Chapter 120: A New Title

A 4x100 meter relay time is faster than the sum of four individual 100-meter sprint times. For instance, when most domestic sprinters run around 10.50 seconds for 100 meters, the 4x100 relay time has already broken the 40-second barrier. Simply adding four 10-second runs would total 40 seconds, so how is the relay faster? It’s because each runner in the relay doesn’t start from a standstill; they’re already moving when receiving the baton. This not only improves the overall time but also introduces technical challenges that make the race thrilling to watch. The more technical the moves, the higher the chance of mistakes, which only heightens the excitement. Every major competition sees baton drops.

During practice, Rousseau, running the anchor leg, fails to catch the baton two or three times out of ten attempts. As the lead-off runner, he sometimes struggles to pass the baton one or two times out of ten. Naturally, practice has been limited. Most of Rousseau’s time is spent on physical conditioning. However, when it comes to actual race training, bearing the Glass Crown title, Rousseau has never faltered, which gives coach Lu Jinrong some confidence.

One day after practice, Rousseau and Tian Shiwei eat together in the cafeteria. Mid-meal, Tian suddenly seems downcast and says something puzzling: “I finally understand how Xu Taiming felt before retiring.” Rousseau looks at him, curious. “What feeling?” “It’s like the whole world is advancing rapidly while I’m stuck in place,” Tian replies poetically but with a hint of melancholy. “I can run 100 meters in 10.40 seconds now, but at the East Asian Youth Games, Zhang Zhen ran 10.38, you clocked 10.20, and Pan Kai ran 10.15...” Indeed, in the past few months, interest in track and field, especially sprinting, has surged in the country. The catalyst was Liu Yu’s Olympic gold in the 110-meter hurdles, followed by Pan Kai’s gold at the Izmir Universiade, then Rousseau’s championship at the East Asian Youth Games, and the strong performances by Rousseau, Zhang Zhen, Xiao Qiang, and others at the indoor athletics invitational, which brought domestic indoor sprint times close to world-class levels.

A few days ago, Pan Kai’s victory at the Melbourne Grand Prix and his endorsement deal with brand A·F became the latest highlight. Suddenly, a batch of outstanding sprinters emerged domestically, rapidly elevating the national sprinting standards and leaving other athletes, who maintained their usual pace, feeling outpaced by the times. Tian Shiwei’s 10.40, which in late 2004 would have been highly prized in the Nanyue Province team and earned him a spot at the Asian Games—albeit likely to be knocked out in the first round of qualifiers—is now insufficient. Nestled in the Pengcheng provincial team, Tian isn’t even among the best and can only serve as support for Rousseau in 4x100 relay training.

When Tian mentioned “Xu Taiming,” Rousseau’s concern flickered across his face. “Old Tian, you’re not thinking of retiring, are you?” “Ha, how could that be? Could you manage without me?” Tian chuckled. “I’m not retiring that easily; I’ll run until I’m forty-five.” “Forty-five? You won’t be able to run by then.” “That’s your weakness. I’m not weak.” Tian said confidently. Rousseau scoffed.

Despite the pressure, Rousseau has been in good spirits lately, evident in his endurance levels. On January 7th, 8th, and 9th, his endurance scores upon waking were consistently above 88. Having endurance above 88 not only means abundant physical energy but also fosters a very good mood.

On the 9th, Rousseau was gently awakened by the soft patter of rain, a sound that felt like the world itself was growing and sprouting, filled with vitality and gently pulling him from deep sleep. Opening his eyes, Rousseau saw the sky was dark and, upon drawing back the curtain, noticed light rain falling outside. Rain wasn’t ideal for training, at least for outdoor sessions, but Rousseau’s heart was filled with joy. A glance at his endurance score confirmed it: 89 out of 100.

Then the status bar caught his attention with a message:

“A competition that will determine the course of your life is about to take place. Yet you maintain a stable, healthy, and positive mindset. Under pressure, you have kept your endurance above 88 for three consecutive days, earning the title ‘Sunshine Rainbow Little White Horse.’

This title allows athletes to maintain a pleasant mood while significantly reducing endurance consumption during daily training and competition. Your happiness also brings joy to others. Go forth and be a leader full of personal charm!”

Hmm... Sunshine Rainbow Little White Horse? Rousseau frowned. Wasn’t that a bit childish? But if the description truly reduced endurance consumption during training and competition by a large margin, then it was incredibly useful. Rousseau was currently training with the Glass Crown, carrying the burden of an injury. Just two days ago, he had spent two attribute points to raise ‘Strength’ and ‘Agility’ to 45 and 46 respectively, each just one point shy of the limit. And the competition was only six days away. Time was tight.

If the title truly worked as described, it would be invaluable. It seemed every title in the status bar related to endurance states. The last time, when endurance had remained below 30 for three days, he earned the Glass Crown. Now, after maintaining endurance above 88 for three days, he received the Sunshine Rainbow Little White Horse.

Rousseau wasn’t keen on repeating the title, even silently. Because of the rain, outdoor training was canceled that day. Everyone practiced 4x100 technical baton exchanges in the gymnasium. The teammates noticed Rousseau’s unusually cheerful mood. When others dropped the baton, he merely smiled. Before, although he wouldn’t say much, his expression would always turn sour.

“Rousseau, why are you so happy today? Any good news?” someone asked.

“Must’ve married in a dream,” Tian teased.

“I married you in the dream,” Rousseau replied. “Sunshine!”

What a bold taste! The team burst into laughter. Tian’s face flushed red, caught off guard by Rousseau’s sharp comeback, unable to retort. The gym filled with a lively atmosphere.

During the rest of the training, Rousseau said, “Be careful, don’t keep dropping the baton, rainbow.” Everyone laughed happily.

“Coach, everyone’s in good shape, little white horses,” Rousseau added.

Coach Lu Jinrong laughed heartily.

This was somewhat strange. With the Sunshine Rainbow Little White Horse title active, Rousseau’s endurance consumption had indeed dropped significantly—roughly halved. That was impressive, effectively doubling his training time. However, with the title, Rousseau found himself unconsciously slipping the words “sunshine,” “rainbow,” or “little white horse” into his speech as mood particles. Every time he said one of these words, everyone would burst into laughter. That morning, the bursts of laughter from the sprint team caught the attention of other training groups. It was quite odd.