Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 09/26/2023
Chapter 143 - Advertising Shoot & Arrival of the Olympic Qualification Period
When Su Bai arrived at the shooting location in this outfit, both the director of the advertisement and the representatives from the brand were visibly impressed.
Oh my, he looked fresh and had an amiable temperament. Standing before them, anyone who looked at him would naturally feel trust and closeness!
"Perfect!"
The brand's representative, Huang Renxu, smiled and said, "Oh my, Coach Su, this sudden change of outfit makes you look completely different from before. It's great; your style matches exactly what our brand wants!"
On the side, the director of the commercial, Jiang Yuan, didn't say anything, but he felt relieved. When shooting advertisements with athletes or celebrities from other fields, the biggest concern was the potential awkwardness. At first, when Su Bai arrived in his sports attire, Jiang Yuan was a bit worried that Su Bai might have trouble fitting into the warm and cozy family atmosphere the ad required.
Seeing that Su Bai had changed into different clothes and his overall demeanor had become warm and friendly, Jiang Yuan felt much more at ease. This advertising shoot wasn't very challenging; as long as Su Bai's demeanor was amiable, everything else would go smoothly.
After exchanging pleasantries with Huang Renxu and Su Bai, Jiang Yuan joined in and explained the specific content, shooting locations, and requirements of the advertisement.
Since the advertisement aimed to promote olive cooking oil, the main theme was cooking. Jiang Yuan instructed Su Bai, "You just need to cook well. During cooking, put on a bit of a show. Coach Su, you should maintain a bit of an image while cooking. We not only want the food to look delicious but also want your cooking poses to look attractive!"
Having worked as an advertising director for a long time, Jiang Yuan had plenty of experience communicating with amateur subjects like Su Bai. He didn't delve into details like camera angles or fixed positions. Instead, he advised Su Bai to maintain a relaxed, casual, and model-like posture during cooking.
The requirements were straightforward, with Jiang Yuan getting straight to the point.
As Jiang Yuan explained the requirements, Su Bai listened attentively. He only had one question when Jiang Yuan asked if he had any.
"No other questions, but what dish should I cook today?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you about that," Jiang Yuan slapped his forehead, then turned to call the production team over. "Have the ingredients been prepared? Don't forget, this is the main event today, and it's all live!"
"They're ready! We have fish, eggs, steak, ribs, chicken, and all the spices prepared. The kitchen is fully equipped with everything you need. Coach Su can cook any dish you like!"
After hearing the response from the production team, Jiang Yuan turned back to Su Bai with a smile. "Coach Su, one more thing I'd like to mention about today's cooking. Since this is an advertisement, we're aiming for visual effects. When you're cooking, feel free to use plenty of colorful ingredients like green, yellow, and red peppers. These colors look great and will enhance the visual appeal of the footage."
Su Bai agreed to Jiang Yuan's requests one by one. With nothing more to instruct, Jiang Yuan shouted to the entire crew, "Alright, let's get to work! Everyone, be on your toes!"
Both the brand and the advertising team knew they were shooting a young athletics coach. Although he was young, he was still a track and field coach, so the brand and the advertising team had kept the plot and requirements for the advertisement straightforward.
The first scene was set in a cozy Scandinavian-style kitchen where a calm male figure was busy at work.
The second scene featured a close-up of a pair of attractive hands chopping vegetables.
The third scene showed the same appealing hands, now holding a bottle of cooking oil while stir-frying.
The fourth scene highlighted the oil dropping into the pan, followed by heartwarming everyday cooking moments.
The final scene depicted Su Bai holding a dish, smiling at the camera, and saying his only line, "Let's eat." This line was the most significant acting challenge for Su Bai in the entire ad, as Jiang Yuan required him to deliver it with an intimate tone, as if speaking to a loved one.
The overall tone of the advertisement was fresh, warm, and green, emphasizing the premium quality and healthiness of the olive oil while maintaining a refreshing atmosphere, subtly suggesting to the audience that this olive oil was not as greasy as regular soybean oil.
Since the start of the shoot, several camera positions had been set up on location. One was the director's camera, used for the main filming of the ad, while another covered the entire scene, capturing the behind-the-scenes footage requested by the brand.
Although Su Bai initially felt unfamiliar with the process of shooting an advertisement, once he arrived at the kitchen set arranged by the advertising team, he began to feel more at ease. After all, he had maintained a consistent routine of culinary training for at least an hour every day within the training space provided by the system. This gave him a sense of familiarity and comfort whenever he stepped into a kitchen.
If the advertisement shoot presented no particular challenge for Su Bai, then for the rest of the advertising team, there was indeed... a significant challenge ahead.
At first, as Su Bai began cooking in the kitchen, Jiang Yuan would keep an eye on the cameraman's shots and occasionally give Su Bai instructions like, "Look up at the camera."
However, as Su Bai's cooking in the kitchen progressed from preparation to frying and sautéing, the previously simple task of capturing the mise en place turned out to be a source of distraction for the cameraman. His hands looked great, and the cameraman was so impressed that he became distracted.
Joining the "distracted" club was none other than Jiang Yuan himself.
He couldn't believe how aromatic the kitchen had become. He and his team had watched Su Bai's variety show back when he was coaching the track and field team. They had discussed it then, saying, "Wow, Su Bai's cooking segment looks really good; it's making me hungry."
However, they hadn't really believed that Su Bai's cooking could be so fragrant. As for why the track and field team members loved it so much, Su Bai was their coach, so naturally, the food he made had to be delicious.
So, when they were preparing to shoot today's advertisement content, Jiang Yuan's entire team was caught off guard. Not only were they unprepared, but they had also planned to show some excitement for the food Su Bai was cooking. They believed that doing so would help enhance the post-production editing of the behind-the-scenes footage.
However...
As the saying goes, ideals are plump, but reality is rather lean. Or, in their current situation, perhaps it would be more appropriate to say:
Ideals are lean, but reality... is a bit too plump!
Because they had seen Su Bai's cooking show on the variety program, Jiang Yuan and the director had thoroughly polished the shot script in advance. They had also communicated with the cameraman to ensure that the culinary shots looked "appealing."
So, what was the cost of making these shots look appealing?
The answer was extreme close-up shots of various foods and ingredients, capturing their freshness and liveliness. These close-up shots were the essence of food video production.
To ensure this essence and the quality of the advertisement, the team's cameraman, Li Mingxi, was right at the forefront, facing Su Bai.
It should be noted that this kitchen was a set built for shooting indoors. Although they had set up a range hood, Su Bai's actual cooking location was not in the direction of that range hood for the convenience of shooting. Therefore, there was no functioning range hood during the entire shoot.
Initially, Jiang Yuan and his team thought that in such an environment, the oil fumes might be heavy, and they mentally prepared themselves to endure the smell.
However, to their surprise, whatever Su Bai did, they couldn't detect any strong oil fumes after more than half an hour of cooking. Instead, they were greeted by the enticing aroma of the dishes.
Li Mingxi was on the verge of tears. As a bearded man controlling the camera, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. If you were to ask him why he was so emotional, he'd only say: "This is just too damn delicious!"
At first, when they were preparing the ingredients, they didn't think much of it. However, once the dishes started sizzling in the pan...
Oh my, when those small yellow croakers were gently placed in the pan with ginger slices and flipped to a golden brown on both sides, then served on a porcelain plate, drizzled with a spoonful of prepared sweet and sour sauce, and garnished with a sprinkle of chopped green onions.
And those large prawns, slit down the back, were sautéed in the pan until the shrimp flesh turned a delightful red and white. Then, a rich sauce was poured into the pan. With a quick toss, they were plated. Even without the addition of green onions for garnish, the sight of these beautifully cooked prawns was enough to whet anyone's appetite.
Not only that, but there were also braised chicken pieces, salt and pepper spare ribs, tofu and cabbage soup, stir-fried vegetables...
The advertising team on set was completely stunned. Initially, they thought Su Bai's dishes seemed quite complex. However, when Su Bai began to put all these ingredients into the pots, the speed was so fast that they couldn't keep up. What's more...
The taste was so mouthwatering that it brought tears to their eyes on the spot.
They didn't know when, but tears had started streaming from the corners of their mouths—it was all due to their intense cravings.
Li Mingxi now deeply regretted his choices. Why did he agree to be the main cinematographer today? He had to be in charge of Su Bai's close-up shots and the special shots of these dishes throughout the entire process.
What does it mean to see but not be able to taste?
This was it!
Not only could he see but not taste, but he also had to go against his last bit of professional ethics to make these already delicious dishes appear even more tantalizing...
He cried, and he knew the taste of his tears was salty.
Not only Li Mingxi, but Jiang Yuan was also feeling restless at this moment. Of course, he understood that, apart from Su Bai, there was probably no one on set who could remain calm.
He surrendered, he genuinely surrendered. Why did he have to choose this style of shooting that made everyone suffer so much?
Anyway, it's all edible oil, so letting Su Bai hold a bucket of oil and say the advertising lines wouldn't be so bad, right? At least... the scene wouldn't be as intense as it is now, and his entire team wouldn't be so tempted that they're tearing up.
This tempting aroma didn't start out so overpowering. It began to waft out subtly when Su Bai started cooking his first dish, and as he cooked more and more dishes, the fragrance became increasingly... compelling, making everyone wish they could stop immediately and start eating.
If it weren't for a shred of their professional integrity still intact, Jiang Yuan was considering calling it a day and inviting everyone to taste Su Bai's cooking right away.
As for the 'Wei Mei' brand representatives and several staff members who remained on set, they too had covered their stomachs. But the refreshing aroma of food wafting from Su Bai's direction and the sensation of hunger felt as if it had entered their heads and set up a loudspeaker, repeatedly telling them, "I'm so hungry!"
It could be said that the filming process of this advertisement was more challenging than anticipated, not just for Jiang Yuan and his entire team, but also for the client.
This difficulty didn't stem from Su Bai's stiffness or other unforeseen issues, but from the delicious food he was making.
As Jiang Yuan and Li Mingxi tried to resist the temptation of Su Bai's mouthwatering creations and forced their attention onto the food and the scenes they needed to shoot, they couldn't help but mentally complain. How did the team from that previous variety show manage to endure the tantalizing aroma of Su Bai's cooking and still film so many shots of delicious food in each episode?
What kind of people were they?!
They were practically inhuman!!!
With these complicated feelings in mind, Jiang Yuan and his team finally completed the filming of the entire advertisement.
As expected, the biggest challenge for Su Bai was how to say the line, "Let's eat," in a tone that met the requirements. Su Bai was a very earnest person, and since he had signed a contract to shoot the advertisement, he wanted to meet the client's requirements perfectly. However, at the age of 24, he had never been in a romantic relationship; his life had been all about training, training, and more training. So, when it suddenly came time to convey the feeling of "warmth towards a loved one," he found it quite challenging.
Although Jiang Yuan and his team had been tempted to tears by Su Bai's cooking earlier, when it came to professional matters, they were reliable. They noticed that Su Bai had no relevant experience, so they decided to put it in simpler terms.
"Coach Su, think about one of your athletes who often eats the meals you make. Just choose one as your reference. You don't need to think of them as a lover, just someone you care about with regular emotions," Jiang Yuan explained.
Su Bai nodded in agreement. This requirement was much easier than the previous one, which had asked him to imagine speaking to a lover.
However, when he seriously considered who to choose as his hypothetical dining partner, Su Bai hesitated for a moment. Initially, he instinctively thought of Qiu Wen, who was the most familiar to him. However, he and Qiu Wen were already too familiar, and Qiu Wen's goofy personality meant that he didn't need an invitation. He would come running for a meal as soon as he knew there was food available.
As for Wang Shen from the late-night snack trio, he was too clever. Facing Wang Shen, Su Bai felt that he couldn't smoothly and naturally express the emotions of facing a loved one.
So, that left him with... Cui Luoheng?
When Su Bai thought of Cui Luoheng, he couldn't help but remember the pitiful look on his face when he stood there. Despite his tall and imposing figure, he still managed to appear endearing. Su Bai recalled the pleading expression in Cui Luoheng's eyes.
It seemed like...
Cui Luoheng might be a decent choice for this role?
Su Bai thought about it and concluded that at least when thinking of Cui Luoheng, he wouldn't feel out of character.
So, when the camera rolled for the final scene once again, Jiang Yuan watched through the director's monitor as Su Bai held a plate of food, raised his head, as if he saw "someone" returning home, and his eyes seemed to fill with a warm, almost indulgent gaze.
That look seemed to say, "You're back?"
Then, with gentleness and warmth, Su Bai uttered three words, "Let's eat."
"Perfect! Click!"
Jiang Yuan felt a sudden rush of 'romantic' excitement after seeing this last shot. It was strange. They had filmed so many scenes of Su Bai pretending earlier, but he hadn't managed to convey such a warm and heartwarming look until he was asked to speak to an imaginary character.
After wrapping up the shoot, Su Bai's freshly cooked dishes were kept warm in a food warmer. Everyone rushed over to the warmer to grab a taste of the enticing food. Even the representatives from the brand were seen taking a big bite of a prawn, their mouths full of savory flavors. They kept giving Su Bai thumbs up and saying, "Mmm, delicious! Oh my, Coach Su, you have great culinary skills. After seeing the results of your cooking, I have even more confidence in our cooking oil!"
Regardless of whether the brand's confidence had any scientific basis, it was a fact that the day's shooting had concluded earlier than expected.
Apart from the continuous shots of Su Bai cooking, there were also some close-up shots like pouring oil or cutting vegetables that needed to be completed. After finishing these shots, it was only around three or four in the afternoon.
Su Bai changed back into his sports attire and bid farewell to the brand representatives and the advertising team, heading back to the national track and field team training base.
When Su Bai returned to the team, it was around four or five in the afternoon. The national team's training base on Sundays was quieter than usual. Many athletes took advantage of their weekly "free" day to go home if they lived nearby or to wander around with teammates if they lived farther away.
Su Bai received a call from Ma Changping, updating him on the progress of the data analysis team's work and suggesting a meeting to discuss a few key data points. The coaching staff was also hard at work on this weekend.
While the Asian Championships had brought excellent results for the track and field team, it also raised expectations for future competitions. The spotlight on the team would be even brighter, especially with the upcoming World Championships.
With the arrival of May, the coaching staff at the national track and field team training base was working diligently. They were analyzing various data for athletes, aiming to ensure that the athletes could participate in top-level competitions to maintain their form while minimizing the risk of injuries in the lead-up to the World Championships.
Su Bai, as the head coach for the 400-meter event, was also responsible for overseeing the training of athletes in related disciplines, such as Cui Luoheng. As soon as he returned to the training base, he became swamped with responsibilities.
In the following days, as May arrived, it signaled a new round of competitions for many track and field athletes who would be traveling across the country to participate in various events.
Additionally, May 1 marked the start of the official qualification period for the Tokyo Olympics. From May 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, athletes had the opportunity to achieve Olympic qualification standards. This news was eagerly awaited by athletes and the public alike.
Numerous track and field-related public accounts and the official Weibo account of the national track and field team made announcements about the start of the Tokyo Olympics qualification period.
Official Weibo of the National Track and Field Team: Starting today, the qualification period for the Tokyo Olympics in track and field has officially begun! The national track and field team is fully prepared to compete for Olympic slots, and our track and field athletes are eager to prove themselves. Let's all look forward to who will be the first to secure a spot at the Tokyo Olympics!
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Chapter 144: Qiu Wen's Hot Topic & The Challenge Is About to Begin
Since the official Weibo account of the national track and field team announced the arrival of the Tokyo Olympics qualification period, the track and field enthusiasts who had just emerged from the atmosphere of the Asian Championships have once again been filled with new enthusiasm!
After all, this represents the stage where, from now on, track and field athletes from all over the world will go all out to compete for a spot on the Olympic stage. During this time, it will undoubtedly be a peak period for track and field athletes from various countries to achieve outstanding results before the Olympics.
In China, Athletics Kingdom Forum
Topic: 【 On May 4th, the Jamaican station of the World Challenge of the International Association of Athletics Federations is about to start. The national team will also have several track and field stars going to Jamaica. Who do you think will be the first to meet the Tokyo Olympics qualification standard?】
Topic Content:
【 Before placing your bets, let's analyze the situation first, and I'll share my thoughts with you!
First of all, due to scheduling reasons, the Jamaican station on May 4th does not include events such as shot put, discus, and javelin throw. At present, it seems that several top female athletes in these events in China will not be among the first to qualify. However, the strength of these female athletes is undeniable, so there's no need to worry too much.
In the men's 100m sprint, although there is a 100m event in the Jamaican station, it is well known that on the 11th and 12th of the following days, there will be a World Athletics Relay in Yokohama, Japan. This event will determine the relay teams' qualifications for the Tokyo Olympics.
We have seen the ambitions of the national team for relay events in the past. This time, the Chinese national track and field team is sending several different relay teams to Yokohama, including men's 4x100m, women's 4x100m, men's 4x400m, mixed-gender 4x400m, and more. All these teams are aiming for qualification for the Tokyo Olympics in this event.
Currently, athletes such as Fang Yu, Zhao Shu, Zhang Ziyi, Qiu Wen, Chen Yadan, who have hopes of competing for Olympic qualifications in the 100m and 400m events, are still focused on relay-specific training. The Jamaican station of the challenge on May 4th and the relay event on the 11th and 12th are too close in time, and the fact that one main competition venue is in Jamaica and the other is in Yokohama, Japan, could potentially affect the athletes' competitive state in the relay events.
So, currently, we can see that the list of athletes from the national track and field team participating in the Jamaica Challenge does not include the names of the top sprinters mentioned above.
I've rechecked the list, and the athletes most likely to be the first to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in this batch are Wu Yi in the men's 200m sprint, Cui Luoheng in the men's 110m hurdles, as well as Wang Shen and Ye Wenhao in the men's high jump.
Currently, it appears that both Cui Luoheng and Wang Shen have surpassed the Tokyo Olympics qualification standard based on their personal bests, and they both set new records at the Asian Championships. It seems they both have a good chance!】
3rd Comment: 【 You've covered it comprehensively. Currently, it seems that the most likely candidates to secure Olympic qualification in the first batch are Xiao Cui and Wang Shen.】
5th Comment: 【 Speaking of which, is no one optimistic about Ye Wenhao and Wu Yi? Wu Yi has shown remarkable progress in his performances from last year to this year. To make a comparison, Wu Yi's progress is not much different from Zhang Ziyi's. I have high hopes for him in the Jamaica station.】
10th Comment: 【 It seems that everyone is focused on the Olympics now that the Olympic qualification has been announced. There seems to be less attention on this year's World Championships qualification. I remember that during the Asian Championships, Qiu Wen achieved the qualification standard for this year's World Championships with a time of 45.27 seconds, but it seems there aren't many discussions about it?】
15th Comment: 【 ...! Oh, the reminder from the 10th commenter just made me realize it. Qiu Wen has already qualified for the World Championships with a time of 45.27 seconds. Wow, this time is only 0.02 seconds away from Zhang Shuai's previous national 400m record!】
18th Comment: 【 !!! I just realized Qiu Wen's performance too. Oh, wait, wasn't it just about a year ago when Qiu Wen switched from the 100m and 200m to the 400m? From starting to train for the 400m to now, in just one year, he almost broke the existing national 400m record?!】
21st Comment: 【 Wow, after reading the discussions above, I'm amazed. In just one year, isn't Qiu Wen the most talented athlete in the 400m sprint right now?]
26th Comment: 【 ...Originally, I wanted to argue with the 21st commenter, but after thinking about it, in just one year, if this doesn't qualify as the most talented, I don't know which athlete has more extraordinary abilities.】
28th Comment: 【 Qiu Wen seems to be a bit ahead of his time, right? I don't know if this term is appropriate, but if he had switched events a few years earlier or if Zhang Shuai weren't competing in the 400m now, Qiu Wen might be the shining star of the 400m sprint, the one we would all be praising!】
33rd Comment: [Sigh, who says otherwise? I just saw Qiu Wen's performance, and I was amazed. But during the Asian Championships, I was too focused on Zhang Shuai breaking the 45-second barrier, which was incredible. I didn't even realize Qiu Wen's achievement... I have to say, it's fortunate that Qiu Wen, this silly boy who looks so clueless, doesn't pay much attention to things like attention and popularity. Otherwise, wouldn't he feel frustrated? When you think about the results he achieved, it's really not inferior to Zhang Shuai at all...】
This thread, originally discussing who could be the first to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, went completely off-topic after mentioning Qiu Wen in the middle. In the end, even the original poster joined the discussion, and many people were expressing their regrets that Qiu Wen's achievement of 45.27 seconds, which qualified him for the World Championships, seemed to have gone unnoticed for too long.
Some track and field enthusiasts didn't just discuss; they took action. They went to Weibo and started a hashtag called #QiuWenTrackandFieldWorldChampionshipQualification, and then brought the discussion back to the Athletics Kingdom forum, rallying many track and field fans to support Qiu Wen.
So, half a month after the Asian Championships, a hashtag suddenly appeared on the Weibo trending topics list. Many bystanders who weren't involved in track and field discussions were puzzled. They felt like a question mark was floating over their heads. Was this a delayed trend? Was news from half a month ago only now trending?
When the athletes from the track and field team finished their afternoon training, Qiu Wen, as usual, happily picked up his phone, ready to surf the internet. However, the moment he opened his Weibo app, his phone froze, causing a momentary panic.
"What the heck, what's wrong with my phone?"
Qiu Wen's initial reaction wasn't that he was being mentioned by too many people; he thought his phone was malfunctioning. "Can't be, I just got this phone not long ago!"
As he mumbled to himself and examined his phone with a worried expression, Lin Chuan and Guo Dun, who were in front of him, burst into laughter. Then, they turned around, and Guo Dun handed his phone to Qiu Wen.
"Here, the culprit is found! Nice job, Xiao Qiu, you're trending now!"
"Huh?"
Qiu Wen scratched his head in confusion, took the phone, and glanced at it. However, his confusion deepened. "Huh?"
Regardless of the laughter and banter between the track and field fans online and the athletes of the national team, on the afternoon of May 1st, the Chinese team members set off from B City International Airport, preparing to take a flight to Germany first and then transfer to Jamaica.
This journey, which takes nearly two days with layovers, is also a significant test of the athletes' adaptability. Whether the athletes can quickly adjust to the local time zone after a long journey and perform well in the competitions is a critical factor affecting their individual performances.
In fact, it's precisely because the journey from China to Jamaica is time-consuming that the national team decided to abandon the plan to send sprinters like Zhang Ziyi and Fang Yu to participate in the competition.
On the morning of May 4th, at the local athletics stadium in Jamaica:
The athletes from the Chinese track and field team had finally arrived in Jamaica the previous afternoon. Upon their arrival, they immediately took a short break and adjusted themselves as much as possible to reduce the fatigue from the long journey.
After this brief rest, athletes like Cui Luoheng went to the hotel's gym for some light exercise to get themselves in a better condition, aiming to reach about 70-80% of their usual level.
After a full night's rest, everyone entered the competition venue feeling refreshed.
Among the athletes representing China on this overseas expedition, the most experienced was probably Wu Yi in the 200-meter sprint. During the era when the 200-meter sprint was not as prominent as the 400-meter sprint in China three to four years ago, Wu Yi stood out with his exceptional talent and strength. He worked his way up to the national team and became its representative, starting to compete internationally.
Wu Yi is not afraid of competition and is enthusiastic about participating in challenges. He often avoids domestic competitions and prefers to fly to various countries for international competitions, accumulating a wealth of experience in overseas competitions.
After arriving in Jamaica the day before, he generously shared his advice with everyone on how to quickly adapt to the local time zone and regain their competitive form.
For Cui Luoheng, he had some experience at the world level, particularly from the World Junior Championships and World Youth Championships. However, although this current competition was just an athletics challenge, the level and scale were significantly different from the World Junior and World Youth Championships.
Standing on this completely unfamiliar competition field, Cui Luoheng initially felt a slight nervousness when he looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, the diverse audience, and the athletes, some with dark skin and others with blonde hair and blue eyes. However, a sense of eagerness to compete also emerged on his face!
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