Chapter Summaries

Reporter Tavares covered the enormous World Table Tennis Championships, whose draw placed Luo Jiu and Hook on opposite ends of the bracket and Wang Chao in the lower half. As the tournament approached, He Jingping struggled with his conflicting hopes for his two beloved disciples, Luo Jiu and Wang Chao.

• Tavares interviewed fans from many countries and found that they all insisted their own country's player would win the championship.
• The organizers held the qualifiers and then drew the main bracket, with Luo Jiu as the first seed and Hook as the second seed.
• Wang Chao was placed in the lower half of the bracket, away from Luo Jiu until a possible final.
• Wang Chao prepared by watching Luo Jiu's match footage, while He Jingping also found Luo Jiu watching Wang Chao's footage.
• He Jingping reflected on his guilt toward Luo Jiu and gratitude toward Wang Chao, and could not decide which disciple he hoped would win.

Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan barely defeated Hungary and the Beautiful Country 4–2 in their opening mixed doubles matches, fueling speculation about Wang Chao’s poor form. Chinese table tennis stayed silent because the World Championships was meant to be a fair, public showdown between Wang Chao and Luo Jiu.

• Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan narrowly beat Hungary 4–2 after Wang Chao relied on defensive tricks and allowed their opponents to attack.
• Wang Yu and Gao Mingyuan defeated England’s newly formed pairing 4–0 in the third round.
• Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan faced Kazik and Lilith that afternoon and again won 4–2 after a difficult match.
• Cai Guodong ordered Chinese table tennis staff and players not to comment on Wang Chao’s performance, prompting media speculation about his condition.
• Wang Chao and Luo Jiu agreed to settle their rivalry at the tournament without their coach’s intervention, so the contest would be fair.

Wang Chao deliberately stretched his first-round matches to get accustomed to his new Superconductor racket, while Luo Jiu crushed his opponent to build momentum ahead of their anticipated showdown. Wang Chao’s six-game win sparked accusations that he was toying with opponents, and Cai Guodong publicly clashed with Rohlskov over the charge.

• Qin Huachang told Guo Yukun that Luo Jiu was building momentum through crushing victories, while Wang Chao was using matches to master his new racket and prepare to face Luo Jiu.
• Wex beat Utada Seiya in a seven-game opening match, and Luo Jiu swept Hoshikawa Mizuki 4:0 in twenty-three minutes.
• Wang Chao defeated his low-ranked first-round opponent 4:2 after playing six games, prompting speculation that he was hiding his strength.
• Rohlskov accused Chinese players of deliberately toying with opponents and urged others to complain, but the defeated players stayed silent.
• Cai Guodong dismissed Rohlskov’s accusations and said the champion would not be German even if Wang Chao withdrew; Rohlskov and Cai traded barbs in public.

Old Wa clarified that Wang Chao was adapting to a new racket, and Qin Huachang explained why upsets remained possible before arguing that Luo Jiu and Wang Chao stood far above the rest. Luo Jiu swept his way into the World Table Tennis Championships round of sixteen and emerged as the world’s top attacker, setting up a clash with Lin Zijun, the celebrated defender.

• Old Wa defended both Rohlskov and Cai Guodong’s positions while revealing that Wang Chao was adjusting to a new racket.
• Qin Huachang explained why overseas players’ preparation differed between Opens and the Big Three, then argued that Luo Jiu and Wang Chao were too strong for ordinary upsets to threaten them.
• Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan defeated Weng Chunting and Ai Qin 4–3 in a grueling mixed doubles match.
• Luo Jiu swept a French veteran and Denmark’s Gross 4–0 to become the first player to reach the men’s singles round of sixteen.
• Fans recognized Luo Jiu as the world’s number one attacker and looked ahead to his round-of-sixteen match against Lin Zijun.

Wang Chao rallied from 1:3 down to defeat Sissifield 4:3, using a Great Python Turn to survive match point and reach the round of sixteen. That afternoon, he and Tang Yuanyuan swept Kim Bong and Kim Jong 4:0, while Cai Guodong wondered whether the International Table Tennis Federation might eventually cancel mixed doubles.

• Wang Chao defeated Fretas 4:2, then faced Sissifield in the round of thirty-two.
• After falling behind 1:3 and facing two match points, Wang Chao used a Great Python Turn to take the deciding game 15:13 and win 4:3.
• He Jingping rushed onto the court after the match and demanded to know how Wang Chao had dared to keep risking elimination rather than change tactics.
• Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan defeated Kim Bong and Kim Jong 4:0, as Wang Chao's improved control of the Superconductor helped him dominate the short game.
• Cai Guodong considered whether the Tang Dynasty Combination's dominance might prompt the International Table Tennis Federation to cancel mixed doubles.

At the World Table Tennis Championships, Hook eliminated Bai Feng and Fan Xiaodong routed Morad before Wang Chao faced Bayer. Wang Chao lost the first three games while using the match to practice with his new paddle, and Bayer entered the fourth game convinced that his momentum had made the outcome irreversible.

• Bai Feng won the first game against Hook 11:3, but Hook adapted and won the next two games before Bai Feng took the fourth game to tie the match.
• Hook won the final two games 11:7 and 11:9, eliminating Bai Feng and becoming the first player to reach the men's singles quarterfinals.
• Fan Xiaodong defeated Morad 4:0 in twenty-five minutes, breaking down Morad's unconventional tactics with simple, controlled play.
• Bayer forced Wang Chao to defend throughout the first three games and took them 11:7, 11:6, and 11:5.
• During the break, He Jingping suggested that Wang Chao win a game first, but Wang Chao refused and continued using the match to practice.
• Bayer roared and declared that Wang Chao would leave the championships, believing his attack and the match's momentum had made a comeback impossible.

Wang Chao adapted to Bayer’s attacks and unveiled a new style with his Superconductor racket, then won their match 4:3 after trailing. He thanked Bayer for helping him refine his game and advanced from the round of sixteen.

• Luo Jiu worried about Wang Chao’s chances but resolved that he would defeat him in the final himself.
• Wang Chao attacked Bayer for the first time in the fourth game, using unfamiliar flicks and cuts to take an early lead.
• Wang Chao used the Superconductor racket’s spin and feints to confuse Bayer and won the fourth game 11:1.
• Bayer gradually adapted, but Wang Chao won the next three games 11:3, 11:6, and 11:8 to take the match 4:3.
• Wang Chao thanked Bayer at the handshake, while Bayer mistook the thanks for a gesture of sportsmanship.

Lin Zijun faced Luo Jiu in a highly anticipated Round of 16 match, choosing to let Luo Jiu serve so he could attack while Lin defended. Luo Jiu unleashed a dazzling array of attacks, and Lin Zijun held firm as the first point became a contest of endurance.

• Lin Zijun entered the match nervous but steadied himself, while the crowd overwhelmingly cheered for him.
• Lin Zijun deliberately called the coin toss incorrectly, giving Luo Jiu the serve because he believed Luo Jiu wanted to attack.
• Luo Jiu and Lin Zijun exchanged short pushes until Luo Jiu found an opening and began attacking.
• Luo Jiu varied his loops, placement, spin, and short-pips punches, but Lin Zijun returned every shot.
• Lin Zijun recognized that Luo Jiu wanted a spectacular victory and resolved to defend until Luo Jiu's relentless attacks began to tire.

Luo Jiu and Lin Zijun fought through long rallies, with Lin Zijun using sharp defensive counterattacks to take a 3:1 lead. Luo Jiu recognized weaknesses in his offense and welcomed Lin Zijun as a chance to improve, while Qin Huachang explained that both players had met ideal opponents to sharpen their games.

• Luo Jiu won the opening 27-stroke rally, but Lin Zijun equalized after counterattacking at the end of a 31-stroke exchange.
• Lin Zijun exploited Luo Jiu's positioning with a fast wide-angle shot to take a 2:1 lead, and he began to believe he could win.
• Lin Zijun kept defending against Luo Jiu's attacks and scored again with a counterattack, extending his lead to 3:1.
• Luo Jiu smiled as he recognized the weaknesses Lin Zijun had exposed in his offense.
• Qin Huachang called Lin Zijun Luo Jiu's whetstone and compared their matchup to Bayer helping Wang Chao correct his flaws.

Luo Jiu struggled against Lin Zijun’s relentless defense in the World Table Tennis Championships final, falling behind before adjusting his attacks and taking a point back. As the score reached 2:5, Sun Tianlong identified flaws in Luo Jiu’s approach, and He Jingping prepared to pass along his advice during the next break.

• Lin Zijun defended Luo Jiu’s varied attacks with simple, precise push-blocks and took a 4:1 lead.
• Qin Huachang explained that Luo Jiu had to win because years of setbacks and pressure weighed on him far more heavily than Lin Zijun’s desire to win.
• Luo Jiu recognized his habit of forcing backhand attacks and played more cautiously, breaking through Lin Zijun’s defense to make the score 2:4.
• Lin Zijun countered Luo Jiu’s powerful forehand loop, and Luo Jiu failed to return the ball as the score moved to 2:5.
• Sun Tianlong advised that Luo Jiu should vary his techniques and slow the rhythm, and He Jingping thanked him for the insight.

Luo Jiu lost the first game to Lin Zijun while using long rallies to expose flaws in his attacks, then leveled the match with a sudden spin variation. In the third game, Luo Jiu began attacking at full force, and Lin Zijun called a timeout to prepare for the onslaught, unknowingly choosing exactly the response Luo Jiu wanted.

• Luo Jiu restrained his attacks and won a long rally, but Lin Zijun took the first game 11:8 as Luo Jiu used the exchanges to identify weaknesses in his technique.
• Luo Jiu leveled the match at 1–1 by unleashing a powerful loop with a subtle sidespin variation that Lin Zijun failed to read.
• Jiang Peirong explained the sidespin trick to Lin Zijun, while Lin Zijun and Qin Huachang separately considered what Luo Jiu's sudden attack meant.
• Luo Jiu opened the third game with forceful flicks, loops, and a backhand punch, scoring against Lin Zijun's Super Speed Defense.
• Lin Zijun became alarmed, mistook Luo Jiu's plan for a deliberate attempt to break his mentality, and used his timeout to steady himself before the coming attacks.
• Luo Jiu actually intended to test his attacking power head-on, and Lin Zijun's decision to return in his best state suited that plan.

Luo Jiu used a last-second racket-side switch to disrupt Lin Zijun’s defense, then held off Lin’s attempt to win through offense. The players returned to Luo Jiu attacking and Lin Zijun defending, with the match’s decisive endurance battle still ahead.

• Lin Zijun chose to delay Luo Jiu’s attack with defensive chops, but Luo switched from short pips to inverted rubber and won the point with a heavy backhand twist.
• Lin Zijun kept the next rally short until he found an opening and launched an all-out forehand attack.
• Luo Jiu defended Lin Zijun’s repeated power loops, and Lin’s final shot hit the net, giving Luo another point.
• The two players learned that Lin’s offense could not break through Luo’s defense, so Lin stopped trying to attack first.
• Lin Zijun resumed the short game and allowed Luo Jiu to take the initiative, returning them to an intense attack-versus-defense battle.

Luo Jiu used his quarterfinal match against Lin Zijun to sharpen his attack, eventually winning 4:2 and convincing Lin Zijun that he could defeat Wang Chao. The chapter ended with the remaining men’s singles quarterfinal matchups confirmed for the following morning.

• Luo Jiu kept attacking Lin Zijun head-on, while Qin Huachang explained that Luo Jiu was using the match to strengthen himself for a future encounter with Sun Tianlong.
• Sun Tianlong realized Luo Jiu had been treating Lin Zijun as a training partner and decided to enter intensive training after the World Table Tennis Championships.
• Luo Jiu’s increasingly varied attacks overwhelmed Lin Zijun in the fourth game, giving him a 2:2 tie in the match.
• Lin Zijun deliberately played passively in the final games, and Luo Jiu won the match 4:2; Lin Zijun concluded that Wang Chao could not match Luo Jiu’s attacking power.
• Lin Zijun checked the confirmed quarterfinal matchups: Luo Jiu would face Pike, Lin Li would face Fan Xiaodong, Wang Chao would face Arul, and Hook would face Michel.

On the sixth day of the World Table Tennis Championships, the men’s singles quarterfinals produced a Huaping-heavy semifinal lineup, while the mixed doubles semifinals were set with the Taiwan Island Combination emerging as a serious challenger. The chapter ended with He Jingping’s awkward interview going viral as fans awaited the decisive matches.

• Fan Xiaodong defeated Lin Li 4:1, while Luo Jiu beat Pike 4:0 and Hook beat Michel 4:0.
• Wang Chao swept Arul 4:0 with a highly pragmatic attack, leading Qin Huachang to suggest that Wang Chao no longer needed Arul as a sparring partner.
• The men’s singles semifinals were set as Luo Jiu versus Fan Xiaodong and Wang Chao versus Hook.
• Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan, Xian Youwen and Che Songxin, Ichikawa Mima and Niuwa Xiaoxi, and Lin Zijun and Zhen Jing advanced to the mixed doubles semifinals.
• Lin Zijun and Zhen Jing’s transformed defensive-offensive pairing crushed Wang Yu and Gao Mingyuan 4:0, earning strong support as a potential threat to the Tang Dynasty Combination.
• He Jingping told an interviewer that he could not predict a possible Wang Chao–Luo Jiu final, and clips of the exchange became a viral meme while Qin Huachang explained that He Jingping genuinely knew little about their plans.

Wang Chao swept Hook 4:0, fueling speculation that he was warning Luo Jiu ahead of their final, while fans also misread the teammates’ casual lunch as a sign of conflict. The Tang Dynasty Combination won the Mixed Doubles semifinal, and Che Songxin’s suggestion of a cross-association pairing prompted Jiang Peirong to invite Daehan Minguk to team up.

• Wang Chao defeated Hook 4:0 in 21 minutes, using varied attacks and defense to dismantle his opponent’s game.
• Wang Chao, Luo Jiu, and He Jingping ate lunch together, and fans invented rumors of rivalry from their ordinary conversation and gestures.
• Ichikawa Mima and Niuwa Xiaoxi lost 4:0 to the Tang Dynasty Combination, with Niuwa Xiaoxi saying they had achieved their goal of winning a medal.
• Lin Zijun’s Taiwan Island Combination defeated the Daehan Minguk pair 4:2, while Che Songxin criticized her partner and suggested she might challenge the Tang Dynasty Combination alongside Lin Zijun.
• Jiang Peirong later emailed the Daehan Minguk Table Tennis Association to invite them to form a cross-association team.

Fan Xiaoxian anxiously watched the World Table Tennis Championships final as Wang Chao and Luo Jiu began a fiercely competitive match. Wang Chao took the opening point, and the chapter left the two fellow disciples poised for an ultimate duel.

• Fan Xiaoxian avoided Qin Huachang’s livestream and watched the final alone, fearing Luo Jiu might lose to Wang Chao.
• Spade Q’s understaffed lineup faced Jiangcheng University without Fan Xiaoxian, while Wu Li’s recent intensive training had restored his strength.
• Spade Q’s players reported that Geng Shuai lost his match, but Wu Li won both his singles match against Duan Changying and the doubles with Tian Zhengguang.
• Wang Chao won the serve after Luo Jiu called the coin toss, and the two opened the final with a rally full of deceptive spins, precise counters, and shifting rhythms.
• Wang Chao used Great Python Turn to force Luo Jiu into an extreme counterattack, and Luo Jiu’s return went off the table, giving Wang Chao the first point.
• Wang Chao and Luo Jiu exchanged a nod of respect, while Qin Huachang excitedly promised to analyze the match as their duel continued.

Wang Chao and Luo Jiu traded intricate variations in a high-level final, with Luo Jiu adapting first to seize the second point and even the score at 1:1. Qin Huachang explained that both players were already fighting all-out, and prepared for the long effort of commentating on their duel.

• Wang Chao opened the second point with short pushes and a proactive flick, and Luo Jiu answered with a forehand loop before both players exchanged rising-ball attacks and seamless transitions.
• Luo Jiu exploited Wang Chao’s fast carry with a power loop, then changed to a wide-angle chop to disrupt Wang Chao’s balance.
• Wang Chao used a difficult backhand banana flick to return deep, but Luo Jiu’s full-power loop forced a high, crude ball and left Wang Chao at a disadvantage.
• Wang Chao stayed near the table as Luo Jiu chose another full-power loop, sent the ball past him, and tied the score at 1:1.
• Qin Huachang described the players’ constant tactical calculations and told Zhenyu to prepare another kettle of herbal water for his commentary.

Luo Jiu used a carefully rehearsed prediction to counter Wang Chao’s blazing return and take a 3:2 lead in the first game. The commentators concluded that Luo Jiu was trying to drain Wang Chao’s brainpower in a grueling war of attrition.

• At 2:2, Wang Chao served a spinless Sneak Long Serve, and Luo Jiu read it and launched a powerful loop.
• Wang Chao counter-attacked the loop, but Luo Jiu anticipated the shot and struck it back too quickly for Wang Chao to react, taking the lead at 3:2.
• Qin Huachang explained that Luo Jiu had studied Wang Chao’s habits and rehearsed the counter-attack as a fixed sequence rather than reacting in the moment.
• Qin Huachang said Wang Chao would adjust his play after seeing the tactic, but those adjustments would consume brainpower during the match.
• He Jingping and Sun Tianlong concluded that Luo Jiu had no clear way to defeat Wang Chao directly and was aiming to outlast him in a war of attrition.

Wang Chao and Luo Jiu tested each other’s tactics in a fiercely calculated match, with Luo Jiu taking an early lead by anticipating Wang Chao’s attacks. Wang Chao tied the score at 4:4, leaving both senior and junior brothers ready to test each other’s fundamental skills.

• Wang Chao unleashed an explosive over-the-table flick, but Luo Jiu guessed the attack and thrust his racket forward to make it 4:2.
• Luo Jiu served long, and Wang Chao power-looped repeatedly until Luo Jiu’s return went off the table, bringing the score to 3:4.
• Luo Jiu gambled on another fast thrust against Wang Chao’s power loop, but missed as Wang Chao tied the score at 4:4.
• Wang Chao and Luo Jiu recognized that their earlier tactical tests had ended and prepared to battle through their fundamental skills.

Wang Chao and Luo Jiu settled into long, technically even rallies, while Wang Chao secretly used the conventional play to rest and drain Luo Jiu’s focus. Luo Jiu won the first game 11–6, but his growing fear of losing and the pressure of his last chance left his mental state wavering as the match continued.

• Wang Chao and Luo Jiu traded a twenty-seven-shot rally before Luo Jiu found an opening and took a 5–4 lead.
• Luo Jiu won another long rally and continued scoring through six similar exchanges, bringing the score to 10–4.
• Sun Tianlong and He Jingping recognized that Wang Chao was resting while Luo Jiu was exhausting himself by guarding against a comeback.
• Wang Chao’s deliberate losses made Luo Jiu increasingly anxious, while Wang Chao remained calm and used the rallies to conserve his attention.
• Luo Jiu took the first game 11–6 after Wang Chao won two points at game point, exposing a lapse in Luo Jiu’s composure.
• He Jingping explained that Luo Jiu felt unable to lose because this was likely his last chance, while Sun Tianlong warned that fear of defeat could undermine his play.