The Silent Storm
For an entire month, Jian Chen vanished from the public eye. There were no interviews, no appearances, no social media updates—just an unyielding focus on training. The world of badminton buzzed with speculation about what the rising star was up to. But those who saw him during that time would have described him as a man possessed.
Jian's training was brutal, a daily assault on his body and mind. Every session pushed him further than the day before, and he demanded nothing less than perfection from himself.
The Training RegimenMorning Weights and Sprints
Jian's day started before dawn with a punishing combination of strength and endurance training. With a weighted vest, ankle weights, and wrist weights totaling an extra 20 kilograms, Jian sprinted around the academy's track.
10 laps at maximum speed: The added weight turned his legs into lead, but Jian refused to stop until his coach's stopwatch showed a faster time than the previous day.High-knee drills and hill sprints: Coach Liu made him sprint uphill repeatedly, shouting, "Faster, Jian! You want to reach the top? Then earn it!"Shadow Drills and Shuttle Feeder
After his morning run, Jian headed to the indoor court. Still carrying the 20 kilograms, he performed shadow drills, mimicking footwork and strokes without a shuttle.
"Don't just move—float," Coach Liu barked. "Your footwork should feel effortless, even with that weight."
Once the shadow drills were done, Jian faced the shuttle feeder, set to its fastest speed. The feeder fired shuttles at random angles and heights, forcing Jian to react instantly.
"Stay sharp!" Liu yelled. "International players won't wait for you to catch your breath!"
Midday Match Play
Jian spent his afternoons in match simulations. Whether against his academy teammates or sparring partners from other academies, he always played with the extra weight strapped to his body. The added resistance slowed his movements slightly, but his mind worked double time to compensate, predicting his opponents' shots before they happened.
The Invaders
As word of Jian's rigorous training spread, academies from around the world began sending their best players to test him. These weren't just students—they were rising stars from countries with strong badminton traditions: Japan, Denmark, South Korea, Indonesia, and more.
One by one, they came to Jian's academy, and one by one, they fell.
A Japanese player known for his lightning-fast smashes managed to score 8 points against Jian before being overwhelmed.A South Korean prodigy with impeccable defense stretched the rallies but lost decisively, 21-7, 21-9.An Indonesian player known for aggressive net play found himself unable to keep up with Jian's deceptive drops and cross-court smashes.
With every match, Jian refined his technique further. The weights on his body remained constant, even as he faced increasingly skilled opponents.
The Challenger from Germany
One day, the academy buzzed with excitement as a new challenger arrived. He was tall and lean, with a commanding presence that immediately caught everyone's attention. His name was Markus Steiner, a 19-year-old German prodigy ranked in the top 50 juniors worldwide.
Steiner was known for his powerful smashes and unshakable composure on the court. Unlike the others who had faced Jian, Steiner exuded quiet confidence.
"I've heard the rumors," Steiner said when they met on the court. "You're good, Chen Jian. But let's see if you can handle me."
Jian smirked, adjusting the straps on his weighted vest. "Let's see if you can handle me," he replied.
The Match
The first rally set the tone. Markus opened with a blistering smash, but Jian returned it effortlessly, sending the shuttle skimming over the net. The exchange continued, fast and furious, until Markus miscalculated a drop shot, giving Jian the first point.
Markus frowned, realizing this wouldn't be an easy match.
The first game was a showcase of Jian's adaptability. Markus's smashes came hard and fast, but Jian's defensive game was unshakable. Even with the 20 kilograms weighing him down, he moved with precision, returning every shot with pinpoint accuracy.
The scoreboard told the story: 21-9.
The Second Game: A Close Call
In the second game, Markus adjusted his strategy. He played to wear Jian down, forcing longer rallies and exploiting the weight slowing Jian's movements. For the first time in weeks, Jian found himself trailing.
At 19-18, Markus had a chance to take the game. He launched a powerful cross-court smash, and the crowd held its breath. But Jian, anticipating the shot, dove to his left and sent a perfect counter-smash just inside the line.
With the score tied at 19-19, Jian refocused. He won the next two points with a combination of deceptive net play and a devastating smash, taking the second game 21-19.
The Revelation
As the match ended, Markus walked to the net, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're something else," he said, shaking Jian's hand. "But I almost had you in that second game."
"Almost doesn't count," Jian replied with a faint smile.
Markus laughed, but his amusement turned to shock when Jian unstrapped the weights from his body. First, the vest hit the floor with a thud, followed by the ankle and wrist weights.
The crowd gasped audibly.
Markus stared, wide-eyed. "You were playing with all that weight on you?"
Jian nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. "Yeah. It's part of my training."
Markus's expression darkened with a mix of disbelief and disappointment. "So you weren't even playing at full strength?"
"Not yet," Jian said bluntly, slinging his racket over his shoulder. "But maybe next time."
The News Spreads
The scene went viral. Videos of Jian removing the weights circulated online, with headlines like:
"The Weighted Champion: Chen Jian Destroys Top Academy Players with 20kg Resistance!""Badminton's Rising Star Trains Like a Bull, Competes Like a Legend."
Markus Steiner's name trended briefly, though not for the reasons he'd hoped. Interviewers focused on his reaction to losing against a "handicapped" Jian, and Markus's stoic response became a meme: "He wasn't even trying."
Jian's Resolve
Despite the media frenzy, Jian remained unfazed. To him, the match with Markus was just another step on the path to greatness.
As he reviewed footage of the game that night, he made a mental note of every mistake he'd made, every weakness Markus had exposed. He glanced at his phone, where the picture of Zhang Wei with the word "TARGET" stared back at him.
"One step closer," Jian murmured, his eyes burning with determination.
The journey was far from over, but Jian was ready for whatever came next
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