Chapter Summaries

In the second game, Luo Jiu recognized Wang Chao’s attempt to unsettle him with high-toss serves and chose to give up points rather than reveal more about his reads. Luo Jiu won 11–6, leaving Wang Chao’s planned serving tactics exposed before the next game.

• Luo Jiu stayed composed as Wang Chao trailed, and the score reached 4:10 for the second game in a row.
• Wang Chao used a high-toss serve with heavy sidespin, then followed with powerful attacks to take two points, but Luo Jiu deliberately let the shots go.
• Wang Chao tried another high toss and revealed a second serve variation, while Luo Jiu again chose not to save a difficult shot, bringing the score to 6:10.
• Qin Huachang explained that Wang Chao had exposed serving tactics meant for the next game, allowing Luo Jiu to study them during the break.
• Luo Jiu served, and Wang Chao let the ball go rather than reveal more; Luo Jiu won the game 11:6.

Wang Chao and Luo Jiu fought through a tense third game, with their serves and precise attacks turning the score into a war of mental and physical endurance. After Luo Jiu tied the game at 2:2, Wang Chao prepared to use his serving advantage to take control.

• During the break, Wang Chao and Luo Jiu considered how to counter each other but found no new strategy and returned to the table for the third game.
• Wang Chao used high-toss serves and violent in-table flicks to take a 2:0 lead.
• After a long short-game exchange and six loop rallies, Luo Jiu used a difficult sideslice to set up three power loops and score, making it 2:1.
• Luo Jiu repeated a sideslice-and-ram tactic to score again and tie the game at 2:2.
• Wang Chao recognized that his serve gave him several attacking options and began the next point determined to stay alert and regain the lead.

Wang Chao defeated Luo Jiu in the third and fourth games, tying their match at 2:2 as both players struggled with fatigue. Qin Huachang concluded that Wang Chao was stronger and predicted that Luo Jiu would lose because age had drained the energy he needed to sustain his early momentum.

• Wang Chao won the third game 11:7 after Luo Jiu repeatedly stalled to rest, and Wang Chao's final unforced error revealed that he was also tiring.
• Wang Chao and Luo Jiu traded leads through the fourth game as fatigue made their play more erratic, reaching 10:10.
• Luo Jiu lost a long rally, then Wang Chao won the next point to take the fourth game 12:10 and tie the match at 2:2.
• Qin Huachang declared that Wang Chao had won and reasoned that Luo Jiu's age and fading stamina would prevent him from sustaining his early advantage.

Wang Chao defeated Luo Jiu 4:2 to win his first World Table Tennis Championships title after realizing his senior brother was using the final two games to train him against Sun Tianlong’s backhand style. The chapter ended with Luo Jiu asking the newly crowned champion to sing a song of thanks, leaving Wang Chao speechless.

• Wang Chao recalled Luo Jiu’s joking offer to give him a gold medal if he threw the final, then remembered Luo Jiu’s late-night message insisting he play honestly.
• Luo Jiu switched his racket rubbers in the fifth game, and Wang Chao realized he was imitating Sun Tianlong and giving him a chance to practice attacking that style.
• Wang Chao and Luo Jiu traded long rallies focused on Luo Jiu’s backhand, with their score reaching 11:11 as the crowd recognized the resemblance to Wang Chao’s earlier matches against Sun Tianlong.
• Luo Jiu continued serving as Wang Chao’s sparring partner, hoping his junior brother would gain the skill and confidence to defeat Sun Tianlong.
• Wang Chao beat Luo Jiu 4:2 to claim his first World Table Tennis Championships title, while spectators accepted the practice-like finish of the final.
• Wang Chao thanked Luo Jiu during the post-match interview, and Luo Jiu asked him to sing a song called “thank you,” leaving Wang Chao with his mouth slightly open.

After the World Table Tennis Championships, Luo Jiu delayed returning to Jiangcheng City while he gathered courage to propose to Fan Xiaoxian. She accepted, then told him her family was waiting for him to make a proper proposal.

• Luo Jiu gave up competing in the Peacock Country Open and asked Wang Chao to wait several days so they could travel back together.
• Wang Chao trained with Tang Yuanyuan, who blamed herself for their mixed-doubles loss and vowed to defeat Zhen Jing.
• Luo Jiu accompanied Wang Chao to the Spade Q base, where Fan Xiaoxian embraced him and accepted his marriage proposal.
• Fan Xiaoxian told Luo Jiu she knew about his days away from training and had heard from Coach He, then urged him to stop worrying everyone.
• Fan Xiaoxian took Luo Jiu to meet her relatives, who had gathered to await his formal proposal.

After Luo Jiu formally asked Fan Xiaoxian’s family for her hand, their kindness renewed his determination to pursue an Olympic championship. Hook sought refuge from Luo Jiu’s relentless training at Wang Chao’s team base, while the two rival teams’ owners began discussing a possible family connection of their own.

• Luo Jiu visited the Fan family with his parents, Wang Bo, and Geng Shuai to formally ask for Fan Xiaoxian’s hand, then returned from the visit energized and ready to train.
• Luo Jiu dragged Wang Chao into an early-morning sparring session and declared that he intended to win the Olympics, crediting Hook as a valuable training partner.
• Hook asked Wang Chao to train with Wu Li and the others because Luo Jiu had become too fierce, then moved into Black Spade Q’s training base for three days.
• Wang Chao, Wu Li, Geng Shuai, and Gao Ming overheard Hook refuse Luo Jiu’s demand to return, while the two teams’ owners lamented how their city rivals had become entangled.
• Fan Xiaofan and the Jiangcheng University Team’s owner met for drinks, decided their teams were practically one family, and the owner offered to introduce Fan Xiaofan to his daughter.

Spade Q improved through a run of Super League matches as Wang Chao trained Wu Li and built their doubles partnership, while Jiangcheng University Team stunned the reigning champions. Spade Q’s hard-fought loss to Imperial Capital Panlong showed that Wu Li had become a serious threat and that the club was now an upper-middle-tier team.

• Spade Q beat Shandong Province Power Club 3–1 after Wang Chao won singles and doubles and Wu Li swept his singles opponent, renewing attention on Wu Li’s “Hundred Refinements” talent.
• Spade Q edged Lu Province Weiqiao Club 3–2, and Wang Chao intensified Wu Li’s training so he could help secure future victories.
• Jiangcheng University Team swept Magic City Fire Phoenix Club 3–0, with Hook and Luo Jiu winning singles and Luo Jiu also taking doubles with Wang Bo.
• Wang Chao explained to Luo Jiu that he was developing Wu Li as his future men’s doubles partner and training to compete in three events.
• Spade Q lost 3–2 to Imperial Capital Panlong after Wang Chao defeated Zhu Ding and Wang Chao and Wu Li swept doubles, while Geng Shuai and Wu Li lost their singles matches.
• Wu Li took a game from Xiao Fei by adapting to his Great Python Turn, demonstrating his rapid improvement and helping establish Spade Q as an upper-middle-tier team.

Spade Q faced Magic City Fire Phoenix, where Wang Chao crushed Bai Feng and Wu Li staged a remarkable comeback to defeat him 4:3. Wu Li’s breakthrough earned him national-team attention, and Wang Chao planned for him to join the team next spring under Sun Tianlong’s guidance.

• Jiangcheng University defeated Imperial Capital Panlong after previously crushing Magic City Fire Phoenix, while Luo Jiu and Hook continued their undefeated runs and competed for MVP honors.
• Wang Chao played first singles against Magic City Fire Phoenix and defeated Bai Feng 4:0, including an 11:0 shutout in the final game.
• Geng Shuai lost his singles match, then partnered with Wu Li in a doubles loss, leaving Spade Q trailing 1:2 before Wang Chao won the fourth match.
• Wu Li overcame Bai Feng’s powerful attacks and won the deciding match 4:3, stunning the table-tennis world and leaving Bai Feng visibly shaken.
• Cai Guodong called Wang Chao about Wu Li joining the national team, and Wang Chao said Wu Li would come next spring and train under Sun Tianlong.
• Fan Xiaofan worried that Spade Q would struggle or face relegation if Wu Li left for the national team.

As the Olympic Games approached, Imperial Capital New City dominated the Table Tennis First Division, while the world’s top players rested and lesser-known competitors claimed the final Opens. Black Spade Q lost its last Super League match before the break, and the China Table Tennis team departed for Mexico City, where an old man quietly urged Wang Chao to complete the Grand Slam.

• Imperial Capital New City, strengthened by the returns of Lin Zijun and Liang Kunpeng, swept its way through the Table Tennis First Division and reached first place.
• With leading players absent, Lu Feiyang, Zhang Benkuang, and Arul won the men’s singles titles at the Dubai, Singapore, and Kimchi Country Opens, while Kuai Wan beat Tang Yuanyuan 4:0 and Tang later took comfort from Wang Chao’s advice.
• Sun Tianlong returned for Liaoning Province Zhonggang’s final Super League match before the Olympic break, and he and Wang Chao agreed to avoid facing each other.
• Wang Chao won his singles match, but Qi Hao beat Wu Li 4:1 in the deciding match, giving Liaoning Province Zhonggang a 3:2 victory over Black Spade Q.
• The table tennis leagues and international events paused as the China Table Tennis team left for Mexico City ahead of the November 30 Olympic opening ceremony.
• An old man swept the empty China Table Tennis base and reflected that his perfect attendance and gold medals were nearly complete before urging Wang Chao to achieve the Grand Slam.

The Chinese table tennis team settled its Olympic roster and doubles pairings in Mexico City as Wang Chao confronted his fears about his past life and found peace with his place in the present. He entered the Games prepared to compete hard without letting victory or defeat define him.

• The Chinese coaching staff selected Jin Ling, Liu Wen, Shen Sha, and Tang Yuanyuan for the women's roster after Shen Sha beat Wang Yu in a deciding internal match, while Sun Tianlong, Luo Jiu, Wang Chao, and Fan Xiaodong made the men's roster.
• Sun Tianlong and Luo Jiu were paired for Men's Doubles, while Liu Wen and Shen Sha formed the Women's Doubles pair; Jin Ling chose to focus on singles.
• Wang Chao worried that the Olympic schedule might limit his chances to pursue a Grand Slam and wondered whether he should face Sun Tianlong or Luo Jiu in a final.
• After confirming the schedule in the Olympic Village, Wang Chao reflected on his fears and relationships, accepted that this world was real, and resolved to play his best without obsessing over results.
• Old Qin woke after sneezing several times, took cold medicine, and blamed the weather.

Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan advanced through the Olympic mixed doubles bracket, while Wang Chao helped Lin Zijun prepare for his match against Daehan Minguk’s veteran pair. The Tang Dynasty Combination reached the final, but Wang Chao’s uneven play left observers puzzled and Lin Zijun convinced that Wang Chao had sacrificed his own preparation to help him.

• The Bay Island Combination and the Tang Dynasty Combination advanced to the quarterfinals, while Hook’s Brazilian pair upset the Beautiful Country Combination before losing to Germany.
• Wang Chao agreed to practice with Lin Zijun and helped him prepare for Kim Bong and Kim Jong, despite Tang Yuanyuan questioning his decision.
• Lin Zijun defeated Kim Bong and Kim Jong 3:0, then stayed to watch Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan beat Ichikawa Mima and Niuwa Xiaoxi 3:1.
• Wang Chao told reporters that mixed doubles was improving worldwide, prompting International Table Tennis Federation officials to reconsider whether they needed to suppress the event.
• The Bay Island Combination and the Tang Dynasty Combination swept their semifinal opponents 3:0, setting up a final between the two Asian favorites.
• Fans criticized Wang Chao’s inconsistent play against France, while Lin Zijun believed Wang Chao’s help had hurt his own performance.

Before the Olympic mixed doubles final, Wang Chao trained in unusual ways, first racing Gao Mingyuan and then focusing on powerful attacks. In the final against Lin Zijun and Zhen Jing, Wang Chao scored with a daring prediction against Lin Zijun’s Super Speed, leaving He Jingping and Cai Guodong wondering how he had done it.

• During practice, Wang Chao ignored Cai Guodong’s tactical advice and challenged Gao Mingyuan to a running contest, eventually outrunning him and winning the point.
• Wang Chao stopped running around after He Jingping warned him to consider Tang Yuanyuan, but he began trying to overpower opponents with forehand shots instead.
• The German Combination defeated the French Combination 3:1 to win the mixed doubles bronze medal.
• Tang Yuanyuan and Wang Chao faced Lin Zijun and Zhen Jing in the Olympic mixed doubles final, with Lin Zijun serving first.
• Tang Yuanyuan attacked Lin Zijun’s serve, and Wang Chao anticipated Lin Zijun’s Super Speed counter and returned the ball twice to give the Tang Dynasty Combination a 1:0 lead.
• He Jingping questioned how Wang Chao had seen Lin Zijun’s movement, while Cai Guodong noticed Wang Chao’s change but chose to keep watching.

Qin Huachang stayed offline during the Olympic mixed doubles final, leaving fans without his commentary as Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan faced Lin Zijun and Zhen Jing. Wang Chao appeared to read Lin Zijun’s movements and test a new approach, while Sun Tianlong prepared to study the recorded match ahead of a possible singles encounter.

• Qin Huachang’s family stopped him from streaming the late-night Olympic matches, and Silver Ball Dance announced that fans should not wait for his broadcast.
• Wang Chao’s short push forced Zhen Jing into a high return, which Tang Yuanyuan attacked before Lin Zijun countered at the table.
• Wang Chao thrust his racket toward Lin Zijun’s counterdrive but missed, letting the Taiwan Island Combination tie the score at 1:1.
• Wang Lu and He Jingping suspected that Wang Chao had read Lin Zijun’s movement rather than guessed, and they wondered why he was showing new techniques.
• Sun Tianlong skipped the match and asked He Jingping to record it so he could review Wang Chao’s condition while continuing his Olympic training.

The Tang Dynasty Combination challenged Lin Zijun’s Super Speed head-on, while Wang Chao tested his ability to read and respond to Lin Zijun’s attacks. The score reached 2:2, and Chinese coaches confirmed that Wang Chao could see Lin Zijun’s movements but still could not move fast enough to return them.

• Wang Chao served to Zhen Jing, whose cautious receive gave Tang Yuanyuan chances to attack, and Wang Chao used a Great Python Turn to win the point for a 2:1 lead.
• Tang Yuanyuan kept power-looping against Lin Zijun, prompting Lin Zijun to decide he would become even faster rather than let the Tang Dynasty Combination break through his strongest point.
• Wang Chao used a Sneak Long Serve, and Zhen Jing retreated and guided the ball back safely before Tang Yuanyuan attacked again.
• Lin Zijun countered Tang Yuanyuan’s power loop with extra force, and Wang Chao retreated but could not reach the ball, tying the score at 2:2.
• He Jingping and Wang Lu confirmed that Wang Chao could read Lin Zijun’s movements, though his speed still fell short, and they wondered how his renewed abilities would fare against Luo Jiu and Sun Tianlong.

Lin Zijun and Zhen Jing struggled against Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan’s varied tactics, but Lin Zijun rallied after realizing he could play freely. The score reached 3:3, and Lin Zijun became convinced Wang Chao had changed his approach to protect and motivate him.

• Wang Chao countered Lin Zijun’s power loop with a simplified Super Speed Defense Mode, giving the Tang Dynasty Combination a 3:2 lead.
• Lin Zijun attacked with all his strength, but Wang Chao retreated and returned a sharply angled slice that Zhen Jing barely saved.
• Tang Yuanyuan attempted a female version of the Great Python Turn, stumbled, and then Lin Zijun jumped to drive her return short and fast, tying the score at 3:3.
• Zhen Jing encouraged Lin Zijun to play freely, and he calmed down and accepted that losing was not the worst outcome.
• Lin Zijun concluded that Wang Chao was using new tactics to protect him from opponents copying his old method and to push him to keep improving.

The Tang Dynasty Combination defeated the Taiwan Island Combination 3:0 to win the Olympic mixed doubles gold, and Wang Chao’s rise to world number two drew attention at the men’s singles draw. The draw placed Sun Tianlong in Luo Jiu’s half, leaving him on course to face Luo Jiu before any possible final.

• Lin Zijun and Wang Chao turned the final point of the third game into a playful rally, and the Tang Dynasty Combination beat the Taiwan Island Combination 3:0 to claim gold.
• The Silver Ball Dance website announced that Qin Huachang would stream Sun Tianlong’s men’s singles final if he reached it, and Qin Huachang persuaded his family to let him commentate.
• The Olympic schedule moved on to the doubles events, while fans gathered to watch the men’s singles draw.
• The rankings showed Wang Chao in second place, just over ten points behind Luo Jiu, while Sun Tianlong had fallen to fourth.
• The draw placed Luo Jiu and Sun Tianlong in the top half and Wang Chao in the bottom half, meaning Sun Tianlong would have to face Luo Jiu before reaching a possible final.

Luo Jiu and Sun Tianlong won the Men's Doubles gold medal after defeating Germany and Sweden, while Germany took bronze. With the doubles events concluded, the story left the athletes and fans anticipating the singles competitions beginning the next day.

• Mexico's men's and women's doubles pairs were eliminated, while the quarterfinals narrowed the remaining teams to the leading associations.
• Luo Jiu and Sun Tianlong defeated Wolf and Qiu Shang 3-1, and Morad and Michel edged Zhang Benkuang and Utada Seiya 3-2 to reach the Men's Doubles final.
• Wang Chao brought Lin Zijun in as a practice partner, and Lin Zijun helped Sun Tianlong and Luo Jiu uncover weaknesses before the final.
• Wolf and Qiu Shang beat Zhang Benkuang and Utada Seiya in a deciding game to win the Men's Doubles bronze medal.
• Luo Jiu and Sun Tianlong defeated Morad and Michel 3-0 to claim the Men's Doubles gold medal, and Chinese players stood as their national flag rose.
• Foreign fans turned their attention to the singles events, which were due to begin the following day.

The men's singles round of sixteen was set after several upsets, including Zhang Benkuang defeating Michel, while Luo Jiu repeatedly left the Olympic Village instead of training. Cai Guodong worried about Luo Jiu's upcoming match against Morad, but He Jingping remained confident despite admitting he did not know how Luo Jiu had been preparing.

• The men's singles draw saw Sissifield, Gananaka, Kazik, Ochomirov, and Michel eliminated, while Zhang Benkuang's victory over Michel established him as a rising elite player.
• The round-of-sixteen lineup was finalized on December 15, with Luo Jiu scheduled to face Morad the next day.
• Luo Jiu left the Olympic Village after dinner again, continuing his pattern of returning in the early hours instead of training.
• Cai Guodong asked He Jingping whether Luo Jiu would be ready for Morad, whose coach and mentor Old Wa had joined the Swedish team.
• He Jingping said Luo Jiu wanted to win but admitted he did not know how Luo Jiu had trained, prompting Cai Guodong to warn him to keep a close eye on Luo Jiu.
• After Cai Guodong left, He Jingping stopped Wang Chao's practice and asked him to discuss Luo Jiu with him because he was worried.

Wang Chao explained how he helped Fan Xiaoxian join the Olympic trip and persuaded He Jingping to let Luo Jiu spend time with her and train with Wu Li. Luo Jiu crushed Morad 4:0, and Sun Tianlong then revealed his peak form against Zhang Benkuang, declaring that his final four career matches would show the world his invincibility.

• Wang Chao told He Jingping that Fan Xiaoxian’s support had reignited Luo Jiu’s ambition, and He Jingping approved Luo Jiu’s leave and gave him signed leave slips.
• Luo Jiu defeated Morad 4:0 in the men’s singles round of sixteen, playing with unusual passion and demonstrating that he had improved since the World Table Tennis Championships final.
• He Jingping watched Luo Jiu’s victory with relief, while Cai Guodong also relaxed after seeing that Luo Jiu had not neglected his training.
• Sun Tianlong began his round-of-sixteen match against Zhang Benkuang by fighting at full intensity, startling Wang Chao with evidence that he had returned to peak form.
• Sun Tianlong resolved to use his final four career matches to demonstrate his full strength and declare his time of invincibility.

Sun Tianlong dominated Zhang Benkuang in the Round of 16 while revealing a more aggressive side, and Wang Chao explained why he and Luo Jiu were playing freely. Wang Chao prepared for his upcoming match, leaving his own intentions and whether he would reveal anything new unanswered.

• Sun Tianlong defeated Zhang Benkuang 11–1 in the third game as spectators watched his forceful attacking play.
• Luo Jiu told Fan Xiaoxian that Sun Tianlong was enjoying his final matches and had finally begun playing freely, then joked about his coming match against Sun Tianlong.
• Wang Chao told Qiu Yinong that Sun Tianlong and Luo Jiu were showing their hands without relying on tricks, and predicted their semifinal would be decided mainly by fundamentals.
• Wang Chao said he expected to lose to Sun Tianlong and privately intended to concede if they met, while explaining that he no longer felt driven to win a Grand Slam.
• As Sun Tianlong's match neared its end, Wang Chao left to warm up before his own match and told Qiu Yinong he would find out whether Wang Chao had something new to show.