Chapter 162: The Threat of LEE

Silver-label competitions are generally organized by local athletics associations.

The hotel arranged by the Mexican Athletics Association for athletes and coaches was located right near the Mexico City Olympic Stadium.

This large stadium, situated fifteen kilometers from the city center, could hold over eighty thousand people. It served as the main venue for the Nineteenth Olympic Games and boasted extremely comprehensive facilities. Because of Mexico City's high altitude, it was exceptionally favorable for track and field events such as sprints.

The Olympic Games held here in 1968 gave birth to a basketful of sprint-related world records. For instance, the first men's 100-meter dash under 10 seconds in history, the 200-meter under 20 seconds, and the 400-meter under 44 seconds were all created at this "epic" Olympic Games.

However, the performances in the 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, marathon, and 3,000-meter steeplechase were far inferior to those of the previous or even earlier Olympic Games.

"An altitude of 2,250 meters..."

When they went to the stadium for a trial run in the evening, Lu Suo and Tian Shiwei were amazed by this "epic" stadium environment.

Because they indeed ran faster.

Lu Suo easily clocked a time of 10.04 seconds—keep in mind that his previous personal best was 10.05 seconds.

Meanwhile, Tian Shiwei achieved a time of 10.23 seconds, breaking the 10.25-second barrier for the very first time.

Regarding the impact of high altitude on sprinting, scientists and sports physiologists held two distinct views.

The first viewpoint pertained to the human body itself. Because high altitude features thin air, the oxygen-carrying capacity of human blood increases. During long-distance track events, this slight increase could not offset the disadvantages brought by the oxygen-deficient environment, resulting in a decline in performance.

However, sprinting is an anaerobic exercise, which actually led to an improvement in performance.

The second viewpoint concerned the environment. Using environmental models, some scientists simulated the performance improvement in the 100-meter dash under high-altitude conditions due to reduced air resistance. The experiment pointed out that for every 1,000 meters increase in altitude, a male 100-meter sprinter's performance would improve by 0.1 seconds.

Lu Jinrong felt that both explanations made sense.

After their trial run, Lu Suo and Tian Shiwei simultaneously felt the existence of this "logic."

"Can I push for under 10 seconds now?" Lu Suo felt entirely spirited after his trial run.

"I can totally push for under 10.20 seconds now~" Tian Shiwei chimed in.

Both of them felt the favorable impact brought by the low resistance.

In particular, the times run in this stadium were officially recognized by World Athletics; unlike wind-assisted performances exceeding the limit, these records would stand without dispute.

"Run it a few more times." Lu Suo and Tian Shiwei decided simultaneously.

...

At that moment, Lu Jinrong noticed a group of people approaching the waiting area from the side of the field.

Among the crowd, Lu Jinrong spotted several suspected gang members wearing floral shirts, Montgomery, and an unexpected acquaintance.

Lee Bruce.

The coach of the bounty hunters.

Yet this time, his athletes were nowhere to be seen.

Lee had arrived at the stadium alongside Montgomery, and the floral-shirted gang members by his side were evidently part of their group.

Lu Jinrong saw Lee, and Lee naturally saw Lu Jinrong.

Then, this coach—who looked like a weary, bankrupt middle-aged American—spotted Lu Suo sprinting down the track.

Lee stared intently at Lu Suo's start, acceleration, dash, and finish line crossing.

An experienced coach was much like a veteran traditional Chinese medicine practitioner; a single glance at an athlete's entire running process revealed their current condition and performance level. Although precise timing still required a stopwatch, they could always gauge a reliable range.

Lee slowly began to frown.

He beckoned over one of the men in a floral shirt, spoke a few words, and the man nodded before walking toward Lu Jinrong's direction.

...

Lu Suo crossed the finish line once again.

Feeling the unrestrained sensation brought by the low atmospheric pressure, he realized that after experiencing this stadium, running in any other stadium on the plains would feel as if one's body were wrapped in a layer of plastic sheeting.

He would definitely run a great time here~

Just at that moment.

Lu Suo suddenly heard someone calling him from the side of the field. Looking over, he saw Lu Jinrong waving at him, signaling that it was time to leave.

The time... wasn't up yet, was it?

Lu Suo felt that this trial run had ended rather early, but without giving it much thought, he left the track along with Tian Shiwei.

At that moment, Lu Suo noticed the group of people waiting by the side of the field.

"Isn't that Lee?" Tian Shiwei also recognized the coach.

Aside from Lee, Lu Suo also spotted Montgomery. Judging by the positioning and posture of the two, was Lee acting as Montgomery's coach?

This combination felt somewhat bizarre.

...

On the way back.

Lu Jinrong remained silent the entire time.

Upon returning to the hotel, Lu Jinrong finally told Lu Suo and Tian Shiwei, "Pack your luggage. We are leaving Mexico City tonight."

Huh?

This statement made Lu Suo and Tian Shiwei wonder if they were experiencing auditory hallucinations.

Why leave before the competition had even started?

"A Mexican gangster told me just now that we'd better not participate in this competition," Lu Jinrong said.

Ah... Lu Suo and Tian Shiwei understood.

They felt somewhat unwilling.

But they understood.

Those gangsters actually had guns.

An accident had indeed occurred this time around.

"Are we just going to... leave like this?" Tian Shiwei asked.

"Yes, we're leaving," Lu Jinrong said very resolutely. "This is just a competition; I cannot let you guys risk your lives to compete."

"But just running away because someone scared us a little..." Tian Shiwei still felt something was amiss.

Lu Suo nodded at Tian Shiwei, signaling him to say no more. The coach's decision was correct. The world of gangsters belonged to a completely different realm, one that should never cross paths with sports. Once they intersected, the direction events might take would become entirely unpredictable.

Consequently, Lu Suo and Tian Shiwei went to pack their luggage, while Lu Jinrong asked Si Rou to book tickets. Although Si Rou had no language barrier, she lacked connections and couldn't secure tickets immediately. Therefore, Lu Jinrong called the embassy. Upon hearing the situation relayed by Lu Jinrong, the embassy attached great importance to it.

"We will call the local athletics association to communicate. This concerns the personal safety of our country's citizens and cannot be taken lightly. Additionally, we will help you coordinate flight tickets."

Hearing the definitive reply from the embassy staff, Lu Jinrong finally set his mind at ease. Being abroad, one still had to rely on the support of the motherland behind them.

What followed was an unexpected turn of events.

About an hour and a half later.

Embassy staff arrived at the hotel, secured a small meeting room, and invited the coach, athletes, and team leader for a discussion. Seated inside the hotel meeting room, alongside the embassy staff, were Lee and a middle-aged Mexican man who introduced himself as Pablo, the president of the Mexican Athletics Association.

He was a middle-aged Mexican with a full head of curly hair and a gentle smile, stating that the whole affair was merely a misunderstanding and offering his sincere apologies for the events of the afternoon.

"...Mexico City is a city with a glorious sporting history, and any outstanding athlete will receive god-like treatment here. If certain misunderstandings made you feel uncomfortable, it is undoubtedly our fault..."