Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 09/11/2023
Chapter 101: Variety Show Preview Released & Cui Luoheng's Training Starts
"I am Qiu Wen, a member of the National Track and Field Team's 400-meter sprint team. My current personal best time is 45.40 seconds, and my career goal is to break the Asian record!"
"I am Li Junhao..."
"I am Guo Dun..."
"I am Chen Yadan..."
"I am Lin Huan..."
"I am Lin Yao..."
...
Following each solo promotional photo, there was a VCR segment. The content of these VCR declarations was mostly similar, with the only differences being the athletes' current best performance data and their career goals.
Since the announcement of the reality show 《 Athletics Idol Training Camp》, it had garnered the attention of countless people. The release of these individual photos and VCRs naturally attracted numerous viewers and sports enthusiasts, generating widespread excitement and interest in the show.
Because of the "pick me" declaration in the previous official teaser, some sports enthusiasts were concerned that this reality show might end up like many other quirky talent shows or reality programs. However, after the release of these official promotional photos, the viewers' attention quickly shifted to the determined and resolute gazes of the athletes in the photos and VCRs.
Not only were there VCRs, but each athlete's photo also included an identity card that displayed their current and accurate personal performance data, along with their respective career goals.
In addition to the individual VCRs for each athlete, there was also an official trailer for 《 Athletics Idol Training Camp》 that featured all the contestants.
Different from other reality show teasers that often last only twenty or thirty seconds, this teaser resembled a mini-documentary.
As a devoted supporter of the 400-meter event, Huang Yilun had been following the show since its official announcement. Today, when the official promotional video for 《 Athletics Idol Training Camp》, was released, he quickly found the show's official account and, with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, clicked on the teaser video named《Growth》.
The teaser began with a dark screen before abruptly revealing a brightly lit, spacious indoor training facility, with lights intentionally leaving parts of the area in darkness.
In the center of the training facility stood a simple data board displaying three rows of data:
>> 400m Sprint, World Record, 43.08 seconds
>> 400m Sprint, Asian Record, 43.96 seconds
>> 400m Sprint, Chinese Record, 45.24 seconds
When these rather awe-inspiring data lines appeared on the screen, a single line of text struck heavily: "This is the distance between us and the world."
Next, the silence was broken by the sound of footsteps as the 400-meter athletes started to arrive one by one, each heading to their respective training equipment, beginning their individual training routines.
From starting positions to strength training, balance training, rhythm training, endurance training, and more, every athlete was dedicated to their individual routines, with no distractions.
The camera rapidly switched between different athletes, providing information about each athlete as they appeared on screen.
------Zhang Ziyi, began 400m sprint training at the age of 13, China's top male 400m sprinter, holder of the national record in the 400m sprint event, with a personal best of 45.57 seconds as of 2018, a record that had remained unbroken for over a year.
-----Qiu Wen, started training in the 100m and 200m events at the age of 12, considered the most promising future star in China's men's 400m sprint event, with no recorded personal best in the 400m as of March 2018.
-----Li Junhao, began 400m sprint training at the age of 13 and was once hailed as a prodigious talent in China's men's 400m sprint event. However, as of 2018, he had experienced a slump that lasted over a year, with his performance consistently falling outside the 47-second mark.
As these rapid cuts continued, the athletes' data quickly updated:
-----From 45.57 seconds to 45.24 seconds
-----From 47.47 seconds to 45.40 seconds
-----From 46.33 seconds...
A series of data flashed rapidly across the screen, and alongside them were images of athletes with sweat on their cheeks, drenched training attire, and the evident display of muscular power emanating from their bodies.
These displays of strength were born from their continuous dedication and relentless hard work on themselves.
As they sprinted forward on the training track, broke through the finish line, and looked back at the data on the timer, celebrating with raised hands in each frame.
As they analyzed race techniques and rhythms on the training track, studying every segment of the competition...
In each of these scenes, there was a calm and reassuring figure present.
When the camera eventually turned to face that figure, it was none other than Su Bai, with a face that appeared overly young but provided the athletes with a sense of reliability and security.
With Su Bai's presence, they could continue to advance rapidly and grow quickly!
With Su Bai's guidance, they didn't need to fear the future, as they still had plenty of room for growth!
Su Bai was the true core of this rapidly growing team of athletes.
"It's him who helped us overcome our former timidity."
"It's him who shattered the self-doubt that used to plague us."
"It's him who guided us step by step on the path of solid growth."
"Once, some people said that China's 400m sprint project was hopeless... Our talent wasn't good enough, we couldn't compete with the white and black athletes. Our training level wasn't up to par, lagging behind the world's top standards by decades. We..."
"But now we want to say, 'We can do it!'"
This is the 《 Athletics Idol Training Camp》
They are the idols in the world of athletics. Perhaps they are not yet as powerful, but they are growing, and they are challenging unprecedented 400m records in China...
This is their profession and responsibility, as well as their unwavering future and dreams!
Let's step into their world together.
In the world of athletics idols, who is your one pick?
After all the scenes had played out, Huang Yilun felt like he had just woken up from a dream.
In this trailer, a lot of data was provided, including the average performance of top national-level events in the 400m sprint category before and after 2018, and a comparison of Zhang Ziyi's performance in finals before and after receiving Su Bai's training.
Of course, not just Zhang Ziyi, every athlete had a similar set of data presented, and from the raw data, one could see how each athlete had undergone a significant transformation from their previous states.
From individual athletes to nationwide leaps in 400m records.
These leaps and growth were all due to the miracle named Su Bai.
As a die-hard fan of the 400m category, Huang Yilun remembered well how Su Bai had faced resistance when he first appeared. From 2018 to 2019, he also knew just how much progress had been made in the 400m category during that time.
Before last year, athletics enthusiasts watching the 400-meter events often did so with frustration, but from a certain day onwards, the 400-meter category suddenly brought unprecedented vitality and anticipation.
The emergence of new prodigious talents;
The dominance of the S Province Athletics Team in the top three of national athletics grand prix sub-stations;
Qiu Wen's rapid improvement, almost setting a new personal best with every shot;
Unprecedented medal achievements on the Asian Games stage...
And finally, the breaking of the national record, which had been untouched for 15 years.
Looking back now, Huang Yilun suddenly realized how much joy the 400-meter category had brought in less than a year.
As a fan of the 400-meter category, Huang Yilun and his friends were aware of the significant improvement in the category, but it wasn't until they saw the clear and concise data that they truly understood the extent of the transformation.
After spending a moment in stunned silence, Huang Yilun first shared the preview video titled "Growth" released by the production team. Then, he directly mentioned various sprint enthusiasts he knew on Weibo.
【Come and watch!! I'm already a fan of this show!!! You won't regret it!!!】
Once he posted this tweet, he suddenly noticed that his notifications were flooded with mentions. Opening them, he found that they all contained links to the《Growth》 preview.
【Old Huang!! I'm planning to watch this later. As a die-hard fan of the 400 meters, you can't miss this video and preview!】
【The《Growth》 preview is amazing. It almost brought tears to my eyes just now. This production team seems to have some real talent. They're not just randomly making stuff up; they're taking this show seriously. @Old Huang, you must watch it!】
【《 Athletics Idol Training Camp》, I thought the name was a joke at first, but after watching this preview, I suddenly feel like it should indeed be called that.】
...
Each @ was directed at Huang Yilun, someone who was acquainted with sports enthusiasts to varying degrees. At this point, it seemed like almost everyone in the community had been alerted by this preview. Practically everyone had watched it and was impressed.
The forum users of the athletics kingdom took it a step further. Someone meticulously created a complete screenshot of the preview, compiled all the data mentioned in the screenshots, and listed them one by one in a forum post.
Their efforts didn't stop there. They also researched the data for Fang Yu, Cui Luoheng, Lu Mengfan, Zhao Yankai, and Wang Shen according to the format provided by the production team and added it to a centralized forum post.
Once all the data was assembled, there was a brief silence within the post.
Just less than ten days ago, the title of "New Generation Master Coach" for Su Bai had been hyped up by the media due to the Asia Six Nations Athletics Invitational. This kind of hype had led to some sports enthusiasts or even casual observers feeling a slight aversion to this type of media sensationalism.
It wasn't that they didn't acknowledge Su Bai's ability; they just felt that the media's sensationalism might be a bit too exaggerated. Coaches were indeed important, but could a coach really have such a significant impact?
They believed that the media's praise had exaggerated Su Bai's role, and they listed several well-established and low-profile coaches in the country, thinking that coaches like them were the real masterminds.
However, when the forum users had meticulously compiled and reviewed this long list of concrete data, they were taken aback once again.
Title: 【[Question] Is a coach who achieves such results worthy of being called a miracle and a mastermind?" 】
The athletics enthusiasts in the athletics kingdom knew that the person who posted this thread was likely a Su Bai fan, but they still obediently clicked on the thread. Then, they picked a worshipful emoticon from the forum's selection and expressed their admiration for Su Bai's performance data.
In a gathering place like the athletics kingdom, it was expected that Su Bai would receive praise. However, on the broader internet, those who had only seen media hype and hadn't paid much attention to Su Bai's actual data were even more astonished.
Of course, their focus wasn't solely on being surprised by Su Bai's data. In the preview, whether male or female, the impressive performances during training captured their attention, making the casual internet users and bystanders, who were accustomed to the world of flower-like male idols, feel the stark contrast between these athletes and entertainment industry idols.
Zheng Xiaoya was originally just an ordinary bystander who occasionally indulged in admiration of handsome and pretty guys and girls. As a casual internet user, her initial knowledge of the show 《 Athletics Idol Training Camp》 also came from those anonymous posts on the forum.
However, she had little personal interest in track and field. The only track and field knowledge she possessed was that China had athletes who could break the ten-second barrier in the 100-meter sprint, which she found impressive.
Because of this lack of interest, even though she knew about the existence of the show and that the participants were athletes representing their country, she couldn't muster much enthusiasm.
That was until today when a post suddenly appeared on the front page of the anonymous forum: 【 [Take a Look, Come and See! 'Track and Field Idol Training Camp' Releases a Preview! Quickly Pick Your Favorite Athlete Howl Howl Howl!】
This post initially sank after being posted, but after a few bumps from the "self-tap water armies", it became a fixed feature on the front page, and the number of replies started increasing.
After the post had floated on the front page for half an hour, with pages of replies, Zheng Xiaoya, out of boredom, finally clicked on it.
The post was thoughtfully structured. It included reposts of all the official photos released by the production team, quick links to each athlete's VCR, as well as a link to the full version of the preview. With just a light click of the mouse, one could easily watch the complete videos.
Upon seeing this content, Zheng Xiaoya couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark to herself: "These self-flowing water members are so professional. Could they be water army members hired by the production team?"
She had originally intended to exit the post immediately. However, when she saw the first image in the post, which was a photo of Zhang Ziyi, something inexplicable happened. With just one glance, Zheng Xiaoya was captivated by the determination in Zhang Ziyi's eyes. She couldn't resist clicking on Zhang Ziyi's VCR and then continued scrolling down to watch the VCRs of all the other athletes and the preview video《Growth 》.
As half an hour passed, Zheng Xiaoya realized in a dazed state that she had actually watched the VCRs of every athlete, along with the final 《Growth 》 preview video.
That preview had even brought tears to her eyes.
When she finally came to her senses, she couldn't help but exclaim internally for five minutes, then clenched her fist with determination: "I'm definitely going to follow this show too!"
However... with so many super handsome and pretty guys and girls, who should she pick???
In this thread of the forum dedicated to the show, as she scrolled down, Zheng Xiaoya could see countless other bystanders who shared her dilemma.
User 63: 【Wuwuwu, what kind of treasure trove idol group is this! Why didn't I notice before that our national team has so many super good-looking and cool athletes?】
User 70: 【I'm suffering from choice paralysis +1. I don't care, I'm going to follow all these athletes on Weibo first and then decide!!】
User 110: 【Why is everyone talking about the athletes? Is there no one picking the coach with me? Su Bai is really cute! He looks so young, yet his presence is super strong and calm. The contrast really tugs at my heart!】
...
This thread, even after multiple pages, was filled with discussions of which athletes to pick, occasionally interspersed with data-related arguments and reflections on how they had never known about the 400-meter event before, but now, even in this silent sport, there were so many athletes dedicating their youth to compete for it.
It can be said that many of the bystanders who were initially just watching with the mentality of "saving a new variety show for the elderly" started to be genuinely drawn to the show itself after the release of this preview package.
The ups and downs on the internet didn't have much to do with the athletes in the track and field team.
In these past few days, they still maintained their normal training routine. The only difference was that there were cameras following them during training, and occasionally, when they drew task cards, they had specific tasks to complete each day.
Other than that, the athletes didn't feel much difference from their usual training.
At most, the production team's assistant directors would occasionally ask them questions. These questions ranged from whether the coach's cooking was good to what plans they had for their future career goals, or their impressions and judgments of their teammates. These questions seemed random, and the athletes weren't sure why the production team was asking them.
It might be that Qiu Wen had a natural talent for variety shows, as these past few days, the directors couldn't help but smile whenever they saw him.
Their show didn't really require the athletes to deliberately create a persona, but they wouldn't shy away from using someone like Qiu Wen who was naturally unpretentious.
Especially in the preview, Qiu Wen's image stood out. He was, after all, not less attractive than Wang Shen. In the preview, when he spoke earnestly, exuding confidence, and having that cool and self-assured vibe, it was easy to captivate the audience.
But this unlucky kid, not only was his previous top 5 ranking overshadowed by others, but in every card-drawing segment arranged by the production team, he seemed to naturally embody the essence of being an unlucky player. Every time he drew a card, he would have that pitiful look as if he wanted to find Su Bai to beg for a change of tasks, which was enough to create a comedic effect.
The production team had no doubt that this player's contrast between his image and personality in the preview would generate a wave of enthusiasm and discussion.
On the training ground, Qiu Wen had turned into an unlucky player these days. Every time he drew a task card, he would end up with D-rank cards. While the tasks on these D-rank cards weren't too difficult for others, they happened to hit right on his weaknesses.
After nearly a year of training in the 400m event, Qiu Wen dared to say that he had improved significantly compared to when he first switched to the event, and he had addressed many of his weaknesses.
Yet, despite his progress, he still managed to draw task cards that specifically targeted his weaknesses.
"Sigh... Lao Zhang, I feel like the production team is targeting me!" Qiu Wen couldn't help but complain to Zhang Ziyi during a break.
Zhang Ziyi had been watching Qiu Wen's tragicomedy unfold these days. As the captain of the men's team, he cleared his throat a couple of times and didn't laugh. Instead, he patted Qiu Wen on the shoulder and comforted him, "It should just be a coincidence. After all, this card drawing is unpredictable..."
But little did Zhang Ziyi know, after hearing his words of comfort, Qiu Wen's expression became even more melancholic. "QAQ So... Lao Zhang, are you saying that I'm naturally this unlucky?"
...
"Um..." Zhang Ziyi was at a loss for words when asked this question and could only pat the unlucky kid on the shoulder again to express his sympathy.
Training for the 400m event continued as usual without any major issues. However, on the training field, Cui Luoheng encountered some significant problems while trying to change his strides for the hurdles.
The "eight to seven" change meant that athletes who were undergoing stride modifications needed to change their eight-step approach to the hurdles into a seven-step approach. In addition to adjusting the stride length and overall rhythm in front of the hurdles, the most challenging aspect was transitioning from eight steps to seven, which required the athlete to modify their initial push-off leg, as well as their lead leg and trail leg during the hurdle clearance.
For these professional track and field athletes, even something as basic as their starting stance, let alone their initial push-off leg, lead leg, and trail leg during hurdles, had been fine-tuned through years of training. These fixed positions and the optimal angles for power generation, as determined through discussions and research with the coaching staff, rarely had angle differences exceeding 2 degrees.
These techniques, ingrained through years of training, had become deeply embedded in the muscle memory of the athletes.
Now, for Cui Luoheng to undergo the technical overhaul of transitioning from an eight-step approach to a seven-step approach in hurdles, he needed to break his existing muscle memory. It was akin to converting a left-handed person into a right-handed one within a short period, and making his right hand as agile and powerful as his left, which he had been using for over a decade.
The difficulty of this task was evident.
Since the start of the eight-to-seven stride modification training, Cui Luoheng had found it nearly impossible to start normally on the track just by changing his initial push-off leg. For example, at this moment, he was positioned on the starting blocks, adjusting the front and rear positions of his feet on the blocks. However, he maintained a stance with both hands on the ground, furrowing his brows in frustration, unable to initiate a proper start.
By his side, Su Bai had been accompanying him throughout, observing his efforts to adapt to the entirely new starting motion.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 102: Cui Luoheng's Training & Daily Life of the Show
When the production team of 《 Athletics Idol Training Camp》 arrived at the national athletics team training base to start filming, it was also the time when Cui Luoheng officially began the process of changing from eight steps to seven steps.
It can be said that the staff of the production team have been watching Cui Luoheng's repeated training and failures these days.
Of course, it wouldn't be entirely accurate to say that it was a complete failure. After changing the leg used for the initial push, Cui Luoheng can still run, but the speed of his start and the overall rhythm are significant issues.
Over the past few days, the director responsible for following Cui Luoheng could only watch him continuously make adjustments. Seeing Cui Luoheng squatting on the ground, struggling to adjust his state at the moment, the director couldn't help but voice the question in his mind to Su Bai – the process of changing from eight steps to seven steps seems very difficult, but does this adjustment really work?
"Of course," Su Bai nodded seriously. After a brief pause and organizing his thoughts, he explained to the following director, "In the 110m hurdles event, reducing one step can lead to an improvement of at least 0.05 to 0.1 seconds in performance."
"Huh?" The following director, who had already found Cui Luoheng's training these days quite challenging, was taken aback. "Coach Su, if I recall correctly, you mentioned earlier that this 'eight to seven' training takes 2-3 months to complete, followed by an adaptation period. For such a complex training regimen, an improvement of only 0.05 to 0.1 seconds?"
Upon hearing the director's doubts, Su Bai paused again and provided further explanation, "Currently, A Luo's best record is 13.31 seconds. In other words, if the 'eight to seven' technique is successfully applied, he has a good chance of achieving 13.21 seconds. Moreover, the 'eight to seven' technique involves more than just reducing the number of steps. For instance, A Luo's height is over 1.85 meters and has now reached 1.93 meters. Hurdles athletes with this height typically need to deliberately reduce their stride length during the lead-up to the hurdles."
"By changing from eight steps to seven, each step can become more natural and effortless. Additionally, with fewer steps, each one requires more power, leading to better utilization and accumulation of explosive strength during the lead-up phase, which can also benefit subsequent hurdling."
The following director was listening somewhat confused, but Su Bai continued to earnestly introduce the other advantages of the 'seven-step approach,' such as not needing to slow down and adjust before the first hurdle and the changes in speed and strength, which would enhance the athlete's explosiveness.
"Compared to Lu Mengfan, A Luo's weaknesses were originally in the lead-up phase and the first three hurdles. However, if he can successfully implement the 'eight to seven' technique, it will significantly improve his performance in these areas."
"In summary, even though changing from eight steps to seven might only lead to an improvement of 0.05 to 0.1 seconds in isolation, we can't just look at it that way. The overall enhancement to a hurdler's capabilities from the 'eight to seven' transition can't be summarized by merely reducing the first eight steps to seven."
With a smile, Su Bai looked calmly in the direction of Cui Luoheng. "Furthermore, in an event like the 110m hurdles, even a mere 0.01-second improvement is a matter of life and death for athletes. So, even if the 'eight to seven' transition can only improve an athlete's performance by 0.05 to 0.1 seconds, it's a challenge we must overcome."
On the side, the following director was completely stunned by Su Bai's words. He had never considered these aspects before. Over the past few days, in their efforts to create a professional athletics-related variety show, the entire team had worked hard to gain knowledge about athletics. They knew that improving results in athletics was challenging. However, it wasn't until these past few days, while closely following the athletes' training, that they truly understood where the brilliant results in competitions like the Asian Games and the Olympics came from.
Even for athletes like Hu Li and Zhang Wei, who were unknown to the following director's team, these seemingly ordinary athletes might have only shown failures or stopped at the preliminaries on the field. However, through their recent genuine interaction with the athletes, the staff of the show realized that behind these so-called "failures" and "ordinary athletes" were the same sweat and hard work that belonged to anyone.
In their private conversations after the show's recording ended for the day, the staff couldn't help but sigh about how brutal sports competitions could be.
While Su Bai explained the necessity and importance of the 'eight to seven' transition to the following director, Cui Luoheng made another attempt at the start. His current posture had his right foot forward and left foot back. Over the past few days, Su Bai had adjusted his starting position and the corresponding technique several times. He had mastered the technical movements, but transitioning them from something he had learned into a muscle memory was an entirely different matter.
Cui Luoheng, after closing his eyes to review the technical movements Su Bai had described to him, nodded at the assistant coach beside him. The assistant coach then issued the command once again, "On your marks, bang!"
At the moment when the electronic starting gun went off, Cui Luoheng's left foot pushed off the starting block, and he infused explosive power into it, launching his sprint. This should have been a very familiar starting process, but for the current Cui Luoheng, it proved more challenging than he had anticipated.
His start was both a success and a failure.
Su Bai glanced back at the recording device that measured Cui Luoheng's reaction time during the start. It displayed a reaction time of 0.229 seconds for this attempt, which was considered unacceptable for a professional athlete.
Cui Luoheng also saw his data and didn't say a word. He simply returned to his starting position, made some adjustments, and crouched down again, preparing for another round of starting practice.
He went through approximately ten rounds of reaction time and sprint practice in this training session.
After completing the planned reaction time and sprint practice, Cui Luoheng stubbornly wanted to continue with this part of the training. However, Su Bai directly interrupted him and guided him to the flexibility training equipment, where he started monitoring Cui Luoheng for the next planned training session.
"Xiao Bai..." Cui Luoheng, while undergoing flexibility training in front of the equipment, kept casting unwilling glances toward the sprint track, as if he wanted to return at any moment.
Su Bai looked at him with a somewhat amused expression and replied with three words in his line of sight, "Not allowed."
Su Bai had already prepared a comprehensive training plan for Cui Luoheng's training. The training for reaction time and sprint had just begun, and everything was still progressing step by step.
Su Bai understood that Cui Luoheng was insistent on returning to continue reaction time training because he believed that he could maintain the correct starting position but had yet to achieve the desired results in actual sprinting and reaction time.
However, changing habits is not an overnight process. Even for athletes who frequently need to adjust their technical details and have strong control over their bodies, the change in the power leg for the "eight to seven" transition is a challenging hurdle.
In Su Bai's plan, his goal was to make Cui Luoheng completely adapt to the new power leg and new habits in various training details.
Throughout the training process, there wasn't extensive communication between Su Bai and Cui Luoheng. However, they were not silent either. Most of the time, Su Bai would explain to Cui Luoheng if there was any deviation in his movements and which muscles he should use to achieve the correct training effect.
Although Cui Luoheng appeared reserved, he was not an athlete who trained blindly without understanding. When Su Bai made new demands or adjustments to his movements, Cui Luoheng would first contemplate on his own and then ask Su Bai questions to confirm whether Su Bai's instructions matched his own understanding.
Cui Luoheng, who appeared solemn, and Su Bai, who was equally quiet, seemed to work together harmoniously in the spacious indoor training area.
Their two accompanying directors had become somewhat accustomed to these scenes over the past few days. If this were a regular variety show or reality show training scene, the two directors might have already quickly documented the key points and submitted relevant information to the director for easier editing into a "couple pairing" narrative.
However, this was an authentic athletics variety show.
Over the past few days, the program's staff had already been humbled by the hard work and sweat of all the national team athletes. From the head director Jiang Yanjun to the regular accompanying directors and camera crew, they all had one goal in mind: to convey the seriousness of this sports spirit to the viewers and show how challenging the athletes' journey was.
As a result, all the staff members had cast aside the special editing techniques used in previous variety shows for creating "ship" couples. What kind of "ship" could there be? This was pure brotherhood and mentorship!
With this noble belief in mind, the staff members felt that their values and ideals had been uplifted during this variety show recording.
However...
In front of them, Cui Luoheng was going through a communication process with Su Bai. He appeared expressionless but somewhat disheartened due to the difficulty of adapting to the new starting power leg and problems like delayed starting reactions and insufficient explosive power.
Su Bai calmly smiled, patted his head gently, and reassured him, telling him not to worry, as the training had just begun.
The two accompanying directors exchanged a silent glance. Although it did look like the coach was comforting the athlete, Cui Luoheng had used an innocent, puppy-eyed expression while looking at Su Bai, and he even deliberately lowered his head for Su Bai to pat his head...
Were they overthinking things?
Perhaps it was just a typical way for a mentor and student to interact. They were only seeing it strangely because Su Bai looked quite young. Was it possible that they were reading too much into it because they had been exposed to shipping and pairings so much during the show's recording?
Maybe...
This was just a normal way for a mentor and student to interact, and it was only seeming odd because Su Bai appeared so young. They shouldn't let their minds wander.
However, when the two accompanying directors' thoughts unintentionally turned in this direction, they both shivered simultaneously. Then, they lightly tapped their own heads to snap themselves out of it, withdrawing these peculiar thoughts from their minds.
Guilty, guilty. They were part of a team producing a passionate athletics variety show. How could they still be thinking about pairings like in the past?
Not far away, after Su Bai had patted Cui Luoheng's head, it seemed to re-energize him. Just as he was about to get back into training, Qin Wen, who was also doing flexibility training nearby, approached them.
"Xiao Bai!!"
Huh?
Su Bai turned around curiously to look at Qin Wen, who was pointing at his own hair with shining eyes.
"What's going on?" Su Bai asked, puzzled.
Qin Wen widened his eyes and looked disappointed as he turned to Su Bai. "QAQ Xiao Bai, you're not the same affectionate Xiao Bai as before... We've been roommates for ten years, but you've never given me a head rub like you do for Ah Heng!"
...
......
?
Su Bai couldn't help but laugh and cry as he reached out his hand, intending to comfort this foolish friend, but to his surprise, his hand was intercepted halfway by Cui Luoheng.
Qin Wen had been waiting for Su Bai's reaction, but he suddenly saw Cui Luoheng's hand reaching out like a wolf's claw.
"..."
Cui Luoheng looked at Qin Wen with a blank expression and then confidently said, "Xiao Bai comforts me because my mental toughness is poor."
In other words, he was asking Qin Wen, "Is your mental toughness also poor?"
Upon hearing Cui Luoheng's words, Qin Wen widened his eyes and froze on the spot. Could someone really be so unapologetic about their poor mental toughness? And Cui Luoheng had claimed his poor mental toughness more than once!
Qin Wen was about to sternly criticize Cui Luoheng's excuse when suddenly a large hand landed on his head and ruffled his hair vigorously.
"What the heck, who..." Qin Wen turned around in confusion and saw Wang Shen. "Oh, Lao Wang, what brings you here?"
Wang Shen gave him a sly grin and then pointed at Su Bai. "I have some questions for Xiao Bai."
"Oh?... Oh, right." Qin Wen finally remembered that Wang Shen's current training plan was still under Su Bai's guidance. Su Bai would occasionally go to Wang Shen, and if Wang Shen had any questions or doubts about the training and plan, he would come to Su Bai for discussion.
Among the four of them, they had formed a close friendship back when they were in the S Province Athletics Team. They talked and joked with each other without any reservations, just like how Cui Luoheng frequently mentioned his "poor mental toughness," and Qin Wen would jokingly refer to Su Bai as his "harem." Including these four and the people around them in the athletics team, everyone had gotten used to their interactions during this time.
After Wang Shen arrived, Cui Luoheng and Qin Wen returned to their serious training, leaving Wang Shen to discuss his questions with Su Bai on the side.
Not far away, the accompanying directors who were with Su Bai's group were once again plunged into silence, wondering if they had indulged too much in creating fictional "couples" in the past. Why did things still feel a bit off?
Or was it that genuine friendships between straight men were just filled with these strange feelings?
In the following days, many of the production team members found themselves in a world where there were hints of "pure straight guy-straight girl" interactions but surrounded by a plethora of possible "ships."
For instance, the everyday interactions between Cui Luoheng and Su Bai, or the daily exchanges between Qin Wen and Su Bai, and even the occasional playful banter from Li Junhao towards Su Bai...
Of course, there were also interactions between teammates, such as Wang Shen and Qin Wen having a seemingly interesting dynamic, and even Zhang Ziyi and Chen Yadan...
Wait a minute, Zhang Ziyi and Chen Yadan were a male-female pair, so why were they being compared with all these other male-male "ships"?
Hold on, wait!
Zhang Ziyi and Chen Yadan's daily interactions did seem a bit authentic. However, Chen Yadan had a strong presence, while Zhang Ziyi appeared more mild-mannered. Could this be what they called a "female A, male O" pair... (Wait, stop your imagination!)
The members of the athletics team continued to focus on their training every day. During breaks in their training, they would chat in pairs, help each other adjust their techniques, or provide assistance and support when assistant coaches were in short supply.
These moments were also heavily recorded and documented by the production team. While they were creating a passionate athletics reality show, they aimed to highlight these ordinary details. To some members of the audience, athletes might seem like an entirely different species. They might believe that athletes, being professionals, should always maintain peak performance, never experience slumps, and never face mental obstacles during competitions.
However, with a little insight, it becomes clear that this is not the case. Athletes can't guarantee good results; they aren't deserving of public scorn when they underperform.
Compared to the audience, athletes are just ordinary people. They carry the additional responsibility of representing their country, but they are still individuals who face challenges that many ordinary people might find difficult to comprehend.
The production team's goal was not only to showcase the athletes' hard work and dedication but also to present the athletes as real individuals who share common human experiences. They wanted to convey the message that these athletes are not just superhuman figures on a pedestal; they are also like us, ordinary human beings.
The concept and message of the show were highly endorsed not only by the Athletics Center but also by the national team. They believed that this kind of promotion could not only reduce the divide between athletes and the general public but, more importantly, convey a belief – athletes are just ordinary people, and if they can achieve their goals, so can others.
The primary purpose of this reality show was to promote athletics through an entertaining format. By spreading this concept, they hoped to decrease the sense of unfamiliarity and alienation that the general public might feel toward terms like "athletics" and "professional athletes."
As this sense of unfamiliarity and alienation diminished, more people might be inclined to give athletics a try.
The team behind 《 Athletics Idol Training Camp》 poured their full effort and dedication into the show, aiming to make it a success. All stakeholders, including the national team, the Athletics Center, and the sports channel, had high hopes for the program.
As of January 12th, the production team had already accumulated a substantial amount of material for the first episode. According to their plan, some team members would return to work on post-production and editing, while others would continue to document the journey with the athletics team.
After the release of the show's preview, it was officially scheduled on the sports channel. The first episode was set to premiere on January 20th, followed by the second and third episodes on January 27th and February 3rd, respectively. In addition, a special live broadcast for the Chinese New Year on February 5th would feature an online athletics team "New Year's Day Challenge." The final winner of this challenge, combined with the top scores from the first three episodes, would receive a special reward.
On February 20th, before the end of winter training, the top five participants would enjoy a special "Lantern Festival Dinner" personally prepared by Su Bai. This reward was determined by a vote among the athletics team members.
The release schedule, along with teasers and promotional material, had already been made public. Online audiences who had been drawn in by the show's trailers were eagerly anticipating the first episode.
Within the athletics team, including Zhang Ziyi, most of the athletes had informed their parents and family members about their upcoming television appearance—announcing, "Your son/daughter will be on TV!"
The sports channel attached great importance to this new attempt at a reality show. In the week leading up to the show's premiere, the sports channel leveraged its resources, including exchanges with other channels, to place advertisements for "Growth" in prominent positions on various official media platforms, drawing significant additional attention to the show.
On January 20th at 8:00 PM, after the news and weather forecasts on the sports channel, the highly anticipated reality show titled 《 Athletics Idol Training Camp》 was finally about to make its debut!
Many individuals who typically didn't compete for control of the TV remote with their family members quietly settled in front of the television, tuning in to the sports channel. Even those who considered themselves "indifferent" viewers became quite earnest, surprising their parents, and switching their TVs to the sports channel.
As the clock approached 8:00 PM, this nationally premiered athletics reality show, 《 Athletics Idol Training Camp》, began and appeared on the screens of countless viewers.
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