Chapter Fifty-Six: Military Command

Regarding the matter of a teammate seeking him out late at night for a heart-to-heart, Li Yan welcomed it.

As for Rousseau’s concerns—whether he could compete, whether he could run the 200 meters—Li Yan responded much like an obstetrician faced with anxious relatives asking about the baby's gender: you’ll know when the time comes; this isn’t something you need to worry about right now.

“Coach, are you dissatisfied that I didn’t use that running style for the 100 meters?” Rousseau asked, his brows furrowed. After all, he was only eighteen, and being ignored for a week had left him anxious.

“I told you when you joined the team, it was precisely your running style that I valued,” Li Yan replied with a touch of helplessness. “You chose to abandon it yourself. I gave you the opportunity.”

“So you’re not planning to let me compete—even though I’ve run the 200 meters in 21.10 seconds?” Rousseau finally understood Li Yan’s intentions, and his heart sank.

“That’s your choice, isn’t it?” Li Yan countered. “You chose a relatively easier approach to protect your body, but you should know that championship medals are forged from blood and tears. Sometimes you have, and only have, one chance.”

“But I can run the 200 meters as fast as Chen Tianfu!” Rousseau argued.

“The Japanese team’s Teng Mitsunori and Yoki Kenshi have both clocked under 20.8 seconds in the 200 meters. Several Kazakh athletes are also under 21 seconds. If you run the 200 meters with your current time, you won’t even make the finals,” Li Yan said.

Rousseau fell silent.

Indeed, if Chen Tianfu’s time were enough to make the finals or win a medal in the East Asian Youth Games’ 200-meter event, Li Yan wouldn’t treat the 200 meters as a matter of fate.

For domestic athletes, the men’s 200 meters at the East Asian Youth Games was a den of tigers and wolves—throw one in, and not even a sound would be heard.

Rousseau could guess Li Yan’s thoughts: if Rousseau focused on the 100 meters and the 4x100 relay, he might make the finals, which would bolster the team’s depth and increase the chances for Li Yan’s protégé, Zhang Zhen, to win the title.

Hmm… Rousseau pondered, calming his dissatisfaction and anxiety. He looked Li Yan in the eye and said solemnly and slowly, “I believe I can definitely make the 200-meter finals—maybe even win a medal.”

“And where does your confidence come from?” Li Yan smiled. “Is it just your 21.10-second time?”

“Give me one more week, and I’ll break 21 seconds. That will be enough to make the East Asian Youth Games 200-meter finals,” Rousseau said.

Li Yan said nothing, merely gazing at Rousseau, then smiled as if to say, “This kid is talking nonsense.”

“To improve by 0.10 seconds in the 200 meters in a week…” Li Yan didn’t finish his sentence, clearly not believing it.

“Yes, I can.” Rousseau continued to meet Li Yan’s gaze, raising the stakes. “My current 100-meter time is enough to make the finals at best, but if you let me run the 200 meters, I’m confident I can not only reach the finals but win a medal.”

Li Yan’s expression turned serious. Rousseau’s persistent boasting was testing his patience.

“If you fail?” Li Yan asked, frowning.

Rousseau raised an eyebrow. “If I can’t do it, I’ll pack my bags and head back to Pengcheng!”

...

Rousseau returned to the dormitory.

The athletes’ dormitory at the national training base was much like the one at Pengcheng Sports School. When Rousseau opened the door, he saw Tian Shiwei playing his NDS—just as before. Only this time Tian Shiwei wasn’t afraid; Lu Jinrong wasn’t around, so no one would catch him gaming.

Tian Shiwei was getting along quite well in this small national squad. Firstly, there were many outstanding athletes, and his performance had improved alongside them. He was currently ranked third in the team, with a good chance of making the 100-meter finals at the East Asian Youth Games—a remarkable achievement.

Moreover, Tian Shiwei had forged good relationships with athletes like Zhang Zhen and made several friends, which kept him cheerful every day.

“Old Zhu just called,” Tian Shiwei said when he saw Rousseau.

“Hm?” Rousseau’s heart stirred. “What did Juno say?”

“She told us to train hard, not to get eliminated in the first round at the Games, and told you to stop being so withdrawn—make more friends,” Tian Shiwei replied.

Rousseau believed Juno would say such things, and his heart warmed inexplicably. Indeed, so far, aside from Tian Shiwei, only Juno could really talk with Rousseau.

“What did the coach say to you?” Tian Shiwei asked.

“He probably wants me to run the 100 meters and the 4x100 relay,” Rousseau answered as he undressed.

“Your performance is no worse than mine—you have a chance to make the finals. The coach’s arrangement makes sense,” Tian Shiwei said. “That head coach has a temper; we should stay out of trouble and just listen.”

“Mm.” Rousseau nodded. “I refused.”

“Huh?” Tian Shiwei looked up from his NDS, startled.

“I want to run the 200 meters,” Rousseau said.

“You can run both the 100 and 200 meters. Why go against the coach?” Tian Shiwei didn’t understand.

“There’s no time to train; the 4x100 relay training takes too much time,” Rousseau explained. He’d considered doing both, and Li Yan might even agree, but if he wanted to avoid an early exit, he had to focus on one event. Right now, Rousseau didn’t have the strength to shine in all disciplines.

“So? What did the coach say?” Tian Shiwei grew anxious.

“One week—if I don’t break 21 seconds in the 200 meters, I’ll pack my bags and go home,” Rousseau said.

...

“Are you kidding me!” Tian Shiwei was immediately upset. “Why send you home? At worst, you could just listen and run the 100 meters. What gives him the right to send you back? You didn’t break any team rules! I’ll go talk to him!”

Tian Shiwei’s righteous indignation warmed Rousseau’s heart. Though Tian Shiwei could be chatty and indecisive, he never faltered at crucial moments.

“I made the pledge myself,” Rousseau said, restraining Tian Shiwei. “If I can’t deliver in a week, I’ll go home.”

“Why?” Tian Shiwei didn’t understand. “You can run the 100 meters in 10.49 seconds! You may not win a medal, but as long as you make the finals and get ranked, that’s an achievement—an international competition! Why run the 200 meters? Are you out of your mind?”

“Maybe… because I don’t just want a ranking—I want to see if I can win a medal,” Rousseau replied after some thought. “Besides, I promised an elder I wouldn’t lose to the Japanese.”

“What kind of anti-Japanese drama is this…” Tian Shiwei moaned.

...

Night fell.

Lights out.

Tian Shiwei was busy texting on his phone.

While Rousseau was half asleep, he heard Tian Shiwei say, “Juno says she supports your decision—better to be a rooster’s head than a phoenix’s tail. She believes you can do what you said.”

Since Rousseau didn’t have a phone, Juno sent her message to Tian Shiwei, who then read it aloud.

“Thank her for me…” Rousseau murmured.

“Then I’ll say: Thank you for believing in me. I miss you very much,” Tian Shiwei read aloud as he typed.

“...Leave off the last four words,” Rousseau said.

“Sent. She’s received it,” Tian Shiwei replied.

You’re impossible… Rousseau was speechless.