Chapter 99: The final event of the race – the relay…
The relay race, the final event of the competition, is the most prone to collisions and penalties. Having experienced all that had happened before, the coach devised an extremely cautious strategy for the final.
"Remember, safety first, avoid collisions!" the coach repeatedly emphasized. "It's better to fall slightly behind at the beginning than to make sure the baton exchange is smooth and the skating is clean! Don't give the referees any chance to make a penalty!"
The main opponents in the final were still several strong teams composed primarily of athletes from the Lan Hai Club. After the race began, they skated with extreme caution, trying to avoid physical contact. When they had opportunities to overtake but risked collisions, they chose to follow cautiously.
For the first twenty laps, they maintained a position in second or third place, remaining calm and composed, and their baton exchanges were smooth and precise, without the slightest mistake.
The competition has entered its final stage! Only the two teams remaining, along with the strongest, Lan Hai Team, are vying for the championship. The final baton exchange! Before stepping onto the track, Ren Xiyao and Lin Shan exchange glances. Lin Shan immediately understands that Ren Xiyao is about to use the "Overtake" move; a tacit understanding forms in an instant.
The air in the entire venue seemed to freeze!
After receiving the baton, Ren Xiyao didn't immediately sprint forward. Instead, she steadily followed behind her opponent, like a cheetah poised to pounce. She knew her opponent would be on high alert, and any conventional overtaking maneuver risked a collision. She was waiting—waiting for a decisive opportunity!
One lap left! The bell rang!
Entering the penultimate bend, Ren Xiyao still hadn't found a suitable overtaking line. Her opponent's positioning was extremely precise.
The final straightaway!
Just when everyone thought Ren Xiyao might narrowly lose, she made a move the instant she entered the final bend! Everyone assumed that her constant pulling to the outside during the first lap and a half was an attempt to overtake, but Wang Lu had effectively shut her down, leaving her no chance. However, her pulling to the outside was actually pushing Wang Lu to her maximum speed, a speed that was also precarious and easily out of control for Wang Lu.
As a teammate training together, Ren Xiyao knew very well that this was the limit of her cornering speed. Going any faster would definitely lead to a mistake. But even at the last corner, this was still not Ren Xiyao's limit, so this time, when entering the corner, she chose a right-angle change of direction. At this moment, she used the most offensive power. Her opponent had reached their limit, but she still had some energy left.
Wang Lu's opponent was completely caught off guard by her use of this method at this moment! She instinctively tried to block it, but it was already too late!
Ren Xiyao cut into the inside lane like lightning, taking the most advantageous position! Exit the corner! Accelerate! Sprint!
Clean and efficient! Undisputed!
She was the first to cross the finish line!
Gold medal! Women's 3000m relay gold medal!
The entire stadium erupted in a frenzy! Her teammates embraced Ren Xiyao tightly! The joy of victory overshadowed all the previous grievances and resentment!
Surrounded by her teammates, Ren Xiyao gasped for breath, sweat streaming down her face. She looked up at the brightly lit dome, a relieved smile finally appearing on her lips.
The women's short track speed skating team finished the National Games with three gold and two silver medals in four events. After the competition, they barely acknowledged the sullen-faced South Korean coach; however, the club's team leader and the Lanhai club's team leader exchanged pleasantries. Finally, the coach treated everyone to a celebratory meal.
At the hot pot restaurant, Lin Shan picked up a slice of fatty beef and dipped it into the spicy broth, glancing at her sideways: "Are you still angry?"
"No," Ren Xiyao said, breaking apart a pair of disposable chopsticks. "Isn't this something I already knew?"
Lin Shan leaned closer and whispered, "These people have no shame at all, but it's no use. The women's team didn't give them a single gold medal. Sister Xu won the 1000m gold, and I won the silver. Sister Xu Xin won the 500m gold, and I won the silver. You won the 1500m gold, but the relay gold is ours. Those women's team members are always staring at others, how can they concentrate on training properly?"
"And they really went all out this time. They don't learn anything good. Why didn't they learn the coaching techniques from South Korea? Their skills in grabbing people are almost on par with Park Hye-yeon's!"
Ren Xiyao poured herself a glass of juice: "Everyone from top to bottom assumes that there's no problem with this approach, so the people they cultivate naturally aren't focused on academic performance."
Lin Shan took a bite of beef, her cheeks puffed out in anger: "That's right, they wouldn't have been so blatant before. It's just that they've become ridiculously blatant since the decision-making body changed."
"Never mind." Ren Xiyao picked up a piece of frozen tofu: "Let's eat."
The hot soup was bubbling away. Lin Shan took out her phone and, while browsing forums, asked, "Has your partner sent a message yet?"
"I watched the live stream."
"Then what?"
"Tell them to wait for my call."
Ren Xiyao picked up a piece of brown sugar glutinous rice cake and stuffed it into her mouth: "Stop it."
In the other half of his Seoul apartment, Kwon Ji-yong sat cross-legged on the carpet, the television replaying the women's 1000m semi-finals. His phone vibrated; it was Ren Xiyao calling.
"Finished?" he answered.
"Hmm." Ren Xiyao's voice mingled with the noisy background noise: "Two golds."
Kwon Ji-yong pressed the pause button, freezing the image on the moment when he was forced to make a mistake during the right-angle change of direction: "I saw it."
The sound of clinking dishes came from the other end of the phone, followed by the sound of Ren Xiyao's footsteps receding into the distance. The background noise gradually subsided, and her voice became clearer: "How much did you see?"
“That’s enough.” He stared at the referee’s indifferent expression on the screen: “Your team’s victory celebration?”
"Um."
Are you happy?
Ren Xiyao gave a short laugh: "Guess."
"Ren Xiyao".
"Um?"
"Meeting at the Asian Winter Games"
Ren Xiyao paused for a moment and then chuckled softly, "Okay."
However, human joys and sorrows are not the same for everyone. And the path of seeking fame, fortune, and advancement is never short of people rushing to it.
In the conference room of the Lanhai Club training base, the air seemed to freeze, filled with celebration for the men's team. But what about those who won zero gold medals? How could they possibly be happy?
The curtains were drawn tightly, and only a few overhead lights were on, casting a dim light that illuminated the gloomy faces of the people sitting around the long conference table.
The women's team's head coach's face was ashen, his jawline taut, and his eyes like icy knives. He slammed the thick stack of training and match data records he was holding onto the dark conference table. The papers scattered with a loud crash, some even falling to the floor, like a silent accusation.
"Women's team! Not a single gold medal this 13th Winter Games! Not a single one!" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried immense pressure. Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, striking everyone's hearts heavily: "What happened to the pledges made before the Games? What happened to the resources invested in training? Were they all wasted?!"
His gaze swept over the assistant coaches and team representatives present, and finally, it fixed firmly on Wang Lu, the star player who was looking down.
"Wang Lu!" The women's team head coach practically roared, spitting furiously as she spoke: "What did you promise me before the 1500m and women's relay races? You said you were in great shape, that handing the second leg to you was no problem, and that we'd practiced the tactics, guaranteeing at least one gold medal! And what happened?! Tell me, why?! Do you know how much money and resources the club has poured into long-distance running over the years? Is this how you answer us?"
“Coach…” Wang Lu’s voice was a little hoarse: “Ren Xiyao…she’s too good at skating, we can’t control her at all. Her skating style…is completely unconventional.”
"Can't contain her?" The coach let out a short, cold sneer. "We have four players in the finals! And you can't even contain her?! What are you all good for? Have all those 'teamwork' drills you practiced in training gone to waste?! What kind of conditions do we have? What kind of conditions does Longcheng have? We gave you the most advanced training facilities, the most international technical guidance, and the best logistical support for the competition. And this is the answer sheet you've given me? Do you deserve these resources?"
A suffocating silence fell over the conference room. Only the monotonous hum of the air conditioner vents made the atmosphere even more oppressive.
At this moment, the team leader, who had been silent all along, gently tapped the table, breaking the deadlock. His expression was calm, a stark contrast to the furious coach, but the look in his eyes behind his glasses seemed even more profound and unfathomable.
The words "Winter Olympics spots" stirred up a storm in everyone's hearts. This was the core and most brutal topic of today's meeting. The defeat at the 2013 Winter Olympics was not just a loss of face, but also a direct threat to the Lanhai Club's say in the allocation of national team spots. Faced with absolute strength, those "micro-management" tactics are useless.
The silence in the meeting room grew even heavier, and everyone seemed to be breathing cautiously.
"Ren Xiyao's current form... is too incredible." The team leader spoke slowly, his gaze sweeping over everyone: "You've all seen the results of these past few races, especially that game-winning shot in the 1500m and the final leg of the relay. It's exceeded our expectations. In fact, the entire women's team from the Longcheng Club is far superior to ours. Xu Xin and Lin Shan are alright, the 500m sprint is their strong point. The key point is that we've invested heavily in long-distance running over the years, spending a lot of money. Our cooperation with the Sports University is all focused on long-distance events. If this momentum continues, there's almost no doubt about her Olympic spot. If she achieves good results at the Olympics, even just a bronze medal and successfully takes over Xu Qinghe's position, it would practically declare all our efforts and investments in long-distance running over the years a complete joke."
No sooner had the team leader finished speaking than Wang Lu's sharp voice rang out: "Team leader! Coach! She definitely had a problem during the overseas training!"
All eyes immediately focused on her.
"What's the problem?" the coach asked, frowning.
“We were doing overseas training in South Korea,” Wang Lu took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound calmer and more objective: “During the adjustment period before going to the plateau, she was frequently going out. She would go out at least two nights a week.”
As she spoke, she quickly took out her phone and searched through her photo album before turning the screen towards the coach and team leader.
"I have evidence!"
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