Chapter 113: The Indoor 400-Meter Final

It was not until Lu Suo knocked on Dong Zijian’s door on the evening of December 30th that he learned Dong Zijian and Li Yan had already returned to the capital overnight.

"Leaving so soon?"

Lu Suo speculated that the loss must have had a significant impact on Zhang Zhen. That kid was proud and sensitive. Lu Suo had originally intended to discuss with Zhang Zhen how he managed to run so fast in the indoor 60-meter dash, but it didn't matter; he could just watch the tapes later.

December 31st. Morning. The indoor 200-meter race at the Fengtian stop.

This was the final stop of the 2004 Indoor Athletics Invitational, and with only four participants, the field was sparse. This was partly because Lu Suo’s consistent streak of victories made other athletes feel it was pointless to compete for the prize money, and partly because, after four consecutive meets, the athletes were exhausted and needed to conserve energy for the National Games in a fortnight.

The result was as expected: Lu Suo took first place. Regrettably, he did not break any records this time; he finished in 20.82 seconds, 0.07 seconds slower than at the Quancheng stop. While reporters felt disappointed, the coaches and athletes breathed a sigh of relief. The reporters were let down by the lack of sensational headlines, whereas the coaches and athletes were relieved to see that Lu Suo was still mortal—not a god. After all, breaking a record at every single meet felt unrealistic, and the constant comparisons were demoralizing.

Lu Jinrong met Lu Suo as he came off the track. Even a highly talented athlete would be drained after a 200-meter race, especially since Lu Suo was competing against professionals. One could only "bully the weak" at university sports meets.

"How do you feel?" Lu Jinrong asked.

"I'm fine, no pain," Lu Suo replied, knowing Lu Jinrong was asking about his leg strain. After using the medication last night, he felt completely recovered by this morning. However, human muscle tissue has memory, and once an injury occurs, it is prone to recurring. Therefore, Lu Suo had paced himself during the 200-meter race this morning, choosing not to activate his "Glass Crown" skill, which meant he couldn't break the record.

"What about the 400-meter this afternoon?" Lu Jinrong asked. Lu Suo had promised him that if he didn't feel up to it, he would skip the 400-meter to avoid injury and protect his chances at the National Games.

Just then, Lu Suo heard Xiao Qiang greeting him. He waved back before turning to answer Lu Jinrong. "I'll participate. I’m going for first place."

...

4:00 PM. The 400-meter final for the Fengtian stop of the 2004 Indoor Athletics Invitational officially began. There were only four participants.

The reason was the same as the 200-meter: everyone was exhausted, and the local Liaoning athlete, Xiao Qiang, possessed an overwhelming advantage. Lu Suo jumped in place to warm up. Xiao Qiang was in the lane next to him. Catching Lu Suo’s gaze, Xiao Qiang offered a spirited, friendly smile that looked particularly honest. Lu Suo smiled back.

When Xiao Qiang had shared his hard-earned insights on the 400-meter race with him, Lu Suo had asked, "You’ve taught me everything; what will you do if I beat you?"

"When you taught me the 60-meter, why weren't you worried about that?" Xiao Qiang retorted.

"Because your 60-meter can't beat me," Lu Suo said with a laugh.

"Your 400-meter won't beat me either!" Xiao Qiang replied firmly.

As an athlete, if you step onto the track without the conviction that you are the best, you might as well stay home and tend to your children. Thus, no matter how good friends they were, they had to determine a winner on the track; the result was just the outcome, not a reflection of their friendship.

...

"On your marks!" the starter called.

Lu Suo bent his waist, coiled and ready to spring.

Bang!

The starting gun fired. Lu Suo surged ahead of the other three runners. The indoor 400-meter started on the curve near the finish line. Lu Suo’s cornering technique was now quite impressive, and if he engaged his "Balance" skill, it would be at a world-class level. Because he was in the outer lane, he was able to put consistent pressure on Xiao Qiang through the turns.

Lu Suo maintained his lead into the straightaway. The indoor straight is 84.39 meters—almost equivalent to a 100-meter dash—but it couldn't be run like one. As for how to distribute his energy, Xiao Qiang had taught Lu Suo a trick: "Use 90% effort for the start, 70% for the first 100 meters, 60% for the next 200 meters, and rely on willpower for the final 100."

This wasn't so much a mantra as a method Xiao Qiang had spent seven or eight years perfecting. Of course, what worked for him might not work for Lu Suo. For instance, Lu Suo had the "Coil" technique; by using 90% effort at the start, he could achieve a 100% effect, allowing him to throttle back his power output accordingly.

Soon, both Lu Suo and Xiao Qiang passed the second turn of the first lap. Once they hit the straightaway, they could merge lanes. This was a critical moment; merging meant that if you wanted to overtake later, it would inevitably cost more energy. While the leader held the advantage, the psychological pressure was immense. When two athletes were neck-and-neck during a merge, positioning and blocking became a technical art. For Xiao Qiang, this technique had been honed through countless races.

As they merged, Lu Suo, who had been stride-for-stride with Xiao Qiang, was unexpectedly boxed into second place and momentarily knocked off his rhythm.

The coaches on the sidelines smirked at the sight—it turned out the "hexagonal warrior" wasn't omnipotent after all; he had been bullied by Liaoning’s Xiao Qiang. The reporters, however, were less amused. From a news perspective, a headline like "Lu Suo Sweeps the Sprints at the Fengtian Stop" would have been far more compelling than "Lu Suo Wins the 60m and 200m."

...

In the blink of an eye, they reached the third turn. By now, they were in the second half of the 400-meter race. Athletes who hadn't managed their energy properly were already nearing exhaustion, leaving them to rely solely on willpower. Those who had paced themselves well, however, could still make a move on this third turn.

...

Xiao Qiang suddenly felt a shadow flash beside him. His vast experience told him that Lu Suo was about to overtake him. Choosing to pass on a curve proved that Lu Suo had confidence in his cornering technique, which surprised Xiao Qiang, as he had always assumed Lu Suo’s strength lay in his straight-line speed.

But he couldn't let him pass!

Xiao Qiang’s 400-meter style was consistently aggressive; if he was in first, he stayed in first. He maintained his balance, quickened his cadence, and forcefully rebuffed Lu Suo’s attempt to pass.

...

"Impressive," Lu Suo thought. His attempt had failed, and he had wasted a good deal of energy. They were now entering the third straightaway. Lu Suo disliked overtaking on the straights as it consumed too much energy, so he bided his time.

...

They were about to enter the fourth turn. Xiao Qiang felt the pressure from behind again. By now, even Xiao Qiang had little energy left; everyone had reached the stage where they had to push their bodies forward purely through willpower.

Now, it was a test of who could endure more!

...

Xiao Qiang gritted his teeth and pushed forward. Lu Suo chased desperately behind him.

They cleared the fourth turn.

The final straightaway lay ahead. Here, the winner would be decided.