121 Florida Table Tennis Championships

◎Was fired?◎

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Zhu Qi didn't know how he rushed over, but when he reacted, he was already standing in front of Han Taiyang.

After not seeing each other for such a long time, Han Taiyang seemed to have become even more gloomy, and he was still in his furious mode. When he saw Zhu Qi, the anger on his face only increased.

Afterwards, Han Taiyang said a bunch of Chinese words to Zhu Qi with the subjects mixed up. It was probably because of the switching between Korean and Chinese that there was a problem with the language system, but the general meaning was that Zhu Qi was meddling in other people's business.

After Kim Lili lost the game, the South Korean team completely lost its last chance to reach the podium.

It's normal for the entire Korean team to be in a bad mood. Kim Lili was already in a bad mood, but then Han Taiyang cornered her and spoke to her in a sarcastic tone.

Jin Lili couldn't help herself and started arguing with Han Taiyang.

By the seventh round with A Shui, Jin Lili's faith had been broken and she had the idea of ​​giving up and didn't want to chase anymore.

Over the years, Jin Lili thought she had come to a place where she could realize her ambitions, but she found that this place was completely different from what she had imagined.

Not to mention supporting himself in the competition, he doesn’t even have the most basic logistical support.

Team doctors and physical trainers always focus on taking care of local Korean athletes.

There was no other way, Jin Lili could only hire a physical trainer and see a doctor during her holidays.

I paid for all my medical and physical fitness expenses myself, and I spent most of my prize money competing in Korea over the past few years.

She couldn't offer any suggestions to the Korean coaches, otherwise she would be met with all kinds of cold stares and complaints, as if she had contributed nothing to the Korean team but only wanted to be rewarded.

This time after returning from Moscow, it was even more excessive. Just because he did not follow Han Taiyang's request to discredit China in front of reporters, he was deprived of the qualification to participate in the World Cup.

That's enough.

fed up.

Even Ah Shui, who had always lost to her before, could beat her...

Jin Lili didn't know what was wrong with her, but she felt like there were problems all over her body.

She also didn't want to completely copy Zhu Qi's system. After returning from the World Games, Jin Lili knew that she would never be able to completely become Zhu Qi.

But now, when she wants to find her former self again, Jin Lili feels that her "past" and "present" are fighting with each other, trying to gain control of this body.

In the end, the only one who was torn apart was herself.

Jin Lili knew that Han Taiyang didn't care at all whether her future as an athlete would be ruined. They just needed an obedient doll.

Her future...she had no future.

A place like this is not worth her struggle.

When Han Taiyang slapped her, Jin Lili trembled all over, not out of fear but out of anger.

She had lived so long, and even her own parents had never hit her, but this guy—this damned Korean—

When Zhu Qi and the other three came over, Jin Lili felt even more ashamed and angry. The last thing she wanted was for her former teammates to see her like this.

Jin Lili bit her lips hard to prevent tears from falling, but she heard Zhu Qi's very sarcastic words in her ears.

"People without ability are inferior. People who have no ability and still punch women are the lowest of all."

"You, you're not worthy to stand here and talk to me. You, you, you're a bunch of Chinese idiots! Idiots! Trash!" Han Taiyang looked at Zhu Qi, then at Jin Lili, his expression suddenly ferocious, a mixture of rage and sneer. "You useless piece of shit from China, have you wasted your energy at home? Looks like you're thinking of returning to your backward mountain village. Ah, then get lost!"

Han Taiyang roared so hard that his whole body was shaking. When he raised his arms, it looked like he was going to slap Jin Lili again.

The other person moved even faster, raising his hand and slapping!

Bang!

It's quick and easy, and it's very effective.

Han Taiyang was stunned by the slap, and for three full seconds he remained in shock and astonishment as his face was hit to the right. When he slowly turned around, Zhu Qi shook his slightly red palms, his eyebrows and eyes cold and sharp.

"You, you actually dare..."

"Who told you to bully the Chinese?" Zhu Qi's tone was calm, as if he had just waved away a fly and it was not an act worth mentioning.

"You...you..." Han Taiyang's mind was racing, but no matter how he tried to think, he couldn't figure it out.

Why... did Zhu Qi dare to hit me?!

She is a woman.

He is a man.

She is an athlete.

He is a coach.

She is still on active duty.

He has retired.

Is she crazy?! This crazy person! Crazy girl!

The slap made Maomao and Ashui dumbfounded. They looked around subconsciously, fearing that others would see Zhu Qi and the Korean coach fighting!

If the International Table Tennis Federation finds out about this, he will be banned!

When Jin Lili heard the word "Chinese," she felt like she'd been struck by lightning. She trembled uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her face, and every bone in her body felt like it was breaking and re-forming.

Han Taiyang reacted and realized that he should return the slap to Zhu Qi and beat Zhu Qi up!

That's right! He should do that!

But why... I don’t have the strength to lift my hands?

Zhu Qi pointed at his nose and spoke slowly, word by word, as if afraid that he might not understand.

"I'm telling you, if you keep talking nonsense like that, I'll make you pay the price for not being able to control your rotten mouth again."

Zhu Qi's expression was too sharp, his eyes were like a knife, stabbing straight into Han Taiyang's chest.

This look had a very special deterrent power. Han Taiyang felt that his limbs were very stiff and fixed on the spot, as if he was petrified and out of his control.

When people are in a state of extreme shock and fear, they will become highly inhibited and rigid.

To put it more simply, Zhu Qi, who had been exercising at high speed for a long time, had a very strong palm wind, which dazed Han Taiyang.

By the time Han Taiyang reacted, Zhu Qi had already pulled Jin Lili away from him.

To humiliate Jin Lili, Han Taiyang deliberately chose a dark corner with no surveillance and little traffic. Who knew Zhu Qi would take advantage of it? But he had to find someone to vent his anger. Yes! Go to the American organizers! Go to the USATF branch!

Zhu Qi didn’t care whether Han Taiyang went to complain to his father.

But the four girls found an empty locker room. Maomao took out a bottle of slightly iced mineral water from her golf bag and handed it to Jin Lili: "Apply it on yourself. He...how many times has he bullied you?"

"The first time." Jin Lili whispered.

She has always been a very stubborn person and never shows her weak side to anyone. This also makes her subconsciously reveal her thorns to everyone even though she knows she is doing something wrong.

But now, Jin Lili was like a runaway child who met her family far away, and all the grievances in her heart for many years burst out in an instant.

Seeing Jin Lili rubbing her eyes, trying to hold back tears, Zhu Qi said angrily, "Why didn't you slap him just now? Give him a slap. Start a fight with him, and let everyone see it outside. Why are you so obsessed with face?"

Ah Shui was also a little frightened. "Han Taiyang's mental state doesn't seem normal. Does he have some violent tendencies? He looked so scary just now. Can someone like him be a coach?"

"He's just a coward. If you give in to him, he'll act pretentiously. But if you slap him in the face, he'll immediately behave himself. This kind of person can only act like a coward, so..." Zhu Qi looked at Jin Lili and remembered what Song Linzhou said during the match between Jin Lili and A Shui just now, "She didn't block the ball." He didn't know how he should feel now.

After thinking about it carefully, Zhu Qi felt that it would be better not to interfere in other people's lives at will, and only offered his own advice.

"If you feel tired and don't want to fight anymore, that's your right. But you have to think clearly. If a group of people who have never fought with you are belittling you with excessive self-awareness, it's not worth it."

Zhu Qi's words hit the nail on the head for Jin Lili.

After more than a decade of competition, Jin Lili still hasn't won a single world-class singles title. Of course, she doesn't want to give up at this point, but...

Jin Lili knew that she did not have the courage like Zhu Qi.

He was able to become the biggest dark horse in the World Cup when he was still a provincial team player.

In the past, Jin Lili always used the excuse that "Zhu Qi had the advantage because he had been training with former national players" to deceive herself, thinking that she was no worse than Zhu Qi.

This mentality was overturned after seeing Zhu Qi reach the top again and again.

The first step in a person’s growth is to acknowledge and accept that he or she is not as good as others.

There was a hustle and bustle outside the locker room. Zhu Qi heard a group of Koreans walking towards this place. After someone knocked on the door, Han Taiyang came over with the disciplinary inspection committee member of the American organizer.

After a lot of chatter, Han Taiyang looked at Zhu Qi gloomily, with a look in his eyes that said "you're finished", like a primary school student who was about to be beaten and reported to the class teacher.

Han Taiyang made a lot of noise.

As he ran along, he gestured and shouted, attracting a lot of people's attention.

The coaches of the Chinese team, whose players had all advanced, were happily preparing to go back and rest and prepare for tomorrow's semi-finals.

As a result, when they heard Han Taiyang calling Zhu Qi all the time, Chang Hongxia and Xu Dong, who heard the noise nearby, immediately put down their things and followed.

When I arrived, I saw a group of Koreans and American organizers' staff gathered outside and chattering.

After listening for a while, Xu Dong didn't quite understand, but Chang Hongxia did.

"The South Korean side claims Zhu Qi assaulted their coach and is now asking the US organizers to investigate and ban Zhu Qi."

Every word Chang Hongxia said made Xu Dong's eyelids twitch.

What?

Banned!

The semi-finals are tomorrow, how can he be suspended at this time?

However, because no one saw Zhu Qi hit Han Taiyang and there was no surveillance nearby, only the parties present could describe what happened.

When Han Taiyang was asked to retell the story, he suddenly started to stammer.

If I were to repeat everything, Han Taiyang was actually not in the right, because it was Han Taiyang who attacked Jin Lili first.

No matter who it is, they will be punished.

Han Taiyang's words were vague, but he kept emphasizing that Chinese players had bad behavior towards coaches from other countries. Looking at the entire sports world, this is unacceptable and must be dealt with severely!

The US side thinks this matter is a bit outrageous.

The Chinese team has always maintained a friendly external image and has basically tolerated everything it can. Not to mention fighting, there have only been a few quarrels with other countries.

But Han Taiyang's words were so convincing that the two people sent by the United States to investigate hesitated for a moment and then asked Kim Lili from the South Korean team first.

"...Is that so, Miss?" Meifang looked at Jin Lili and said word by word.

Han Taiyang suddenly stopped shouting and stared at Jin Lili.

This look seemed quite threatening, as if warning Jin Lili to think carefully before answering.

In South Korea, coaches have absolute power to interfere with the rosters for the three major tournaments.

Doesn't she want to compete in Korea anymore?

Of course, at this time, we must show our loyalty to South Korea...

Jin Lili took a deep breath and shrugged. "Sir, I think there might be some misunderstanding. I lost the game, and my coach pulled me aside and spoke rudely to me. The players from the Chinese team saw what he said and thought it was too harsh, so they came over to help me speak up. As a result, my coach reacted very strongly. There was a simple shove between the two of us, and it was definitely not a physical fight."

"Hey! You bastard—" Han Taiyang gritted his teeth, biting Jin Lili fiercely as he yelled. "She's lying! She saw it all, she..."

At this time, the Korean head coach also came over. After taking a look at Han Taiyangshao's serious expression and then looking at Jin Lili's puzzled expression, he asked again, "You and Coach Han said completely different things. Who of you is lying?"

"Of course it's her, she—"

Han Taiyang was about to shout when Mao Mao interrupted him. The captain of the Chinese women's team, with all her might, stood in front of the Korean coach and said coldly, "This is outrageous! How can you slander our players like this? What evidence do you have to prove that our players hit the Korean coach? I now demand that you apologize to our players immediately, otherwise I will have the Chinese team coach write a letter of complaint to the International Table Tennis Federation!"

Zhu Qi felt that Maomao was now really on the verge of becoming a coach, and could express the coach's dissatisfaction with the Korean team on his behalf.

The South Korean head coach thought about it. Since his own players said that this did not happen, and no one could prove that Zhu Qi really hit Han Taiyang... and the conflict between the two countries was a very serious matter, there could not be any mistakes otherwise it would escalate into a more serious political incident.

After much deliberation, the South Korean head coach could only take the initiative to negotiate with the US: "I think this may be a misunderstanding..."

"What misunderstanding! It's obviously..." Before Han Taiyang could finish his words, he was glared at by the Korean head coach, and his voice suddenly stopped as someone pressed the mute button.

The farce ended just like that.

Many people who heard the noise and came over to watch left the scene in a lack of interest after hearing that it was a misunderstanding.

Han Taiyang said to the Korean head coach in a frenzy: "Everything I said is true! Why don't you believe me?!"

The Korean head coach was also very speechless. What kind of thing was this? He could only look at Han Taiyang and say earnestly: "Lily has said that, what else can I do..."

"That damn girl is obviously lying! She's lying! Maybe she's still in contact with those people in China! Right! Right! That damn girl must have lost the game on purpose. She doesn't want to play for South Korea at all... The South Korean team should expel her!"

The head coach of the South Korean team thought that this kid had finally gone crazy.

Are you kidding me?

Even if you don't like Kim Lili, her performance in the Korean team in the past two years is indeed one of the best.

Fired?!

Does the South Korean team still have players who can continue to play in the game?

It’s not that South Korea hasn’t trained its own players in the past two years, but their level is just so-so.

"That's enough, you have to think about me too. I didn't perform well in this game. I don't know how I will be lectured when I go back." The Korean head coach couldn't stand it anymore. When Han Taiyang was an athlete, he was always dissatisfied with this and that in the team. Now that he is a coach, he still has the same bad habits.

"Taeyang, I pushed everyone against their will and brought you back to the coaching staff. No matter what, you should be grateful and continue to cultivate talent for the entire Korean team. Kim Lili's poor performance this time was partly due to you. How could you argue with your own players before such an important game?"

Now that your own players are not helping you, you should also think about your own reasons, so even if you really get beaten, you can only endure it. We, the Korean team, can't tear our faces with the Chinese team because of you. Besides, there is no evidence..."

After the Korean head coach finished speaking, he left the entire empty men's bathroom to Han Taiyang, who was alone in there, cursing like crazy.

Han Taiyang cursed for a minute, and suddenly saw Jin Lili walking in from outside.

He thought he had seen it wrong, and was about to vent his anger on Jin Lili when Jin Lili suddenly pulled out a bucket of water from behind her. Oh no, it was dirty water left by the security guard and cleaner, and poured it all over Han Taiyang from head to toe.

The dirty sewage contained many indescribable smells. When it splashed towards him, Han Taiyang could feel the chill rising from the soles of his feet.

"Ah, you damn girl! Are you crazy!?"

"There are surveillance cameras outside. You'd better restrain yourself. If you think losing your coaching job in exchange for giving me a slap is worthwhile, then you can do it."

Jin Lili stood at the bathroom door, speaking word by word.

Han Taiyang was shivering all over, and for a moment he didn't know whether it was because of the cold wind from Florida or because he was angry.

Jin Lili threw away the bucket of dirty water in her hand and bowed slightly to Han Taiyang. "No matter what, thank you for choosing me to be your player. I just told the head coach that from now on you will no longer be responsible for my daily training."

"W-what...you..."

After saying that, Jin Lili turned around and prepared to leave the men's bathroom. She deliberately expressed surprise as she stood at the door.

"Oh, Coach, you're so careless! How come you kicked over the sewage bucket next to you and rolled on the ground?"

"..." Han Taiyang looked at the girl's pretentiousness and wanted to slap her again, but there was a surveillance camera outside...

"Don't worry, I've left a few men's table tennis uniforms in the South Zone locker room. But the bus back to the hotel leaves in 10 minutes. If you go change, you might miss it and have to go back to the hotel by yourself."

After saying this, Jin Lili walked away.

Han Taiyang definitely can't squeeze on the bus and go back with other players and coaches of the South Korean team because of his sour smell.

But when he arrived at the locker room Jin Lili mentioned, he found that there was nothing inside.

...This damn girl! She actually lied to him!

/

Kim Lili did lie to Han Taiyang. She did not tell the Korean head coach that she was going to change the head coach, but that she was going to leave the Korean national team.

She didn't want to fight in this place anymore.

She even didn't want to play the game anymore.

This period of time has been really tiring.

She was not only physically tired, but also mentally. She really wanted to find a place to carefully think about her future plans.

After throwing dirty water on Han Taiyang, Jin Lili felt relieved, but she still felt very upset.

Really not playing in the game anymore...it's painful for Jin Lili too.

After all, if you don’t practice something you’ve been practicing since childhood, it’s like cutting off your own arm.

When leaving the competition venue, Jin Lili was still in low spirits.

She looked at the dark sky outside. The bus going back was right next to her, but Jin Lili suddenly didn't want to get on it.

Because when I go back, I will face a group of guys who cannot be called teammates at all.

Suddenly, someone called Jin Lili.

When Jin Lili turned around, she saw Chang Hongxia.

As her former captain and the person who helped her the most in the national team, Jin Lili suddenly felt nervous and awkward, like a child who had run away from home and was caught by the adults.

Jin Lili called out, "Sister Xia."

"You played well today," Chang Hongxia said with a smile, as if she had always spoken to Jin Lili in a normal tone when she was still on the team. "In fact, in the seventh game, you had a few balls that really had a chance of catching up, but your form wasn't up to par, and you made a few errors. But your backhand has improved a lot now, and many of your previous weaknesses have been corrected. In fact, some of Baobao's tactics and techniques are very suitable for you. You have always been a very smart player and good at imitating. You should know what suits you."

Jin Lili didn't know why Chang Hongxia was telling her this now, but when she heard Chang Hongxia say to her, "It was only after I became a coach that I realized that I didn't play a guiding role in you when I was the captain. If I had discovered it earlier, paid attention to it earlier, and guided you earlier, perhaps this situation would not have happened now," Jin Lili couldn't control her tears again.

Chang Hongxia was actually very soft-hearted. At that time, she felt that Jin Lili had been with her for so long, so she insisted on teaching her a lesson instead of punishing her for some of her mistakes.

This actually indulged some of Jin Lili's bad habits at the time, and Chang Hongxia's occasional harsh discipline caused Jin Lili to rebel.

Jin Lili knew it was not Chang Hongxia's fault.

The reason why she did not block the serve in this match was because now that she has grown older and seen the world, she realized that what she did in the past was indeed problematic.

Especially...seeing the match between Zhu Qi and Jamie in Moscow.

It really touched Jin Lili a lot.

Jin Lili also felt a little ashamed of what Ren Xinhua said before because she blocked the serve.

She admitted that Zhu Qi was more talented and hardworking than herself.

Anyone who can win the Golden Throne at the age of 15 has already surpassed everything and stood at the top of the pyramid.

All the right to speak lies in strength.

But this damn self-esteem does not allow Jin Lili to admit her mistakes and that she is inferior to others.

"Sister Xia, I..." Jin Lili choked.

Chang Hongxia patted Jin Lili on the shoulder and said, "You've always been very talented at playing. I remember when you first joined the national team, you told me that you loved playing. I hope you can regain your original intention and enjoy the game."

Jin Lili wiped her tears and nodded.

Jin Lili felt that what Zhu Qi said was very true.

There is no need to be so concerned about face.

If you lower your standards and go to some countries that are not so strong, you can still play games.

What Jin Lili didn't expect was that after she proposed to withdraw from the South Korean national team, the South Korean head coach actually took the initiative to come forward to retain her.

He must have known that the players he had trained were not very good. This time, except for Jin Lili, the other three were eliminated in the first round.

Jin Lili's level may not be considered top-notch in the Chinese team, but she can sweep a large area in South Korea.

When the Korean head coach heard that she was leaving, he became unhappy on the spot and made a lot of promises to Jin Lili, guaranteeing to provide Jin Lili with complete logistical staff.

The first request Jin Lili made was to find a new supervisor to guide her.

The South Korean head coach agreed and humbly expressed his approval of Jin Lili's performance in this competition.

After Han Taiyang ran back to the hotel, all dirty, he suddenly received a job transfer notice. He was inexplicably put on "leave"...

/

The personnel changes in South Korea were not reported until a long time later.

Zhu Qi didn't pay much attention to it individually, he just knew that Han Taiyang seemed to have been "dismissed".

The Florida State semifinals begin.

The last time Zhu Qi and A Shui competed against each other was at the Chinese Games in Jianghuai Province.

In the morning, while watching the men's singles match and warming up, A Shui was also very excited.

She also wanted to compete for the "Miriam" Cup.

Maomao saw Ah Shui's "ambition" and thought it was a good thing.

And she will meet her old rival Xi Ling'en again tomorrow. She doesn't know what the outcome will be, but she once again said to Zhu Qi the words they had agreed on before.

"No matter who makes it to the finals tomorrow, A Shui or you, I hope to play the most valuable game, and then..." Take the "Miriam" cup from the hands of the strongest teammate around him.