The Limits of Stamina

Wang Chao's move was certainly not random.

In his previous life, this was a new technique developed in 2019 by a female table tennis player from an island nation, named "Whirlwind Loop." When the island nation's women's team first introduced it on the court, they caught the national team completely off guard. For a long time, the national team didn't know how to counter it, frequently losing points to this move.

Of course, they eventually figured it out. Everyone understood that the so-called Whirlwind Loop was merely a supplementary technique for short balls within the table. It was only when it was first introduced that people were unfamiliar with it, leading to consecutive losses.

Later, some in the table tennis world called this technique "Reverse Twist and Loop" because its execution was indeed the reverse of the twist and loop technique.

Moreover, this technique was not as powerful as the national team had initially predicted. Once it was deconstructed and seen through, it became just a regular technique, adding a new option to how balls within the table could be returned, nothing more.

At this moment, Wang Chao had just suddenly remembered it, so he decided to try it.

He had never practiced the Whirlwind Loop because, in his previous life, before his hand injury, this technique had not yet been invented.

But now, this body was truly heaven-defying. He had only thought of it and tried it, and he actually managed to do it.

The reason he had changed his racket to a semi-grip posture the moment he touched the ball was because the standard "Whirlwind Loop" was actually a technique for shakehand grips, not for penhold grips.

But he had managed to do it, and the effect was quite good. Didn't everyone, both on and off the table, look stunned?

After a brief moment of shock, the match continued.

To break the deadlock, Wang Chao continued to use the Whirlwind Loop.

However, the effect was not as good as he had imagined.

After suffering a few losses, Wu Li quickly grasped the key. He stuck to his original strategy: no matter how you change your tactics, as long as you dare to hit the ball off the table, I will smash it back with one shot.

Wang Chao's use of the Whirlwind Loop was not skilled, and its power was limited. By the middle of the second game, he had only scored three points, while Wu Li had smashed him four times. Later, when he used it again, he made a direct error, giving away a point.

By the time the second game concluded with difficulty, Wang Chao had still lost, with a score of 11:5, slightly better than the first game.

"See that, Old Luo? What kind of new technique is this? This is completely something he's made up on the fly. Otherwise, why would he make so many mistakes when using it himself?"

Jiang Long said with a bit of smugness, "New techniques aren't invented that easily. Even if you want to invent one, you need the skill and insight of a national player. These kids shouldn't be thinking about it too much."

At this point, Jiang Long felt he had made the right bet.

He still hadn't figured it out, but he felt his deduction was generally correct. In history, weren't all new table tennis techniques innovations that came from experienced national players and great coaches?

Even the occasional innovations from the grassroots came from old-timers who had been immersed in the table tennis industry for decades.

As for amateur masters who had just joined the city team, they probably hadn't even figured out the basic concepts of table tennis yet, let alone truly created valuable new techniques.

Luo Zhihong didn't retort, because facts spoke louder than words. Wang Chao had indeed lost.

However, his deep theoretical foundation still made him feel the rationality of Wang Chao's movements. He decided to watch the video dozens of times after returning and ponder it carefully.

Wang Chao was truly unable to run anymore.

He was very unwilling.

Even though Wu Li performed so powerfully, almost like a superman, Wang Chao still felt that he could compete under normal circumstances.

"Damn Old Luo, setting up this kind of lineup, do you just want to see me lose?"

He shook his dizzy head, wrapped a towel around it, closed his eyes, and felt the subtle changes as sweat dripped from his head into the soft fabric. Then, he walked onto the court, gritted his teeth, and tried every possible way to continue fighting.

The third game, 11:7.

The fourth game, 11:8.

Wang Chao ultimately lost to Wu Li 4:0. This was his first true defeat since his transmigration.

He was exhausted, completely spent. After hitting the last ball, he collapsed backward onto the ground, feeling a buzzing in his head. Even the noise from the surroundings had blended into an indistinguishable din. His body couldn't even lift a single finger.

He didn't notice the sparse applause around him. The other team members were spontaneously clapping for Wang Chao.

Although Wang Chao lost, he persisted and tried his best from beginning to end. He observed diligently and tried to find solutions. Over the four games, he discovered many extremely hidden weaknesses in Wu Li and managed to win as many points as possible with great difficulty.

He scored more points in each subsequent game. In the last game, he even caught up to a 7:7 tie before Wu Li pulled away and narrowly won.

Although he lost, he gained honor in defeat. His performance on the court earned him the respect of all the team members.

At 5:47 PM that day, the round robin concluded, and Wang Chao achieved a second-place ranking within the team.

Wang Chao fell asleep.

He vaguely remembered someone speaking to him, seemingly telling him to get up and relax his muscles, then go back to the dormitory to sleep. But he mumbled a couple of words and fell back into a deep sleep.

This time, no one disturbed him again.

When he opened his eyes again, the sky outside was completely dark, but the lights in the gymnasium were still thoughtfully on. He slowly pushed himself up, feeling an intense emptiness within him. His hands and feet felt weak, his right arm joint and neck ached faintly, and the muscles in his legs were stiff. When he squeezed them gently, he winced in pain. It was likely a mild muscle strain.

He shook his head and gave a wry smile.

Was it because he had regained his youthful life?

The cunning, shrewd, and top-tier strategist from his previous life now seemed to have become impulsive. He had ignited an uncontrollable desire to fight when facing Wu Li, playing a match with gusto and without regard for the consequences.

And now, he hadn't won the match, but he had strained his muscles and his body was overexerted. It would probably take two to three days to recover.

In the next few days, he would have to recover slowly and wouldn't be able to drag Li Shaoqin into grueling training sessions.

He considered it a loss.

But he didn't regret it. Instead, his heart felt suddenly clear.

His memories from his past life were too profound, often holding him back. They made him waver between a mature middle-aged man and a passionate youth, leaving him feeling awkward and conflicted most of the time.

But now, he had found a way to comfort himself.

A passionate youth was always more willful than a worldly middle-aged man, wasn't he?

His transmigration was a story that had already happened, and his body was genuinely eighteen years old. He even had a cheap mother who was tough on the outside but soft on the inside.

Since he was living a second life, why not start anew? Why cling to the incomplete memories of the past?

He flashed a brilliant smile, unique to youth, on the vast and silent floor of the gymnasium. Then, he pushed himself up with one arm, flipping over with a graceful and light movement.

His legs went weak, and he almost fell. Fortunately, he managed to grab onto the back of a nearby chair at the critical moment…

Damn it, is it that hard to show off a little…

At that moment, he heard someone speaking not far away: "Hey, Chao Ge, you're awake?"

Jiang Shan walked in from the doorway, casually handing him the water cup in his hand. "Drink up quickly. Old Luo said you'd be thirsty when you woke up, so he asked me to prepare some light saltwater for you."

Wang Chao finally understood the situation. He asked, "Have you been here with me the whole time?"

"I can't just stay here alone. Li Shaoqin is also here. He was afraid of disturbing you, so he went to the doorway to play mobile games."

Jiang Shan glanced towards the doorway. "See, he's coming in now."

Li Shaoqin entered with a look of anger, still muttering curses under his breath. He had probably lost his game and was arguing with his teammates. He suddenly looked up and saw Wang Chao awake. Immediately, he looked guilty, quickly turned off his phone, and hid it behind his back. Then, he sheepishly smiled at Wang Chao. "You're awake?"

Wang Chao felt a little embarrassed.

He had been giving Li Shaoqin a hard time these past few days. During breaks from practice, he would occasionally lecture the younger man about not letting games consume him. After hearing it so many times, Li Shaoqin had actually started to fear him. It felt like a child playing games encountering a parent who came to the arcade to drag them home.

"You don't need to stay with me for the next two days. Play your games if you want."

Considering Li Shaoqin's good performance today, Wang Chao decided to be nice to the kid. "I need to rest for these two days, so I'm giving you a break."

Li Shaoqin's face lit up with joy, but he quickly suppressed it and looked at Wang Chao vigilantly. He said earnestly, "I'm not staying to keep you company just so you can give me a holiday."

Wang Chao was speechless, caught between laughter and tears.

Look at how scared the kid is. This psychological trauma is quite severe…

Thanks for the monthly votes from "Lun Lun Lun Lun Lun," "Xue Ying You Hun," and "Du San Shui De."

Thanks for the tip from "Shuyou 20200530094220132."