Chapter Eighty-Four: Buying a House

After a three-day holiday, Rousseau returned to the provincial team in Pengcheng.

He began restorative training.

The strain in his thigh had healed almost completely after three days of rest.

But Rousseau dared not be careless.

After all, the injury had been caused by using the "Glass Crown." Rousseau decided to delay formal training for a few more days and focus on strength training in the meantime.

It was rather interesting—after donning the Glass Crown, Rousseau’s athletic technique seemed to have reached a true pinnacle.

This peak state was likely what Rousseau would have achieved if, in another life, he had joined a professional team at the optimal age for training, undergone years of rigorous practice, and reached the zenith of his career as a sprinter.

It was a chance to experience, in advance, the super-athlete version of himself.

His technique had reached the summit, but his physique had not yet caught up. The effect was akin to forcing a seedling to grow faster than nature intended, increasing the risk of injury.

Using the Glass Crown was highly addictive; Rousseau even felt that so long as he wore it, he could not lose—no matter the opponent. Perhaps this confidence was another gift of the crown.

…

When he returned to the familiar weight room at the Pengcheng Sports School and began his exercises, Rousseau conducted a small experiment.

He discovered something intriguing.

After his physical attributes reached their "limit," the way "strength" and "agility" values increased changed. At present, his strength was "40/41."

After half an hour of training, his strength crept up to "40.01/41." The rate of improvement had slowed noticeably, as he was now pushing beyond his limits.

Rousseau then put on the Glass Crown and trained for another five minutes; his strength increased to "40.02/41."

That efficiency was astonishing.

At that rate, he could improve 1 point of strength in about ten hours.

Training with the Glass Crown was six times more efficient than usual.

Although Rousseau could feel, through the crown, every muscle in his body working in perfect harmony, the improvement was still surprising. Did this mean that, during normal training, most of his efforts were wasted?

Once again, Rousseau felt the need for a dedicated, professional coach.

The meaning of the Glass Crown seemed to be to reveal a perfect version of Rousseau and to show him the path toward that ideal.

…

On the third day after returning to Pengcheng,

Rousseau officially signed an endorsement contract with "Dafu" Supermarket in Pengcheng. The contract was to last three years, for a total of 1.08 million, paid in annual installments of 360,000.

During this period, Rousseau would serve as the face of the supermarket, appearing at events and shooting a few commercials, though no promotional films were planned for now, as a local supermarket brand had little need for such things.

There was a premium to this contract—his previous offer, before winning the Dongqing Games gold medal, was only 600,000 for three years.

Now, with the real contract signed, the amount had nearly doubled. Part of this was thanks to the Dongqing Games, but another part was due to the expectation that Rousseau, barring any unforeseen mishaps, would likely win the 200-meter title at the National Games, bringing further benefit to the brand.

After signing with the supermarket, Rousseau also inked an endorsement deal with Lu Wang, worth 180,000 per year. The contract stipulated that if Rousseau achieved significant results at the National Games, Asian Games, or even the Olympics, the terms would be renegotiated.

Essentially, the deal with Lu Wang would be renewed annually, but the company retained the right of first refusal under equal conditions.

The total value of these contracts now exceeded half a million yuan—a considerable sum, even in the prosperous city of Pengcheng.

Facing the transformation from penniless youth to half-millionaire, the first thing Rousseau did was…buy a home.

To settle down and establish roots.

This longing is etched in the very bones of the Chinese people.

At the time, Pengcheng’s housing prices were about 6,000 per square meter.

In the scant time he could spare from training, Rousseau spent his days riding his little electric scooter with Lu Xiaoyu, circling the neighborhoods near the sports school. After two days, the siblings decided—they would buy an apartment in the staff housing of the sports institute.

Built in 1998, the residential building was less than seven years old. It wasn’t equipped with an elevator but was a six-story walk-up in the old Western style, which suited Lu Xiaoyu best, and Rousseau was also pleased. Both siblings worried about living in a high-rise and being trapped in the event of a fire.

The layout was also satisfying—a bright, south-facing, spacious apartment with a large living room and small bedrooms. Ninety square meters for three bedrooms and a living room—very well designed.

Buying a home was a major event.

Even after settling on a location, they wanted to consider it carefully. But as Rousseau was an insider at the sports school, when he shared his plan with Coach Lu Jinrong, the coach quickly found a teacher at the school who was looking to sell.

The teacher was preparing to "go to sea"—a term not much in vogue by 2004, but he believed a new wave of opportunity was coming. He gave Rousseau a passionate lecture on the future of the internet that left him dizzy.

Lu Xiaoyu, on the other hand, was quite intrigued. After just half an hour of discussion and negotiation, she felt an immediate kinship with the teacher, who even gave them a discount—the ninety-square-meter apartment sold for 508,000.

The contract was settled quickly.

So, on October 15, 2004—

The tenth day after the Dongqing Games ended.

The third month since Rousseau began professional training.

A full decade since he and Lu Xiaoyu were abandoned in Pengcheng by their family.

Rousseau and Lu Xiaoyu finally had a home of their own.

…

There was a minor episode during all this.

Before the property title was changed, Tian Shiwei helped Rousseau update the name on his household registration, obtain a new ID card, and change his bank details.

From that day on, everywhere, he would be known simply as Rousseau.

His former identity as Zhou Junyi was severed forever.

At the time of the name change, Tian Shiwei offered a suggestion.

"Rousseau is a rather odd name—not quite Chinese, not quite Western. Why not take this chance to find another?"

"What would I change it to?" Rousseau asked.

"Maybe… just change your surname, not your given name," Tian Shiwei replied.

"Lu... Junyi?" Rousseau considered.

"Why does that sound so familiar?" The two pondered together.

No wonder Lu Jinrong always urged them to take their cultural studies seriously.

In the end, they didn’t change it.

After all, Rousseau had already competed under this name at the Dongqing Games, and he’d been using it for ten years now. It was easy to remember, wasn’t it?

…

On the day the contract was signed,

They went to the real estate office to complete the name change and transfer.

Afterward, the teacher from the sports institute, having received the 508,000 from the sale, strode away with a grand flourish—he was off to start a business, investing the proceeds of the sale and his life savings into his vision for the future.

Watching the teacher’s determined departure, Rousseau whispered to Lu Xiaoyu, "What exactly is he planning to do?"

"He wants to build a food delivery platform—gather everyone who wants to order takeout and have them place orders on his site," Lu Xiaoyu replied.

"That’s actually a great idea," Rousseau mused. Having delivered food himself, he was quite familiar with the industry and saw its potential.

"What’s the platform called?" he asked.

"‘Have You Eaten?’" Lu Xiaoyu answered.