54 Mobilization Meeting
◎Wow, her performance in the qualifying rounds...she won all the matches!◎
After returning to the national team.
Everyone felt that these Bayi team players seemed like different people after the military training.
Nothing else to say.
Zhu Qi's hair used to be shoulder-length, and she liked to tie it into a small braid that hung down the back of her head. While it was neat, it still looked a bit student-like.
Now she has a short haircut that reaches her ears, which is clean and neat, and she looks murderous, which is unique to female soldiers.
Xu Dong was very satisfied.
A Shui was also very satisfied.
Ren Xinhua was also very satisfied.
While helping her push her luggage, Ah Shui reached out and stroked Zhu Qi's short hair, saying with emotion, "It looks really good. I want to cut it short too. It's very convenient, right? It dries in no time after washing it."
Zhu Qi changed into a neat T-shirt and walked beside him: "That's right. When I was in the army, I didn't even need to go to the bathhouse. I could just get a basin of water and wash."
"Are you going to have this hairstyle from now on?"
"Master asked us to cut our hair during military training."
That is to say, it has to be cut off when you go to the military control center for one and a half months every year.
But after Zhu Qi got used to having short hair for a month and a half, he suddenly felt that short hair was so comfortable, convenient and light in every way.
Once you cut your hair short, it's hard to grow it longer.
Ah Shui was eager to make a move. She felt that her hair was a bit of a hindrance and wanted to cut it short.
Zhu Qi had been away from the national team for three months, and Ah Shui was the only one on the seventh floor, which made her feel suffocated.
After the military training, Zhu Qi also felt that his muscles had become harder. First and foremost, he felt more powerful when using the ball.
As she rolled up her sleeves, the slightly raised blue veins on the back of her hand spread like vines deep into her forearm. Because of her porcelain-white skin, the blue veins were very obvious.
I thought military training could help me get some sun and replenish calcium.
As a result, Beijing was covered in smog for more than a month, and it even rained several times in between.
They train indoors eighty percent of the time and don't get a tan at all.
Zhu Qi was on a long-distance call with Maomao, while Ah Shui was beside her, stroking her firm, thin arms and drooling, "Ah, so tight! Such beautiful arms! My fantasy boyfriend~"
"Ouch, you're so cheesy." Zhu Qi pulled his hand away, but couldn't pull it out. He chatted with Mao Mao on the phone. "How did your surgery go? When will you be back?"
"The doctor said the surgery was successful, but I still have some issues with my waist. I had a small laser procedure to remove a piece of cartilage. It was completed in June, and I've been doing rehabilitation training since then," Maomao said on the other end of the phone. "Congratulations on joining the Bayi team! I'm so envious! I haven't practiced for over five months, and I feel like my body is rusty."
"There's nothing we can do about it. Only by resolving the injury once and for all can we go further in our career in the future," said Zhu Qi.
Ah Shui shouted into the phone: "Bring me some local specialties!"
"I bought you some sportswear and sneakers. Just a heads up, the colors are all the same, so you're not allowed to complain if they don't look good."
"Wow! Cat, you are the best!" A Shui cheered.
The chat was almost over, and Maomao had to go for rehabilitation training. Zhu Qi had just hung up the phone when Ah Shui became curious again: "Tell me quickly, are there any handsome guys on the Bayi team?"
"handsome guy……"
"Who is calling me?!" Qin Xiaoba's voice came from behind. He shouted and ran towards Zhu Qi and A Shui.
Because he didn't take a photo for his ID in military uniform, Qin Xiaoba found a white wall and asked Song Linzhou to find a camera to take a photo for him.
A Shui turned around and was about to say something sarcastic, but suddenly he was stunned.
The dark green military uniform wrapped around the young boy's body, like armor, wrapped around his body bursting with youthful hormones. The straight trouser legs vaguely covered the strong athletic muscles of his legs. As he walked step by step, the shoulder and trouser leg fabric were sometimes tight and sometimes loose.
He held up one finger and swung the file bag crookedly on his fingertips, casually but not lacking in solemnity.
Stopping in front of Ah Shui, he pinched Ah Shui's nose with a playful grin: "What are you looking at? Your eyes are popping out."
"It's true that clothes make the man, and you look quite like a gentleman in this outfit."
"I made this outfit look handsome, okay?"
Song Linzhou smiled evilly and reached out to take off his hat: "You look the most handsome without a hat..."
Qin Xiaoba was anxious: "Brother Ling..."
Ah Shui was stunned for a moment, then he burst into laughter when he saw Qin Xiaoba’s braised egg hair.
Qin Xiaoba snatched the hat back, put it on properly, and looked at Ah Shui who was laughing so hard that he gritted his teeth and said, "What are you laughing at!"
The younger brother and sister group were making a lot of noise in the front.
The older brothers and sisters were at the back, looking calm and relaxed.
Song Linzhou took over A Shui's job and helped Zhu Qi push the box.
The wheels churned on the asphalt. Song Linzhou asked with a smile, "Are you tired from the military training?"
"It's okay, similar to closed training." Zhu Qi took out a chocolate bar from his pocket and put it in his mouth, chewing it.
"By the way, when you joined the Bayi team, someone called the national team. I happened to be there and answered the call. He said he was your relative, and I wrote down his number." Song Linzhou pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, which he seemed to carry with him all the time. "It was a man."
Zhu Qi took the note and glanced at it.
Although Zhu Qi had never seen the numbers on the paper before, he subconsciously took a deep breath.
A suffocating feeling, as if she were trapped in a nightmare, made her subconsciously want to throw away the paper.
relative?
Besides her uncle and aunt, what other relatives does she have?
However, the national team's landline number is confidential and only known to athletes and their families.
When her uncle and aunt have something to say, they will call her directly on her cell phone... What relative can get the national team's number?
Zhu Qi gathered the paper balls together and threw them into the trash can nearby. Song Linzhou felt as if he had done something wrong and asked in a low voice, "Is it someone you don't know?"
"This time when I went home, I met a lot of 'relatives' I had never even met in person. After all, if you are poor in a busy city, no one will care about you, but if you are rich in the mountains, you will have distant relatives. For me, my relatives are only my uncle and my aunt's family. I don't know the others."
"I thought he was a little strange, too. He just said he was a relative, but he wouldn't say who, and he wouldn't even leave his name. I'm wondering if one of your fans somehow got the national team's landline number," Song Linzhou muttered to himself. "I threatened him that every call was recorded, and he just hung up..."
Zhu Qi was even more certain that it might be someone from that family...
Ever since He Qianlu gave her a cell phone, her uncle and aunt only called her cell phone number.
But she found it strange that the national team's landline number was only available to internal staff.
How did the people in that family know the national team’s phone number?
The words Jin Lili said before leaving the national team suddenly echoed in Zhu Qi's ears.
"I'm telling you, I never bother to leak anyone's tactics. You should really think about whether there are other people on the team who dislike you."
Zhu Qi lowered his head in thought...
...After returning to the dormitory, Zhu Qi was pulled by A Shui and his military uniform was also taken out.
Ah Shui touched the uniform and drooled: "Wow, this is too handsome!"
"We can't wear them on ordinary days. Our master requires us to change into military uniforms on major holidays like Army Day and National Day, or when we are interviewed by reporters. And after that, we have to spend one and a half months every year to go to the military control center for concentrated military training. I heard that some senior generals will be invited to give us military lessons." Zhu Qi is very much looking forward to it.
I gained a lot from my time in the military control center.
Although I am very tired, I feel that every day is worth it.
A Shui said before that she has a bit of a masochistic personality and always likes to do things that push her physical limits.
It was the same when I went out to practice basketball before, I would never let myself be idle.
Always moving, always looking for ways to improve yourself.
"Master~ this title is so intimate. The old man must be very good to you." A Shui was very envious.
"It's very good, but also very strict." Zhu Qi briefly talked about his life in the military control center. Ah Shui shook his head repeatedly after listening.
"I'm sure I'll run away in less than a week. The pressure is too great."
But this kind of devilish military management training is indeed very effective.
During training the next day, Ren Xinhua brought Fo Ye and several other coaches of the women's team to see the results of Zhu Qi's training.
Two months after leaving the national team, Zhu Qi discovered that there were several new faces in the team.
As soon as they joined the team, they heard about Zhu Qi's glorious history in the national team. He was the first person in history to be promoted directly from the provincial team to the national first team! He won the gold medal at the age of 15!
When they saw Zhu Qi, all the little girls' eyes sparkled, some were shy but also full of admiration.
Table tennis is divided into many levels.
Level D is basically amateur, Level C is at the provincial team level, Level B can enter the national second team, and only Level A can be considered a top player.
But Class A is also divided into three levels: first-class, super first-class, and top first-class.
Especially for an A+ level player like Zhu Qi, beating the kid who just came up from the second team is as easy as beating a robot.
Therefore, Zhu Qi felt that one was not enough, so he directly called two girls to stand opposite him and take turns playing against him.
Zuo Zuo and You You, two players who had just joined Xu Dong's team, were very excited at the beginning and wanted to show themselves with great enthusiasm. However, they were exhausted and out of breath after returning the ball to the opposite side for less than ten minutes.
Zhu Qi faced two opponents at once and attacked them all without missing a single one.
The main point is - I don't pick up the ball.
The young players next to her were amazed. They had never seen this kind of training before. They just thought that this young sister from the Bayi team was so amazing!
—Oh my god, this forehand burst is so fast! I can’t even see the spin!
——You can twist the ball like this? That's so cool!
——The speed connection is really awesome, the core strength is so strong!
Even if Zhu Qi dropped two balls, the young players would immediately rush over to help her pick them up.
It seems like a great honor to show off your presence in front of the team members.
The young and naive girls gathered outside the barrier, admiring their senior sister's heroic appearance without blinking.
Zhu Qi felt a little embarrassed when being stared at.
Thinking back to when I first joined the national team...
Um.
She was a key player in the team right from the start and had no experience as a sparring partner.
But at that time, Sister Xia, Sister Shushu and Maomao were in the front, and I was one of the younger members of the team.
Now the old team members are gone, and the cat is gone too.
It was just me and the semi-retired Xia Jie left. I was only 18, but somehow I became the oldest...
After half an hour, Zhu Qi was sweating all over.
Zuo Zuo and You You were also very tired. They looked at Xu Dong pitifully, with a look on their faces that said "I can't fight anymore."
Xu Dong replaced them both and stood opposite the table with a basin of white balls next to him.
She held the ball in one hand and the racket in the other, and hit the ball in front of Zhu Qi continuously.
The left stage, the right stage, near the net, the table legs... greet them all!
The white ball "crackled" and flew towards Zhu Qi.
She stepped with her left and right feet, touching the ground with her toes, light and flexible.
No matter how tricky the angled ball is, he can easily catch it, and then pull out a very circular topspin ball and hit it on the opposite table.
This kind of ball-smashing exercise at random locations involves about 25 balls in a basin.
Under the old man's guidance, Zhu Qi had to practice 15 basins every day.
The old man’s requirement is that there should be a tolerance of three balls in a basin, and the other balls must be put on the stage one by one.
This extremely harsh requirement made Qin Xiaoba and the others complain.
By the end of the military training, Zhu Qi was able to reduce the tolerance rate to two in one.
That is to say, among the 25 balls, there may be only one or two balls that go out of bounds or hit the net, and all the other balls are very high-quality loop balls.
Every time a pot was hit, the little girls nearby would let out a cry of "Wow!" and stare in amazement. They didn't care if the ball might hit them, but stretched their necks to watch.
The Buddha looked at the powerful looping balls one after another and asked in surprise, "Does this count as successful practice?"
Ren Xinhua nodded: "I have mastered it."
The other women's team coaches' eyes were red with envy. After practicing loop balls, the results were so good...
Ren Xinhua was very happy and looked at Zhu Qi without blinking.
This steel knife has finally been sharpened.
The first proving ground - pointing the sword at Zhuhai and Hong Kong!
/
One of the three most prestigious tournaments, the National Table Tennis Championships, kicked off in Zhuhai, China, in the first week of November.
It has been nine months since Maomao went for treatment in early February. I heard that the surgery was completed in June, but in the meantime, it was discovered that her lumbar spine was not in good condition, so it was also treated at the same time.
Maomao will not be able to make it to the National Table Tennis Championships.
A week before departure, the team held another mobilization meeting.
The content is also very simple.
It's nothing more than a world-class competition, one of the three major tournaments, second only to the World Games in terms of value. How can we overcome difficulties, how can we regain the gold medals we lost in Tokyo, how can we cope with the growth of outsourcing companies...
The leader of the women's table tennis team this time is Zhu Qi.
After the Tokyo World Games, the outsourcing companies knew it better than anyone else.
Different from the World Games and the World Cup.
The National Table Tennis Championships only has individual events and team events.
Individual events are held in November, and team events are held six months later than individual events. Each event is held every three years.
Teams registered according to their country, with a total of 32 countries participating.
However, the International Table Tennis Federation will send invitation letters to the top 64 players in the world rankings in each event.
If someone cannot come, the place will be postponed.
Because there are many participants, the competition period is also long.
Zhu Qi, ranked second in the world, is naturally on the list of participants. He has prepared enough rubber for two weeks and three sets of spare clothes for this competition.
Ah Shui, who is ranked 12th in the world, also prepared together.
This is her second time participating in the three major competitions, and she is much more excited than her first time participating in the World Cup.
Zhu Qi sat on his luggage bag waiting to be checked in, while a team of men lined up neatly next to him to help carry his luggage.
The atmosphere in the men's team has become noticeably less stressful in the past two years, and not as lively as before.
Last year, Russia's pineapple-headed player won the gold medal at the World Championships. At the General Administration of Sport's commendation ceremony before the New Year, Maomao and Zhu Qi each received two Outstanding Athlete Awards, as well as a Second-Class Merit for Individual Honor. On the men's team, only Song Linzhou, who won the mixed doubles with Zhu Qi, received this honor. The other male players were scolded, their spirits completely extinguished.
During a meeting, the men's team's head coach, Shi Ge, sighed: "If possible, I really hope to play them again today and win back the gold medal! But I also know that the men's table tennis team currently has major problems and needs immediate technical reform. I sincerely ask the people of the country to give the men's table tennis team some more time. I am willing to guarantee with my career that I will do my utmost to help the men's table tennis team win a comeback!"
But...it's normal.
It has been a year and a half since the Tokyo World Games.
The men's table tennis team did not win any gold medal in any individual event.
Therefore, the only hope for head coach Shi is that Daxiong can join the Bayi team - he hopes that the old man can train Daxiong, as this National Table Tennis Championships depends on Daxiong.
Fate is really magical.
Why have I never heard of the Bayi team in my previous life?
Zhu Qi thought about it and felt that it might be the butterfly effect caused by his performance in the World Games.
Grass.
A bit narcissistic.
Maybe I really did play a small role.
There wasn't a single gold medal in the previous Tokyo World Games!
This time at least we got three gold medals in women's singles, mixed doubles and mixed team.
Although it is only half of the standard set by the national table tennis team for itself.
But it’s not as bad as having no gold.
At least Ren Xinhua and the men's and women's head coaches Shi Ge and Fo Ye did not resign and are still coaching the national table tennis team.
Ren Xinhua and Shi Ge both strongly support the old man's formation of the Bayi team. If these two people are not in the national team, then a new group of coaches will definitely be replaced, and the Bayi team probably will not be formed.
As the saying goes, a new emperor appoints new ministers.
The same is true in the sports world.
As long as the head coach is changed, there will be a major reshuffle from the head coach to the players.
The entire team was replaced from inside to outside.
So Maomao announced his retirement shortly afterwards, and there was no news of Daxiong participating in any competitions afterwards. Song Linzhou and A Shui had never even heard of him.
Thinking of this, Zhu Qi felt that holy light began to be released from his head.
That’s right, it’s because of me. I’m so awesome.
Finally, I completed all the formalities and had some time to rest after sitting on the plane.
For athletes, the most important competition is the World Games.
But for table tennis players, the most important competition is the National Table Tennis Championships.
As the earliest world-class sport of table tennis, it was once the most important competition for table tennis players, because table tennis was not included in the World Games until 1988, and the National Table Tennis Championships held its first world-class championship in Paris in 1926.
The World Games attracts the most attention from the public, but for experienced athletes, the most valuable event is the National Table Tennis Championships, which is attended by many top players.
After all, the World Games list is determined by the coaching staff, but the National Table Tennis Championships are a real competition based on the world rankings.
After landing, the Zhuhai-Hong Kong team held up a banner to express their warm welcome to the contestants.
The General Administration of Sport personally organized this national table tennis tournament for Zhuhai and Hong Kong. From decorating the gymnasium to providing food and accommodation in the hotel, everything demonstrated the god-like speed of this infrastructure-building power.
In less than a week, a gymnasium that had not been used for more than ten years was quickly transformed into a substitute for the Bird's Nest.
A huge Chinese knot was erected at the entrance of the gymnasium, with pictures of Chinese players who have left their names in world history since the Chinese table tennis team was established.
Some of them have passed away, and some are in their sixties. They stand at the top like guardian angels, illuminating the younger generations below.
Ah Shui pointed to a photo and said, "Look! This is Coach Da He!"
Zhu Qi looked in the direction of her finger and saw a photo of He Qianlu's competition posted in the middle of the Chinese knot.
In his early twenties, He Qianlu looked far more youthful than he does now. His dark eyes were as sharp and murderous as a black panther's. Half-crouching, his legs pumping, his arms gathering strength, his tracksuit clasped around his solid, full muscles. This youthful, energetic warrior used his racket to create a new world.
The General Administration of Sports put He Qianlu's photo in the center, probably because they wanted to show it to all the external partners participating in the competition.
Our mother has expressed her support for her own children, and anyone who dares to say anything will be strangled immediately.
"Sister Xia has it too, Coach Xu has it too, and Mao Mao... Damn! It's you!" A Shui pulled Zhu Qi over.
Zhu Qi was a little surprised to see his award-winning photo at the World Cup was posted at the bottom of the Chinese knot.
Posted here are all Grand Slam or World Games individual champions. Fighting against foreign enemies, expelling Tartars, and defending the city gates, it is also called the "Purple Light Pavilion Heroes Picture" by many fans.
The one at the top is the old man when he was young.
Zhu Qi hadn't expected to be listed there either. She'd only won the "Golden Throne" of the World Championship Cup and the mixed doubles at the World Games. Compared to these veterans with such impressive achievements, she was nothing...
/
Different from the World Games Village.
Because the National Table Tennis Championships mainly focuses on table tennis, the number of athletes participating in the competition is not as many as the World Games.
Three hotels near the stadium were booked on a national basis.
The Asian region is all together, and the Korean team is next to the Chinese team.
From the end of the World Games at the end of August last year to now.
When I saw Kim Lili again after nearly a year, she had changed into the South Korean team's uniform.
The Republic of Korea, which has always advocated for minimalist style, changed into a plain white uniform this time, with light linen decorations on the corners. This style is a bit like a Japanese baseball uniform, but Ah Shui said: "I also wear this at funerals in my hometown."
Zhu Qi gave a thumbs up: "Your little mouth is poisonous."
But Jin Lili's performance in South Korea did exceed Zhu Qi's imagination.
Normally, there is a six-month waiting period between switching nationality from one national team to another, similar to the "cooling-off period" for divorces more than 20 years later. Kim Lili spent a year gaining a firm foothold in South Korea, starting with the qualifying rounds and advancing into the top 64.
Um.
Jin Lili's level can actually be regarded as the top female table tennis player at present.
Li Keshan is no longer fighting, and Jin Lili should be quite popular in Korea.
Zhu Qi didn't care how Jin Lili was doing, but he couldn't stand some foreign reporters stirring up trouble.
"Zhu, what do you think about your former teammates immigrating to South Korea and meeting them as opponents in this National Table Tennis Championships?" A blond-haired, blue-eyed foreign reporter held up the microphone, looking forward to Zhu Qi's answer.
It was obvious that this was setting a trap for her.
Previously, a media outlet deliberately asked Zhu Qi, who do you think is the best player in Asian women's table tennis now?
Zhu Qi just said: "Of course I hope it's me, but I still need to work harder."
Then the next day, the International Sports Times put Zhu Qi's photo on the front page with the sentence: "Chinese table tennis player Zhu Qi claims to be the best in Asia."
His father's.
[Xiang Zuo touches his nose.jpg] I’m convinced.
Is this Spring and Autumn style of writing the standard for journalists around the world?
Is this what their graduation project is about?
Zhu Qi learned his lesson this time and deliberately answered the question irrelevantly: "For me, I will prepare for every game seriously, no matter who is across the table or what their nationality is."
The reporter didn't want to let her off so easily, so he continued to ask, "When you were on the same team before, you had almost no communication, including when you played doubles together. All the main players on the women's team have played doubles with you, but she hasn't. Why is that?"
"I follow the coaching staff's arrangements on who to pair up with. I don't know why the coaching staff didn't arrange for us to play women's doubles. You have to ask our coaching staff for details." Zhu Qi changed the target.
Judging from the reporter's reaction, it is obvious that he does not intend to let Zhu Qi go so easily and wants to get more attractive topics.
So she asked a more difficult question.
"I heard that there were some unpleasant things between you two. So, there's a chance that Kim Lili might reveal your tactical system, strengths, and weaknesses to her Korean teammates. Are you worried about that?"
Zhu Qi laughed: "I think your inconsistency is quite interesting."
The foreign reporters were stunned for a moment while waiting for the translation, as if they didn't understand what Zhu Qi meant.
Zhu Qi continued, "You just said we barely communicated at all. How could we have a disagreement? Without any communication, how could she know my tactical system? How could she know how I score?"
Foreign reporters didn't expect this girl to be so eloquent. The expression on their faces changed from watching the show at the beginning to "Huh? What do you mean?", "Ah? This, this..."
"Any other questions? Since there are no other questions, I'll leave first." Zhu Qi picked up his bag and walked out of the interview area, leaving the foreign reporter thinking about the meaning of Zhu Qi's words.
The main character is a person who is not proactive after get off work and has ideological problems.
Qin Xiaoba and Ah Shui watched from the side, the latter giving Zhu Qi a thumbs-up. "You're such a talker! Are these reporters just too bored? Why are they so good at sowing discord? Last time, they even asked Maomao who she thought was better, her or you? Are they itching to see the Chinese team's unity?"
Zhu Qi shrugged. "That's their job, too. To generate more buzz and boost the profile of their reports. It's just... their job requirements."
"Then we will have to deal with these media in the future. It's so annoying." Qin Xiaoba scratched his head.
Zhu Qi remembered what He Qianlu had told him before - sometimes, if your opponent wants to defeat you, they may not just choose to do it on the table.
It is easy to dodge a spear, but hard to guard against an arrow from the dark.
She has now been honored on the table tennis version of "The Purple Light Pavilion Heroes Picture", and has definitely become the target of outsourcing companies.
That's good too, it makes the game more interesting this way.
If you are not envied by others, you are a mediocre person.
"I heard the Japanese media are calling you 'the witch,' saying you're Arihara's nemesis." Ah Shui laughed helplessly. "Speaking of which, when I was talking to the young players on the Japanese team, they seemed to be afraid of Arihara. They said Arihara has a lot of power in the Japanese team, and many senior players and coaches have to listen to her."
"Huh? Why?" Zhu Qi became curious.
"I don't know. I think it's because one of her family members works for the Japanese Sports Ministry, and she's also very popular with fans. I heard she was very famous when she won the first place in the national elementary school student rankings. TX even set up a special column to record Haraka's training routine and competitions. It's aired once a week, and its ratings are second only to Tokyo Love Story. She's a star player there now."
Zhu Qi thought about it.
really.
The image of Ayaka Hara is indeed very consistent with the aesthetic of the Japanese. Even many Chinese table tennis fans know Ayaka Hara.
Sports newspapers have published several times about what rankings Hara Kaori achieved in Japan, and this appeared very frequently.
She has fair skin and beautiful looks, and she has a small canine tooth when she smiles.
The Japanese media called her the "Saint of Table Tennis" who was like a white lychee on earth. They believed that she was the hope to defeat the Chinese team and they praised her highly.
"This is too much of an exaggeration." Qin Xiaoba scratched his head, confused. "Isn't it just playing ball? Why is it being treated like a movie star?"
"You don't understand. This is called 'establishing a persona.'" Zhu Qi walked in front, carrying a bag.
The younger brothers and sisters following behind him were very confused. They surrounded Zhu Qi on both sides. Ah Shui leaned over and asked, "What is 'establishing a character'?"
"It's all about attaching labels to this person, transforming them into something completely different than who they really are, in order to attract more fans to like them and, by extension, table tennis. Japan is such a tiny place, with no scenic spots and only kelp-wrapped rice. The anime industry isn't very popular yet, so besides the film industry being lucrative, the main thing is hosting large-scale tournaments. Whenever there's a tournament, fans of the players donate money... Oops, I'm getting off topic. Anyway, the idea is to create a Japanese sports star to attract global fans and boost the national economy."
The two half-grown children were stunned when they heard this.
This advanced business thinking cannot yet be understood by these two kids who only know how to play basketball honestly.
As they were talking, when the three of them finished drawing lots, familiarizing themselves with the competition venue and were about to leave, they saw a group of reporters holding cameras and microphones outside the venue, staring at the person who came out of another door.
The girl who walked out of the door had elegant manners and a sweet smile, and the golf bag she was carrying made her look petite and cute.
She wore a black sports dress embroidered with gold thread and a black belt around her waist, which made her neck look as white as a lychee. I don't know what kind of makeup she used on her face, but it had the delicate and innocent texture of oleander.
When she lowered her head slightly to greet the reporters, her black hair was slightly raised, and every strand of hair lay obediently on the side of her face.
At that time, people did not have the concept of haute couture. They just felt that Yuan Xiang was not like an athlete, but more like a star holding a press conference here.
Reporters swarmed over her and took pictures of her from various angles, and Yuan Xiang really enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention, and answered all the reporters' questions in English with ease.
Q: "This is your first time participating in the National Table Tennis Championships. I heard that you are only participating in the women's team and women's singles events this time. Can you manage both physically and mentally?"
A: "Of course, I will do my best."
Q: "Zhu Qi of the Chinese team, who defeated you at the Tokyo World Games, is also participating in the women's singles event this time. She is three places higher than you in the world rankings. Does this put any pressure on you?"
A: "I admire Zhu Qi very much and am looking forward to this competition. I hope to have a thrilling match with her to make up for the regrets of last time."
Q: "When the original player mentioned regrets, were they referring to the women's singles match between you and Zhu Qi in the Tokyo mixed team?"
A: "Haha, that can't really be considered a regret. After all, there were too few rounds, and I didn't have enough fun..."
Click, click, click... the sound of taking pictures continues.
Qin Xiaoba said with a playful smile: "She said that she didn't perform to her full potential last time, right?"
"Baobao, let's go." A Shui pulled Zhu Qi, and the three of them planned to leave to another place.
As a result, I heard the word "violent".
The reporters who had been surrounding Yuan Xiang didn't know when they had mastered Chinese, and they all swarmed towards Zhu Qi's position, surrounding her like a zombie siege, with their cameras pointed at her face and taking 24 consecutive shots.
English, Japanese, Russian, German, and Cantonese all came at once.
The reporters, who had forgotten to switch from their native language to English, spoke in rapid succession. Each of them looked at Zhu Qi with shining eyes, as if they had found a treasure, and did not want to let her go.
The general content was similar to that of the original incense, all asking Zhu Qi about his preparations for the competition, his outlook, what place he planned to get, whether he had confidence, blah blah blah blah...
I'm wet...
Wasn’t this interviewed inside?!
"I'm sorry, we're in a hurry to go back and won't accept any non-competition official interviews for the time being." Qin Xiaoba stood in front of his sister and acted as a competent temporary bodyguard.
The crowd surrounding Zhu Qi became even more enthusiastic. Her appearance was like a fire, quickly igniting the entire venue.
Later, more and more reporters gathered. Seeing that the situation was not good, Qin Xiaoba and A Shui had no choice but to drag Zhu Qi out of the crowd of reporters and put him on the return bus.
Even so, the cameras quickly piled up outside the car windows and continued to flash.
“…” Zhu Qi.
"Wow, your popularity is really not exaggerated." Fat Tiger sat in the back, stunned.
Who would have thought that the little girl he met by chance on a plane two years ago would now become a famous table tennis player standing at the top of the pyramid. And he was still the team's sparring partner...
These two years.
Zhu Qi made rapid progress.
After winning the first mixed doubles championship at the Tokyo World Games, he led the team, which was in low morale and had players suffering from recurring injuries, to win the mixed team championship.
Everyone knows who will take over the future of the Chinese team, so naturally they are more concerned about Zhu Qi.
The other people in the car were also joking with Zhu Qi, saying that she would become a big star in the future.
Zhu Qi's reaction was indifferent. Looking at the reporters who were still filming after being left far behind by the bus, he wondered - did He Qianlu have a similar experience many years ago?
Being followed, admired and loved by many people, but finally being misunderstood, trampled upon and driven away.
A place like Vanity Fair.
Whoever comes doesn't say a word.
Ah Shui held his chin in his hand and sighed, "Sister Xia won't be playing in the National Table Tennis Championships this time. I guess she'll retire completely after Maomao comes back. Then we won't have a captain. Will the next captain be chosen between you and Maomao?"
Zhu Qi shook his head repeatedly: "I don't want to be the captain."
"Why? The captain's salary is a thousand yuan more a year!"
"You think being a captain is such an easy job? You have to worry about the team's food, drink, defecation, urination, and sleep. You get paid as a player but do the coach's job, and you have to play games. I don't want to do that."
Ah Shui suddenly realized: "That's true, Sister Xia is so tired every day that she doesn't even have time to eat."
Zhu Qi casually picked up a newspaper on the bus. Fortunately, the traditional Chinese characters in Zhugang were easy to recognize. He was just flipping through it, but unexpectedly he saw a very important piece of news -
[North Korea sends player Xi Lingen to compete in the Zhuhai-Hong Kong Table Tennis Championships]
"North Korea?" Ah Shui leaned over and watched with Zhu Qi. "Since World War II, North Korea has been completely closed off from the outside world, never having any contact with the outside world, and rarely even participating in world competitions. Where do their players get their world rankings? Could it be that, like you did back then, the North Korean head coach had to ask for a list of names?"
Because Maomao was sick, he submitted an application to withdraw from the National Table Tennis Championships, and the extra spot was given to this North Korean female player.
Zhu Qi shook his head, turned the page, and pointed to the content on the second page. He said, "She played in the Intercontinental Championship and the qualifiers to qualify."
"North Korea? Their country has a very low profile. Is it that powerful?" Fat Tiger also came over and showed his curiosity.
Big Bear glanced at him and said, "You can't judge sports by presence. India has so many people, but how many world champions has it produced? But North Korea is different. They either don't participate in the competition, or if they do, they never return empty-handed. They always bring back a medal."
"Wow, her qualifying results... she's undefeated!" Ah Shui was stunned when he saw the uniform [4:0] scores. "I thought only Bao Bao could achieve this."
The opponents are all zero!
Xi Lingen.
Zhu Qi closed the newspaper and felt the sunlight outside the window was a bit dazzling.
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