Chapter 44: The Tennis Team's Invitation

Given a second chance at life, Jiang Hong had no intention of letting it pass by in mediocrity.

Previously, during his grueling training sessions, even though he had the assistance of the "Training Recovery Potion," the physical pain he endured was entirely real. From a complete novice who couldn't even manage to get a serve in, he had fought his way up to capturing his very first professional tournament title.

True, it was only a lowest-tier 10K tournament, with 25K events, ATP Challengers, and the ATP Tour looming far above it. Perhaps some of his peers had already claimed Challenger or even Tour-level titles. Yet this victory held a completely different significance for Jiang Hong. It proved that all his previous sweat and toil had finally paid off.

The stands erupted into a sudden wave of noise, whether because the match had finally concluded or because Jiang Hong had managed to completely tune out the ambient din during play, he could not tell.

Rather than satisfying him, this initial victory only served to ignite an even greater hunger deep within his chest.

"Victory. I will keep on winning. With the system's help, what reason do I have to be content with just this? Futures, Challengers, the Tour, Grand Slams—step by step, I will claim that ultimate trophy!"

Meanwhile, the tournament committee members sitting in the stands were stirred with a palpable sense of excitement.

"Jiang Hong actually won the championship!"

Even though the momentum of the match had slanted heavily in Jiang Hong's favor throughout, seeing him officially seal the win still felt somewhat surreal. After all, a player who had never once competed in an official tournament had gone all the way from the qualifiers to snatch the crown!

Securing a 10K title undoubtedly put him at the caliber of the national team.

Indeed, the current state of the national men's tennis team was precisely that lackluster.

"Old Ye, make sure you find a reporter for an interview later. Out of all the domestic Futures events held this year, this is the first time a local player has taken home the trophy!"

"Don't you worry, I've already arranged for a reporter earlier."

At that moment, Zhang Long was equally dumbfounded. Just two days prior, they had been competing alongside each other, and in the blink of an eye, his peer had become a champion. He himself still lacked a world ranking, yet Jiang Hong had suddenly vaulted into the top one thousand professional players globally!

One had to bear in mind that there were only four or five players from the entire country currently listed in the top one thousand of the ATP rankings.

"Jiang Hong actually pulled it off!" the cameraman murmured in sheer astonishment as he witnessed the scene.

The female reporter turned her head to look at him. "Weren't we watching the match from start to finish?" she asked. "Jiang Hong kept Shimada Jun under pressure the entire time. It's only natural that he won, isn't it?"

Out on the court, Jiang Hong remained oblivious to all of this. Regaining his focus, he saw that Shimada Jun was already waiting for him at the net.

Jiang Hong walked over and shook hands with his opponent.

"You're very strong. I hope we can play each other again next time!"

Shimada Jun spoke in heavily accented Japanglish, which Jiang Hong almost failed to understand at first instance!

"See you on the court!"

Jiang Hong nodded, then turned his gaze toward the foreign umpire.

He certainly wasn't feeling particularly amiable toward the official. In truth, several crucial calls had been completely botched against him during the match!

Opting against shaking hands with the umpire, Jiang Hong walked straight to his own player's bench and began packing his gear.

Once the match officially concluded, the award ceremony commenced.

True to tradition, the champion's trophy was a cup, while the runner-up received a plate! The trophy itself looked considerably more refined than the pedestal-mounted cups Jiang Hong had encountered previously.

Next came the customary photo session to commemorate the occasion.

Just as Jiang Hong was preparing to grab his tennis bag after the ceremony, he noticed a group of people approaching him, among them Zhang Long.

"Hold on a moment, Player Jiang!"

One of the middle-aged men in the group called out to stop him.

Jiang Hong halted in his tracks, a polite smile on his face as he awaited their approach.

"Hello, student Jiang. My surname is Hong, and I'm a member of the tournament organizing committee. This is the head coach of the Shanghai tennis team—you can call him Coach Zhang."

Jiang Hong was hardly a child; their affiliations immediately gave away their intentions. They were clearly here to recruit him! To be frank, he had been somewhat surprised that no one had approached him sooner, given how much restraint this group had shown.

Outwardly maintaining his composure, he greeted them politely.

"Director Hong, Coach Zhang!"

When meeting someone whose exact title was unclear, addressing them as "Director" was always a safe bet.

True to form, Coach Zhang struggled to contain his impatience and took the lead.

"Here is the thing, Jiang Hong. Zhang Long mentioned that you haven't joined the provincial team yet, is that correct?"

"That's right. For now, I'm training independently," Jiang Hong replied with a nod and a smile.

Hearing this, Coach Zhang's eyes practically lit up. A player unattached to any official team was an absolute treasure! While tennis players generally didn't harbor immediate ambitions for the Olympics or Grand Slams under the domestic system, Jiang Hong was exceptionally young and had already secured an ITF 10K title.

Securing a medal at the upcoming National Games was a distinct possibility, let alone competing for gold.

One had to understand that within the sports administration systems of various provinces, the National Games were treated as the absolute pinnacle of importance. Numerous reports indicated that the rewards for winning a National Games gold medal sometimes even surpassed those for medaling at the World Championships.

Securing a National Games title would be a massive political achievement for their administration!

Coach Zhang immediately initiated his poaching campaign. "Xiao Jiang, while staying outside the official system offers more freedom and ease, you don't have anyone providing a safety net. If you join the system, you won't have to worry about tournament expenses. Furthermore, even after retirement, whether you choose to continue your education, enter the administrative system, or even stay independent, you'll receive a generous retirement payout.

"If you join our Shanghai team, your benefits and compensation will certainly be top-tier. More importantly, you'll be cultivated as a primary prospect for the team. We will send you to compete all over the world and have no problem hiring high-level foreign coaches for you!"

One had to admit that the Shanghai team showed immense sincerity. True to its reputation, Shanghai was unfailingly wealthy and generous.

Had Jiang Hong lacked his system, he might well have accepted their offer out of uncertainty regarding his own future. But as someone wielding a cheat code, placing himself under the thumb of institutional constraints would surely have drawn the wrath of readers everywhere!

Consequently, Jiang Hong's mind was already firmly made up. "Thank you very much for your kind offer, Coach Zhang, but I don't plan on entering the official sports system for now. I hope to continue competing as a free agent!"

Coach Zhang had never anticipated a refusal, especially given the exceptionally generous terms he had put on the table. Frowning slightly, he let his eyes dart around before speaking again.

"Xiao Jiang—allow me to use such a familiar form of address—if you have any specific requests or conditions, just name them. As long as they are reasonable and within our capacity to fulfill, I will not say no!"

Hearing this, Jiang Hong offered a wry smile. "I'm sorry, Coach Zhang. My current goal is strictly to play as an independent player."

Disappointment flickered across Coach Zhang's face, and he finally let out a long sigh.

"How about this? Take my contact information. If you ever change your mind, give me a call anytime!"

After exchanging contact details and exchanging a few more polite pleasantries, they finally parted ways.

Jiang Hong knew very well that the honeymoon phase was currently active, which made everyone agreeable. But what would happen if the National Games schedule conflicted with the Tour or Masters events? Did anyone seriously believe the provincial team would grant him leave to go?

Even for Grand Slam tournaments, athletes were often recalled to participate in the National Games and Asian Games. It was much like football or basketball, where the moment a player gained the trust of a European club's manager and broke into the rotation, they were still summoned back home for minor regional fixtures.

Thus, Jiang Hong had no intention of planting ticking time bombs for himself merely for the sake of short-term gains. After all, while it was easy enough to enter certain circles, getting back out was a completely different story!