Table tennis: Swinging the racket billions of times, achieving a grand slam

Chapter 431 Aiming for the Doha World Table Tennis Championships!
The night wind was biting, carrying a hint of chill, and dispelled the lingering glories of the victory celebration.

After waving goodbye to Wang Hao, Xie Mingyang, and others, Chen Jin pushed open the hotel room door, as if stepping into another world.

Silence suddenly enveloped them.

The warm yellow light of the corridor bathed the floor. Chen Jin closed the door behind him, shutting out the commotion outside.

Zhang Jiahao had already rushed into the bathroom before him.

"Whoo~"

Chen Jin let out a long breath, feeling a soreness even in his bones.

The trophy in my hand and the gold medal around my neck seemed somewhat distant and unreal in the quiet room.

All of a sudden.

As the passion faded, a wave of fatigue washed over me, heavy and sluggish.

It's as if I've entered a state of enlightenment.

This was a feeling Chen Jin had never experienced in previous matches.

I shook my head to clear my mind.

Chen Jin carefully placed the trophy and gold medal on the bedside table.

"thump--"

She collapsed onto the bed.

After a while.

Zhang Jiahao came out of the bathroom excitedly.

Looking at the trophies and gold medals placed on the bedside table, his eyes seemed to have just been recharged, shining incredibly brightly.

As I stepped forward, I saw the gold medal, one of the highest honors in men's table tennis, lying quietly in a velvet box, gleaming with an alluring luster.

As if seeing the One Ring for the first time, Zhang Jiahao couldn't help but reach out, wanting to touch it.

However, the fingertips hadn't even touched it yet.

As if electrocuted, he quickly withdrew his hand.

"how?"

Chen Jin's voice suddenly rang out, "Afraid to touch?"

Before anyone knew it, he had quietly sat up, a smile on his face, and looked at Zhang Jiahao.

"No, no..."

Zhang Jiahao gave an awkward smile.

Before he could react, Chen Jin had already grabbed the gold medal and put it around Zhang Jiahao's neck.

The cool metallic touch penetrated through his clothes and reached his skin, causing Zhang Jiahao to tremble slightly.

Immediately following was an indescribable excitement.

With a touch of reverence, Zhang Jiahao picked up the gold medal, his fingertips tracing the intricate patterns and the words "ITTF World Cup Champion" on it.

"It's so heavy..."

Zhang Jiahao exclaimed, "No wonder it's a gold medal."

He picked up his phone, framed Chen Jin and the gold medal together, and took a selfie.

Chen Jin made a peace sign at the phone camera.

After taking a few selfies with Zhang Jiahao, Chen Jin got up, opened his suitcase, and took out his phone.

It was connected to the network immediately.

Countless unread messages poured out like a flood bursting its banks.

The ticking sound was deafening, making Chen Jin's hands go numb.

Coach Wu, Wang Liqin, Ma Long, Xu Xin, Chen Longcan, Zhu Yuling, Lin Xinyu, Li Linghan... all congratulated him on winning the World Cup.

Chen Jin replied to each one.

But the phone kept vibrating.

The chat group called "Chen Jin the Great God Prisoner of War Camp" already has 99+ unread messages, yet it continues to receive a steady stream of messages.

The group chat had already exploded with discussion.

Even during the competition, Zhang Jiahao was busy sending videos and photos from the event to the group chat.

The moment the gold medal was lifted, the close-up of Chen Jin clenching his fist with determination, the view from the highest point of the podium... the angles varied, the images shaky, but they truly recorded that exhilarating night.

Of course, this also includes the selfie Zhang Jiahao took with Chen Jin while wearing the gold medal.

Qin Wenjie's voice was filled with an exaggerated sob: "Holy crap, holy crap, this is a genuine World Cup singles gold medal! I'm drooling all over the place!"

Ouyang Liangqin's words followed immediately: "Ahhhhh, Chen Jin, I want to wear a gold medal too!!!"

Xu Yutian: "It's beautiful! Take more close-up shots of the gold medal to whet our appetites!"

Chen Zihan: "Why wasn't I there? I'm so envious I could cry!"

Anyang: "The photo of Chen Jin holding the trophy is absolutely stunning, his aura is incredible!"

……

The chat group was filled with exclamations of amazement, envy, and "Holy crap!"

After replying to other messages, Chen Jin opened the group chat.

The sheer volume of messages made his scalp tingle.

I just typed, "Thanks, brothers. I'll treat you to dinner next time we meet."

It hasn't been sent out yet.

Suddenly, Zhang Jiahao brought his face closer.

It turned out that this kid was having a video group chat with Qin Wenjie, Xu Yutian, and the others.

Upon seeing Chen Jin on camera, everyone was thrilled and shouted in unison, "Master Chen Jin!"

"It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Chen Jin greeted him with a smile.

"necessary."

Ouyang Liangqin grinned, "I'm too excited to sleep."

"Yes."

Qin Wenjie was equally excited, "Thinking back to last year's selection competition, it was an honor to compete on the same stage as you, Master Chen Jin."

"Hey, hey, hey, is that what you call competition?"

Chen Zihan corrected, "That's called being unilaterally abused by the great Chen Jin."

"It is my greatest honor to be beaten by the great Chen Jin."

Qin Wenjie raised his head proudly, "Don't forget, I'm Prisoner of War Number One."

"If you are number one, then I am number zero."

Zhang Jiahao said, "When I was being tortured by Brother Jin, you guys weren't even here yet."

“Our POW camp is full of POWs selected through the selection process. You’re at most number eight.”

Qin Wenjie immediately pointed his gun at Zhang Jiahao.

"Yeah."

Everyone echoed in unison.

They argued heatedly, their faces flushed.

Suddenly, An Yang muttered under his breath, "I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to compete against the great Chen Jin again?"

This statement came out.

Qin Wenjie and the others remained silent.

Looking back at last year's selection competition, we were still able to compete on the same stage.

Now, in less than a year, Chen Jin has become the world number one and won the World Cup.

They are still stuck in the same place, not even touching the threshold of the national team.

The difference is as vast as the difference between clouds and mud.

"Getting itchy hands? Want to play ball with me?"

Chen Jin smiled and said, "No problem."

"Let's set a time, find a stadium, and play a few more games to our hearts' content."

Hear the words.

Qin Wenjie and the others waved their hands repeatedly, their faces filled with exaggerated fear, as if they were still shaken, and said in unison, "Never mind, never mind."

"I'm happy to invite you to dinner, but no football."

Qin Wenjie gave a bitter smile.

"Yes."

Ouyang Liangqin also said, "Playing against Chen Jin, the great master, is just asking for trouble, isn't it?"

"It's been almost a year, and I still have nightmares every night. I often dream about how you, Chen Jin, brutally beat me that day."

Chen Zihan sighed deeply, "I don't want to go through that again."

Only An Yang's lips moved slightly, hesitant and mumbled, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

But in the end, he didn't have the courage to say it.

"Brother Hao."

Qin Wenjie suddenly changed the subject, pointing the finger directly at Zhang Jiahao, "Our POW camp is now counting on you."

"You need to step up your game." Besides Chen Jin, only Zhang Jiahao and Ding Xiaowei from the national team were in the chat group.

However, compared to Zhang Jiahao, Ding Xiaowei's situation is clearly far worse.

Zhang Jiahao holds two titles: the National Championships men's singles title and the World Junior Championships doubles title. He is also favored by the coaching staff.

In contrast, Ding Xiaowei spends most of his time training with the second team and has not yet been promoted to the first team.

She is only occasionally seconded to the women's team as a sparring partner because of her unique long-pimple chopping style.

"rest assured!"

Zhang Jiahao puffed out his chest and declared confidently, "Next month, I'll bring you back a championship from the Doha World Table Tennis Championships..."

The words were not finished.

The group chat video instantly erupted in chaos.

"Fuck!"

"what?"

"You're also going to compete in the World Table Tennis Championships?"

Qin Wenjie and the others stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief and envy.

"That is required!"

Zhang Jiahao chuckled, clearly enjoying the shocked expressions on everyone's faces. "Tomorrow we'll go back to the training headquarters, and the day after tomorrow we'll play in the Doha World Table Tennis Championships qualifying tournament."

"If I'm lucky, I might not only be able to participate in singles, but also team up with my brother Jin in doubles."

talking.

He put his arm around Chen Jin's shoulder, smiling broadly, as if he were hugging a golden Buddha's foot.

"Holy shit, shit, shit!"

"Partnering with the legendary Chen Jin in doubles?!"

"With Chen Jin's skill level, he could win the doubles championship even with a dog by his side, right?"

"Holy crap, I'm so envious I'm practically turning purple!"

"Brother Jiahao, you're really something... like a golden god attaining enlightenment, you've ascended to heaven with him."

Qin Wenjie and his companions seemed to have a lemon in their mouths, tasting intensely sour.

"Don't think I can't tell you're calling me a dog."

Zhang Jiahao raised his eyebrows and grinned, "At this World Table Tennis Championships, I'm going to show everyone who looks down on me and thinks I'm just a dog of Brother Jin that there's nothing wrong with being a dog!"

"Woof! Woof! Woof woof woof—"

A series of loud, rhythmic barks echoed through the hotel room.

Seeing Zhang Jiahao's comical appearance, not a single person on the other end of the video laughed.

As Ouyang Liangqin muttered to himself, "If I can really win the World Table Tennis Championships, I'd be willing to be called a dog even if it means being called a dog."

There are tens of thousands of people learning table tennis across the country.

Many of them also pursue a professional career.

But how many people can actually participate in the World Table Tennis Championships?

Even if you participate in the World Table Tennis Championships, how many people can actually win a gold medal?
Truly one in a million!

Even less than one in a hundred million!

Amidst laughter and merriment.

Time quietly slipped into the early hours of the morning.

Zhang Jiahao glanced at the time displayed at the top of his phone screen, let out a long yawn, and didn't try to hide it, his yawn as wide as a gaping maw.

"Alright, I'm not going to argue with you guys anymore."

Zhang Jiahao squeezed out a few tears. "My flight is at 8:10 tomorrow morning, so I have to get up early."

"Brothers, Jin and I are going to bed now, so please take your leave."

Having finished speaking.

He waved at the camera.

He then abruptly and decisively ended the video call.

The room suddenly fell silent, with only the faint sound of traffic outside the window.

"The World Table Tennis Championships haven't even started yet, and you're already making a prediction?"

Chen Jin laughed and said, "Aren't you afraid that the racket will slip and your hand will get wet?"

"As long as I stick close to Brother Jin, I can make any promise I want!"

Zhang Jiahao grinned.

"I'm afraid of being dragged down by your 'poisonous milk' (jinx)."

Chen Jin glanced at him.

"Godfather, you can't abandon your child!"

Zhang Jiahao lunged forward, grabbed Chen Jin's leg, and howled a few times, "At worst, I'll send you a few newly found mobile website addresses later as a token of my respect."

"Do you prefer nurses or flight attendants? Class reunions or business trips? NTR or widows? Tofu makers or fencers?"

"Or, Toy Story? Dog Battle?"

Chen Jin lightly kicked him, saying, "...Get lost!"

With a cry of "Ah!", Zhang Jiahao fell to the ground, looking at Chen Jin with a resentful expression.

"The merciless rain gently awakens me... The merciless you no longer yearn for the past..."

Zhang Jiahao licked some saliva off his finger and smeared it on the corner of his eye. He sniffled and kept sobbing.

"stand up."

Chen Jin glared fiercely, "I'll fight you on the Shu Road!"

"Yes sir!"

Zhang Jiahao immediately jumped up, snapped to attention, straightened his back, and looked serious.

However, he couldn't hold out for more than three seconds before his composure crumbled completely, and he reverted to his usual carefree grin.

"Seriously."

Chen Jin put down his phone and looked at Zhang Jiahao. "The list for the Doha qualifying tournament has been released. Have you studied it?"

“I’ve studied it.”

Zhang Jiahao finally stopped laughing and his expression became serious. "Eleven to two, and it's a round-robin tournament again. I think my chances are slim."

According to the selection rules for the Doha World Table Tennis Championships previously announced by the Table Tennis Association, Chen Jin is both the world's number one ranked player and holds the World Cup singles title, so his spot in the competition is a sure thing.

Although Wang Chuqin has recently been in a title drought and lost to Hugo in the World Cup, stopping in the semi-finals, he still ranked second in the World Cup, which is also in accordance with the rules.

Therefore, Chen Jin and Wang Chuqin have been confirmed.

With the remaining three spots, the coaching staff, taking into account the player's recent form, record, and strength, ultimately allocated the reserve spot to Liang Jingkun.

Only two spots remained, which were decided through a qualifying round.

According to the selection list announced by the coaching staff after careful consideration, there are a total of eleven participants.

Lin Shidong, Lin Gaoyuan, Xie Mingyang, Zhang Jiahao, Zhou Qihao, Sun Zheng, Huang Youzheng, Xu Yingbin, Chen Yuanyu, Xiang Peng, and Xue Fei.

On April 22nd and 23rd, eleven players competed in a round-robin tournament over two days.

Finally, the top two teams in the standings will qualify for the Doha World Table Tennis Championships.

Faced with intense competition, Zhang Jiahao knew he had no hope.

"Unless I can open up my Ren and Du meridians and unleash some kind of seed."

Zhang Jiahao smiled wryly, "But with ten matches in two days, even if I can have a breakout performance, it'll only last for one or two matches at most."

"Ten consecutive blowouts? Forget it, I want to live a longer life."

"Therefore, I will bet on doubles."

Chen Jin listened silently, nodding to himself.

Admittedly, Zhang Jiahao's abilities are not outstanding among these eleven people.

He wasn't very confident of winning against Lin Shidong, Lin Gaoyuan, Xiang Peng, or even Xie Mingyang.

Instead of spending too much energy on singles, it's better to focus on doubles.

After all, the pressure is much less in doubles.

There were only two spots available, but only four groups were vying for them.

Besides Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao, the other pairs are Lin Shidong/Lin Gaoyuan, Liang Jingkun/Huang Youzheng, and Xiang Peng/Yuan Licen.

The chances are very high if you choose two out of four.

Taking all factors into consideration, Zhang Jiahao's idea of ​​prioritizing doubles over singles is indeed more realistic.

Anyway, a doubles champion is still a champion.

If he can win the World Table Tennis Championships men's doubles title, he can naturally improve his singles skills in the future.

"Row."

Chen Jin nodded in agreement, "I'll fight alongside you in this doubles match."

"Thank you, Brother Jin."

Zhang Jiahao clenched his fists, his eyes shining brightly, "I'll say it again, Brother Jin and I are invincible!"

"Even if dragons and pythons or mastiffs come, I will not be afraid in the slightest!"

(End of this chapter)