Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 09/25/2023
Chapter 137: Interview Buzz & Welcome Dinner
The members of the track and field national team were unaware that this time, the Asian Championships had received exponentially higher attention in their home country compared to previous events. Every drop of sweat they shed on the field, every achievement they made, was being watched by countless viewers.
With attention came media coverage, and with media coverage came a chase for more. The victorious track and field national team received a genuine "victorious return" treatment. Numerous media outlets waited at the airport exit, and even some track and field fans came to welcome these returning heroes.
Jiang Wentao's flight landed ahead of the others. Upon landing, he received a call from the staff at the Athletics Management Center, notifying him that a large number of media personnel had arrived at the airport.
To avoid congestion and prevent chaos, Jiang Wentao, with no time to rest, urgently coordinated with the airport staff to clear an area for interviews and press conferences. This led to the organization of a small-scale press conference.
Due to limited space and time constraints, Jiang Wentao selected a few athletes who had performed exceptionally well in this Asian Championships as representatives to face the press.
The other athletes had no objections to Jiang Wentao's choices. After all, those selected were either athletes who had achieved remarkable results in this competition, broken Chinese track and field history records, or secured gold medals at the Asian Championships.
In the world of sports, achievements spoke for themselves, and athletes like Zhang Ziyi and Cui Luoheng had the talent and results that justified them representing the team in interviews. It was only natural.
So, Jiang Wentao and the chosen athletes proceeded to the designated interview area, leaving the rest of the team to meet with the airport staff and board the team bus.
Meanwhile, at the other airport exit, Qiu Wen and the other athletes followed the airport staff. The team bus was already waiting for them.
As they boarded the bus, they noticed small boxes on their seats.
"Hey, what are these boxes?"
Qiu Wen examined the handcrafted paper boxes in his hand with curiosity, and a mouthwatering aroma wafted out when he opened one.
"Oh, nearly forgot about these," the bus driver said, hearing the question. "Each of you has a snack box prepared by Coach Su Bai and Chef Jin Manjiang. They're freshly made this afternoon. We still have to wait for the other athletes to arrive, so go ahead and enjoy these snacks."
Wow!
Snacks made by Su Bai and Jin Manjiang!
When the people on the bus heard this, their eyes lit up—this was quite something!
Most of the people on the bus were not from the 400-meter sprint team, but they all had friends in that team. They had heard countless stories about Su Bai, but he was a legitimate 400-meter head coach. Could he really cook for everyone?
So, they had been looking forward to trying food prepared by Su Bai for a long time.
This time, it was said that Su Bai and Jin Manjiang had worked together on these snacks.
Oh my, Jin Manjiang's culinary skills were beyond what ordinary team members could enjoy. Whether it was Jin Manjiang or Su Bai who made these snacks, they had certainly struck gold!
At this moment, Qiu Wen was sitting happily in his seat, opening a small box and taking out a piece of cake. The fragrant and soft cake had a melt-in-the-mouth texture and a sweet, aromatic flavor. Once he took a bite, he couldn't stop.
"Ah, this cake is delicious!"
The athletes on the bus were all enjoying their snacks, their faces filled with happiness. They couldn't help but exclaim how incredibly delicious it was. However, there was one issue—the snacks were a bit too small in quantity.
As professional athletes, their appetites were enormous, and these small snacks were devoured in just a few bites. After finishing them, they still had that lingering taste in their mouths, making them feel like they had just started eating and the snacks were already gone.
They say the most delicious food is the one you can't get enough of.
With the snacks completely devoured, the athletes on the bus couldn't help but exclaim:
"Ah, these snacks are just too few!"
"The mini cakes are delicious, but there's so little of them..."
Some even jokingly encouraged the driver, "Come on, Mr. Sun, we don't know how long this interview with the journalists will take. How about we head back to the training base first? We can help them finish these snacks on the bus, and I guarantee none will be left!"
This proposal made everyone on the bus burst into laughter and they all agreed.
As they chatted and laughed on the bus, the journalists at the airport were guided to the makeshift interview area, where they met the representatives of the victorious athletes.
This time's Asian Championships had not only witnessed remarkable achievements in athletics, but it had also garnered immense attention. From the live broadcasts on sports channels to online streaming platforms, and even the trending discussions on platforms like Weibo, QQ, and WeChat, the event had generated extraordinary buzz and engagement.
Over the past four days, an athletics competition that might have gone unnoticed in previous years had delivered astonishing results in all aspects, truly making its mark in the sports world.
Let's rewind back to the Spring Festival training period of 《 Athletics Idol Training Camp》. At that time, this variety show indeed sparked a nationwide craze for chasing athletics stars. However, many people also believed that this show was just a momentary trend, similar to many other variety shows that had once been popular. As the craze for variety shows faded, the so-called "national stars" created by those shows would also fall into obscurity.
However, the reality was different for 《 Athletics Idol Training Camp》. Contrary to expectations, it didn't fizzle out after its initial popularity. Four months later, the sport of athletics, which had received little attention in China, had reached a point where thousands of people were following it.
The enduring popularity and sustained interest in sports projects brought about by the show were beyond what many had anticipated.
During these four days of the Asian Athletics Championships, many media professionals and data analysts saw the long-lasting attention and enthusiasm that people had for athletics. The continuous data output during these four days showed that this championship had successfully attracted a significant number of passionate new fans to the sport.
As the saying goes, where there's excitement, there's greater attention. The media was keen to capitalize on this, rushing to the airport to secure the first-hand news of the "National Athletics Team's triumphant return."
Within the Athletics Management Center, after arranging the group interview matters, Liao Jie also discussed the situation with Jiang Wentao privately.
"During these past few days, the Center didn't anticipate that the staff from the sports channel would be continuously contacting us by phone and providing real-time reports. You know, during this Asian Championships, it's been working days in our country, and there's also a time difference. Despite these challenges, the sports channel managed to achieve the highest viewership ratings in the whole time slot during the live broadcasts."
"That's not all. The data from online live broadcasts, the audience interactions during online streaming, and the activity data have all been among the top rankings."
"In addition, the current search index and data reports from various research institutes, especially those dedicated to studying the discussions and trends on Weibo and across the entire internet, all show our project ranking highly."
Jiang Wentao understood that Liao Jie was explaining why the media response was so significant this time when they returned.
Seeing the media setting up equipment on the scene, preparing for interviews later, Jiang Wentao smiled and said, "This is a good thing!"
Hearing Jiang Wentao's words, Liao Jie nodded and said with a smile, "Absolutely! It's truly a good thing!"
Those who had dedicated their lives to athletics naturally believed that athletics was a great sport. However, when it came to athletics, the challenge was the limited fan base. Despite being a major sport, athletics had fewer fans compared to sports like table tennis.
Without a fan base, there were fewer enthusiasts to join, and the foundation for talent selection was lacking. When they scouted potential athletes, they couldn't predict what these young kids would grow up to be. Even if someone had the physical attributes required for athletics, they might end up choosing a completely different sport later on, like soccer.
The Athletics Management Center had been promoting athletics to the public every year. They aimed to make more people not only aware of these sports but also interested in and passionate about athletics. Athletics, such as running, shot put, and long jump, were all compulsory subjects in physical education classes in elementary schools. Who wouldn't know about these sports?
Their efforts were geared towards generating interest and passion for athletics. The reality show they attempted during winter training was an experiment, as they had tried similar formats for other sports in the past but without much success.
However, this time, the Athletics Management Center was fortunate. The experiment during the reality show had turned out to be successful. The "Pyramid Speed Challenge" initiated on the show had ignited another nationwide craze. Feedback from sports venues across the country indicated that the "Pyramid Speed Challenge" had increased foot traffic in various sports facilities.
From the feedback received from some sports venues, there are still many people who continue to train at sports facilities to complete the "Pyramid Speed Challenge."
They had been promoting athletics for most of their lives, and this was precisely the kind of result they had hoped for, right?
In these past few days, whether it was the athletes' performances at the Asian Championships or the related data from the competition, everyone at the Athletics Management Center felt exceptionally pleased.
At the media interview venue, after making their preparations, the reporters individually photographed each of the more than ten athletes brought by Jiang Wentao. They stood in front of the cameras, greeted the reporters, and then took their seats one by one.
Jiang Wentao, acting as the temporary host for the group interview and the team leader for this Asian Championships, also took his place for the interview. He smiled and greeted the media friends in attendance.
His memory was quite good, and he recognized most of the media present, even some new faces he hadn't seen before. Some of the media outlets had logos that weren't primarily associated with sports coverage.
The enthusiasm had truly skyrocketed!
Jiang Wentao marveled at this development inwardly while maintaining a composed smile. He greeted the reporters, "Hello, everyone. I'm responsible for the competition-related work at our Athletics Management Center. My last name is Jiang, and I'm familiar with some of the old friends here. To the new friends I'm meeting today, I'd like to extend my greetings and express our gratitude for your attention and support of our athletics project, athletes, and the national athletics team."
The reporters in attendance were all savvy individuals. Jiang Wentao was friendly and approachable, so they responded warmly and even applauded his remarks.
"This time, our national team achieved outstanding results at the Asian Championships in Doha, with 11 gold, 13 silver, and 9 bronze medals. We secured the top position in both the gold and overall medal tally. These remarkable achievements are thanks to our dedicated athletes. I have invited representatives of our key medal-winning athletes to join us for this group interview. Now, I'll hand over the interviewing rights to all of you."
Jiang Wentao understood the primary focus of these reporters' questions and didn't dwell on the topic. He emphasized the first-place rankings in both the gold and medal tally. Other than that, he left it to the reporters on-site who were eager to interview the athletes.
After Jiang Wentao stepped aside, camera flashes filled the room, and as soon as he indicated that questions could be asked, hands shot up among the journalists present.
Over the next few moments, questions from the reporters poured out like a rapid-fire barrage. The athletes seated in the interview area, experiencing this for the first time, were initially overwhelmed.
Among the athletes, there were different levels of popularity. Athletes like Fang Yu, Wang Shen, Zhang Ziyi, Cui Luoheng, and Chen Yadan received a continuous stream of questions, keeping them busy.
【Hello, Zhang Shuai. In this competition, you broke the 45-second barrier in the 400 meters, but you haven't reached the Tokyo Olympics qualification standard of 44.90 seconds. Do you believe you have a chance to achieve this standard within the next year?】
【Hello, Zhang Shuai. In last night's men's 4x400-meter relay final, you performed exceptionally well on the first leg. Some netizens have analyzed that your performance in the relay was even better than in the men's 400-meter individual final. Can you tell us about your time in the first leg of the relay and whether you have already reached the 44.90-second standard? If so, why do you think your performance in the relay is stronger than in individual races?】
【Hello, Xiaocui. In this Asian Championships, you were unbeatable, and your performance has amazed many. You broke the Asian Championships record set by the hurdles king. Some believe that you might be the new generation hurdles king. Do you believe you can reach the heights of the hurdles king?】
【...Yadan, your women's team also achieved good results at the Asian Championships, but there seems to be a gap in overall performance and improvement compared to the men's team. Could you comment on what this represents?】
【...Fang Yu, your current form is very stable, and you've run multiple times under ten seconds this year. Does this prove that you have the ability to consistently run under 10 seconds?】
【...Wang Shen, your personal best of 2 meters 35 has surpassed Ye Wen Hao's 2 meters 32. Does this mean that your strength is far beyond his...】
These media reporters, even though some of them were not specialized in sports reporting, did thorough research before the interviews, and their questions were quite sharp. Compared to when the athletics events didn't have this much attention, the questions they asked were less gentle.
The athletes present had never experienced such a situation before, but they had received training on how to handle interviews in their respective teams. Although they were a bit overwhelmed at first, they soon faced the reporters' questions with confidence.
After all, they had faced the pressure of the athletics track, so they couldn't be afraid of these reporters who posed no real threat.
In the end, this impromptu group interview, fueled by the enthusiasm of the media, lasted for over forty minutes before it concluded on a positive note.
Once the media had left, the fearless athletes who had dominated the competition field breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Zhang Ziyi smiled wryly and shook his head. "These reporters were much more intense than before. Some of the questions today really got under my skin."
"For example? Like asking whether the women's 400m relay team can't compete with the men's team?"
Beside them, Liu Jiaonan, the senior athlete in the hammer throw event, chuckled and asked, then Zhang Ziyi nervously glanced at Chen Yadan, his expression practically screaming, "I definitely didn't mean that."
Chen Yadan, on the other hand, remained calm. She glanced at Zhang Ziyi and then said straightforwardly, "It's fine; I know you didn't mean it. But the fact remains that the women's team's performance isn't as good as the men's team at the moment. However, not performing as well as you guys now doesn't mean we won't catch up in the future. The women's team's athletes are no pushovers either."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ziyi nodded and said seriously, "Of course, but we won't slack off either!"
The athletes present, watching Zhang Ziyi's behavior, mostly chuckled. They could sense that there might be something between Zhang Ziyi and Chen Yadan, but it seemed they hadn't revealed it yet. Observing their interaction, the athletes, who had just endured half an hour of media bombardment, now had some room for light-hearted gossip.
Due to this interview, the athletes returned to the athletics training center close to 7 PM. However, as heroes of the athletics team, the canteen had prepared a sumptuous dinner for them. And when the athletes from the 400m sprint event arrived on the third floor of the canteen, they spotted a familiar figure wearing a chef's uniform.
"Ah! Xiao Bai!!!"
Qiu Wen practically rushed over to Su Bai and, with shining eyes, looked at him eagerly. "Xiao Bai!!! Are you cooking dinner for us tonight?"
Su Bai smiled and replied, "Tonight, I'll be cooking for you as a welcome meal. I'll be in the kitchen with Chef Jin Manjiang."
In other words, Su Bai did prepare part of the meal, but he didn't specify which part.
Jin Manjiang, as the head chef for the national athletics team, had unquestionable culinary skills. He appeared from the kitchen, patting his ample belly, and cheerfully announced, "Tonight, Su Bai and I will be taking charge of the kitchen. We've prepared dinner for over eighty of you. We couldn't make everything you wanted, so consider it a regular dinner to welcome you back from overseas. Enjoy some authentic Chinese cuisine tonight."
Jin Manjiang chuckled and looked at the athletes, saying, "I know many of you want to eat Coach Su's dishes. However, for tonight's meal, I won't tell you which dishes were made by whom. It depends on your luck, see if you can guess who made the dishes." He continued with a smile, "I'm afraid that if I reveal which ones Coach Su made, all my dishes will be left uneaten."
As the head chef of the national team, Jin Manjiang's modesty was undeniable. As the top chef responsible for the third-floor dining area, his cooking was highly sought after by many members of the athletics team.
The athletes immediately expressed that they absolutely wouldn't leave anything behind and then scattered to help themselves to the warm dishes in the serving trays.
Qiu Wen initially wanted to ask Su Bai which dishes he had prepared, but Su Bai ruthlessly rejected his request, insisting he figure it out for himself. So, Qiu Wen could only dejectedly go to the food counter.
After Qiu Wen moved away, Cui Luoheng stepped forward to Su Bai. Without saying a word, he blinked his eyes at Su Bai, his dark pupils staring at the person in front of him, with a somewhat pitiful look.
Su Bai, seeing Cui Luoheng's expression, was puzzled. "ALuo, what's wrong?" He raised his hand and habitually ruffled Cui Luoheng's head.
"Do you want to eat what I made? Do you want me to tell you which ones I prepared?" Su Bai asked, well aware of Cui Luoheng's overly sensitive taste buds.
At Su Bai's touch, Cui Luoheng's face showed a slightly happier expression. He then nodded his head without saying a word.
Not far away, Wang Shen, upon seeing Cui Luoheng's actions, raised an eyebrow with a smile. He glanced at Ye Wenhao, who had come to eat despite his injury, and directly said to him, "Alright, be careful with your injured leg, go sit down."
Then, Wang Shen smiled and asked, "Do you want to try Su Bai's dishes? They really taste quite good."
Ye Wenhao was puzzled and scratched his head. "Huh? Didn't they say we could pick whatever we wanted? How can you tell which ones Su Bai made?"
Hearing Wang Shen's words, Ye Wenhao furrowed his brows, feeling like he might have missed something.
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Chapter 138: Su Bai's Encouragement and Brand Invitation
The track and field national team returned home this time, and they received generous accolades and rewards from both the General Administration of Sports and the Athletics Management Center.
In the words of Director Wang Zhengsheng from the Center, "To make our soldiers fight well, we can't let them suffer hardship, win awards, and still remain poor."
In summary, the Center took great care of the athletes in various aspects, including their welfare. Even when various brand advertisers approached the athletes for endorsements, the management center's share of the earnings was one of the lowest among all sports organizations, at only 10%.
After returning to China, the athletes first received awards from the General Administration of Sports, followed by additional rewards from the Athleticsa Management Center and the national team. Additionally, due to the widespread attention garnered by this Asian Championship, athletes from different provinces and cities received extra awards from their respective local entities. Some athletes even received additional sponsorship awards from local companies.
When all was said and done, the athletes of the track and field team could be considered to have reaped both honors and financial rewards.
During the first few days back in China, Su Bai didn't push the athletes too hard in their training. He needed to consider the recovery of athletes like Zhang Ziyi and Qiu Wen, who had pushed their physical limits for several consecutive days. As a result, the athletes were in a relaxed state during training.
Qiu Wen, still beaming with joy, calculated the rewards he had received in the past few days and vowed to work even harder in the next competition.
Su Bai looked at Qiu Wen's silly expression, raised an eyebrow, and said with a smile, "What's this? Working harder in competitions just to earn more prize money?"
Qiu Wen's face immediately changed, and he stood at attention, saluting, "No, no, it's for the honor of our country!"
As soon as he said this, not only Su Bai but also Zhang Ziyi, who was nearby, patted him on the back of his neck and said with a smile, "Alright, there's no shame in aiming for prize money too. Just remember to bring glory to our country."
Seeing Qiu Wen's appearance, Su Bai also chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Okay, just remember to focus on training and competitions. As for the rest, it's all taken care of by the national team. Nobody will mistreat us as long as we don't divert our attention elsewhere."
Qiu Wen blinked and immediately nodded with a silly smile, "Of course, I would never let money distract me from training and competitions. If I did, my grandfather would be the first to come after me with a cane, even if it meant chasing me ten miles away!"
Qiu Wen's grandfather was an old coach from the track and field team in S Province. Even though Qiu Wen had joined the national team, he still found time to video call his grandfather and share his training experiences. As he put it, if he ever let money get in the way, his grandfather would be the first to straighten him out.
Su Bai certainly understood all of this, and he also knew that the athletes on the team didn't have such intentions at the moment. However, with the increasing attention the track and field team was receiving, there might be various monetary temptations in the future.
So, by addressing Qiu Wen's situation, Su Bai was also making a statement to the other athletes on the team, hoping that they would stay focused on their goals.
Su Bai glanced at Qiu Wen, nodded at him, and then smiled, saying, "Alright, go train well."
The exchange between Su Bai and Qiu Wen didn't go unnoticed by the other athletes nearby. Su Bai's intentions were clear, and the other athletes understood them.
In fact, Su Bai's approach to guiding the athletes in this regard was the most lenient among the national team coaches. In other teams, once athletes gained a bit of fame, coaches would tighten their control in this aspect.
Mainly, it's also out of concern. In the world of sports, for various commercial reasons, some athletes who have already achieved success start getting entangled in the commercial circles. They become so focused on fame and fortune that they gradually lose the determination and dedication that helped them grow.
Money isn't inherently bad, but for some athletes, knowing that there's an easier path to fame and fortune without putting in as much effort when they hit a performance plateau might erode their determination to strive for excellence.
Over the past few days, the athletes had indeed been making jokes about their recent rewards, but after hearing Su Bai's subtle encouragement, they all refocused their attention away from the achievements and accolades they had received.
Awards are available in every competition, but if your focus scatters, it becomes much harder to regain it.
Watching the athletes on the training field regain their focus after his indirect encouragement, Su Bai breathed a sigh of relief. As he rubbed his forehead, he realized that coaching these athletes involved a myriad of challenges, from training and daily life to their psychological well-being. Being a good coach was undoubtedly a formidable task.
After finishing his conversation with Qiu Wen, Su Bai received a call from Pei Jin'an, who asked him to come to the office.
Su Bai entrusted the monitoring of the athletes' training to Wang Ting and Zheng Xingguo and headed to Pei Jin'an's office alone.
Upon arrival, he found that the deputy director of the Athletics Management Center, Liao Jie, was sitting in Pei Jin'an's office.
Liao Jie was the deputy director in charge of the Market and Events Department. Given the current situation, with Liao Jie present alongside an assistant, Su Bai immediately knew what was going on.
Seeing this, Su Bai couldn't help but give a wry smile. "Director Liao, I just finished talking to the team members about not being too money-oriented and focusing on their training and competitions. And now, here you are."
Both Pei Jin'an and Liao Jie watched as Su Bai walked in and then broke into wry smiles as well. They hadn't expected the timing to be so coincidental; Su Bai had just finished motivating the team members.
Liao Jie chuckled and shook his head. "Well, most of our track and field athletes here still have their hearts in the right place. You don't need to worry too much."
With that, Liao Jie took out various documents and forms from his hand. "At the beginning of the year, after that variety show aired, you're aware that our team members received many invitations. However, the Center rejected quite a few of them, considering that the popularity they gained during that time might have been temporary. Just as you were concerned, they worried that excessive exposure to commercial content might lead our athletes astray. But this time it's different. The Asian Championship is a litmus test. Not only has the popularity of the track and field events been fully recognized, but the athletes' abilities have also shone brilliantly."
"On the day the Asian Championship concluded, we received numerous invitations. I had the department staff carefully screen them, and we selected the ones we thought were most suitable and offered the best terms for the athletes."
"Not only for your 400 meters but also for events like high jump, 100 meters, and shot put, there are invitations for athletes from various events. Some are team invitations, some are individual invitations. The brands mentioned in these documents are well-known and reputable. In any case, you should pick a few. I know you're concerned that the athletes might lose focus, but now that we have these invitations in our hands, if you block them here, it might not be a problem in the short term, but it could make managing the team more difficult in the long run."
Su Bai listened to Liao Jie's words and nodded with a faint smile. Liao Jie had a point, and Su Bai understood that he wasn't trying to prevent the athletes from making money. He just felt that the timing was a bit coincidental.
In all honesty, Su Bai was well aware of the personalities and temperaments of the current 400-meter athletes. He didn't think they would become arrogant due to some advertisements. However, new athletes would continue to join the national team in the future, and it was important to maintain a certain team culture from now on to avoid treating newcomers differently.
Smiling, Su Bai temporarily put these issues aside and casually took the invitations from Liao Jie. Inside, there were various product categories, mostly related to sports products, as well as some nutritional products like milk and baby formula. Most of them were endorsements and promotional products that suited athletes' lifestyles.
These brands were indeed as Liao Jie had described, approved by the Athletics Management Center, and had good reputations based on what Su Bai knew.
"Director Liao, you can handle these. I don't understand much about the commercial side of things."
Su Bai was speaking the truth. Up to this point, he had gone from being an athlete to a chef in the kitchen and then a coach. He could handle considerations related to athletes' physical and mental states, study various sports data and patterns, or even cook as a head chef. However, when he saw the commercial data that Liao Jie handed him, he genuinely felt overwhelmed.
Seeing Su Bai's distressed expression, Liao Jie smiled and said, "Alright, the main thing is to check whether the shooting schedules for these advertisements will affect your training progress. If you're okay with that, our Commercial Market and Activities Department can take care of the rest."
Su Bai had noticed the shooting schedule requirements in the documents he received. After looking them over carefully, ensuring they wouldn't interfere with the training schedule, he handed the documents back to Liao Jie.
"There shouldn't be any issues. Our athletes normally train six days a week with one rest day. The shooting schedules for these advertisements aren't too demanding, and one day should be sufficient. Besides, our Saturday training sessions are usually lighter, so a day and a half should be more than enough."
Hearing Su Bai's response, Liao Jie nodded. As Su Bai seemed ready to leave, Liao Jie hurriedly stopped him. "Wait a moment, Xiao Bai. There are two more invitation proposals here."
Su Bai was a bit puzzled when Liao Jie handed him separate proposal documents. However, when he looked at the proposal documents, his expression became somewhat strange.
These were just ordinary proposal documents, but the invited person...
Su Bai couldn't help but wonder if there had been a mistake in filling out the invited person's name.
Liao Jie and Pei Jin'an saw Su Bai's expression and smiled by the side. Liao Jie said, "These two proposals are both inviting you, Xiao Bai."
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