Chapter 51: Friendly Tennis Match

　　“Oh, really? What a coincidence!” Lin Zhou beamed, his grin wide and toothy.

　　Recently, Bai Wenxi had been making quite a name for himself in the upper crust, forging close ties with numerous affluent scions. Often seen in Li Ting’s company, he frequented various social events and mingled with a diverse array of personalities.

　　Lin Zhou first took notice of him at a charity gala, where the guests came from all walks of life. Unsure of who had introduced him, he found the young man deep in conversation with an influential figure.

　　Coincidentally, that influential figure was someone Lin Zhou was acquainted with — a young customs officer who held a significant position despite his age. Although he had a reputation for being aloof and difficult to approach, he was unexpectedly amiable to the young man. Intrigued, he tapped a few keys on his computer and swiftly pulled up the young man’s information.

　　To Lin Zhou’s astonishment, Bai Wenxi’s grandfather was none other than Bai Jincheng, a renowned master of traditional Chinese painting in Country M. What few knew, though, was that Bai Jincheng’s father, Bai Qu, fled to Country M sixty years ago. Starting from scratch in his forties, he founded the esteemed WT Group, which was now ranked among the world’s top 500 companies, with subsidiaries across Europe and America. Yet, despite his vast success, he had never set foot in Country Z.

　　With Country Z’s policies now more open, many who fled during that era had returned to seek new opportunities in their homeland. Bai Wenxi’s decision to accompany his grandfather back home clearly hinted at a desire to explore these possibilities.

　　It was no wonder he had worked his way into the upper echelons of society and forged connections with influential figures across various sectors; this was all part of a strategic preparation for WT Group’s venture into Country Z.

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　　Nkd Hbsw pbssj bkp byde pzsozu, vyjkdt bkp vkxl. “Tlzzs, R’x Nkd Hbsw.”

　　Xczkhkswp vs vbl vldpksd pkxxlakdt kd vbl zsnjla assx, Eldmk prsavle y ayekydv pxkzl yde lytlazu rasrsple, “Fkdnl ol yzz jdso lynb svbla, obu esd’v ol rzyu vlddkp vstlvbla?”

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　　“Ebyv’p oasdt? Rp vblal y rasczlx?” Eldmk ypjle, zssjkdt yv bkx okvb y rwggzle lmralppksd.

　　G rasczlx? Mbyv’p yd wdelapvyvlxldv!

　　Uypvkdt y oyau zssj yv Fw Pyd’p qaspvu lmralppksd, Nk Mkdt vwadle vs Fw Nkdt yde sqqlale y pvaykdle pxkzl. “R’x yqayke Ya… Ya. Fw xktbv dsv ytall okvb vbkp.”

　　Wenxi remarked, “It’s a lot more fun playing tennis with more people, and team matches make it even more exciting, don’t you think?”

　　Li Ting kept throwing him furtive glances, but Wenxi pretended not to notice and turned to Su Ling. “Would you be interested in a match with me, Mr. Su?”

　　His remark caused a ripple of barely perceptible shifts in the faces of those present.

　　Su Ling fixed him with a penetrating gaze before a slow smile crept onto his lips. “Sure.”

　　Lin Zhou stroked his smooth chin, his eyes glinting with interest.

　　Heh, this Wenxi is pretty interesting.

　　Fifteen minutes later, the group had changed into their sports attire, slung their tennis rackets over their shoulders, and made their way to the tournament area.

　　After selecting an empty court, Su Ling set down his racket and stretched his limbs, warming up for the match.

　　While helping him stretch, Lin Zhou leaned closer and asked in a low voice, “What’s going on?”

　　“What do you mean, ‘what’s going on’”? Su Ling looked utterly baffled.

　　Lin Zhou arched a brow and said flatly, “Don’t play dumb.”

　　Su Ling cast a sidelong glance at Wenxi, who stood with Li Ting and the others, a glimmer of coldness flickering in his peach blossom eyes. “The first time we met in Stone Creek Village, he must have looked down on me for dressing like a farmer, I guess?”

　　Lin Zhou shook his head, clearly unconvinced. “It’s got to be more than that.”

　　Though that young man masked it well, the jealousy hidden in his gaze did not escape Lin Zhou’s keen eyes.

　　He and Su Ling are nothing more than strangers in passing, so why does he harbor such resentment? And a tennis match, really? There’s clearly something more going on here!

　　On the other side, Li Ting earnestly tried to reason with Wenxi. “How about… we just not compete?”

　　Wenxi bounced lightly on his feet, getting himself warmed up. “Why not? It’s just a friendly match, and he agreed to it, didn’t he?”

　　With a troubled expression, Li Ting replied, “You have no idea what Su Ling is capable of.”

　　Yu Qiang added, “Exactly! Su Ling is quite the tennis player and is one of the top-ranked at the club.”

　　Wenxi boasted confidently, “I competed in a junior tournament in Country M and came in second. Playing against amateurs will be a breeze!”

　　Ever since his grandfather expressed his desire for Su Ling to inherit his shares in WT Group, a sharp pang of resentment had taken root in Wen Xi’s heart, making him wish he could crush Su Ling beneath his heel. However, after digging into Su Ling’s background, he discovered that not only was Su Ling a young master of the Su family, but he was also the partner of Lin Feng, the CEO of Lin Enterprises. This revelation stoked Wen Xi’s jealousy to the point of nearly grinding his teeth to dust.

　　How is it possible for someone to have such a perfect life? He doesn’t have to lift a finger, yet everything falls into his lap. Even his grandfather is tripping over himself to hand over his fortune!

　　A few days ago, his efforts to help farmers sell their produce had catapulted him to the top of Weibo’s trending topic list, which felt like a stab to Wenxi’s pride. Consumed by jealousy, he spent money to hire internet trolls and teamed up with Lin Yun’s most extreme fans to stir up controversy and tarnish Su Ling’s reputation. But to his frustration, the PR team from Lin Enterprises swiftly quashed their efforts.

　　Any news unfavorable to Su Ling was either suppressed, deleted, or met with a fierce backlash from internet trolls. In any case, it would ultimately vanish without a trace.

　　Unable to swallow his anger, Wenxi had been itching for a chance to put him in his place. When he unexpectedly ran into Su Ling at the tennis club today, it felt like a rare opportunity — one he could not afford to let slip away.

　　Tennis was Wenxi’s forte, and humiliating his opponents on the court came as easily to him as breathing.

　　It seemed that Li Ting’s worries were entirely unfounded.

　　“Runner-up in the Country M junior tournament? That’s a huge accomplishment!” Yu Qiang exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.

　　With a bottle of mineral water in hand, Su Dan sat back in his chair and cautioned, “Don’t underestimate Su Ling. You must take your match against him very seriously.”

　　“Got it.” Wenxi nodded, yet a hint of disdain lurked beneath his proud exterior.

　　Tennis was a difficult sport to master and required exceptional physical prowess. Since it was not very popular in Country Z, finding athletes who could make it to international tournaments was like finding a needle in a haystack. For many at tennis clubs, it was simply a way to stay fit and kill time. So, how skilled could they really get?

　　Once the warm-up came to an end, Wenxi stepped confidently onto the court first.

　　Unzipping the bag, Su Ling strapped on his wristbands and took out his racket. He gave it a couple of casual swings, his movements relaxed and unhurried.

　　“It’s been ages since I last played. I’m a bit rusty.”

　　“What are your chances of winning?” Lin Zhou questioned.

　　Turning his gaze toward Wenxi, who stood ready on the court, Su Ling remarked coolly, “It’s too soon to tell. The match hasn’t started yet.”

　　He was never one to underestimate any opponent. Regardless of their skill level, he always gave his all. The fact that Wenxi dared to challenge him to a match clearly showed his absolute confidence in his tennis skills.

　　Sadly, however, his opponent turned out to be himself.

　　With a flick of his fingers, Su Ling tested the string tension of his tennis racket.

　　The best way to strike someone down was to shatter their confidence, to make them stumble in their area of expertise. Nothing crushed a person’s pride faster than a fall from grace; if they found themselves unable to rise again, they would have no one to blame but their own hubris.

　　Securing his hair in a tight ponytail and slipping his cap on, Su Ling made his way to the court with a relaxed confidence.

　　The two stood across from each other at the net, exchanging polite handshakes as a gesture of sportsmanship.

　　“Do you want to serve first?” Su Ling asked graciously.

　　“Is this really alright?” Wenxi hesitated.

　　“It’s fine, you’re younger than me, so it’s only right.” Su Ling smiled with a gentlemanly air, stepping back and slightly crouching to get into position to receive the serve.

　　Wenxi tipped his cap, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips. He then fished a ball from his pocket, bouncing it twice on the ground.

　　“I’ll be the referee!” Lin Zhou shouted excitedly as he dashed over to the umpire chair.

　　“I’ll be the assistant referee!” Li Ting blurted out, worried that Lin Zhou might favor Wenxi unfairly.

　　Lin Zhou shrugged indifferently, took out a whistle, and blew it sharply. Raising his hand high, he called out, “Play!”

　　Wenxi’s eyes flashed with determination as he snatched the ball mid-bounce and launched a serve.

　　Thump!

　　The ball soared over to the opponent’s side, spinning rapidly as it hit the ground. With quick, light steps, Su Ling darted forward, his eyes locked on the ball. It spun with dizzying speed before bouncing high into the air, barely grazing the edge of his racket as he missed it.

　　Beep! Lin Zhou blew his whistle and announced, “Fifteen-love, Wenxi!”

　　Clap, clap! Su Dan sat in his chair, his hands coming together in applause.

　　“A topspin serve for the win! No wonder he was the runner-up in the junior tournament!” Yu Qiang marveled.

　　“Nice one!” Li Ting praised, giving Wen Xi a thumbs-up. As someone who had once been defeated by Su Ling, seeing him stumble right from the start brought Li Ting a sense of satisfaction. 

　　Despite losing the first point, Su Ling remained unfazed and repositioned himself to receive his opponent’s second serve.

　　With a sneer of disdain in his heart, Wenxi bounced the ball and sent it soaring into the air. He leaped high, then brought the racket down in a sharp, decisive strike.

　　Thump!

　　Though Su Ling barely managed to make contact with the ball, the force was too great. His racket flew from his grasp and hit the ground with a dull thud.

　　“Oh my God!” Yu Qiang gasped, clearly in disbelief.

　　Qiao Zhengwen sat with his mouth agape, utterly astonished by what he had just witnessed.

　　“Incredible!” Shen Wei cheered, his voice ringing with excitement.

　　Watching Su Ling pick up the racket from the floor, Su Dan could not help but smirk with malicious delight. At last, he’s met his match. Heh, let’s see if he still dares to act so arrogantly from now on.

　　Wenxi offered a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, I got a little too carried away there.”

　　Su Ling shook out his aching wrist and smiled, “You’re quite skilled, I must admit.”

　　Wenxi revealed, “I started playing when I was little and have been at it for about ten years now.”

　　Playing?

　　Tilting his hat back a bit, Su Ling drawled, “Not bad. You’re pretty slick.”

　　With pinpoint precision, he served and scored, deliberately applying pressure to crush his opponent’s will. One would say his tactics were executed with practiced ease!

　　The third serve came in faster and more powerful than the first two, leaving Wenxi feeling a swell of pride as he eagerly awaited Su Ling’s crushing defeat.

　　He served the ball with such precision that it skimmed the left sideline before hitting the ground. Su Ling would have to cover at least five or six meters in under a second to reach it, but the speed at which the ball descended was beyond what any ordinary person could react to, let alone move at. Unless he had the ability to teleport, there was no way he could return that third serve!

　　With a sinister grin, Wenxi readied himself to savor Su Ling’s humiliation, but all of a sudden, his eyes grew large with shock.

　　Out of nowhere, Su Ling appeared near the left sideline. Just as the ball landed on the ground, he returned it with a powerful shot. Stunned by the turn of events, Wenxi stood frozen for a moment as the ball whizzed past his left leg and bounced away.

　　Beep! Lin Zhou blew his whistle and announced, “Thirty-fifteen, Su Ling!”

　　Su Ling heaved a long sigh of relief. “Looks like luck’s on my side today. I actually predicted it right.”

　　A frown creased Wenxi’s forehead.

　　Predict? Was that really a prediction, or just a case of sheer luck? How could Su Ling possibly have known I’d serve the ball there and move into position ahead of time to return it?

　　Su Ling flicked his racket and bounced on his feet a few times. “Looks like I’ve gotten a bit rusty from not playing in so long. But I’m starting to get back into the swing of things,” he mused.

　　Wenxi’s expression darkened, the words from Su Ling’s mouth grating harshly against his ears.

　　It seemed that his serve barely phased his opponent, who clearly had not taken him seriously at all!

　　Darn it!

　　He clenched his jaw tightly, silently gnashing his teeth in frustration.

　　He simply refused to believe that he could possibly receive his fourth serve!

　　Su Ling bent low, and his usually elegant demeanor was suddenly replaced by a deadly aura of ferocity. It was a force like a battering ram, lunging toward the opposite court with unstoppable fury. When Wenxi was serving the ball, he felt the icy chill of danger pierce his senses, sending a shiver down his spine. In his startled panic, his shot veered off, causing the ball to hit the net.

　　The serve was a total miss!

　　“Ah, what a shame!” Su Ling commented, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

　　Wenxi tightened his grip on the racket, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

　　It was unbelievable that he had made such a catastrophic slip-up!

　　Startled out of his laid-back slouch, Su Dan sat upright, his expression turning serious. “… Su Ling’s not messing around anymore.”

　　Yu Qiang swallowed hard, his gaze shifting from the composed Su Ling to Wenxi, who was mired in self-doubt. For a moment, astonishment flickered across his face.

　　“Wenxi’s going to lose?” he asked, incredulous. How could this be? How could a runner-up in the junior tournament lose to an amateur?

　　“If he keeps underestimating his opponent, his defeat will be too brutal to watch.” Su Dan took a sip of mineral water, his thoughts complicated. He might not see eye to eye with Su Ling, but he had never made the mistake of underestimating him.

　　Among the younger generation of the Su family, Su Ling possessed the most exceptional athletic talent.

　　Despite his pretty, delicate looks, none of his cousins stood a chance against him in karate sparring. He would knock them to the ground, then cry about his hands hurting, driving everyone absolutely mad with frustration.

　　His appearance was dangerously deceptive, and he was also a master at playing the fool to outwit those around him. One wrong move, and you would fall straight into his trap.

　　Almost as if to validate Su Dan’s words, Su Ling’s performance grew more formidable by the minute. His speed on the court quickened, and his returns packed more power, each shot executed with uncanny precision. Ensnared like a trapped beast, Wenxi found himself engulfed by Su Ling’s intimidating presence, making mistake after mistake.

　　By the end of the first game, Wenxi was drenched in sweat, and his breath came in ragged gasps. Not only was he physically drained, but there was also a flicker of sheer terror in his eyes.

　　Is this person some kind of monster? He completely overwhelmed me, a professional player, at every turn! It’s hard to believe!

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The author has something to say:

Alright, let the slap come harder!

PS: My tennis knowledge comes from the Prince of Tennis, haha! So if I get anything wrong, just bear with me! As long as you enjoy the novel, that’s all that matters!