From Si Bing'an's uncharacteristically cold attitude, it wasn't hard for Guo Yi to tell—Tang Ming had definitely brought him to this club on purpose.
Otherwise—with the illustrious Director Tang standing right there, how could a student like Si Bing'an possibly be so rude?
But fine.
Tang Ming could play dumb all he wanted—Guo Yi's ability to throw the pot wasn't half-bad either.
He put on a puzzled face.
"Why do I need a reason?"
"Director Tang told me to come, so I came."
"Isn't that reason enough?"
At those words, Si Bing'an's expression turned completely frigid.
Her eyes, sharp and icy like frost, turned toward Tang Ming, clearly demanding an explanation.
Tang Ming, of course, had already prepared for this.
Heh, Teacher Guo, you should've just let me promote you obediently!
Hiding his glee, he put on a solemn face.
"Xiao Bing, don't misunderstand. I just brought him here—whether Teacher Guo becomes your club's coach or not, that's up to you."
Then he turned back to Guo Yi, his tone steady but full of bait.
"Teacher Guo, if you can't join the club, I'll have no choice but to promote you by force."
"You can't blame me—it'll be your own doing."
Oh, I see how it is.
So this is where you wanted me cornered, huh?
Guo Yi couldn't help muttering inwardly.
And on the side, Si Bing'an had also more or less pieced it together.
Though it sounded ridiculous, judging from what she saw, it seemed Director Tang wanted to promote this Teacher Guo—but Teacher Guo refused.
So Director Tang had decided to make things difficult for him through the club.
Whatever the truth, one thing was certain: as long as this Teacher Guo didn't display tennis skills worthy of her acknowledgment, she would never approve of him becoming their coach.
Her gaze returned to Guo Yi, calm but unyielding.
"Teacher Guo, I'll ask again—what qualifies you to be this club's coach?"
Guo Yi shot Tang Ming a slightly annoyed look.
Sure, he could've just dropped everything and walked off, but that would've been too humiliating.
Since Tang Ming had set this little trap, then fine—he'd just make sure the man's plans backfired spectacularly.
He smiled lightly.
"My qualification?"
"Simple. My strength, of course."
Strength?
At that, Si Bing'an let out a cold laugh.
Did he really think tennis was like Pokémon training—that strong Pokémon somehow equaled strong tennis?
"Well then," she said coolly, "since Teacher Guo is so confident, let's have a match."
"If you win—no, if you can even score one point off me, I'll recognize you as our coach."
Guo Yi raised an eyebrow.
So confident, huh?
But when it came to confidence… who could rival him?
"Sure," he said without hesitation.
"But let's change the rule."
"If you score even one point off me, I'll admit defeat."
At that, Tang Ming's eyes widened.
"So arrogant?"
"Xiao Bing's a national-level tennis player! Teacher Guo better not be underestimating her just because she's a student."
"Should I… warn him?"
Of course, deep down, Tang Ming was actually hoping Guo Yi would lose.
That way, he'd have a perfect excuse to promote him.
But still—he didn't want Guo Yi to lose too miserably.
Otherwise, if Guo Yi bore a grudge, that'd be a real headache.
Sigh…
All this effort just to promote someone—clearly, I'm far too responsible for my own good.
While Tang Ming was torn between glee and anxiety, Guo Yi and Si Bing'an were already standing across from each other on the court.
"Si Bing'an, could I borrow a racket? I came in a rush and didn't bring one."
Guo Yi spoke with an easy smile.
Hearing that, Si Bing'an nearly laughed aloud.
He doesn't even have his own racket, and he's talking about zeroing me out?
What a joke.
Suppressing her scoff, she walked over to her bag and pulled out a spare racket, handing it to him.
"This one's custom-made for me. Try it out—see if it suits you."
"If not, I can fetch one from another member."
Guo Yi took the racket, gave it a few lazy swings, and nodded.
"Feels good. Works fine."
Yet the way he swung the racket only confirmed her suspicion: his grip, his stance, his swing—everything screamed amateur.
He doesn't even know how to hold a racket properly, and he calls himself a pro?
At this point, Si Bing'an's opinion of him had plummeted to rock bottom.
She just wanted to end this ridiculous match as soon as possible.
Naturally, the duel drew attention from the other club members nearby.
"Wait—someone's challenging the president?"
"Isn't that the Guo Yi who's been trending online?"
"The Pokémon instructor? What's he doing in our tennis club?"
"Whatever, let's watch!"
The crowd gathered around the court, curious.
Meanwhile, Guo Yi quietly opened his [System Mall] interface.
As a renowned teacher, versatility was his trademark.
Tennis? Child's play.
He spent 2000 Mentor Points—and instantly, Guo Yi became a seasoned tennis veteran,
techniques and reflexes honed to perfection.
"Why isn't he serving yet?"
"What's he doing, posing?"
The bystanders were starting to lose patience—but before they could say another word—
BANG!
The serve exploded off his racket.
Before Si Bing'an could even react, the tennis ball shot past her shoulder and slammed into the chain-link fence behind.
The entire court fell silent.
Mouths gaped open.
Eyes widened.
No one spoke.
An ace.
Dear god.
Their president had just been aced—by Teacher Guo.
Even Si Bing'an stood there, staring at the ball embedded in the fence behind her.
"So… so fast…"
"I didn't even… have time to react…"
As she tried to process what had happened,
Guo Yi's lazy voice drifted over, calm and almost teasing:
"Sorry about that."
"Haven't played in a while. Guess my hand's a bit stiff—used a bit too much force."
Of course, that was deliberate.
He hadn't "misjudged his strength" at all.
He just wanted to give this little firebrand a proper wake-up call.
Si Bing'an closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then another.
You can do this, Si Bing'an. That was just a fluke. You'll return it next time.
As expected of a national-level player—her mental fortitude was remarkable.
After a brief self pep talk, her composure returned.
Guo Yi could see the change in her demeanor.
So for the second serve, he held back a little.
"I see it!"
Though the ball still came fast, Si Bing'an could at least track its trajectory now.
She lunged forward, legs springing, racket swinging.
Smack!
The crisp sound of impact rang out, and a small smile lit her face.
I hit it back!
But—
"30:0."
Guo Yi's unhurried voice followed immediately, along with a blur of yellow shooting past her again.
Though she had managed to return the serve, she couldn't withstand his counterattack at all.
Her lips pressed together, pale and trembling.
She could see it clearly now—the difference between them was enormous.
Still, she refused to yield.
Even if she couldn't win, she would finish the match.
But sheer determination couldn't bridge the gulf of power.
From then on, it became pure domination.
Guo Yi toyed with her effortlessly—high lobs, sharp spins, delicate drop shots, half-volleys—each executed with perfect precision.
Si Bing'an didn't just fail to score a point; she could count on one hand how many of his shots she even managed to touch.
...
Finally, with a clean, slicing half-volley, the match came to an end.
"60:0."
"Student Si Bing'an—you've lost."
Guo Yi smiled faintly.
Though he had just finished a full match, not a single drop of sweat touched his face—he looked utterly relaxed.
It was clear, then—his tennis ability was unfathomable.
Tang Ming, watching from the sidelines, was completely stunned.
"He won?"
"Just like that?"
"What is this guy? It's one thing to be a prodigy trainer with terrifying Pokémon, but now he's a sports prodigy too?!"
He suddenly had the urge to grab Guo Yi by the collar and shake him.
How many things are you secretly a master of, you monster?!
"Holy crap!"
"Look at Teacher Guo's feet!"
"He drew a circle around himself during the match!"
"It's true—he didn't even step out of that area the whole time!"
The shocked exclamations of the club members pulled Tang Ming's gaze downward.
And when he looked—his eyes nearly popped out.
Beneath Guo Yi's feet was a perfectly clear semicircular mark—meaning that throughout the entire match, he hadn't taken a single step beyond that boundary, and had still completely crushed Si Bing'an.
At that moment, Tang Ming could only surrender.
"Fine. Fine!"
"If he doesn't want a promotion, I won't give him one."
"A monster like this—just having him stay at Shanghai Pokémon University is blessing enough!"
All thoughts of "helping him shine brighter for the school" vanished completely.
He was terrified that if he kept "helping,"
Guo Yi might shine so bright he'd burn everyone else to ash.
"Teacher Guo, I suddenly remembered something urgent—I'll take my leave!"
Before Guo Yi could say a word, Tang Ming bolted, choosing the thirty-sixth strategy—the strategy of escape.
Guo Yi watched him flee in a panic and shook his head, speechless.
"Count yourself lucky, old fox."
Just as he was about to return the racket, Si Bing'an, still dazed, walked up to him and pointed at the faint mark on the ground.
"What… what technique is that?"
Guo Yi smiled.
"That's called a domain."
"Wanna learn? I can teach you."
Si Bing'an: Σ(⊙Д⊙)!