Chapter Summaries

Wang Chao defeated Zhu Shixian 4–0, using relentless power loops to reveal that his strength, explosiveness, and speed had all improved. The match left Luo Jiu, Sun Tianlong, and the Chinese coaching staff aware that Wang Chao had closed the gap in basic attributes.

• Zhu Shixian chose long backspin serves and tried to extend rallies, but Wang Chao attacked quickly and took the opening points.
• Wang Chao repeatedly power-looped through Zhu Shixian's chops, landing four consecutive full-power shots and raising the score to 6–0.
• Wang Chao won the first three games 11–1, 11–3, and 11–4 before shutting Zhu Shixian out 11–0 in the fourth.
• The audience criticized the match as too simple, while knowledgeable observers recognized Wang Chao's improved strength, explosiveness, and speed.
• Luo Jiu, Sun Tianlong, He Jingping, and Cai Guodong noticed Wang Chao's faster footwork and understood that his basic attributes had improved across the board.

The Olympic men's singles quarterfinals began, with Luo Jiu defeating Arul and Sun Tianlong crushing Pike. Sun Tianlong then asked Qin Huachang not to livestream his likely final, but after his teacher insisted, he promised to give everything to win.

• Luo Jiu beat Arul 4–0 after turning their match into a fierce forehand duel, then boldly claimed he would win the championship and teased Sun Tianlong and Wang Chao.
• Wang Chao felt relieved to see Luo Jiu acting like his old, carefree self again.
• Sun Tianlong defeated Pike 4–0, with Pike refusing to accept Sun's attempted gift of a point.
• Sun Tianlong called Qin Huachang and asked him not to livestream the final because he was not confident of winning.
• Qin Huachang insisted he wanted to watch Sun Tianlong compete, and Sun Tianlong agreed to give everything he had to win.

Wang Chao swept Bayer, and Lin Zijun narrowly defeated Hook to complete the men’s singles semifinals, which would pit Luo Jiu against Sun Tianlong and Wang Chao against Lin Zijun. That night, Luo Jiu enlisted Wang Chao to help him prepare for Sun Tianlong, while Hook offered to help Sun Tianlong simulate Luo Jiu, revealing that he wanted revenge and hoped Sun would achieve a Double Grand Slam.

• Wang Chao defeated Bayer 4–0 in thirty-two minutes, leaving Europe without a semifinalist.
• Lin Zijun beat Hook 4–3 after Hook fell apart in the final game, securing a place in the semifinal against Wang Chao.
• Chinese table tennis officials concluded that Lin Zijun won because he adjusted his mentality better under pressure than Hook did.
• The men’s singles semifinals were set as Luo Jiu versus Sun Tianlong and Wang Chao versus Lin Zijun, prompting International Table Tennis Federation officials to call for further reform.
• Luo Jiu asked Wang Chao to help him practice for Sun Tianlong, and Wang Chao agreed while joking that they would both win.
• Hook contacted Sun Tianlong and offered to simulate Luo Jiu, admitting he wanted revenge and hoped Sun would fulfill his Double Grand Slam dream.

Wang Chao and Luo Jiu trained together while discussing Sun Tianlong’s strength ahead of Luo Jiu’s match against him. Hook helped Sun Tianlong study Luo Jiu’s habits, leaving Luo Jiu unaware that his opponent was preparing with detailed information about him.

• Wang Chao visited his mother, Wang Mei, and Tony teacher, then joined Luo Jiu for a late-night training session.
• Wang Chao dominated their practice match as Luo Jiu joked, complained, and admitted he could not beat his junior brother.
• Luo Jiu accidentally revealed that Hook knew Wang Chao would surrender if he faced Sun Tianlong, then sneezed repeatedly while Hook sneezed in a separate training hall.
• Hook demonstrated Luo Jiu’s playing habits for Sun Tianlong and said Sun Tianlong was stronger than Luo Jiu.
• Wang Chao told Luo Jiu that Sun Tianlong had recovered and was likely at his peak, explaining why defeating him required more than matching his raw ability.
• Luo Jiu suspected Wang Chao was trying to unsettle him, unaware that Hook had already helped Sun Tianlong analyze his game.

Luo Jiu and Sun Tianlong began their Olympic Men's Singles semifinal, trading relentless attacks in a first game that reached 6:6. Sun Tianlong then resolved to target Luo Jiu specifically, while Qin Huachang watched anxiously from afar as the Qin and Zhu schools’ disciples fought.

• After losing the Women's Singles semifinal, Jin Ling stayed to watch the Men's Singles match and considered retiring to become a coach.
• He Jingping told Luo Jiu to risk his life, and Luo Jiu and Sun Tianlong each claimed to be eighty percent confident before the semifinal began.
• Luo Jiu and Sun Tianlong traded aggressive attacks, and Sun Tianlong took a 6:4 lead with five consecutive powerful loops.
• Luo Jiu rallied through an exhausting long-distance exchange and pulled the score level at 6:6, collapsing to his knees after his final shot.
• Sun Tianlong admired Luo Jiu's effort and prepared to target him specifically, while Qin Huachang secretly watched and rooted for the Qin school.

Sun Tianlong exploited Luo Jiu’s backhand weakness by repeatedly suppressing it and refusing to attack when Luo Jiu tried to break the stalemate. Luo Jiu lost the point and fell behind 8:6, leaving Sun Tianlong in control of the tactical battle.

• Luo Jiu and Sun Tianlong shifted from fierce attacks into a long exchange of short pushes aimed at each other’s backhands.
• Sun Tianlong recognized that Luo Jiu’s forehand loop powered his overall system and used backhand suppression to prevent Luo Jiu from attacking.
• Luo Jiu deliberately popped up two returns to tempt Sun Tianlong into attacking, but Sun Tianlong calmly pushed both balls short and prolonged the rally.
• Luo Jiu finally swung wildly to end the stalemate, giving Sun Tianlong the point and a 7:6 lead.
• Luo Jiu served a Bullet Serve, and Sun Tianlong drove him away from the table with five explosive loops before dropping the sixth ball short to make it 8:6.

Sun Tianlong dominated Luo Jiu 4:0 in the Olympic men's singles semifinal by relentlessly targeting his backhand, securing a place in the final. Wang Chao decided he would avoid facing Sun Tianlong and considered losing to Lin Zijun instead.

• Sun Tianlong repeatedly pinned Luo Jiu's backhand and won the first game 11:6 after Luo Jiu's attempts to change tactics failed.
• Wang Chao recognized Sun Tianlong's simple strategy of suppressing Luo Jiu's fundamental weakness and decided to warm up for his own match.
• Sun Tianlong defeated Luo Jiu 11:4, 11:2, and 11:1, advancing to the final with a 4:0 victory.
• Wang Chao planned to lose to Lin Zijun rather than face Sun Tianlong in the final.
• Sun Tianlong gave Luo Jiu a point at 10:0 in the last game, while Hook worried that Luo Jiu might learn of his betrayal.

Lin Zijun fought Wang Chao with everything he had, but Wang Chao repeatedly intercepted his Super Speed Defense returns and won the opening point. He Jingping worried that Wang Chao would throw the semifinal, and Cai Guodong learned why He Jingping had asked him to help intervene.

• Lin Zijun abandoned his plan to merely make the match respectable and decided to fight desperately, serving a deep Bullet Serve to Wang Chao.
• Wang Chao repeatedly shoved back Lin Zijun's lightning-fast returns, forced him into a high ball, and won the point to lead 1:0.
• The coaches and audience wondered how Wang Chao had countered Lin Zijun's Super Speed Defense Mode, while He Jingping admitted that he did not know Wang Chao's new technique.
• He Jingping asked Cai Guodong to help him stop Wang Chao from throwing the match, and Cai Guodong realized He Jingping had brought him over to lend authority.
• The chapter revealed that Sun Tianlong had warned He Jingping that Wang Chao might throw the match and had asked him to prevent it without exposing Sun Tianlong's involvement.
• Lin Zijun continued to rely on Super Speed Defense Mode and served another baseline Bullet Serve.

Wang Chao used varied attacks to beat Lin Zijun in the first three games, while Lin Zijun mistook his restraint for an effort to protect his dignity. He Jingping suspected Wang Chao was deliberately throwing the match, and the fourth game reached 10:10 as he waited for proof.

• Wang Chao countered Lin Zijun's Super Speed Defense Mode, and Lin Zijun shifted to blocking while Wang Chao attacked without finding a decisive finish.
• Wang Chao won the first game 11:8 as He Jingping searched for signs that he was deliberately losing.
• Lin Zijun decided Wang Chao was keeping the match close to protect him and smiled at Wang Chao, making He Jingping more convinced they had colluded.
• Wang Chao told He Jingping he was trying new things, then won the second game 11:9 and the third 11:7.
• He Jingping watched the fourth game closely as the score reached 10:10, while Qin Huachang was also nervous watching from afar.

Wang Chao defeated Lin Zijun 4:0 in the semifinal, reaching the final against Sun Tianlong instead of throwing the match. He realized Sun Tianlong wanted him to compete honestly and resolved to face him despite his earlier oath.

• Qin Huachang watched Wang Chao play and recognized that his strength, speed, reactions, and explosiveness had steadily improved.
• Wang Chao disrupted Lin Zijun’s timing with a sudden pause before a power loop, winning the fourth game 12:10 and the match 4:0.
• He Jingping was stunned that Wang Chao had won, then celebrated his disciple’s place in the final.
• Wang Chao recalled his oath not to face Sun Tianlong and his doubts about whether throwing a match would truly honor him.
• Seeing Sun Tianlong encourage him from the stands, Wang Chao decided to follow his heart and meet him in the final.

Liu Wen defeated Shen Sha to win the Olympic Women's Singles title and decided to keep playing, while the Olympic Men's Singles final between Wang Chao and Sun Tianlong was about to begin. Qin Huachang opened his livestream despite collapsing after watching Wang Chao's previous match, and the referee tossed the coin to start the final.

• Luo Jiu confronted Hook after learning Hook had exposed Wang Chao's plan, and the two made up after a night of drinking and fighting.
• Liu Wen defeated Shen Sha 4-0 in the Women's Singles final, then told Wang Wendong she would postpone retirement and pursue the missing World Cup title.
• Wang Mei remained relaxed before Wang Chao's final while Geng Shuai and Wu Li felt nervous, and the arena introduced Wang Chao and Sun Tianlong.
• Qin Huachang watched Wang Chao defeat Lin Zijun, suffered a medical emergency, and later insisted on livestreaming the Olympic final despite his family's worries.
• Qin Huachang muttered curses about Wang Chao as the referee tossed the coin before the Men's Singles final.

Wang Chao faced Sun Tianlong in the final, where Lin Zijun realized Wang Chao could now see a coin’s orientation and had gained exceptional speed and power. After a prolonged opening rally, Wang Chao won the first point, showing that Sun Tianlong no longer held a power advantage.

• Wang Chao let Sun Tianlong call the coin toss, and Lin Zijun recognized the hesitation as proof that Wang Chao could see which side of the coin was facing up.
• Sun Tianlong opened with a carefully placed short backspin serve, and he and Wang Chao traded short pushes for twenty-eight shots.
• Sun Tianlong pushed long to Wang Chao’s backhand, and Wang Chao took the initiative with a powerful backhand topspin.
• Wang Chao and Sun Tianlong traded explosive loops until Wang Chao’s Great Python Turn forced Sun Tianlong into a defensive position.
• Sun Tianlong chased Wang Chao’s angled shots and fell to the floor, but Wang Chao fired a return into the wide backhand corner to win the point 1–0.

Sun Tianlong and Wang Chao traded a spectacular second point, with Sun Tianlong unveiling a risky close-to-the-table sidespin chop and Wang Chao surviving through speed and precise judgment. Sun Tianlong won the point to tie the score at 1:1, but Qin Huachang feared Wang Chao had already surpassed his disciple in several key abilities.

• Sun Tianlong changed tactics after Wang Chao returned his short serve, using a fast backhand block to send the ball deep to Wang Chao's backhand.
• Wang Chao and Sun Tianlong traded fast attacks until Sun Tianlong countered Wang Chao's powerful forehand loop with a close-to-the-table sidespin chop.
• Wang Chao chased the sharply changing ball beyond the table and returned it with a long, slow chop to buy time and regain his balance.
• Sun Tianlong pushed the ball back instead of attacking, and the rally reset as the scoreboard reached 1:1.
• Qin Huachang concluded that Sun Tianlong would probably lose, believing Wang Chao had surpassed him in touch, power, movement speed, and reaction speed.

Wang Chao took a 2:1 lead after standing his ground to return Sun Tianlong’s backhand killing shot, and Qin Huachang recognized that Wang Chao had overcome his remaining weaknesses. Qin Huachang predicted a straight-set sweep before his health forced him off the livestream, while Sun Tianlong felt a sudden pain in his heart as the match continued.

• Wang Chao and Sun Tianlong traded rapid close-to-the-table attacks as Sun Tianlong revealed a high-quality backhand twist and later unleashed his powerful backhand loop.
• Wang Chao stayed near the table and returned Sun Tianlong’s backhand killing shot, then finished the rally to take a 2:1 lead.
• Qin Huachang declared that Wang Chao’s strength had reached completion and speculated that Wang Chao had acquired Extreme Speed Talent and might eventually gain other talents.
• Qin Huachang became distressed and physically unwell, and Qin Zhenyu tried to take him to the hospital.
• Qin Huachang returned to the microphone and insisted that the match would end in a straight-set sweep before coughing and losing his strength.
• Sun Tianlong felt his heart contract violently as the match continued, while the venue crowd remained unaware of Qin Huachang’s condition.

Wang Chao widened his lead over Sun Tianlong by countering his experiments with relentless hard power, leaving Sun Tianlong unable to find a workable solution. At 5:2, Sun Tianlong abandoned his textbook approach and began playing wildly.

• Sun Tianlong switched to chopping, but Wang Chao patiently pinned his backhand and forced him into a desperate, nearly miraculous sidespin chop that still lost him the point, making the score 3:1.
• Sun Tianlong tried to slow the match by retreating, but Wang Chao used Lin Zijun's acceleration tactic and kept attacking until the score reached 4:1.
• Zhu Zeshi asked He Jingping whether Wang Chao could win, and He Jingping reassured him that the championship was likely in the bag and Wang Chao could complete a record-fast Grand Slam.
• As the score reached 5:2, Sun Tianlong abandoned his orderly textbook style because his usual principles could not overcome Wang Chao, and he began fighting wildly.

In the Olympic Men’s Singles final, Wang Chao overwhelmed Sun Tianlong, whose attempts to disrupt Wang Chao’s rhythm and find an opening only widened the score. Wang Chao won the first game 11:4 and led the second 7:3 as Sun Tianlong continued to gamble on increasingly desperate tactics.

• At 5:2 in the first game, Sun Tianlong abandoned conventional play and tried bizarre spins and long-distance returns, but Wang Chao calmly attacked through them to win points.
• Sun Tianlong’s failed attempts to disrupt Wang Chao’s rhythm and a netted chop pushed the score to 8:2, and Wang Chao closed the game 11:4 after Sun Tianlong scraped his leg diving for a ball.
• In the second game, Sun Tianlong tried forced attacks, risky swings, and weak serves in an effort to find an opening, but Wang Chao punished each failed attempt.
• Sun Tianlong returned to conventional short play and continued probing for a flaw, but Wang Chao moved him from side to side and built a 7:3 lead.

Wang Chao swept Sun Tianlong in the Olympic men's singles final, inheriting the mantle of Chinese table tennis’s new king. After the medal ceremony and a historic Chinese sweep of the podiums, the team returned home and prepared for the National Games, where Wang Chao pursued a Full Grand Slam.

• Wang Chao defeated Sun Tianlong 4:0, while Sun fought through exhaustion and injury to score a final-game point without Wang’s help.
• Sun Tianlong collapsed against Wang Chao after the match and urged him to win a Double Grand Slam; Wang promised to do so, and the two solemnly shook hands.
• Wang Chao, Sun Tianlong, and Luo Jiu received the Olympic men's singles gold, silver, and bronze medals, while Chinese players swept the men's and women's singles podiums.
• The International Table Tennis Federation discussed ways to challenge Chinese table tennis’s dominance, then invited a Chinese representative to join permanently.
• Chinese table tennis returned to the capital and began preparing for upcoming tournaments and the National Games, where Wang Chao aimed to complete a Full Grand Slam.

After the Olympic Games, Chinese table tennis reshuffled its rankings and named new core players, with Wang Chao becoming the men's team’s top player and ushering in a new era. The chapter ended with Cai Guodong receiving calls from major associations asking China not to send players to the next three Open tournaments.

• On December 26, the coaching staff announced the retirements of Sun Tianlong, Xiao Fei, and Jin Ling; Sun Tianlong and Xiao Fei became coaches, while Jin Ling returned to university.
• Liu Wen became the women’s team’s top-ranked player, followed by Shen Sha, Wang Yu, Zhu Lingling, and Yin Di.
• The coaches unanimously made Wang Chao the men’s team’s first core player, followed by Luo Jiu, Bai Feng, Lin Li, and Fan Xiaodong.
• Cai Guodong received calls from major associations asking Chinese table tennis not to enter anyone in the next three Open tournaments.

After the Olympics, Chinese table tennis’s dominance left non-Chinese associations worried that their top players would miss the year-end finals, so Cai Guodong promised to keep Wang Chao and Luo Jiu out of the next three Opens. The story leaves Wang Chao and Luo Jiu back in Jiangcheng, with Wang returning to Spade Q and Luo Jiu seeking out his future wife.

• Rohlskov and other non-Chinese association officials called Cai Guodong to plead for Chinese players to ease off the remaining Opens, since Wang Chao and Luo Jiu had taken so many points that established stars risked missing the year-end finals.
• Cai Guodong assured the officials that Wang Chao and Luo Jiu would not proactively enter the next three Opens, then sent Fan Xiaodong to compete in all three and try to win a medal.
• Sun Tianlong visited his mentor Qin Huachang in Yangcheng, where Qin invited him to join a livestream as a guest.
• Qin Huachang and Sun Tianlong livestreamed the Super League match between Pengcheng University Club and Magic City Oriental Pearl Club, turning it into a major event.
• Wang Chao and Luo Jiu returned to Jiangcheng and went to the Spade Q training base; Wang rejoined the team while Luo Jiu sought out his future wife.

Jiangcheng University Team and Black Spade Q qualified for the Table Tennis Super League playoffs, with Jiangcheng University choosing Magic City Fire Phoenix as its opponent. As the year’s final Open tournaments disrupted the non-Chinese associations’ plans to collect points, Cai Guodong sent a group of Chinese players abroad, and Fan Xiaodong became a major spoiler.

• Jiangcheng University Team swept four opponents, while Wang Chao and Wu Li developed Black Spade Q’s doubles partnership into a reliable scoring point.
• Jiangcheng University Team finished first and Black Spade Q finished fourth, joining Imperial Capital Panlong and Magic City Fire Phoenix in the playoffs.
• Jiangcheng University Team chose Magic City Fire Phoenix, leaving Black Spade Q to face Imperial Capital Panlong, whose first singles player Xiao Fei had retired.
• Players from non-Chinese associations fought for points at the final three Open tournaments, while Lin Zijun and Zhang Benkuang stayed home because they had already qualified for the year-end finals.
• Cai Guodong sent many Chinese players, including Fan Xiaodong, to compete internationally and upset the non-Chinese associations’ expected points distribution.