Chapter 45: Fan Autographs and Returning in Glory (Please Continue Reading)

Just as Jiang Hong picked up his tennis bag, he noticed the female reporter from earlier walking toward him.

With a smile on her face, she asked, "Player Jiang Hong, congratulations on successfully winning the championship of this tournament! How are you feeling right now?"

"Of course I feel happy to win the title, especially since this is my first-ever professional career victory!" Jiang Hong replied with a light chuckle.

"From what I understand, this seems to be your very first professional tournament, Jiang Hong. To achieve such a result on your debut, you must have trained extremely hard during your routine preparations!" The reporter extended the microphone toward him.

"Well, the intensity of my training has indeed been quite high," Jiang Hong nodded, speaking the truth.

Then, shifting the tone of the conversation, he continued, "To be able to win this championship, I also need to thank many people. Earlier when I was looking for training programs online, quite a few netizens helped me out and offered me a lot of sound advice!"

Jiang Hong had not forgotten his "internet coaches."

The reporter was not a professional sports journalist, let alone well-versed in tennis.

Therefore, hearing that Jiang Hong had searched for training programs online did not strike her as strange at all.

After asking a few more casual questions, the reporter prepared to wrap up the interview.

"Player Jiang Hong, is there anything else you would like to say as we conclude the interview?"

Jiang Hong turned his head, looked at the children up in the stands, and said with a smile on his face.

"If this match inspires anyone in the audience today to take up and fall in love with tennis, I will feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment!"

With the interview concluded, he did not linger, as the reporter still had to return to the station for editing.

In the end, securing even a brief voice-over mention in the broadcast would already be quite an achievement.

After bidding the reporter farewell, Jiang Hong also prepared to leave the court.

"Hello!" Suddenly, a timid voice called out to stop him.

He halted his steps, turned around, and saw two children standing nearby, looking at him nervously.

"Hello there, little guys. Is there something you need?" Jiang Hong stopped and asked with a smile.

The two children exchanged glances, and one of them stepped forward, holding out a tennis ball and a permanent marker, and said in a small voice.

"Big brother, could you please give us your autograph?"

Jiang Hong was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, clearly not expecting anyone to ask him for an autograph!

Seeing that Jiang Hong remained silent for a while, the child thought he was unwilling.

A look of disappointment appeared on his face. "Is it not okay?"

"No, no!" Jiang Hong immediately shook his head, a bright smile breaking across his face as he said, "No, it's not that. I was just surprised that you two would ask me for an autograph!"

He then took the tennis ball and the marker, looked up, and asked, "What are your names, little guys?"

"My name is Li Dong, and his is Li Xiang!" The child who stood in the front introduced himself, then pointed at the child behind him.

It seemed one was introverted while the other was extroverted!

Jiang Hong used the marker to write his signature for both of them on the tennis ball.

While doing so, he chatted casually with the two boys.

"Did you guys already like tennis before?"

"No, this is our first time watching a tennis match! We just thought Jiang Hong big brother played so brilliantly, and tennis seemed really interesting, so we came to ask for your autograph!" Li Xiang rushed to answer first, scratching his head with a somewhat embarrassed expression toward the end.

"May tennis always bring happiness to Li Dong and Li Xiang — Jiang Hong!"

As soon as the two boys received their autographed ball, their teacher called for them to gather.

Li Dong and Li Xiang hurriedly and carefully packed away the tennis ball, and then waved goodbye to Jiang Hong.

"Goodbye, Jiang Hong big brother!"

"Goodbye!"

Watching the two boys run back toward their teacher, Jiang Hong felt a rather subtle emotion in his heart.

Knowing that his match had inspired others to love tennis was truly a deeply fulfilling feeling!

Since the tournament was over, Jiang Hong had no intention of lingering around Shanghai.

He immediately booked a return flight.

...

Two hours later, Jiang Hong appeared at the Xi'an airport!

Taking a public bus back to his campus, he found everything exactly as it had been when he left!

Before even stepping into the dormitory, he could hear Li Hua, that guy, engaged in some passionate gaming banter with someone else.

"Your marksmanship is absolute garbage! If I were you, I'd hide under the covers at night and practice a few more rounds..."

Jiang Hong pushed open the door, walking in with his tennis bag and suitcase in tow!

"Sons, Daddy is back! Did you miss your old man?"

Jiang Hong's voice instantly froze the other "sons" in the room.

"Old Jiang, when did you get back?"

"Seriously! You didn't even give us a call so we could go pick you up!"

"..."

Jiang Hong felt deeply gratified by the filial piety of his boys!

"Knowing your filial piety is enough; there's no need to make a special trip to pick Daddy up. After all, I didn't leave for years, just a few days!"

Unable to care about their game any longer, the guys immediately rushed over, showing concern for how Jiang Hong's match had gone.

"Old Jiang, how did the tournament turn out?"

As soon as Li Hua asked this, anticipation instantly filled the eyes of everyone in the room!

Jiang Hong tilted his head upward, putting on a smug expression.

"A tiny little championship, easily secured!"

At Jiang Hong's words, all of them rolled their eyes.

Because ever since Jiang Hong left, his roommates had repeatedly asked about his situation.

So they actually had a general understanding of the tournament.

Even though they heard it was the lowest-tier professional tennis event,

and Li Hua couldn't explain things like ranking points clearly to them,

in the end, he had just told them that winning this tournament meant reaching national team standards, and quite a high-ranking one at that.

The moment those words were spoken, everyone instantly understood.

Because the Olympic Games were going to be held in Beijing next year, the sports atmosphere was exceptionally fervent.

Regarding their roommate suddenly becoming a professional athlete, none of them entirely believed it.

That scoundrel Li Hua had even patted Jiang Hong on the shoulder and said with a sorrowful expression,

"Old Jiang, it's okay if you lost the match, but you mustn't let it scramble your brains!"

They figured Jiang Hong had probably just gone to experience it for himself.

After all, such an experience was hard to come by!

In response to that rascal Li Hua, Jiang Hong raised an international friendly gesture!

What an unfilial son he was!

Jiang Hong put down his suitcase and raised an eyebrow, "Open my luggage!"

Hearing this, Li Hua's eyes instantly lit up.

He immediately gave a thumbs-up and said, "Old Jiang, I knew you were a solid guy. You went to Shanghai for a match and still prepared gifts for us!"

"Two words: 'Brotherly loyalty!'"

Li Hua squatted down, and with a flurry of swift movements, he unzipped Jiang Hong's suitcase.

When he laid eyes on the silver-white trophy inside, he was momentarily dumbfounded.

He raised his head and blinked at Jiang Hong.

"Old Jiang, I said the tournament results might not be ideal, but there was no need to buy a fake trophy! Don't worry, your brothers definitely won't make fun of you!"

"Right!"

"Exactly!"

After all, just yesterday they were just ordinary bros chatting and joking around, and after a few days away, he suddenly claimed to have national team caliber and to be a professional athlete.

Who would believe that?

Jiang Hong rolled his eyes, then took out his phone and pulled up a photograph.

"Do you believe it now?"

This photo had been taken by Zhang Long, who figured that Jiang Hong's first professional championship was definitely commemorative.

Besides, it was uncertain whether he would ever have the chance to win another one in the future.

Li Hua and the other roommates stared intently at Jiang Hong's phone screen. There was Jiang Hong holding the championship trophy, flanked by a foreigner holding a tray and a crowd of people who clearly looked like officials.

On the backdrop behind them were the words "ITF Men's Circuit - Shanghai."

Li Hua and his fellow roommates looked at each other in blank dismay.