The Softhearted God [Table Tennis]

Gai Rao comes from Huaxia, today's table tennis powerhouse.

Karl Eriksson comes from Beixue, the table tennis kingdom of yesteryear.

[2020 Jiangcheng World Games]

Right at the last moment, Karl gets into a car accident.

The sixty-eight-year-old head coach is frantic.

By day, he coaches the Beixue national team from the sidelines.

At night, he worries about his "grandson," afraid the boy will have a breakdown and never recover, ruining his future.

He sends one message of concern after another.

Not a single reply.

----(Coach has a breakdown)----

Then, during the women's team event,

Gai Rao, Huaxia's third singles player, takes the court.

Karl watches the livestream and is stunned!

He has never seen such a beautiful serve.

Her slender fingers hover around the little white ball, then spread gracefully apart,

like a flower blooming in her palm,

and in his heart.

----(A miracle revival)----

That single "flower blooming in her palm"

rekindles his love for the little white ball.

When the old coach opens the hospital room door, Karl blurts out:

"Coach, I'm ready!"

[2024 Aicheng World Games]

Karl defeats Huaxia's second-seeded player

and becomes the runner-up.

Reporter: A quick interview with the newly crowned World Games runner-up. This is your first World Games, and you've already achieved such an impressive result. How do you feel?

Karl: The World Games are over. The most important competition coming up is the Shiding Cup in December.

Reporter: Though our runner-up is young, he's impressively humble and composed, already looking forward to his performance at the Shiding Cup in three months!

Karl: Uh, for the balanced development of table tennis around the world, the ITTF has approved mixed doubles teams made up of players from different associations. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Gai Rao and I perform!

Reporter: Gai Rao... Do you know each other?

Karl: We can get to know each other! How about you help me out?

----(Reporter gets excited)----

Reporter: The runner-up says he wants to play mixed doubles with you!

Gai Rao: The runner-up? What's that...?

---- Note: ----

a. This is fiction set in a parallel world, not a true story.

b. A sweet romance, with a main couple and a secondary couple.

Theme: As long as the ball hasn't hit the ground, never give up.