Chapter 82: Shooting Star

Lusso returned to the city of Peng after a long absence.

Lu Jinrong granted him three days off.

Of course, before the break, Lu Jinrong first took Lusso back to the Peng City Sports Institute to have his thigh injury checked by a doctor.

The doctors at the Sports Institute were no less skilled in sports medicine than those at the country’s top hospitals. In fact, owing to their positions, they were even more dedicated and experienced, so for most sports injuries, entrusting them was more reassuring.

The diagnosis was, as expected, a pulled muscle—a classic case of overstriding. A few days of rest would suffice.

While chatting with the doctor about the cause of the injury, the conversation naturally turned to Lusso’s 200-meter final at the Dongqing Games.

The doctor admitted he’d seen Lusso’s race—especially the moment Lusso powered through the curve and stormed to the finish line, leaving the Japanese runner in lane four, who was favored for silver, with a look of utter despair. The local sports channel’s journalists had lingered on that shot, mischievously highlighting Lusso’s dominance.

That footage had already begun to establish Lusso’s supremacy in the global under-18 200-meter event.

After all, the Japanese sprinter had long been touted as a prodigy by the Japanese media.

Domestically, Lusso’s results hadn’t been hyped up that much, partly due to his “bold remarks” at the press conference; but in the South Guangdong Province, the media had gone all out—TV, newspapers, magazines all trumpeted his victory.

“That style of running is too intense,” the doctor remarked. “Just watching it made me wince with imagined pain.”

Pain… what a peculiar word to use.

Pursuing the topic, Lu Jinrong asked Lusso about the technique he’d used in the 200-meter final, one he’d never seen from him before.

In truth, it was a new technique—a fusion of “acceleration” and “explosion,” coordinated by the “Glass Crown,” as Lusso called it.

Naming a running style did feel a bit juvenile, reminiscent of the famous moves from the classic “Attack No. 1” volleyball drama—like “Sky Thunderbolt” and the like.

Yet, at that moment, Lusso felt it deserved a name.

“That technique is called ‘Meteor,’” Lusso said.

“It has a name?” Lu Jinrong was taken aback, perhaps recalling Junko Daigo—the idol of his youth.

Of course it had a name. Otherwise, how would Lusso refer to it in the future?

Unfortunately, the status bar had no reaction to Lusso’s naming. This disappointed him. If the status bar acknowledged the “Meteor” technique, he could use it directly through the interface, rather than having to wear the Glass Crown every time…

Currently, Lusso had one attribute point stored in the status bar.

It was his reward for winning the 200-meter championship at the Dongqing Games.

Though he’d put in enormous effort—and even clashed with the national coaching staff—victory was victory. Yet the status bar only granted a single attribute point.

As for how to use this point…?

Taking advantage of the doctor’s presence, in case anything happened, Lusso allocated the point to “Strength.”

At once, a subtle change appeared in the status bar’s “Strength” attribute.

Previously: “40 (limit)”

Now: “40/41 (limit)”

A prompt appeared on the status bar:

“Congratulations on embarking on the path of transcendence.

Breaking the limit is the inevitable road to conquering the human body.

No champion has ever ceased to improve, oscillating between the limit and shattering it.

The more arduous the tempering, the sweeter the victory.

Breaking the limit requires one attribute point.

Raising the limit further requires another attribute point.

You need more victories to progress farther on the path of transcendence.”

Lusso let out a breath of relief.

So, it was still possible to improve.

But now it would take two attribute points to raise “Strength” or “Agility” by one.

Indeed, the body’s potential was inexhaustible—how could the so-called “limit” hold him?

And since attribute points could only be earned through victory…

Lusso turned to Lu Jinrong, who was still conferring with the doctor about when Lusso could resume training.

“Coach, are there any official competitions coming up that I can enter?”

“Competitions…” Lu Jinrong thought for a moment. “The 2004 IAAF Super Grand Prix is about to start.”

“I can’t enter that; I haven’t been invited,” Lusso shook his head. “Domestic meets would do.”

“In the country, there aren’t many competitions from October to December, as everything makes way for the National Games in January. There’s the 2004 Indoor Track and Field Invitational, but the date isn’t set—it should be at the end of this month. As for competitions with confirmed dates… does the Peng City University Games count?” Lu Jinrong asked.

“It should count. Can I compete?” Lusso inquired.

“Yes, you can. The organizers did invite the provincial team, but I think the competition level is too low—I planned to send some of the rookies for practice… You want to go?” Lu Jinrong asked.

“Yes, I want to.”

“Why?” Lu Jinrong frowned.

Given Lusso’s current level in the 100 and 200 meters, he was already in the first echelon nationally—his 200-meter performance was arguably the best in the country. Competing at the University Games was like beating up children.

What was the point? It wouldn’t even raise his competitive level.

“To stay in form and prepare for the National Games in January,” Lusso explained. “I can only find inspiration and a sense of improvement in actual competitions.”

“Nonsense!” Lu Jinrong snapped. Who was he kidding? The intensity of those university events couldn’t match in-team training.

Though Lu Jinrong felt Lusso was making a fuss, since he insisted, and since the provincial team was sending athletes anyway, Lusso could go.

The University Games were set for mid-November—a week away.

“What events do you want to run?” asked Lu Jinrong.

“The 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, 1500 meters, high jump, long jump…” Lusso reeled off events as if listing dishes.

Lu Jinrong frowned. Was he aiming for a grand slam?

“Can I sign up for the women’s events?” Lusso asked.

“What do you think?” Lu Jinrong had reached his limit.

“If I put on makeup…” Lusso mused.

An ebony-skinned, six-foot-tall guy in makeup, posing as a girl…?

Are you out of your mind? Lu Jinrong smacked Lusso on the head.

…

Lusso wasn’t actually crazy.

But he reasoned that since he’d earned a skill when competing against Juno, if he entered the women’s events and won, and that victory counted for an attribute point, he could gain another.

Right now, Lusso was desperate for attribute points.

He figured that only by raising both “Strength” and “Agility” to around fifty could he push his 200 and 100 meter times close to the ultimate barriers: 20 and 10 seconds.

…

Three days of holiday.

Lusso devoted himself to spending time with Lu Xiaoyu.

During those three days, he also dealt with the landlord’s stubborn insistence on transferring ownership of an entire building to him.

The old man was unyielding.

Lusso tried to dissuade him for days, but it was finally Lu Xiaoyu who managed to talk him out of it.

Otherwise, the landlord’s children would have dragged Lusso and Lu Xiaoyu to court.

This made the landlord’s children view Lusso and Lu Xiaoyu with even more wariness. Lusso thus decided it was time for Lu Xiaoyu to stop boarding at their house. He planned to buy a place near the Peng City Sports School, since he now had money—he was ready to accept that sponsorship contract.