Recaps

Wang Chao reflected on how he had worn down Ma Angxing before defeating him, then reassured Fan Xiaoxian that Geng Shuai still had a chance to win. Geng Shuai and Ma Angxing began a fierce, straightforward match that thrilled the crowd.

• Wang Chao recalled spending a week studying Ma Angxing and using his unpredictable play to drain Ma Angxing's focus before winning their match.
• Fan Xiaoxian encouraged Wang Chao not to worry about the team’s record or his bonus and offered to treat everyone to dinner.
• Wang Chao told Fan Xiaoxian that Ma Angxing had only about forty percent of his condition left, while Geng Shuai’s higher ceiling gave him a chance to win.
• Geng Shuai and Ma Angxing traded forceful attacks, and the score reached 2:2.
• The crowd cheered the pair’s aggressive rallies while Brother Da Ma joined the livestream audience in reacting to the points.

Geng Shuai defeated Ma Angxing in straight games, helping set the stage for Wang Chao's anticipated showdown with Zhu Ding. As the crowd gathered for the decisive match, Zhu Zeshi and the other coaches watched the livestream and discussed his son's advantages.

• Geng Shuai won the first game 11:8, then returned to the court after eating two bananas as Wang Chao predicted his form would improve.
• Geng Shuai played more fiercely as Ma Angxing's resolve faltered, winning the next two games 11:6 and 11:4 to take the match.
• Geng Shuai celebrated wildly despite the crowd's boos, while spectators roared over the coming battle between Wang Chao and Zhu Ding.
• Wang Chao's support rate rose to 44.7 percent after his doubles win, bringing public expectations for the showdown close to Zhu Ding's.
• Zhu Zeshi brewed tea for He Jingping, Wang Lu, and Qin Huachang, then asked what advantage his son had in the battle as they watched the livestream.

He Jingping explained why he believed Wang Chao could challenge Zhu Ding, whose years of preparation had focused on He Jingping’s two-winged looping style. The match began with a straightforward rally, and Zhu Ding won the opening point by anticipating Wang Chao’s change of direction.

• Zhu Zeshi revealed that Zhu Ding had secretly studied He Jingping’s two-winged looping style for years to prepare for a match against Wang Chao.
• He Jingping explained that Luo Jiu had defeated Zhu Ding three times and had shared his analysis of Zhu Ding with Wang Chao.
• Qin Huachang bet that Zhu Ding would win, offering Wang Chao a chance to enter the cup tournament if he lost the wager; He Jingping accepted.
• Wang Chao and Zhu Ding began their match with standard serves and returns rather than deceptive tricks.
• Zhu Ding anticipated Wang Chao’s change of line, forced a weak return, and killed the ball to take a 1-0 lead.

Wang Chao used daring changes in rhythm and varied attacks to challenge Zhu Ding, but Zhu Ding’s control and speed kept turning the rallies back in his favor. Zhu Ding won the first game 11:5 after Wang Chao’s odd push seemed to invite an attack rather than exploit a weakness.

• Wang Chao switched from chopping to looping during a rally and scored with a sudden attack to tie the score at 1:1.
• Wang Chao exploited Zhu Ding’s weak serve, then used a varied two-wing attack to take a 2:1 lead.
• Zhu Ding repeatedly regained control of rallies, and Wang Chao fell behind as his risky attempts to seize the initiative mostly failed.
• At 5:9, Wang Chao switched his racket from his left hand to his right to reach a distant ball, but sent it high and lost the point.
• Wang Chao pushed Zhu Ding’s serve slowly toward the middle, but Zhu Ding attacked down the line and won the first game 11:5.

Zhu Ding revealed that he had trained with Wang Lu to overcome the weaknesses Luo Jiu had previously exploited, while Wang Chao realized Zhu Ding could now counter the tactic. Relieved that he could stop holding back, Wang Chao prepared to face Zhu Ding on his own merits.

• Wang Lu admitted that Zhu Ding had asked him in March to identify and train against placements that could disrupt his judgment, keeping the plan secret from the others.
• He Jingping, Qin Huachang, Zhu Zeshi, and Wang Lu debated why Wang Chao smiled after losing the first game, and He Jingping explained that he planned to protect Wang Chao rather than control his training.
• Wang Chao reflected on his reluctance to use Luo Jiu's advice against Zhu Ding, whom he considered flawed but compassionate, and on the pressure he felt to win for the Zhu clan.
• After Wang Chao tried Luo Jiu's subtle targeting placement, Zhu Ding reacted instantly and counterattacked, showing that the tactic no longer worked on him.
• Wang Chao recognized that Zhu Ding had overcome the weakness and felt free to play the rest of the match without relying on the targeting strategy.

Wang Chao tried to become more passionate during his match against Zhu Ding, but lost the second game despite making several spectacular shots. Afterward, Geng Shuai urged Wang Chao to cast off his inhibitions, and began dragging him toward a way to do it.

• Wang Chao asked Geng Shuai how to get excited during a match, and Geng Shuai suggested shouting and making animal noises.
• Wang Chao shouted at the start of the second game, but his awkward attempt was drowned out by the crowd as Zhu Ding kept the lead.
• Wang Chao pulled off a behind-the-back block and a remarkable defensive scoop, but Zhu Ding won the game 11:8.
• Brother Da Ma predicted that Wang Chao would lose the match 3:0 and banned a viewer who accused him of playing strangely.
• Wang Chao asked Geng Shuai how to fire himself up quickly, and Geng Shuai said he needed to act shamelessly before pulling him over the barrier.

After Geng Shuai forcibly tore Wang Chao’s uniform during a bizarre pre-match incident, Wang Chao embraced the freedom the struggle had awakened in him and began playing differently against Zhu Ding. He won the opening three points of the game through solid rallying, leaving Zhu Ding to realize that Wang Chao had deliberately drawn him into rallies.

• Geng Shuai dragged Wang Chao onto the court, tore his jersey and track pants, and was ejected by officials before Wang Chao changed into a fresh uniform.
• Zhu Zeshi and Qin Huachang inferred that Geng Shuai had helped Wang Chao liberate his nature, while He Jingping remained confused about the apparent attack.
• Wang Chao roared, warmed up with exaggerated movements, and recognized the ease he felt as the liberation Brother Geng had described.
• Wang Chao used a Sneak Long Serve to provoke Zhu Ding’s attack, then counter-looped through a rally and broke Zhu Ding’s defense to win the point.
• Wang Chao repeated the serve-and-rally strategy, returned Zhu Ding’s powerful attacks smoothly, and took a 3:0 lead.
• Zhu Ding realized Wang Chao had deliberately guided the points into rallies, despite rallies having been Zhu Ding’s comfort zone.

Wang Chao’s dominant play continued, and Zhu Ding realized that Geng Shuai’s shocking stunt had helped Wang Chao break through his psychological restraints and achieve a lasting super evolution. As the match slipped away, Zhu Ding faced the possibility that this was his last chance to prove himself to the coach who had once passed him over.

• Wang Chao extended his lead over Zhu Ding by attacking through rallies and winning a point with a flick in the short game.
• Zhu Ding tried to slow the pace with chops and short balls, but Wang Chao remained composed and kept scoring.
• Wang Chao pushed the score to 7:1, and Zhu Ding recognized that his improvement was permanent rather than a fleeting super state.
• Zhu Ding connected Geng Shuai’s earlier stunt with Wang Chao’s newfound freedom to play without caring about the watching crowd.
• Zhu Ding despaired as he realized he might lose his final chance to prove to his former coach that passing him over had been a mistake.

Wang Chao crushed Zhu Ding 11:1 in the third game, prompting Ma Angxing to urge Zhu Ding to return to his old style of play. As the fourth game began, Zhu Ding abandoned control and calculation to play his own rhythm, while Wang Chao’s supporters and family watched the decisive match unfold.

• Wang Chao read Zhu Ding’s reverse-spin serve, attacked decisively, and won the third game 11:1.
• Ma Angxing told Zhu Ding that he should stop playing control and try to play more like Geng Shuai.
• Brother Da Ma gave an impassioned speech cheering Wang Chao before the fourth game.
• Zhu Zeshi left to avoid watching his son face Wang Chao, while He Jingping stayed to watch his disciple.
• Zhu Ding changed his approach in the middle of the fourth game and focused on playing his own rhythm.

Wang Chao beat Zhu Ding 11:7 in the fourth game, leaving Zhu Ding devastated despite the Poseidon Club fans’ loud support. As Zhu Ding struggled to understand why he could not win, fragmented memories of his Little Martial Uncle began to surface.

• Zhu Ding’s wild, rule-defying attacks pressured Wang Chao, but Wang Chao’s steady fundamentals kept him ahead 9:7.
• Zhu Ding called a timeout at 10:7 and recalled rejecting offers to return to Chinese table tennis because he remained determined to prove himself.
• Zhu Ding asked Wang Shou to have the fans shout his name, and thousands of Poseidon Club supporters cheered as he returned to the court.
• Wang Chao won the next rally with a powerful change of direction, and Zhu Ding tossed his racket aside and sat blankly on the floor.
• Zhu Ding tried to remember when he met his Little Martial Uncle and began wanting to learn table tennis from him, but only fragmented images came to mind.

Zhu Ding remembered how He Jingping had been his beloved Little Martial Uncle and how the mutual-selection trial left him feeling betrayed when He Jingping chose Luo Jiu instead. After a disastrous tournament, Zhu Ding left the national team for Poseidon Club and rejected He Jingping’s later apology and offer to take him as a disciple.

• Zhu Ding recalled He Jingping’s care and encouragement throughout his childhood and youth, and how he had hoped to become He Jingping’s disciple.
• Before the coaches and players’ mutual-selection trial, He Jingping urged Zhu Ding to list Zhu Zeshi and Qin Huachang ahead of him, but Zhu Ding secretly put He Jingping first.
• Zhu Ding discovered that He Jingping had chosen Luo Jiu, while no coach selected Zhu Ding, and he felt humiliated and betrayed.
• When He Jingping tried to take Zhu Ding to Zhu Zeshi during the coaches’ adjustments, Zhu Ding threw down his preference form and walked away.
• Zhu Ding played poorly at the Denmark World Tour stop, lost to Luo Jiu, and withdrew from the national team to join Poseidon Club.
• He Jingping apologized and asked Zhu Ding to become his disciple, but Zhu Ding rejected him and told him never to come back.

Zhu Ding fought Wang Chao in the fifth game, refusing to give in despite being completely outclassed, and lost 11:0. The shutout ended his season’s defining struggle, while Brother Da Ma predicted major changes to the First Division as Zhu Ding and Wang Chao might leave their clubs.

• He Jingping watched Zhu Ding’s final game and understood that Zhu Ding was fighting desperately rather than admitting defeat.
• Zhu Ding attacked recklessly against Wang Chao, broke three balls, and received yellow and red cards while failing to score.
• Wang Chao shut Zhu Ding out 11:0, and Zhu Ding’s suicidal serve at 10:0 showed his technique had finally broken down.
• The crowd recognized Spade Q as the new dominant First Division team after Wang Chao’s victory.
• Brother Da Ma predicted that Zhu Ding would leave Poseidon and Wang Chao would soon depart Spade Q, making Jingyue Bay a favorite for next year’s title.

After Wang Chao’s victory over Zhu Ding, Geng Shuai received a suspension, and Spade Q lost its first match of the season to Jingyuewan. Wang Chao then prepared Spade Q for its upcoming match against Qiantang Tide Watching, but an uninvited guest disrupted the team’s plans.

• Hu Buming told Zhou Tingfang that he still believed he could beat Wang Chao, who dismissed Hu’s confidence during an interview with Luo Xiaoyu.
• The table tennis association fined Geng Shuai twenty thousand yuan and suspended him for two weeks; Fan Xiaofan reimbursed him and gave him an additional red packet.
• With Geng Shuai suspended, Spade Q lost 2–3 to Jingyuewan despite Wang Chao winning two points, suffering its first defeat of the season.
• Zhu Zeshi thanked Wang Chao and told him Zhu Ding had agreed to return to the national team after the season and join Imperial Capital Panlong next year.
• Wang Chao took charge of Spade Q’s lineup and training for its upcoming match against Qiantang Tide Watching, but an uninvited guest arrived and disrupted their plans.

Qin Huachang persuaded Wang Chao to leave for Liancheng City by securing his approval to compete in the T2 Diamond Match in Sakura Country. Wang Chao agreed after learning the trip had no placement requirements and headed out with Qin Huachang.

• Qin Huachang showed Wang Chao a signed leave request and an approved application for the T2 Diamond Match in Sakura Country.
• Wang Chao questioned why he had been invited despite having no world ranking, and Qin Huachang explained that the tournament needed Chinese players to attract participants.
• Wang Chao inferred that the Sakura Country Table Tennis Association had allowed China to send unranked young players because it could not afford to hold the event without Chinese competitors.
• Qin Huachang told Wang Chao that two other players, one from the First Team and one from the National Second Team, would also compete, and that none of them had placement requirements.
• Wang Chao wrote his name on the application and agreed to go to Liancheng City with Qin Huachang.

Qin Huachang brought Wang Chao to Liancheng City to persuade Sister Fan to let him train Xiao Dong, but she refused and set Big Yellow on him. After the dog bit Qin Huachang, Wang Chao discovered that the locals already knew him and his recurring troubles.

• Qin Huachang treated Wang Chao to Tan fish head and led him around Liancheng City without explaining their purpose.
• Qin Huachang visited a local woman and then took Wang Chao to Sister Fan's courtyard to ask for Xiao Dong.
• Sister Fan angrily refused Qin Huachang's request and threatened to kneel, so Qin Huachang knelt first to plead with her.
• Sister Fan ordered Big Yellow to attack, and Qin Huachang and Wang Chao ran from the courtyard.
• Big Yellow caught Qin Huachang and bit his leg before running off, while Wang Chao tried to help him.
• Qin Huachang led Wang Chao to a nearby house, where the resident recognized him and called for supplies to treat his dog bite.

Wang Chao accompanied Qin Huachang as he tried to drug Big Yellow with meat buns, while they discussed Sun Tianlong's renewed determination to win before retiring. Their attempt ended in a furious confrontation with Sister Fan, who accused Qin Huachang of ruining one of her sons and trying to poison her dog, and Qin Huachang hurried Wang Chao away without explaining the family conflict.

• Qin Huachang and Wang Chao watched the Asian Cup, where Luo Jiu and Sun Tianlong advanced, and Qin explained that Sun planned to fight all-out for another year and a half before retiring.
• Qin Huachang obtained meat buns from Master Liu and planned to drug them to deal with Big Yellow, but Big Yellow refused to eat them.
• Qin Huachang and Wang Chao threw the buns into Sister Fan's courtyard, then found Sister Fan approaching as they prepared to leave.
• Sister Fan accused Qin Huachang of trying to poison Big Yellow and said he had already ruined one of her two sons.
• Sister Fan attacked Qin Huachang and Wang Chao with a broom, then broke down crying, and Qin Huachang pulled Wang Chao away.

Wang Chao entered a stadium to test the young table tennis player Qin Huachang called Little Fatty and found him to be a formidable talent. Their match drew a crowd, and Wang Chao was stunned when Little Fatty unleashed a true Overlord Twist.

• Qin Huachang asked Wang Chao to challenge Little Fatty at a stadium and bring him out to meet Qin without revealing Qin’s name.
• Wang Chao found the chubby, buzz-cut boy and began a match, quickly realizing Little Fatty had exceptional instincts and powerful shots.
• Wang Chao took an early lead by exploiting Little Fatty’s weaknesses in serving and short play, while spectators gathered to watch.
• Wang Chao fed Little Fatty a long ball, and Little Fatty answered with a powerful forehand loop before striking an extraordinary backhand twist.
• Wang Chao failed to return Little Fatty’s backhand and recognized it as a true Overlord Twist.

Wang Chao discovered that Fan Pingnan, Fan Xiaodong’s older brother and one of the Six Little Dragons, supported Qin Huachang’s plan to recruit Fan Xiaodong despite his own past injury. With Fan Pingnan’s help, Wang Chao and Qin Huachang planned to take Fan Xiaodong to the capital for team entry procedures.

• Wang Chao defeated Fan Xiaodong 11:4, then followed him to meet his older brother, Fan Pingnan.
• Fan Pingnan recognized Wang Chao and explained that Qin Huachang had trained both him and Lin Li before his legs were paralyzed by the strain of training.
• Wang Chao realized Qin Huachang’s repeated visits to Liancheng City were attempts to recruit Fan Xiaodong, whom his mother kept away from professional table tennis.
• Fan Pingnan said his mother’s resentment had made her refusal an obsession and urged Wang Chao to act first, explaining that he wanted Fan Xiaodong to pursue his talent and avoid a life of regret.
• Wang Chao told Qin Huachang that Fan Pingnan would help Fan Xiaodong leave home and join the team, and Qin Huachang agreed to the plan despite fearing Sister Fan would call the police.

Luo Jiu reached the Asian Cup final against Sun Tianlong, and his new pips-out style immediately challenged the Dragon Team’s dominance. The chapter ended with Luo Jiu taking the opening point after a fierce rally.

• Luo Jiu swept Mizutori Hato 4–0 and defeated a Peacock Country player to reach the final, while Sun Tianlong won both of his matches 4–0.
• Wang Chao and Qin Huachang watched the Asian Cup, and Qin Huachang predicted Luo Jiu would need two years to have an even chance against Sun Tianlong.
• Luo Jiu entered the court without a racket, and He Jingping tossed one to him from the stands; Luo Jiu caught it and began the match.
• Luo Jiu used a looping hook and a series of changing pips-out drives to disrupt Sun Tianlong’s attack and win the first point.

Luo Jiu used his contrasting forehand loops and backhand punches to take the first game against Sun Tianlong, but Sun adapted in the second game and drew level at 9–9. The chapter ended with Sun set to serve and holding a slight advantage.

• Luo Jiu flicked Sun Tianlong’s short-backspin serve toward the baseline, but Sun declined the risky attack and returned the ball short.
• After seven short-ball exchanges, Sun’s loop clipped the net, and Luo Jiu recovered the ball before winning a long rally with powerful forehand loops.
• Luo Jiu’s unusual mix of heavy forehand loops and fast backhand punches unsettled Sun, and Luo took the first game 11–7.
• Sun Tianlong adapted to Luo Jiu’s variations in the second game, fought back to 9–9, and reached his service turn.

Luo Jiu read Sun Tianlong’s two Sneak Long Serves at 9:9 and won the second game 11:9, bringing the match level and pushing Sun Tianlong toward his limit. As the next game approached, both players’ reasons for needing victory became clear, and Luo Jiu resolved to defeat Sun Tianlong and claim the championship.

• At 9:9, Luo Jiu anticipated Sun Tianlong’s Sneak Long Serve, attacked with an extreme rising-ball shot, and took the lead 10:9.
• Sun Tianlong tried another Sneak Long Serve, but Luo Jiu read it again and won the game 11:9.
• Sun Tianlong calmly accepted the loss, but Wang Chao recognized the sharp look that signaled Sun Tianlong’s anger and recalled how he had crushed Lin Zijun after a setback.
• Wang Chao and Qin Huachang moved closer to the television as they anticipated the next game.
• Sun Tianlong remained determined to win the Double Grand Slam before injuries ended his career, while Luo Jiu wanted to overcome years of disappointing results and defeat him.
• Luo Jiu resolved to win the Asian Cup final, defeat Sun Tianlong, and prove himself after completing his technical reform.

Sun Tianlong awakened his ferocious attacking game to take the third game, then overcame Luo Jiu in a tense fourth game to level the match at two games apiece. The final became a best-of-three, with Luo Jiu needing to recover his touch and composure.

• Sun Tianlong attacked relentlessly in the third game, exploiting risky flicks and unusual shots to build a 7:2 lead over Luo Jiu.
• Sun Tianlong won the third game 11:4, while Wang Chao and Qin Huachang recognized that he had reached an exceptional state of play.
• Wang Chao understood that Luo Jiu had reached the same level earlier but was less able to sustain it, while Sun Tianlong had more weapons and experience.
• Luo Jiu varied his blocks, slices, chops, rips, and pushes to counter Sun Tianlong's attacks, and the fourth game remained tied through 12:12.
• Sun Tianlong won the fourth game 14:12 after Luo Jiu faltered under pressure, tying the match and turning it into a best-of-three.

Wang Chao watched Sun Tianlong and Luo Jiu battle through the fifth game, while Qin Huachang struggled with fatigue and emotion. As the sixth game began, Sun Tianlong weighed the cost of continuing to fight at full intensity, and Luo Jiu quickly sensed that he had slackened.

• Qin Huachang asked Wang Chao for water, then rested after admitting that the match had absorbed him and drained his energy.
• Sun Tianlong and Luo Jiu fought an even fifth game, which Sun Tianlong won 11–9 to take a 3–2 lead.
• Qin Huachang returned to bed and asked Wang Chao to narrate the sixth game while he rested.
• Sun Tianlong considered how his injuries and Luo Jiu's strength could make future battles unsustainable, and wondered whether winning today was worth the cost.
• Luo Jiu took the first two points of the sixth game and sensed that Sun Tianlong was no longer playing at his limits.

Luo Jiu won the Asian Cup after Sun Tianlong’s performance collapsed, but Wang Chao helped him understand that Sun had been pushed to his physical limit rather than deliberately conceding. Luo Jiu regained his confidence, celebrated his victory, and invited Wang Chao to visit him in the capital before Wang ended their awkward call.

• Luo Jiu beat Sun Tianlong 11:5 in the deciding game to win the Asian Cup, while commentators Yi Jing and Grasshopper covered the match.
• Sun Tianlong praised Luo Jiu in an interview and said he would adjust his tournament schedule because of Luo Jiu’s rise.
• Luo Jiu told Wang Chao that Sun Tianlong had deliberately let him win and worried about facing him again.
• Wang Chao explained that Sun Tianlong had been forced to retreat because sustaining that level of play would strain him across future tournaments.
• Luo Jiu accepted Wang Chao’s explanation, cheered up, and invited him to hotpot and other outings in the capital.
• Wang Chao called Luo Jiu slutty and hung up after Luo Jiu made suggestive remarks.

After Dragon Team’s defeat, Qin Huachang told Wang Chao how He Jingping had helped him stop Sun Tianlong from being demoted to a full-time sparring partner. Qin then recalled how he and Sun trained relentlessly for a year and a half, leaving Sun’s rise as a champion still rooted in their shared work.

• Qin Huachang recalled that sixteen-year-old Sun Tianlong performed poorly in team tests, and the head coach proposed training him as a sparring partner.
• He Jingping rallied more than ten coaches to sign a protest letter against the decision, and the head coach ultimately abandoned the plan after publicly criticizing He and Qin.
• Qin asked Sun whether he accepted the decision, and they agreed to train harder so they could prove the coaches wrong.
• Sun insisted on training fourteen hours a day, and Qin agreed to train alongside him; they kept it up for a year and a half, even through Spring Festival.
• When Sun still did not rank first in any technical assessment, he systematically improved his footwork, strength, reactions, touch, and tactics, developing the mathematical analysis for which he and Qin later became known.