Prince of Tennis: Shocking! Hyotei's Demon King is a Yukimura fangirl!

Chapter 17 Tian Ji's Horse Racing, the Tachibana Siblings of Fudomine

on Monday.

When Wang Yueling arrived at school, she was in a much better mood than usual.

Yukimura's surgery plan has been finalized and is scheduled for this weekend. According to the German doctor's assessment, the probability of recovery is far greater than expected.

The thought was like a piece of candy in his mouth, so sweet that he walked with an unconscious lightness in his step.

As he was changing his shoes in front of the shoe cabinet, several female classmates passed by. One of them glanced at him and whispered to her companion, "It seems like Mochizuki is in a particularly good mood today." Another girl agreed, and the two of them walked away laughing and joking.

Wang Yueling raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and walked towards the classroom with her schoolbag.

The classroom was already mostly full, with people chatting in small groups. He walked to his seat and sat down, lightly brushing the dust off his and his deskmate's desks with his fingertips. Just as he put his schoolbag under the desk and took out his textbook, he heard a series of dragging footsteps coming from the other end of the corridor.

He knew who it was without even turning around.

Cilang rubbed his sleepy eyes and staggered in, looking as if his bones had been removed. His hair was damp with sweat, and his usually arched eyebrows were drooping. His school uniform collar was askew, and he looked listless, like a withered daylily.

He walked to his seat, threw his backpack on the table, slumped into the chair, buried his face in his arms, and only the back of his hairy head was visible.

The noise in the classroom subsided the moment he entered.

Several boys and girls who had been chatting exchanged glances. Some shook their heads, some sighed, and lowered their voices even further.

"Did you hear about yesterday's match?"

"How could I not have heard? They lost 3-0 to an unknown school called Fudomine."

"Shishido singles three... 0:6."

The last number was spoken very softly, as if afraid of being overheard by the people here.

The news of Hyotei's tennis team's defeat to Fudomine yesterday had already spread throughout the school. Hyotei, who had consistently ranked among the top teams in the Kanto Tournament, was shocked to be eliminated in the quarterfinals with a score of 3-0, losing even their direct qualification.

The whispers of discussion, barely audible, drifted into Wang Yueling's ears.

It made him pause in his movement of turning the pages of the book.

Immovable Peak.

Tachibana Yoshihira.

Wang Yueling tapped the table lightly with her fingertips, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes.

It was that crushing defeat in the storyline.

The proud Hyotei suffered a real setback... but... it was somewhat expected.

Ultimately, it's all caused by arrogance.

The DVD's storyline follows Seigaku's perspective. The details of the match are not elaborated on, but he remembers the result very clearly... Hyotei suffered a crushing defeat, Shishido Ryo was kicked out of the starting lineup, and later Hyotei advanced to the Kanto Tournament through the loser's bracket revival match.

Oh, it was just yesterday.

He sighed softly and turned his head to look at the little lamb Cilang beside him.

He slumped listlessly on the table, even his usually perky tuft of hair was flattened. Wang Yueling thought that Cilang was probably feeling sad for the team, after all, losing a game is hard for anyone.

He reached for the insulated bag under the table.

After returning from the hospital yesterday, I made my favorite French dessert, Napoleon cake, with my grandmother.

I originally intended to make some for Yukimura, but then I had too many ingredients left over. Since the kids in the tennis club also love sweets, I made a few extra pieces. The filling is a secret peach cream flavor.

This is perfect for comforting this dejected little lamb.

Just as my hand touched the zipper of the insulated bag, my arm was suddenly gripped by something.

Jiro sprang up from the table at some point and hugged his right arm like a koala, with ridiculously strong strength.

"Ling!!!"

Wang Yueling's ears were ringing from his shout. Before she could even pull her hand away, Cilang had already begun his accusations, speaking at a rapid-fire pace:

"Atobe has gone mad, he's really gone mad!"

"Do you know what he arranged for us during morning training today?"

"Four hundred squats, three hundred push-ups, twenty laps of full-court shuttle runs, and then there was fixed-point ball training, with each person starting with a thousand swings! That training volume is simply impossible for a human to complete. I almost died on the court, you know that! I almost didn't see you again!"

Wang Yueling's lips twitched as she listened to the long string of numbers.

"The fact that you can still come to class means... you're not completely dead."

"It's my indomitable will to survive that's keeping me going!"

Jiro said matter-of-factly, "I felt he was in a particularly bad mood today. He had a dark face the entire morning training session, and no one dared to speak. Even Shinobu didn't dare to joke around. Isn't that terrifying?"

Wang Yueling felt more confident.

Atobe, a proud, flamboyant, and extremely competitive person, must have been severely impacted by yesterday's utter defeat.

Today's events probably indicate that they're determined to reorganize the team.

However, as he listened to Cilang's description of the highly targeted training regimen, a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes.

Four hundred squats, three hundred push-ups, one thousand swings.

He remembered those numbers.

In the chapter on physical training in the white paper, he wrote a rough reference plan, and the recommended amount of basic physical training modules is basically consistent with this.

It seems... Atobe has already finished reading it.

Moreover, the research was very thorough.

"Alright, alright, let go of my arm first." Wang Yueling patted Jilang's arm. "If you don't let go, my arm will be ruined."

Cilang then groaned and relaxed, then slumped back onto the table.

Wang Yueling unzipped her backpack, took out a square oil paper package from the insulated bag, opened it, and pushed it in front of Cilang.

"Try it."

The golden-yellow Napoleon pastry has distinct layers, with a fine powdered sugar sprinkled on the pastry, and the light pink cream in the middle exudes a sweet peach aroma.

Cilang's eyes lit up instantly, his listless appearance vanished, and he sat up straight.

"Did you do this?"

"Yes, I made it yesterday." Wang Yueling pushed the box towards him again. "Eat it."

Cilang picked up a piece, took a bite, and crumbs of pastry fell all over the table. He mumbled "Delicious," his cheeks bulging like a hamster hoarding food.

Looking at his expression, Wang Yueling couldn't help but smile.

The reviews seem pretty good; I think Seiichi will like it too.

"Eat more if you like it. I packed the other tennis club members' portions separately, this one is yours."

He paused, a hint of helplessness in his voice, "Atobe will probably be excited for a while longer; your tennis club is in for a tough time."

Cilang slowed his chewing for a second, looking at him with a mournful expression.

"Can't you say something nice to comfort me?"

"I'm just telling the truth."

Cilang took another bite of the Napoleon pastry. The sweetness in his mouth eased his fatigue, and his tone gradually lowered. He took small bites of the pastry, and his voice was so soft that only the two of them could hear it, filled with deep sadness: "Yesterday's match... Liang lost pretty badly."

Wang Yueling didn't reply, waiting for him to speak.

"He didn't say a word after he came back... Later, Atobe said he was temporarily transferred back to the Second Army." Jiro's hand, holding a Napoleon pastry, hovered in mid-air, not putting it in his mouth. "I haven't seen him all day; he's probably feeling really bad."

Wang Yueling hummed in agreement, indicating that she was listening attentively.

"The loser's bracket revival match the day after tomorrow, the opponent is St. Rudolph."

Cilang turned to look at him, his eyes different from usual. They held less of his usual laziness and more seriousness, along with a thirst for victory—a clear-headedness born from being harshly awakened by reality. His voice was bright and resolute:

"Ling, we will never underestimate our opponents again, really, never again... and we will never lose again."

Wang Yueling looked into his eyes, and her heart stirred slightly.

Yesterday's match was indeed a meaningful baptism for the Hyotei Tennis Club. Even Jiro, who usually doesn't care about anything except eating and sleeping, was moved.

Not easy.

He reached out and ruffled Cilang's hair twice.

His voice was gentle yet firm.

"You'll definitely advance."

Jiro's head shook slightly from being rubbed, but he didn't flinch. His tone carried the stubbornness and defiance of youth, "Of course! We will definitely win back and show everyone that Hyotei is still Hyotei!"

The voice wasn't loud, but people in the rows in front, behind, left, and right all heard it.

A boy sitting in front turned around and leaned over, adjusting his glasses. He said in a serious tone, "Ci Lang, the competition is the day after tomorrow, right? Our art club is going out for a sketching trip the day after tomorrow, so we don't have to go back to school. We'll go as a group to cheer you on."

"Our photography club happens to have some free time, so we'll go too! We just got a new batch of colorful support flags this week, so we'll take them out and show them off."

"My literary society will go too."

Count me in.

"I definitely have to go to the tennis club match! I'll make sure to get my revenge the day after tomorrow!"

"That's right, I'll bring it with me. I'll shout until my voice is hoarse!"

……

The atmosphere in the classroom instantly became lively as everyone chatted amongst themselves.

Cilang paused for a moment, then slowly a smile spread across his face. His earlier dejection had mostly dissipated, and he chuckled twice: "Then you'd better shout louder when the time comes."

Wang Yueling leaned back in her chair, listening to the sounds around her, a smile playing on her lips.

My mind was racing with thoughts.

The Hyotei Tennis Club holds a truly special place in the hearts of this school.

Although they have never won the national championship, they have consistently won the runner-up and third place for many years. The personal charisma of the previous captains, combined with Atobe's leadership and the team's strong capabilities, has enabled them to maintain such good results.

Based on this momentum, although they might not reach the top of the national rankings, they would be close enough to do so.

The problem is, there are too many "dark horses" this year.

The dark horse – Seigaku – is the main character group, with the protagonist's halo at its peak. Hyotei became their stepping stone in the Kanto Tournament, used to gain experience and improve their strength. The little dark horse – Fudomine – is related to Seigaku and is their ally. Backed by the protagonist's halo, they have benefited from it to some extent, and their momentum is ridiculously strong.

He felt that Fudomine used some strategy in yesterday's game.

It might be that strategy—Tian Ji's horse racing.

Yoshihira Tachibana is a national-level player, so he should have some common sense. The fact that he kept his information very secret before the match speaks volumes.

If Hyotei didn't expect him to be at Fudomine because they were too arrogant and hadn't investigated properly, then how come even Seigaku's Inui Sadaharu, that data maniac, didn't collect relevant information during the regional tournament?

Isn't that strange?

That's quite strange.

Yoshihira Tachibana is gambling.

Bet on Hyotei's arrogance, bet on their disdain for gathering information on new teams, bet on their lack of respect for them, and thus make the wrong troop deployment.

He then put his strongest player in doubles and played singles against the final opponent, aiming for a quick victory.

He clearly won his gamble, and even labeled his team a dark horse, killing two birds with one stone.

Oh……

No, no, no!!!

It can't really be called gambling.

He had a thorough understanding of Hyotei's personality.

Moreover, they also have the move of Ju Xing.

Ryo Mochizuki recalled the anime DVDs she watched in her past life, where Anzu Tachibana challenged Atobe on a street tennis court, saying something like, "If you win, I'll be your girlfriend"... How could a normal girl say something like that?!

It was clearly a test of Atobe and Kabaji's strength by using Momoshiro and Kamio, those two simple-minded guys.

That little brat is quite cunning and resourceful.

At that time, Fudomine had already played against Seigaku in the regional tournament, and Tachibana Kichihei happened to have a bye and did not play. Hyotei's people were too arrogant and did not even bother to collect information on the regional tournament, so naturally they would not know that there was a national-level player among them.

Meanwhile, at the street tennis court, Tachibana An keenly noticed that Atobe and the others didn't even recognize Kamio.

A quick summary was made.

The biggest possibility of defeating Hyotei is... Hyotei knows nothing about Fudomine, while they have figured out Hyotei's true strength.

In this way, the probability of Tachibana Yoshihira's "Tian Ji's horse racing" strategy winning is greatly increased.

This move can be described as a desperate gamble.

After all, Fudomine doesn't have many players and no substitutes, so putting their best players in the first three matches is their only option.

Now that I think about it carefully...

It was indeed the smartest approach, revealing the opponent's strengths and weaknesses at minimal cost.

……

Off the court, they were far superior to Hyotei!

Wang Yueling glanced at Cilang, who was eating dessert beside her, raised an eyebrow slightly, and sighed inwardly:

"Tennis matches are never just about swinging rackets on the court; intelligence gathering and tactical planning off the court are equally important."

It's a good thing that the Hyotei guys stumbled a few times.