Chapter 7 – Partner Batting
150 serves equate to about 1% of Growth Potential?
That means, if he wants to reach 100%, he’d need to practice at least 9,450 serves? And that’s assuming every serve contributes effectively to his progress?
As practice continues and stamina wanes, the difficulty will undoubtedly rise exponentially!
Moreover, this is just the first upgrade after obtaining the system. Future upgrades will likely become even harder, making relying solely on practice to level up nearly impossible.
In competitive sports, practice has always been like this. The saying in the performing arts, “One minute on stage comes from ten years of practice behind the scenes,” applies equally to competitive sports. Every step of improvement is cultivated through sweat and hard work. Strengthening skills has never been simple; shortcuts are illusions destined to fail.
Gao Wen understood this clearly, but when he saw the numbers, he couldn’t help but be surprised.
So, this is what they call equivalent exchange?
When Gao Wen first saw the figures, he admitted that his initial reaction was a mix of surprise and slight disappointment, secretly hoping for greater returns. But that brief moment of dejection quickly passed, replaced by renewed excitement—
The most important thing was that he had earned a second chance. Everything was worth celebrating as long as he could stand healthy and strong on the court.
Even if the Growth Potential increase was small, the visible results of his hard work showed that effort indeed brings rewards. That was enough for him.
Furthermore…
How does the “training effect multiplier” manifest?
Gao Wen shifted his focus from the Growth Potential figure to the technical attributes above it. The total score was still 63, unchanged, but the sub-category for serves seemed to have improved slightly.
Previously, serve was the lowest ranked among all categories, even trailing slightly behind forehand. But now, the gap had narrowed, and the two bar graphs looked nearly equal.
Gao Wen hesitated, unsure. Was it just his imagination? Or had his serve truly improved a little?
After all, the starting point for his serves was already quite low. Coupled with the training effect multiplier, even a slight improvement in a short time seemed plausible.
Hypothesis:
If it wasn’t a mistake and the serve category indeed improved, then it indicated the system’s greatest value wasn’t just in the cumulative Growth Potential. Rather, it lies in providing a more scientific, systematic, clear, and detailed training regimen. With the multiplier effect, as long as Gao Wen trained diligently, his skills could steadily improve!
In that sense, the system’s name, “Tennis Training Master,” made perfect sense.
However, this was just the beginning. Only 150 serves had been completed—a mere warm-up. He needed to continue exploring and testing. Over time, whether the numbers improved would become more apparent.
Clenching his fists, Gao Wen reignited his fighting spirit. Full of energy, he began to tidy up the tennis balls scattered across the court, placing them in the supermarket shopping cart.
On the other side of the court, McDonald was practising forehand shots against the wall.
Bang! Bang!
The sound of McDonald’s shots was solid and crisp. He was a classic hard-court player—
His shots were generally flat and fast, with little spin. He relied on quick timing to increase pace, using solid strikes to amplify speed and power, thus gaining an edge in rallies. His contact point was often optimal, typically in the sweet spot, making his shots sound firm and clean.
Additionally, due to his relatively short stature, his footwork was agile and efficient, allowing him to cover the court well with commendable defensive performance.
In his previous life, following this trajectory, McDonald had a noteworthy professional career after transitioning to the tour.
His career-high ranking once reached No. 57 in 2018, and his résumé includes two Grand Slam round-of-16 finishes. In the highly competitive tour environment, he can be considered an outstanding middle-tier player.
Of course, the current McDonald is still young, having just left the junior circuit, and there is still a gap between him and professional-level players. Objectively speaking, his raw ability is still ahead of Gao Wen’s—and by a significant margin. Defeating Gao Wen would not be a difficult task for him.
The autumn season that concluded last month is the most direct evidence of this.
Swoosh!
A slight miscalculation in the timing of a shot—the tennis ball missed the sweet spot, failing to hit the racket cleanly. Instead, it struck the frame and arced high into the air, soaring over McDonald like a cannonball and landing on the other side of the court.
McDonald quickly turned around and saw Gao Wen standing on the opposite side with a broad smile on his face.
“Sorry,” McDonald called out.
“Are you Canadian? You keep saying sorry,” Gao Wen quipped, making McDonald burst into laughter.
Despite the banter, Gao Wen’s feet didn’t stop moving. With a few quick lateral cross-steps, he adjusted his position, his eyes fixed on the ball. As it rebounded to chest height, he executed a forehand downward slice, sending the ball back into play.
The tennis ball drew a descending arc in the air, tracing a diagonal path toward McDonald’s backhand side.
From Gao Wen’s stroke and the ball’s trajectory, it was clear that this was an invitation for training—a forehand drill.
Whoosh!
Seeing this, McDonald intuitively stopped talking and focused.
With a similar lateral shuffle and small steps to adjust his positioning and timing, he swiftly moved to the diagonal spot. He deliberately avoided using his backhand, opting to rotate into a forehand stance instead, accepting Gao Wen’s challenge for a forehand rally. With a flat forehand stroke, he sent the ball back.
The forehand drill had officially begun.
Swish!
From the swing and trajectory of his shot, it was evident that McDonald’s fundamentals were rock-solid. He successfully transferred power to the ball, producing a solid impact sound. The ball returned with increased speed and power, leaving a visible tail of light in the golden sunshine.
T/N – And I am back, I really needed a pause from everything…Oh yeah, I also graduated, so I spent some time partying, but back to translating.
T/N – If you like this novel so far please give it a rating on Novel Updates so that more people will read it…