“Concentration“ Training Base

The "Concentration" training base is located in an inconspicuous gray building in the suburbs, with no sign at the entrance. Every morning at seven o'clock, students arrive one after another to begin their day of "concentration" training.

A-Qiang is a new student here. He used to be a senior executive at a company, but was demoted by his boss after spacing out during an important meeting. By chance, he saw a flyer for "Concentration," and with a try-it-out mentality, he paid a large tuition fee and joined this mysterious organization.

The training content is not traditional Go instruction, but various bizarre exercises. Students are required to stare at a point on the wall for long periods, without blinking or moving. If they lose focus, they are punished with electric shocks by the "instructors." A-Qiang initially found it difficult to adapt. The stinging pain from the electric shocks was unbearable, but he soon discovered that if he truly concentrated, the pain would lessen.

The "instructors" are expressionless, wearing identical black uniforms, like a group of cold robots. They often repeat, "Concentration is the only key to success," as if this phrase has been etched into their bones.

In addition to electric shocks, there are even more bizarre exercises. Students are placed in enclosed rooms, surrounded by piercing noises, and must complete specified Go endgame problems amidst the distractions. A-Qiang noticed that the noises in the room changed every day, sometimes sharp metal scraping sounds, and sometimes irritating baby crying sounds.

The "instructors" tell them that these noises simulate various distractions in real life. Only by maintaining focus in such environments can they achieve success in any situation.

A-Qiang gradually adapted to this high-intensity training, and he found that his concentration did improve. He could stare at a point for a long time and even feel that the passage of time had slowed down. He began to perform exceptionally well in Go endgames, even surpassing some of the older students.

However, A-Qiang also noticed some strange phenomena. Students rarely interacted with each other. They were like robots programmed to repeat the same training content every day. Their eyes were empty, as if they had lost their human emotions.

One evening, A-Qiang saw an older student being dragged into a room by an "instructor" in the hallway. He heard painful screams coming from inside, which then suddenly stopped. A-Qiang curiously went to the door, and through the crack, he saw the older student tied to a chair with a strange helmet on his head.

The next day, A-Qiang never saw the older student again. He asked the "instructor," but was told that the student was "eliminated" for "lack of concentration."

A-Qiang began to feel fear. He realized that the "Concentration" training base was not as simple as it seemed. He secretly investigated the training base and discovered that all the training methods were designed to completely transform the students' brains, making them tools that absolutely obey orders.

It turns out that the true purpose of the institution was to cultivate a group of "absolutely focused" Go players who would participate in a secret Go tournament to win huge profits for the behind-the-scenes manipulators. The students who were "eliminated" had undergone brain modification and become puppets who only knew how to play Go.

A-Qiang decided to escape from this terrifying place. On a stormy night, he secretly left the training base. He ran through fields, crossed small woods, and finally reached the highway.

He looked back, and the gray building still stood silently in the darkness, like a monster with its mouth wide open, waiting to devour more people.

Back in the city, A-Qiang tried to live a normal life. But he found that he could no longer concentrate like he used to. Any slight distraction would make him feel irritable and uneasy. His brain had become accustomed to the enforced high concentration but could not adapt to the normal pace of life.

He would often stare blankly at a point, as if he had returned to that gray building. His family and friends thought he had some strange illness and urged him to go to the hospital.

Until one day, A-Qiang saw a news report on television. In the news, a Go player won the world Go tournament with amazing concentration and absolute obedience.

A-Qiang stared at the expressionless face on the television and suddenly realized that this was the ultimate goal of the "Concentration" training base. He suddenly understood that he had not escaped the clutches of evil, but had become a part of it.

At the end, the enthusiastic voice of the host came from the television: "Let's once again congratulate this newly promoted Go champion. The concentration he has shown is enough to shock the world!" A-Qiang turned off the television, he found that his hands were already trembling slightly, and a strange smile appeared on his face.