Resumen del episodio 9 de Ping Pong
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During the National Team's break, the special team rushed to the training hall, hoping to get a set in before the National Team members returned. Liu Shi noted the hall was empty and, with only two hours before the Second Team arrived, instructed his teammates to pair up and take turns to ensure everyone got a full set of practice. Their training was interrupted by Ma Chuan, who demanded to know who permitted them to play there.
He insulted them, calling them mere "training partners" who should "just be good ping-pong launchers." Liu Shi's teammates reacted angrily, with one special team member noting that Coach Zheng himself had referred to them as "ping-pong launchers" in the past. As the verbal exchange escalated, Liu Shi suggested they settle the dispute with a match. Ma Chuan initially scoffed, questioning their right to compete, and Xu Tan tried to intervene, suggesting they go back to rest.
However, Ma Chuan, confident they couldn't lose, agreed to the challenge. Liu Shi proposed a "continuous battle," one game to decide the winner, with the condition that if the special team won, they would have exclusive use of the tables during lunch hours. Ma Chuan accepted. The matches began with intense rallies.
Xu Tan of the National Team, motivated by the desire to play against the special team, played a few balls, then feigned a calf cramp and conceded, allowing a special team member to replace him. Ma Chuan then went on a winning streak against several special team players. However, when Liu Shi stepped up, his normally simple and pure eyes transformed, revealing a fierce determination. Liu Shi played powerfully, leaving Ma Chuan no room to retaliate and easily defeating him.
Shortly after, Fu Jingchun arrived. Witnessing Liu Shi's impressive momentum, he couldn't resist challenging him. Though Fu Jingchun initially seemed to dominate, Liu Shi eventually triumphed, with Fu Jingchun making uncharacteristic "errors" like hitting the ball into the net, much to the confusion of the other National Team members. Just as the match concluded, Coach Fu Chuanzhi appeared, seemingly having anticipated the unofficial competition. He praised the special team's unyielding spirit, using it to underscore his message.
He sternly reprimanded the National Team players for unilaterally changing their training plans and holding unauthorized matches. When he asked who participated, everyone, from both teams, raised their hands. Fu Chuanzhi acknowledged that everyone had been restless. He criticized the National Team players for their arrogance, reminding them of the numerous international losses in recent years, emphasizing that they had been defeated by their own overconfidence and tendency to underestimate opponents.
Pointing to the trophy wall, he highlighted how many empty spaces there were compared to four years prior. He then clarified that the special team members, with their unique playing styles, were not mere training partners but formidable opponents. He stated that Liu Shi's chop technique was a critical challenge for the National Team to overcome in the coming period, encouraging them to find their own solutions.
Following Fu Chuanzhi's address, Lei Cheng, another coach, rallied the National Team, instructing them to focus on developing the explosive power needed to counter chop shots, starting with intensive strength training that afternoon. The National Team, now sobered by their defeat and Fu Chuanzhi's words, redoubled their efforts in training. Xu Tan, in particular, pushed himself in physical conditioning, even when his legs felt weak.
Lei Cheng had made significant changes to Xu Tan's long-standing playing habits, making Xu Tan feel like a novice. Xu Tan was worried about his future and the pressure on Lei Cheng, knowing that without results, Lei Cheng's position as a coach was also at risk. Fu Chuanzhi had also spoken with Lei Cheng about Xu Tan's inconsistent form and his "slow to warm up" nature, fearing Xu Tan might not keep up with the National Team's rhythm.
He suggested that Xu Tan needed to develop a more assertive playing style, "asking the questions" of his opponents rather than just reacting, to take control of the game. Lei Cheng later advised Xu Tan to focus solely on the "first three strokes," urging him to let go of distracting thoughts and ingrained habits, and to realistically assess his current standing to secure his future. Meanwhile, Yu Kenan was still mandated to play soccer.
He learned about Fu Jingchun's loss to Liu Shi from other teammates, reacting not with admiration for Liu Shi's skill, but with dismay at what he perceived as Fu Jingchun's decline. He boasted that he would have easily defeated Liu Shi if he were there. Yu Kenan tried to re-enter the ping-pong training hall but was denied entry by a security guard, who stated that Coach Teng Biao had explicitly forbidden it without his permission.
Yu Kenan confronted Teng Biao, complaining about being stuck on the soccer field and losing his touch in ping-pong. Teng Biao, however, accused Yu Kenan of having looked down on the ping-pong tables himself and admonished him for his lack of patience, questioning how he expected to become a champion. Teng Biao promised that if Yu Kenan could successfully intercept a soccer ball during his training, he would allow him to return to ping-pong practice.
On a rare day off, Xu Tan encountered Liu Shi in the facility selling signed ping-pong paddles he had collected from National Team players. Liu Shi, using his "thick-skinned, shameless, and opportunistic" approach, managed to sell one to a foreigner with Xu Tan's help in translation. Ma Chuan soon appeared and angrily confronted Liu Shi, accusing him of exploiting national players' signatures and "staining the spirit of ping-pong" by selling cheap paddles at inflated prices.
Xu Tan tried to mediate, arguing it was "just a paddle" and they were "teammates," which further enraged Ma Chuan, who refused to consider Liu Shi a teammate. Liu Shi quietly packed up his paddles. He later confided in Xu Tan that he was selling them to support his fourth grandmother, but preferred others to think he was greedy for money, as he genuinely liked earning it and didn't care for pity.
With the money earned, Liu Shi treated Xu Tan to two "Yuanyang milk teas," explaining the drink was half coffee and half milk tea, similar to a "double-flavoured hot pot." Liu Shi expressed his determination to stay in the National Team, despite others calling the special team "teaching aids" destined to leave. Xu Tan reassured him, mentioning that the entire Second Team was actively trying to figure out how to counter Liu Shi's chop.
Liu Shi, however, felt that once his strategy was deciphered, it would become ineffective, describing their style as "waiting for opponents to make mistakes." Xu Tan also felt disheartened, believing his defensive playing style was undervalued and that both chop and Lei Cheng's aggressive "first three strokes" didn't suit him. He felt his original style wasn't flawed. Liu Shi agreed, affirming that Xu Tan's previous style was powerful and he could succeed without forcing a change.
Recognizing Xu Tan's struggle, Liu Shi offered to teach him his chop technique so Xu Tan could better understand it. They began practicing together, but Xu Tan quickly grew frustrated, feeling he only managed a few correct chop shots. Liu Shi playfully pointed out his own decades of practice, but also praised Xu Tan as a quick learner. Eventually, Liu Shi suggested they return to their old training methods, believing it would help Xu Tan improve. Xu Tan agreed.
Other players noticed Xu Tan spending more time training with Liu Shi, gossiping that he had become "the training partner of the training partner team." Later, Liu Shi, driven by his relentless passion for table tennis, gained entry into the coaches' audiovisual room by falsely claiming he had left something inside. He was caught by Mr. Qin, who questioned his presence.
Liu Shi comically claimed he was looking for "knowledge and techniques," to which Mr. Qin retorted that the materials were decades old. Liu Shi then realized he was watching footage of Zheng Ren He and jokingly accused Mr. Qin of "copying" his special training techniques from the player. Mr. Qin quickly dismissed the accusation, but then briefly explained Zheng Ren He's strategy of anticipating short returns and attacking proactively. Liu Shi praised Mr. Qin's insights, but Mr. Qin quickly ushered him out, cutting short his impromptu lesson.
