Chapter Forty-Five: Future Rivals

The next day.

When Rousseau stood before Coach Lu Jinrong, Lu Jinrong looked at him, barely able to contain his anger. Yesterday, the Provincial Games organizers had called, saying Rousseau was missing, and he had disappeared together with Juno from the high jump team.

How could they just vanish? Lu Jinrong had been startled and began searching everywhere. It wasn’t until dusk that Tian Shiwei revealed Rousseau and Juno had gone to Guangzhou for a date.

Skipping the closing ceremony of the Provincial Games to go on a date had nearly driven the sprint and high jump coaches mad with worry.

“You!” Lu Jinrong jabbed a finger at Rousseau. “No sense of organization, no discipline! Write a five-thousand-word self-criticism!”

Five-thousand words... Rousseau sighed. The number was exactly what he had predicted yesterday. He didn’t consider himself foresighted; he just had a funny thought: did he even know five thousand characters?

“Do you think breaking the Provincial Games record is such a big deal? You really don’t know your own limits!” Lu Jinrong continued. “Gather everyone together—we’re having a meeting in the lecture hall!”

A meeting?

What kind of meeting?

Rousseau had no idea what Lu Jinrong was up to, but he called the other thirteen sprinters, and together they headed to the lecture hall.

The hall was vast, used by several classes of sports school students for large lectures. The dozen or so sprinters scattered inside like sesame seeds on black soil—empty and echoing.

No one understood why the coach wanted to meet there, but when he turned off the lights, lowered the projection screen, and began to play a film, the team realized: they were going to watch a movie?

“The Provincial Games are over.” Lu Jinrong stood at the podium, opening with this statement. “Yesterday I let everyone relax for a day. Some of you, it seems, relaxed a bit too much.”

Everyone glanced at Rousseau.

Rousseau stood firm and unmoving, like a tall black pillar.

“The purpose of today’s meeting is to remind you all to focus, to channel your energy toward the National Games in January next year!”

Lu Jinrong went on. “Our province’s sprinting isn’t top-level nationally. Because a few people achieved some results, you think you’re already very impressive. So today, I want you to meet your opponents at the National Games.”

He then played several videos on the projector.

“This is a sprinter from the capital, named Pan Kai.”

On the screen appeared a male athlete wearing glasses.

“In the recently concluded Universiade in Izmir, he ran 10.22 seconds, took first place, and won the gold medal—our country’s first Universiade World 100m champion.”

The footage showed Pan Kai during the race, his prescription glasses standing out—rarely do sprinters compete wearing them.

As they watched Pan Kai’s race, Lu Jinrong explained, “Pan Kai is 1.82 meters tall, about the same as Rousseau and Tian Shiwei, so you can study his technical movements…”

Rousseau raised an eyebrow; Tian Shiwei smirked, as if to say, Study him? Is 10.22 seconds really that impressive?

In truth, it was impressive. If the Provincial Games 100m record had been 10.22, anyone on the Pengcheng team claiming they could break it would be sent to the mental hospital first—such a time would be enough to win the gold at the Asian Games.

“Additionally, Pan Kai is a top student at Shuimu University, clever and adaptable in his running. He’s undergone several notable periods of technical adjustment, and each has brought significant breakthroughs in his performance,” Lu Jinrong continued.

Shuimu University—how enviable… but, after all, he’s just a fast-running bookworm, Rousseau and Tian Shiwei exchanged glances, comforting each other.

Lu Jinrong went on to introduce other domestic sprint stars: Lü Pei from Hubei, Zhang Zhen from Sichuan, and so on, all with striking achievements.

In short, in four months at the National Games, Rousseau and Tian Shiwei would be competing against these rivals.

It must be said, on the day after the Provincial Games, Lu Jinrong confronting Rousseau with these competitors made a deep impression on him.

Although Rousseau hadn’t relaxed his training, Lu Jinrong’s reminder tightened his resolve anew.

At present, Rousseau had mastered two techniques: “Burst” and “Acceleration,” and, thanks to victories in the Provincial Games 100m and 4x100m finals, had earned three attribute points.

In the following days of training, Rousseau first tried the “Acceleration” technique, which resulted in his 100m time slipping past eleven seconds.

Then, he tried combining “Burst” and “Acceleration,” and ended up falling badly.

This was not the kind of fall caused by poor fitness preventing use of the technique, but rather like trying to run with three legs—utterly uncoordinated.

“Each ‘technique’ is unique…”

In the team doctor’s office, Rousseau waited for his body to be checked for injuries, pondering to himself.

Each technique represented a distinct running method.

“Burst,” though originally a high jump technique, in the ten-second sprint also signified a special physical state.

“Acceleration” was another state entirely, so when Rousseau abandoned “Burst” for “Acceleration,” he had to adapt anew.

“No serious injury, just a bit of muscle strain. Bones are fine,” the team doctor told Rousseau. “Rest a few days and you’ll be alright. Don’t change your posture suddenly during the 100m—it’s dangerous.”

“Alright, thank you.” Rousseau thanked him, then asked, “Can I still do regular weight training?”

“No, wait another three days,” the doctor said, reassuring Rousseau, “There’s still plenty of time ahead, no need to rush.”

Alright.

It was a failed experiment.

Three days wasted.

Rousseau felt a bit disheartened.

With three days of enforced rest, Rousseau returned home and spent time with Lu Xiaoyu—a rare holiday. Rousseau, with his Provincial Games champion prize and the bonus for breaking the 100m record, took Lu Xiaoyu to Guangzhou for a proper outing.

They enjoyed the roller coaster and 4D cinema at Happy World, indulged in all sorts of fun and delicious treats—Rousseau made sure Lu Xiaoyu tried everything.

He felt guilty for only giving her a newspaper for her birthday last time, and resolved to make up for it doubly this time.

After a day of fun in Guangzhou, Rousseau still had more plans for the second and third days. With the bonuses for breaking the Provincial Games record and winning both the 100m and 4x100m, he’d received nearly ten thousand yuan, plus two months’ wages—a considerable sum, not enough for wild extravagance, but plenty for food, drink, and entertainment.

Moreover, after running 10.49 seconds in the Provincial Games 100m, Rousseau was now classified as an elite sprinter, entitled to a special monthly stipend of 1,500 yuan. His monthly income had risen to a remarkable 3,500 yuan, definitely worth celebrating.

But on the second day, Lu Xiaoyu no longer wanted to go out.