Ping Pong Episode 5 Recap
> Ping Pong Recap
The tournament, a single-round robin best-of-five competition, began with the top three players earning a spot on the national second team. In the first round, Yu Kenan swiftly defeated Han Xin 3-0, Xu Tan edged out Guan Wei 3-2, and Su Chang triumphed over Jia Yu 3-1. Yu Kenan secured his victories with ease, taking a significant lead in points.
However, Xu Tan found himself tied with Su Chang, making their final match a critical "death match" where the winner would advance. Xu Tan was also advised to remain cautious of Jia Yu and Guan Wei, as they could still surpass him. He hoped Yu Kenan would defeat Jia Yu to ease his situation. In the final match, Su Chang tried to provoke Xu Tan, who ignored him but still lost the first point, affecting his mood slightly.
Yu Kenan, playing against Jia Yu, easily won his match, attributing his success in part to the strategies Xu Tan had shared with him regarding Jia Yu's deceptive moves. Jia Yu struggled to differentiate between Yu Kenan's real and fake serves, leading to his defeat. After the match, Jia Yu confronted Yu Kenan, admitting he had intentionally given him water disguised as alcohol in the past to sabotage Yu Kenan's participation in a crucial competition.
Though enraged, Yu Kenan managed to control himself and prevent a physical altercation, refusing to fall for Jia Yu's provocations again. Meanwhile, Xu Tan's match against Su Chang was intense. In the fifth game, Xu Tan found himself two points behind, visibly flustered. He took a mental break, recalling Yu Kenan's earlier advice to clear his mind and not overthink while on the court. He also seemed to abandon his reliance on his notebook.
Returning to the table with a calmer demeanor, Xu Tan focused on Su Chang’s weakness in his backhand, winning three consecutive points to secure his victory by two points. The coach then announced the results: Guan Wei placed third, Xu Tan second, and Yu Kenan first in the tournament and second in the overall training ranking. All three were officially promoted to the national second team.
Xu Tan felt a sense of disbelief at joining the national team after his first training camp. Lei Cheng, his coach, reassured him that his success was the result of consistent hard work, acknowledging that luck is also a part of strength in competitions. He encouraged Xu Tan to be confident, assuring him of his continued support. Xu Tan promised to work diligently and not disappoint him.
Lei Cheng then advised Xu Tan to cherish his upcoming Chinese New Year holiday, suggesting it might be his last for some time. Yu Kenan returned home for the Chinese New Year. His mother asked him to go to the training center to get his father, Yu Ge, who wasn't answering her calls, to come home for dinner. At the center, Yu Kenan playfully challenged some young players, making them cry.
When Yu Ge arrived, he intended to punish the crying children with a bamboo cane, believing physical discipline was necessary. Yu Kenan intervened, arguing that such methods were outdated. Annoyed by Yu Kenan's arrogance, Yu Ge challenged him to a single-point match against a young player named Zhang Chao Jie. Underestimating his young opponent and momentarily distracted by the word 'Champion' on the table, Yu Kenan lost the single point, much to the young player's delight.
Yu Ge seized the opportunity to lecture Yu Kenan about his overconfidence after joining the national team, expressing concern that his arrogance would lead to his dismissal. Unwilling to listen further, Yu Kenan abruptly left the dinner table. The next morning, his mother found a note from him stating that he had returned to the team early.
A flashback showed a young Yu Kenan training under his father's strict guidance, often being punished with the cane for not adhering to his father's specific instructions. Xu Tan returned home for Chinese New Year. His father, aware of Xu Tan's national team entry, had kept it from his mother, who had already finalized plans for Xu Tan to enroll in Experimental Middle School as a student with PE speciality.
During their reunion dinner, Xu Tan revealed his news, infuriating his mother. She felt betrayed that her son and husband had hidden such a major decision from her, and that her meticulous efforts to secure his school admission were now wasted. The festive dinner quickly devolved into a heated argument. Later, feeling increasingly isolated at home, Xu Tan walked past his late grandfather's room, now filled with miscellaneous items, lamenting the void left by his grandfather's absence.
A flashback depicted a younger Xu Tan, who took up ping-pong due to asthma, being hospitalized because of it. His mother blamed ping-pong, but his grandfather was his biggest supporter, encouraging him and believing he would become a world champion. It was Lei Lei's birthday, and she had prepared curry rice for her father, Lei Cheng, and Xu Tan.
Her excitement waned when Lei Cheng presented a birthday cake decorated with a ping-pong ball and the words "Good things come in pairs; May victory be with you," clearly celebrating Xu Tan's entry into the national team rather than just her birthday. She reluctantly joined Xu Tan in making a wish and blowing out the candles. Throughout dinner, Lei Cheng continuously praised Xu Tan's achievement, largely ignoring Lei Lei. Feeling overshadowed and hurt, Lei Lei excused herself to her room.
There, she opened a birthday gift from her mother—a CD player—and read a heartfelt card expressing her mother's love and acknowledgment of her passion for music. Overwhelmed, Lei Lei left the house. Lei Cheng, still engrossed in conversation with Xu Tan about the national team, remained oblivious to his daughter's distress. Sensing Lei Lei's anger, Xu Tan quickly followed her out.
