Chapter 122: Bai Qingming: I'm Just Here for the Spectacle

Several days passed, and the weekend arrived.

It was morning. Following his appointment with Liu Guoliang, Bai Qingming arrived at the General Administration of Sport of China, feeling refreshed and ready. After completing the registration process, the receptionist informed him that Coach Liu was away, leading his team in a scrimmage and would not return until the afternoon.

However, just as Bai Qingming was about to leave, the entrance to the administration building became blocked.

At the same time, elsewhere, Coach Liu Guoliang suddenly received a call from his superiors.

"A rising young table tennis prodigy from Japan, Noda Hao, born after 2000, wants to play a friendly match against us?"
"He’s already at the gates of the General Administration of Sport?"
"And there’s a television crew here to broadcast it live?"
"Yes, yes, yes. Please rest assured, leadership; I will definitely tell the players not to shut them out completely."
"What? Not even allowed to make him cry? That’s asking a bit much, isn't it?"
"Fine, fine, I’ll do my best to instruct them. That should be enough, right?"

Hanging up the phone, Liu Guoliang beckoned to his assistant. "Go tell that kid Zhang Ke he doesn't need to attend the scrimmage. We have a Japanese table tennis player here to challenge our house, and he’s already at the gate. I hear he’s a millennial, quite arrogant to come all the way to the General Administration of Sport to stir up trouble. Tell him to go back and handle the reception; teach this young man a lesson. Oh, and tell him if he lets the opponent score a single point, he can kiss his stipend for the next six months goodbye."

Liu Guoliang gave these instructions, but he didn't say a word about the superiors' demands not to shut the opponent out or make them cry. Don't ask why—he simply forgot.

...

At this moment, at the main gate of the General Administration of Sport, several black cars pulled to a slow stop. A clean-cut young man with a buzz cut, dressed in professional sportswear, stepped out of the lead car. This was Noda Hao, the table tennis prodigy who had recently made a name for himself in Japan.

It is said that he began playing table tennis at the age of three, showing extraordinary talent from the very first contact. By age six, he had already won the championship in a Japanese adult-level tournament. By twelve, he had consecutively won every national table tennis championship in Japan. Recently, Noda Hao finally fulfilled his wish of joining the Japanese national team. After years of training, his skills had reached perfection; he had remained undefeated since his debut and was, in every sense, Japan's top table tennis player. He was set to lead the Japanese team at the next Olympic Games.

Recently, orchestrated by certain parties in Japan, a "friendly match" was organized between Noda Hao and professional Chinese table tennis players. While labeled a friendly, it was effectively a challenge to the house. The international community knows well that there are five levels of table tennis difficulty: easy, normal, hard, hell, and the Chinese National Team. Table tennis is, after all, China's national sport. The Japanese move was a blatant provocation. If he were to win, it would be a slap in the face to the nation of China.

When the leaders at the General Administration of Sport heard the news, they were initially a bit flustered. Not because they were afraid of losing—don't be ridiculous, would an elephant fear a challenge from an ant?—but because China has been a land of etiquette since ancient times. They were worried that if the Japanese teenager were thrashed too severely and started crying, it might be misinterpreted internationally as China bullying the weak.

Because of this, the administration hadn't publicized the event, nor did they intend to invite the media. They had already shown great restraint by telling Liu Guoliang not to aim for a shutout. They hadn't expected the Japanese side to dig their own grave by bringing a TV crew to film the proceedings.

Upon learning that a camera crew was at the gate, the leaders of the General Administration of Sport laughed. "So, you don't want to save face? Very well, don't blame us for not giving you any."

With a few quick arrangements, reporters from the neighboring state broadcaster arrived. Cameras were set up, a live broadcast was initiated, and the event was streamed simultaneously across major platforms.

The reporter was currently interviewing Noda Hao. "Mr. Noda, which professional Chinese table tennis player are you most looking forward to challenging?"

The translator relayed the question to Noda Hao, who answered arrogantly without a second thought: "I don't know how to answer that, because I don't consider anyone here a threat. Besides, in a little while, they will all be losers at my hands."

Hearing this, the reporter nearly slapped him across the face. Taking a deep breath, the reporter controlled their emotions and patiently continued the interview. "Mr. Noda, the match is about to begin. Do you have anything else to say?"

Noda Hao pondered for a moment. Instead of speaking, he gave a thumbs-up to the air, then quickly pointed his thumb downward.

When this highly provocative gesture was broadcast, the netizens watching the stream were instantly incensed.

"This little brat is way too arrogant!"
"He talks a big game; let's see if he can back it up."
"Everyone, calm down. My grandfather just grabbed his ancestral machete and wanted to rush out, shouting that the battle isn't over and he must defend our home."
"Grandpa is old; let him rest. It's our turn now."
"All of Class 2, Grade 3 at Jiangcheng Elementary School request to be deployed!"

...

Half an hour after the interview, Zhang Ke had still not returned, so the match could not begin. At this point, Noda Hao became restless again. "Are your Chinese professional athletes afraid of losing, which is why they won't come out to play?"

Hearing this, the staff at the General Administration of Sport became displeased and approached Noda Hao to explain. "Mr. Noda, it’s not that we are afraid; you simply arrived at an inconvenient time. If you are here for a match, you are welcome, but if you are here to provoke us, please leave."

Noda Hao stayed quiet for a moment, then looked around. He suddenly spotted a young man in the distance, idly watching the scene. It was none other than Bai Qingming.

His eyes darting, Noda Hao pointed at Bai Qingming and said to the staff, "That person is a professional athlete here, right? Why not have him play me first?"

The staff member looked in the direction he was pointing and was stunned. "He doesn't work here."

Noda Hao didn't care. He walked straight toward Bai Qingming. Seeing the guy heading toward him, Bai Qingming was somewhat surprised.