Chapter Eighteen: Talking Like That Will Get You Into Trouble Sooner or Later!

Before long, it was Yu Lin's turn. Before heading onto the court, he turned to Jiang Hong and said, "Alright, I'm heading up. You should observe Wang Cheng’s technical style and prepare yourself; after all, your goal is the championship!"

"I will. Good luck!" Jiang Hong nodded without further ado.

The number of spectators for the match between Yu Lin and Wang Cheng was noticeably different from those watching Jiang Hong's match earlier.

"Old Jiang, do you think our club president has a chance?" a fellow club member asked, nudging Jiang Hong’s arm.

"It’s tough." Jiang Hong shook his head. After all, by Yu Lin’s own admission, he was no match for Wang Cheng.

"Old Jiang, they haven't even started yet! How can you talk like that and dampen our own spirits?" Li Hua chimed in, immediately showing his dissent. After all, the club president was practically invincible within the school. While this Wang Cheng seemed strong, it wasn't as if they should concede before the match even began.

Jiang Hong remained silent. Yu Lin’s skill level was that of a talented amateur. As a member of the provincial team, Wang Cheng might not have reached the professional level, but he was still far beyond what Yu Lin could contend with.

Yu Lin was lucky; he guessed the suit correctly and won the serve. Throughout his four years of college, he had never once defeated a player from the Sports Institute. Even though the outcome was unlikely to be a surprise, this was his final chance, and he had to give it his all.

With a focused gaze, Yu Lin tapped the tennis ball. He bent his knees, tossed the ball, pushed off the ground, and swung his racket.

"Thwack!"

Wang Cheng immediately chased after the ball, but it was too precise, landing right on the center line.

"Ace!"

15:0!

As the referee announced the score, the sidelines erupted.

"Damn, that serve was incredible!"
"An ace! It was worth coming just for that."
"Well done, President! Give the provincial team a wake-up call!"

Most of the audience had no bias; they just wanted to see a thrilling match.

"Old Jiang, what do you think now? I told you the president had a chance, and you were ready to give up early!" Li Hua turned around, looking smug, convinced he had called it right.

Jiang Hong glanced at Yu Lin and reached up to rub his ear. He knew Yu Lin’s serving ability well; he wasn't at the level to consistently hit those line-clipping aces. This one was mostly down to luck. Seeing Jiang Hong remain silent, Li Hua assumed he was speechless.

After winning the point, Yu Lin clenched his fist. He moved to the deuce court for his second serve.

"Thwack!"

After launching the serve, Yu Lin immediately charged toward the net. He was well aware of Wang Cheng’s strengths, particularly his exquisite net play. Seeing Yu Lin’s move, the corner of Wang Cheng’s mouth curled up. He anticipated the drop point of the return, rushed forward, and swung his racket.

"Oh no!" Yu Lin’s face changed instantly upon seeing the opponent's posture. Wang Cheng hadn't gone for a drop shot at the net but had opted for a deep ball to the baseline. Because Yu Lin had prepared for a net play, he had already rushed up to the service line. Caught in a shallow position against a deep baseline shot, he tried to turn and recover, but he was a step too late, forced to watch the ball bounce out of bounds.

"15:15!"

Yu Lin leaned on his knees, gasping for air, before returning to the baseline. Although Wang Cheng was skilled at the net, it didn't mean he lacked a baseline game. He had anticipated Yu Lin’s caution and done the exact opposite.

Yu Lin continued to serve, but he could not replicate the ace from the first point. He was kept running ragged by Wang Cheng’s constant movement of the ball. Yu Lin’s stamina dropped rapidly; while he managed a back-and-forth early on, the end of the match turned into a complete slaughter. The two sets ended 6:2 and 6:1 respectively.

Li Hua, who had been shouting "The President is fine!" early on and "It's unfair for a provincial team to play against regular students!" during the match, now hung his head in silence.

"Still lost," Yu Lin said. Although he had anticipated the result, he still felt a sense of loss once the match was truly over. However, thinking of Jiang Hong’s ability, they still had a chance to win the championship. He stood up and walked to the net to shake hands. "The championship won't be taken away by your Sports Institute that easily!"

Wang Cheng was taken aback by the sudden remark but dismissed it as mere post-match bravado. "I hope this tournament offers a bit more of a challenge!" Wang Cheng shrugged, looking indifferent.

After leaving the tennis court, Jiang Hong and Li Hua went to meet Yu Lin. "President..." Li Hua started, wanting to offer some comfort but not knowing how.

Yu Lin smiled and waved him off. "It's alright, I'm not that fragile." He then turned his gaze to Jiang Hong. "Tell me, are you confident against Wang Cheng?"

Jiang Hong pondered for a moment before answering, "Ninety percent." He had already figured out how to handle Wang Cheng; the opponent’s short-game ability wasn't as strong as he had imagined—likely in the 40-50 range.

"As long as you have confidence!" Yu Lin said, assuming Jiang Hong was joking.

Soon after, Jiang Hong’s second-round match began. His opponent’s skill was average—somewhere between Yu Lin and Jiang Hong. The match concluded in just over forty minutes, with both sets ending 6:1.

"Thanks for going easy on me," the opposing player said with a wry smile.

"Not at all, that’s just your skill," Jiang Hong replied modestly.

The player looked up and said dryly, "The two points I won were in the sixth game, and both were due to your unforced errors. Was that my skill too?"

Jiang Hong scratched his head. It seemed he needed to work on his "giving points" technique. In his past life, he had seen many top-ranked players make matches against lower-ranked opponents look dramatic to control the score. It seemed his acting skills needed some refinement.

"Anyway, I hope you defeat that guy Lin Yu in the next round. He’s been lording it over us for three years," the player offered his well wishes. If he could be defeated by the champion, wouldn't that make him a "half-step runner-up"?

"I’ll do my best," Jiang Hong chuckled, nodded, and left the court.

As soon as he stepped off, Li Hua ran over. "Old Jiang, what were you chatting about with that guy? You took so long!"

"Oh, he said I have the makings of a champion!"

Li Hua rolled his eyes at Jiang Hong’s words, not believing him for a second. "Alright, let’s go eat. I’m starving!"

The morning had only been scheduled for the first and second rounds, and Jiang Hong’s next match wasn't until the afternoon. The group left the tennis center and grabbed a meal at a nearby restaurant. They had planned to rest, but Jiang Hong remembered he hadn't finished his training for the day and decided to practice his serves.

"Ah, Old Jiang, you just played two matches this morning and you're still going to practice?" Li Hua was shocked by Jiang Hong’s diligence; he finally understood why Jiang Hong’s tennis skills had improved so rapidly.

"The two matches this morning were quite relaxed; they ended before I even broke a sweat," Jiang Hong said with a shrug.

Li Hua and Yu Lin’s mouths twitched.

"I advise you to go out at noon from now on," Li Hua said.

"Why?"

"Because sooner or later, you're going to get yourself killed." After all, Jiang Hong’s remark was far too provocative.