Table tennis: Swinging the racket billions of times, achieving a grand slam

Chapter 402 A newcomer like him is old enough; he should know his place.
"Taking pride in losing?"

Xie Mingyang let out a cold laugh, devoid of any warmth, only burning resentment. "This isn't about the team; it's clearly about one person!"

"You actually agreed to such an outrageous request?"

At this moment, Chen Jin was sitting on the edge of the bed in the hotel room, looking at Xie Mingyang who was filled with righteous indignation, but his face showed no excitement.

He simply gave a faint "hmm".

"you--"

The anger surging in Xie Mingyang's chest felt like it had its outlet blocked, making him extremely uncomfortable.

But, think about it.

He quickly calmed down.

In fact, he could understand Chen Jin.

Even the biggest contributor to the Paris Olympics has been without a competition for half a year now.

Besides, what's so special about Chen Jin?
Throughout history, how many geniuses have been ruined?
Silence, like water hyacinths growing wildly in a pond, permeated the room.

It's been a while.

Xie Mingyang then spoke, breaking the silence: "What do you plan to do?"

"Just like Coach Liu said..."

Chen Jin uttered four words casually, "Be gentler."

"soft?"

Xie Mingyang sneered again, "We both know Wang Chuqin's strength very well. If you play too softly, what if you lose?"

It's worth noting that Chen Jin has never met an opponent since his debut, and has never lost a single match.

Now he's like a big boss with countless experience points; who wouldn't covet him?
Who wouldn't want to be the one to break his invincible record?

Moreover, given TZM's character, he already regarded Chen Jin, who had taken Wang Chuqin's world number one title, as an enemy with whom he had a blood feud.

If Chen Jin were to lose to Wang Chuqin because of this, who knows what kind of public opinion storm TZM would cause.

"rest assured."

Chen Jin's expression was one of unwavering confidence. His voice was low but confident: "Don't even mention letting him win, even if he let the sea win, he still can't beat me."

His tone was flat, as if he were stating an objective fact.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to give it a try."

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Jin's eyes, like a bolt of lightning suddenly appearing in a dark abyss. "When facing a top player like Wang Chuqin and being forced into a desperate situation, can I turn the tide?"

Hear the words.

Xie Mingyang was stunned for a moment.

He opened his mouth slightly, but was momentarily speechless.

There was a pause.

He snorted coldly, "Trying to suffer when there's no suffering to be had."

However, after spending time with Chen Jin, he knew that Chen Jin was by no means a wanderer.

I would never do something I'm not sure I can do.

Since Chen Jin has made this decision, he must have his reasons.

The matter has come to this, and it is useless to say more.

"We must bring the championship back tonight in the final!"

Xie Mingyang stared intently at Chen Jin and said solemnly, "Consider it revenge for me."

"Didn't you say you wanted to take revenge yourself?"

Chen Jin smiled.

"You stab him to death first, then I'll dig up his grave and whip his corpse."

Xie Mingyang said in a deep voice.

"Fuck, so cruel?"

Chen Jin laughed and said, "In a harmonious society, don't be so resentful."

"What good is superficial harmony?"

Xie Mingyang snorted again.

Fortunately, this didn't happen to him; otherwise, given his personality, he would have definitely made an example of those people.

"No matter what, I promise you."

Chen Jin's tone softened, yet it carried a resolute and penetrating force, each word striking Xie Mingyang's heart clearly: "No matter how tortuous the process, this championship will definitely be mine."

……

The men's singles final is scheduled for 7:45 PM.

Before that, Chen Jin still had a few hours to rest and recharge at the hotel.

Half past five.

Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang went to the training hall.

Push open the heavy, soundproof door.

In the rather empty venue, two figures stood out conspicuously.

It was Wang Chuqin and Huang Youzheng.

Wang Chuqin twisted his waist and exerted force, pulling diagonally, and then began to tear at Huang Youzheng with his backhand.

The moment Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang stepped through the door, Wang Chuqin glanced at them.

He paused slightly, raised his hand, and greeted Xie Mingyang: "Xie Mingyang..."

After all, they're all teammates on the Beijing team.

Coach Zhang Lei had given me some advice beforehand.

Xie Mingyang and Chen Jin walked side by side without stopping for a moment.

He didn't even glance at her for a moment, as if he hadn't noticed Wang Chuqin at all.

He walked straight to another empty pool table.

Xie Mingyang's face remained expressionless, as indifferent as ever.

But deliberate ignoring is more hurtful than any words.
Wang Chuqin's forced friendly smile froze instantly, then was covered by a visible layer of gloom.

His lips tightened, and his eyes turned cold.

"Humph!"

He turned around abruptly, went back to his table, picked up the ball from the ground, squeezed it hard, and then slammed it onto the table.

A crisp "snap" echoed in the empty hall, like the pent-up frustration in one's heart with nowhere to go.

After putting down their backpacks and taking out their rackets and towels, Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang jogged around the pool table a few times before stretching and warming up.

Xie Mingyang had just finished playing the final against Wang Chuqin and was very familiar with Wang Chuqin's playing style.

"Wang Chuqin's first three shots and mid-to-close-range fast attack style are specifically designed to counter rallies where players retreat to the table."

Xie Mingyang lowered his voice, "As long as we force him back to the middle of the table and make a stalemate, he will be at a disadvantage."

"Ah."

Chen Jin had already foreseen this, saying, "Then who can hold the mid-to-near positions?"

It's important to understand that mid-range and close-range play is primarily a domain for penhold grip players.

The training hall door was ajar.

Two people stood in the shadows outside the door.

Liu Guoliang crossed his arms and peered through the crack in the door, secretly observing the training session inside.

Wang Hao, standing beside him, also watched in silence, not uttering a sound for a long time.

"Wang Hao."

Liu Guoliang suddenly spoke, his voice low, "Do you know why I wanted Chen Jin to play a bit softer in the final?"

"You have already made your reasons very clear."

Wang Hao's voice was low and calm, revealing no emotion. "The World Cup and World Table Tennis Championships are just around the corner. We need to build up Wang Chuqin's confidence in defending his half of the draw, so as not to repeat the mistakes of the Paris Olympics."

"Not only that."

Liu Guoliang shook his head, "Chen Jin's journey has been too smooth."

"From the selection rounds onwards, we were unstoppable, crushing everyone we encountered, and never lost a single match."

"The fighting style is fierce, but rigidity makes one prone to breaking."

"The halo may be dazzling, but hidden dangers lurk beneath it." "You should know that the pressure of the World Cup and World Table Tennis Championships is different from that of WTT."

“I’m worried that Chen Jin has never truly experienced the kind of desperate test of being backed into a corner in a major competition. If he loses in a major competition, will he be completely discouraged?”

"If we lose a promising young player in our national table tennis team because of this issue, it would be a great loss."

Speaking of which.

Liu Guoliang turned his head slightly to look at Wang Hao, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and continued, "Ma Long's withdrawal from international competitions is a foregone conclusion."

“Fan Zhendong…”

He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, "Even if he can come back, at his age, he'll only be a graduate of Los Angeles once."

"The same applies to Wang Chuqin."

"As for the middle generation of players like Lin Shidong, Xiang Peng, and Xue Fei, it seems that they are far from being able to carry the banner of the Chinese national table tennis team."

"This burden may only fall on the shoulders of the younger generation, such as Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang."

Liu Guoliang sighed, his voice revealing a hint of weariness and anxiety, "I admit that, for various reasons, there have indeed been problems with the development of the men's team."

"Fortunately, Chen Jin's appearance has filled the gaps in the talent pool."

In the shadows, Liu Guoliang's voice suddenly lowered, carrying a hint of fatalistic desolation, "I will have to step down from this position sooner or later, and I have a feeling it's coming soon."

"My only hope now is that before I retire, I can leave more seeds for our national table tennis team."

"Some seeds that can truly take root, sprout, and support the future of Chinese table tennis."

Wang Hao remained silent, his profile clearly defined in the shadows.

Looking at the glaring white hair at Liu Guoliang's temples and the deep wrinkles between his brows, I felt a mix of emotions, and my feelings surged like a tide.

In the end, it all turned into a silent rolling of the throat.

After a long while, Wang Hao said in a low voice, "Those rumors circulating outside... are probably just baseless gossip."

Liu Guoliang's lips twitched slightly, revealing a bitter expression.

He shook his head: "There's no smoke without fire. It's best to keep some things in mind."

"Anyway, I've made all the necessary mental preparations."

Wang Hao didn't say anything more.

Inside the training hall, the crisp sound of ping-pong balls hitting the ground could be faintly heard through the heavy doors.

It's like a rapid yet regular countdown.

Liu Guoliang's gaze fell on the young figure in the arena.

……

It was 8:05 PM.

Chongqing BN District, Huaxi LIVE. Yudong. Venue.

The sound waves at the scene were like boiling magma.

The dazzling spotlights, like a giant silver sword, pierced through the hustle and bustle filled with the smell of sweat and heat, focusing on the deep blue table tennis table in the center of the court.

This tiny space is now the center of the world.

The women's singles final has just ended.

Xuperman, Quan Shibao, Zhang Daozhi... all the major live streaming rooms have already started broadcasting.

Everyone is paying close attention to the upcoming men's singles final.

The match information was already displayed on the large screen suspended in mid-air.

Chen Jin vs. Wang Chuqin.

"One is the fastest and youngest world number one in history, and the other is a former world number one... Tonight's final is sure to be very exciting, and I can't wait to watch it."

On the commentary stage, a voice rang out, "Let's take a look at the previous head-to-head record between Chen Jin and Wang Chuqin... There were two matches, both ending in Wang Chuqin's defeat... Let's wait and see if Wang Chuqin can get his revenge tonight."

"Speaking of which, Da Tou, the number one male table tennis player and the king of WTT, has not reached the finals for a long time. Before the World Cup, Da Tou urgently needs a championship to build his confidence."

Another commentator said, "Chen Jin is a newcomer who has won so many championships. He's got enough. He should know better and let Da Tou..."

The words were not finished.

The commentator next to him seemed startled, his expression changed slightly, and he quickly interrupted.

"Ahem, as you can see, the lights have been turned off. Both teams, please prepare to enter the arena."

"The first to enter is... Chen Jin!"

Under the spotlight, Chen Jin, dressed in a yellow national table tennis team uniform, stood tall and walked steadily as he emerged from backstage and followed the catwalk toward his rest area.

Xuperman's live stream.

Xu Xin had already clapped enthusiastically: "It's been a long time since I've seen Chen Jin play a match. Without realizing it, the young man has become even more handsome."

"Speaking of which, it seems like Chen Jin and Da Tou haven't fought in a long time, right?"

As she spoke, she turned to look at Cheng Jingqi beside her.

"Correct."

Cheng Jingqi nodded. "This is the first time the two of them have faced off this year."

"And it was the first time they faced each other after winter training."

This statement came out.

As a former key player of the Chinese national table tennis team, Xu Xin certainly understood the meaning behind Cheng Jingqi's last words.

Although the Chinese national table tennis team strictly prohibits teammates from studying each other privately, teammates are also opponents.

Under such intense competitive pressure, it's almost impossible not to study your teammates' playing style.

Moreover, since Chen Jin's debut, he has swept the world table tennis scene and has long been a subject of study.

If Wang Chuqin wants to secure his position as the top player in the Chinese national table tennis team, he must regard Chen Jin as his hypothetical rival.

Winter training is the best time to study your opponents.

It is highly likely that Wang Chuqin carefully studied Chen Jin's playing style during winter training.

This Chongqing championship became the perfect stage for Wang Chuqin to showcase his experimental results.

“I’ve watched a few of Da Tou’s matches before and found that his playing style has indeed undergone some targeted improvements compared to last year.”

Cheng Jingqi continued, "Defend the mid-to-close range and use fast attacks to suppress the opponent."

"Mid-range and close-range play? Fast-paced attack?"

Xu Xin laughed and said, "Isn't this our penhold grip style of play?"

"You guys use straight-grip?"

Cheng Jingqi laughed and said, "Brother Xin, didn't you used to shoot from three meters away? When have you ever played from mid-range or close-range?"

"My situation is rather special."

Xu Xin said, "However, on the other hand, Chen Jin's mid-to-close range fast attack is also quite strong, just like a Gatling gun emitting blue light."

"So today's men's singles final will be about who can hold the line between Chen Jin and Wang Chuqin."

Cheng Jingqi nodded and said, "That's right, Brother Xin, who do you support to win today?"

This is a critical problem.

The danger level is no less than if your girlfriend and mother fell into the water together.

As a penhold grip player, Xu Xin naturally leans more towards supporting Chen Jin.

Moreover, Chen Jin is about to become a contracted player for Xuperman.

How can you not support your own players?
However, once Xu Xin openly expresses his support for Chen Jin, it won't be long before his live stream is flooded with TZM comments.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, caught in a dilemma.

After asking the question, Cheng Jingqi also looked at Xu Xin with an expression of watching a show.

"Uh... donkey, isn't this a trap for me?"

Xu Xin immediately realized what was going on, "I need to think carefully about how to say it without offending anyone... otherwise, I'll be trending again."

"I am now just an ordinary citizen of Goose City. Whoever wins, I will support them."

Cheng Jingqi clapped: "Beautiful!"

At this moment, countless comments flooded in, insisting that Xu Xin choose one to support.

Xu Xin seemed not to see the comments on the screen. He pushed up his glasses and stared intently at the screen.

"The practice session is over, and the competition is about to begin."

Xu Xin straightened his back and concentrated, "Let's see who can win the Chongqing Championship, Chen Jin or Wang Chuqin?"

(End of this chapter)