Recaps

Wang Chao switched to a left-handed shakehand grip and overwhelmed Wu Li with a fluid two-wing topspin attack, taking a 3:0 lead. Watching him, He Jingping recognized the seamless transitions he had once failed to bring out in Luo Jiu and remembered how that failure had led him to resign and leave for Jiangcheng.

• Wang Chao used a chopping serve, then attacked from both wings to beat Wu Li and take a 2:0 lead.
• Wu Li served short backspin, but Wang Chao used a scoop hook to send the ball deep to Wu Li’s forehand and set up another barrage.
• Wang Chao smashed past Wu Li on the seventh shot to take a 3:0 lead.
• He Jingping watched Wang Chao’s fluid transitions and recalled coaching Luo Jiu through a rigid two-wing topspin system.
• He Jingping remembered Luo Jiu’s struggles against top opponents, his own breakdown after Luo Jiu’s loss, and his decision to resign and leave for Jiangcheng.

Wang Chao crushed Wu Li after switching to his left hand, revealing his inherited skills and convincing the coaches that he was far beyond city-team level. The match ended with Wang Chao set to keep training with Li Shaoqin while Jiang Long worked to secure him a winter training slot.

• Wang Chao won the second game against Wu Li 11:0, leaving He Jingping and Luo Zhihong baffled by his sudden left-handed dominance.
• Wang Chao recalled that he had been left-handed for forty years in his previous life and had secretly practiced with his left hand since arriving at the team.
• Jiang Long accepted that Wang Chao could not be held back and planned to call other coaches to free a winter training spot for him.
• Wang Chao beat Wu Li 4:1, taking the remaining games 11:2, 11:3, and 11:0.
• Luo Zhihong admitted the base might not have a suitable practice partner for Wang Chao, and Wang Chao chose Li Shaoqin to keep training with him.

After Wang Chao’s dominant victory over Wu Li, He Jingping sent the match to his estranged student Luo Jiu, who realized Wang Chao was not He Jingping’s disciple. The recording stirred up interest in signing Wang Chao, while Jiang Long and Luo Zhihong separately moved to secure his place on the provincial team.

• He Jingping sent Luo Jiu a recording of Wang Chao’s match against Wu Li and called him for the first time in three years.
• Luo Jiu assumed Wang Chao was He Jingping’s secret disciple, but He Jingping explained that Wang Chao had no connection to his coaching style.
• Luo Jiu urged He Jingping to offer Wang Chao guidance and agreed to play Sun Tianlong so He Jingping could use the result to approach Wang Chao.
• Luo Jiu showed the recording to Fan Xiaofan, who recognized Wang Chao’s potential and began making calls to sign him for the struggling Black Spade Q Club.
• Jiang Long secured a recommendation slot and planned to notify Wang Chao the next morning, while Luo Zhihong emailed the provincial team a request to recruit Wang Chao early.

After finishing his match, Wang Chao joined his classmates’ group chat and tried to encourage his friends after their first college entrance exams. That night, he watched Bayer take the opening game of the World Cup final against Lin Li, leaving Lin Li under pressure after Bayer punished his impatience with two powerful attacks.

• Wang Chao called Liu Yue, Hou Xiaojian, and Han Feng, who worried about their exams and invited him to join Zhou Zhen’s class group.
• Wang Chao told the group he had beaten the former first-place player, but his classmates thought he was joking.
• Wang Chao and the others watched the World Cup final between Bayer and Lin Li after the women’s singles final.
• Lin Li attacked forcefully while Bayer defended carefully, and Wang Chao recognized that Lin Li was becoming impatient.
• Bayer stepped around Lin Li’s long serve and struck two explosive topspins to win the first game.

Lin Li lost to Hans Bayer after struggling without his usual coach, Qin Huachang, and Wang Chao recognized that the defeat exposed deeper weaknesses in China’s men’s table tennis team. He Jingping then told Wang Chao that the team’s supposed strength was built on one dominant player and four unstable ones, and that even the dominant player was now falling behind.

• Wang Chao realized Qin Huachang’s absence had unsettled Lin Li, who lost the second and third games to Bayer despite fighting back late in the third.
• Lin Li took the fourth game as Bayer’s stamina dipped, but Wang Chao saw the comeback as a final flash before collapse.
• Bayer crushed Lin Li 11:3 in the fifth game, and Lin Li delayed responding to Bayer’s handshake while overwhelmed by the loss.
• Wang Chao and He Jingping discussed China Table Tennis, and He Jingping described its five mainstays as four unstable players and one who was falling behind.

He Jingping explained to Wang Chao how Sun Tianlong’s injuries, China Table Tennis’s pressure to win, and its rigid promotion system had contributed to the World Cup defeats. The chapter left China Table Tennis facing a generational crisis, with no clear successor able to take Sun Tianlong’s place.

• Wang Chao asked He Jingping what had happened to Luo Jiu, and He Jingping said Sun Tianlong was aging and injured.
• He Jingping explained that Sun Tianlong had repeatedly played through pain because the coaching staff feared China would lose the championship without him.
• Wang Chao realized Sun Tianlong’s injury had affected his play in the semifinal and that Sun had hoped his own defeat would help pass the banner to his juniors.
• He Jingping described how changes in international table tennis had strengthened rival teams while China Table Tennis struggled with disagreements and a shortage of rising players.
• He Jingping admitted that the Second Team had failed to challenge the established players and confessed that he felt he had failed China Table Tennis.

Wang Chao told He Jingping that Luo Jiu’s backhand weakness might come from being forced into a looping style, and recommended short-pips rubber instead. He Jingping reconsidered Luo Jiu’s training system and saw a possible solution, while Wang Chao revealed he had chosen short pips for himself too.

• Wang Chao suggested that Luo Jiu’s racket rubber, rather than his training, might be holding him back.
• He Jingping described the equipment and techniques he had tested over seven years to improve Luo Jiu’s double-wing looping style.
• Wang Chao argued that Luo Jiu might not suit backhand looping and should use short pips to avoid competing in spin and improve transitions.
• He Jingping reconsidered the idea and imagined a style combining short-pips flat hits with Luo Jiu’s forehand loops.
• Wang Chao explained that he had learned his style from He Jingping and had chosen short pips after trying a public racket at Mingyue Stadium.

Wang Chao negotiated a contract to play for Black Spade Q Club in the Table Tennis First Division, with his pay tied to his performance. He signed on for the season, leaving Fan Xiaofan betting that Wang Chao could rescue the struggling club.

• He Jingping told Wang Chao that Fan Xiaofan of Black Spade Q Club wanted to recruit him after Luo Jiu shared a recording of his play.
• Fan Xiaofan offered Wang Chao a one-million after-tax seasonal salary, and He Jingping assured Wang Chao that joining the First Division would not block his path to the provincial or national teams.
• Wang Chao agreed to join Black Spade Q and proposed a performance-based contract with deductions for losses and reduced base pay if his win rate fell below set thresholds.
• Fan Xiaofan accepted Wang Chao's terms and promised an extra million from his own pocket for a perfect regular season; both men signed the contract.
• Jiang Shan saw the signed copies and envied Wang Chao, while Wang Chao reasoned that his success could restore Black Spade Q's audience and revenue.

Wang Chao left the Jiangcheng City Team and joined the Black Spade Q Club, where Fan Xiaoxian welcomed him as team leader and head coach. As he met the club’s players, one of them recognized him and asked why he was there.

• Jiang Long tried to keep Wang Chao by offering him a place in winter special training, but Wang Chao showed him the contract he had signed with the Black Spade Q Club.
• Jiang Tiansheng personally urged Wang Chao to join the provincial team, but He Jingping challenged his offer and Jiang Tiansheng let Wang Chao go.
• He Jingping and Fan Xiaofan accompanied Wang Chao home, where Wang Mei verified their identities and learned that her son could earn at least one million yuan; Fan Xiaofan advanced her five hundred thousand yuan.
• Wang Chao reunited briefly with Han Feng, Liu Yue, and Hou Xiaojian, then visited Tony teacher and left for the club after Wang Mei refused to discuss buying a house.
• Fan Xiaoxian introduced herself to Wang Chao as the Black Spade Q Club’s team leader and head coach, and explained the club’s history and recent struggles.
• When Wang Chao entered the training hall with Fan Xiaoxian, two players stopped their match, and one recognized him and asked why he was there.

Wang Chao joined Spade Q, met his new teammates, and received a rare Super Luo racket and a letter from He Jingping, who was returning to coach Luo Jiu. The chapter left Gao Ming convinced Wang Chao was joking when he revealed that he had beaten Wu Li 4–1 in a confidential match.

• Wang Chao greeted Gao Ming, Tian Zhengguang, and Lu Jia as he joined Spade Q, while Fan Xiaoxian explained that Geng Shuai was a decorated former national-team player.
• Fan Xiaoxian showed Wang Chao the team apartments, and Gao Ming chose to room with him while Lu Jia continued sharing with the absent Geng Shuai.
• Fan Xiaoxian gave Wang Chao a Super Luo racket that He Jingping had saved for him, along with a letter explaining that He was returning to the national team to coach Luo Jiu.
• He Jingping told Wang Chao that he hoped they would meet again in the capital and build a custom racket together next year.
• Gao Ming told Wang Chao that Spade Q had signed him after seeing his match against Wu Li, and Wang Chao explained that he had actually beaten Wu Li 4–1 in a confidential match.
• Gao Ming laughed and accused Wang Chao of pretending to be serious, while Wang Chao did not understand why he found the revelation funny.

Wang Chao settled into life at the Black Spade Q Club and challenged the returning national-team player Geng Shuai to gauge his own level. The chapter left them beginning a BO5 match, with Geng Shuai sharply returning Wang Chao’s aggressive opening flick.

• Wang Chao beat his three teammates in practice after switching to a left-handed shakehand grip, leaving Gao Ming puzzled about Wang Chao’s claims about He Jingping and Wu Li.
• Geng Shuai returned to the team, and Lu Jia told Wang Chao that Geng’s form had been unstable for a long time.
• Geng Shuai treated the team to a late-night meal and karaoke, while Wang Chao and Gao Ming went back early and Geng Shuai, Lu Jia, and Tian Zhengguang stayed out.
• The next morning, Wang Chao asked Geng Shuai to play a BO5 match, and Fan Xiaoxian refereed as the teammates gathered to watch.
• Geng Shuai won the serve and met Wang Chao’s fierce opening flick with a fast forehand drive that neutralized its spin.

Wang Chao faced former national player Geng Shuai and discovered that Geng’s customized racket and rallying strength exceeded his expectations. The score reached 1:1, leaving Wang Chao mentally exhausted but convinced that competing in the Table Tennis First Division was the right choice.

• Geng Shuai countered Wang Chao’s opening attack with a fast slap and forced a seventeen-shot rally, which Wang Chao lost.
• Wang Chao and Geng Shuai traded powerful loops as the onlookers watched Geng Shuai press Wang with his speed and strength.
• Wang Chao targeted Geng Shuai’s backhand with pushes, then attacked when the ball rose, winning the second point after Geng Shuai defended for five shots.
• Wang Chao reflected that Geng Shuai’s attacking and defensive quality surpassed his expectations, and he felt mentally tired after only two points.

Wang Chao lost the first two games of his sparring match with Geng Shuai but noticed that Geng Shuai kept faltering in ways that suggested his condition was unstable. As the third game began, Wang Chao seized the initiative, and Fan Xiaoxian realized how strong he was and began to believe he could make a comeback.

• Wang Chao tested Geng Shuai with deceptive serves, but Geng Shuai read them and won the first game 11:7 with powerful attacks.
• Wang Chao noticed Geng Shuai suddenly stopping or weakening during points and recalled Lu Jia saying that Geng Shuai's condition had been unstable.
• Wang Chao pushed Geng Shuai hard in the second game, observed his pained expressions and trembling fingers, and lost 11:9.
• Geng Shuai began the third game by serving long, but Wang Chao anticipated the serves and scored twice with aggressive attacks.
• Fan Xiaoxian urged Geng Shuai to slow down and recognized that Wang Chao's level gave the team reason to hope for a top-three finish.

Wang Chao took the lead against Geng Shuai, but Fan Xiaoxian stopped their match before either player claimed victory. Convinced her team could contend for the playoffs, she began planning their training and had Wang Chao start practicing doubles with Lu Jia.

• Wang Chao built a 5:1 lead after Geng Shuai faltered during their third game, then asked for a timeout because he was exhausted.
• Fan Xiaoxian ended the match, and neither Wang Chao nor Geng Shuai claimed to have won.
• Fan Xiaoxian became confident that the team could challenge for the playoffs and took charge of the players' training plans.
• Fan Xiaoxian explained that athlete rankings determined the singles lineup, leaving Wang Chao unable to play two singles matches while Geng Shuai and Lu Jia were available.
• With seven days left before the season, Wang Chao began practicing doubles with Lu Jia.

Wang Chao’s unusual grip made him and Lu Jia a formidable doubles pair as Black Spade Q prepared for the league season. On opening day, the club faced rival Xiang River at a sparsely attended home venue, and the first match was about to begin.

• Fan Xiaoxian worried about the team’s left-handed pairings and urged Tian Zhengguang and Gao Ming to improve so Wang Chao might eventually play first singles.
• Wang Chao paired his left-handed shakehand grip with a forehand penhold grip, helping him and Lu Jia repeatedly defeat their practice opponents.
• Fan Xiaofan brought the league notice announcing the start of the autumn season, with Black Spade Q set to face Xiang River in a heated derby.
• Wang Chao and his teammates arrived at Sequoia Stadium, where Xiang River’s visiting supporters outnumbered the sparse home crowd.
• Fan Xiaoxian encouraged Wang Chao to ignore the crowd, then submitted Black Spade Q’s lineup as the opening match began.
• Brother Da Ma introduced the Black Spade Q versus Xiang River match to viewers on the Silver Ball Dance stream.

Spade Q opened its match against Xiangshui River with Geng Shuai’s decisive win, but Lu Jia then lost to Hu Yifei, leaving the teams tied. Wang Chao prepared to play doubles with Lu Jia, while Xiangshui River’s powerful newcomer remained a threat for the later matches.

• Brother Da Ma discussed both teams’ lineups and identified Wang Chao as Spade Q’s newcomer, while mistakenly recalling Wu Li as the standout player from Jiangcheng City Team.
• Geng Shuai defeated Tang Chaowang 3:0, putting Spade Q ahead 1:0 overall.
• Hu Yifei narrowly beat Lu Jia 3:2, tying the overall score and surprising Fan Xiaoxian.
• Wang Chao realized Lu Jia’s forced attacks came from adapting to Wang Chao’s stronger short game during practice.
• Wang Chao reassured Lu Jia before their doubles match and promised to create reliable attacking opportunities.

Zhou Tingfang and Luo Xiaoyu bonded over their shared first reporting assignment before discovering they supported rival players in the doubles match. Wang Chao and Lu Jia struggled against Hu Buming and Hu Yifei, reaching 9–9 in a difficult first game as Hu Buming prepared to serve.

• Zhou Tingfang met fellow intern reporter Luo Xiaoyu, and they excitedly compared what they knew about the match and the rookie players.
• The reporters discovered that Zhou Tingfang supported Hu Buming while Luo Xiaoyu supported Wang Chao, and they began arguing across several seats.
• Wang Chao recognized that Hu Buming and Hu Yifei had strong doubles coordination, likely strengthened by their being brothers.
• Lu Jia misjudged three of Hu Buming's powerful loops, while Wang Chao's varied serves helped keep their team in contention.
• Wang Chao and Lu Jia reached 9–9 after a ten-minute first game, with Lu Jia set to receive Hu Buming's serve.

Wang Chao and Lu Jia won the doubles match for Black Spade Q Club, taking all three games after Wang Chao's tactics rattled Hu Buming and Hu Yifei. Wang Chao was then announced for the fourth match against Hu Buming, who entered the singles court determined to reclaim his pride.

• At 9:9 in the first game, Wang Chao predicted Hu Buming's short backspin serve, and Lu Jia's return set up Wang Chao's short-pips smash to win the point.
• Hu Buming made a service error at 9:10, giving Black Spade Q Club the first game, 11:9.
• Wang Chao and Lu Jia won the next two games, completing a 3:0 doubles victory as Hu Buming's confidence faltered and the Hu brothers' teamwork deteriorated.
• Zhou Xiangshu hoped Wang Chao would play the fourth match, and the announced lineup paired Wang Chao against Hu Buming.
• Hu Buming walked onto the court fired up, insisting that singles was his domain and that he would defeat Wang Chao.

Wang Chao faced Hu Buming in singles after appearing exhausted, but quickly revealed his attacking skill and took a 2:0 lead. The match continued with Hu Buming stunned by Wang Chao’s powerful returns, while observers and the livestream audience reconsidered their assumptions about him.

• Wang Chao took the fourth match for Spade Q and entered the court looking tired, prompting Brother Da Ma to predict that Geng Shuai would carry the singles point.
• Hu Buming served a short backspin ball, and Wang Chao surprised him with a difficult over-the-table flick to score the opening point.
• Hu Buming attacked Wang Chao’s long return with a powerful loop, but Wang Chao calmly counterlooped it and then hit a precise change-of-line smash to make it 2:0.
• Brother Da Ma acknowledged that Wang Chao’s left-handed shakehand shots were far stronger than he had expected, while Luo Zhihong, He Jingping, Jiang Tiansheng, and Jiang Long watched his performance.

Wang Chao dominated Hu Buming in their singles match, showing that his shakehand game was far stronger than Hu Buming expected. After Hu Buming tried to stall and regain his composure, he remained rattled as the referee issued him a yellow card.

• Wang Chao began the match with a long serve and won a looping rally against Hu Buming to take a 3:0 lead.
• Wang Chao deliberately gave Hu Buming an attackable serve, then beat him in another long rally, prompting the crowd to recognize Wang Chao's superiority.
• Zhou Xiangshu realized he had badly misjudged Wang Chao and that Black Spade Q had secured the strongest newcomer.
• Wang Chao used varied serves and powerful loops to extend his lead to 7:1 as Hu Buming struggled.
• Hu Buming crouched to tie his shoes to stall and calm himself, but he stayed flustered, and the referee showed him a yellow card.

Wang Chao swept Hu Buming 3:0, helping Spade Q defeat Xiangshui River 3:1 in a major opening-day upset. Afterward, Hu Buming promised to avenge the loss and lead Xiangshui River to the playoffs, leaving Luo Xiaoyu to dismiss him as a “Mouth King.”

• Wang Chao dominated Hu Buming in three games, while Li Changzheng decided he had no advice that could change the outcome.
• Hu Buming asked what school Wang Chao attended, then left in embarrassment after learning Wang Chao had only recently turned professional.
• Spade Q defeated Xiangshui River 3:1, and the upset revived the hopes of Spade Q’s fans.
• Luo Xiaoyu hid among the Xiangshui River crowd while Zhou Tingfang interviewed Hu Buming after the match.
• Hu Buming claimed he had played at less than half strength, vowed to beat Wang Chao 3:0 in their next meeting, and reaffirmed his team’s goal of making the top four.

After Black Spade Q Club defeated Xiangshui River, Wang Chao honestly praised Hu Buming while declaring that he could beat him ten times out of ten and that the club should aim to win the championship undefeated. Fan Xiaofan then brought the team to the club’s honor room and began recounting its history, leaving Wang Chao with a question about a past MVP.

• Luo Xiaoyu interviewed Wang Chao, who said Hu Buming was strong but would lose to him ten times out of ten unless he changed completely.
• Wang Chao said he hoped Black Spade Q Club would win the season’s championship undefeated, and Geng Shuai left the rest to him.
• Black Spade Q Club handed out bonuses, and Fan Xiaoxian gave Wang Chao an additional ten thousand yuan.
• Fan Xiaofan arrived and led the players to Black Spade Q Club’s honor exhibition room.
• Fan Xiaofan showed the team trophies from the club’s history and asked Wang Chao who had been League A’s MVP Player of the Year during its tenth edition.

Wang Chao learned about Spade Q’s all-Hubei tradition and the history behind its grudge with Osmanthus Fragrance. The team traveled to Nanjing for their away match, where Fan Xiaoxian arranged a private training hall after the home club failed to provide one.

• Wang Chao saw Luo Jiu’s MVP certificate and learned that Spade Q recruited only local players from Northern Hubei Province.
• Fan Xiaoxian explained that Osmanthus Fragrance had poached Yang Chi and later He Luo from Spade Q, making the upcoming match a matter of revenge.
• Fan Xiaoxian urged Wang Chao and the team to defeat Osmanthus Fragrance as thoroughly as possible, and Wang Chao asked whether there was a bonus for an 11–0 win.
• Spade Q traveled by high-speed rail to Nanjing, where Fan Xiaoxian outlined Osmanthus Fragrance’s lineup, including Yoshikawa Hiroshi, Yang Chi, and He Luo.
• Fan Xiaoxian learned that Osmanthus Fragrance would not provide Spade Q with a training venue until the next afternoon, so she booked a private table tennis hall for two days.

Zhu Ding arrived at Taihu Beauty Club to give his uncle Zhu Zehai and the club’s starters grueling special training, demanding they improve enough for Zhu Zehai to challenge Wang Chao. His harsh methods revived the club coach’s own ambition as the training continued.

• Zhu Ding skipped his Poseidon Club match and arrived at Taihu Beauty Club, telling Zhu Zehai he had come to train him.
• Zhu Ding explained to the club that he wanted Zhu Zehai to crush Black Spade Q Club’s rookie Wang Chao, and Zhu Zehai doubted he could beat someone favored by a powerful figure.
• Taihu Beauty’s management welcomed Zhu Ding’s offer to train its three starters after the club had suffered a 3–0 defeat to Duck Head Club.
• Zhu Ding drove Zhu Zehai and the other starters through intense training, shouting at them to move faster, hit harder, and keep going.
• The club coach watched the session and reconsidered his own declining expectations, recognizing Zhu Ding’s fierce commitment to table tennis.

Black Spade Q faced Osmanthus Fragrance Club in Nanjing, where Geng Shuai won the opening match against Yoshikawa Hiroshi. Lu Jia then entered the second match against He Luo, as Osmanthus Fragrance used its flexible lineup to target him.

• Wang Chao stayed calm despite the hostile crowd and noticed a fan banner inspired by his viral interview remarks.
• Geng Shuai beat Yoshikawa Hiroshi in three games, giving Black Spade Q the first team point.
• Yoshikawa Hiroshi bowed respectfully to Geng Shuai after the match, while Geng Shuai urged Wang Chao to treat him to a meal if he scored 11:0.
• Lu Jia took the court for the second match and was surprised to face He Luo instead of Yang Chi.
• Brother Da Ma explained that Osmanthus Fragrance had arranged its lineup to pit He Luo against Lu Jia.