Chapter 131: The 100-Meter Final

This was not Lu Suo’s first drug test.

However, it was his first under Olympic standards. The test was conducted by two foreign officials. One of the male officials remained in the waiting room, and under his watchful gaze, Lu Suo completed the entire process. Afterward, both the A and B bottles were sealed under the dual supervision of Lu Suo and the official. The official would then inspect the samples; a urine specific gravity not exceeding 1.005 would be considered valid.

Lu Suo had been tested on the 16th, again on the 17th, and this was his third time on the 18th. Lu Suo did not object to the testing, but he was puzzled as to why he was the only one being singled out.

Lu Jinrong waited for Lu Suo outside the testing room. There were only 20 minutes left until the 100-meter final. They hurried toward the competition venue.

"This is the treatment for a championship contender. It’s not just you; Pan Kai is likely being tested as well," Lu Jinrong said. "If you were abroad and your performance was this good, you’d be tested more than once a day."

"Urine tests alone can't detect all performance-enhancing drugs, can they?" Lu Suo asked.

"Sometimes they draw blood, too," Lu Jinrong replied. "That group of track and field athletes ten years ago was caught using both methods."

The doping scandal from a decade ago still cast a shadow over domestic track and field to this day. As Lu Suo and Lu Jinrong entered the athlete tunnel, they saw Pan Kai and his coach hurrying toward them, clearly having just finished their own urine tests in a different room.

Hmm... Lu Suo looked at Pan Kai, feeling a bit suspicious. He recalled a previous hypothesis: was Pan Kai not afraid of urine tests?

...

When Lu Suo and Pan Kai walked out of the athlete tunnel side-by-side, the cameras immediately locked onto them. Their figures appeared on the giant screens at the venue, and a wave of cheers erupted from the stands.

Pan Kai and Lu Suo, the top two sprinters in the country, had already gained significant fame. Although Lu Suo’s rise to prominence was recent, he had effectively "hitched a ride" on Pan Kai’s coattails into the public eye. Lu Suo’s 10.15-second finish in the semifinals had not only cast uncertainty over the established first and second rankings but also brought a great deal of drama and controversy to the final.

Who was truly the number one in the domestic 100-meter event? Was it Pan Kai, who had risen to prominence in the last two years? Or was it Lu Suo, who had entered the public consciousness like a meteor in an even shorter span of time?

This race would provide the answer.

The viewership ratings were climbing steadily. The broadcast camera operators were thoughtful enough to frequently shift the focus between Lu Suo and Pan Kai, while the presenters and experts chatted about gossip and anecdotes, waiting for the race to begin.

...

Lu Suo began searching the stands for Lu Xiaoyu and the elderly landlord. He soon spotted them. Just like when Lu Suo participated in the Provincial Games, Lu Xiaoyu, the landlord, and his family occupied a large section—the tickets, of course, were provided by Lu Suo.

"Go, brother!" Lu Xiaoyu shouted.

Lu Suo waved at them. They looked very happy.

"Cheer for me too, Xiaoyu!" Tian Shiwei shouted toward her.

"Go, go! Brother Shiwei, run for second place!" Lu Xiaoyu cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone.

"Received!" Tian Shiwei was content. He had received the same "blessing" at the last Provincial Games, but this time, it was a genuine one.

...

Lu Suo greeted Ruan Mei. He saw her sitting with her parents. Clearly, this was the moment that would decide Lu Wang's fate, and her whole family was here to witness it.

...

Lu Suo scanned the crowd and spotted Guan Zhaoyue. She had entered the competition venue with a press pass—a privilege she didn't have at the East Asian Games. After all, there was a home-field advantage.

Lu Jinrong stood next to Guan Zhaoyue. Seeing that Lu Suo’s race was about to start, Lu Jinrong felt nervous but also relieved. "Finally, it's starting."

"Old Lu, what’s wrong?" Guan Zhaoyue sensed something off in his tone.

"Well..." Lu Jinrong thought about it and decided to tell her. Guan Zhaoyue, that old literary soul, was unreliable when writing articles, but reliable otherwise. "Li Yan seems to be targeting Lu Suo. I’ve been worried about it for days."

"Targeting... Lu Suo?" Guan Zhaoyue found it hard to believe. "In broad daylight and under such scrutiny, how could he possibly target him?"

"That’s what I find strange too, but Li Yan is the kind of person who always makes you feel uneasy. For the past few days, I haven't dared to let Lu Suo eat the food provided by the event organizers; I've been bringing his meals from home," Lu Jinrong said with a bitter smile.

"Where did you get this information?" Guan Zhaoyue asked.

"Lu Suo said Pan Kai warned him," Lu Jinrong replied.

That made it even more bizarre.

"Aren't they competitors?" Guan Zhaoyue pondered. "Could this be a diversionary tactic?"

"Who knows!" Lu Jinrong shook his head. "Anyway, as long as Lu Suo makes it to the track in top condition, that’s all that matters!"

...

Now, the athletes began to step onto the track. The hosts and experts finally got to the point.

"We see the nine best sprinters in the country standing on the nine lanes. In lane one is... in lane three is Gong Wei from Jiangxi Province, in lane four is Pan Kai from the capital, in lane five is Lu Suo from Guangdong Province, in lane six is Chen Tianfu from Henan Province, in lane seven is Tian Shiwei from Guangdong Province..."

"What surprises me is Chen Tianfu. He is a 200-meter runner, yet he achieved such an excellent result in the 100-meter event this time. It’s quite astonishing..."

...

Lu Suo was also surprised. Chen Tianfu actually managed to stand in lane six. This proved that his 100-meter qualifying time was in the top four, tying with Gong Wei from Jiangxi. Gong Wei was a powerhouse capable of running 10.30 seconds. Could Chen Tianfu really run that fast? Why hadn't he noticed before?

Noticing Lu Suo’s gaze, Chen Tianfu looked away, appearing quite uncomfortable.

With three minutes left until the start, Lu Suo checked his status bar. His expression immediately shifted to one of profound surprise as he looked at Chen Tianfu, who continued to avoid his eyes. Lu Suo stared at him for a long moment before refocusing on the void, appearing as if he were lost in thought, but in reality, he was adjusting his status bar.

...

"On your marks—" the starter called out.

Lu Suo bent over, crouched, and began to "build momentum." He had no intention of using a false-start tactic. He was no longer at a disadvantage.

...

Once he crouched down, Lu Suo felt his entire body enter a state of extreme tension, yet his mind remained calm. He had experienced so many such starts, and almost every one of them had led to glory and honor.

Bang!

The start!

Lu Suo and Pan Kai surged forward almost shoulder-to-shoulder. Both had world-class starts!

Lu Suo kept his head down and pushed forward. He realized that Pan Kai was a formidable opponent, a rival like none he had ever encountered before, but Lu Suo was confident he could defeat him.

But just then—

Whack!

Something struck Lu Suo’s right hand heavily.

Lu Suo’s forward momentum instantly lost its balance.