Chapter 159: Pre-Competition Preparations 4
Liu Li was so stunned by Ling Hanmu’s imposing aura that he couldn’t utter a single word.
Ling Hanmu casually tossed the empty bottle, hitting the trash can directly, and walked onto the court with his racquet.
Liu Li gritted his teeth, knowing that if he backed down now, he would become a laughingstock to everyone.
He could only brace himself and step onto the court.
“Let’s begin!” Ling Hanmu said expressionlessly.
The two teachers were also startled by his indifferent demeanor. They took a deep breath, calmed themselves down, and then started a new match.
Liu Li also forced himself to calm down and take this match seriously.
He had fully expected that as long as he didn’t underestimate his opponent, he would definitely be able to defeat Ling Hanmu!
However, once the match began, he no longer had that thought. Instead, he frequently broke out in a cold sweat, increasingly fearful of Ling Hanmu’s strength.
Ling Hanmu’s offense and defense were both fast and fierce, completely tailored to Liu Li’s playstyle. He was utterly unable to defend himself against Ling Hanmu, let alone score points!
It wasn’t just the teachers who were stunned; even those who were training stopped one after another, staring dumbfoundedly at this one-sided match where one opponent was completely dominated and utterly crushed.
Ling Hanmu was like a natural king on the court, controlling all the rhythm of the game.
0:21.
0:21.
After two rounds, the score was, as expected, the same.
Liu Li collapsed on the ground, his face completely drained of color.
He knew better than anyone whether stimulants had been used.
No matter what strategic adjustments he made, he was always suppressed by Ling Hanmu.
He couldn’t resist, couldn’t attack.
“Do you yield?” he asked, looking down at Liu Li across the net.
Liu Li sat on the ground in a daze, questioning his life, and showed no reaction.
Ling Hanmu gave a cold smile and looked at the other badminton players, “What about you? Who else doubts this Young Master? This Young Master permits you to challenge this Young Master!”
The entire venue fell silent.
Having witnessed Ling Hanmu’s terrifying strength, who would dare to overestimate themselves and stir up trouble?
They were incredibly glad now that they hadn’t challenged Ling Hanmu earlier.
Seeing those people with their heads down, desperately trying to minimize their presence, a cold glint flashed in Ling Hanmu’s eyes.
“I will!” Just then, Xia Chenge, who had been watching the spectacle for a long time, slowly spoke up, “I will challenge you!”
Ling Hanmu was taken aback. His expression changed faster than a book, and he immediately put on a wronged expression like a bullied little wife, saying resentfully, “Can’t you give me a way out? Little Brother!”
Xia Chenge smiled, picked up her racquet, walked to the opposite side of Ling Hanmu, patted her racquet, and looked at Ling Hanmu, “Of course, I need to seek guidance from Young Master Ling. Don’t forget I’m also participating in the women’s singles!”
Ling Hanmu pouted, “Then you have to go easy on me!”
Upon hearing this, the crowd almost gagged: Ling Hanmu, can you not be so obviously biased?
“There’s no going easy, only giving it my all,” Xia Chenge’s expression turned serious. “If you dare to hold back, I won’t let you off.”
After a pause, Xia Chenge glanced at Liu Li, “Classmate, we’re going to start practicing.”
Hearing this, Liu Li finally stood up and walked to the rest area with a dazed expression.
The crowd had fully expected Xia Chenge and Ling Hanmu’s match to be a casual game played for fun.
However, when the two officially started and the crowd saw the serious expressions on their faces, their hearts trembled.
This was truly a match taken with absolute seriousness, not a child’s play.
There were fierce attacks and counterattacks, or tricky returns, none of which were inferior to a major competition.
Even Liu Li was captivated, his eyes widening with each passing moment. So, Ling Hanmu hadn’t used his full strength earlier and had even held back some reserves. He was still no match. One could only imagine if Ling Hanmu had gone all out, would he have lost even more miserably?
Xia Chenge and Ling Hanmu’s reactions and explosive power were both formidable, and their stamina was comparable to those who trained year-round.
The two fought fiercely, with the shuttlecock flying back and forth for over ten rallies, making it impossible to tell which side would score.
“My goodness, is this really just practice?”
“Aren’t they too terrifying? With this strength, even members of the City Badminton Team might not be their match.”
“It seems Young Master Ling went easy earlier, otherwise Liu Li would have been in an even worse state.”
“This shot, I guarantee I could only receive it once at most!”
……
The crowd couldn’t help but discuss as they watched, their expressions unanimously shifting from contempt and disdain to admiration and awe.
Finally, after three rounds, the scores were set at 20:21, 21:19, and 20:21.
Ling Hanmu, with a narrow advantage, won two matches, defeating Xia Chenge.
This strength is too terrifying, are they even human? This thought spontaneously crossed everyone’s minds.
The two teachers were also stunned, unable to close their mouths for a long time, disbelieving that Xia Chenge and Ling Hanmu, who appeared to be pampered, were so formidable.
With such strength, not only could they reach the finals, but they could also potentially win the championship!
“Not bad, you didn’t hold back,” Xia Chenge said to Ling Hanmu as she stepped off the court, satisfied.
Having an opponent in life is a happy thing!
“How could I dare to hold back? What if you ignored me?” Ling Hanmu smiled and stroked her head. “It doesn’t matter if others ignore me, but you can’t!”
“You got the advantage and are still complaining. I’ll definitely beat you in the next match!”
“I’ll be waiting.”
With that, the two, meeting each other’s gaze, suddenly smiled.
To onlookers, their brilliant smiles made the sunlight seem dull!
They suddenly understood why Ling Hanmu was so good to Xia Chenge.
……
For the next period of time, Xia Chenge and Ling Hanmu trained daily while also busy with movie matters.
The lead actor for the movie had been chosen, and Xia Chenge was very satisfied. They successfully signed the contract and began finding teachers for their training.
As for the strength they displayed on the training court, after the initial shock on the first day, they performed ordinarily thereafter, with no more terrifying bursts of power. In fact, they were even worse than other teammates.
The two teachers, initially filled with eager anticipation, turned to disappointed sighs. They no longer dared to pay too much attention to the two, letting them train on their own.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for the competition.
However, due to their astonishing performance on the first day of training, it was naturally spread online by those with ulterior motives. Their subsequent change in performance was also not missed, and the two were once again ridiculed by the crowd, even suspected of using drugs:
Damn, I thought they were going to break world records, but it was just a joke? First the movie, then the middle school City Games, what else are they going to do to get attention next time?
Hahaha, everyone knows Yan Sheng High School likes to eat eggs, and this time is no exception. I actually hoped Yan Sheng High School could break tradition and focus on winning medals!
It’s not surprising to win medals, but maintaining the same results every year is not easy. I ask, among the middle schools in Haicheng, which school can achieve such proud results? Young Master Ling and Goddess Chenge, keep up the good work, the future of Yan Sheng depends on you.
I’ve noticed Xia Chenge and Ling Hanmu really like to stir up trouble. They have to put everything out in the open for everyone to see, making it seem like everyone likes to stare at their trivial matters. Please, you two, if you’re wealthy, don’t compete with internet celebrities for a living.
……
