October 2026, General Administration of Sport office building in Beijing.
Inside a simply decorated office, a middle-aged man instantly recognizable to the public sat in an office chair, furrowing his brow as he answered a phone call.
"Alright, regarding this matter, I'll talk to Datou first. Mm, I know, I'll do my best." Hanging up, he let out a sigh.
This sorrowful-looking middle-aged man was none of other than Ma Long—Coach Long—former captain of the Chinese Men's Table Tennis Team, holder of the record for the most table tennis world championship titles in history, the undefeated king who dominated the table tennis world for over a decade, the hexagonal warrior, a legend in the eyes of the world, and the current head coach of the Chinese Men's Team.
Ever since the Paris Olympic Games two years ago, where Ma Long led the Chinese Team to victory in the men's team and men's singles events, he gradually stepped down from his position as a core player on the men's team. He assumed a new identity as a men's team coach, continuing to lead the Chinese Team toward new horizons.
In the span of nearly three years, he went from being a coach to the head of the men's coaching staff.
When it came to Captain Long, or Coach Long, everyone admired him from the bottom of their hearts, feeling that he was capable of anything. But the current problem was one that even the almighty Captain Long found somewhat tricky.
He pressed his right hand against his forehead, feeling a rather cool sensation on top. Ah, he had lost so much hair lately again. No wonder they said being a coach makes you age fast; these past two years made him feel ten years older. He hadn't felt this way back when he was an athlete, but now he truly regretted his past choices. What a bunch of disobedient and worrisome rascals!
Massaging his temples, he thought for a moment before slowly picking up his phone and dialing another number. After ringing seven or eight times, the call was finally answered, but the voice on the other end was noticeably listless.
"Hello, Brother Long, what do you need?"
Hearing that raspy voice, Ma Long felt a surge of exasperated disappointment, his tone dropping two degrees colder. "Are you in the team dorms? Come over to my office right now, I have something to discuss with you."
"Oh, Brother Long, just say what you have to say over the phone. Making a trip over is such a pain." The man on the phone spoke with a hoarse, duck-like voice; one could tell instantly that he hadn't been resting well lately.
"Wang Chuqin, I'll say this one more time! Get to my office in half an hour, we're talking about serious business! Also, Director Yu from CCTV is coming over too, so dress properly." Ma Long raised his volume. Hearing a reluctant "Oh" from the other end, he hung up the phone.
Half an hour later, as the door to Coach Long's office was pushed open, a man appeared at the entrance with unkempt hair, an unshaven beard, bloodshot and reddened eyes, wearing a drab, oversized grey down jacket, and sliding in wearing a pair of red slippers.
Seeing him walk in looking like this, the blood rushed straight to Captain Long's head. Look at this hopeless young rascal, look at how he's let himself go these past few days.
The other middle-aged man in the office reacted even more strongly. Yu Qingzhe's jaw dropped in shock, his eyes filled with sheer disbelief.
Was this Wang Chuqin, the current captain of the Chinese Men's Table Tennis Team?!
He clearly remembered that just three months ago, the person standing on the top of the Asian Cup podium was a spirited, clean, and sharp-looking young man. And two years prior, he had been right there in person when Wang Chuqin captured three gold medals in Olympic singles, mixed doubles, and the team event.
The pride and dominance with which the young man looked toward the camera, combined with the tenderness and affection he showed his mixed-doubles partner, had the entire world cheering for them. Could this really be the same person? Perhaps that rumor was true after all?
Seeing the look of astonishment on Director Yu's face, Captain Long offered an embarrassed smile and hurriedly made introductions.
"Director Yu, this is Wang Chuqin. They've been quite busy with training recently, so I had to call him over on short notice... Datou, this is Director Yu Qingzhe from CCTV, the director in charge of the program Glory of Chinese Table Tennis. Have a seat, everyone, sit down."
After the three of them sat down, Director Yu explained the purpose of his visit. CCTV was currently preparing to plan a new large-scale cultural and entertainment program—Glory of Chinese Table Tennis—which would primarily use innovative presentation methods combining documentaries, dramatic film adaptations, and reality television to showcase the tumultuous journey of the Chinese Team as the Dream Team battling the world since the year 2000.
Documentaries were common, and sports-themed films and television dramas were also common, but this kind of reality TV format combining documentaries with cinematic elements was something only CCTV would attempt. Similar past productions included National Treasure and Poetic China.
This was also CCTV's first venture into the sports domain, and the entire station attached great importance to it and held high hopes for it. After all, the overwhelming popularity and public affection for the Chinese Team, coupled with the legendary experiences of the athletes, made them exceptionally well-suited for cultural and entertainment creation.