Writing about tennis? Sports competition?
Yang Feng could swear that he wasn't one to resist change, but when confronted with a novel focused on tennis competition, he instinctively furrowed his brow.
Innovation is not a flaw, but isn't this a bit too innovative? Sports-themed novels, whether about football, basketball, or even table tennis, would have a broader appeal. Many people have some exposure to and interest in these sports. So, why choose the relatively niche sport of tennis?
It's innovative, indeed.
But perhaps it is a bit too niche.
However, as a professional editor, Yang Feng, despite his internal musings, wouldn't outright reject the submission. If the author showed potential, he'd be glad to explore it.
This is quite normal in the world of novels.
When encountering a potentially talented author, even if their submission doesn't make the cut, editors often try to nurture them. Many successful novelists owe their success to editor guidance, even if it involves numerous rejections.
Opening the computer to the first page, Yang Feng officially began reviewing.
Setting aside the story itself, he had a favorable impression of the author daring to explore tennis as a theme. The spirit of not succumbing to market trends appealed to him. If more authors had this spirit, the novel market wouldn't be plagued with so much homogeneity.
The story begins.
On a tram heading to Seishun Academy, a young man from the school's tennis team is confidently instructing his new teammate on grip techniques while swinging his tennis racket. Accidentally, he hits a girl in the face.
"Sorry."
The young man glanced at the girl and continued instructing his new teammate. However, as he vigorously swung his racket, a cold voice cut through, "You're very noisy."
The speaker was a young boy.
Before the young man could get angry, the boy had slung his tennis bag over his shoulder and casually corrected, "Grabbing the racket from directly above and placing it flat is the correct Western grip; holding the racket upright, using a feeling similar to a handshake, that's the traditional Eastern grip."
"You..."
Being lectured by a young boy, the young man felt a bit embarrassed. He stared at the boy correcting him, but before he could say anything, the boy had already left the tram.
"Protagonist?"
Yang Feng nodded.
The story's beginning seemed decent. Even if he didn't understand tennis, his basic knowledge about it was comprehensible. The protagonist appears to be correcting the young man but also has a motive for standing up for the injured girl.
Scene transition.
Several boys are discussing around a list. One of them says, "This year, a new student joined the school's tennis team, and he doesn't need to be a substitute. He's playing as a starting player."
"No way?"
"How is that possible?"
"Maybe there's a mistake in the registration."
A companion is skeptical, "The freshman just graduated from high school. How can he qualify to join the school's tennis team, let alone be a starting player? Our school's tennis team is mostly made up of reserve players for professional athletes!"
On the list.
The freshman who qualified as a starting player for the tennis team is named Ryoma, sixteen years old, younger than the average age of the entire school's tennis team, as the youngest starting player is at least a sophomore.
While they discuss, Ryoma appears with his tennis racket.
The boys who encountered him on the tram also show up, immediately drawing attention. It turns out they came to the school for a challenge match. The leader, upon seeing Ryoma, becomes visibly upset and points his tennis racket at Ryoma, sneering, "Do you know how to play tennis against the main player of the official team of Seishun Academy?"
Ryoma calmly looks at him.
His gaze makes the young man uncomfortable. He swings his racket towards Ryoma's head, not intending to hit him but to scare him. Surprisingly, Ryoma doesn't flinch or avoid it, seemingly confident the racket won't actually hit him.
"Let's go; there's still business to attend to."
The young man's teammate smiles, trying to defuse the tension.
The young man snorts and prepares to leave, but Ryoma uses his racket to pick up the empty drink bottle the young man just finished, accurately tossing it into the trash can. Then, he looks at the young man and says, "Learned the grip now? Or should I teach you how to play tennis?"
The surrounding crowd is in shock.
The fact that a group of young people are qualified to come to Seishun Academy to challenge shows that they are very strong. However, the audacious words spoken by a seemingly youthful boy left many bewildered.
'Is he out of his mind?'
All eyes turned towards Ryoma.
Meanwhile, Yang Feng, engrossed in flipping through pages on his computer, found an unexpected interest in tennis. Initially considering it a niche sport, he was pleasantly surprised by the captivating storyline and found himself eagerly anticipating what would unfold.
The youth stepped up for the challenge.
What followed shocked the countless students at Seishun Academy. This seemingly inexperienced young boy achieved a resounding victory against a self-proclaimed member of another school's main team!
The youth were furious.
Having initially underestimated Ryoma, consecutive scoring losses became a blow to his pride. He unleashed his ultimate move, designed for the Seishun Academy's tennis team's ace but forced out by a young challenger.
He managed to secure one point back.
At this moment, Seishun Academy's coach appeared, spotting Ryoma on the tennis court. A smile played on the coach's lips, "He's here earlier than I expected."
'Does coach know him?'
The girl previously injured by the youth on the train was also present, and she happened to be the coach's granddaughter. Without explanation, the coach calmly observed the match.
Clack, clack, clack.
Ryoma regained several points.
The match intensified.
Yang Feng frowned. The story emphasized Ryoma's tennis genius from the beginning, but his current performance didn't match the anticipation. Tennis, it seemed, was a challenging theme to write about.
He shook his head and continued reading.
But then, a plot twist that spiked his adrenaline unfolded. Under the astounded gazes of everyone, Ryoma unexpectedly switched his tennis racket from his right hand to his left!
"He's a left-hander."
The tennis coach smiled like a fox.
Yang Feng never expected Ryoma to be left-handed. It was akin to someone accustomed to using their right hand for eating suddenly wielding chopsticks with their left. These concepts were vastly different, and Ryoma, who initially dominated with his right hand, promised an intriguing turn with his left.
The plot didn't disappoint. If Ryoma previously only managed to suppress his opponent, with the switch to his left hand, he began to utterly toy with his adversary. Now, not only was it a back-and-forth battle, but the opponent struggled even to return Ryoma's serves.
Another bloodcurdling score.
Amid the gasps of the onlookers, Seishun Academy's tennis coach squinted and proclaimed, "In just one short year, he dominated all youth competitions in Qin Prefecture, clinching every championship in solo tennis. An eighteen-game winning streak with overwhelming scores, a tennis prodigy invited to the school by the principal himself—Ryoma, sixteen years old!"
"Ryoma!"
"Sixteen years old!"
The crowd regained their senses.
Right after, a burst of commotion ensued. Surprisingly, the young man in question was none other than Ryoma, who had just joined the tennis club and already secured a spot as the main player. His achievements had reached such a splendid extent.
"Quite interesting," Yang Feng's eyes gleamed slightly.
He was drawn into the story, ignoring even the notifications of leaving work and continuing to read.
The match was far from over.
Ryoma's biggest disadvantage was his age; he was only sixteen this year, much shorter than the youth. The youth adjusted tactics, standing directly at the net to leverage his height advantage. However, the effect was not significant; Ryoma still displayed a terrifying dominance.
"Haha," laughter echoed around.
The youth, frustrated and humiliated, unexpectedly exerted all his strength, hurling the racket at Ryoma. It caught everyone off guard, hitting Ryoma squarely in the face, causing his forehead to bleed.
Yang Feng felt infuriated.
The surroundings echoed with accusations.
The youth, however, laughed heartily, claiming it was an accident and that he didn't secure the racket properly. Just when everyone thought Ryoma couldn't continue, he merely wiped away the blood and said, "Looks like you haven't learned the correct way to grip the racket."
"You!"
The battle continued.
This was Ryoma's counterattack, with each of his shots incredibly fast and cunning. His skills were exceptional, hitting the opponent's face several times. The pain made the opponent howl, and Yang Feng, watching, couldn't help but cheer, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
It felt good—really good.
Serves you right for lacking sportsmanship!
This kind of showing off and face-slapping rhythm is a favorite among many young readers. With each of Ryoma's counterattacks, he mercilessly recited the score: "Fifteen love—Thirty love—Forty love—"
"What kind of shot is this?"
The youth's teammates were all dumbfounded.
The coach of the Youth Academy calmly explained, "It's a twist serve. Produced by the friction of the ball against the rubber surface, it spins when it lands on the court. Due to the high-speed rotation when the ball hits the racket, it doesn't follow the regular trajectory but deviates. This is one of Ryoma's killer moves, sweeping the youth group in Qin Prefecture within a year. Even players of his caliber struggle to return it."
The youth were thoroughly intimidated.
On the last shot, he actually gave up resistance. In reality, Ryoma's final shot was just a gentle swing. The tennis ball bounced near the youth after a momentary bounce, creating a humorous scene.
Chapter one concludes.
Yang Feng took a deep breath.
He never thought that, despite knowing nothing about tennis, he would feel such a strong sense of immersion into a tennis sports novel.