Chapter Thirty: Specialized Small-Ball Training (Please Keep Reading)

The next morning!

"Oh, by the way, Chengzi, I have to start practicing at the tennis club from today on. Will you still have time to be my assistant then?" Jiang Hong asked.

"A club?" Su Cheng was stunned, clearly not having expected this.

"That's right!" Jiang Hong nodded. He then explained his need for an automatic ball machine for his upcoming training sessions.

"So that's how it is!" Su Cheng nodded, finally understanding.

Jiang Hong had already prepared himself; if Su Cheng wasn't willing, he could find someone else later.

"So..." Su Cheng lowered her head, murmuring softly.

Jiang Hong thought she was too embarrassed to refuse, so he was about to tell her not to worry. But before he could speak, Su Cheng suddenly raised her head and glared at him playfully.

"So, you weren't planning on firing me, were you?"

Jiang Hong paused, then caught the glint of amusement in her eyes. He realized she had been pretending just to tease him.

Jiang Hong decided to play along. "Well, your salary is just too high, Chengzi. Even a landlord’s pantry is running low!"

"Hmph! Well, it’s too late now. I won't resign until you give up practicing, unless you fire me—but that would require severance pay!" Su Cheng lifted her chin, putting on an air of triumph.

The two looked at each other and both burst into laughter.

"It seems there’s no getting rid of you, then. I suppose I’ll just have to make do with keeping you on!"

***

"Sorry to bother you, Boss!" Jiang Hong said with a smile as he looked at the enthusiastic owner before him.

"What are you saying? It brings honor to our tennis club to have a master like you come to play. If you hadn't called, I was actually thinking of inviting you over myself."

Running a tennis club wasn't particularly profitable. Chen Pengcheng ran it primarily because he loved the sport. As a tennis fan, he was genuinely happy to have Jiang Hong there. After some polite pleasantries, Jiang Hong got to the point.

"After this last match, I discovered significant flaws in my technique, so I was hoping to use the ball machine to practice. Is that convenient for you, Boss Chen?"

"What could be inconvenient about that? Feel free to use any equipment in the club. And stop calling me 'Boss Chen,' just call me Old Chen!" Chen Pengcheng said, patting his chest with a heroic flair.

Jiang Hong didn't stand on ceremony further. "Brother Chen, how should we handle the fees? I'll settle them with you later."

"You called me brother, didn't you? Do you really think I’d ask you for money? Besides, you’re a lifetime member of our club; it’s supposed to be free anyway!" Chen Pengcheng frowned, feigning displeasure.

"That won't do. I’m not just coming for one session; I’ll be training here for quite a while. If you insist on that, I’ll have to look for another club!" Jiang Hong insisted.

He knew that the most expensive things were the ones that were free. Even if Chen Pengcheng had no ulterior motives, Jiang Hong understood that "he who takes favors is soft-spoken." He didn't want to owe anyone or lose his standing by taking advantage of a friend. Seeing Jiang Hong’s firm attitude, Chen Pengcheng had no choice. After some back-and-forth, he finally agreed to accept the rental fees for the ball machine.

After seeing Chen Pengcheng off, Jiang Hong’s training finally began. Following a brief warm-up, he started with standard serves before moving on to drop-shot practice.

"Chengzi, stand on the other side of the net and release the balls randomly," Jiang Hong instructed.

"Got it, no problem!" Su Cheng nodded, signaling she understood.

Jiang Hong stood at the baseline as Su Cheng began dropping the balls. Suddenly, she released one, and Jiang Hong sprinted toward the net! His speed was certainly not an issue.

*Thwack!*

Before the ball could bounce a second time, he flicked it back over the net.

[Drop-shot returns: 1/1000]

Jiang Hong looked up at where the ball landed. Honestly, the placement wasn't great; if his opponent were prepared, they could easily return it. But he didn't feel discouraged; he had only just started. Through grinding the tasks, he was confident his drop-shot returns would reach an astonishing level.

He returned to the baseline, and Su Cheng released another ball unexpectedly. However, because she dropped this one at a tricky angle, Jiang Hong couldn't reach it despite his best efforts. A flicker of frustration crossed his face.

Su Cheng noticed his expression and quickly said, "Jiang Hong, maybe I should just drop them in a fixed spot instead?"

Jiang Hong immediately understood her intention and replied firmly, "No!"

If he started cutting corners during training, he would only reap the bitter harvest on the competition court. This time, he focused intensely. Su Cheng threw the ball to the outer corner of the second service box, just forty centimeters from the net.

Because of his total concentration, Jiang Hong met the drop shot with a backhand slice!

[Drop-shot returns: 5/1000]

Jiang Hong paused. Why did it jump from 1 to 5? "Could it be that the panel calculates progress based on the quality of the training? If I exceed the requirements of the drill, the panel reflects that?" It seemed the system was quite intelligent.

Jiang Hong chased the ball around the court relentlessly. Even though the tennis hall was air-conditioned, his clothes were already soaked with sweat. It took over two hours for him to complete the drop-shot return task.

[Ding! Task completed. Do you wish to claim the reward?]

"Claim!"

Jiang Hong didn't hesitate and immediately applied the points to his drop-shot skill.

[Net Play: 31 → 33]

Jiang Hong immediately felt that he had made some minor errors while handling the previous shots; if he had to do it again, he could handle them much better. This sense of reaping what he sowed continued to motivate him. Coupled with the fact that the facility was far more comfortable than the school's, he was left wanting more.

"Jiang Hong, do you want to keep going?" Su Cheng’s voice suddenly interrupted his excitement.

Jiang Hong checked the time and said, "It’s almost twelve. Let’s go get some lunch first."

"It’s been such an exhausting morning. Since the boss isn't raising my salary, you can't skimp on the employee meal!" Su Cheng joked with a wink.

"Don't worry, I won't let you go hungry!"

Jiang Hong went to the locker room for a quick shower. The two left the tennis hall, found a nearby restaurant, and had a casual meal. After picking up a few bottles of water, they returned to the hall. However, they didn't rush back into training, choosing to rest for a while instead. Jiang Hong was worried that if he engaged in high-intensity exercise right after eating, he might suffer some digestive mishaps—and he certainly didn't want to ruin his reputation like that.