Chapter 114: I Really Didn't Intentionally Go Easy!

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In the live stream chatroom, the fans of world champion Zhang Ke were happily sending messages.

“Pretending not to catch it? True to the Devil King’s style, the game’s already starting.”

“But honestly, wasn’t that point a bit fake just now?”

“Exactly, the act was way too obvious.”

“Haha, the waters of the Pacific Ocean are all controlled by the Devil King.”

...

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Zhang Ke was a little stunned.

That ball wasn’t deliberately thrown!

He really just didn’t see it clearly and therefore missed the catch.

But how could that be?

Zhang Ke was inwardly shocked.

However, he soon figured it out.

He had underestimated his opponent just now, not taking him seriously.

Plus, he hadn’t warmed up before playing and wasn’t in the right state, which led to what happened.

Yes, that must be it.

After finding this excuse to comfort himself, Zhang Ke felt much better.

Opposite him, Bai Qingming felt a little embarrassed.

This guy claimed to be a novice, and it turned out he wasn’t lying.

Bai Qingming had thought it was just modesty.

With this situation, Zhang Ke hadn’t even returned his serve, which was slightly awkward.

But it was fine; he just needed to let him win a few more points, and then it would be okay.

With this in mind, Bai Qingming spoke up.

“No worries, brother. It’s normal for a beginner to miss the ball. Don’t rush; take it slow.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ke’s emotions, which he had barely stabilized, flared up again.

Did he really think I was a beginner?

I just wasn’t in form, okay?

Fine, fine.

You started this, so don’t blame me when I slap you down later.

With this thought, Zhang Ke got serious.

He still had to throw the game, but it had to be done skillfully.

After all, this was a required skill for the national team.

“Continue!”

Zhang Ke signaled, and it was his turn to serve.

After a beautiful serve,

Smack!

Bai Qingming struck hard, sending the ping-pong ball spinning back.

This time, Zhang Ke saw it clearly.

He could even read the letters printed on the ball.

But the question was, what use was seeing clearly if the hand couldn’t keep up?

Almost at the instant he saw the ball clearly, Zhang Ke raised his paddle.

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Unfortunately, he was still just a fraction too slow.

The paddle didn’t hit the right spot, and the ball bounced onto the floor.

Bai Qingming scored another point.

The chatroom erupted once again.

“How did the Devil King just give away another point?”

“Don’t worry, didn’t we say before? Today’s live stream is about playing dumb to catch the tiger. I guess the Devil King wants to give away nine points first, then come back. That’ll be exciting.”

“Ah, I see. Truly worthy of the Devil King.”

Someone expressed doubt, and immediately a devoted fan messaged in defense of the Devil King.

Soon, everyone understood.

However, fans watching from the sidelines only noticed the Devil King losing points; they didn’t grasp the significance of those two points.

As the participant, Zhang Ke could very clearly feel the impact of those points on himself.

His opponent was only using ordinary, basic moves, yet he just couldn’t catch the ball.

But how could a world champion miss such shots?

It just wasn’t logical.

In short, this story was impossible to smooth over.

If he had to come up with an excuse, it would be that he had stayed up late gaming last night, woke up early, and wasn’t fully awake.

“Again!”

Zhang Ke refused to believe this nonsense.

But no matter how much he refused, Bai Qingming forced him to believe it.

After several rounds, Zhang Ke still hadn’t scored a single point.

If Bai Qingming won one more, he would win the match.

Next, it was Zhang Ke’s serve.

In the live chatroom, messages began to scroll rapidly.

“Here it comes, the real show is about to start.”

“0:9, time for a comeback!”

“Call him out, give him a proper lesson!”

“Teach this guy how ping-pong is really played!”

The fans were highly enthusiastic.

This moment was finally arriving!

Little did they know.

Zhang Ke’s forehead was already sweating, and his hands were trembling.

Everyone thought he had deliberately lost nine points to Bai Qingming, but only he knew the truth.

Since the fifth ball, he had no intention of throwing the game.

He was taking every ball seriously from then on.

Although things were gradually improving and he was barely able to catch the ball, it was already too late.

Once your mindset is affected, it’s hard to recover.

By now, Zhang Ke was panicking.

Before he even served the last ball, he already predicted he would lose.

At that moment, Bai Qingming also sensed something was wrong.

They had agreed to let the game go, but he had unknowingly won nine points.

Sigh, who would’ve thought the opponent was this weak?

No, no, he had to concede the last point; otherwise, it would look like he was bullying him.

Bai Qingming decided that when the ball came, he simply wouldn’t return it.

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That way, he could give his opponent a point.

So Bai Qingming said,

“Don’t be nervous, take your time to serve, brother, you can do it.”

As soon as he said this, Zhang Ke’s defense crumbled.

His hand trembled, and the ball he served hit the net on his side in a straight line.

10:0. Bai Qingming won effortlessly.

Instantly, the chatroom went wild.

“What’s going on? How did the Devil King lose? I must be dreaming.”

“Wasn’t this supposed to be playing dumb to catch the tiger? Where’s the dumb part?”

“Was the Devil King not fully awake? Still dazed?”

“Total flop. Let’s call it a day.”

“Um... I want to ask the guy who said the Devil King lost because his little brother was ten centimeters shorter earlier, are you okay?”

Seeing the story unfold differently than expected, an assistant quickly spoke up, trying to explain for Zhang Ke.

“What are you talking about? The Devil King didn’t lose; he just doesn’t want to play anymore.”

At this moment,

Zhang Ke stood still, silent for a long time.

He wasn’t the type to deceive himself.

Although he had underestimated his opponent and wasn’t fully awake, these were not the real reasons for losing.

Ultimately, it was because his opponent had something special.

He lost and would admit it.

Besides, this was still being broadcast live.

After a moment of thought, Zhang Ke made a decision that went against all tradition.

He approached Bai Qingming, took off his hat and cap, shedding all disguises.

“I want to play with you again.”

Showing his true face, he just wanted a fair, honorable rematch with Bai Qingming.

“You want to play again?”

Bai Qingming looked at the man before him.

Zhang Ke had expected Bai Qingming to recognize him and be a little surprised.

But Bai Qingming didn’t know him at all.

Not exactly unknown — the face was familiar but he couldn’t place where he had seen him before.

Unable to recall, Bai Qingming simply stopped thinking about it and picked up the hardboard again.

“Well then, I’ll reluctantly give you some tips again.”

...

At the same time,

At the National Sports Administration,

A hefty man was instructing athletes during training.

Suddenly, a team member ran over and handed him a phone playing the live stream.

“Coach! Coach! Look at this!”

“The Devil King is playing ping-pong against a bystander in the park.”

“He’s getting completely thrashed!”