Kim Nam-ji took it, wiped his sweat, and looked at Jian Changnian with a hint of interest.
"She's improving very quickly, I was careless, but she's still far behind Yin Jiayi and Xie Shi'an."
Yin Jiayi, sitting in the back, handed her a bottle of water and gestured for her to come closer: "Come closer, I'll tell you a weakness of Kim Nam-ji."
Watching their underhanded actions, Kim Nam-ji gritted her teeth inwardly.
"Yin Jiayi is definitely giving her some pointers, but beating me won't be that easy."
She removed the towel from her neck and stood up.
"Referee, I'm ready!"
The break between matches was short, so Yin Jiayi could only briefly tell her about some of Kim Nam-ji's characteristics in her game, including the things that needed to be focused on in defense, as well as her personal habits when playing.
Everything before that was fine. It's just a habit from playing basketball, and unless you're very familiar with Kim Nam-ji, you wouldn't notice it.
Jian Changnian felt as if a feather had brushed against her heart, and looked at her captain with a strange expression.
"Captain Yin, how do you know so much?"
She even remembers perfectly how people unconsciously use their right hand to brush away stray bangs from their foreheads.
Yin Jiayi coughed lightly and patted her shoulder.
"I...I was her teammate before...The match has started, go for it, good luck, play well."
"Okay, I'll do my best."
Jian Changnian didn't think too much about it. She nodded vigorously, stood up, and stepped onto the youthful arena once again.
The decisive game has officially begun.
Kim Nam-ji stood opposite her, eager to try.
"I won't let you win this round."
Jian Changnian raised his hand to serve, speaking fiercely.
"Perfect match, me too."
With extremely high ball speed, a white meteor spun towards us.
Kim Nam-ji quickly stepped forward to defend and hooked a cross-court shot.
Jian Changnian also quickly retaliated, engaging in a playful confrontation.
Kim Nam-ji immediately unleashed a smash with his backhand.
The ball landed in midfield, and they took the lead with a goal.
Kim Nam-ji smiled confidently and ran back.
"I told you, I'm going to win this championship!"
Snap—
The sound of the racket hitting the ball accompanied the voice.
Jian Changnian bravely stepped forward once again.
"Someone once told me that you should catch the ball whether you can or can't catch it. Giving up is the most terrible enemy."
Despite being behind in the score, Jian Changnian remained undeterred and never complained.
She even took advantage of Jin Nanzhi's little habit that Yin Jiayi had told her, seizing a fraction of a second when Jin Nanzhi raised her hand to brush her bangs aside, which partially blocked her vision, to retaliate and caused her considerable trouble.
Fortunately, Kim Nam-ji adjusted quickly, widening the score gap again after gradually tying it, and ended the match with a powerful left-handed smash.
A burst of cheers suddenly erupted from the stands on the South Korean side.
Kim Nam-ji's teammates rushed over, lifted her up, and tossed her into the air. The girl's face beamed with a happy smile.
Commentator A: "Although we lost, it was undoubtedly a wonderful match. Thank you to Jian Changnian for her wonderful farewell performance. She is only sixteen years old and still very young. There will be times when she rides the wind and waves and sets sail to cross the vast ocean!" [1]
Commentator B: "Congratulations to the South Korean team for winning the team championship at this World Championships. With one gold and one silver medal, they have achieved the best result in the history of the South Korean team in nearly ten years. The addition of Kim Nam-ji has injected fresh blood into this team and has become their soul."
Commentator A's words were forceful and decisive, delivering the final verdict.
"The sports world produces too many geniuses, but how many young people bearing the name of genius fade into obscurity after years of trials? It's a process of sifting through the sands of time. Only a small fraction can make it this far. Competitive sports are cruel. Only by constantly striving and surpassing ourselves, watering the flower of our ideals with blood, sweat, and tears, can we possibly reap fragrant and delicious fruits."
"I hope that all our athletes will stay true to their original aspirations, strive hard, go back and summarize their experiences, and have an even brighter performance in the upcoming 2012 London Summer Olympics!"
It's over, her first World Championships.
Jian Changnian put down her racket in disappointment.
As the South Korean national anthem played, the national flag was raised high.
The boy turned and left the spotlight.
A swarm of media passed by her.
At this moment, her silhouette looked lonely and forlorn.
Wan Jing watched her return to the rest area and was about to offer some words of comfort.
Jian Changnian gave a wry smile.
"Coach Wan, there's no need for words of comfort. I... I accept defeat wholeheartedly."
When they received their awards, the champion and runner-up stood together, and Yin Jiayi, as the representative of the Chinese team, went over and shook hands with Kim Nam-ji.
"You did a great job today."
This is a genuine compliment.
Kim Nam-ji was still upset about her revealing his little secret, so he gave her a forced smile and squeezed her hand hard.
"Oh, not at all, how could anyone compare to Captain Yin's performance?"
Yin Jiayi had a warm expression on her face. When she turned around, a media suggested taking a group photo, and the two teams stood side by side.
The podium was narrow, so she put her arm around Kim Nam-ji's shoulder and pulled her closer to her. Kim Nam-ji clicked her tongue and tried to break free.
"Yin Jiayi, are you out of your mind?"
Yin Jiayi looked at the camera, smiled without showing her teeth, and squeezed out a sentence through her teeth.
“Sweetie, look at the camera and smile. Otherwise, the gossip forums will start saying we don’t get along.”
The flashbulbs were so bright they made it impossible to open your eyes.
Kim Nam-ji maintained her elegant smile and spoke each word clearly.
"Yin, Jia, Yi, you, give, me, wait, here."
Chapter 87 The Return Journey
As Jian Changnian walked out of the venue, she was surprised to find several people waiting for her at the exit.
"Here you are, Chang Nian, please sign your name for me."
The leader was a girl with a somewhat familiar voice. The boy was a little unaccustomed to being surrounded by so many people, so he quickly took the notebook from her and wrote his name on it.
"Um... my handwriting isn't very good... please don't mind it."
"No, no, in my heart you're already amazing!"
Jian Changnian looked up, a hint of surprise in her eyes; she had finally recognized her.
"It's you! What brings you to Shanghai?"
She was the girl in the white shirt who had played basketball with her at the Chenxing Club and whom she had met once. At that time, she even used her own wages to buy a bottle of water for her.
The girl was very happy to see that she had been recognized.
"I came to Shanghai for the art exams, and I just happened to come and watch the competition."
Wow, that's amazing! How did the exam go?
"I'm very confident that I'll be admitted in the early admission batch. Looking back now, I realize that it was thanks to your encouragement that I didn't give up badminton. I've already decided that once I get to university, I'll continue playing badminton, participate in the University Games, and persevere like you."
Despite her disappointment at the competition result, Jian Changnian felt a surge of unseen strength, which slowly filled her heart again.
A genuine smile finally appeared on the boy's face.
"Then I'll congratulate you in advance on passing the exam with flying colors."
The others also gathered around.
"Chang Nian, Chang Nian, please sign one for us too!"
"Wow, I didn't realize it on TV, but up close my eyes, Changniu's skin is so good! It's so supple and full of collagen, so adorable!!!"
"I first noticed you when you played against Yin Jiayi in the National Championships. I've witnessed your growth every step of the way. You'll be participating in the London Olympics, right?"
"Yes, Chang Nian, you must participate in the Olympics! We want to see more and more amazing competitions from you."
...
This was the first time Jian Changnian had been surrounded by so many girls, and she was a little flustered. Her face turned red from their enthusiasm, and she did whatever they asked for, whether it was for a photo or an autograph.
Xie Shi'an stood not far away, quietly watching her. The young man's eyes were calm, but a smile played on his lips.
"Coach Yan, let's go to the parking lot and wait for her. It feels like this won't be over anytime soon."
Yan Xinyuan helped her up.
"Are you still able to walk?"
Xie Shi'an nodded. After taking a taxi from the hospital to the stadium entrance and walking a few hundred meters, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
"Okay, let's go."
Jian Changnian asked while signing the document.
Where did you all come from?
"Shanxi".
"Beijing."
"Henan".