Peninsula: Aiming for a Grand Slam

Friday morning.

The second match of the semifinals.

Kim Sung-jun's opponent is a South Korean player, who has already performed exceptionally well to reach this round.

Less than sixty minutes.

Two 6-0s.

When he walked out of the passage, reporters were already waiting—all of them from mainstream media.

SPOTV's

Naver Sports

Yonhap News Agency.

What was originally just an insignificant, unnoticed match was turned into a major event by Chen Jixian and 20 netizens.

The SPOTV reporter spoke first: "Congratulations on advancing to the finals. Two 6-0 scores today! You haven't lost a single game since the qualifiers. How would you rate your performance?"

Kim Sung-jun nodded: "My condition is as expected. The intensity of the competition is not high. What I am more concerned about is how to stay focused in the final."

The reporter then asked, "Your opponent in the final is Chen Jixian, who hasn't lost a single game since the start of the main draw. What are your thoughts on this opponent?"

Kim Sung-joon did not answer immediately, as if he was thinking about it seriously for a while.

then,

He smiled and said, "His story is touching, but it can't help him."

After those words were spoken, the reporters got excited.

He continued:

"A player who has no coach, no team, and raises his own registration fee to compete in the competition can still make it to the finals. This perseverance deserves everyone's respect."

Kim Sung-joon's voice was steady.

Like reading a speech at an awards ceremony:

"There has been a lot of discussion about him online over the past few days. It's already quite remarkable that a 17-year-old can withstand so much pressure and still be able to stand on the court."

A Naver Sports reporter followed up, asking, "So, do you think he'll pose a threat to you in the final?"

"threaten?"

Kim Sung-joon repeated the word.

His smile remained unchanged:

"Tennis is a very honest sport."

"It won't give you an extra point just because of what you've been through or how many people are applauding you. On the court, only the racket can speak."

He paused.

He added a few words, seemingly casually:

"I've played in ATP Challenger tournaments, which are battlefields where you have to fight for every point."

"Youth competitions and professional competitions are two completely different worlds."

"Without being tested by that system, the tennis you play will not be the same as real competitive tennis."

The Yonhap News Agency reporter frowned: "You mean, you and he aren't in the same league?"

Kim Sung-joon spoke gently:

That's not what I meant.

"I'm just saying that everyone's experience is different."

"His experience deserves respect, but tennis is not won by experience, much less by popularity."

"It relies on the skill earned through playing each ball one by one within a formal system. Without systematic certification, it's ultimately just personal experience, not competitive tennis experience."

He paused for a second.

then,

Added the last sentence:

"I'm very happy to see so many media outlets paying attention to youth tennis. I hope the final will be worthy of this stage."

The interview has ended.

Kim Sung-jun nodded to the reporters, bent down to pick up his bag, and turned to walk toward the players' tunnel.

The reporters packed up their equipment and exchanged glances.

Everyone knows that once this report is published, the internet will be buzzing again.

……

……

Liu Zhimin stared at her phone screen, her anger rising sharply.

On the screen, Kim Sung-joon stood in front of the backdrop, his smile gentle and his words impeccable.

What does it mean to "win tennis without relying on experience"?

What does it mean for a story to be "touching"?

You were there for almost two minutes, and did you even mention once who brought these shots to you?

She tossed her phone onto the yoga mat.

Ningning was startled and turned to look at her.

Liu Zhimin's face was expressionless, her lips were pursed, but the tip of her nose was slightly red.

Anger causes capillaries to dilate.

Ningning has known this expression for a long time.

She put down the small fan she was holding, leaned closer, and whispered, "Unnie, who upset you?"

"...Nobody's here."

Are you kidding me?

Ningning glanced at the phone on the yoga mat and decided not to confront it directly, but she didn't leave either.

She changed the direction of the fan, directing it towards Liu Zhimin's profile, as if to cool her down.

Golden winter passed.

She glanced down at the phone on the ground, then at Liu Zhimin's expression.

Then she spoke.

Her tone carried an air of detachment and indifference: "He brought it on himself. What's with all the fuss about looking at an ugly guy?"

Ningning suddenly turned her head and glared at her.

Jin Dongtian is gone, leaving them with only the back of her head and a comment that drifted back:

"Call me if there's anything interesting."

Liu Zhimin ignored her. She sat on the yoga mat for a moment, then bent down to pick up her phone.

She closed the browser expressionlessly, scrolled to her contacts, and clicked on the contact named "Account Reconciliation".

type.

"If you dare to lose, I won't let you off the hook."

……

Friday.

night.

After finishing his practice, Chen Jixian came out of the training field with his ball bag hanging on his shoulder and his hair still wet.

The sparring coach walked beside him, muttering to himself about Kim Sung-jun's backhand habits—

"He likes to push the ball deep into the baseline. When you return the shot with a slice, don't stand too far back, otherwise you won't be able to catch up with him when he comes to the net on the next shot."

He listened and nodded, wiping the sweat from the back of his neck with a towel.

My phone vibrated.

He pulled it out, and on the screen was a message from Bae Joo-hyun.

Four words.

Good luck in the finals.

He stopped, looked down at the four words, and held his thumb above the screen for a second.

Then type:

"Roger."

My phone vibrated again.

This time it's Yoo Ji-min.

It's just a single, nonsensical sentence.

"If you dare to lose, I won't let you off the hook."

Chen Jixian's lips twitched. He leaned against the wall in the corridor and typed: "If I lose, I'll treat you to barbecue."

The other side replied instantly: "Who wants to eat your barbecue? You win!"

He chuckled and pushed open the door at the end of the corridor.

The reporters were already waiting.

Seven or eight people were blocking the entrance, carrying video cameras, holding recorders, and carrying notebooks.

At first, those who blocked him were mostly self-media outlets, but now they are mostly legitimate groups.

The SPOTV logo sticker, a Yonhap News Agency reporter, and a reporter speaking Chinese.

"J.Chen, tomorrow is the final. How do you feel about your performance today?"

A reporter started a small talk.

Chen Jixian placed his golf bag at his feet and said dismissively, "It's alright."

Kim Sung-jun previously said in an interview that tennis isn't about winning through experience, but about winning through hard work. What's your opinion on that?

coming.

Chen Jixian didn't answer immediately; he looked puzzled. "What happened now? Can I see?"

The Chinese reporter took out his phone and handed it to him; the video even had Chinese subtitles.

in fact,

Xiao Chen had already seen it.

The reason for asking us to look at it now is simply to give us more time to think.

After reading it, he looked up, as if he was calculating something.

"1 minute and 20 second".

"What?" the reporters asked, puzzled.

"He's right, tennis is all about playing your own game."

Chen Jixian paused for a moment.

then,

He added:

"But I feel something is a little strange."

"If you look down on stories and popularity so much, why do you stand in front of the cameras that attract these popular stories and talk on and on for a full minute and 20 seconds?"

The shutter clicked and the questioning paused for a moment.

He continued:

"If he's truly aloof, he shouldn't be trying to ride this wave of attention."

"Since you've already taken advantage of this, don't put on that 'I only care about ability' attitude."

"To put it bluntly, what right does a player who can't even support himself have to look down on the fans who support him?"

The reporters remained silent, heads bowed, taking notes.

They made a fortune.

Chen Jixian took a breath.

He added:

"Finally, regarding his system—this isn't tennis, that isn't tennis, only system-certified experience counts as competitive tennis experience.

"I wanted to tell him—a person who truly loves tennis can beat you even if they can only practice against a wall."

Done.

He picked up his golf bag, turned around, and left.