Chapter 61: The Voice of Youth (5)
As night fell, Yin Guo, Lin Lin, and Liu Xiran joined forces to claim victory in the women's 9-ball team event, China's strongest discipline.
This marked the fifth gold medal, securing their top position on the medal tally.
The moment they clinched the championship, the three of them were overwhelmed with excitement.
It wasn’t just for themselves—this gold medal also alleviated some of the pressure on the men's Snooker team.
During dinner backstage, Yin Guo took advantage of the short break to sit beside Lin Yiyang and feed him a few bites. Lin Yiyang smiled, taking the fork from her hand, and murmured, "I'm not completely helpless. I can eat."
She gently touched the back of his hand but said nothing.
With all their matches concluded, many teammates began browsing the news online—checking updates on other events for motivation, or reading about their own for pride. Though the Asian Games no longer garnered as much attention as before, for the athletes, it remained a major competition.
Everyone had seen the negative comments online, but no one spoke about them, not even exchanging a single word, afraid the three Snooker players yet to compete might overhear.
Yet frustration simmered beneath the surface.
Ever since the withdrawal, harsh remarks had surfaced—
"Only been competing for a little over a year—how could he have an old injury? Just making excuses to avoid losing."
"I think so too. Withdrawing sounds better than losing."
"He competed in the U.S. last year and probably looks down on Chinese tournaments. Who knows why he even came back?"
"He’s got tons of endorsements in the U.S. He’s already a commercialized player. He returned because the Chinese market is huge—build his reputation here, rake in more sponsorships."Athletes losing their original intention, only caring about money.""
...
Lin Yiyang lowered his head, placing the food container on his lap as he took a few bites.
His height made eating like this uncomfortable.
"Bring me a chair," he said, uncharacteristically asking for her help.
Yin Guo pulled over a chair and helped him set the container on it.
Lin Yiyang had always eaten quickly, and soon finished his meal. Noticing Yin Guo lost in thought, he assumed she was just worried about him and ruffled her hair. "One gold and one silver—still not happy?"
Yin Guo deliberately shifted the topic. "Where do you want to go after the competition? My treat."
He chuckled but didn’t answer.
They locked eyes.
"We’ll talk after the match," he finally said.
Handing her the empty container and fork, he picked up his water bottle and took a few sips to soothe his throat.
Tonight, the billiards hall would host its final match—the last Snooker event of the Asian Games, the highly anticipated men's team Snooker competition.
Beside the playing area, three chairs and small side tables were arranged on each side for water bottles.
As soon as Lin Yiyang entered the venue, he and the Indian team captain approached the referee to confirm the playing order.
A total of 12 frames—9 singles, 3 doubles.
In singles, each player would compete in 3 frames against three different opponents.
In doubles, each would play 2 frames.
Every player would face 5 frames in total.
First round: singles.
Lin Yiyang was the first to step up. Knowing this might be his best frame of the night, he had to finish it swiftly. Charging ahead, he secured the first point in just 12 minutes.
Jiang Yang faced the opposing team’s strongest player—their captain—and lost the frame.Meng Xiaodong had just clinched the gold medal, and his opponent happened to be the same one he faced in the semifinals. With prior experience to draw from, he naturally achieved twice the result with half the effort, securing the second point.
By the end of this round, the score was 2:1, with Team China temporarily in the lead.
The second round was doubles.
Lin Yiyang and Jiang Yang partnered up—a pair of injured players who naturally stood little chance. Their loss was hardly surprising.
The score evened out at 2:2.
"Close fight," Jiang Yang remarked calmly as he returned to his seat. "All that for nothing."
"The weakest pairing has already been used up, no worries," Meng Xiaodong said. "It’ll only get better from here."
Though Jiang Yang agreed, he couldn’t help but feel stung by the "weakest" comment, shooting a glance at Meng Xiaodong. The kid rarely got a chance to mock him and was making the most of it.
Second round singles.
Jiang Yang took the stage and swiftly secured a point.
Lin Yiyang struggled midway through his match, clearly exhausted, and lost.
Meng Xiaodong, not in top form, also lost.
The score stood at 3:4, with Team China at a disadvantage.
Lin Yiyang knew that after pushing through two quick matches, he’d have to step back from the main stage… He had poured nearly all his energy into those two singles rounds.
The second doubles match would pair Jiang Yang and Meng Xiaodong.
Ten minutes before stepping onto the court, Meng Xiaodong left his seat and walked over to Team China’s rest area to calm his nerves. He knew the next two doubles matches would rest entirely on his shoulders…
He spotted Lin Lin. After watching her for a moment, he turned back.
Second doubles match.
Meng Xiaodong and Jiang Yang partnered up. Meng Xiaodong found his rhythm again, guiding Jiang Yang steadily and assisting in one attack after another.
In the end, the match lasted 37 minutes, finally earning Team China another point.
The score remained deadlocked—4:4.
Jiang Yang suddenly turned to Lin Yiyang. "How many months are you going to be out of commission after today?" The next Open was definitely off the table.
Lin Yiyang glanced at him but said nothing.
Jiang Yang then said to Meng Xiaodong, "Make the most of it while he’s sidelined. Push his ranking to the bottom."
Meng Xiaodong just stared at Jiang Yang, not in the mood to respond.
……
Third round singles.
Meng Xiaodong stormed onto the court, overwhelming his opponent with the most spectacular match of the night—a 118 break to win.
The score became 5:4.
Jiang Yang, meanwhile, adopted the most drawn-out strategy, winning the longest match of the night—51 minutes.
Final singles round…
Lin Yiyang spent the entire match on the bench, ending the night with the worst score—0 points.
Truthfully, it was a blessing in disguise. His final opponent was their strongest player, and in his current state, he stood no chance.
Better to stay on the bench and conserve his energy.
"Good sportsmanship," Lin Yiyang commented. "They knew I’d be in the final doubles, so they didn’t even let me touch the cue this round."
"Of course, no throwing matches," Jiang Yang said offhandedly. "They were in top form. You, on the other hand, just got lucky."
He couldn’t deny that.
Lin Yiyang had always known luck was on his side, especially these past two years. Maybe it really lived up to his name—hardship first, success later.
With all singles matches concluded, the score was 6:5.
It could be said this was one of the most frustrating nights of their careers—fighting so hard only to lead by a single point.
Only a win in the final match would secure victory; a loss would mean a tie.
And then there’d be a playoff…
Meng Xiaodong, feigning calm, picked up his glass and took a sip of water.
"It’s empty," Jiang Yang reminded him from the side, pouring some of his own water into Meng Xiaodong’s glass.Meng Xiaodong stared at the water in his glass, his obsessive cleanliness kicking in. After hesitating for over ten seconds, he finally set the cup down.
Jiang Yang wore a complicated expression as he watched Meng Xiaodong pick up his cue first and walk to the table. Lin Yiyang had been wearing his waistcoat throughout this tournament—after all, for the Snooker Association, dress code was paramount.
Taking it off to play 10-ball in the afternoon was fine, but tonight’s Snooker match demanded full formality.
Lin Yiyang gripped his cue with his left hand and moved to stand beside Meng Xiaodong.
“We have to win this frame,” Meng Xiaodong said. “You and Jiang Yang can’t handle a tiebreaker.”
Lin Yiyang didn’t respond, but he understood.
For two injured players to have made it this far was already a miracle—a tiebreaker would mean certain defeat.
The break-off belonged to China.
Lin Yiyang stepped past Meng Xiaodong, yielding the shot to him.
Meng Xiaodong would lead the offense, while Lin Yiyang would look for opportunities to play a snooker, forcing fouls from their opponents.
Of course, this required coordination with Meng Xiaodong, but the two had never played doubles before—never fought side by side. They had always been rivals… Lin Yiyang glanced at Meng Xiaodong, already bent over the table, lining up his shot. The best opponent made the best partner.
The reds scattered across the table, widely dispersed.
From the sidelines, Yin Guo looked up at the live broadcast screen.
Lin Yiyang was truly a master at playing snookers—seizing a single opportunity to force eight consecutive fouls from their opponents… She remembered what he had told her at the start of training: Even in poor form, make sure your opponent loses.
The opening hadn’t been ideal, but after Lin Yiyang forced those fouls, Meng Xiaodong seized the momentum, and together they took control of the frame. When the tide was in their favor, the smartest choice was to finish the match quickly.
Meng Xiaodong was unfazed—if he were playing alone, he would’ve already cleared the table in one go.
But alternating shots meant he had to adjust to Lin Yiyang’s rhythm.
No one could see it, but beneath his waistcoat, Lin Yiyang’s shirt was soaked through, front and back.
Mostly from the pain.
He had adopted Meng Xiaodong’s signature stance, his brow furrowed the entire time. With only three reds left on the table, he was running purely on willpower. By the time only the color balls remained and victory was within reach, the live cameras clearly showed sweat streaming down his face and neck…
His fingers felt weak. Three balls left.
The second-to-last was Lin Yiyang’s shot. Jiang Yang sat on the bench, gripping his glass, while Meng Xiaodong stood to Lin Yiyang’s right—both holding their breath.
The shot was tricky, but under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t have been a problem for him…
Lin Yiyang drew his cue back slowly, eyes locked on the tip as it struck the white ball. The white nudged the pink, which was resting against the cushion, and both balls rolled slowly toward the corner pocket.
Earlier in the day, he could’ve judged whether the shot would land.
Now, even after striking, he had no idea—until the pink dropped, and applause erupted around him. Finally straightening up, he leaned on his cue and smiled.
In the end, Meng Xiaodong potted the black.
That late night, in the final doubles frame, Team China secured their victory.
The moment the black sank, thunderous applause shook the arena.
This men’s team gold had been hard-won. Compared to the women’s team’s sweeping dominance, this match had been like a healthy Meng Xiaodong dragging two injured brothers through the entire battle.
With both players injured, they had endured twelve grueling frames—and in the end, claimed the very last gold medal in this venue!
Also the final gold for China’s billiards team in this tournament!
...The sarcastic remarks from outside the venue about his withdrawal from the competition—he hadn’t had the chance to see them yet.
All he had before him were applauding spectators, the sound of clapping in his ears, the excited commentary and closing remarks from the announcers...
After the intense pressure, Lin Yiyang’s left hand had completely given out, and so had his legs. He slowly wiped the sweat from his face, only to find his hand drenched… it was as if he’d joined the diving team.
He tilted his head back, resting it on Jiang Yang’s shoulder, closed his eyes, and smiled as he listened to the applause: “Can two people receive the award together… I really can’t walk anymore.”
Author’s Note:
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The last Asian Games men’s team gold medal was also ours.
……
Regarding Lin Yiyang’s 9-ball gold medal, everyone felt it was an idealized win—he suddenly just took it (since 9-ball and 8-ball are related, I’ll mention them together).
The first half of the story included these details: Lin Yiyang owns a pool hall in Washington, where he works as a coach. He plays every day, teaches others, and once trained a regional champion (who gifted him a white YSL T-shirt). During Yin Guo’s first Open, one of his male students made it to the quarterfinals—these were his achievements as a coach. His pool hall often had regional champions coming to challenge him, and he’d casually make them “kneel.” The first time he played in front of Yin Guo, he also made a regional champion kneel instantly.
These were his experiences during his three years in the U.S.
His 9-ball skills have always been at their peak, never declining. He even crushed Yin Guo during practice (Yin Guo is the women’s world No. 3, last year’s U.S. Open silver medalist, and this year’s gold medalist).
All of this was already written in the story.
So it’s not like he only regained his peak after returning to China. He’s already a coach who has trained outstanding students and doesn’t need specialized guidance from others.
Hope that clarifies the 9-ball part.
As for Snooker, his first championship was a national title in China. Last year, he spent a year adapting to the competitive scene, and his ranking was consistently lower than Meng Xiaodong and Jiang Yang—it was mentioned in the story that he only made it to the top 16. But this year, he regained his form and returned to the same level as Meng Xiaodong and Jiang Yang.
How closely related are Snooker and 9-ball? Snooker players tend to excel at 9-ball, and 9-ball players can temporarily switch to Snooker for events like the Asian Games and even win gold. There are examples of players transitioning between the two disciplines. Since he never left the 9-ball scene, his form has always been there.
Hope that clarifies the Snooker part as well.
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