Wang Chao's move was certainly not something he had made up at random.
In his previous life, it had been a new technique developed by a female table tennis player from an island nation in 2019, named the "hook scoop." When the island nation's women's team first brought it onto the court, it caught the national team completely off guard. For a long time afterward, the national team had no idea how to counter it and kept losing points to the move.
Of course, it was eventually figured out. Everyone came to understand that the so-called hook scoop was merely a supplementary technique for short balls over the table. People had only suffered against it repeatedly because it was unfamiliar when it first appeared.
Later, some people in the table tennis world called the technique the "reverse twist loop," because its motion truly was the reverse application of a twist loop.
Moreover, the technique was not as powerful as the national team had initially expected. Once it had been broken down and seen through, it was merely a standard technique, adding one more option for receiving balls over the table. Nothing more.
At that moment, Wang Chao had simply recalled it on a whim and decided to try it.
He had never practiced the hook scoop, because before his hand injury in his previous life, the technique had not yet been invented.
But this body was truly absurdly gifted. He merely thought of it, gave it a try, and actually pulled it off.
The reason he had shifted his paddle into a half-grip the instant he contacted the ball was that the standard hook scoop was supposed to be a shakehand technique, not a penhold technique.
But he had pulled it off, and the effect was pretty good. Hadn't everyone on and off the court been dumbfounded?
After a brief shock, the match continued.
To break the deadlock, Wang Chao kept using the hook scoop.
But the results were not as good as he had imagined.
After being caught out several times, Wu Li quickly grasped the key to it and still stuck to his original approach: no matter how many tricks you had, as long as the ball came off the table, he would kill it with one shot.
Wang Chao was not particularly proficient with the hook scoop, and its power was limited. By the middle of the second game, he had scored only three points with it, while Wu Li had smashed four of them dead. Then Wang Chao made a direct error the next time he used it, giving away another point.
When the hard-fought second game ended, Wang Chao still lost, 11:5, though it was slightly better than the first game.
"Did you see that, Old Luo? What kind of new technique is this? It's clearly just something he messed around with. Otherwise, how could he be making so many mistakes using it himself?"
Jiang Long looked rather pleased with himself. "New techniques aren't so easy to invent. Even if you want to invent one, you need the skill and insight of a national player. Kids like them shouldn't think too much about it."
By this point, Jiang Long felt that he had made the right bet.
He still had not understood it, but he felt that his reasoning was broadly correct. Throughout history, which table tennis innovation had not come from experienced top national players and elite coaches?
There were occasional innovations from the grassroots level, but those had all come from veterans who had immersed themselves in table tennis for decades.
As for some folk prodigy who had just entered the city team, he probably had not even sorted out the most basic concepts of table tennis. How could he possibly create a genuinely valuable new technique?
Luo Zhihong did not argue, because facts spoke louder than words. Wang Chao had indeed lost.
Yet Luo Zhihong's solid theoretical foundation still allowed him to sense the logic behind Wang Chao's movement. He decided that when he got back, he would watch the recording dozens of times and study it carefully.
Wang Chao, meanwhile, truly could not run anymore.
He was deeply unwilling to accept it.
Even though Wu Li had performed with such terrifying strength, practically like a superhuman, Wang Chao still felt that under normal circumstances, he could have fought him.
"Damn it, Old Luo. Did you arrange the lineup like this just to watch me lose?"
He shook his heavy head, wrapped it in a towel, closed his eyes, and felt the subtle changes as beads of sweat on his head seeped into the soft fibers. Then he stepped back onto the court, gritted his teeth, tried every possible method, and continued fighting.
Third game, 11:7.
Fourth game, 11:8.
Wang Chao ultimately lost to Wu Li 4:0. This was his first real defeat since transmigrating.
He was completely exhausted, utterly spent. After hitting the final ball, he fell flat onto his back. His head buzzed so fiercely that even the noise around him had blurred into an indistinguishable mass, and he could not even lift a fingertip.
He did not notice the scattered applause around him. The players were applauding Wang Chao of their own accord.
Although Wang Chao had lost, he had persevered from beginning to end. He had kept observing, kept thinking of solutions, and during the four games, he had found many of Wu Li's deeply hidden weaknesses, painstakingly winning as many points as he could.
He scored more points in each successive game. In the final game, he had even caught up to 7:7 before Wu Li pulled ahead and narrowly put him away.
Though he had lost, it was an honorable defeat. His performance on the court had earned the respect of every player.
At 5:47 that afternoon, the round robin came to an end, and Wang Chao finished second in the team rankings.
Wang Chao fell asleep.
In his dazed state, he remembered someone speaking to him, seemingly telling him to get up, loosen his muscles, and return to the dormitory to sleep. But he mumbled a few words and fell into a dead sleep again.
No one disturbed him after that.
When he opened his eyes again, it was completely dark outside. The lights in the gymnasium had thoughtfully been left on. He slowly pushed himself upright, only to find that his body still felt terribly hollow. His hands and feet were weak, his right arm joints, shoulders, and neck ached faintly, and the muscles in his legs were stiff. A light squeeze made him grimace in pain. It was probably a mild muscle strain.
He shook his head and gave a bitter smile.
Was it because he had regained a young life?
That top coach from his previous life, as cunning as a fox and as calculating as they came, seemed to have become impulsive now. Facing Wu Li, he had been seized by an uncontrollable desire to fight and had played a carefree, consequences-be-damned match.
And now look at him. He had not won the match, strained his muscles, and overtaxed his body. It would probably take two or three days to recover.
For the next few days, he would have to recover slowly. He could no longer drag Li Shaoqin into devilish training.
By that measure, he had come out at a loss.
But he did not regret it. Instead, his heart suddenly felt open and clear.
The memories of his previous life were too vivid. They constrained him in many ways, leaving him torn between a mature middle-aged man and a hot-blooded youth, often awkward and conflicted.
But now, he had found a way to reconcile himself with it.
Hot-blooded youths were always a little more willful than worldly middle-aged men, weren't they?
His transmigration had already happened, and this body was undeniably eighteen years old. He had even gained a cheap mother who was sharp-tongued but soft-hearted.
Since he had been given another life, he might as well start over. Why keep clinging to the fragmented memories of the past?
On the empty, silent gymnasium floor, he revealed a brilliant smile unique to youth. Then he braced himself with one arm and sprang to his feet, graceful and light.
His legs went weak, and he nearly fell. Luckily, he caught the back of a nearby chair at the critical moment...
Damn it, was showing off really this hard...
Then he heard someone speaking nearby. "Huh, Brother Chao, you're awake?"
Jiang Shan was walking in through the door. He casually handed over the cup in his hand. "Drink up. Old Luo said you'd definitely be thirsty when you woke up, so he told me to prepare some lightly salted water."
Only then did Wang Chao understand the situation before him. "Have you been keeping me company this whole time?"
"How could I stay here alone? Li Shaoqin's here too. He was afraid of waking you, so he went to the entrance to play mobile games."
Jiang Shan glanced toward the doorway. "See? Isn't he coming in now?"
Li Shaoqin wore an angry expression and was still muttering curses under his breath. He had probably lost a game and was currently flaming his teammates. When he suddenly looked up and discovered that Wang Chao was awake, he immediately looked guilty, quickly shut off his phone, and hid it behind his back. Only then did he give Wang Chao an embarrassed smile. "You're awake?"
Wang Chao felt somewhat embarrassed instead.
Over the past few days, he had put Li Shaoqin through the wringer. Between training sessions, he would occasionally nag him about not getting distracted by games and neglecting his responsibilities. After hearing it too many times, Li Shaoqin had actually become a little afraid of him. It felt like a child caught playing games by a parent who had come to drag him out of an arcade.
"You don't need to keep me company for the next two days. If you want to play games, go ahead."
Seeing that Li Shaoqin had performed well today, Wang Chao decided to treat the kid a little better. "I need to rest for the next two days. I'm giving you time off."
Joy immediately appeared on Li Shaoqin's face, then quickly vanished. He shot Wang Chao a wary glance and said seriously, "I'm staying to keep you company, not because I want you to give me time off."
Wang Chao did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Look how badly the kid had been scared. That psychological trauma was a little serious...
Thanks to "Lun Lun Lun Lun Lun," "Blood Shadow Wandering Soul," and "Du San Shui De" for their monthly votes.
Thanks to "Book Friend 20200530094220132" for the donation.
Before you continue