Ping Pong Episode 6 Recap
> Ping Pong Recap
Xu Tan, having successfully joined the national team, was taken by Guan Wei to get essential items and familiarize himself with the new environment. Guan Wei explained that training must adhere strictly to the rules, and only main players like Fu Jingchun and Zhang Chen could arrange additional training sessions with their coach's permission. Competition was fierce, with absolute main players having priority for training equipment and resources, extending even to living conditions and custom-made shoes.
Yu Kenan once again became roommates with Xu Tan in a triple room, which only had two cupboards. Yu Kenan, convinced he would soon return to a double room, didn't bother unpacking his luggage. Among the other residents in the dorm was main player Zhang Chen, who seemed to harbor significant prejudice against Yu Kenan. Yu Kenan maintained his aloof demeanor, not wishing to get close to anyone.
While in the room, Teng Biao visited Yu Kenan to deliver a special custom-made 95-gram paddle from Yu Ge, which finally brought a rare smile to Yu Kenan's face. Teng Biao remarked that such a custom paddle was not cheap. Yu Kenan initially dismissed it as a waste of money, but when Teng Biao mockingly suggested donating the paddle along with a box of his mother's clothes, Yu Kenan immediately chased after him to reclaim it.
Lei Cheng also followed suit, becoming a national team coach, which gave Xu Tan a greater sense of belonging in the new team. At the cafeteria, players were eating when Fang Yue, a national First Team champion, returned, instantly breaking the calm as players swarmed him for autographs.
Xu Tan had naturally heard of Fang Yue's reputation and, when the champion sat at an empty spot next to him, couldn't resist sliding his notebook towards Fang Yue, successfully securing a signature and feeling overjoyed. Xu Tan, feeling he had overshadowed Lei Lei's actual birthday, specially ordered another cake for her. Lei Lei's previous birthday had coincided with her parents' divorce, making birthdays an awkward occasion for her and Lei Cheng.
Xu Tan’s subtle arrangement led Lei Cheng to personally cook a meal for his daughter as compensation, which Lei Lei found comforting. Lei Lei later called Xu Tan, admitting she ate the cake. She jokingly said it had a "weird taste" before admitting it was delicious and thanking him, even though Lei Cheng had tried to take credit.
Lei Lei confided in Xu Tan, sharing that on her fifth birthday, her father Lei Cheng and her mother had prepared many gifts and a big cake, but immediately after, her mother left because her parents had divorced. This made birthdays awkward for her and Lei Cheng every year. Official training for the national team began. The national Second Team comprised 26 players using 13 tables. Table assignments were based on points accumulated from an intragroup elimination tournament.
The most coveted "center table" in the training hall was reserved only for the top two players within the team, a goal all second team members strived for, including Yu Kenan, who looked at it with determination. Xu Tan’s first day in the national team coincided with Mr. Mo Hongwei’s retirement, significant ITTF reforms, and the appointment of new head coach Fu Chuan Zhi, coach Lei Cheng, and assistant coach Qin Zhen.
Fu Chuan Zhi delivered a rousing speech, acknowledging recent losses in major international tournaments, such as the 2000 World Ping-Pong Tournament in Kuala Lumpur, the 2003 World Ping-Pong Tournament in Paris, and the 2004 Olympics. He emphasized the Second Team's role as successors and the future of the national team, urging them to develop a competitive spirit to "snatch the class and seize the shift" and surpass the First Team.
He then introduced the three new members: Yu Kenan from the Shanghai team, Ma Chuan (nicknamed Fatty) from the Jiangsu team, and Xu Tan from the Beijing team. After the introductions, the team solemnly stood for the national anthem, facing the Chinese flag. During a training session, Ma Chuan's constant chatter led to Zheng Hao punishing Xu Tan, Yu Kenan, and Ma Chuan with an additional ten laps.
Zheng Hao, known for his strictness, asserted that the national team owes no player a spot or glory; players must complete their training tasks, or even a single missed ball or step would not be tolerated. In the locker room, Zhang Chen and others discussed Coach Zheng Hao, noting his success with players like Fu Jingchun, Kang Ning, and Nie Rui Feng, and how being under him was considered "halfway into the First Team."
They then moved on to Yu Kenan's past, recalling how he was expelled from the national team for getting drunk and assaulting a teammate. Zhang Chen stated that everyone saw Yu Kenan throw the first punch and that even his coach at the time didn't defend him, leading Zhang Chen to believe their former teammate Jia Yu befriended Yu Kenan out of pity. Xu Tan tried to argue that there must have been a reason for the fight.
Yu Kenan, overhearing the conversation, silently walked away, disdaining to explain the truth. Xu Tan later approached Yu Kenan, stating his unwavering decision to choose Lei Cheng as his coach, acknowledging Lei Cheng's instrumental role in his journey to the national team. He also observed that Teng Biao seemed to treat Yu Kenan well.
Yu Kenan, however, dismissed Teng Biao as merely his father's messenger and coldly advised Xu Tan to mind his own business, reminding him that this was no longer the provincial team or a training camp. In the coaches' meeting, the discussion turned to assigning the three new recruits. Teng Biao believed Yu Kenan had great potential and suggested assigning him to Zheng Hao.
However, Zheng Hao expressed strong reservations, viewing Yu Kenan as a difficult "time bomb" due to his "notorious record" and unruly nature. He preferred Ma Chuan, noting that while Ma Chuan’s data wasn't perfect, his issues were minor and easily fixable, and Zheng Hao was confident he could guide him to improvement. Other coaches further detailed Yu Kenan's past misdeeds, including drinking, skipping training, and staying out all night, arguing that resources should be allocated to more deserving players.
When Fu Chuan Zhi asked who would take Xu Tan, the room fell silent, no one volunteering. It became clear that, despite Lei Cheng's desire for Xu Tan to have a better coach, he was the only one willing to take him on. In the training hall, the same situation regarding Xu Tan's perceived lack of talent and extremely poor physical condition quickly made him famous within the national Second Team.
Zhang Chen openly mocked Xu Tan, calling him "little Guan Wei," suggesting Xu Tan was at the bottom of the ranks, just as Guan Wei had been before him. This also explained Guan Wei's somber expression while speaking to Xu Tan about the national team's realities.
