Game Extra 1
“It’s an Olympic year again.”
Having overheard something, the extremely extroverted passerby immediately joined in the conversation.
"Where were the Olympics held this year?"
The girl who was being talked to hesitated and took off her headphones.
"Are you, talking to me?"
A passerby pointed at her training clothes with a smile and said, "Yes, classmate, you are studying sports, right? Which sport? Are you going to participate in a competition now?"
The girl scratched her head and said, "Yeah, I practice sports, but I'm not participating in the competition. I'm just going to watch."
[Flight to Duffy Chris...] The announcement at the international airport sounded. The girl's reply was interrupted when she heard the place name. She realized that she had forgotten the time while looking at her phone, and she stood up in a hurry, almost dropping her luggage.
"Be careful, it looks like you're taking this flight. I'm also flying this flight. What game are you watching?"
"It's the Olympics. It's being held in Duffy Chris this year."
"Really? I heard that no city was willing to bid, and I thought it would go to some remote country."
Ever since it was discovered that hosting the Olympics was a loss-making venture for the host country, fewer and fewer countries and cities have applied to host the Olympics. One year, only one city applied, and even wanted to change its mind after being successful.
This "avoid it as much as possible" attitude has made people outside the sports circle laugh at it, but it is not so funny for the participants in the sports.
Even world-class competitions like the Olympics cannot make money, and other competitions are mainly aimed at "promoting the spirit."
The girl was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to do. She touched the strap of her bag and said something with a grunt.
"Our country's athletes are all winning glory for the country. I want to support them."
"Really?" the passerby laughed, seemingly unaware that he had embarrassed the girl. "By the way, you haven't told me what you practice yet?"
This time, the girl's eyes lit up, and even the blush on her face was filled with pride.
"I'm training for the 400 meters!"
"Wow, that's amazing! I remember we won a lot of championships in the 400m, right? That was incredible."
The girl's ears also turned red, and her back straightened even more. Her pride in her project could be seen from her flying hair.
At the same time, the passerby covered his forehead and laughed, his wrist reflecting the blue light next to his ear, and the small Bluetooth headset was showing the status of use.
A slightly distorted voice full of helplessness rang in her ears.
"Qu Tang, you're so boring."
The smile of passerby Qu Tang was almost unable to be covered by the mask, and the trembling of his facial muscles almost knocked off his earphones.
She didn't respond to the person in the headset, but typed elegantly on her phone.
[That's so funny. Do you think she knows you? ]
[Nonsense, nonsense, how could I not recognize you when I was doing the 400-meter race?]
This little girl is so interesting. She's wearing a provincial track and field training uniform. I initially thought she was going to run the sprint, but it turned out to be the 400 meters.
Qu Chi let out a long sigh.
"Are you training for the 400 meters?"
A voice came out of nowhere and interrupted the conversation between the two.
The man looked the girl up and down with a critical gaze, which made her shoulders hunch inward a little.
But the man was obviously not satisfied with what he saw. Before the girl could reply, the man started chatting with his companion in a "low voice".
"Alas, it's still not good enough. The physical condition is far from that of Qu Shen. In recent years, there hasn't been a single young player who can play. Qu Shen will definitely retire this year. I don't know... Alas."
The girl sighed twice in succession, and her back was weighed down by the sighs so much that she couldn't straighten up.
Qu Tang's smile gradually faded and he frowned.
Although the two men felt they had no intention of attacking anyone, it was obvious that they had caused an impact on the girl.
Qu Tang put his hands in his pockets and turned to look at the two men.
"Hey, what's going on? You two have devoted yourself to researching the physical conditions of famous athletes both at home and abroad? Did you find the data yourself? Where can I find your literature on the official website?"
Being bluntly rebuked, the two of them argued about it. Although they were still not convinced, at least they stopped complaining on the surface.
Qu Tang patted the girl's shoulder and comforted her:
"Why are you sad? Just because you're in a different physical condition than Qu Chi, can you not do 400? It's not like Qu Chi is the only genius. It's already amazing that he can make it to the provincial team. Qu Chi almost retired from the provincial team at this age."
The girl didn't react for a moment. How could someone who didn't know where the Olympics were held just now now talk about Quchi all the time, as if he knew more about it than her, who was participating in the same event.
But his mouth had already subconsciously spoken his true feelings:
"You are not allowed to speak ill of Qu Shen!"
Qu Tang was stunned and almost laughed out loud without caring about her image. If there weren't people around her, she would have bent over and pinched her thighs with laughter.
It was expected that the girl who practiced the 400 meters was most likely a fan of Qu Chi, but when faced with this scene of defending her idol, she still found it inexplicably funny.
Qu Chi: "I almost got you. You're just taking advantage of the fact that you're out of fashion and there's no media following you, right?"
Qu Tang dealt with both sides with one sentence: "Yes, Qu Chi is very powerful, and he is still in his prime."
There was a strange atmosphere, and Qu Tang's words caused everyone in front and behind to fall silent.
"Is Qu Shen going to have his retirement tournament this time? His last competition was the Grand Prix in March, where he barely made it to the qualifying line. To get enough rest, he didn't participate in any subsequent open tournaments. It's obvious that he has no choice but to retire."
The two men at the back grumbled again, this time without any sarcasm, just sighs, which made the other man's eyes red.
Qu Tang took a breath of cold air.
Qu Chi couldn't hear clearly on the other end and wanted to hang up.
"Are you okay? We're almost on the plane, turn on airplane mode."
Qu Tang: "Wait a minute! Didn't you hear what others said about you? Do you want me to explain it to you?"
"What did you say about me?"
"You have no choice but to retreat!"
Qu Chi gave a short laugh. "Could it be that I'm wrong? I'm 35 and old. A simple muscle strain would keep me lying down for over a month."
Qu Tang was angry.
"Don't say that! Which athlete in the country can outrun you right now? What's wrong with you?"
Qu Chi didn't answer, but just sighed softly.
"Besides, the fact that you've qualified for the Olympics shows that you're pretty good. How many people in the world can make it to the Olympics?"
Qu Chi shook his head silently on the other end, but he couldn't argue with Qu Tang.
This year she is the only Chinese 400m athlete to qualify for the Olympics.
In today's track and field circles, and even in the sports circles, there is a false prosperity that the 400 meters is China's strong point.
Yes, fake.
As early as Qu Chi's third Olympic Games, her coach He Yang and other national team coaches expressed obvious concerns.
The reason is that Qu Chi is too strong, so strong that the coaches can't find anyone to take over Qu Chi's job.
Thanks to the popularity of the 400 meters in China, the national team was able to successfully fill the shoes of the old team members who were sent off by Qu Chi. But unfortunately, no one can fill Qu Chi's position.
The relay race had extremely bad luck that year, and Qu Chi almost exhausted himself to lead the team to qualify, which also caused everyone to worry about Qu Chi's individual competition.
He Yang hardly slept a wink during those two days.
If any accident occurs in Quchi, this "strong" 400-meter team will collapse.
But when they have witnessed a genius like Qu Chi and have been brought to such a height of honor by Qu Chi, even the second best female 400m runner in China will not be able to continue her glory after Qu Chi retires.
There is a difference between genius and prodigy.
There are very few sprinters who have participated in three Olympic Games. Although Qu Chi never said that he would retire before the age of 30, the coaching staff became more and more anxious.
Fortunately, Qu Chi is really a miracle. She ran for another eight years. During these eight years, the women's 400 meters never failed to win a single prize. With Qu Chi, they still have time.
But how long can Quchi last?
Finally, this time, Qu Chi clearly told the coaching staff that she was going to retire this year.
The coaches had been mentally prepared for at least four years, but when the deadline finally came, they still felt a little overwhelmed.
How many years will it take for the new generation of young players to develop? Even if they do, can they reach the level of Qu Chi? How many years of slump will the national team have to endure?
The end of Qu Chi's career seems to be the end of the domestic women's 400m...
Qu Chi, who had followed the national team to the competition venue early to adapt, came to his senses and remembered that he was still talking to Qu Tang.
Recalling the topic before her mind wandered, she said, "Can you help me say something to that girl?"
Qu Tang: "Huh? What are you talking about? Oh, right, I think someone recognized me. She's staring at me. It seems like I, a once famous athlete, am not completely out of fashion after all."
Qu Chi chuckled: "Okay, then tell her to keep going."
Qu Tang: "What? That's it? I thought you had some warning quotes to inspire her."
Qu Chi yawned:
"I don't know about others, but for me... just keep going."
As long as there is someone cheering for Qu Chi, it seems that he will not be able to run.
…
The opening ceremony was officially held at 8 o'clock in the morning.
Qu Chi stood in the middle of the team with a familiar look, and had a sense of leisure as steady as a rock, but this leisure was also a bit like looseness, which was not a positive word anyway.
Aspiring athletes should be like cheetahs hunting, not sheep strolling.
The track and field fans who were sitting in the audience and watching the live broadcast on their mobile phones almost wanted to analyze Qu Chi's condition frame by frame.
The results are very pessimistic.
"It's over, it's over. Qu Shen doesn't seem to have much energy. Is he injured?"
"Even if she hadn't been injured, it would have been tough. She's 35! Sprinting at 35 is hard for me to believe. She could still run in the Olympics."
"There's no one else except her."
"If, if we come last in the preliminaries..."
Someone immediately blocked his mouth with a flag and ordered him to spit out the unlucky words.
Although I did as I was told, I was still very worried.
Who wouldn't be worried? They were both happy that Qu Chi could once again compete in the Olympics, but also worried...
This is her retirement match. If Qu Chi loses badly in this match... no one will remember her age when she represented the country in the competition, and people will gradually forget how many honors she has brought.
Only people will remember that Qu Shen is no longer Qu Shen, she did not win the game, she lost completely.
But obviously, she has won so many times, but this is the game where she is most likely to lose, and she cannot lose it.
No, no, just don’t lose too badly.
What's Qu Chi's best result right now? Can he finish fifth? Fifth in the group, or at worst, sixth, seventh... Not last, that seems like it's probably okay.
After all, all the contestants present were much younger and more vigorous than her.
Time came to the 400m preliminaries.
"Senior Qu Chi, I'm so glad to see you here."
English with an accent rang in Qu Chi's ears. Qu Chi turned around and saw a young Asian face.
Noticing the strangeness in Qu Chi's eyes, Tian Murasame smiled shyly and introduced himself.
"It's a shame to say that. Although I've always admired you, I couldn't compete with you. I won first place in this year's Intercontinental Championship."
The strangeness in Qu Chi's eyes was not really strangeness. She certainly knew this young Japanese player. After all, she was known as the new generation of Asian light.
It is worth mentioning that the old generation is Qu Chi himself.
Qu Tang often shared news about this "successor" with her in a mocking manner. She had seen her many times in photos and videos.
Japan is a country with a strong sprinting culture and highly respects strong sprinters. Qu Chi's former glory belongs not only to China, but also to the yellow race. She has many track and field fans in Japan.
Having said that, as long as she is there, it is difficult for players from other countries to win. Over time, Qu Chi has actually received quite a few provocations.
She had seen Tamura Yu's seemingly respectful attitude and pretended regretful tone many times.
She was not convinced of herself. After all, Tamura Ame was indeed young and capable, and it was not easy for any athlete to make it to the Olympics.
When Qu Chi came to his senses, he found that he seemed to be lost in memories and had forgotten to reply to the person in front of him.
"Oh, sorry, I got distracted."
Tamura's tone was still respectful and full of concern. "Is that so? The match is almost about to start, are you still distracted, Senior? I heard that you always concentrate on thinking about the game strategy before the match."
Qu Chi nodded: "Indeed, but you reminded me of someone I know."
"?"
"It should be your senior, Kobayashi Yumi. She seems to have retired six years ago. She seemed to have said something similar to me back then. But unfortunately, she retired too early. Oh, by the way, do you know her?"
"She's my coach."
Qu Chi opened his eyes wide: "Wow, no wonder, did she teach you these words too?"
Tamura's smile was a little stiff:
"No, please don't misunderstand me, Senior. I'm just expressing my anticipation for competing with you. I don't mean anything else."
Qu Chi shook his head: "I didn't misunderstand."
She seemed to be reminiscing, or perhaps formulating her words: "She was 23 years old back then, her performance was just breaking out, and I was 27. She also called me her senior and said she was looking forward to competing with me in the Olympics."
Tamura Yu's smile has completely disappeared.
Qu Chi has always been the focus of attention, and the conversation between the two has always been secretly listened to by others.
The other two contestants discussed in a low voice after hearing this.
"Who is that? What happened? Why does that Japanese player look unhappy?"
"Hmm, a Japanese athlete? Now I remember, he should be a competitor from the 1932 Olympics. I remember that Qu Yifeng was the gold medalist in that competition."
Another person looked at her strangely and asked, "Since the advent of Qu Chi's era, has she ever won any Olympic Games without a gold medal?"
"Well, but I don't remember any Japanese athletes ever entering the Olympic finals."
Therefore, the provocation eight years ago probably meant that the player was unable to compete with Qu Chi at all and was blocked from the finals by other strong players.
Qu Chi and Tian Murasame were obviously more aware of the outcome at that time.
Qu Chi innocently and friendly sought approval from Tian Murasame, as if he wanted to prove that he had a good memory.
Tamura Yu finally forced a smile.
"I'm honored to be in the same group with Player Qu in this preliminaries. I wonder if Player Qu can create another miracle."
Qu Chi smiled slightly and shrugged: "It seems like a miracle that I am still standing here."
This is the truth, but other athletes did not think that Qu Chi was "accepting her age". She no longer had the same ambition, and the fact that she was able to compete in the Olympics was enough to achieve her goal.
The career of a sprinter is often very short. Qu Chi has participated in fewer competitions in recent years, and the people present rarely competed with Qu Chi at full strength, so naturally they don’t know how terrible the so-called Qu Chi era was.
At this moment, they even had a vague premonition.
The so-called Quchi moment should have ended long ago.
A yellow man occupies the throne of sprinting... Today, the one who should be provoked should not be Tamura Yu, who is also a yellow man, but these dark-skinned people who believe that they have strong sports genes.
Qu Chi had nothing much to talk about with a competitor from another country, so he shrugged slightly, indicating that he wanted to concentrate on warming up, and then went to the other side to stretch his body.
She moved neither fast nor slow, and compared to the other young contestants who were full of fighting spirit, she was more like an old lion, moving slowly and unable to catch any prey.
In other words, comparing her to a lion is too much respect for her.
Quchi is probably just an antelope being chased now.
Some people felt contempt in their hearts, while others were so angry that they wanted to cross the field and curse.
"Didn't I tell her not to underestimate Qu Chi? What is she doing? Pointless provocation! What good will this do? She might as well warm up properly and try to make it to the semifinals!"
The other person in the previous topic was so angry that he covered his forehead.
Kobayashi Yumi took a few deep breaths and asked the assistant coach, "Didn't I ask her to watch Qu Chi's match videos several times? Why is she still not wary of Qu Chi?"
The assistant coach lowered his head and said, "Tamura is not going to underestimate her opponent. She will definitely play at her best and win the glory."
In fact, she also felt that Kobayashi Yumi was simply making a big deal out of nothing. No matter how good Qu Chi was, he was already thirty-five years old...
After turning 30, the Chinese team reduced the number of her participation in foreign competitions. This year, she did not participate in any foreign competitions. She only announced the adjustment of her training plan after obtaining the Olympic qualification.
Everyone knew that her physical strength had declined. Even the top athletes would eventually grow old.
As the old replaces the new, who doesn’t want to take the throne into their own hands?
Especially since the person on the throne is now vulnerable.
Yumi Kobayashi suppressed her inner collapse, took deep breaths and prayed that Qu Chi was really going to die.
Didn't he say he was retiring? Maybe this time he's really done, right?
"ah!!!"
In the end, she still recalled the provocation she had made when she thought Qu Chi was about to retire.
And failure without even a contest.
Although she had lost to Qu Chi before, she had made it to the Olympics by chance and thought she was good enough to compete with Qu Chi...
But, she is Qu Chi!
No matter what everyone present thought, the whistle for the game preparation finally blew.
In front of the starting blocks, Qu Chi slowly closed his eyes.
It seemed like a long, long time.
But opening my eyes only lasted for a moment.
At that moment, many thoughts and images popped up in her mind.
She is really retiring.
You have to accept your old age.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to run as easily as before.
Every time she took a step, she seemed to have to concentrate more in order to control her physical strength.
After all, I'm thirty-five years old.
Others have become coaches, but she is still a player.
Qu Chi was silently amused by his own thoughts and lowered his head as he prepared for the action.
But, she is Qu Chi.
The starting gun "bang"!
As fast as lightning, as light as a ghost.
That familiar figure in the Olympic arena started and accelerated lightly and quickly, with a posture as light as a swallow and a speed as fast as a swallow!
In the audience, everyone erupted in cheers, then paused for a second, before finally erupting in even more excitement than before! Most of them even tinged with tears.
The shouts were—
“Qu Chi!! Qu Chi!!”
No matter how complicated the emotions are, they can only become that person's name at this moment.
That was still Quchi, the Quchi that had attracted their attention for ten years.
She never disappoints anyone, even in the last battle, she will try her best.
Some sentimental people were already in tears, but they still cheered for Qu Chi.
Qu Chi heard those voices.
Ever since she made her mark in the 400m, she has never lacked supporters at the track, but she has participated in so few competitions in the past two years that the cheers have become unfamiliar.
Being unfamiliar is good, it brings her the excitement of a new life.
It made her feel like she was back to the moment when she first stepped onto the field.
That year, she was the one challenging for the throne.
And this time, someone was challenging her.
That year, the challenger succeeded.
And what about this time?
Qu Chi exhaled, and there was no one in front of him.
Like every time over the years, she is always at the forefront, unsurpassed, and a king that no one can dare to challenge.
"Qu Chi! Qu Chi is still in first place, wuwuwu, am I seeing things? Qu Chi is in first place, wuwuwu!"
Even the crying was shouted out, and the track and field fans present could not control their inner excitement at all.
They could only shout for Qu Chi and cry for Qu Chi, because none of them had expected the current situation.
Quchi, the first to cross the finish line.
After taking a few steps, Qu Chi propped up his legs and gasped for breath.
He shook his head and thought to himself, he is really old, he is short of breath.
Hmm? It doesn't seem like my own breathing.
She raised her head and looked at the contestants crossing the line behind her. They were panting and looking at her with complicated eyes, even a little fear in their eyes.
Is this really a human being? A player who can have a peak period of more than ten years?
Did the Chinese team really announce that Qu Chi was retiring? Was it the same player with the same name?
"Are you really going to retire?"
Someone finally asked in disbelief.
Qu Chi has barely recovered, and the nervous Chinese team staff are preparing to help her leave the field. None of them cares about the results on the field. The staff only cares about whether Qu Chi's body can recover well.
As for the other contestants... Qu Chi has already advanced, so who cares about the results?
Finally someone looked up at the scoreboard.
"47.48 seconds, yeah, luckily I didn't break the world record."
"Yeah, 47.01 is too scary. No matter how good Qu Chi is, it wouldn't be that outrageous."
"Who created the time 47.01 seconds?"
"Well...it was Qu Chi, when she was 27."
“…”
None of the remaining seven contestants moved, and some even forgot that they should leave the stage. They just stared at the back of the person who was slowly leaving the stage.
Just like before the game, he looked like an old lion, but more like an antelope to be hunted.
But they seem to have forgotten that antelopes always run ahead of lions, and those predators are the ones chasing them.
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