"Let me accompany you to Liancheng City?" Wang Chao was quite stunned. "Senior, don't you know that I have a competition the day after tomorrow, and the competition is very important?"
"Oh, you've already lost once anyway, so what does it matter if you lose a few more times? Are you still worried that you won't make it to the playoffs? Don't worry, your initial points are already high enough. Even if you take half a month off, when Geng Shuai comes back, you will join forces and grab some points in the remaining half a month, which will be enough to enter the top four."
The speaker was Qin Huachang, who is known as the number one coach in Huaping. After getting to know Wang Chao, this boss became more and more concerned about his image. Not only did he eat stinky tofu, but he also put one foot on the chair and swayed around so hard that he couldn't even see.
And the request he made can definitely be described as "outrageous".
Wang Chao sighed and decided to decline, "I am a professional player, I have to ask the coach for instructions."
Qin Huachang had already expected it. He took out a piece of paper from his arms and slapped it on the table. "Look, what is this?"
What was placed in front of Wang Chao was a leave application note, stamped with the stamp of Spade Q and the signature of Fan Xiaoxian. The handwriting looked familiar and was definitely not fake.
But Wang Chao can imagine the complicated mood Sister Xian felt when he was forced to sign.
I didn't dare to offend the boss, so I could only hold my nose and admit that I was unlucky.
"Don't worry, it won't take up too much of your time. If everything goes well, one day will be enough. Even if it doesn't go well, it will only last three days at most. Once three days are over, I promise to let you back."
Qin Huachang reached out and groped in his arms again. After groping for a long time, he took out a document and placed it in front of Wang Chao again. "Look at this again... You kid, I asked you to do something without any hesitation. Do you know how much effort I spent to help you get this thing?"
Wang Chao Looking again, this is an application form, applying for qualifications for the "Sakura Country First T League - Pre-Season Warm-up Invitational Tournament T2 Diamond Match: Sakura Country Station".
On the document, the "Applicant" column is empty, the recommender column is signed by Qin Huachang's name, and at the bottom is the word "Agree" personally approved by the head coach of China Table Tennis Team Cai Guodong, as well as a bright red seal.
Obviously, this thing is real, and it is definitely not something Qin Huachang deliberately created to fool people.
No matter who you are, you only need to fill in your name in the applicant column, and you can go abroad to compete in this competition.
Being able to get head coach Cai Guodong to sign and stamp this blank application form in advance is no joke.
Wang Chao became serious and said softly, "T2 Diamond Series..."
He is not unfamiliar with this competition, because in the past month, news about T2 Diamond Series has triggered a lot of discussion on Silver Ball Dance Forum.
If I must give a definition, this is a rather strange game.
The initial cause of the matter can be traced back to last spring, starting with Super League from China.
Table tennis masters from various countries have always had the practice of entering China for training, because China Super League is recognized as an international league with the most masters, the highest average strength, and the most tactical schools in the world.
For many years, there have been rumors in the table tennis world: The player who can win the Super League Most Valuable Player of the Year must be the number one player in the world that year.
In the outside world, the three major events of Olympic Games, World Table Tennis Championships and World Cup are of course the most concerned about, but in the industry, the Table Tennis Super League MVP is even more valuable than the Olympic champion of that year.
Three years ago, Sun Tianlong won the Olympic championship, but because he participated in too many international competitions that year, Table Tennis Super League's attendance rate was insufficient. In the end, the Table Tennis Super League annual championship was won by the Imperial Capital Panlong team, and the MVP was won by Dragon Team's single Xiao Fei.
Although Dragon Team met Xiao Fei three times that year and won without any suspense, but just because Xiao Fei won the title of Most Valuable Player of the year, many celebrities in the world table tennis still felt that Xiao Fei might be the world's number one player that year.
Their reason is also very simple. "Xiao Fei was originally ranked second in the world, and the gap with Dragon Team was very small. However, Super League was too strong and his opponent was too strong, which caused Xiao Fei to consume a lot of energy. There is no time to analyze Sun Tianlong, this is the reason why Sun Tianlong can defeat Xiao Fei."
This reason seems biased to Wang Chao, but it does confirm two facts from the side.
First, Super League is extremely powerful, far exceeding the World Series. After all, except for those few seed players, everyone else you encounter in the world is a rookie, while Table Tennis Super League basically has no weaklings. Each team's orders are of a real national team level. If you don't pay attention, you will get a big upset.
Secondly, Super League's MVP player of the year is so valuable that even foreign players have unanimously recognized it. They value this title even more than the Chinese.
As for why?
The answer is also very simple: every foreign player is extremely eager to win the title of China's Table Tennis Super League annual mvp. This is a lifetime honorary award in their minds, which means that they defeated most of the players of the Chinese national team that year.
However, it is a pity that in the past twenty years Table Tennis Super League, no foreign player is still qualified to claim this title.
ok, enough gossip, let's get back to T2 Diamond Series.
Last spring, one week before the Table Tennis Super League spring competition was about to start, Huaguo suddenly made an emergency decision and rejected the application of several table tennis players from Sakura Country.
Previously, Huaping had always been open and inclusive, allowing players from all over the world to come and play in our country.
The inside story of this resolution is currently unknown to the outside world, but it is undeniable that this incident deeply stimulated the Sakura Country Table Tennis Association.
At that time, Sakura Country began to vigorously develop table tennis across the country, and it was gradually showing signs of rising, especially Sakura Country women's table tennis, with many experts emerging. After being rejected by Huaping, public sentiment in Sakura Country was raging, with various petitions, and even the slogan "Without its own league, we will never be able to stand upright."
Finally, Sakura Country Table Tennis Association came up with a bold idea: to organize its own world-class table tennis professional league.
This proposal initially encountered some resistance and was shelved for nearly a year. It was not until August this year that it was picked up again due to the stimulation of something, and subsequently won the public support of almost all professional players in Sakura Country.
So the Sakura Country Table Tennis Association began to do things with a high profile. They recruited troops, attracted investment, and invited players from all over the world to play in China. After receiving financial support from several major multinational companies, they offered high invitation fees that were difficult to refuse to all foreign players who were willing to play in Sakura Country.
The league they are preparing is tentatively named T League.
But Sakura Country far overestimated his influence.
In the world table tennis world, China is the dominant player in Asia. In addition, although there are gaps between Bay Island, Minato, Sakura Country, and Kimchi Country, they are generally on the same level. The Peacock Country, who is also the first-level player, has been gradually catching up in recent years.
In Europe, Germany is in the only bracket due to the existence of Uncle Bai. In addition, England, Sweden, Hungary, Greece and other countries have their own advantages and disadvantages, and they are probably in the same bracket.
But no matter how they are ranked, Sakura Country will not be ranked for the time being. Even if they offer high invitation fees, there are still very few famous players who are really willing to leave their motherland to play for Sakura Country.
What to do?
Sakura Country Table Tennis Association finally thought of a rather strange method.
Don't you think the league schedule is too long and you can't bear it? Okay, let's do a short one first to warm you up, and then come to our Sakura Country to experience the living environment and accommodation conditions here.
We have hot springs, animation culture, cute Sakura girls and colorful nightlife. Maybe you changed your mind after you came and thought the environment was good?
As a result, the thing called "T2 Diamond Match" that Wang Chao saw at the moment came into being.
The first T2 Diamond Match, and most likely the only T2 Diamond Match, is planned to be divided into three stops. Each stop only takes three days, and the three stops will be held in three different cities within Sakura Country.
The entire Diamond Tournament costs a total of 1.5 million U. S. dollars, with a total bonus of 500,000 U. S. dollars at each stop. All contestants have money to get. As long as they participate in the competition, no matter whether they are a piece of shit or a super player, they all have money. The only difference is how much.
This is really taking the money offensive to the extreme.
In other words, as long as you are willing to make this trip, you can go back after staying for three days. If you don't want to play hard, it doesn't matter. We will pay you even if you lose, just treat it as a tourist.
Would you do such a good thing?
In Europe, except for the top players from traditional powers such as Germany and Switzerland who were unwilling to give in for five buckets of rice, everyone else was tempted.
On the Asian side, Huaping simply said two words: not going.
Huaping is different from other countries. Our table tennis is based on a national system. Even if athletes retire, the country will provide them with worry-free rest of their lives. Relatively speaking, the money is really not worth it. Moreover, the Huaping players all obey the collective. Cai Guodong feels that this is a loss of status, so even if everyone wants to go, they have to hold it in.
But the doubts in Wang Chao's heart at this moment are not here yet.
"If I remember correctly, the competition format on the forum is clearly written. T2 Diamond Series is an invitational tournament, and the participants are the top 15 players in the current men's and women's world rankings. I have never played in the World Series, and I am not even ranked. What's the use of doing this for me?"
Qin Huachang smiled.
"Boy, don't you understand this?" Qin Huachang pointed to the northeast, which is where Sakura Country is. "Do you know what they are most afraid of when holding this competition?"
Wang Chao thought for a moment and came to some understanding, "What are you most afraid of is that our Huaping team won't send anyone?"
"That's right." Qin Huachang clapped his hands. "If you put all the table tennis masters from all over the world together and formed a team, they still can't beat our Huaping family. What do you mean, if we don't participate, they are just fooling around? What kind of world invitational tournament is this?"
Wang Chao blinked, thought about it again, and figured it out.
If he was not the national table tennis coach in his previous life, it would not be easy for him to figure out some joints, but now, with just a reminder from Qin Huachang, he can figure out the entire process.
It should be like this.
First of all, among the top fifteen of Men's Singles, Huaping accounts for seven, and among them, the five main players are all ranked in the top ten.
If these seven do not participate, Sakura Country will have to step up from behind and add more players. Among the players ranked 16 to 22 in the world, there are two more Chinese.
Cai Guodong has spoken, which Chinese player dares to participate without authorization? Therefore, Sakura Country people can only continue to add more.
But no matter how they make up for it, even if it is the turn of the Chinese players, no one will dare to go.
So in the end, the Sakura Country Table Tennis Association had to go directly to the Chinese Table Tennis Association and ask for cooperation.
Then Chinese Table Tennis Association had something to say.
"This competition of yours is very fancy and has a lot of weird rules. It's unreasonable and illegal. It's too cheap to participate, so I won't go."
Then he paused for a moment and turned a corner. "Unless... we let ourselves assign young players to go there, just to see the world and meet the masters from other countries."
Sakura Country Table Tennis Association is naturally not happy. After all, everyone else is here with veteran and famous players. What does it mean if you send a few young players there?
But at this moment, everyone is a slave, and I am a fish. They have no choice but to compromise in the end. "Okay, you can assign your own personnel, but please respect our rules a little. Please be sure to send players who have participated in the World Series, and at least have a world ranking, otherwise it will be difficult for us to do it."
Chinese Table Tennis Association said nothing and said directly to see the guest off, "I'm sorry, our young player has never played in the World Series. You'd better please come back."
Sakura Country Table Tennis Association must be a little sad and angry, but in the field of table tennis, Huaping is too powerful. They really can't afford to offend, and they can't afford the consequences of not having Chinese players participating, so in the end, they compromised.
"Come on, come on, come on. You can send whoever you want. In order to get T League done, we will swallow this grievance ourselves."
Wang Chao picked up the application form on the table, read it carefully, and said, "Who else is there besides me?"
Although it is a relatively trivial cup competition, since it is recognized by International Table Tennis Federation, the results of this competition are related to the individual's international ranking and Huaping's external record and face. Wang Chao knows these things clearly, and he must ask clearly.
Qin Huachang said lazily, "There are two more, one First Team and one National Second Team, you don't even recognize them."
Wang Chao asked again, "Then if I go to the competition... are there any ranking tasks?"
Qin Huachang was a little surprised and glanced at him. "Okay, you have thought of this. Did Old He tell you... Don't worry, this time is purely to see the world, and none of the three of you have any ranking requirements."
Wang Chao felt relieved, borrowed a pen from Qin Huachang, filled in his name carefully, folded the application form, and handed it back to Qin Huachang. He regained his relaxed expression and said with a smile, "Let's go to Liancheng City."
"You kid!" Qin Huachang couldn't help but glare at him. "It's true that you don't let go of the rabbit before you see the rabbit. Just now you looked reluctant, but now that you've got an advantage, you immediately become active."
I have modified the t2 Asia-Pacific Table Tennis League. For those who are knowledgeable, please don't mind. It is a useless event anyway. I will not write about it in the future. I will just use it casually.