Lin Yan sat in the commentary booth, watching the qualifying match before him, and remained silent for several seconds before finding his voice.
He has commentated on numerous competitions, from youth tournaments to professional tournaments, and from domestic players to international stars.
But at this moment, the scene before him left his mind blank.
On the court, Japan player Inoue Kenta lies prone on the hard ground behind the baseline.
He was curled up, his shoulders trembling.
His face was buried in his arms, tears seeping through his fingers and dripping onto the blue field, leaving a small, dark stain.
The racket lay on the ground beside him, a broken string still tangled in its strings.
Six to zero, six to zero.
Inoue Kenta didn't get a single point.
Lin Yan took a deep breath, steadied his voice, and then spoke:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the match has ended. Cheng Che has defeated Japan player Inoue Kenta with two 6-0 scores, successfully advancing to the main draw of the Tokyo Open."
He paused, his tone tinged with emotion:
"To be honest, I've commentated on quite a few matches, but this is the first time I've seen a professional player shut out like this. Inoue's world ranking is 220, which isn't high, but he's still a professional player who has competed on the international stage for many years. As for Cheng Che... he didn't give him any chance at all."
Then he glanced at the scene.
In the stands, not a single Japan spectator was looking at Inoue Kenta.
All eyes were fixed on the young man from Xia Country who was finishing up his racket on the court.
Someone called out Cheng Che's name, and then more people joined in.
Cheers, applause, and whistles mingled together, drowning out Inoue Kenta's suppressed sobs.
Lin Yan sighed inwardly.
That's personal charisma.
Regardless of nationality or political stance.
If you are strong enough and dazzling enough, everyone will stand on your side.
In the domestic live stream rooms, the chat was already flooded with comments.
[Another shutout! Two sets! Six-0, six-0!]
[ Inoue Kenta didn't get a single point, that's terrible.]
Cheng Che barely ran today; he just stood still and beat the guy to a pulp.
I thought today would be at least somewhat interesting, but it turned out to be even easier than yesterday.
[I felt sorry for Inoue for three seconds, but then I burst out laughing.]
[Yesterday Nakamura surrendered, today Inoue is in tears. The quality of the opponents at this Tokyo Open is just too poor.]
[It's not that the opponent is bad, it's that Cheng Che is too strong.]
A few pro-Japanese comments also popped up.
Why play so hard? Don't you understand the principle of "friendship first, competition second"? The opponent was crying, and you still got a shutout.
[As a professional athlete, to lack any sportsmanship is an dishonest act.]
These comments immediately caused an uproar in the live chat.
[Friendship first, competition second? Then go tell Nakamura not to surrender!]
[You cry because you can't beat your dad, and you blame your opponent?]
[Sportsmanship is about giving your all; throwing the game is an insult. Don't you even understand football?]
[Go back to your father's forum, you Japanophiles!]
[What's wrong with Cheng Che's shutout? If you're so capable, then don't lose!]
Those few comments were quickly submerged and disappeared without a trace.
Lin Yan waited in the commentary booth until the scene quieted down a bit before saying:
"Alright, congratulations again to Cheng Che. He has successfully advanced to the main draw of the Tokyo Open with a perfect record of two wins and no losses in the qualifying rounds. In the main draw, he will face higher-ranked players. Let's look forward to his future performances."
On the court, Cheng Che put his racket into his tennis bag, slung it over his shoulder, and bowed towards the stands.
Then he turned and walked toward the players' tunnel, his steps unhurried, his expression as calm as if he had just finished a warm-up.
Qin Lie was waiting for him at the entrance of the passage, patted him on the shoulder, and his voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"Well done! You're trending on Chinese social media again today! Tennis is practically becoming a hot sport because of you, and retired players are all trying to ride your coattails. You're getting tons of endorsement offers; my phone's been ringing off the hook."
Cheng Che nodded, but didn't smile.
He was thinking about something.
The Tokyo Open seems easier than I expected.
Aside from the automatically triggered [ Champion ] and [ Star of the Court ], he hadn't even activated [ Total Concentration ].
He had checked the list of opponents for this tournament, and the strongest among them were only Europe players ranked around 70th in the ATP rankings.
Even without using his Total Concentration, he managed to shut out the 220th-ranked Japan player.
He could sense that his current level was far beyond what he had been before.
Even if he were to fight Lu Yunxiao again, he could easily win without relying on a [ Flash of Inspiration ].
"No rush," he told Qin Lie. "Let's talk about it after I Champion the Tokyo Open."
What he actually meant was the Magic City Masters.
But we haven't won the Champion yet, so let's not set any goals yet.
Qin Lie nodded and patted him hard on the back.
The two did not leave immediately.
After all the qualifying matches were completed, the draw for the main draw was announced.
Qin Lie went to get a draw form, and returned with a calm expression.
"My first-round opponent is a France. He's ranked 197th in the world. Not too strong, but you'll have to be careful, after all, it's the main draw."
Cheng Che glanced at the name and nodded.
Let's go.
The two left the venue.
Cheng Che didn't return to the hotel; instead, he took out his phone and sent a message to Su Miaoyin.
Cheng Che: Shall we go to Tokyo Tower?
Meanwhile, Su Miaoyin had just returned to the hotel.
She was sitting on the edge of the bed, listening to Lin Lin and Zhao Xiaoman discuss going to the hot springs that evening.
" Kanagawa is too far, why don't we find a hot spring nearby?" Lin Lin, flipping through the map on her phone.
"I checked, there's one in Shibuya, and the reviews are pretty good," Zhao Xiaoman said.
Su Miaoyin responded absentmindedly. Her mind was still replaying the scenes from today's competition.
Cheng Che stood in the center of the court and served the ball; his opponent didn't even move.
That sense of power, that sense of oppression, was completely different from usual.
My phone vibrated.
She glanced down at it, then sat up straight on the bed.
Cheng Che: Shall we go to Tokyo Tower?
Su Miaoyin stared at the message twice, and the corners of her mouth suddenly curled up.
Then she remembered that she had just promised Lin Lin and Zhao Xiaoman that she would go to the hot springs.
She held her phone, bit her lip, and rolled her eyes.
" Lin Lin, Xiaoman," she said, "I don't feel well, my head hurts a bit. You two go tonight, I won't go."
Lin Lin looked up. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"
"It's nothing, I'm probably just a little tired from waking up too early today. I'll be fine after a nap."
As she spoke, she turned her phone over and quickly typed two words on the screen.
[ Su Miaoyin: Okay!]