should just refuse the national team coach tomorrow. Joining the national team means committing to a professional Go career,” Chuxia suggested.

“Mm!” Cen Huai’an nodded firmly.

He had resolved a question that had troubled him for a day, and he felt a sense of relief wash over him.

The next day, when Cen Huai’an turned down the national team coach, the coach expressed regret. “Are you really not coming to the national team? With your talent, you would surely shine there.”

Cen Huai’an shook his head resolutely. “Coach, I don’t want to pursue a professional Go path.”

The coach was about to persuade him further, but the competition was about to start, and Cen Huai’an needed to head in.

Grandpa Jiang stopped the coach, saying, “You don’t need to convince my great-grandson any longer. Since he has made his decision, he won’t change it.”

Though the national team coach felt regret, he respected the child’s decision with the support of the adults.

Today, at the Hongsheng Cup Go competition, the number of remaining players was even fewer, and they would be competing for the top three spots.

Cen Huai’an felt even better than yesterday—relaxed and steady.

No matter how tough the opponents were, he remained calm and collected, never rushing his moves.

This mindset led him to victory in every match, while Hong Youxuan had already lost one.

Cen Huai’an was still unbeaten.

In the end, only four players remained in contention for the top spots, with Cen Huai’an and Hong Youxuan claiming two of them.

This round of the competition offered no second chances; it was a knockout format, and Cen Huai’an’s first match was against Hong Youxuan.

Hong Youxuan smiled gently at Cen Huai’an. “I was hoping not to face you first, but here we are.”

Cen Huai’an replied, “Brother Youxuan, we would face each other eventually.”

Hong Youxuan added, “Then I hope it’s in the last match.”

Despite their words, the matchups were set, and both Cen Huai’an and Hong Youxuan prepared mentally for their duel.

Neither of them knew how many games they had played against each other, but they were very familiar with each other’s styles, making this match particularly challenging.

Their intense battle attracted the attention of many judges and spectators, who nodded in approval as they watched, frequently praising both players.

In the end, Hong Youxuan lost by just one piece.

Cen Huai’an bowed to him, saying, “Thank you for the match.”

Hong Youxuan smiled sincerely and said, “An’an, I hope you win the championship.”

Cen Huai’an thought to himself that he also hoped to win, especially since the championship came with a substantial prize!

Unbeknownst to Hong Youxuan, Cen Huai’an’s desire for victory was quite simple.

He continued playing against another defeated player, vying for third place, while Cen Huai’an faced the winner for the championship.

Cen Huai’an’s opponent was the quiet girl he had played against before.

She frowned at him, her eyes shining with determination: this would be a tough match.

“I didn’t expect my previous words to come true so quickly,” she remarked, wanting to face Cen Huai’an again after she had improved her skills.

However, with only two days between matches, the quiet girl lacked the ability to rapidly elevate her game.

Before the match even began, she could already foresee the outcome.

Nonetheless, she refused to give up easily and brought her best level to the game.

“Perhaps I’ve truly improved these past two days,” she told Cen Huai’an. “It’s not certain that I’ll lose.”

Cen Huai’an remained vigilant as well.

He had found the previous match challenging, and he felt the same about this one.

If he let his guard down simply because he had won before, he would surely lose this game.

Several judges stood behind Cen Huai’an and the quiet girl as they played.

One by one, they captured each other’s pieces, with moments of hard-fought battles alternating between offense and defense.

For a while, even the judges couldn’t tell who would ultimately win.

The match stretched out over a long period.

As they reached the final time limit set for the rounds, Cen Huai’an finally managed to defeat the quiet girl, winning by just one piece.

“Ah, it seems I’m still lacking in skill,” she sighed, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief as she surveyed the board.

“Let me introduce myself. My name is Ruan Luoyao.”

“Cen Huai’an.”

Cen Huai’an shook her hand.

He enjoyed the process of playing against Ruan Luoyao; it felt like competing against a worthy opponent, and he always learned something new when they played.

Today, Cen Huai’an felt his performance was still not perfect; he had much room for improvement.

“I’ll repeat what I said last time: I hope to have the chance to play against you again in the future. Maybe then I can win,” she said.

Cen Huai’an responded, “I won’t let you win.”

He was also determined to improve his skills.

Regardless of others’ opinions, Cen Huai’an’s goal in enhancing his abilities was not just to win games but also to have more opportunities to compete against formidable opponents.

The championship prize for the Hongsheng Cup was quite substantial. While it couldn’t compare to some international tournament prizes, it was still among the higher end for domestic competitions, totaling eight thousand yuan.

Cen Huai’an stood on the awards podium with a thick envelope of prize money, a smile spreading across his face as he posed for photos.

Upon returning home, he placed the prize money on the table for Chuxia and Cen Zhengnian to see. “Mom, look at my prize money! It’s a lot!”

When Cen Huai’an received the prize money, he had asked Hong Youxuan about the rewards for larger tournaments.

After hearing about it, he felt a rush of excitement and wanted to participate in more competitions because the prizes were simply too tempting.

However, Cen Huai’an was rational enough to suppress his eagerness for money.

He thought he would have another opportunity to compete later; for now, he had enough money.

“An’an, you did amazing!” Chuxia exclaimed, her pride evident.

Cen Huai’an’s smile widened in response.

“Mom, this is for you,” he said, handing the money to her.

Chuxia was taken aback and didn’t accept it right away.

She had never expected that her money-loving son would give all of it to her.

“Are you really giving me all eight thousand?”

“Mm!” Cen Huai’an nodded. “For you to buy a siheyuan.”

He understood that he could earn money through Go competitions, and if he ever needed money in the future, he could just participate in more tournaments.

Chuxia felt a mix of emotions in her heart, feeling warm and proud, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

She blinked hard to hold back her tears and said, “Well, I won’t be polite then. Don’t feel reluctant to give it.”

Cen Huai’an glanced at the envelope one last time and turned his head away, unwilling to look at it further.

He was truly reluctant to part with it.

“Mm.”