A Valiant Life

Backstage

President Liu was completely stunned. “What on earth is he doing? Why did he drag Master Lin into this? This isn’t a joke! If Master Lin threw this match, we are all screwed!”

However, he knew never to look down on Master Lin’s fans.

Those fans were just too loyal to him, and now with the host inviting Master Lin on stage, this was just too brutal.

When it reached that stage, President Liu was afraid it would have been too late. When the fans got angry, it was something that was very serious.

Zhenping Yiming looked at the host, “What scoring system are we playing?”

The host was at a loss for words. He didn’t know how to answer him. What scoring system was he going to implement?

Lin Fan chuckled, “Let us have a regular match, best of seven sets, and first to six sets wins.”

Zhenping Yiming looked at him, “Best of seven, first to six wins? Is there even such a scoring system?”

The host translated what Zhenping Yiming said for Lin Fan.

“I just want to play with the champion a little longer, to learn from him while playing.”

…

In the broadcast room.”

“No! This isn’t the Master Lin that I know.”

“How could Master Lin do this? He shouldn’t take up the paddle at all.”

“It looks like Master Lin is taking this seriously though.”

“Bulls*it, taking it seriously. He’s even playing best of seven sets. It’s better if he just played two balls and left. Maybe it’ll be less embarrassing.”

“Sigh…”

Not a single person supported Lin Fan. From their perspective, this was going to be a huge disgrace.

Zhenping Yiming smiled, “Alright, I shall educate you properly on how to play. We Japanese people are very generous.”

“Less talk more play, come let us begin,” Lin Fan said, passing the ball over to Zhenping Yiming.

Zhenping Yiming smiled, “Once I serve, I’m afraid that you won’t be able to receive any of my balls.”

Lin Fan didn’t understand a single word of Japanese, and so he just stared at him blankly, waiting for him to serve.

However, the host translated what Zhenping Yiming said for Lin Fan.

Lin Fan chuckled after hearing what he said.

In the broadcast room.

“We’re doomed. This match is an amateur against a professional player.”

“Master Lin is about to get screwed.”

“The match has begun.”

At that moment, Zhenping Yiming casually served the ball. However, his serve caused the ball to spin greatly.

He wanted to make sure his opponent didn’t even have a chance to return the ball.

Lin Fan casually swung his paddle. From his perspective, the ball was traveling really slowly.

Lin Fan swung violently, his shoulders and hands rotating as he returned the ball with maximum force.

Bang!

The ball bounced on the table and whizzed past Zhenping Yiming.

Zhenping Yiming’s relaxed posture suddenly changed into something serious. His body couldn’t react fast enough for the ball- when he lifted his hands, the ball had already hit the floor.

“F*ck!”

The people in the crowd all stood up, looking on in shock.

They couldn’t believe it- Master Lin had just won a point.

The broadcasting room exploded with shock and joy at that moment. Some of the people didn’t even see where the ball went. From their perspective, the ball traveled too fast.

Lin Fan swung his hands, “I never thought that my skills are still with me. You better play your best with me! If you don’t return my balls, there isn’t any point in playing.”

Zhenping Yiming never thought that his opponent would be that powerful. He looked at Lin Fan with a serious face, “You have power, but I will not let my guard down this time. Continue.”

Just as the other party was about to pass the ball to Lin Fan, Lin Fan immediately stopped him, “Don’t pass me the ball. I’m afraid that if you don’t serve, you’ll never have the opportunity to serve the ball at all.”

In the broadcast room.

“Damn, I just realized that Master Lin is the arrogant one here.”

“Haha, I like his arrogance.”

“F*ck! If Master Lin isn’t arrogant, he isn’t the Master Lin that I know.”

…

Zhenping Yiming was getting a little angry, while the host who was acting as the translator was on cloud nine.

Beat this b*stard!

At this moment, Zhenping Yiming used all his might to serve. He felt that his opponent was mocking him and so he had to use everything he had to teach him a lesson. His serve required a certain skill level to receive, otherwise, the ball would just fly elsewhere.

The national team.

“That’s a difficult ball. I never thought that Zhenping Yiming was that skilled. Not anybody can receive that ball.”

“He is indeed Su Jing’s disciple. His skills are…”

Before he could finish talking, the television screen showed a very different scene.

Lin Fan used the same method, sending the ball back in a violent and aggressive, yet skillful manner.

The ball flew past Zhenping Yiming even before he could react to it.

Lin Fan looked at him helplessly, “Champion, are you alright? If you can’t receive my shots, I might have to slow down for you. Please return my shots, otherwise, I’ll feel quite awkward here, as if I’m just practicing how to return shots.”

What Lin Fan said was streamed on the television broadcast as well as the internet broadcast and many people got to hear it.

The members of the national team were all stunned as they looked at each other in disbelief. It wasn’t just Zhenping Yiming that couldn’t take those two shots- if they were in his shoes, they wouldn’t have been able to take it either.

For the spectators, this sight was just too awesome to behold.

“Cool! This is so cool! Master Lin is soo f*cking awesome!”

“Haha! I’m dying of laughter! That Japanese Champion’s face is all black now!”

…

Zhenping Yiming’s heart was racing with rage and anxiety- he felt that he had been humiliated in front of everyone.

Thereafter, he tossed the ball over to Lin Fan, “You serve.”

Lin Fan looked at him helplessly, “Well fine, but rest assured, I’ll hit slower this time.”

After he had said that, Lin Fan took up his paddle and served a rookie service to Zhenping Yiming.

Zhenping Yiming laughed mockingly after seeing the way Lin Fan served, and he definitely had to return a shot that would wreck him.

Thump!

The small, yellow ball hit the table top and Zhenping Yiming got himself ready as the ball was about to rebound to him. However, he realized that the ball suddenly changed its direction and increased in speed, causing him to be unable to react to it.

The ball landed on the floor.

“Japanese champion, why didn’t you receive my ball? It is actually quite easy to return it. You just have to stretch out your hands a little more. How did you even get your championship title? I have a deep suspicion that Xu Song had left quite a huge scar on you,” Lin Fan said, looking like he was talking to himself. He was completely oblivious to Zhenping Yiming, who was looking at him with a death stare.

The members of the national team were completely stunned. They realized that Master Lin’s service was just too strange.

How could the ball suddenly change direction and increase in speed after bouncing off? What was the explanation for it?

Lin Fan himself was feeling helpless. He didn’t know the principle behind his service either, and all he could do was attribute his skills to the encyclopedia.

The time passed second by second.

The audience members who were initially on cloud nine slowly turned serious.

“Master Lin is a little too fierce. His opponent couldn’t even touch the ball!”

“Sportsmanship first, the competition second. I can’t bear to watch this match anymore.”

“Look at Zhenping Yiming. He looks like he’s about to cry.”

“It’s not ‘about’ to cry. He’s already crying.”

“Master Lin, please let him be able to return a shot! Don’t completely humiliate him like this.”

…

“Japanese champion, are you able to play?”

“Japanese champion, I’ve already slowed down my movements for you. If you still can’t return my shots, I really can’t help you much. How about you serve the ball? At least you get to hit the ball at least once.”

“Japanese champion, that ball traveled in a straight path. Where were you going to hit?”

The crowd went silent. Lin Fan was the only person there who was talking to himself.

“Ah!”

Just at this moment, Zhenping Yiming threw his racquet onto the table. He was losing it, especially after Lin Fan kept on mocking it with the words ‘Japanese champion’.

“I’m not playing anymore,” Zhenping Yiming had never been humiliated this badly before. Tears were welling up in the corner of his eyes.

“What did he say?” Lin Fan looked at the host, asking.

“He said that he didn’t want to play anymore,” the host replied.

Lin Fan looked at his opponent, despising him, “What is the meaning of this? We agreed to play best of seven sets. Don’t tell me that you Japanese people will just give up like this? This is completely disrespecting the game, and it isn’t respecting the effort that I have put in training as an amateur outside of this game. Could it be that you’re looking down on your amateur opponent?”

The host couldn’t bear to see the match any longer, but he still translated what Lin Fan said for Zhenping Yiming.

Amateur opponent?

Amateur my a*s.

Do amateurs play like this?

Zhenping Yiming’s spirit was completely crushed. He started tearing as he picked up the ball to serve again.

“That’s a good player.”

Lin Fan casually returned the ball, but his opponent couldn’t even retaliate his shots.

Zhenping Yiming couldn’t take it anymore. Tears were streaming down his face as he continued to play

He picked up the ball and served again.

And again.

Lin Fan stood over there, his legs unmoved as he returned another shot.

Zhenping Yiming was already in a daze. He didn’t know where the ball had flown to. He looked left and right, but the ball was nowhere to be seen.

Where did the ball fly too?!

“Champion, the ball is in your collar. You didn’t notice just now, but it flew inside,” Lin Fan said.

Zhenping Yiming’s eyes were red from crying as tears continued to roll down his cheeks. He picked up the ball from his collar and continued to serve.

Backstage.

“President, do you want us to talk to Master Lin? I think we better ask him to let his opponent return his shots. After all, the Japanese are our international friends and this won’t really be good for our international relations. Furthermore, Zhenping Yiming is the top champion of the Asia Pacific region, and to be unable to return a shot isn’t good for his reputation…” one of the workers said.

President Liu was completely stunned, but he managed to react, “Yes, yes. Please tell the host to tell Master Lin to purposely lose a point.”

…