Ping Pong Episode 23 Recap
> Ping Pong Recap
It was Lei Lei's birthday, and she tried calling someone, but they were unreachable, leaving her feeling disheartened. Just as she was about to head home from school, she was met by her mother, who wished her a happy birthday. Her mother spoke with deep regret, recalling Lei Lei's first birthday after she left years ago. Lei Lei had cried on the phone, saying she wanted nothing but her mother to return, not even a cake or her father.
Since that day, her mother confessed, she hadn't dared to call Lei Lei on her birthday. She asked if she was still a part of Lei Lei's birthday wishes and if she could spend one more birthday with her. Lei Lei, touched by her mother's heartfelt plea, agreed to dinner. Meanwhile, at home, Lei Cheng had prepared a birthday dinner and cake for Lei Lei. He was surprised when Xu Tan arrived, having expected Lei Lei at the door.
Lei Cheng had even informed Lei Lei that Xu Tan would be coming. Shortly after, Xu Tan received a message from Lei Lei, who explained that her mother had insisted on taking her to dinner. Realizing their surprise plan had been "intercepted," Lei Cheng and Xu Tan prepared to eat alone.
During dinner, Lei Lei's mother, whose overseas business was thriving—as evidenced by a phone call she took during the meal where she discussed her "Guo Ben Products," her rosehip farm in Chile, and hiring locals to extract natural ingredients—proposed that Lei Lei study abroad. She assured her daughter that she could fully support her and had already looked into suitable universities. Lei Lei, however, was reluctant.
She stated that she had only agreed to dinner and preferred to stay in Beijing with her friends and, importantly, with her father, who would otherwise be left to eat Fried Sauce Noodles every meal. Lei Lei also brought up her mother's earlier comment about "someone no longer existing." Her mother explained that she had indeed loved someone after moving overseas but had hesitated to commit, primarily out of fear that he wouldn't treat Lei Lei well.
Lei Lei then questioned why her mother had chosen her stubborn father, Lei Cheng, in the first place. Lei Lei's mother admitted she once blamed Lei Cheng for their separation, but after facing hardships abroad, she realized that their choices were their own—Lei Cheng's unwavering dedication to table tennis and her own commitment to her career. She reiterated her wish for Lei Lei to live a happy and free life, suggesting that going overseas would simply give her more options.
Lei Lei's mother then said that this was the only time she envied Lei Cheng. Back at Lei Cheng's home, he and Xu Tan began their meal. Lei Cheng, after a few drinks, confided in Xu Tan, stating that it was impossible for an athlete at their peak to achieve a win-win situation in both life and career.
He spoke of his own regrets, lamenting that despite the Longtan Lake park being so close to the Administration of Sports, he had never been able to take Lei Lei's mother there, always prioritizing his training. He recalled missing Lei Lei's birth due to a match, arriving hours after his wife had delivered. " How could her mother be happy?"
he questioned, concluding by advising Xu Tan not to consider personal relationships before the age of 30, warning that it would only lead to unhappiness. Meanwhile, at a coaching team meeting, Fu Chuanzhi announced the women's team roster for the Olympics, which was approved without objection. Afterward, Wang Jun tried to convince Fu Chuanzhi to reconsider Zhang Caiwei, citing her personal skills and extensive experience in major tournaments.
However, Fu Chuanzhi was resolute, explaining that Zhang Caiwei's loss at a critical game point in the World Table Tennis Championships indicated a restrictive playstyle that was difficult to adapt to new opponents like Team Japan. He emphasized the team's need for the "best and most stable combination" for the Beijing Olympics, where a silver medal in ping-pong was akin to a loss.
Zhang Caiwei, deeply upset, confronted Wang Jun, demanding to know why she was excluded when historically, strong performances at the World Table Tennis Championships secured an Olympic spot. Wang Jun urged her to consider the national interest, reminding her how she herself had once benefited from the sacrifices of older players. He offered her two invitational tournaments in August as an alternative.
Later, Yu Kenan tried to comfort Zhang Caiwei, but she dismissed his words, stating that athletes always face such choices. She revealed she was now seriously considering joining the Singapore team, feeling she had "no value" in the national team unless she could stand on the champion's podium.
Yu Kenan implored her to stay in China, offering to support her, but when Zhang Caiwei asked if he would make the same choice if he were in her shoes, Yu Kenan was left speechless. Elsewhere, Fu Jingchun was enduring a grueling training session with Zheng Hao. Zheng Hao chastised him for his 70% hit rate and slow recovery from a minor injury, forcing him to do additional sets.
Fu Jingchun requested an adjustment to his training plan to participate in open and tour tournaments, noting that he had not been selected for the World Table Tennis Championships and felt his coach hadn't supported his spot despite his scores barely meeting the qualification standard for the national team trials. However, Zheng Hao harshly rejected him, questioning his need for points and his goals, emphasizing that he lacked the experience, qualifications, and ranking to compete. " You are nothing!"
Zheng Hao exclaimed. Back with Yu Kenan and Xu Tan, whose doubles team had achieved a 100% win rate in the Second team, after a period of observation and persistent lobbying from Teng Biao, Fu Chuanzhi announced a final assessment for their doubles team. Scheduled for June 8th, the match would determine their future: a win would send them to the First team, while a loss would mean returning to their respective provincial teams.
Their initial confidence was shattered when they learned their opponents would be First team world champions Ye Zhen Xin and Xia Ke. Liu Shi, who was present with Ma Chuan, candidly warned them about the formidable opponents, highlighting their telepathic communication on the court. He admitted he couldn't win a single point against them even as a training partner, and if playing seriously, he couldn't beat Ye Zhen Xin.
Xu Tan, growing anxious, urged Liu Shi to offer pointers instead of discouraging them. Yu Kenan, though, defiantly told Liu Shi to stop being a coward. That night, Ye Zhen Xin and Xia Ke discussed their upcoming match. Xia Ke initially dismissed Yu Kenan and Xu Tan as "inexperienced youngsters," viewing it as a mere warm-up.
But Ye Zhen Xin warned her not to underestimate them, mentioning that Fu Chuanzhi had subjected them to "special methods" like handcuffs, which Xia Ke recognized as part of "Fu's three punishments," noting that only this generation’s Xu Tan and Yu Kenan had endured them. This implied Fu Chuanzhi saw great potential in them. Ye Zhen Xin concluded that they should "teach both of them a good lesson" to see what Fu Chuanzhi valued in them.
Meanwhile, Lei Lei called Xu Tan, sleepless due to anxiety about her upcoming college entrance exam. She asked if a single exam could truly decide a person's fate and if it was fair. Xu Tan, comparing exams to matches, comforted her, saying that while preparation was important, the outcome depended on the day's performance. He reassured her that winning or losing wasn't the most important thing, just doing her best, and that her fate wouldn't be decided by one exam.
After wishing each other goodnight, Xu Tan, still unable to sleep, discussed tactics for the match with Yu Kenan. He suggested they shouldn't immediately use their offense-defense switch tactic to avoid being exposed. Yu Kenan, sensing Xu Tan's nervousness, advised him to stop overthinking and get some rest, emphasizing that a lack of sleep would render any tactic useless.
The next morning, June 8th, Lei Cheng saw Lei Lei off at her college entrance exam, encouraging her to remain calm and approach the exam like a match. He told her that a steady mind and strong psychological resilience were half the battle, and expressed his belief that she would perform well. At the table tennis venue, Xu Tan and Yu Kenan arrived for their assessment.
Fu Chuanzhi addressed them first, acknowledging their difficult journey and urging them to play freely without mental burden. Then, turning to Ye Zhen Xin and Xia Ke, he instructed them to play with the intensity of an international competition, without holding back, to force Xu Tan and Yu Kenan to reveal their full potential.
Liu Shi and Ma Chuan, observing from the side, revealed to Xu Tan and Yu Kenan that it was "Ye Zhen Xin and Xia Ke" who had the dominant nine-win and one-draw record against Liu Shi and Leng Yi, not the other way around. Despite this daunting information, all of them expressed their determination to "do their best" and "fight them."
