Chapter 27: Do You Have to Know How to Refrigerate to Evaluate a Refrigerator? (Please Keep Reading)

"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"

Jiang Hong resumed his recovery training the day after the tournament. Because he had won the championship, the tennis club members who usually lurked in the shadows began to emerge, their fleeting enthusiasm reignited. After all, Jiang Hong was just a novice who had only been playing for a year; if he could win, it meant the difficulty couldn't be that high.

Watching Jiang Hong’s training routine, they saw nothing particularly special, so they began to mimic him on the adjacent courts. They were full of energy at the start, but fell silent after five minutes. Ten minutes later, only Jiang Hong remained.

Today, Jiang Hong had started training in the manner Wang Cheng suggested. He had chalked sixteen squares across the first and second service boxes on the opposite side. He would wipe them away after the session, so it wouldn't disrupt others. Although Jiang Hong's serving technique was already quite good, he was initially unaccustomed to this method. Usually, he didn't aim for specific spots; he simply chose landing points that would make things difficult for his opponent or keep the ball out of their reach. However, using these target squares significantly improved his accuracy.

"Damn, this is insane."
"Doesn't Jiang Hong ever get tired? My arm felt like lead after swinging for ten minutes, but how many balls has he served?"
"I used to think he was just lucky, but now I see there's a reason he won."
"I've been watching from the side; he’s served over a hundred times, and he seems determined to land every single one in the target square!"
"What? He's focusing on placement too? I’d be grateful just to get the ball over the net."

Jiang Hong remained unfazed by the surrounding chatter. His only thought was to finish his practice and get some rest. About two and a half hours later, "Bang!" As Jiang Hong landed a serve in the inner corner square of the second zone, a pleasant chime sounded in his ears.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the suggestion. Would you like to claim the reward?]

*Hoo...* Jiang Hong exhaled, adjusting his breathing.

***

*Rustle!*

Just as Jiang Hong sat down, Su Chengye walked over, having gathered the balls. "How is it? You’re a local celebrity in the tennis club now. How does it feel?" She sat beside him, teasing him with a grin.

Jiang Hong tilted his head, feigning arrogance. "It's alright, I suppose. After all, I’m the man destined to become a tennis superstar!"

"Pfft!" Su Chengye rolled her eyes at him. "Narcissist!"

"I'm just stating facts," Jiang Hong said, shrugging. After all, he had a cheat code; if he couldn't leave his mark on the tennis world with that, he’d be truly pathetic. Furthermore, after this tournament, he craved competition even more. The feeling of victory had breathed new life into a heart that had been battered by the drudgery of daily life.

"Oh, by the way, Jiang Hong, I’ve finished editing the footage of your matches against Lin Yu and Wang Cheng from the provincial team. Want to see them?"

"Already?" Jiang Hong was surprised by her efficiency.

"Hmph, look who you're talking to," Su Chengye said, lifting her chin proudly.

Jiang Hong didn't argue; her work rate was indeed impressive. "Sure, send it to my email later. I’ll take a look!"

"OK, I'll send it in a bit!"

As summer approached, the weather grew hotter, so Jiang Hong decided to move his remaining training sessions to the afternoon or evening when it was cooler. Back in his dorm, he opened his laptop and found the email from Su Chengye. After watching the footage, he realized some of his shortcomings. In his match against Wang Cheng, the opponent’s drop shots had been particularly troublesome. If he wanted to turn professional, he couldn't rely solely on his strengths to cover his weaknesses; otherwise, he would be limited by his own "shortest stave." Jiang Hong was unwilling to leave such an obvious technical flaw in his game.

"Looks like I have more work to do."

***

Ever since he began his training, Jiang Hong had uploaded daily progress videos without fail. However, he hadn't posted anything for several days. This left his followers on the forum feeling anxious and restless. Doubts began to circulate.

"Has the 'Advice-Follower' finally hit his limit?"

Considering the volume of his training, anyone who enjoyed sports knew the intensity was far too high. A thousand serves every morning, a thousand forehand and backhand strikes at noon, baseline sprints, and a five-kilometer jog—aside from his classes, he spent almost every waking moment training. Beyond the physical exhaustion, the sheer monotony would be enough to break anyone's spirit.

At first, people hadn't taken him seriously, but his relentless persistence had changed their perspective. Many netizens had once pursued their own passions, only to give up due to the pressures of reality or a lack of perseverance. They projected their own aspirations onto Jiang Hong, imagining what they could have achieved if they had kept going. They hoped his efforts would yield a good result.

But now, it seemed even Jiang Hong had given up.

"It’s normal, really. A late-starting novice dreaming of going pro was always impossible. It’s expected that he’d quit; his training was clearly affecting his studies. He probably weighed his options and returned to normal life."

"I followed his posts from the very beginning. I thought he was unrealistic at first, but seeing his progress in every video made me think he might actually pull it off. I never expected it to be just a pipe dream after all."

"I started working toward my own goals because of him. Now that he’s quit, should I keep going?"

Where there was pity, there was naturally mockery.

"Pfft, I knew he wouldn't last. His so-called training was just a performance to grab attention!"

"I looked into it—his school is just an average second-tier university. His family clearly doesn't have money. He should know his place before dreaming of going pro."

"A performance? Why don't you try performing it then? I’ll give a thousand yuan to anyone who can replicate his training for three days. I’ll post it as a wager!"

"Holy crap, a rich guy! Please support me!"

"You're just posturing. Who knows if you're actually going to pay? Besides, what does my ability to complete the training have to do with my critique of Jiang Hong? Do I need to be a refrigerator to know when one isn't cooling?"

The group bickered in the comments, neither side willing to concede. On the internet, no one wanted to back down. However, those who supported Jiang Hong felt a bit uneasy, as he truly hadn't uploaded or posted in days.

Just then, a new comment popped up:

"Jiang Hong just uploaded a video!"