Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 10/18/2023
Chapter 283: CP Fans Emerge & Other Public Opinions
While most people on the internet were still cheering, a small group of people suddenly appeared in a little-known corner of a super topic on Weibo called 【'Hé Tú Luò Shū'】 Their eyes were filled with question marks and uncertainty, but their comments subtly carried a strange sense of excitement.
【Sisters! Did anyone see it? Old Wang's Weibo!!! (Screenshot) (Enlarge Screenshot)】
【Ah ah ah, I saw it! No way, that angle and that look, he's really looking at Xiao Bai, right??? Sob sob, please tell me I'm not seeing things!】
【Ugh, oh, oh from the establishment of this CP fan club, this is the first time I've felt the sweetness! The affection is truly touching, the dedicated fans of this couple next door are so joyful, it seems like the couple is about to announce their relationship.】
【Sisters, hold on! Look, isn't this showing affection? Old Wang's angle in the photo, oh my, I don't believe Xiao Cui is looking at anyone else! Around Xiao Bai are some old coaches from the track and field team or leaders from the Athletic Association. Besides Xiao Bai, who else could make Xiao Cui look so deeply in love?】
【Tears, it's so difficult for us 'Hé Tú Luò Shū' CP fans. If we talk about it, Xiao Cui and Xiao Bai, teacher and disciple, younger and older, and also the mentor and the talented student. They train together every day in the national team... What a great relationship, what an easy-to-enjoy CP to ship! Actually, it's not that easy to have sweet interactions,right? I really can't understand why it's only today that I could finally taste the first piece of candy from Old Wang...】
【Sigh, sister, this isn't the first piece of candy, did you forget the screenshot from the previous Olympic opening ceremony? The one with Xiao Cui's hand on Xiao Bai's shoulder...】
【Which screenshot? Oh... I remember, but that Olympic opening ceremony screenshot... isn't it just a misleading screenshot? Cold indifference.gif"】
【_(:3)∠)_ emmmm...】
This fan group, gathered within this fan page, consists of a small group of girls who have inexplicably started shipping the CP of Cui Luoheng x Su Bai. The beginning of this trend can perhaps be traced back to the period of 《Athletics Idol Training Camp》, but due to the open and honest interactions between Su Bai and Cui Luoheng, these fans are at a loss about where to start shipping this pair.
They had previously conducted an archaeological survey on the Weibo accounts of Cui Luoheng and Su Bai, scrutinizing their interactions. However, the reposts on Cui Luoheng's Weibo, which even Wang Shen found hard to ignore, proved to be too much for these CP fans, even with their rose-colored glasses on. Apologies, apologies, the sugar candy is too hard to chew.
For these CP fans, who number only a few hundred, the essence of their shipping was originally based on the mentor-student relationship between Cui Luoheng and Su Bai. The feeling of one person rising from the depths with the help of the other and eventually reaching the pinnacle of the world had a strange and dreamlike quality. While admiring this sentiment, these girls also imagined in their hearts - if these two could be together, it would be truly wonderful!
It is precisely because of the essence of this CP that even though it might seem like a forced pairing, this small group of CP fans is still very happy. Watching Cui Luoheng's competitions every day, occasionally imagining the deep mentor-student relationship off the field - that's probably the entirety of the daily life of this CP fan group.
Because the main protagonists of this CP usually don't provide much dog food for the shippers, this CP fan page is generally not very active. Occasionally, some young girls who write fanfiction and create fan art will post their creations on the fan page, and then they will praise each other, and that's about it.
Today, the activity in this fan page is completely beyond what it usually sees.
There's no way around it, the photo taken by Wang Shen is just too thought-provoking.
Not just the CP shippers in the "Hé Tú Luò Shū" fan page, even under Wang Shen's Weibo post, there are many peculiar comments, especially from Wang Shen's fans. Their radar is even more sensitive than the CP shippers in the "Hé Tú Luò Shū" fan page.
【......emmmm, brother, something's not right with Cui in this photo, isn't it?】
【Confused, to be honest, I have a bold idea in my mind.】
【？Sister before, what's your bold idea? I happen to have one too?】
Apart from these fans of Wang Shen's looks and the "Hé Tú Luò Shū" CP shippers who dare not speak up, even the pure athletics fans were a bit perplexed after seeing this photo. However, the thought process of these straight male fans is quite peculiar.
【Damn, can you be any more obvious, Lao Wang? The meaning of Cui's pose in this photo should be paying tribute to the country, right? It's probably something like bringing glory to the nation. Lao Wang, with this shot... he looks like he's gazing at his wife.】
【Hahahaha, my god, looking at his wife! I also thought that something was off with Cui's gaze in this photo, but at first, I didn't realize what was wrong. But as soon as you mentioned 'looking at his wife,' I immediately understood! Oh my, Lao Wang, you can't get away with this. With this photo, Cui seems to be looking at Su Bai, the big boss. If you don't at least double his training volume, it won't be enough!】
【Hehehe, I think he can handle the doubled training volume. Lao Wang, work hard and aim to surpass 2.44 meters after the doubled training volume. Let's see if you can break an Asian record!】
【? An Asian record? Brother, I think that's a great idea. I think he can do it!】
......
............
_(:3)∠_
The trains of thought of male and female fans under Wang Shen's Weibo were clearly distinct. With a quick glance at their comments, one could easily tell whether the commenter was a man or a woman. After all, the thought process of some straight male fans can be quite peculiar.
However, just like the initial discussion under the Weibo post, even those iron-willed straight male fans who don't have a romantic bone in their bodies could tell from the photo taken by Wang Shen that Cui's gaze resembled that of a man looking at his wife, which spoke volumes.
Under this Weibo post, there was a brave little account that posted a comparative screenshot in the comments, comparing the perspectives of Zhang Ziyi looking at Chen Yadan and the perspective of Cui looking at Su Bai in the photo taken by Wang Shen.
As soon as this comparative screenshot was posted, even the iron-willed straight male fans, who were still discussing whether Wang Shen was going to have his training volume doubled by Su Bai, were bewildered for a moment.
Wait a minute!
Zhang Ziyi's gaze in the photo of him looking at Chen Yadan was already quite evident. How come, in this comparison, Cui's gaze at Su Bai in the photo was even more overt?
While the straight male fans were baffled, this comparative screenshot posted by the small account quickly garnered numerous likes under Wang Shen's Weibo post, eventually reaching the point of being manually pinned by the algorithm.
However, it was at this moment that the Weibo post was suddenly deleted. After deleting the post, Wang Shen once again @CuiLuoheng and posted a congratulatory message, but this time without the previous photo. Instead, he chose a photo taken by a media reporter, showing Cui draped in the national flag celebrating on the field.
...
Emmmm.
Wang Shen's actions quickly aroused a different kind of speculation among the melon eaters Someone asked under Wang Shen's new congratulatory Weibo why he had deleted the previous post, and to everyone's surprise, Wang Shen actually replied.
Wang Shen replied to the curious melon eater:【^^ Ah, sorry, I accidentally deleted it just now.】
............
......
?
The melon eater who saw this reply took another look at the smile in Wang Shen's response and couldn't help but scoff in their mind - "I don't believe you for a second!"
But even if they didn't believe, it didn't seem to matter much. The melon eaters had to "bear the humiliation" and quickly shifted away from Wang Shen's Weibo, starting a new thread on another gossip forum:
Title:【Breaking News!!! Wang Shen Deletes Previous Congratulatory Weibo for Cui Luoheng, Changes Picture in New Post, Any Insights on the Deep Meaning Here?】
3rd comment: 【I just finished digesting this piece of gossip, and after seeing the original screenshot, my brain has automatically filled in a 100,000-word love story!】
19th comment: 【So is that CP real? Damn, this is explosive! A mentor-student duo in the national team! Can that even work? Doesn't it violate the rules?】
26th comment: 【_(:3)∠_ What's the violation? Does the internal regulation of the national team prohibit internal romance? Then how do you explain the CP of the male and female captains in the 400-meter sprint? Let me make a blind guess, maybe Little Cui hasn't caught up to Su Senior yet...】
30th comment: 【Speaking of which, I have a theory. Didn't they say that Cui seemed more mature today? And his desire for victory and ambition during the race seemed stronger. It looks like Cui is working harder because he has fallen for Su Senior, something like wanting to become stronger to be worthy of you.】
33rd comment: 【Oh, the logic of the commenter above is spot on, I think so too!】
40th comment: 【But... Cui and Su Senior are mentor and student, right? One is a coach and the other is an athlete. It just doesn't seem right...】
45th comment: 【??? What's wrong with that? If you look back a few years, wasn't Su Senior also a member of the S Province Athletics Team? At that time, he and Cui were still teammates! If you look at it now, don't you think the captain CP is also younger, and Dan Jie is going to be a coach for the women's 400m relay? Do you find that wrong too?】
...
It has to be said that the melon eaters' ability to perceive and analyze gossip is exceptionally acute. Amidst their discussions, they have managed to piece together the majority of the truth.
Regarding Wang Shen's decision to delete the Weibo post, his initial intention was to lightly tease Cui Luoheng and allow Su Bai to better understand Cui's feelings. However, he never expected the Weibo to garner such high attention within this short Olympic competition cycle.
When the Weibo had few followers initially, it was all in good fun, akin to some teammates playfully bantering with each other. But now, with the soaring engagement, especially after Wang Shen saw the screenshot of the comparison between Zhang Ziyi looking at Chen Yadan and Cui Luoheng looking at Su Bai, he immediately realized that the post couldn't stay.
Leaving it up could potentially lead to more people interpreting the emotional dynamics between Cui Luoheng and Su Bai. It might even create public pressure for Su Bai to accept Cui Luoheng's feelings, especially considering Cui Luoheng just reclaimed the Olympic gold in the 110-meter hurdles.
As a fellow Olympic gold medalist, Wang Shen understood that at least for the foreseeable future, the halo of an Olympic gold medal would make more people inclined to support them, regardless of the circumstances.
Regardless of whether Su Bai is willing to accept Cui Luoheng's feelings, Wang Shen is acutely aware that in this relationship, a third party can only intervene to a certain extent. The ultimate direction and determination of the relationship still depend on the wishes of Cui Luoheng and Su Bai.
Thinking of this, Wang Shen promptly sent a message to both Cui Luoheng and Su Bai, including the screenshot of his original Weibo post and a sincere apology.
Cui Luoheng's response was simple: 【It's okay, it's good that you deleted it.】 He didn't mind Wang Shen's teasing, but even though his emotional intelligence was notoriously low, he could instinctively sense the potential trouble the Weibo might bring to Su Bai. However, since Wang Shen had already deleted the post, there was nothing more to be done.
On the other hand, Su Bai's response was also quite simple, with a seemingly 'kind' tone, as it carried a smiling emoticon: 【^^ Ah, it's okay.】
After sending the first message and pausing for a while, Su Bai sent another screenshot with a smiling expression. The screenshot showed a conversation between Su Bai and Li Mingzhuo, where Su Bai expressed that Wang Shen still had room for improvement and that he was preparing to intensify his training during the winter. Finally, Su Bai added three words for Wang Shen: 【^^ See you in winter training.】
Upon seeing Su Bai's reply, Wang Shen's handsome face froze for a moment, then he sighed wryly with a strange expression. Well, although it was a clear retaliatory strike, he indeed had done something wrong. Moreover... thinking about it, even before this incident, during the previous training and the Olympic finals, although everyone praised his outstanding performance, he already felt like he had reached a bottleneck.
Thinking about it, even if Su Bai hadn't mentioned it, he would probably have gone to Su Bai in this year's winter training to discuss how to break through the bottleneck. However, in the current winter training plan, it would likely include the 'threatened' element.
On the internet, even though the enthusiasm of the CP enthusiasts and the various melon eaters continued to grow due to Wang Shen deleting the Weibo post, it had reached its peak. However, the CP between Cui Luoheng and Su Bai wasn't a celebrity CP in the entertainment industry. It fell into the category of athletes' private lives. If they were willing to make it public, it was fine. If they didn't want to make it public, the netizens were well aware that they shouldn't let this online gossip affect the athletes' state.
As a result, even though everyone's enthusiasm for CP and gossip had grown once again, there weren't many people openly discussing this on Weibo. Everyone had their own tacit understanding and kept this matter confined to the low-profile gossip forums.
After the conclusion of the 110-meter hurdles final on the morning of August 5th, discussions and debates exploded on all of China's major platforms. Sports channels had already quickly compiled Cui Luoheng's race video and pre- and post-race interview content and submitted them to the news channel. Such big news was reserved for the 7 p.m. news.
While everyone in China was still excitedly discussing and gossiping on the internet, the athletics team had already boarded a bus and was heading back to the Olympic Village.
On the bus back to the Olympic Village, Cui Luoheng naturally sat beside Su Bai—by now, the athletics team was accustomed to Cui Luoheng sitting beside Su Bai. As for Pei Jin'an, who had long since noticed Cui Luoheng's feelings, he had already given up on the idea of 'competing' for a seat with Cui Luoheng.
Pei Jin'an no longer felt the initial annoyance he had when he first noticed Cui Luoheng's feelings. Now, his main thought about this pair was: Oh well, this is the national team's darling, so I wish him smooth sailing in his love life! (?)
Indeed, he had also realized that this little Cui hadn't caught up to Su Bai yet. If his love life didn't go smoothly, it wouldn't be good for his emotions and competitive state.
Of course, while Cui was important, Su Bai was even more important. Pei Jin'an couldn't possibly intervene and influence this couple's emotional issues. The only thing he could do was silently pray in his heart for this pair's relationship to go smoothly.
Cui Luoheng wasn't aware that Pei Jin'an had already figured out his thoughts. At this moment, as he sat beside Su Bai in the bus, he couldn't help but want to turn his head to look at Su Bai. However, the bus was full of people, so he couldn't make any conspicuous movements or say anything untimely. Therefore, he could only turn his head to look at Su Bai from time to time, as if worried about being seen, then turn to look ahead, and then turn his head to glance at Su Bai again.
Pei Jin'an, sitting across the aisle from Su Bai, could only watch this back-and-forth with a face full of complex emotions and a sense of frustration.
Pei Jin'an immediately thought to himself, "Who was it that said Cui has matured this year? Look at this silly boy's behavior, it's obvious he has no experience in love."
Completely unaware of being mocked by Pei Jin'an, Cui Luoheng turned his head several times and suddenly met Su Bai's smiling eyes when he turned back. Instantly, a blush spread across Cui Luoheng's face, which had initially seemed impassive and calm. Even as he tried to maintain a composed facade and look straight ahead, the redness on his face extended to his ears and neck.
(:3)∠)
It was just too embarrassing.
Observing Cui Luoheng's attempt to maintain his composure without turning back, Su Bai's usually cold and serene face also broke into a slight smile.
Pei Jin'an, who had been silently observing from the sidelines, raised an eyebrow slightly at Su Bai's expression. With this look on Su Bai's face, it didn't seem like he was uninterested in Cui Luoheng, right? In that case... could this couple really make it work?
With this thought in mind, Pei Jin'an started thinking about Su Bai being an orphan, with only his master and mistress as elders. On the other hand, Cui came from a big family. He wondered if Cui's family would mind the mentor-student relationship between Su Bai and Cui Luoheng...
Pei Jin'an was completely unaware that his concern made him look like a doting fatherly fan of Cui Luoheng and Su Bai.
As the group returned to the Chinese building in the Olympic Village, it was lunchtime. When they arrived at the dining hall, they saw Qiu Wen, who was gloomily picking at his food.
？
Su Bai was taken aback when he saw Qiu Wen's demeanor and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Rarely, the energetic and playful Qiu Wen seemed to lose his usual vigor when he greeted Su Bai. He gloomily cradled his bowl, glanced at Cui Luo Heng, then at Wang Shen, and continued to eat his specially prepared lunch with an air of melancholy.
？？？
Confused, Su Bai glanced at Cui Luo Heng and Wang Shen, quickly understanding the reason behind Qiu Wen's behavior. The three of them had come out together from the S Provincial Athletics Team and used to have late-night meals together in the team canteen. Now that Wang Shen and Cui Luo Heng had both won gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, poor Qiu Wen was left behind, probably feeling envious in his heart.
Sure enough, after eating a few bites sorrowfully, Qiu Wen looked up at Cui Luo Heng and Wang Shen with puppy eyes.
"qvq Awoooo, Lao Wang, Ah Heng, you two just walk hand in hand like this, leaving me all alone!"
"Pffft."
Wang Shen couldn't help bursting into laughter at the melancholic look on Qiu Wen's face. He waved his hand and said, "Just eat your meal properly. I'll bring the gold medal to your room later, let you hold it for the whole afternoon, rest well with the gold medal, and strive for a good performance tonight!"
_(:3)∠)_
Huh?
Hold the gold medal for the whole afternoon?
Upon hearing Wang Shen's suggestion, Qiu Wen's previously melancholic gaze became less despondent. He immediately considered the idea—it did seem like a pretty good feeling to hold the gold medal for an entire afternoon!
Moreover, holding the gold medal and absorbing its good fortune might even lead to an exceptional performance for him in the evening!
As a simple-minded and unusually imaginative goofball, Qiu Wen's attention was immediately diverted by Wang Shen's suggestion, and he forgot about his previous slight melancholy.
Su Bai had initially planned to find a way to comfort Qiu Wen in the afternoon, but now seeing Wang Shen easily resolve Qiu Wen's worries, he also smiled.
Well, at least this simple-minded Qiu Wen could focus more on his training and competitions.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 284 Qiu Wen's Pre-match Preparations & Public Opinion, etc.
As a well-known 'empty-headed' individual, Qiu Wen was indeed easily appeased.
After dozing off for a while with Wang Shen's gold medal, by the time they departed for the Tokyo Olympic Stadium in the evening, Qiu Wen already appeared in high spirits. There was no hint of the 'melancholic' expression he had at noon.
After everyone had settled into their seats in the audience, Pei Jin'an finally smiled and remarked, "Qiu Wen's personality, really..." When talking about Qiu Wen's character, Pei Jin'an shook his head with an amused expression.
Su Bai's face also wore a smile as he said, "His simple personality is one of the reasons he can devote all his energy to training and competition. There are advantages to being 'silly.' Qiu Wen isn't really foolish; he just grew up in a relatively simple environment, so he's more accustomed to straightforward emotions and speech."
Pei Jin'an and the others smiled on the side. Indeed, Qiu Wen's upbringing had shaped his character traits, just as Su Bai described.
As a child raised by his grandfather, Qiu Wen often went to the S Province Athletics Team with him when he was very young. The atmosphere in the athletics team was simple, so even when the old man was busy, he didn't have to worry about Qiu Wen being lured away by anyone.
At that time, he was the only five or six-year-old kid in the athletics team. Even the other athletes who came for various summer camps and trials were at least twelve or thirteen years old. Everyone liked to tease him, and even when he couldn't walk steadily at such a young age, he would "train" with various coaches from the S Province Athletics Team.
At such a young age, it was impossible to tell if he had any talent, but everyone could see that he ran on the track with immense joy, as if running was an instinct for him.
This happiness left a deep impression on the coaches in the S Province Athletics Team. Later, as he grew older, when he was twelve or thirteen and started actual training, the coaches in the athletics team did feel that Qiu Wen had quite a talent for sprinting, so he was naturally selected for the S Province Athletics Team.
From childhood to adulthood, Qiu Wen's career as a professional athlete has been relatively smooth, but this smoothness has not diminished his desire for victory.
Perhaps because he grew up playing in the athletics team since childhood, the instinctive desire to "pursue speed and chase victory" was imprinted in Qiu Wen's mind during his early years.
This innate desire for speed, cultivated from his childhood, and the ability to focus wholeheartedly on training have benefited Qiu Wen to this day.
In the backstage of the stadium, Qiu Wen was resting in the athletes' preparation room, preparing to warm up and then compete later.
Compared to his melancholy at noon, his face was now filled with the word 'anticipation' as he watched the live TV broadcast in the rest area. He had also video-called his grandfather after waking up in the afternoon. Oh, the old man had a serious expression and repeatedly instructed him not to mess up during the evening's competition.
Towards the end of their conversation, Qiu Wen happily told his grandfather, 【=w= Grandpa, I never thought I could make it to the finals of the Olympics!】
On the other side of the video call, Qiu's grandfather paused when he saw his grandson's elated smile and then started laughing. 【Yes, I never thought either, but I bet you must have had many dreams about it, right?】
Upon hearing his grandfather dispel the illusions of his past dreams, Qiu Wen coughed twice and then grinned.
Although Qiu Wen had always been somewhat self-absorbed from childhood, often thinking, "I'm so awesome," his grandfather not only affirmed his talent but also showed him the achievements of even more amazing individuals, telling him that there are always more talented people out there.
For instance, the idol Qiu Wen once looked up to, Fang Yu, and the world's top athletes.
Since childhood, under his grandfather's guidance, Qiu Wen did not feel disheartened because there were countless geniuses in the world. His belief was to work hard and strive to surpass those even more amazing geniuses than his "awesome self"!
However, even if he truly wanted to surpass those "amazing geniuses," the path had to be taken step by step. Before being led by Su Bai to switch events, Qiu Wen's goal was to win the 100-meter or 200-meter championship at a national track and field tournament.
Who would have thought that he, whose initial goal was just to win the "National Track and Field Grand Prix Substation Championship," would be standing on the track of the men's 400-meter sprint final at the Olympics just three years later?
However, even though his competitors now include top names like Fernandez, Fraser, and Barnes, unlike the domestic sprinters he competed against in the past, Qiu Wen's determination and mindset remain unchanged - he believes that with hard work, he can surpass these brilliant talents.
Sitting in the locker room, after watching the live broadcast of the competition for a while, Qiu Wen took a few sips of energy drink, waiting for the staff to inform him that it was time to warm up. With the encouragement of the Chinese team's staff, he strode confidently towards the warm-up area.
Surrounding the warm-up area were several journalists from various countries who had applied for special access for on-field interviews and photography. At this moment, a reporter from a sports channel spotted Qiu Wen and waved at him, inviting him for a brief interview.
After these two to three years of training, Qiu Wen had become adept at handling such interviews. He had devised a routine, knowing that the questions usually revolved around his goals before the race, his reflections on the race afterward, self-critique of any issues during the race, and concluding with a determination to achieve better results next time.
Since coming up with this approach, Qiu Wen's interview responses had become quite "professional."
【My goal for the competition is to achieve the best possible result.】
【I didn't control the pace well during the race; I will work hard to improve next time.】
【I will strive for better performance and results in the next competition.】
_(:3)∠)_
See, it's that simple!
Moreover, these answers could be adapted to fit various question templates easily. Qiu Wen's perfunctory attitude was so blatant that even the track and field enthusiasts could recite his responses by heart whenever they saw his interviews. Every time the sports journalists interviewing Qiu Wen received his standard responses, they were often left crying and laughing at the same time.
Nevertheless, no matter how exasperated they felt, these sports journalists wouldn't deliberately attempt to trap Qiu Wen with leading questions. It was better to have him give generic answers than risking him inadvertently making some controversial remarks - after all, being the second best in the country in the 400 meters after Zhang Ziyi... Oops, it's above Zhang Ziyi now.
Cough, well, for such an amazing athlete, wouldn't it be embarrassing for the track and field team and Qiu Wen if he made some strange comments?
Today's interview went just as Qiu Wen expected, filled with an air of "freeform." After confidently finishing his answers, the journalists smiled and let him go to warm up. As he turned to prepare on the warm-up track, the journalists cheerfully called out "Go, Xiao Qiu" behind him. Qiu Wen, upon hearing this, also turned with a smile and waved back at the journalists.
This pre-race interview was quickly edited by the journalists and transmitted directly to the sports channel. During the interval of the evening's events, Shao Minyi and Li Sen watched the segment of Qiu Wen's "straightforward" interview with the television audience.
Reporter: "Qiu Wen, do you have confidence for the upcoming race? We all know that tonight's final won't be easy. Have you prepared yourself for this tough battle?"
Qiu Wen: "No problem, I will strive to achieve the best result I can!"
Reporter: "Well then... good luck in the upcoming race!"
As the veteran track and field enthusiasts watching the live broadcast saw this interview segment, they burst into laughter. The barrage of the sports channel's online live chat was filled with "hahaha." Some of the viewers who were unfamiliar with this running joke quickly joined in after being educated by the more experienced audience.
Shortly after the release of this interview clip, someone humorously posted all of Qiu Wen's interview screenshots from the past two years. These screenshots were all pre-race interviews, and while the questions were phrased differently, Qiu Wen's responses were consistently identical.
Instantly, even before Qiu Wen's race began, discussions about his interview responses suddenly started trending.
Members of the Public Opinion Monitoring Group of the Athletics Management Center and the National Track and Field Team were puzzled when they saw an unexpected surge in Qiu Wen's online presence. They wondered why Qiu Wen's search volume had increased so abruptly when the competition hadn't even started yet.
Once they understood how Qiu Wen had made it to the trending topics, they couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. Seriously, despite the efforts of many entertainment stars with a plethora of water armies and a large fan base, getting on the trending list wasn't always so easy for them.
Yet this playful kid Qiu Wen seemed to have a face destined for trending topics. Whenever he did anything, he effortlessly managed to squeeze into the trending topics, even if it was just hanging at the tail end. However, his appearances at the top of the trending list weren't that infrequent either!
Thinking about this, the members of the monitoring group suddenly thought of a question.
"Oh, did Qiu Wen not make any donations today?"
The crucial point was, even if he did donate, did he not share it?
After thinking about this, the group members quickly went to check the charity platform where Qiu Wen had previously made donations. As they checked, they all started laughing again - well, they didn't know whether Qiu Wen had made any recent donations, but at that moment, there was a large group of people donating to Qiu Wen, and it seemed like the charity topic they were contributing to was about to trend.
Seeing this, the group members glanced at each other and prepared themselves seriously.
Qiu Wen's hype is already soaring even before his race has begun. If he doesn't perform well in the final, no matter what happens, the final race will surely generate even greater public attention. They had to be prepared to 'confront' it!
As the series of events, including the men's decathlon javelin throw and the women's pole vault, concluded, the evening session finally reached its climax - the men's 400-meter sprint final, which was the highlight of the night, was about to start!
When the announcement was made that the men's 400-meter sprint final was about to begin, the cheers of the audience were like boiling water exploding, completely erupting and boiling over.
The reason was simple. Just like the men's 110-meter hurdles final earlier in the day, about one-tenth of the audience tonight was from China.
Vibrant flag colors fluttered throughout the stadium. The audience wore headbands, waved flags in their hands, and even had flag stickers on their faces - among them was Huang Yilun, an ardent fan of the 400-meter sprint from China.
For Huang Yilun, being able to witness such a grand event in person and watch an Olympic men's 400-meter sprint final with a Chinese participant was like a dream come true.
Before today, although he had dreamed countless times, he had also told himself countless times in his heart - this was difficult, and he probably wouldn't achieve it in his lifetime.
For this Tokyo Olympics, in fact, Huang Yilun had initially only bought tickets for the preliminary and semifinal stages. He thought Zhang Ziyi and Qiu Wen would probably end their runs in the semifinals. However, the last bit of longing in his heart prompted him to buy a top-tier ticket for the men's 400-meter sprint final at the very last moment.
When he bought the ticket, he had some regret in his heart. But when he saw Qiu Wen's group secure a spot in the final right before his eyes, he jumped up three feet high in place, and then he started thanking himself for that last bit of perseverance in his heart, thanking the heavens and the earth.
Now, standing in the spectator seats of the final, Huang Yilun felt his heart pounding as if it was about to explode - it was about to start any moment now!!!
As the announcement of the imminent start of the race echoed through the arena, the eight participants of the men's 400-meter sprint final were guided onto the track by the staff.
"Here they come!"
In the sports channel's live broadcast room, Shao Minyi and Li Sen were also revitalized upon seeing the athletes take the stage - the men's 400-meter sprint race was about to begin!
The eight athletes who had advanced to the men's 400-meter sprint of this session were Fernandez and Barnes from the United States, Marshall and Tekawu from Trinidad and Tobago, Morris from Grenada, Le Clos from South Africa, McNair from Bahrain, and the most anticipated by all the Chinese spectators - Qiu Wen.
If in the finals of the men's 100-meter and 200-meter sprints, one could still catch a glimpse of one or two white athletes alongside the black athletes, the finals of the men's 400-meter sprint were predominantly dominated by black athletes.
And on this Olympic final stage today, when the Chinese athlete appeared, he was greeted by cheers from all the Chinese spectators.
"This is the first time, the first time a Chinese athlete has stepped onto the Olympic men's 400-meter sprint final stage. In this year's Tokyo Olympics, the athletes of the Chinese track and field team have created an unprecedented miracle - the presence of Chinese athletes in the finals of the men's 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters sprints!" Shao Minyi, excitedly watching the footage of the arena, exclaimed, "This is not only a miracle for China, but even in the eyes of other countries worldwide, it's an exciting miracle. I believe that in this Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese track and field team has undoubtedly staged a battle that has shocked the world, and the world's track and field community must be marveling at the miraculous performance of the Chinese sprinting events."
As they spoke, Shao Minyi and Li Sen's tone was filled with pride and satisfaction. As they had said, in this Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese team had truly become the creator of one miracle after another. With such a performance from the Chinese team, how could they not feel proud?
After proudly conveying to the audience how miraculous and rare this men's 400-meter sprint final was, Shao Minyi and Li Sen shifted the focus back to the scene of today's competition.
On the track, the eight athletes had taken their respective starting positions and were preparing themselves for the race.
It should be said that Qiu Wen was lucky with his lane assignment today. Having advanced as the top of his group in the semifinals, he had the privilege of a random lane assignment from lanes 3 to 7, and luckily drew the golden lane 5.
Behind Qiu Wen, on lane 3, there stood a player with a wry smile on his face - McNair from Bahrain.
For McNair, he genuinely believed that even if he were on lane 9, it would be much better than his current position on lane 3.
As an athlete who had faced Qiu Wen in countless confrontations, McNair now genuinely had a kind of distress mentality towards Qiu Wen. Every time he competed with Qiu Wen, it was hard not to be thrown off rhythm by this crazy guy.
In reality, McNair had already incorporated rhythm control training into his daily regimen, and he didn't have this issue when facing other athletes. The only problem was Qiu Wen.
This dreadful "rhythm disruption demon" seemed to be his nemesis. No matter how much he tried to control his rhythm, no matter how much he tried to ignore Qiu Wen, he always found himself inexplicably influenced by this guy during the race.
Now, as McNair stood at the starting position on lane 3, the only thing he was grateful for in his heart was that his position wasn't on lane 4 - from the starting phase, the position on lane 4 was the one most affected by Qiu Wen.
With a sense of unfortunate resignation tinged with a hint of luck, McNair reluctantly accepted his lane position.
In the sports channel's broadcast room, as the camera shifted, Shao Minyi and Li Sen also noticed the expression on McNair's face, finding it somewhat intriguing how he wore a wry smile.
After all, the athletes on the field were all world-class men's 400-meter sprinters. For these athletes, anything was possible before the race started. Each of them was a strong-willed contender. So why would McNair, of all people, show such a wry smile before the race even began?
After exchanging a glance following McNair's line of sight, both Shao Minyi and Li Sen found it somewhat unbelievable - was McNair looking at Qiu Wen? Was it because of Qiu Wen that he wore this strange and uncomfortable expression?
Both Shao Minyi and Li Sen were not entirely sure, but scenes from the previous races where McNair and Qiu Wen competed together quickly flashed through their minds.
"On the field, among the seven competitors against Qiu Wen, except for the young talent Marshall from Trinidad and Tobago, the rest of the athletes have had numerous experiences competing against our athlete Qiu Wen. Old Li, you should know, right? Not just our domestic players, but some foreign players have also come to know Qiu Wen as the 'Rhythm Disruption Demon,'" Shao Minyi said, bringing up the topic before the race.
"Yes," Li Sen quickly picked up Shao Minyi's point. "On the current field, the one who has probably been most affected by Qiu Wen's 'torment' is McNair from Bahrain."
Li Sen chuckled, "Some viewers may not be aware that among the remaining seven athletes, McNair has competed with Qiu Wen the most. I remember there was data that showed McNair's performance with Qiu Wen was not ideal. For a player with a personal best of over 44 seconds, in competitions against Qiu Wen, his time usually hovers around 45.50 seconds, which is not considered a very good performance."
Bringing the conversation back to other athletes on the field, Shao Minyi and Li Sen began introducing each of the athletes one by one.
The viewers watching the live broadcast, especially those who were regular followers of the sport, couldn't help but smile knowingly at this revelation. They had also seen the dreadful expression on McNair's face in the recent camera shots during the broadcast.
Moreover, what Shao Minyi and Li Sen said was true. For instance, in the previous semi-finals, McNair didn't compete against Qiu Wen but was in the same group as Zhang Ziyi, and he managed to run in 44.56 seconds.
Of course, one could argue that this was just a coincidence. However, with so many coincidences piling up and coupled with McNair's distressed expression, it had a particularly comical effect.
Immediately, someone on the forum of the Athletics Kingdom started a thread with the title:
Topic: 【Anyone want to bet on what McNair's performance will be today? =w=!】
In no time, there was a gathering of participants keen on placing their bets.
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