Chapter Summaries

Wang Chao shut out Lin Zijun in the T2 match, prompting Chinese table tennis officials to consider publicly criticizing him to manage the backlash. After He Jingping explained that Wang Chao’s showy behavior was an effort to overcome his reserved nature for the team’s sake, Cai Guodong dropped the criticism and agreed to give him the tournament opportunities he earned.

• Wang Chao defeated Lin Zijun 11:0 without showing mercy, and spectators in Sakura Country booed as Lin was shut out.
• Cai Guodong and the others discussed publicly criticizing Wang Chao and apologizing to the Bay Island Table Tennis Association, while Zhu Zeshi pushed for Wang to receive future tournament opportunities.
• He Jingping objected to the planned criticism and told the officials that Wang Chao was naturally reserved and had been forcing himself to act exuberantly on court.
• Wang Lu, Qin Huachang, and Zhu Zeshi recognized how difficult the change had been for Wang Chao, and Cai Guodong agreed not to criticize him and to give him the opportunities he had earned.

Lin Zijun steadied himself after two crushing games against Wang Chao and began mounting a comeback in the third. He pulled the score to 2:3, leaving the spectators and officials stunned as the match remained undecided.

• Wang Chao took the first two points of the third game, extending his lead while Lin Zijun appeared close to giving up.
• Lin Zijun called a timeout, closed his eyes to regain his composure, then returned to play and twisted Wang Chao's short push for a point.
• Lin Zijun missed his next attacking twist, but remained calm as Grasshopper realized he had recovered his fighting spirit.
• Wang Chao used a high-toss serve to push Lin Zijun away from the table, but Lin Zijun anticipated Wang Chao's return and raced across to twist a short ball back.
• Lin Zijun continued attacking and won the rally, narrowing the score to 2:3 and startling the officials watching in the capital.

Lin Zijun overcame his hesitation, used his Overlord Twist to tie the score at 3:3, and earned the commentators’ and viewers’ admiration for his resilience. The observers expected Lin Zijun to take the lead, while Wang Chao’s allies feared that his ruthless tactics would leave him a laughingstock if he lost.

• Lin Zijun switched to chopping against Wang Chao, then accepted his invitation to a short-ball exchange and struck an extreme Overlord Twist that Wang Chao could not return, tying the score at 3:3.
• Yi Jing described Lin Zijun as deserving the nickname “Desperate Lin Zijun,” and Grasshopper explained the table-tennis saying that inspired her.
• Viewers praised Lin Zijun’s resilience, while Yi Jing struggled to compare his backhand twists with the world’s best backhands.
• Zhu Zeshi and Qin Huachang concluded that Lin Zijun could no longer be held back, and the observers expected him to take the lead after adjusting his game.
• Cai Guodong tried to console the group, but He Jingping worried that Wang Chao would become a laughingstock if Lin Zijun reversed the match.

Wang Chao fell behind Lin Zijun but opened the sixth game with two unexpected points after Lin Zijun’s confidence made him play cautiously. Qin Huachang recognized that Wang Chao had stayed committed to fighting all out, while Lin Zijun’s shifting mentality had given Wang Chao an opening.

• Lin Zijun won the fourth and fifth games, taking a 3:2 lead and reaching match point against Wang Chao.
• Wang Chao began the sixth game with aggressive attacks and scored the first point by breaking through Lin Zijun’s defense.
• Wang Chao stepped around Lin Zijun’s serve and followed a risky heavy loop with a powerful forehand blast, making the score 2:0.
• Qin Huachang explained that Lin Zijun had returned to cautious play after believing victory was secure, while Wang Chao had remained determined to fight all out.
• Qin Huachang claimed that he understood Wang Chao better than He Jingping and pleaded to take him as his disciple.

Wang Chao exploited Lin Zijun’s fading confidence to win their deciding game and advance, while Zhuang Huishen consoled Lin by blaming the disparity on the Chinese Table Tennis Association. Zhu Ding then defeated Lu Feiyang, and Wang Chao’s victory drew international attention as Bayer analyzed the match and invited the young players to meet him on the world stage.

• Wang Chao tested Lin Zijun with short backspin serves, then attacked his cautious returns to tie the match and win the deciding game 5:1.
• Zhuang Huishen told the shaken Lin Zijun that his loss reflected the Chinese Table Tennis Association’s superior coaching system, though the narration revealed Lin had actually lost to Wang Chao himself.
• Zhu Ding defeated Lu Feiyang 4:0, dismissed his complaint about hidden strength, and left Lu Feiyang bewildered.
• Wang Chao recognized that Zhu Ding had undergone a striking improvement after facing Mizutori Hato and decided to ask Zhu Zeshi about it.
• The international table tennis world reacted with alarm to Wang Chao’s rise, and Germany invited Bayer to analyze the match.
• Bayer accurately described much of Wang Chao and Lin Zijun’s psychological duel and publicly said he looked forward to meeting them on the world stage next year.

Wang Chao tried to convince Lin Zijun that his aggressive tactics during their match came from respect rather than a desire to injure him, while Zhuang Huishen warned Lin not to trust him. The chapter ended with Wang Chao revealing that he had come to invite Lin Zijun to join Black Spade Q Club.

• Wang Chao sat with Lin Zijun and apologized, but Lin accused him of trying to hurt him during their match.
• Wang Chao argued that he had no reason to cripple Lin and said he had shouted to push himself against an opponent he respected.
• Lin began to believe Wang Chao, but Zhuang Huishen called him a liar and warned Lin about trusting people from the Chinese National Table Tennis Team.
• Zhuang Huishen recounted how Wang Wendong had once befriended him, learned his playing style, and later became impossible for him to beat.
• Wang Chao admitted he had serious business with Lin Zijun and invited him to join Black Spade Q Club.

Wang Chao tried to persuade Lin Zijun to join Black Spade Q, promising them a chance to win the Super League and the annual MVP title, but Lin revealed he had already signed with Imperial Capital New City. After discovering Black Spade Q recruited only local players, Zhuang Huishen realized Wang had invented the offer to reconcile with Lin, then wondered whether it was time for him to retire.

• Wang Chao pitched Black Spade Q to Lin Zijun, promising to give up his MVP eligibility if they won the Super League championship.
• Lin Zijun admitted that he had already signed a contract with Imperial Capital New City before meeting Wang.
• Zhuang Huishen explained that Lin had chosen New City because its first singles player was Liang Kunpeng, though Lin had originally picked the team out of resentment toward Wang.
• After Wang left, Zhuang researched New City and Black Spade Q, discovering that New City faced likely relegation and Black Spade Q recruited only local players from Northern Hubei.
• Zhuang concluded Wang had fabricated the invitation to make peace with Lin, then reflected on how the younger players had surpassed him and considered retiring.

Wang Chao faced Zhu Ding in the T2 Sakura Country Men's Singles final and took the first two points, but Zhu Ding's unusually calm, patient play left Wang Chao uneasy. The chapter ended with Wang Chao leading 2:0 and still wondering why Zhu Ding was playing so differently.

• Wang Chao told Zhu Ding that Lin Zijun had joined New City Club, and Wang Chao noticed Zhu Ding seemed happier and more willing to talk.
• Lin Zijun told Zhuang Huishen he hoped to visit Black Spade Q Club and possibly transfer there after next spring's season.
• Before the final, Zhu Ding jokingly asked Wang Chao to give him a bagel, surprising Wang Chao with his playful attitude.
• Wang Chao and Zhu Ding began the final with a patient exchange of short pushes, and Wang Chao opened the scoring after Zhu Ding made an error.
• Zhu Ding made a spectacular save by throwing his racket at the ball, but Wang Chao returned it and won the point for a 1:0 lead.
• Wang Chao broke through Zhu Ding's defense again to lead 2:0, while remaining unsettled by Zhu Ding's unusually patient play.

Wang Chao dominated Zhu Ding through the first three games, while He Jingping wrestled with guilt and hoped for Zhu Ding to win. Zhu Ding then revealed a transformed, more inventive style in fast5, taking an early lead and making Wang Chao realize he no longer understood his former training partner.

• He Jingping regretted how his choices had harmed Zhu Ding and Luo Jiu, while Qin Huachang argued that Zhu Ding had seen He Jingping in the stands and Cai Guodong proposed a dinner to reconcile them.
• Wang Chao won the first three games 11:3, 11:2, and 11:1 as Zhu Ding defended tenaciously but could not match his strength.
• Yoshikawa Dai Moku announced that the rest of the match would use fast5 format, and professional players around the world recognized Wang Chao's extraordinary level.
• Zhu Ding opened the fourth game with varied serves and powerful attacks, scoring a point against Wang Chao with a redirected topspin drive.
• Zhu Ding used a high-toss serve to exploit Wang Chao's hesitation and take a 2:0 lead, leaving Wang Chao wary of his transformed style.

Wang Chao used a timeout to regain his focus, while Zhu Ding embraced unconventional play in his effort to challenge him. Zhu Ding’s risky flip was called a fault, and Wang Chao tied the score after defeating him in a fast close-table exchange.

• Wang Chao took a timeout, recognized that he had underestimated Zhu Ding, and resumed play with a cautious short backspin serve.
• Zhu Ding tried an unconventional flip against Wang Chao’s serve, but the referee called it a fault and the score became 2:1.
• Wang Chao served short again, and Zhu Ding used a scooping hook to send the ball to Wang Chao’s forehand baseline.
• Wang Chao attacked with loops while Zhu Ding stayed close to the table and repeatedly blocked the ball back.
• Wang Chao found an open space and backhand-flicked past Zhu Ding, tying the score at 2:2.

Zhu Ding experimented with unusual serves as Wang Chao led their match, while He Jingping admitted he had been biased toward Zhu Ding and resolved to devote himself to Wang Chao. The game continued with Zhu Ding pursuing risky edge-ball serves and Wang Chao remaining confident in his stronger play.

• He Jingping told Cai Guodong and Zhu Zeshi that he would tell Wang Chao about his trip to Sakura Country and apologize for putting Zhu Ding first.
• He Jingping explained to Zhu Zeshi that he would now devote his affection and effort to Wang Chao, though his visit to Zhu Ding had been his final indulgence.
• Zhu Ding sent a casual-looking serve long, giving Wang Chao the lead at 3:2 and prompting angry reactions from spectators.
• Zhu Ding's next similar serve clipped the table's edge, tying the score at 3:3 and revealing that he had deliberately tried for an edge ball.
• Wang Chao served a short backspin ball, confident that his greater strength and steady strategy would prevail.

Wang Chao defeated Zhu Ding in the T2 Diamond Invitational Sakura Country stop final, but Zhu Ding won a game after a fierce rally that Wang Chao ultimately let him take. Zhu Ding asked Little Martial Uncle to let him play table tennis with him again, while He Jingping believed he could not accept him as a disciple.

• At 4:3, Zhu Ding’s attempted net-cord serve miraculously landed on the net and brought the score to 4:4.
• Zhu Ding’s long serve began a relentless attack, and he won the game 5:4 to make the overall score 3:1.
• Zhu Ding celebrated wildly as Zhu Zeshi, He Jingping, and others watched; Qin Huachang and Wang Lu concluded that Wang Chao had stopped himself from making a difficult return and let Zhu Ding win the point.
• Wang Chao won the final game 5:0, defeating Zhu Ding 4:1 overall and claiming the T2 Diamond Invitational Sakura Country stop title.
• During the interview, Zhu Ding asked Little Martial Uncle if he could play table tennis with him again, and He Jingping cried because he believed he had no capacity to take on another disciple.

Zhu Ding returned to the national team base and reunited with He Jingping, then rejected a competitive career and applied to become a full-time practice partner. As the coaches accepted his application, Sister Fan arrived demanding that Qin Huachang reveal where Xiao Dong had gone.

• Wang Chao, Lu Feiyang, and Zhu Ding reached the training hall, where the coaches anxiously awaited them.
• Zhu Ding greeted He Jingping as his Little Martial Uncle and said he wanted to start over with him.
• Cai Guodong praised Zhu Ding's potential and offered to have Qin Huachang coach him, but Zhu Ding refused to compete and applied to become a full-time practice partner.
• Cai Guodong accepted Zhu Ding's application, while Wang Chao noticed the understanding between Cai Guodong and Zhu Zeshi.
• Sister Fan barged into the training hall, grabbed Qin Huachang by the collar, and demanded to know where Xiao Dong had gone.

Sister Fan confronted Qin Huachang at the training base and demanded that Fan Xiaodong stop learning from him. Wang Chao arranged for He Jingping to become Fan Xiaodong’s public teacher, and Cai Guodong later helped Qin Huachang understand that he could still train Fan Xiaodong and earn Sister Fan’s trust through results.

• Sister Fan arrived at the training base, grabbed Qin Huachang, and explained that she had come to check on Fan Xiaodong because she could not stop worrying about him.
• Sister Fan asked Wang Chao to introduce Fan Xiaodong to He Jingping, and Wang Chao persuaded He Jingping to accept him as a disciple.
• He Jingping agreed to take Fan Xiaodong, and Sister Fan treated the arrangement as a formal apprenticeship before Cai Guodong took her to see her son.
• After Sister Fan left, Qin Huachang grabbed Wang Chao and learned that He Jingping’s apprenticeship would reassure her while Qin Huachang continued guiding Fan Xiaodong behind the scenes.
• The next day, Cai Guodong told Qin Huachang that Wang Chao had been joking and that Fan Xiaodong’s results could eventually change Sister Fan’s opinion of him.
• Qin Huachang left in a better mood and brought Lin Li a lollipop, but Lin Li cried again.

Spade Q lost to Xiang River after Hu Buming led his team to victory, while Wang Chao learned that Poseidon Club was collapsing after Zhu Ding’s departure. Zhao Hanqing discovered that Wang Shou and Ma Angxing would leave too, and decided to rebuild Poseidon around local players.

• Wang Chao returned to Jiangcheng City and joined Spade Q for its match against Xiang River, surprising Hu Buming, who had expected him to be absent.
• Wang Chao swept Tang Chaowang, Hu Buming defeated Lu Jia, and Xiang River took a 2:1 lead after Spade Q’s doubles pair struggled.
• Hu Yifei narrowly beat Tian Zhengguang in a fifth-game decider, giving Xiang River the victory, while Hu Buming claimed credit for leading his team.
• Fan Xiaoxian told Wang Chao that Poseidon had lost and Zhu Ding would miss the rest of the season, prompting Wang Chao to expect a playoff rematch with Hu Buming.
• Wang Shou explained to Zhao Hanqing that Zhu Ding and he had joined Poseidon for reasons tied to the national team factions, then revealed that he and Ma Angxing would leave after the season.
• Zhao Hanqing decided to rebuild Poseidon by recruiting only local Bincheng players.

Spade Q completed the regular season with a 17-5 record and claimed fourth place, while Wang Chao’s steady, experimental play inspired fans to rename him the Unrivaled Youth. At the Qatar Open, Luo Jiu defeated Lin Li 4:0 with his refined backhand pips flicks, confirming his transformation into a formidable contender.

• Spade Q beat Duck Head Club 3:1, with Wang Chao and Geng Shuai winning singles before Wang Chao secured the fourth match after a doubles loss.
• Wang Chao continued to win without shaving opponents bald, prompting Brother Da Ma to propose the nickname Unrivaled Youth, which fans and those following Wang Chao embraced.
• Spade Q won its remaining regular-season matches and finished fourth with a 17-5 record, qualifying for the playoffs ahead of fifth-place Poseidon.
• At the Qatar Open, Luo Jiu defeated Bai Feng in the quarterfinals and advanced past the lower half of the draw to face Lin Li in the final.
• Luo Jiu defeated Lin Li 4:0 in twenty-four minutes, using his backhand short-pips flicks to counter Lin Li’s attacks and claim the Qatar title.

Zhuang Huishen retired from table tennis, prompting grief and speculation among fans and former Chinese teammates, who blamed Lu Feiyang for his loss at T2. As the China Super League ended, the First Division playoffs began, with Spade Q’s return to full strength making it the overwhelming favorite.

• Bay Island fans mourned Zhuang Huishen’s retirement, while Jiang Peirong and Lin Zijun clarified that Zhuang had chosen to stop playing rather than been forced out.
• Zhu Zeshi, Qin Huachang, Wang Lu, and Cai Guodong blamed Lu Feiyang for Zhuang’s retirement and hit him before Zhu ordered him to train three extra hours.
• Zhu Zeshi and the other senior figures remembered Zhuang’s years at the national training base and the night he left to rebuild Bay Island table tennis.
• Ochomirov and Ni Liliyan commented on Zhuang’s retirement, and attention shifted to the league results and the First Division playoffs.
• Jingyuewan chose Xiang River Club as its playoff opponent, leaving Bingcheng Pharmaceutical to face Spade Q and fear Wang Chao’s return.
• The First Division playoffs began three days after the opponent selection.

Spade Q won the Table Tennis First Division championship, and Wang Chao received the MVP award before the club traveled to the promotion-relegation match against Imperial Capital New City. The match began with Wang Chao facing Liang Kunpeng, whose fierce determination left Wang Chao wondering what had angered him.

• Hu Buming blamed Niu Linjun for Xiangshui River's loss to Jingyue Bay and promised to face Wang Chao in next year's national team selection.
• Spade Q crushed Bingcheng Pharmaceutical, then defeated Jingyue Bay on November 12 to win the First Division championship and earn Wang Chao the MVP award.
• Fan Xiaofan gave Wang Chao a one-million-yuan bonus before Spade Q traveled to the Imperial Capital for the promotion-relegation match.
• Fan Xiaofan spotted Lin Zijun seated with Imperial Capital New City and realized the Taiwan Island player had joined the team.
• Wang Chao shook hands with Liang Kunpeng before the opening singles match, and Liang Kunpeng won the serve toss.

Liang Kunpeng followed Bai Feng’s advice to attack Wang Chao aggressively and took the first two points with powerful drives. Wang Chao identified weaknesses in Liang Kunpeng’s backhand and speed, tied the score at 2:2, and left Ji Qingsong convinced the match was already decided.

• Liang Kunpeng opened with a Sneak Long Serve, anticipated Wang Chao’s return, and blasted a winner to take the first point.
• Liang Kunpeng used another Sneak Long Serve and scored again with a powerful forehand drive, making it 2:0.
• Wang Chao tested Liang Kunpeng’s backhand with a long serve, then repeatedly targeted his wide backhand until Liang Kunpeng missed and the score became 2:1.
• Liang Kunpeng followed Bai Feng’s advice to stand close to the table, but Wang Chao served fast to the wide forehand and tied the score at 2:2.
• Ji Qingsong concluded that Wang Chao had found Liang Kunpeng’s weaknesses in backhand quality and movement speed, and believed the match was already over.

Wang Chao crushed Liang Kunpeng in the promotion-relegation playoffs, while Ji Qingsong confronted the failure of his coaching approach after a conversation with Cai Guodong. Spade Q earned promotion to the Super League, Imperial Capital New City was relegated, and Ji Qingsong decided to resign and begin again as an assistant coach.

• Wang Chao defeated Liang Kunpeng 4–0, winning the games 11:2, 11:3, 11:3, and 11:1.
• Liang Kunpeng complained to Bai Feng that Wang Chao had avoided a fair contest, and Bai Feng encouraged him to keep training his power-based style.
• Ji Qingsong called Cai Guodong, who told him that his coaching methods had failed to account for Liang Kunpeng's individual strengths and capacities.
• Ji Qingsong realized that Liang Kunpeng was not unteachable, but had been poorly matched to Ji Qingsong's approach.
• Spade Q secured promotion to the Super League, while Imperial Capital New City was relegated to the First Division.
• Ji Qingsong decided to resign, return to the Jizhou Province team as an assistant coach, and sent Liang Kunpeng messages thanking him and apologizing.