"Ms. Xie, could you tell us about your partner's eye injury?"
"How is Miss Jian now?"
...
Wearing a black mask, a baseball cap, and carrying a sports bag, Xie Shi'an silently walked through the crowd and into the athletes' tunnel, escorted by security personnel.
The South Korean team's rest area.
Kim Nam-ji went to warm up, and Park Min-heon called Choi Hye-hee back.
"What is it, Coach Park?"
The smile on the girl's face froze instantly when she heard what he said.
"What I mean is, in the match later, don't go all out, let Nan Zhi have a few goals."
"Why?! Do you think Nan Zhi needs me to throw the game to get into the final? She simply..."
Park Min-heon placed his hand on her shoulder and applied some pressure.
"Of course I know she's very strong, but her next opponent is Xie Shi'an. We can't afford to expend too much energy in our match against you. Our Korean team can't afford internal conflicts."
"What about me?! So that she can win the championship, am I going to be abandoned?! Coach Park, this is my first time participating in the Asian Games. You know how hard I've worked to get this far..."
Park Min-heon interrupted her abruptly.
"Enough, Choi Hye-hee! Don't forget who put you in the starting lineup; it was the head coach's arrangement!"
Choi Hye-hee's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
Seeing this, Park Min-heon softened his tone.
"Alright, Hye-hee, even if you don't win the championship, you're guaranteed at least a bronze medal. As long as you behave, you can stay in the starting lineup, and I can even give you a raise..."
Chapter 113 Significance
"Good morning, viewers. Welcome to the live broadcast room. I'm your commentator, Zhao Zhao."
The camera then panned to another commentator, Jiang Yunli, who greeted everyone with a smile.
"I am Jiang Yunli."
Xie Shi'an rose to fame after her match against Jiang Yunli. After that, whenever Xie Shi'an competed, the TV station would invite Jiang Yunli as a guest, which seemed to have become an unspoken understanding.
"What are your thoughts on today's match, Senior Jiang?"
"Today's match is going to be very interesting. Xie Shi'an and An Dong are old rivals. I hope she won't be affected by yesterday's loss. If she is, she should be fine."
"I'd really like to see a showdown between the Korean duo of Kim Nam-ji and Choi Hye-hee."
Narrator Zhao Zhao: "So, Senior Jiang, who do you think has a better chance of winning?"
"It's hard to say. When it comes to competition between teammates, they definitely know each other best. Judging from yesterday's game, Choi Hye-hee is also very strong. It depends on who can perform better."
The director sent the live feed back.
The athletes from both sides have entered the stadium.
Commentator Zhao Zhao said, "Alright, without further ado, let's give the audience back the show and look forward to seeing who will make it to the finals!"
"Xie Shi'an, keep it up!"
"China Team, Victory is assured!"
When the red figure entered the stadium, cheers suddenly erupted from the stands.
Everyone was shouting her name at the top of their lungs.
Xie Shi'an didn't turn around, but just stood with his back to them, waved his hand, and then suddenly changed his expression, giving a thumbs up.
Girls in the audience screamed.
"Aaaaaaah, she's so handsome!!! Mom, I want to marry her!!!"
"Waaaah, look at that height, those arm lines, that figure, that face... Jian Changnian is so lucky!!"
"Does the national team need a cleaning lady? Don't stop me, let me in to serve my idol tea and water!"
"Go for it, Xie Shi'an! For justice!"
...
Jiang Yunli in the studio also smiled.
"She seems to be in good condition today and hasn't been affected by yesterday's loss."
The matches on Court 1 and Court 2 started simultaneously, beginning and ending with the referee's whistle.
"Congratulations to Xie Shi'an for defeating Canadian player Anton 2-0 and successfully advancing to the finals!"
If it weren't for the knee injury, the match against Anton could have ended even faster.
Xie Shi'an, panting heavily, looked at the scoreboard on the other side of the field.
"Beautiful! Kim Nam-ji won the match decisively with a left-handed shot. In that case, she will face Xie Shi-an in the afternoon match and make a run for the gold medal."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
Choi Hye-hee scored no more than 11 points in either of the two sets, playing incredibly fast. This is a stark contrast to her fierce attacks yesterday. There must be something fishy going on, but let's go for it. She'll show the Korean team that no matter what tricks they use, it's useless against absolute strength. She'll fight tooth and nail to win this match.
After lunch, she excused herself to take a nap in the lounge, dismissed everyone, and then made a phone call to the team doctor.
Jian Changnian was watching the game in her dormitory, scratching her head and fidgeting restlessly. In the end, she couldn't help but stand up.
"No, I still have to go to the scene."
Lü Xiaoting was ordered to watch over her in the dormitory.
"Hey, Coach Wan said you need to rest more now..."
***
They used to be friends who could sit down and have heart-to-heart talks, and who appreciated each other. Now, on the field, all that's left is for them to look at each other in silence.
Kim Nam-ji looked at her and moved his lips.
Xie Shi'an's eyes were cold, looking at her as if she were a stranger. He had already raised his arm, ready to serve.
Kim Nam-ji took a step back and assumed a defensive stance.
They launched attacks continuously.
They completely abandoned defense and played like they were risking their lives.
Today, Xie Shi'an was like an Asura on the field, unstoppable and invincible.
The white lights from the stadium ceiling shone down on her.
A hall full of flowers intoxicates three thousand guests; a single sword, its frost chilling fourteen provinces. [1]
Her figure and the unpredictable ball were dazzling, and the sound of the ball hitting the ball echoed throughout the entire venue.
After the first round ended, the two people in the studio seemed to have just woken up from the dream of this extreme violent aesthetics.
Jiang Yunli sighed.
"She is really too good. She has improved so much since the time when she played with me. Back then, Xie Shi'an's skills were still a bit immature, and she was not smooth enough in handling some details. Now, she is extremely aggressive and has no weaknesses in terms of technique. Even Kim Nam-ji cannot withstand her all-out attack."
"In just a few years, she has become terrifyingly talented. I can't think of any word other than genius to describe her."
Zhao also explained.
"I think she must have worked very hard in private to reach this level. Hard work pays off. And before the competition, we said that she was playing with an injury today. It was already very difficult for her to finish the match. The performance she delivered was truly impressive and reassured the audience that Xie Shi'an is still the same Xie Shi'an."
Compared to his optimism, Jiang Yunli's eyes held a hint of worry.
"Next, we'll have to see how Kim Nam-ji performs. After losing the first game, she'll definitely have to go all out in the second game."
As Wan Jing watched Xie Shi'an walk off the court, he quickly took the racket from her hand and offered her water and a towel.
"How are you doing? Can you still hold on?"
Xie Shi'an's forehead was soaked with sweat, and his face was a little pale. He sat down in the chair.
"able."
A single, concise word, yet powerful and resonant.
"Come on, are you hot? Here's a fan, let me fan you." Wan Jing said as he took the small fan from the teaching assistant and started blowing it on her.
"Let me tell you, the next game must be quick and decisive, we must win it in one go and not give them any chances."
Xie Shi'an nodded.
On the South Korean team's side.
Park Min-heon said the exact opposite.
"Nan Zhi, play with confidence. It's okay if you foul, as long as you drag the match into a deciding set..."
Before he could finish speaking, Kim Nam-ji raised his head.
"Do you think any of this will work against Xie Shi'an? I just want to have a good, unrestrained match!"
"Nan Zhi! This is the Asian Games, on our home turf, you can't be so willful!"
Park Min-heon spoke sharply and sternly, and was about to say more.
Kim Nam-ji stood up with her racket in hand, walked towards the court, and glanced back at him.
“I used to think winning and losing were very important, but now it doesn’t seem to be that important anymore.”
significance.
Since returning from China, Kim Nam-ji has been pondering this question: what is the point of his persistence?
She used to travel over mountains and seas to be by someone's side. After Yin Jiayi retired, she was like a ship that had lost its way and was adrift at sea. When she was defeated by Xie Shi'an time and time again and was jokingly called "cashier" by the Korean media, she did think about giving up.
But every time, every time I pick up my racket again and step onto the court, I hear the cheers and shouts of the audience.
Her private messages contained far more words of comfort and encouragement than insults and attacks.
And the letters that fans gave her before the game.