Chapter 20: Someone Dug a Pit

“On your marks—get set—go!” Three figures shot forward like arrows released from a bowstring. Tu Jianguo could hardly believe his eyes: Sima’s start was on par with Yang She’s, while Zuo Lin was clearly two or three strides behind. As they entered the acceleration phase, Yang She, following the coach’s instructions, slightly eased his speed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sima in lane four had already overtaken him. Suddenly realizing this, he disregarded Zuo Lin and gave his all to catch up.

The men’s 100 meters typically divides into four phases: the start, a 30-meter acceleration, a 40 to 60-meter middle segment, and a 15 to 20-meter sprint finish. This division is not absolute but serves as a guideline for energy allocation and technical precision. Yang She noticed that Sima’s running style was unusually exaggerated; by around 25 meters, he reached his maximum speed and then maintained it with astonishing endurance, sprinting relentlessly to the finish line.

Like a wounded beast, Yang She desperately chased Sima’s silhouette, but his stamina rapidly depleted. The distance between them widened as Sima surged ahead effortlessly. Despair swelled within Yang She’s heart, and by the final sprint, his composure shattered. He staggered, nearly falling, before finally crossing the finish line gasping for breath. His head spun, limbs weak. Tu Jianguo rushed forward in a single bound to support his protégé, his face dark with worry.

Yang She struggled to turn his head and read the electronic timer: Sima’s time was 10.85 seconds. For Yang She, this was a nearly unattainable mark.

Lu Youyou exhaled quietly in relief, and Zhang Chongqing showed a satisfied smile. The standard for men’s 100-meter second-level athletes was 11.74 seconds electronically timed; first-level athletes clocked 10.93 seconds; athletic elites ran 10.50 seconds; and international athletic elites hit 10.25 seconds. Sima had already reached the first-level athlete standard, truly the “ace” of the school’s track team! Zhang glanced at Lu Youyou, admiring her discerning eye—her intuition and luck alike were remarkable. Sima had not betrayed her trust. The suggestion to “pursue Li Xiazhi” was nothing short of a masterstroke.

The world fell silent; all doubts vanished. Moments later, enthusiastic applause erupted as everyone watched Sima return to the gym to rest. No one paid attention to Zuo Lin. Few realized that the losers weren’t just Zuo Lin, but also Yang She and Tu Jianguo. Coach Tu’s face was as dark as a burnt pan. The fierce rebuke he had delivered not long ago now felt like a sharp slap in the face—landing heavily upon himself.

The trials were not yet over. Next up was Li Xiazhi, who ran the entire race alone, finishing in 15.85 seconds. The women’s 100-meter hurdles second-level standard was 15.74 seconds electronically timed. She came very close, fully deserving the title “Goddess of the Hurdles.” Yet Li Xiazhi was not satisfied. Since Lu Youyou had told her about Sima, she had started paying attention to the men’s 100 meters. Rumors outside said Sima was pursuing her, but that was utterly untrue. On the track at Beizhi Sports University, she had witnessed every bead of Sima’s sweat and every effort he made. She understood what 10.85 seconds truly meant—and this was only the beginning for him.

Zuo Lin realized he was essentially out of the running. He felt pain and numbness. How had Sima done it? 10.85 seconds—an unreachable ceiling even in his dreams. Zuo Lin was crushed, his legs cramping; he no longer had the strength to run the 200 meters. He flexed his foot hard and looked up at Coach Tu, knowing the blow to him was even harder. Missing out on Sima meant struggling in the school’s track team; his athletic career might end here. At that thought, Zuo Lin suddenly felt a strange lightness. He was still young, a freshman in the English Department at Beizhi Foreign Languages University. Even if he missed the track team, a bright future still awaited him.

According to plan, after the women’s 100-meter hurdles came the men’s 200 meters. Citing exhaustion, Zuo Lin voluntarily withdrew. To everyone’s surprise, Sima stepped onto the track in full view and ran an impressive 23.84 seconds—barely meeting the men’s 200-meter second-level athlete standard—bringing the trials to a perfect close. Had he not just run the 100 meters and depleted so much energy, he could have run even faster. These two consecutive blows nailed Tu Jianguo to the cross of humiliation. Unable to bear it, he returned silently to his office and collapsed on the sofa, utterly drained.

Lighting a cigarette, he took a deep drag and slowly gathered himself. It felt as though someone had dug a pit and he had carelessly fallen into it—only to bury himself with the dirt. Who was scheming against him? Zhang Chongqing? No, he was the head coach, a long-distance runner by training, with no direct conflict of interest... Lu Youyou? Rumor had it she would officially join as an assistant coach next year. Li Xiazhi was promising but too young to produce immediate results...

The cigarette burned his fingers; Tu Jianguo jumped as if electrified. A sudden flash of insight struck him: Lu Youyou had recognized Sima’s talent and cunningly used Li Xiazhi to lure him away! That young woman—so capable and sly—he had never suspected! With a long sigh, he knew this game was lost beyond recovery. Remaining on the school’s track team meant being overshadowed by Lu Youyou, forever subordinate... But where else could he go? Ever since Beizhi Sports University had cast him out, his reputation was ruined...

Night fell. Tu Jianguo chain-smoked, his mouth bitter. How long had he sat there? Footsteps approached outside his office. Yang She knocked, and seeing no response, pushed open the door and switched on the fluorescent light. The ballast buzzed loudly, the light harsh. Shielding his eyes, Tu Jianguo’s fingers trembled, scattering ash onto his chest, a pitiful sight. Wordlessly, Yang She sat beside the coach, dejected, evidently bearing bad news.

Tu Jianguo cleared his throat, phlegm rattling in his throat, and asked his protégé, “What was the outcome?”

Yang She hesitated. “Zuo Lin was eliminated. Sima and Li Xiazhi joined the track team as official members. They’ve been temporarily placed under Lu Youyou’s guidance to prepare for the Capital Universities Autumn Track Meet in October…”

As expected, Tu Jianguo said dryly, “So be it... You must train hard and aim for good results at the meet…”

Competitive sports are merciless; speed is unmistakable. Yang She sighed, “10.85 seconds—very hard to surpass him. Just now, Coach Zhao from Beizhi Sports University came to watch the competition. Afterward, he spoke with the head coach and Lu Youyou for a long time—probably about Sima. I heard Sima is training at Beizhi Sports University with Li Xiazhi, and Coach Zhao is also involved.”

Tu Jianguo was silent for a long moment before finally accepting reality. Rising, he stubbed out his cigarette and said, “What will be, will be. Let him go.”