Chapter 128: The Semifinals
The results of the 100-meter preliminaries on the first day came as no surprise to anyone. Everyone expected to advance to the semifinals did so. Led by Pan Kai, Lu Suo, and Gong Wei, the new generation of domestic sprinters had improved by a considerable margin over the older generation—indeed, it could even be called a leap forward.
Although Lu Suo’s last publicly recorded 100-meter result had been 10.49 seconds at the Nanyue Provincial Games, his successive record-breaking performances at recent indoor invitationals proved that he was capable of far more. His time of 10.28 seconds was therefore no surprise.
Otherwise, how could he hope to challenge Pan Kai?
...
That evening.
Lu Xiaoyu edited her post, “The Hexagonal All-Round Warrior: Lu Suo,” changing Lu Suo’s publicly recorded 100-meter time to 10.28 seconds. As expected, a wave of mockery immediately followed. The counterattack began at once.
The post had now become the most replied-to thread in Cape Pavilion’s sports forum. It could even be called a battlefield where both sides fought over Lu Suo. Judging from the dates of the replies, the course of the battle was obvious.
From December 31, 2004, to January 4, 2005, after Lu Suo won the indoor invitational grand slam, the supporters of Lu Suo had held the upper hand. Once Pan Kai’s 200-meter result in Melbourne was released, however, the tide turned.
Then, on the fifteenth, the National Games opened. Lu Wang released that advertisement, one so astonishing that even Ruan Mei had been stunned. The anti-Lu faction surged forward like a raging flood. Their jeers were vicious and relentless. At that moment, Lu Xiaoyu’s decision to edit Lu Suo’s result was like throwing a firecracker into a cesspit, blasting filth into the sky.
The main forces standing behind Lu Suo were Lu Xiaoyu and the editors of Back Waves. Opposing them was a flood of paid agitators.
Their standard tactics consisted of every kind of sarcastic insinuation:
“Is this thread still alive?”
“How dare you still call him an all-round warrior? Does that mean an all-round warrior has to be inferior at everything? In that case, I’m an all-round warrior too—I’m especially versatile when it comes to taking a dump.”
Gnashing her teeth, Lu Xiaoyu both replied to the posts and called on others to have them deleted. She fought until deep into the night, yet the battle remained locked in a stalemate.
Lu Suo did not return home until nine. When he saw Lu Xiaoyu staring furiously at the computer screen, he knew she was once again waging war against the entire internet. He coaxed her into going to bed, telling her that children who did not get enough sleep would damage their health and never grow tall.
After Lu Xiaoyu went to sleep, Lu Suo sat down in front of the computer himself. Seeing the endless stream of insults directed at him, he felt his own blood begin to boil.
He could also see the posts made by Lu Xiaoyu’s account, “So I’m a Fish After All.”
“I swear here and now that Lu Suo will definitely beat Pan Kai. If he can’t, I’ll kill myself. Who dares to bet with me? Paid agitators, get lost. Bring out an account that’s been registered for more than three years. Do you dare?”
The post had the air of someone brandishing a sword and mounting a horse before battle.
But...
Kill herself?
Lu Suo looked anxiously toward Lu Xiaoyu’s room.
He wondered whether, in tomorrow’s semifinal, he should try to run a time good enough to let Lu Xiaoyu fulfill her wager. He had not used the Glass Crown in the preliminaries.
...
January 17.
The third day of the Nanyue Provincial Games.
Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and the other cities where the Southern Metropolis Daily was distributed.
Many residents bought that day’s newspaper out of sheer curiosity. They were not interested in the news; they only wanted to see the advertisement. Sure enough, the entire second page was still covered by the same red-background advertisement:
“Lu Wang wishes Lu Suo success in winning the 100-meter gold medal and breaking the National Games record!”
Heh.
Some people really had more money than sense.
A small number of readers, however, realized that this was actually a very interesting commercial advertisement.
Someone asked, “What if this Lu Suo fellow doesn’t win?”
“Then Lu Wang will be humiliated,” someone replied. “After that, no matter what Lu Wang sells, I’ll spit in its face.”
...
The advertising storm brought on by Lu Wang was howling across the city.
No one could predict what the final outcome would be.
...
Guangzhou.
9:00 a.m.
Galaxy Stadium.
The 100-meter semifinals were about to begin.
The semifinals were divided into two heats, which would determine the nine athletes advancing to the final.
The top four from each heat would qualify, along with the athlete who recorded the fastest time between the two heats.
After three consecutive days of advertising bombardment, the 9:00 a.m. semifinals had attracted widespread attention.
A huge crowd poured into the stadium, trying to identify the legendary Lu Suo.
“That one! That tall, dark-skinned guy!”
“Which one?”
“Lane four.”
“He’s pretty handsome.”
“He’s a local athlete from Nanyue. We’ve got to support him.”
...
“Lu Suo! Lu Suo! Lu Suo!”
“Come on! Come on! Come on!”
Standing in lane four, Lu Suo heard the cheers ringing in his ears.
They reminded him of the deafening roar of the crowd at the East Youth Games.
There were not that many people in the stadium yet. After all, it was only nine in the morning—far too early. True old Guangzhou locals were still enjoying their morning tea. Their real hours of activity would not begin until after six in the evening.
But their enthusiasm was undiminished.
Lu Suo waved toward the stands.
Another burst of cheering rose in response.
...
“Lu Suo is really starting to look like a star athlete,” Guan Zhaoyue said as she entered the competition area with a press badge.
“Athletes speak through their results. The more they win, the more imposing they naturally become,” Lu Jinrong replied.
“That’s true. Generals die after a hundred battles, while brave warriors return only after ten years,” Guan Zhaoyue said with a sigh.
“Bah, Lao Guan, don’t say things like that. It’s bad luck!” Lu Jinrong spat in Guan Zhaoyue’s direction.
...
“Take your marks...”
Lu Suo heard the command he had heard countless times before.
He bent forward. The effect of “Charging Power” made his waist feel like a bow, gathering more and more kinetic energy until it could launch him forward.
Lu Suo was in lane four, while Tian Shiwei was in lane six.
Two sprinters from Shenzhen had met in the 100-meter semifinals.
Bang!
The starting pistol fired.
Lu Suo took a single step forward.
His acceleration was already half a shoulder ahead of the others.
During the first thirty meters, before he entered the middle phase of the race, the other competitors managed to close the gap somewhat. Some even overtook him. But once he passed thirty meters and opened his long, meteoric stride, settling into a steady rhythm and stride length, he seemed to transform into the god of war on this track. No one could rival him!
Tian Shiwei gave everything he had in his own lane, keeping his eyes fixed ahead. Yet it was impossible to avoid glimpsing Lu Suo in the lane beside the next. He could not help remembering that, half a year earlier, he and Lu Suo had still been battling for supremacy on this very track.
And now, half a year later, he could not even catch Lu Suo’s shadow...
How was that possible?
Tian Shiwei gritted his teeth and drove himself forward with every ounce of strength. As long as he remained on this track, he would never concede defeat!
...
Lu Suo was still the first to cross the finish line, far ahead of the other competitors.
Chen Tianfu came second.
Tian Shiwei came third.
...
Before long, the results of the 100-meter semifinal appeared on the stadium’s giant screen.
“Lu Suo, 10.15 seconds.
Chen Tianfu, 10.34 seconds.
Tian Shiwei, 10.36 seconds.
...”
Not bad.
Lu Suo jogged around the bend, loosening up his legs.
At that moment, thunderous cheers began to reverberate throughout the entire stadium.