Foul-Mouthed

Luo Zhihong stopped talking, as Wang Chao served the ball, and the match continued.

Wang Chao also served two short backspin serves, neither too fast nor too slow, very standard. After another exchange, they each scored a point again, tying the score at 2-2.

"What exactly is this kid doing?" Zhao Fuqiang frowned. "Hiding his strength? What's the point?"

He didn't know Wang Chao's true background, so he couldn't understand Wang Chao's mindset at the moment.

In his previous life, there was no League A, and even the Super League struggled to operate. Therefore, table tennis players in his previous life generally had a hard time. First, they faced countless competitors, and second, they were very likely to face unemployment.

Unless they entered the national team and played international matches to bring glory to their country, even main players of provincial teams still had to constantly consider how to earn money.

All players only received basic salaries and subsidies, with other bonuses being very meager. They were the hardest-working group of people in this world when it came to practicing, yet their income was only one-tenth or one-hundredth of that of football players.

So, some chose to change their nationality and play abroad, some chose to switch careers, and some gave up their dreams to become teachers, open table tennis halls, become streamers, or engage in side businesses.

In Wang Chao's opinion, being born in China and choosing to play table tennis was actually a very difficult thing.

Therefore, knowing that Gao Ming would inevitably develop towards League A, he didn't want to dampen Gao Ming's confidence. He preferred to let Gao Ming leave the base with his confidence intact.

That's why he didn't go all out, to avoid ruining Gao Ming's foundation.

As expected, Gao Ming played with full confidence, thinking that his opponent was nothing special and that he only needed to try a little harder to win today's match and continue to be part of the main team.

The match thus proceeded closely, with the scores alternating. Neither player easily launched attacks, and it was mostly a back-and-forth rally with very few exhilarating offensive plays from start to finish.

The first game was 11-7, Wang Chao won.

The second game was 8-11, Wang Chao lost.

The third game was 11-6, and the fourth game was 11-9. Wang Chao won two consecutive games.

Then, Gao Ming pulled one back with 11-8, making the overall score 3-2.

The sixth game went very quickly, ending with a lopsided score of 11-3. This was because Wang Chao felt he had already gone easy enough, and pretending was really tiring, even more so than playing seriously. He couldn't be bothered to act anymore.

So, he eventually took fifty minutes to "difficultly" defeat Gao Ming, the last-ranked player in the main team.

After the match, Wang Chao was a bit tired. He ate a banana and couldn't be bothered to watch the remaining matches. He walked past the two tables by himself, found an empty spot, lay down, and closed his eyes for a nap.

A commotion arose in the distance because Jiang Shan and Li Fang's match had started. He faintly heard someone complaining, "Finally, a good match."

Wang Chao lay there for a few minutes when the light above him suddenly dimmed. Someone had squatted down beside him and extended a hand to shake his, saying, "Congratulations, buddy."

Wang Chao looked closely at the face above him and saw it was Gao Ming, his opponent from just now.

"You don't blame me?" Wang Chao asked.

"If you're not as skilled, what's there to blame?" Gao Ming's anxiety had disappeared. Although he looked a bit regretful, he was much more at ease. "Okay, to be honest, I'm a little upset because I felt you weren't much stronger than me."

He paused and smiled, "Besides, you're exhausted after the match, but I'm still full of energy. That makes me feel like you didn't really beat me."

Wang Chao sat up from the ground and asked, "Are you leaving the team?"

Gao Ming looked a bit surprised but didn't hide it. "I'm getting older and don't have much time to keep waiting. If I were in the main team, the training quality would be higher, and maybe my skills could improve. That's why I took today's match very seriously... But since I lost, there's not much point in me staying. It's better to play in League A for a few years while I can still play and save some money."

Wang Chao smiled, "Then I wish you good luck making money."

Gao Ming, however, said seriously, "Wang Chao, I came to find you not to hear your blessings. I want to tell you that there's a problem with how you're playing now."

Wang Chao was taken aback.

"You're too focused on stability, and that's not good. I was also afraid of losing back then, so I focused solely on stability. As a result, by constantly playing safe, I became afraid to fight, and after playing for so many years, I haven't improved at all... Brother, you're still young, don't be afraid, you need to fight!"

Wang Chao was somewhat surprised.

In fact, in his eyes, a player like Gao Ming was truly mediocre.

He deliberately went easy only out of a sliver of pity for a fellow player, not out of any great kindness.

But Gao Ming's words of advice made him feel that his efforts had not been in vain.

"Play well in League A," Wang Chao felt this friend was worth befriending, and his tone became sincere. "Let's exchange contact information. Remember to notify me for your first match in League A, and I'll come to the venue to cheer you on."

Gao Ming left quickly. He planned to process his withdrawal from the team that day and leave directly the next day, so he couldn't be bothered to watch the remaining matches.

Wang Chao lazily lay down again.

It wasn't that he didn't care about his teammates, but matches at this level were really not worth watching. After learning about the promotion-relegation matches, he had specifically paid attention to the last-ranked players in the main team. He was sure that Li Fang was no match for Jiang Shan.

It was better to listen to the cheers and exclamations from afar while quietly contemplating his thoughts.

However, this tranquility was soon broken again.

The line of sight above him darkened again.

A rather arrogant voice chuckled from above and to the side, "You're Wang Chao?"

Wang Chao suddenly opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar face.

"Want to play a game?" This face sat down beside Wang Chao. "You're considered one of our main team now, but you play so poorly, dragging down our average level. I need to give you some extra lessons."

Wang Chao couldn't be bothered to respond and closed his eyes again.

"Hey, you don't want to hear it? Do you know what Gao Ming's ranking was in last week's team round robin?" This person continued, "Let me tell you, he wasn't just last place, he didn't win a single game. Out of sixteen people, he lost fifteen. Such a weakling, and you struggled so much against him."

Wang Chao frowned slightly.

As expected, life is full of challenges. Just as there are warm-hearted people like Jiang Shan and Gao Ming, there are also pests like the one in front of him. The moment he opened his mouth, a stench assaulted him.

"Isn't playing Gao Ming as simple as having hands? Anyway, he's timid and doesn't dare to attack when he sees an opportunity. Do you know how I toyed with him in that match the other day?"

"I just mixed up my serves. No matter what I served, he only dared to push short."

"Later, I started using all sorts of fake moves. When I scared him, he'd retreat, thinking I was going for an aggressive attack. Turns out, I just gently flicked the ball…"

"That guy was running all over the court thanks to me, and he even fell down. It was hilarious."

"Oh, right. I heard that guy is trying out for Ping Jia teams. But who would want someone with his skill level? Hahahaha."

"He tried out last year, and after going through everyone, not a single team wanted him. In the end, he obediently went back to the base."

"This time, I think he's going to be unemployed."

"Wang Chao, your style is quite similar to Gao Ming's. Tell me, if I served a junior ball to you, would you dare to smash it?"

"Let's try."

"Come on, come on. Playing one game won't get you pregnant."

"Are you that weak? You can't even stand after playing one game?"

Wang Chao couldn't take it anymore.

Ever since he transmigrated, he often found himself in a daze, unsure if he was eighteen or forty. Many times, he would inexplicably adopt a "senior" perspective, looking at the players in the base like they were a bunch of kids. But sometimes, he would suddenly realize that he himself was only eighteen, younger than many of the players there.

When this person first started spewing trash talk, he didn't take it to heart. Youthful arrogance was completely normal, and a middle-aged soul had long learned to be tolerant.

But this person kept talking about Gao Ming, which he found hard to overlook.

This wasn't youthful arrogance; this was a spoiled brat who needed discipline…

He sat up from the ground and said, "If you want to play, let's play properly. Best of seven games, finish the match without rest, no giving up, and whoever fouls is a pig. You in or not?"