Table Tennis: Super Grand Slam

Chapter 61 Happy New Year Holiday, Direct to Yokohama Warm-up, The Strongest Twelve People on Earth Appear
Wang Xianlan reluctantly left Li Ying's warm arms and sat back in her seat.

"The plane has arrived." Li Ying said with a smile.

Li Ying helped Wang Xianlan drag the big suitcase off the plane.

The national table tennis team has sent a special car to the airport to welcome the athletes and coaches returning from afar.

After getting in the car, Li Ying immediately called his parents.

Today is January 1th, which is the first day of the Lunar New Year according to the Xia Dynasty lunar calendar.

"Aying, have you returned home? I called you last night but couldn't get through. Your father said you might be on the plane and turned off your phone."

As soon as the call was connected, the impatient voice of my mother Ying Shimei came from the other end.

"Mom, I just got off the plane. Today is New Year's Day. What delicious food are you guys eating?" Li Ying greeted with a smile.

"What else can we eat? It's just noodles. I made my own rice noodles by hand, but it's a pity that you didn't come back." Ying Shimei missed her eldest son Li Ying very much, because Li Ying had been well-behaved and sensible since he was a child, and never caused Ying Shimei any trouble.

"Then you and dad can eat more and take my share as well." Li Ying said with a smile.

"Brother, brother!" Just then, Li Ying's younger brothers and sisters heard their mother talking to Li Ying on the phone and quickly grabbed the phone.

"Don't act naughty in the house and be obedient, okay?" Li Ying instructed his younger brothers and sisters.

"Well, we know, brother, when will you come back?" Li Ying's sister's weak voice sounded.

"I'll come back if I'm free. But I'm very busy recently." Li Ying felt a little sorry.

"Brother, we all saw you on TV!" Li Ying's younger brother excitedly expressed his joy.

After finishing the phone call with his family, Li Ying found that he had returned to the training base of the Xiaguo National Table Tennis Team.

But there are not many people at the training base now, as everyone has gone home to celebrate the New Year.

As for Chen Daqian, he had already said goodbye to Li Ying at the airport and took a plane back to Shanghai.

It’s the New Year, so naturally the Chinese national table tennis team has to take a holiday.

The national table tennis team’s annual leave is scheduled to end on February 2, which is the seventh day of the first lunar month.

During these few days, Li Ying was too lazy to go back to his hometown.

It would take another day to take a plane and then travel there, and Li Ying had already celebrated the New Year in his hometown before the New Year.

After returning to the dormitory and taking a hot shower, Li Ying prepared to lie on the bed, surf the Internet and relax.

Wang Xianlan called.

"Li Ying, come down quickly!"

Wang Xianlan urged.

"What are you doing here? It's so cold, aren't you going home for the New Year?" Li Ying asked curiously.

Before Li Ying boarded the plane yesterday, he heard Wang Xianlan mention that Wang Xianlan's parents had returned to Lingnan to spend the New Year with Wang Xianlan's grandparents and the rest of the family.

"The capital is my home. My parents have already flown there today."

"Uncle and aunt just dote on you." Li Ying sighed.

"Come down quickly, we'll treat you to a great meal. Mom and Dad have already made arrangements at home and are waiting for us." Wang Xianlan urged.

"You are going home to celebrate the New Year with your uncle and aunt. Is it appropriate for you to call me? Or you can go home first, and when I am free tomorrow, I will go to your house to wish your uncle and aunt a happy New Year?"

"Hurry up." Wang Xianlan didn't listen at all.

Li Ying had no way to deal with Wang Xianlan, so he put on his clothes again.

At the gate of the National Table Tennis Base, the Wang family’s driver was already waiting for Li Ying.

After Li Ying got in the car.

Wang Xianlan couldn't help but complain: "How come you're slower than us girls in going downstairs?"

Li Ying: “???”

"I was just about to go to a small supermarket to buy something. Otherwise, I would feel embarrassed to go there empty-handed. But the small supermarket was closed," Li Ying explained.

Wang Xianlan was speechless, "Li Ying, do you think my family lacks something?"

Li Ying smiled and said, “Isn’t that what I was thinking?”

While they were talking and joking, they had already arrived at the Wang family's villa.

Walking into the villa, the spacious dining room was filled with all kinds of delicious food.

"Aying, don't be polite when you come to our home. You were abroad during the Chinese New Year, and now that you are back, I will make up for the New Year's Eve dinner for you." Wang Xianlan's father Wang Xiqing said with a smile.

"Uncle, I won't be polite if we have a feast." Li Ying sat down naturally and started to eat.

Li Ying accompanied Wang Xianlan and her family of three for dinner, talking about the interesting things that happened during the overseas competition. They looked like a happy family.

Later on, Li Ying was the only one still eating. Li Ying did not feel embarrassed. Athletes have a very hard life. If they cannot even enjoy delicious food, then what is the point of living like an ascetic monk?

What to do after eating and drinking? Of course, play games online.

Wang Xianlan naturally knew Li Ying’s hobby, so after Li Ying left last time, Wang Xianlan asked Wang Xiqing to buy a computer with the highest configuration on the market.

Li Ying had a very fulfilling six-day holiday.

Accompany Wang Xianlan and her family to walk around and stroll around various places in the suburbs of the imperial capital.

Eat delicious food every day and every meal is a big feast.

In the blink of an eye, it was the seventh day of the first lunar month. Early in the morning, the Wang family driver drove Li Ying and Wang Xianlan back to the national table tennis training base.

"Xianlan, if you have any problem, call mom!" Wang Xianlan's mother was reluctant to let her go.

"Dad, Mom, I know, you should go back soon!" Wang Xianlan urged hurriedly. Otherwise, if her mother continued talking, she would definitely treat her as a child, and then Li Ying would just laugh at her.

"Aying, Xianlan, come on."

Li Ying and Wang Xianlan watched the vehicle return before entering the gate of the national table tennis base.

The first thing I did when I returned to the national table tennis team was to hold a morning meeting.

This time, the men's and women's national table tennis teams were held together.

Hosted by Dong Yaobang.

Although Dong Yaobang is currently only the head coach of the men's team, in fact, he is almost the head coach of the national table tennis team, because Dong Yaobang usually coaches both the men's and women's teams together.

In any case, in the near future, Dong Yaobang will definitely be promoted to the head coach of the national table tennis team.

"Today is February 2st, and the national table tennis team has officially returned from holiday. I hope everyone can focus and actively devote themselves to the upcoming training and preparations."

"The next key task for the national table tennis team is to select players to participate in the World Table Tennis Championships to be held in Yokohama, Ryu-Okura Country on April 4. Everyone knows the importance of the World Table Tennis Championships, so I won't repeat it."

"According to previous rules, our national table tennis team will hold a selection competition. This selection competition is called 'Direct to Yokohama, the world's strongest twelve players'. The specific competition rules have been determined by our coaching team during the New Year period."

"The rules of the competition will be announced later. This 'Direct to Yokohama' will be held in two stages. The first stage is the intra-team round-robin tournament that we often hold and that everyone is familiar with."

"All the players of the national table tennis team will have a chance. Of course, the first stage will start on February 2009, 2, the men's team will end on February 3, and the women's team will continue until February 2. But starting today, the national table tennis team will undergo a blood transfusion, and the promotion and relegation match for the national table tennis team will begin soon. It will be finished tomorrow."

Hearing this, Li Ying realized that he didn't know this news.

Li Ying couldn't help but look at Chen Daqian.

Chen Daqian just smiled faintly.

"The list of athletes participating in this first-team promotion and relegation competition will be announced soon. I will focus on the 'Twelve Strongest Players on Earth', which is hosted by the Xiaguo Table Tennis Association, co-organized by Xiaguo C Table Tennis Channel and Penguin Video. Among them, C Table Tennis Channel adopts TV live broadcast, and Penguin Video has obtained the exclusive right to broadcast on the Internet."

"The prize money for the men's team champions of this direct race to Yokohama is 300 million yen, and the prize money for the women's team champions is 500 million yen."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a sound of people gasping in shock at the scene.

When Li Ying heard this, he immediately understood that the men's team and the women's team must have different sponsors, and the sponsorship fees they received were also different.

And it is obvious that the women's team is more popular than the men's team at the moment.

There is a big devil above, and Wang Xianlan, Qiao Yuning and Ji Chuanxia of the Mesozoic era have risen.

The women's table tennis team took over the shift normally.

"Everyone go down and get ready."

End of the meeting.

However, the national table tennis promotion and relegation competition has begun in full swing.

Li Ying even saw the camera of the table tennis channel of Channel C. It was obvious that this time the promotion and relegation match of the Chinese national table tennis team was broadcast live on the table tennis channel of Channel C.

After all, as a dedicated table tennis channel, it is normal to broadcast the promotion and relegation matches of the national team.

Li Ying took a look at the posted match list.

Among the athletes of the national first team, only nine main players of the first team, including him, Meng Li, Ma Qing, Liang Long, Kong Fengge, Xu Guinian, Su Yan, Dou Yang and Liu Geng, will not participate.

All other team members must participate.

Among them is Li Ying’s sparring partner Yu Xuejian.

But Yu Xuejian is full of confidence and he is sure that he can stay in the first team.

The main player of a team will act as the referee and scorer.

At this moment, Li Ying saw that the other three table tennis players from the second team, who were known as the "Nine Twenty Four Heroes" with him, were eager to try.

Yan An, Fang Bo and Zhou Yu, three young players who are also 17 years old this year, all want to take this opportunity to break into the national team and then participate in the team selection competition directly to Yokohama.

Whether young people can become famous or not, Dong Yaobang has already provided them with a stage.

The main players of the national table tennis team served as referees, and the video was recorded by reporters from the table tennis channel. These will become precious video materials in the future.

On February 2, the national table tennis team's promotion and relegation round-robin tournament was completed.

Yan An, Fang Bo and Zhou Yu, three 92-year-old young players born in 17, successfully entered the national first team.

At this moment, Li Ying continued to comfort Yu Xuejian.

"Brother Jian, it's okay. You just go to the second team temporarily to experience life. Besides, you are still my sparring partner. I won't change you unless you don't want to be it!" Li Ying patted Yu Xuejian on the shoulder.

Li Ying did not expect that Yu Xuejian would fail.

But after watching Yu Xuejian play the entire game, Li Ying knew where Yu Xuejian's problem lay.

"Brother Jian, I have something to say to you. If you want to win, don't be afraid of losing."

Yu Xuejian lost because of his fear of losing.

Yu Xuejian nodded heavily, "Aying, I definitely want to be your sparring partner, but I'm afraid that I will hinder your improvement in strength."

Li Ying smiled and said, "Brother Jian, you are being too polite. I will be waiting for you in the first team. I believe you will be able to return to the first team in the next promotion and relegation match."

(End of this chapter)