Chapter 40 Chapter 40
Lu Wenxuan pondered for a moment, then frowned. "So, will the World Cup qualification also be readjusted based on this reform?"
"I think so. We'll know after we get the notice." An Hongran shook his head. Although he felt the pressure, this reform was indeed better for the shooting team, so he could still accept it.
After dinner, Lu Wenxuan and An Hongran came out of the cafeteria.
Not long into the afternoon training, we received a notice for an emergency meeting.
Inside the large conference room of the national team training base.
Song Anshan sat at the front of the conference table, his expression grave. "Everyone should have received the notice regarding the shooting team's reforms. While these changes are indeed significant, they may also be a good thing for the team. The ISSF World Cup in three months has been officially scheduled to be held overseas in Catanto. Considering the recent incidents within the team and the significant changes involved, the higher-ups have decided to re-select the World Cup qualifiers."
"In addition, the mixed men's and women's air pistol and air rifle-rifle events will also be held simultaneously. Athletes interested in team events can form their own teams."
"During this re-selection, the scope of eligible participants has been expanded to include all athletes from provincial teams nationwide. Furthermore, the national team will be officially renamed the National Training Team. There will no longer be a first or second team distinction. All athletes who pass the selection will be eligible to compete."
Everyone in the conference room felt a surge of emotion.
The shooting team has really changed.
According to previous regulations, members of the national team's first team will enjoy priority in qualifying for international competitions. For example, Lu Meng and Wang Shaorui, two newcomers who have just been selected for the national team, can only reach the second team at most. Unless their performance is particularly outstanding, they may not be eligible to participate in international competitions in the early stages.
But once this reform came out, let alone Lu Meng and Wang Shaorui.
Even if Shi Lei and Song Jingbo were not selected for the national team, as long as they can perform well in the next selection, they will have another chance to participate in international competitions.
Similarly, players like Chu Xi, who had very little competition experience before joining the team, no longer have to worry about their eligibility. As long as she performs well, she can join the team at any time.
After the meeting, Lu Wenxuan stood up, lowered his head, and walked out while thinking.
"Brother Lu, who are you planning to join the mixed group with?" An Hongfei caught up from behind and patted Lu Wenxuan on the shoulder.
"I haven't decided yet. For the women's 10-meter air pistol, this year, it's probably Lu Meng, Wang Shaorui, and Chu Xi."
An Hongfei nodded, "Yes. But Chu Xi had just experienced a suspension crisis some time ago, and I don't know if her mentality will be affected."
Lu Wenxuan began to feel conflicted.
Being in a mixed group will not take up too much of his energy, and this is also an opportunity to win gold, so he definitely cannot give up this event.
But choosing who to form a mixed group with him is a problem.
Lu Meng’s results are definitely stable, as can be seen from her previous competitions.
But Chu Xi seemed to perform more steadily than Lu Meng in the National Shooting Championship.
He was struggling with this when the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.
Lu Wenxuan was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and took out his cell phone. It was a message from Chu Xi.
After meeting during the last national team selection, the two added each other on WeChat.
Their few chat records still focus on Lu Wenxuan comforting Chu Xi about her suspension a few days ago.
This time, it was Chu Xi who took the initiative to send the message: [Want to form a mixed group? ]
…
Chu Xi stared at the screen, waiting for Lu Wenxuan's reply.
After learning that the World Cup qualifications would be disrupted and re-selected, Chu Xi's first thought was to find Lu Wenxuan to form a mixed team.
Being in a mixed team doesn't require you to spend too much time training individually, nor does it require you to develop tacit understanding with your teammates for a long time. Whoever is the strongest will definitely be chosen.
According to Chu Xi's current understanding, Lu Wenxuan is the most outstanding performer among the men's 10-meter air pistol athletes in this competition.
Of course she struck first.
Lu Wenxuan: [How about trying a couple of times first?]
Chu Xi: [Where are you? I'll come find you.]
A quarter of an hour later, Lu Wenxuan was dragged into the shooting training ground by Chu Xi.
It was almost lunchtime, but Chu Xi didn't want to delay any longer and insisted on dragging Lu Wenxuan to practice first.
Lu Wenxuan walked to the shooting position with his eyelids wide open and tired, "Come on."
Chu Xi glanced at him and said, "You'd better cheer up and don't hold me back."
"I..." Lu Wenxuan held back his anger and immediately cheered up, "How can I hold you back? Come on, it's impossible!"
In the huge shooting training ground, Chu Xi and Lu Wenxuan stood in front of their shooting positions and began to prepare for shooting.
Crisp gunshots rang out one after another.
Chu Xi and Lu Wenxuan each fired ten shots.
Chu Xi's total number of rings: 106.
Lu Wenxuan's total ring count: 105 rings.
"Of course." Lu Wenxuan turned to look at Chu Xi in surprise, "Your grades haven't been affected at all."
Chu Xi put away the gun and turned to meet his gaze, "Is it okay?"
"Okay, okay." Lu Wenxuan smiled and nodded, "Then I'll go and sign up for the mixed group with the coach this afternoon."
"Okay." Chu Xi achieved his goal and didn't waste any more words. "I'm going to take a lunch break."
…
After coming out of the training venue, Lu Wenxuan rushed to the coach's office immediately.
Unexpectedly, An Hongran was also there, and seemed to be talking to Song Anshan about forming a mixed group.
"Coach Song, I'd like to sign up for the mixed men's and women's air pistol team, Chu Xi and I." Lu Wenxuan walked to the desk and spoke.
Song Anshan looked up and was stunned for a moment, "You and Chu Xi too?"
Also? Lu Wenxuan sensed something was wrong and subconsciously turned to look at An Hongran.
The other party was also a little stunned. An Hongran asked doubtfully, "Do you also want to join the group with Chu Xi?"
"No, Chu Xi and I have already made an appointment. We will join a mixed tour." Lu Wenxuan emphasized in a louder voice.
Song Anshan's playful gaze shifted back and forth between Lu Wenxuan and An Hongran. "You two both want to form a mixed group with Chu Xi, and you're bumping into each other. Otherwise, you two should discuss it among yourselves first, decide on the candidates, and then tell me."
Lu Wenxuan looked at An Hongran suspiciously.
Could this person have hit someone? Could it be that Chu Xi cast a wide net and when he was looking for him, he also looked for An Hongran?
An Hongran quickly pulled Lu Wenxuan out of the office and asked, "Brother Lu, you're not working with Lu Meng anymore?"
"Who said I'm going to team up with Lu Meng?" Lu Wenxuan's tone was full of doubt.
An Hongran hesitated for a moment, "I thought you were worried that Chu Xi's suspension had just ended, and his mentality would be affected, and he would hold you back."
"You're overthinking it. Chu Xi isn't affected at all. I just practiced with her, and her results were better than mine." Lu Wenxuan waved his hand. "Don't argue about this. Chu Xi and I are already engaged."
An Hongran coughed lightly: "Okay then."
Originally, he had just contacted Coach Song because he wanted to contact Chu Xi through him and ask the other party if he had any ideas about forming a mixed group.
He was not familiar with Chu Xi and had no contact information, so he could only find her in this way.
Unexpectedly, Brother Lu took the lead in just a short while.
In the end, An Hongran and Lu Meng formed a mixed group, Chu Xi and Lu Wenxuan.
Song Anshan is also quite satisfied with this combination.
The top two seeded players in the women's 10-meter air pistol are Chu Xi and Lu Meng, and the same goes for the men's side: Lu Wenxuan and An Hongran.
These two mixed teams should be the strongest at the moment.
However, there is only one spot for the mixed team competition in the World Cup, and which group will be able to compete will depend on their performance in the qualifying round.
…
The reshuffled World Cup qualifiers officially began and lasted for nine days.
After fierce competition, the final list of participants for the ISSF World Cup Catanto was released and published on the association's official website at the same time.
Women's 10m air pistol: Chu Xi, Lu Meng
Men's 10m Air Pistol: Lu Wenxuan, An Hongran
Mixed Team 10m Air Pistol: Chu Xi, Lu Wenxuan
Women's 10m Air Step-Lance: Jiang Wannan, Sun Yue
…
As the competition approached, the laughter and joy in the shooting team gradually died down. Players like Lu Wenxuan, who had more lively personalities, also calmed down and began to get into the competition state early.
In order to train the players' ability to withstand pressure in competitions, the training team will start to conduct real competition simulations for the athletes two months in advance.
They will even arrange a series of noise disturbance factors such as audience shouting in the auditorium.
To ensure that the players will not be affected too much when they arrive at the actual competition venue.
"Xiao Xi, I checked. The temperature in Catantuan is very low right now. When you go to the competition, be sure to bring your down jacket to avoid catching a cold." Zhu Lifang's voice came from the other side of the phone.
Chu Xi rummaged through boxes and drawers looking for a down jacket. "Okay, got it."
Zhu Lifang gave a few more instructions before hanging up the phone.
Chu Xi searched for a long time and found the down jacket that his aunt brought last time from the closet and stuffed it into the suitcase.
Last week, the shooting team's unified visa application for athletes was approved.
Because the competition involves going abroad, the shooting team has to go there half a month in advance so that the athletes can adapt to the local climate and environment in advance.
"Chu Xi! Are you ready? The coach called me to urge me to do it." Jiang Wannan's voice came from outside the room.
Chu Xi glanced around the room, and finally stuffed Doraemon that was placed on the bedside into the suitcase, fastened the buckle, and picked up the suitcase.
"alright."
After he finished speaking, Chu Xi walked out of the dormitory with his suitcase.
Jiang Wannan waved to Chu Xi, "Come on, let's hurry up."
Chu Xi and the other person hurried to the door of the shooting team.
As we were about to get on the bus, a group of reporters who had been waiting at the door of the shooting team suddenly rushed over.
Microphones from various media platforms were raised in front of Chu Xi.
"How do you feel about representing the shooting team in this ISSF World Cup?"
"I heard that this is your first time participating in an international competition. Are you nervous?"
"Switching from an entertainer to an athlete is a completely different field. What do you want to say about this?"
Ever since Chu Xi became widely popular last time, she has become the representative of popularity and heat in the shooting event.
Many sports reporters specifically targeted Chu Xi for interviews.
Because everyone knows that only by interviewing Chu Xi can the news become popular.
Chu Xi glanced at the reporters indifferently, turned his head without saying a word, walked around the crowd, stepped forward and stepped onto the bus.
The shooting team's security guards also rushed over and stopped the group of reporters, "Stand back, stand back, maintain order at this scene!"
While no one was paying attention, Jiang Wannan bent down and squeezed out of the crowd, put the suitcase aside, and quickly got into the car.
After the security guard saw the two people got on the car safely, he put their suitcases on.
Soon, the full bus started slowly and headed towards the airport.
"Everyone, please check that you have your visas and passports with you. Also, this time we're going abroad for a competition, and the customs and practices there are quite different from back home. Everyone, please be careful not to run around and stay with the team."
"And don't worry about the food. We've brought a canteen chef with us this time, and the team doctor will be accompanying us throughout the trip. All logistical support is provided by the government, so you just need to focus on training and competing."
Song Anshan spoke in a much gentler voice than usual, probably because he didn't want to put too much psychological burden on the team members at this time.
Chu Xi checked his backpack and made sure that he had everything he needed, then leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest.
At the same time, interview videos of Chu Xi and others leaving the shooting team began to appear online.
What are you doing with your luggage? Are you going to participate in a competition?
It should be the ISSF World Cup. It seems like this tournament is being held in Catantuan. I wonder if the shooting team has any strong players.
[Shooting? That's not our strong point, we'll definitely take first place.]
[The game will be broadcast live, right?]
…
The flight landed safely in Catan.
It was already late at night and the temperature was very low. As soon as I left the airport, a cold wind blew over me.
Chu Xi shrank his neck and wrapped his down jacket tightly around him.
More than 40 members of the shooting team got on the bus in batches and went to the local hotel one after another.
Chu Xi has always lived in a northern city where the climate is generally dry.
The air in Catantuan was damp, and the exposed skin felt sticky, making people feel a little uncomfortable.
After entering the country and completing various formalities, Chu Xi and Jiang Wannan returned to their hotel room to rest.
The two of them lived in a double room, each lying on their bed, and fell into a deep sleep.
…
In the next room, Song Anshan, who came with the team, got the information of some foreign contestants.
He frowned and carefully browsed the information in his hand.
Lee Ye-eun from South Korea is only 20 years old, but she won the silver medal in the women's 10-meter air pistol at the last Olympics.
After the Olympics, Lee Ruien made her mark in the field of shooting. At last year's international competition, she won several gold medals in a row, surpassing Chinese players.
This is an opponent that must be paid special attention to.
In addition, the players from Catanto, the host of this World Cup, are also worth paying attention to.
As the host country, Catantu players will definitely have an advantage in terms of familiarity with the competition venue, and the psychological burden will be much lighter.
Song Anshan looked at it for a long time before putting down the information, rubbing his brows, closing his eyes and beginning to rest.
…
At this time, it was still daytime in the country.
Yuexin Video Headquarters.
Professional sports commentator Xu Yingzhe was invited backstage by the staff.
"Teacher, this is the information for the competitors in this ISSF World Cup. The ones listed at the top are the favorites to win. Our live broadcast of the competition will officially begin in two weeks. During this time, I'd appreciate it if you could take a look at these players' information in advance."
Xu Yingzhe took the player information in his hand and began to read it carefully one by one.
Yuexin Video mainly produces sports-related programs. Currently, many large-scale domestic competitions are broadcast live in cooperation with Yuexin Video.
Yuexin Video is of course more concerned about international competitions such as the ISSF World Cup, and purchased the broadcasting rights from the organizers of the competition long in advance.
After flipping through Chu Xi's player information, Xu Yingzhe paused.
The last time I commented on Chu Xi's competition, she seemed to be still an individual player.
In such a short time, she has already played in the World Cup. She is indeed a genius.
Xu Yingzhe calmed down and continued to learn about each player's situation in detail.
At the same time, Yu Wanya also began to act.
After signing the endorsement cooperation with Chu Xi, she has not found a suitable opportunity to officially announce it.
Later, Chu Xi encountered a suspension storm, which was a sensitive period.
So it has been delayed until now, and it just so happens that the World Cup is about to start.
If Chu Xi can successfully win the medal this time, she will take this opportunity to make an official announcement.
…
The sunlight in Catantu is very glaring and the temperature rises during the day, so it is just right to wear a thin jacket.
After Chu Xi got up and washed up, he took out a plush coat from his suitcase and put it on. He turned to look at Jiang Wannan and said, "Let's go out for a walk."
The competition will not start for another two weeks. In the next few days, the athletes’ main task is to adjust to the time difference and allow their bodies to fully adapt to the local climate environment.
So after waking up from their nap at noon, Chu Xi and Jiang Wannan asked their coach to go out for a walk.
Also with them were Lu Wenxuan and An Hongran.
The others were probably still asleep, and no one responded to the group message.
"I'll be there soon! I'll bring some water with us. Let's go out. To be on the safe side, it's better not to drink the water outside. It's not safe." Jiang Wannan bent over and continued to rummage through the suitcase.
Doping control rules are something that every athlete is highly vigilant about.
When they are away from home, especially abroad, they dare not eat or drink indiscriminately.
Ten minutes later, Chu Xi and Jiang Wannan came downstairs, each carrying a cup of water.
In the sofa area of the hotel lobby, An Hongran and Lu Wenxuan leaned against each other with sleepy eyes, back to back, looking like they were still half asleep.
"Can you two go out like this?" Chu Xi looked at Lu Wenxuan and the other man hesitantly.
Hearing the noise, Lu Wenxuan immediately opened his eyes and stood up subconsciously, "Yes, let's go!"
As he spoke, he tugged at An Hongran's sleeve. An Hongran opened his eyes, resisted the drowsiness, and stood up together, "Let's go."
Chu Xi and the other three walked out of the hotel lobby one after another.
The people in Catantu are simple and honest, and the conditions and living environment are not as convenient as those in China.
Chu Xi and the other three didn't dare to walk too far, so they just walked around the nearby commercial street.
Jiang Wannan mainly brought some Catantuan souvenirs back to her family.
Chu Xi picked out a few blue mineral bracelets that were produced in abundance in the jewelry store, and planned to bring them back to her uncle and aunt.
"Brother Lu, look at these rabbit ears, aren't they cute? Try them on." An Hongran found a rabbit ear hairpin from somewhere and held it in both hands to put it on Lu Wenxuan.
Lu Wenxuan's face darkened, "Get lost!"
There are a few white clouds floating in the blue sky, the breeze is very gentle, and the air here is much fresher.
After Chu Xi and his friends came out of the souvenir shop, they walked along the river to enjoy the breeze.
We wandered around until the sun was about to set before returning to the hotel.
In the evening, the other team members adjusted to the time difference and woke up.
Song Anshan began to gather everyone to prepare for the pre-match technical meeting.
"I've received news that the lighting at the competition venue in Catantu might be different from back home. I've applied for a venue there in advance for training and adaptation. You should seize the next few days to acclimate yourself to the competition venue."
Shooting requires a very high level of concentration from athletes, and even the slightest change in lighting may affect shooting accuracy.
These are also the reasons why Song Anshan brought the team here early.
Chu Xi silently wrote down every word of Song Anshan's advice.
…
The next day, the athletes, who had basically adjusted to the local time difference, followed Song Anshan to the training venue designated for the Catantu World Cup Shooting Competition.
Chu Xi looked around, and a strange yet expectant emotion rose from his body.
"Because we arrived early this time, there are still relatively abundant training venues. Everyone should hurry up and adapt. In a few days, athletes from other countries will arrive one after another." Song Anshan continued to instruct, and then began to allocate training venues according to the groups.
The competition guns they used in this competition were also brought by the shooting team.
After Chu Xi got his air pistol, he quickly entered the training state.
She stood in front of the shooting position, feeling the even more glaring light above her head. She was indeed not used to the brightness, but since she was in someone else's territory, she had no choice but to adapt.
Chu Xi closed her eyes and slowly calmed her breathing. When she opened them again, her gaze gradually became firm, and she began to shoot.
The training time passed quickly.
Three days later, shooting teams from other countries began to arrive in Catantuan.
The South Korean team consisted of about twenty people, each carrying a competition gun, and walked into the training venue with expressionless faces.
Walking at the head of the team was Li Ruien, her hair tied up in a high ponytail, revealing a smooth forehead, her eyes indifferent, and she was wearing the Korean team's sportswear. She walked with a steady step.
The South Korean team coach quickly went to greet Song Anshan. The two coaches had met during previous games, but they didn't speak the same language very well. In the end, they just smiled and gestured to each other.
At the same time, Li Ruien also led the team to where Chu Xi and others were training, with a slight smile on his face.
"Hey guys." Li Ruien greeted Chu Xi and others in Chinese with unstandard pronunciation.
Chu Xi and Lu Meng beside him exchanged a glance, and both smiled as they stepped forward to shake hands with Li Ruien and the other members of the Korean team. "Hello, hello."
After greeting each other, the two teams each led their teams to continue training at their own venues.
In the afternoon, shooting athletes from various countries including the Catan team and the Malaysian team arrived one after another.
The originally large and empty training venue began to become lively. During training every day, one could always hear the unique and incomprehensible languages of various countries.
The two weeks of intense training passed quickly.
The specific schedule of the ISSF World Cup has been officially released.
Among them, the mixed men's and women's 10-meter air pistol event in which Chu Xi and Lu Wenxuan participated was the first major event of the entire World Cup cycle. After the mixed team qualifying and finals, the women's 10-meter air pistol event and the men's 10-meter air pistol event followed.
"After the mixed team competition, it's time for you and Lu Wenxuan to compete in individual events. The competition period will be approximately one week. You'll both be competing in two events, so the workload is quite heavy. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You'll each have international competitions in the future, so consider this as a chance to gain experience."
Song Anshan patted Chu Xi's shoulder and said, "Go back and rest."
Chu Xi came out of the coach's room and when she turned around, she saw Lu Wenxuan leaning against the wall in the corridor.
He folded his arms in front of him and tilted his head slightly to look over. "Nervous?"
Tomorrow is the mixed team qualifying round.
Lu Wenxuan was fine, as he had participated in this kind of competition countless times before.
What he was most worried about was Chu Xi. Everyone knew that Chu Xi had only one domestic competition experience before joining the national training team.
"Not bad." Chu Xi looked up at him, and without stopping, continued to walk forward. When passing Lu Wenxuan, she said lightly: "Don't worry about me, just don't be nervous tomorrow."
Lu Wenxuan watched Chu Xi's back as she walked away, and stared at her for a long time before looking away.
He shook his arms and walked briskly back to his room.
Nervous? Not really.
Although there is pressure, what shooting athletes are best at is to continue shooting under pressure, otherwise they do not deserve to appear in this arena.
…
The next morning, the Yuexin Video staff who rushed to Catantu from China arrived at the shooting competition venue in advance and began to debug the domestic broadcasting function.
At this time in China, it is the golden period after seven o'clock in the evening.
#ISF World Cup Live#
The entry quickly rushed to the live broadcast, and the post ranked first in the topic was the list of World Cup participants and the specific schedule that Yuexin Video had just released half an hour ago.
Among them, the first event, the mixed men's and women's 10-meter air pistol, ranked at the top.
The next two contestants: @Chu Xi @Lu Wenxuan.
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