35 Pre-race training

◎【2nd update】Only the moon that night knows the girl’s dream.◎

Ren Xinhua didn't tell anyone before the World Games roster was finalized.

She secretly called the General Administration of Sports and asked if Zhu Qi could be given a singles spot.

She knew her proposal was very bold.

The team has a female team captain who has participated in the World Games twice, and a new absolute main force cat who won the World Games P card in the last session.

Logically speaking, it is not the turn of a newcomer who has just been in the national team for two years.

For Ren Xinhua, it is a very difficult choice to use young players.

And in the direct competition, Zhu Qi, Maomao and Chang Hongxia formed a strange circle, and any of them could beat each other.

This also shows that Zhu Qi’s current level should not be inferior to the other two.

But Ren Xinhua's proposal was rejected.

The World Games are no different from other events, and Ren Xinhua has the final say.

As the most watched competition among all events, the final roster must be approved by the General Administration of Sports.

The reason why the General Administration of Sport rejected the application is very simple. To be eligible to compete for the singles quota of the World Games, one must have experience in participating in the World Games.

Then, based on the performance in the previous World Games, it will be determined whether one is qualified to compete for the most dazzling "gem" on the scepter.

World Games.

It is the World Games after all.

Ren Xinhua was somewhat disappointed with the rejection.

Although other coaches in the team were not optimistic about the mixed doubles event and felt that it was a thankless task, Ren Xinhua actually did not think so.

Mixed doubles is the first table tennis competition in the World Games, and it is also the first year it has been included in the World Games.

This also means that female players will face male players on the opposing team in the World Cup.

Female players can learn the first three board techniques from male players.

Male players will also encounter fast breaks from female players.

After all, the fighting styles of men and women are different. When two completely different styles collide with each other, it is actually more entertaining.

Mixed doubles is likely to become the most popular event besides singles in the future.

After the match list is determined.

Ren Xinhua called Zhu Qi into the office alone.

In fact, Ren Xinhua had wanted to have a talk with Zhu Qi a long time ago.

She thought this girl was very special.

The difference lies in the desire to win.

It is true that athletes all hope to win, but Zhu Qi seems to want more than just victory for himself.

Since Zhu Qi joined the national team, it feels like the atmosphere of the entire national team has become more united.

This kind of unity is what Ren Xinhua has always wanted to create.

She didn't know how Zhu Qi did it and was very curious.

Zhu Qi guessed that Ren Xinhua called him over most likely because of the World Games.

In the past, I also showed an attitude of listening carefully.

But Ren Xinhua did not say it directly. Instead, he first chatted with Zhu Qi about his daily life in the national team and asked Zhu Qi if there was anything that made him uncomfortable in the national team.

Zhu Qi answered normally, saying that he adapted quickly to the national team.

But I still feel strange why she was called over.

Later, when discussing Zhu Qi's match with the provincial team, Ren Xinhua asked with a smile, "Coach Xu probably didn't tell you that the pressure in this year's mixed doubles tournament is just as great as in singles. In fact, many people on the team don't want to play mixed doubles, especially the coaches, who don't want their players to play mixed doubles."

"I know, but I don't mind, as long as I can get a chance to play," said Zhu Qi.

Ren Xinhua liked the girl's frankness, but was also curious: "Don't you want to know why no one else wants to play mixed doubles? Don't you think it's a chore?"

Zhu Qi could probably guess, so she nodded, then shook her head: "I don't think so."

"Why?"

"Many people believe that women in mixed doubles are just supporting players. It's already a good thing if they don't lose points. I've seen newspaper reports on many mixed doubles matches that focus heavily on the performances of the men."

Ren Xinhua listened quietly. She didn't expect that this girl was so concerned about current affairs.

Zhu Qi continued, "But I think the female player is the most important player in mixed doubles, because she has to receive the ball from the male opponent and score from him. Since you defined mixed doubles as a double attacking style from the beginning, I won't put myself in a supporting role. I also hope to break more of the stereotypes about female players and let the world see what kind of shots girls can produce when they get aggressive."

That's right.

That's it.

Ren Xinhua was very happy, almost showing his joy.

She stood up and patted Zhu Qi on the shoulder: "I knew I was right. Baobao, you——"

You will be the future pillar of Chinese table tennis.

But Ren Xinhua did not say this because she did not want to put so much pressure on the girl when she was only 17 years old.

Although Ren Xinhua didn't say it, Zhu Qi knew that she really wanted to praise herself.

He Qianlu said that Ren Xinhua rarely praises others. If he really likes a player, he will feel like his words are short-circuited.

Um.

All right.

Just assume that she has already praised herself.

It doesn’t matter, Zhu Qi will figure it out himself.

"The Japanese team recently developed a technique called the 'loop shot,' which is very similar to the shot you hit in the final of the Ping Tiao League against Chang Hongxia. I asked Da He about it, and he said it was the result of your own research and mastery. You're a player who loves to explore, and that's your strength."

In fact, when determining the World Games list.

Ren Xinhua had an idea that it would be safer to use Chang Hongxia and Gao Xiaofeng in the mixed doubles, and let Zhu Qi play in the mixed team.

Zhu Qi's grades are indeed very good.

But her fighting style in every aspect is too similar to He Qianlu's.

Ever since Zhu Qi won the Asian Cup, people outside are now studying Zhu Qi's playing style.

For example, Russia's Snodiava almost completely replicated Zhu Qi's serve and backhand system, which shows that Zhu Qi's current skills and tactics have been thoroughly studied by the foreign team. The Korean coaching staff also replaced Li Keshan, who lost to Zhu Qi twice, with a chopper.

Normally speaking, two years is too short a time, and with limited game time, it is impossible to fully understand and figure out a player.

But eighty percent of Zhu Qi's skills and tactics came from He Qianlu.

Zhu Qi's pace, serve, backhand system...

Those outsourced companies don’t need to fully research Zhu Qi; they can also do so by studying the former He Qianlu.

There are quite a few people who have played against He Qianlu, and the old videos are everywhere.

Success and failure are both due to Xiao He.

But after talking to He Qianlu on the phone, he decided to give Zhu Qi a chance in mixed doubles.

A child who knows where his illness lies knows how to prescribe the right medicine for himself.

This is very rare.

Ren Xinhua hasn't seen this kind of quality in a player for a long time.

As the head coach of the national table tennis team.

She has always understood that the biggest problem facing the national table tennis team now is the serious lack of young talent within the team.

The biggest reason for the lack of young players is that there are fewer and fewer players with strong beliefs and the willingness to win glory for the country.

Ten years ago, many people became athletes just to endure hardships.

Those kids in the 1980s could endure any hardship and worked day and night to win the championship.

Even if there is no chance to "get on the team", I am willing to be a sparring partner and train with the absolute main players who can play.

But today's group of children are more eager for "personality worship".

Everyone wants to be an idol, a star that everyone admires. Everyone wants to stand on the highest podium and not be relegated to being a hero behind the scenes.

If Ren Xinhua wants to make corrections, he must set an example by taking the lead.

"If we could meet the Japanese team at the World Games, perhaps close contact would help you understand the effects of looping more quickly," she told Zhu Qi. "As long as you can win a medal in the mixed doubles this time, I'll guarantee you a spot in the singles at the next World Games. You'll become the youngest Grand Slam winner in table tennis history."

In the list of past Grand Slams.

The youngest Grand Slam winner is a male player from the Athens team. He won the singles championships in the three major tournaments at the age of 22.

But four years after the Tokyo World Games, Zhu Qi was only 21 years old.

If it were someone else.

Zhu Qi may feel that this is just wishful thinking.

But the person who said this now is Ren Xinhua, the head coach of the entire national table tennis team and the "benefactor" who took him over from the Jianghuai Provincial Team.

All players and even coaches know that Ren Xinhua never promises anything easily, and once he makes a promise, he will definitely do it.

Zhu Qi nodded heavily: "Yes!"

This was a little secret agreed upon by Ren Xinhua and Zhu Qi, and even Xu Dong didn't know it.

Ren Xinhua also believed that Zhu Qi was not the kind of person who would show off everywhere.

/

Seeing Chairman Ren and Zhu Qi coming over, the players who were originally chatting and laughing automatically lined up in a square formation and waited for instructions.

In an instant, the chaotic crowd immediately turned into a neat and orderly team.

Young faces turned towards him, and every pair of eyes looked like they were listening quietly.

Ren Xinhua returned to his usual seriousness.

Zhu Qi also joined the crowd, ready to listen to the head coach's arrangements.

The coaches also came over.

Ren Xinhua looked at everyone, took a deep breath, and said, "Now that the World Games roster has been finalized, and everyone knows this is Japan's home turf, we're going to put up a tough fight. The pressure is the heaviest we've ever felt at any World Games!"

So from now on, whether it is Team One or Team Two, all non-rostered personnel must assist in all training plans of the players participating in this competition, and closed training will officially begin tomorrow.

Everyone must do their job well, help each other, and share their skills. If needed, anyone must serve as a sparring partner!

No vicious competition will be allowed. From the coaching staff to the second team players, no one is allowed to go out and all electronic devices must be handed in. Everyone is under closed management and is not allowed to go out, take leave, or go home!

Once a violation is discovered, the individual and the head coach will each be fined 1,000 yuan, the first team members will be demoted to the second team, and the second team members will be returned to the provincial team..."

This passage directly announced that the entire national table tennis team entered an emergency state of preparation.

“Yes——” everyone answered.

Ren Xinhua waved his hand, and more than a dozen logistics personnel came in one after another, pushing giant speakers that were as tall as a person.

There is one behind every three pool tables. When the switch is turned on in the sound room, the deafening simulated cheers can almost blow the ceiling off.

Ren Xinhua held a larger loudspeaker in his hand, and his voice was inspiring amid the loud noise.

"Anything can happen during a match! Noise, slippery floors, dim lighting, scrambling on the court, flickering lights, balls with seams and balls without seams... You have to adapt to everything! No one will create a match plan that's perfectly adapted to your specific situation based on your habits! All kinds of distraction training must be conducted, but the same old saying applies: Never give up until the ball hits the floor!"

"Never give up until the ball falls!"

The voices of young children or the blaring of loudspeakers fill the air.

/

Devil's training.

It really is just like the name.

It can turn people into ghosts.

This high intensity is no joke.

The entire national team is practicing women's doubles, men's doubles, and singles...

The same is true for the badminton team next door.

Everyone runs to the training hall as soon as they open their eyes. They won’t be allowed to go back to the dormitory to rest until their legs are exhausted.

There were a few times when I strained my muscles during training, but I still had to continue training while applying a patch.

I have to watch the videos of the outsourced companies even during meal times.

Not even a bird could fly out of the entire management center.

Whether players or coaches, they must stay in the management center and devote themselves to preparing for the World Games.

Everyone started practicing as soon as they opened their eyes.

What I say in my dreams is "Pull him, give him a long ball."

After observing around, I found that everyone was in good condition.

Chang Hongxia and Maomao are preparing for the women's singles competition. The team has sent several players from the second national team to imitate the playing styles of the main players from Japan and South Korea to help them practice.

After practicing as a whole, it seems that there is no problem.

Ren Xinhua felt that Song Linzhou's straight-edge board still had a problem.

It’s not that straight blades are bad, but judging from the current version, straight blades and horizontal blades do have certain weaknesses when playing against each other.

Song Linzhou and Zhu Qi were paired in mixed doubles at the beginning because Song Linzhou is left-handed.

But if you keep using a straight racket, you can only rely on Zhu Qi as the main attacker during the game.

In this case, Zhu Qi would be under too much pressure.

How can we achieve a breakthrough in just two months of training?

Ren Xinhua thought of someone...

/

He Qianlu, a specially hired closed training instructor, caused quite a stir when he appeared in the national team.

Everyone knows that this person was invited here because of Zhu Qi's favor.

He Qianlu's purpose of coming here was very simple, which was to help Zhu Qi train her mixed doubles partner and improve the mixed doubles championship rate.

When he heard that He Qianlu was coming, the Buddha hummed a few words.

But Shi Ge, the captain of the men's team, was not happy. His grandfather had been to the Yalu River when he was fifteen or sixteen years old and was awarded the third-class merit.

Shi Ge himself was also from the Youth League, the Cultural and Sports Army. He was a tough guy who had served in the army. He had a military spirit inherited from his ancestors. He usually spoke in a burly voice and slammed the table with his fist as big as a casserole.

"Hey, Old Jiang, why do you always act like you're afraid of those foreign grandchildren? Why do you care about their whining? We didn't send anyone to your women's team. Our men's team needs a penhold-grip backhand coach. Is that any of your business?"

"Who are you talking about? I'm worried he'll have a negative impact on the team again! I'm considering the overall situation! Don't judge others by your own standards..."

Before the World Games even started, the head coaches of the women's and men's teams had a quarrel.

Whenever a big game starts, it seems like everyone in the national team is arguing.

Only after the internal quarrels are over can we unite against the outside world...

But no matter how much we argue, people are already here and it’s impossible to really drive them away.

After all, it was also to train the current players of the national team, so Mr. Fo simply let go of the mixed doubles.

Because Song Linzhou and Zhu Qi practiced mixed doubles together.

Xu Dong also had to keep an eye on Zhu Qi to prevent any problems with his training.

Therefore, when these two first love groups that once gave the coaching staff a lot of headaches appeared on the same screen again, they attracted a lot of attention.

Many players who had heard of this story cast curious glances at them, but often at this time, Chang Hongxia would immediately appear and, as the captain, let these children turn their attention back to table tennis.

No one dared to disobey the captain's words, so no one dared to bring up this matter for fear of being scolded.

He Qianlu and Xu Dong stood one in front and one behind, although both of them were looking at the two children running beside the pool table.

But for some reason, I felt like there was a clear dividing line between the two of them, making them feel thousands of miles apart.

Every time Zhu Qi saw the two of them like this, she felt so tired for them.

Can't you just be open and honest?

They are still trying to avoid suspicion... Are they both hiding something?

never mind.

She is still just a 17-year-old underage girl.

There is no way to get involved in the affairs of these two adults.

After He Qianlu arrived, he also looked businesslike and stared at Song Linzhou the whole time.

"Straight-blade hitting requires a backhand to make up for the traditional straight-blade. Your wrist rotation speed is too slow, and you always use the traditional straight-blade to push and block." He Qianlu observed around and decided to design a special training plan for Song Linzhou.

After hearing this, Ren Xinhua discussed it with him: "What is the probability of success after the training is completed?"

"About 80 percent. It's mainly because this kid practiced his penholder backhand for a while, but somehow lost it. His tactical system is a bit disorganized, and with the match about to start, time is running out." He Qianlu spread his hands. "But don't worry. Since you called me here, I'll do my best to bring him up for you. He's also quite knowledgeable and hardworking. Most importantly, he has a very good eye for the ball. With some practice, he might be able to help you out in difficult situations later on."

Ren Xinhua was very satisfied. He didn't expect that the troublemaker back then would become such a stylish coach.

As for the special training that He Qianlu arranged for Song Linzhou, Zhu Qi also found it very interesting.

"Coach Da He, what is a fixed-spot topspin ball?" Ah Shui, who was watching from the side, also showed a curious expression.

He Qianlu got a bunch of plastic disposable cups from somewhere, placed them horizontally on the table, and required the players to use topspin to hit the ball into the cups.

"This is a fixed-point topspin shot. Every ball must reach a specific position to increase your chances of hitting the table."

That’s not all.

Also practice receiving the serve with a sideways stroke.

Ren Xinhua called 10 players with different serves and asked Song Linzhou to return the serve with a horizontal hit, requiring the success rate to be above 60% and the success performance rate to be above 75%.

Song Linzhou sweated profusely every day during training, and when his back was arched, it looked like the back of an antelope.

Zhu Qi admired the boy's diligence and hard work.

It's not easy to persist to this point.

He Qianlu was undergoing emergency training while Xu Dong started to take care of his food and drink.

Every time Xu Dong saw the children lying on the ground gasping for breath due to exhaustion, he would go to the cafeteria to get them some fruit to replenish their energy.

"Eat some pineapple. You've been training all day and haven't had time to drink water. It's too late and you can't eat too much. It's easy to get indigestion. First, replenish some vitamins..."

Zhu Qi looked up at the time in the training hall and found that it was 10 o'clock in the evening again.

Another day has ended.

"Wow! I love pineapple the most!" A Shui cheered.

Her coach, Xu, takes care of herself and Zhu Qi with care and confidence, just like raising two daughters. Every time he comes, the backpack behind him is like Doraemon's treasure bag, with everything in it.

And there is something special about it. Buying pineapples is probably for good luck, hoping that Zhu Qi can beat the Russian pineapple-headed mixed doubles in the mixed doubles competition.

"We also have apples, strawberries, bananas, and cantaloupe... Eat some first. Oh, and there's hot honey water, would you like some?" Xu Dong said as he pulled his thermos from his backpack. "Stomach problems are always caused by irregular meals. For athletes, physical health is extremely important, and we absolutely cannot afford to let it get in the way now."

Speaking of food, Xu Dongjie reminded Ah Shui again, giving her two daughters a heads-up: "Diet is very important for athletes. If the food they eat is not right, it will cause problems when taking urine tests. After going to Japan, you must ask the coaching staff before eating. It is best to eat food prepared in the World Games Village, and don't buy it randomly."

"Okay~" A Shui nodded.

The three of them chatted and laughed for a while, and when Xu Dong turned around, he met the gaze of the man in front of him.

Their eyes met, and then they looked away.

As a specially invited coach to the national team for two months, it is impossible to say that the two of them have not spoken a word, but most of the time, they only have brief exchanges and tactical discussions when there are other people around.

But if there is no third person, the two of them will immediately become strangers again.

This kind of relationship is the most difficult to balance in this world.

But they are past the awkward age, and the adult world is full of damn decency.

The members of other groups looked at Zhu Qi and A Shui with envy, saying that female coaches were more attentive than male coaches.

How come the fruit was already cut and delivered? Their supervisors wouldn't have been so well prepared.

Zhu Qi and A Shui both noticed the embarrassment of the two people.

A Shui tried his best to wink at her: What's going on between them?

Zhu Qi also gave a look: Children should stay out of the adults' business.

A Shui: But aren’t they embarrassed facing each other like this?

Zhu Qi: Don’t worry about them, just practice your own ball first.

A Shui: But they both look like they want to talk to each other.

Zhu Qi: ...

Could A Shui be the fan leader?

/

The team is training in full swing.

Ren Xinhua ran out to have a meal with the head coach of the women's volleyball team. He originally planned to discuss various matters related to participating in the World Games, but he got a very good inspiration at the dinner table.

"I heard that they would use the method of smashing balls all over the court to train the female volleyball players' ability to save the ball. The same can be done in table tennis." Ren Xinhua brought five basins full of small white balls and stood at the other end of the table.

She kept hitting the ball with her racket, forcing Zhu Qi and Song Linzhou to hit the ball back while switching positions to receive the ball.

It just so happened that Song Linzhou's straight-blade horizontal hitting was quite effective during this period, and this kind of ball with high connection density could be used for practice.

Zhu Qi ran back and forth to save the ball. Both of them were exhausted and out of breath, but they had to complete the five basins of training every day.

After ensuring that every ball can be successfully hit back on the table, then conduct fixed-point practice.

For table tennis players, spot practice has become a technique ingrained in their DNA.

Being able to hit a small ball to any position you need is the most basic skill.

In fact, when everyone first started practicing table tennis, the coaches taught them the same batting posture.

For example, how should you hit the ball with your forehand?

How should I return the backhand?

How to deal with twisting and pulling?

What kind of posture should be used for fast belt?

These are the basic skills at the bottom of the technology pyramid.

The more solid your basic skills are, the higher the success rate of hitting the ball to the opposite table.

But why do some people make it into the city team, some into the provincial team, and some even into the national team?

This is because every player has a different understanding of the ball and different finesse in their hands.

With some subtle changes in the fingers and a little technical adjustment, this small white ball can undergo thousands of changes.

Table tennis is difficult.

The difficulty lies in the fact that it requires not only physical exertion but also the use of the brain.

/

After a few days of training, the mixed doubles results began to show results.

In order to enhance the offensiveness of Zhu Qi and Song Linzhou in doubles play, Xu Dong placed two water cups on the other side of the table, leaving a fist-sized gap between them.

"Every return must land in the middle of the horizontal plane, because the spin on a penhold racket doesn't produce high enough power, so you need to practice this kind of fixed-point hitting," He Qianlu told Song Linzhou. "Traditional penhold racket training focuses on close-to-table quick attack techniques. You practiced penhold backhand for a while, but you didn't hit the mark. As a latecomer to backhand, you must increase the offensive nature of your push and block, switching from the traditional shoulder-driven power to finger-driven power."

Song Linzhou nodded and quickly entered the training state.

In order to master the straight-blade horizontal hitting as quickly as possible, Zhu Qi and Song Linzhou worked day and night, which made all the players admire them very much.

Qin Xiaoba felt sorry for his brother Daling. He was about to participate in such an important competition and still had to practice new techniques.

But Zhu Qi just thought that his brother Daling was rich and willful.

No one in the team is as hardworking as he is, changing the rubber every three days.

The national team has limited funds, and each person can only receive rubber four times a month. The only month with unlimited supply is during the three major competitions.

The rubber now costs more than 10 yuan per piece, and you can change two pieces at a time.

Is this guy's salary enough to cover his expenses? Is he even paying for work?

The training days are too long.

It's easy to lose track of time.

Every time he opened his eyes, Zhu Qi had a feeling of being outside of time.

On the wall facing her was a blackboard with the words - 8 days left until the start of the Tokyo World Games.

The World Games are about to begin.

She is going to Tokyo - representing the Chinese team.

The national flag on her left chest seemed to have warmth, causing her heart to beat faster.

The training hall emptied out.

Tired after a whole day, with only a short 30-minute meal break.

The players cherish this hard-earned rest.

Zhu Qi did not go to the cafeteria because he had just finished practicing a set of serves and had no time to go there, so he could only ask A Shui to help bring the food over.

Song Linzhou also did not leave.

Song Linzhou rummaged through his bag for a long time, then suddenly took out a box and handed it to Zhu Qi: "This is for you."

"What?" Zhu Qi raised his eyes.

He squatted in front of Zhu Qi, opened the box, and found a pair of white sneakers inside, wrapped in bubble wrap.

It was a domestic brand founded by a gymnast that became famous in the next twenty years.

Zhu Qi had never seen them before, but they were the same pair Song Linzhou was wearing.

The only difference is that his is black and the one in the box is off-white.

"This pair of shoes is called Di Lu. Generally, new shoes will fit best after seven or eight days of wearing. I feel... pretty good in them, so... you can try them. Xiao Ba said you wear size 37, so it should be suitable..." He took out the shoes and held them in front of Zhu Qi with both hands.

The patterns on the shoes are still relatively ordinary now, with only a simple brand icon and a slightly cloud pattern on the breathable mesh.

But this minimalist style looks very clean and pure, and when many athletes still wear rubber-soled shoes, these cotton-soled breathable shoes seem very luxurious.

Zhu Qi frowned. "I saw Coach Da He and Qin Shang were wearing a pair of shoes too. Did you give them to them?"

Song Linzhou nodded: "Their style is called Red Rabbit. My dad came to the national team the day before yesterday and brought me a few pairs to give to my friends."

Seeing that Zhu Qi didn't react much, Song Linzhou was afraid she wouldn't accept it, so he said, "My family has provided some equipment and sportswear to the national team before, and this time we're working with a new brand. Try them on and see if they fit. If not, just treat it as a trial and we'll adjust them when we get home. If it does, consider it a promotion for us... And Coach Da He is here to teach me the penhold grip and backhand stroke because of you. I already owe you a few favors, so consider it my small token of gratitude."

He relaxed his brows and smiled shyly.

Zhu Qi understood a little.

…Is this an early endorsement?

Zhu Qi looked at the shoes and raised his head to look at him: "Do you know that in the Three Kingdoms period, everyone said that 'Lu is harmful to the master'?"

"Ah?" Song Linzhou was stunned for a moment, thinking that she didn't like it.

De Lu harms the master.

This doesn't have a very good meaning indeed.

"But the next line of 'Di Lu Fang Zhu' is: Only a true hero can ride it." She smiled back at him while holding the box and her golf bag. "Thank you."

Zhu Qi's thoughts are actually quite different from those of ordinary people.

She really enjoys challenges now.

She believes that she can definitely play well in the mixed doubles female player position, which others are not optimistic about.

And he can definitely play his position better than the male players!

She has always believed that she needs to fight for everything in her life by herself.

You must get up from where you fell.

It doesn’t matter if you lost the game before, just fight back one shot at a time.

Don't rely on fatalism, be the one who fights against fate.

/

As the saying goes.

If you don’t practice for one day, you know it; if you don’t practice for two days, your opponent knows it; if you don’t practice for three days, the audience knows it.

The national table tennis team has always been the most competitive, most competitive and most resourceful department among all sports teams.

Being able to enter the national second team is already a rare talent. This time when he represented the Chinese team in Tokyo, there was a huge crowd of reporters and media interviewing him near Tiantan East Road.

Because of the top-secret nature of the closed training, the leaders did not allow the reporters in.

One is to prevent the roster from being leaked, and the other is to prevent reporters from interfering with athletes' training.

At night, from the time Zhu Qi started his night run to the end, the reporters did not leave.

Since joining the national team, Xu Dongjie said that her endurance was a shortcoming, and that small steps were very tiring, so she suggested that she run 3,000 meters five times around the playground every night.

After two years of persistence, Zhu Qi's physical strength improved a lot, and he did not stop even during the closed training period.

Although the Chinese Table Tennis Team has never activated the p-card since its establishment, there is always a chance of something happening, and if the p-card is really activated, it will definitely be used.

After the mixed doubles match, if... I mean if.

Hopefully I can join a mixed group again.

Then in the next World Games, my chances of winning the singles will be even greater.

Although Ren Xinhua said that if he played well in mixed doubles, he could guarantee himself a place in singles.

But Zhu Qi knew that the list for the World Games had to be approved by the General Administration of Sports.

After all, if you perform well, your chances of getting in are better. At worst, you can still get an extra bonus, and no one would complain about having too much money.

Although A Shui did not have the opportunity to play, he was also the focus of training and experienced the training volume of an absolute main force.

"I'm going to die, my legs are going to break." Ah Shui crawled into the dormitory and slumped headfirst onto a stool in the small living room, half dead.

After a short break, Ah Shui counted on his fingers again: "Every day, I start technical training at 6:30 am for 90 minutes, physical training in the afternoon for 50 minutes, then follow up with 60 minutes of serve and return training, and then 150 minutes of training in the evening... Oh my god, I feel like my skin is about to fall off my bones. Sister Mao Mao, feel me, am I getting any muscles?"

Mao Mao walked in with a towel around his neck, touched Ah Shui's arm, and said with a smile: "It's still very thin, like a little quail. You still need to build muscle."

Zhu Qi had finished taking a shower and was standing at the door of his room doing stretching.

After a whole day of training, Zhu Qi felt very sore and stiff all over his body.

She saw the dense patch of plasters on Mao Mao's back and was a little worried: "How's your shoulder? Can you handle such intense training?"

Maomao shook his arms and winked at her: "It's nothing, don't worry."

How could Zhu Qi not be worried?

In the previous Tokyo World Games, Maomao was eliminated in the semi-finals because of a recurrence of his shoulder injury. It was a pity that he didn't even get a bronze medal.

Although Zhu Qi's existence in this life has caused many butterfly effects, the list of players going to the Tokyo World Games is different from that in the previous life.

As far as I can remember, the mixed doubles team at the previous Tokyo World Games was Chang Hongxia and Gao Xiaofeng.

The two of them reached the semi-finals but were eliminated. They didn't even win the bronze medal, and their subsequent singles competition was affected.

In this life, I will play mixed doubles, so maybe it won’t affect their singles... maybe?

But Zhu Qi always felt that he had to be prepared for everything.

"I'll have the two rehabilitators and the physical therapist from the Jianghuai Provincial Team check you out tomorrow. Athletes can't just take painkillers casually, so it's not a big deal if you keep enduring it."

"It's really nothing, just a little muscle reaction from the intense exercise these past two days. I'm still young, so my metabolism is pretty fast. I'll be fine after a night's rest," Maomao said as she hung up the towel and changed the subject. "How's your mixed doubles practice going? I heard from the Sports Commission that the two Russians who beat Song Linzhou and Jin Lili have also registered for the World Games mixed doubles."

There are still 20 days to go before the World Games, and the competition rosters of various countries have not yet been officially announced.

However, many journalists stationed abroad act as intelligence agents, interviewing other national teams and testing their opinions.

The news coming from above should be ninety-nine percent certain.

Zhu Qi disagreed: "That's perfect, you can stand up from where you fell." Although it was not her who fell last time.

Ah Shui was so tired that she fell asleep on the sofa. Zhu Qi called her but she didn't wake up. She and Maomao could only carry the dried jersey to the rooftop to dry it.

The night breeze blew, not as cold as in May.

The sky is also bright, with many stars twinkling in it, which makes people feel relaxed and happy.

On the contrary, it was a little damp and cool, which made people feel very comfortable.

Maomao still wanted to remind her: "I heard from Coach Cun that the mixed doubles players in Korea are two of your old acquaintances, Han Taiyang and Li Keshan. They are both veterans of the Korean team and have a lot of competition experience."

Zhu Qi nodded. "Coach Xu also told me that Li Keshan lost to me in her peak match, so she can only play mixed doubles. Han Taiyang is getting older, and the Korean team probably doesn't trust him with the singles. This may be the last time these two people participate in the World Games... But I haven't heard of Han Taiyang's name in the past two years. I thought he retired."

Maomao smiled and said, "Honestly, if I were a coach, I'd also like athletes like you. No matter what, it seems like you've never been afraid of anyone. I was so nervous even when I got a P card at the last World Games."

"After experiencing life and death, I don't think these things are that big of a deal." Zhu Qi said casually.

Maomao looked up at Zhu Qi and said, "Indeed, as long as people are alive, they have the opportunity to realize their dreams."

When saying this, Maomao and Zhu Qi both thought of the darkest period in their past.

That's the cat sitting in the hospital listening to the doctor pronounce the path of his career.

And Zhu Qi, who was lying on the hospital bed, his heart and eyes filled with anger and unwillingness.

Look at it from this perspective.

How can the cat not be considered to have been reborn?

Since Maomao met Zhu Qi, he had only heard Qin Xiaoba reveal about Zhu Qi's family affairs: Zhu Qi's mother died early, his father remarried, and Zhu Qi lived with his uncle.

Qin Xiaoba is Zhu Qi's cousin, which means he is a relative on Zhu Qi's mother's side.

But Zhu Qi's father's relatives almost completely disappeared from Zhu Qi's life. Zhu Qi had never heard of them, and even Qin Xiaoba avoided talking about them.

It goes without saying that there must have been a lot of unpleasant things happening in the process, otherwise why would the two sides have no contact at all?

Zhu Qi was not in a position to speak, so Maomao was not in a position to ask more questions.

But after living in the same dormitory with Zhu Qi for the past two years, Maomao always felt that her intelligence was far superior to all her peers, and sometimes she even looked at problems more maturely than herself...So every time Maomao talked to her, she would not treat her as a child.

The two girls stood under the moon, looking at the windows outside that were as densely packed as stars, and feeling the warmth of thousands of lights.

Next to me, wet clothes were hung on the clothesline on the rooftop, shining with faint moonlight.

Zhu Qi expressed a sincere wish: "I hope that you, me, and Ah Shui can all rewrite our own futures."

Maomao leaned against the clothes drying rack and looked at her with a smile: "Do you hope to become a Grand Slam champion in your future?"

Zhu Qi didn't say yes or no.

The two girls smiled at each other in the night light.

Only the moon that night knew the girls' future in this life.