Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Interview

After lunch, Juno and Zheng Ni walked back to their dormitory. They had an hour of rest before the afternoon training—enough time for a nap or to do something they enjoyed.

"Hey, Juno, why do you have so much to talk about with that Rousseau?" Zheng Ni suddenly asked.

"Huh? Do I?" Juno replied, genuinely puzzled.

"Of course you do. You two were chatting the whole time at lunch. Even Tian Shiwei, that chatterbox, couldn't get a word in. Juno, I think there's something going on between you two," Zheng Ni said.

"There's nothing going on, not at all," Juno replied breezily, shaking her head. "We were just talking, and he even challenged me to a grape peeling contest. Honestly, it's the first time anyone's ever wanted to compete with me at that."

"I think Rousseau's figured you out. You're just so competitive—no matter what the contest, you take it seriously. I'm telling you, be careful. Men always have ulterior motives," Zheng Ni warned.

"Don't be ridiculous. Old Rousseau swore that if he ever tried to pursue me, he'd be struck by lightning," Juno said. "I actually believe him on that, though I admit it leaves me a bit unsatisfied."

"I think you're about to be outmaneuvered by this guy. Men are scary, Juno—better struck by lightning than to miss out on flirting or lying," Zheng Ni said.

"Enough already! Rousseau and I are impossible. You know what my family situation is like. If it were a guy I really admired, he wouldn't agree to that, and neither would I," Juno said, frowning.

"But you can't stay single forever, can you?" Zheng Ni grew worried. "If that's really the case, Rousseau wouldn't be a bad choice."

"Sounds like your own heart is stirring! You're always scheming to marry me off. You and Old Tian get along so well—why don't you marry him first?" Juno snapped, finally irritated.

"What nonsense!" Zheng Ni cried, reaching out to tickle Juno.

The two girls left a trail of laughter, bright as silver bells, along the tree-shaded path.

...

Twenty days remained until the Provincial Games.

Rousseau's 100-meter dash was steady at around eleven seconds. Occasionally, he managed to break the eleven-second mark, but he still couldn't beat Tian Shiwei.

Tian Shiwei's times were now consistently under eleven seconds. Truly a competitor made for big events—the closer the race, the better his performance.

Rousseau sometimes wondered if Tian Shiwei's improvements were forced out by his own presence. This guy claimed to be a "big event" athlete, but maybe he just needed to feel threatened...

Fifteen days left.

Rousseau rejoined the 4x100 relay training; Xu Taiming was replaced.

Eleven days left.

Rousseau tried using a double "burst" in his 100-meter run, exhausted himself completely, and nearly fainted.

That made him realize that the second "burst" consumed double the stamina—forty-five points in total—pushing his reserves below the danger line. The intensity of the exercise nearly knocked him out.

Ten days left.

Rousseau and Tian Shiwei, representing the provincial sprint team, were interviewed by reporters.

It was Rousseau's first interview.

And it opened his eyes to what athletic achievement truly meant—not just salary and funding, but attention, admiration, and honor.

The interview was arranged by the Peng City Daily. With the Provincial Games approaching, even though this level of event didn’t attract much coverage in the general news, the Peng City Daily, as the government mouthpiece, had to prepare special reports to showcase the city’s sporting spirit.

So the paper set up the interview at Peng City Sports School. Athletes and coaches representing high jump, long jump, sprints, distance running, javelin, and weightlifting waited in a classroom converted into an interview room, taking turns to go in. Rousseau found the process intriguing; Tian Shiwei dismissed it as trivial.

"When I placed top ten in the 100 meters at the Provincial Games, several reporters surrounded me, making me feel like a star. You can't imagine what it was like," Tian Shiwei boasted, as usual.

"No need to imagine," Rousseau said. "Next time, they'll be interviewing me."

"Now you're getting cocky. Sure, you can break eleven seconds, but I can run ten-five. You’ve got a long way to go if you want to beat me," Tian Shiwei replied.

"So when are you going to run ten-five for me to see?" Rousseau teased.

"Don't provoke me! If you make me mad, I’ll run it right now," Tian Shiwei said.

The two bantered back and forth. It seemed the habit of chattering was contagious—Rousseau was now used to trading barbs with Tian Shiwei just for fun.

"Quiet," Coach Lu Jinrong scolded them. "Don't say anything foolish when you go in."

It was their turn.

Across from them, two reporters—a mature man and a young woman, likely an intern—sat waiting. The woman handled the notes.

"Hello, I'm Guan Zhaoyue from the Provincial Daily, and this is our intern reporter, Shen Yingying. You can call me Old Guan and her Little Ying," the male reporter said with a smile.

"I'm Lu Jinrong, the sprint coach. These are our two team members, Tian Shiwei and Rousseau," the coach introduced.

Hearing Rousseau’s name, Shen Yingying glanced at him curiously, and Rousseau looked back, making her blush.

"Coach Lu, the sprint has always been a weak event for our provincial team. The best result so far is only top ten at the Provincial Games. With the Games coming up, what are your expectations?" Guan Zhaoyue asked.

"We’re aiming for results. Right now, we have two members at first-class athlete level—these two. I believe we can break new ground," Lu Jinrong replied confidently.

"First-class level means...?" Guan Zhaoyue inquired.

"It means running the 100 meters in under eleven seconds. At present, that’s the top standard in the province," the coach explained.

"That means you’re contenders for gold?" Guan Zhaoyue perked up, telling Shen Yingying to note it down. "Write this: In the 100 meters, there are two gold medal hopefuls from the provincial sprint team—Tian Shiwei and Rousseau."

Coach Lu Jinrong did not object to the statement.

Hey—Tian Shiwei winked at Rousseau, as if thinking of something.

Rousseau knew what Tian Shiwei was getting at. The academic exams—now that the coach had boasted to the press, surely they wouldn’t be barred from the Games? No matter how badly they did, they’d still get to compete, right?

Just then, Coach Lu Jinrong added, "But we also have an academic requirement. If these two fail their culture exams, they won’t be able to compete."

Suddenly, Tian Shiwei’s face turned ashen.

Rousseau’s heart sank.

Afterward, Guan Zhaoyue conducted a detailed interview with both athletes—about their performance, family backgrounds, and more. Rousseau answered selectively, but inevitably let slip hints of his difficult home life.

The interview concluded.

The next day, the story should have appeared in the paper, because that evening the coach informed Rousseau that some companies wanted to sponsor him and asked if he was interested.

"Coach, what does that mean?" Rousseau asked, confused.

"They’ll give you some money, and you’ll do a bit of advertising or promotion for them. They’re all local businesses," the coach said. "But I suggest you wait until after the Provincial Games. Once you get good results, the money will be much better."