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The audience members were very accommodating and applauded enthusiastically.
He Tiantian and Xie Feifei joined in the applause.
Afterwards, we naturally had a big meal, but it was in the cafeteria.
It was supposed to be a big meal, but it wasn't just any kind of food. The athletes' meals had to prioritize training needs, and as for the taste, it was just okay, not exactly delicious.
He Tiantian, Xie Feifei, Zhu Zhitao, and two other athletes newly assigned to Zhu Zhitao's team.
Head Coach Wu values Zhu Zhitao highly, so he arranged for him to play as a promising young player.
He Tiantian's performance goes without saying. Xie Feifei and the other two athletes transferred from other provinces are also very good.
During the meal, under Zhu Zhitao's guidance, everyone introduced themselves to each other.
The other two athletes looked at He Tiantian with great admiration and said, "Sister He, I am Liu Yihua, from Shanxi Province."
"Hello, Sister He, I'm Xi Rongrong from Guangdong Province," Xi Rongrong said. "We'll be in the same team from now on, so please give me your guidance, Sister He."
These days, they have come to the national team and have gotten to know them to some extent, especially since they had seen He Tiantian at the National Swimming Championships before and were deeply impressed.
However, because He Tiantian has never joined the national team, they are even more curious about her.
He Tiantian smiled and said, "I wouldn't call it giving you pointers, let's work together in the future."
Although she was the oldest among them, she knew that in the arena, what mattered was not age, but hard work and talent.
Xie Feifei is a very outgoing person, and the group quickly became familiar with each other.
Since we're all girls, we agreed that we'd visit He Tiantian's house during holidays.
He Tiantian readily agreed.
They're teammates now, and even though there's competition, He Tiantian is happy to get along well with them.
After all, He Tiantian came here to swim because she enjoys it. But if she gets upset because some people cause trouble, then it's not fun.
Zhu Zhitao was very happy to see that the team members were in good spirits.
At first, Head Coach Wu wanted to assign Jiao Lihong to his team, and he was thinking about how to refuse. Unexpectedly, Jiao Lihong didn't think much of him at all and chose Coach Wang, who had more experience.
While relieved, Zhu Zhitao was also a little angry. He secretly resolved to work hard in the future and cultivate more outstanding swimming talents.
The World Championships are just around the corner; it's time for Zhu Zhitao to make his mark.
After that day, He Tiantian and her teammates began their regular training.
He Tiantian remained the same, returning home every day just like going to school, with Wei Yuanyuan protecting her and Cui Ying taking care of He Tiantian's health while also helping her with some trivial matters.
Even though Jiao Lihong had some complaints about He Tiantian, she dared not speak out.
Director Jiao reminded his niece once again not to act recklessly. This time, he also told her that He Tiantian's background was not something the Jiao family could afford to offend.
"Did you remember that?" Director Jiao asked. "You can't do anything reckless in the future, otherwise you'll not only waste your talent, but also your future job opportunities."
Jiao Lihong has already learned from her uncle that if she achieves good results, she can take a position in the sports bureau after retiring.
This is fantastic news!
Compared to others who can only return to their original provinces after retirement, some can be assigned to the sports bureau, while others can only find other jobs, none of them can compare to her bright future.
"Thank you, Uncle. I understand. I won't bother that old woman anymore." Although Jiao Lihong promised not to provoke He Tiantian, she still called He Tiantian an old woman in private to vent her anger.
Director Jiao frowned, but thinking that his niece was angry and that if he didn't let her vent, she might cause trouble in the future.
"Alright, say this to me, but don't say it outside, lest people laugh at you," Director Jiao reminded him. "Win over the team members around you, and they might become your help in the future. If you are arrogant towards others, they will not only not be your help, but will become your stumbling blocks in the future."
Jiao Lihong sneered. Her only stumbling block in the entire national team was that old woman, He Tiantian.
She must work even harder and make that old woman back down.
In competitive sports, talent alone is not enough; age is also a limiting factor.
Her potential is definitely greater than He Tiantian's.
"Yes, Uncle, I've got it." Jiao Lihong said, "I'll definitely get along well with the other team members, senior brothers and sisters in the future."
Actually, you can only isolate that old woman by getting along well with most people.
Thinking of this, Jiao Lihong felt a surge of joy.
"That's good, Lihong. You are really talented. The championship and honors will all belong to you." Director Jiao encouraged his niece, hoping that she could work harder and become an outstanding athlete.
That way, he could support his niece.
Life with the national team proceeded smoothly and in an orderly manner.
However, He Tiantian noticed that some people looked at her with a strange expression.
"Cui Ying, the other team members are looking at me strangely. Is someone talking bad about me?" He Tiantian asked, feeling stared at by several people in the locker room.
Cui Ying smiled and said, "The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. I just asked around, and Cai Fenfang and the other team members said that you are using your talent, and at your age, you are still trying to suppress them and hinder their progress."
"Huh?" He Tiantian was taken aback, then smiled. "Although it sounds a bit unpleasant, it's actually true. Those medals don't mean much to me, but they mean a lot to them."
Cui Ying didn't mind and said, "Alright, now that we're here, we must do our best. You focus on your training, I'll handle the rest."
"Yes, thank you for those things," He Tiantian said gratefully. Having a good friend by her side was such a blessing.
Afterwards, He Tiantian also received some gossip from Xie Feifei, Xi Rongrong, and Liu Yihua.
Although I was speechless, I didn't take it to heart.
"Sister He, aren't you angry?" Xie Feifei asked. "If someone had said that to me, I would definitely have gone to confront them."
He Tiantian smiled and said, "The purpose of sports competition is to break through the limits of human beings, to be higher, faster, and stronger. These are not things that can be achieved by talking behind someone's back; they require hard work and dedication. I'm not young anymore, and I'll retire after participating in the 1988 Olympics at most. You are still young, and you will have many more opportunities in the future. Only by having an open mind can you see higher and farther."
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