The Head Coach's Troubles

Wang Chao was on a fourteen-match winning streak, with only two opponents left: Tian Ye and Jiang Shan.

Wang Bin had actually done this intentionally. He knew neither of them could beat Wang Chao, so he wanted Wang Chao to exhaust himself first before letting them try.

Unfortunately, it seemed that even though Wang Chao appeared extremely tired, he hadn't reached the point of complete exhaustion yet.

Wang Bin glanced at the table in the distance. Jiang Shan and Tian Ye were currently playing there, having reached the fifth game, with Jiang Shan leading 3:1.

"Let's wait a bit. After they finish, it'll be your turn," Wang Bin said.

After some thought, he added, "Play Tian Ye first, then Jiang Shan."

He still hadn't given up, wanting to save the strongest opponent for last to see Wang Chao's limit.

But Wang Chao stood up from the ground and shook his head. "Coach, I'm not playing anymore."

Wang Bin was stunned.

"I forfeit the last two matches."

Wang Chao explained, "I feel like my body is already overloaded. If I continue playing, I'm afraid of muscle strain, which would negatively affect my performance in the promotion-relegation matches."

Wang Bin said, "But you..."

"I just saw the scoreboard. Even if I forfeit the last two matches, I should still be able to secure a spot in the top three, so..."

Wang Chao smiled. "After all, this is just an internal selection. Getting into the top three is enough. Who gets first place doesn't really matter, right?"

Wang Bin: ...

[I understand the logic, but is it really that hard for me to see you lose just one match?]

"Brother, why did you forfeit? I think you still had some energy left."

Late at night, Jiang Shan tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He kicked the bed frame above him with his foot. "Did you do that on purpose to avoid playing me?"

Wang Chao retorted, "What do you think?"

"I think so," Jiang Shan said happily. "You know I'm different from them. You can beat them when you're not in top form, but you have no chance against me. You're afraid of getting crushed by me, so you decided to save face by forfeiting, right?"

Wang Chao chuckled. "So smart."

His decision to forfeit earlier that day didn't actually hold that much hidden meaning.

What he told Wang Bin was exactly what he felt.

This was just a regular competition for promotion-relegation spots. Why get so worked up about it?

Being ranked first internally within a substitute team wasn't that appealing.

As for whether he could actually beat Jiang Shan...

Heh.

Let's just say it's not a bad thing to give the kid a bit more confidence. After all, he'd scared the kid quite a bit during their first spar.

As roommates, he had to give him some face.

Jiang Shan sighed, "After this promotion-relegation match, I guess another group of people will leave."

Wang Chao didn't understand.

"Actually, most people know they won't make it to the main team. So, many of them never intended to play in the promotion-relegation matches. They mainly came to practice their skills."

"And then?" Wang Chao asked.

"Then... they can go out and earn money. With the professional player certification issued by the city team, at the very least, they can become sports teachers. The slightly better ones can go to specialized sports schools, and the best group can go play in League A."

Wang Chao was taken aback.

League A was perhaps the biggest difference between China and his previous life's China, and it was an area he had always been curious about but never understood.

"How much money can you make playing in League A?" Wang Chao asked, genuinely curious.

"A lot. As long as you get signed, even substitute players earn over ten thousand a month. If you get to play in matches, your income is tied to your performance. The more you win, the higher your salary and the bigger your prize money," Jiang Shan said, clearly knowledgeable about these things despite his young age.

"How is the prize money calculated?" Wang Chao asked practically.

"They say most of it is paid per match. You get paid directly after winning."

Jiang Shan grinned. "If I weren't too young to participate in professional leagues, I'd want to play in League A too."

He became animated when talking about earning money. "But we're not in a hurry now. The most important thing is to make it to the main team first. Then, when we go to League A, the pay will be different."

Wang Chao nodded silently, suddenly remembering his mother Wang Mei's rough hands and the surprised joy on her face when she heard he could get a five-thousand-yuan subsidy last time.

"Maybe... if I have the chance, I can go to League A to earn some money too?"

Luo Zhihong, the head coach of the Jiangcheng City Table Tennis Team, who had just celebrated his fiftieth birthday, was quite troubled recently.

His daughter, Luo Xiaoyu, was a senior this year, majoring in journalism. She was currently interning at Jiangcheng City Television.

Logically speaking, with so many university students nowadays, her getting an internship at the city station was thanks to her father's connections, and she should be grateful.

However, Luo Xiaoyu had high aspirations and wanted to break a big, significant news story.

What's the hottest sport right now?

Football, of course!

So, she wanted to do a special feature interview at the city's football team, and hoped Luo Zhihong could help smooth things over for her.

They're both in sports, right? Colleagues in the same circle. Wouldn't this just be a matter of a single word?

But Luo Zhihong was unwilling.

He was a rather aloof and stubborn person. Sending his daughter to intern at the TV station was already a departure from his principles; did they expect him to continue abusing his power for personal gain? Absolutely not!

Thus, the father and daughter clashed, not speaking to each other for a week. Then, his wife's call came.

"Luo Zhihong, do you even have this family in your heart? Count on your fingers, how many days has it been since you've been home? Your study is practically growing grass!"

Luo Zhihong knew very well that his wife was speaking indirectly, and ultimately felt he hadn't helped their daughter solve her problem.

Otherwise, it wasn't just that he, the city team's head coach, hadn't been home for a day; he hadn't been home much at all since taking the position years ago. Why would his wife suddenly lash out now?

Although he was stubborn, he had dedicated himself to the team all these years and always felt a sense of guilt towards his wife. So, when his wife exploded, he could only compromise and proactively call his daughter.

"Xiaoyu, I've arranged the special report for you."

"Don't even think about the football team; your old man doesn't have that much influence. But the table tennis team is also an option."

"Coincidentally, our city team will be having promotion-relegation matches tomorrow. Do you want to come and interview my players?"

Luo Xiaoyu's lips pouted so much a oil bottle could hang from them: "Who watches table tennis? Only you guys treasure it!"

"What did you just say?" Luo Zhihong's tone immediately rose by eight octaves.

"Aren't football and table tennis the same thing? Anyway, neither can beat anyone."

Both phrases were "neither can beat anyone," but the meaning was completely opposite.

No matter which country China's football team played against, they would lose to themselves.

But no matter which country China's table tennis team played against, it was the other side that would lose.

As a coach from China, the world's number one table tennis powerhouse, Luo Zhihong spoke with that kind of confidence.

Having resolved the family conflict and temporarily in a much better mood, Luo Zhihong entered his office with his teacup. Upon seeing a couple already waiting for him in the office, his face immediately fell.

"Oh dear, you two, why are you here again?" Luo Zhihong felt a headache coming on.

"Coach Luo, you must stand up for our child."

The couple's eyes were teary: "Aren't all children born to parents? We sent our two sons to train, not to be bullied. They've run home three times this month, and yesterday they told us they don't want to play anymore and want to change professions. How can this be?"

Luo Zhihong could only explain patiently: "You've really misunderstood. My players have very good relationships with each other; there are no conflicts, and no one is bullying those two. They just lost their matches and are feeling frustrated."

"Other people's children also lose games, so why aren't they this frustrated?"

The couple wasn't easily fooled; this was the third time they had brought their children back this month, so their attitude was firm: "We don't understand what you're saying. We have only one request: don't let our children be sparring partners for that person named Wu, alright?"

Luo Zhihong's words were blocked by the couple's resolute gaze. After a long silence, he finally sighed helplessly, "Alright! Alright! Alright! I'll find a different sparring partner for Wu Li, won't that do?"

The couple left, feeling both anxious and delighted. Luo Zhihong, however, sank into the soft chair, massaging his temples with his fingers for over ten minutes before letting out a soft sigh and making a call: "Have Wu Li come over."