Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 10/18/2023
Chapter 287 Post-match Public Opinion
When Qiu Wen's results came out, the audience who had been excited were momentarily stunned before coming to their senses. Among these spectators, some were purely excited about the result and Qiu Wen winning a medal, some were momentarily reminded of Zhang Ziyi's stop at the semi-finals and felt mixed emotions, and some were veteran viewers like Huang Yilun, who had been following this event for many years.
At the moment when Qiu Wen secured the medal, this group of veteran track and field enthusiasts instinctively cheered in excitement. However, upon seeing Qiu Wen's final result clearly, they suddenly felt a sense of panic.
Is this real?
Is Qiu Wen's result of 44.49 seconds actually real?
Just looking at the number 44.49, some of the veteran track and field enthusiasts felt as if they were in a precarious position, fearing that they were in a dream and that the whole thing would collapse when they woke up.
From 2018 to the present, in just three short years, domestic track and field enthusiasts seemed to have boarded a high-speed racing car, witnessing the rapid advancement of China's 400-meter sprint project at an accelerated pace.
There was a time when the national record of 45.25 seconds loomed over the heads of Chinese track and field enthusiasts. They had been anticipating for over a decade for Zhang Ziyi to break that record.
Since then, China's 400-meter sprint record was no longer an insurmountable mountain. It seemed to have turned into an ordinary small slope, and Zhang Ziyi effortlessly crossed it step by step.
And in this Olympic arena, the two strongest in the 400-meter sprint in China seemed to have completed a ceremonial handover in the Olympic competition, and then the relay baton of the slope was passed from Zhang Ziyi's hands to Qiu Wen's.
Before the Olympics, the national record was set by Zhang Ziyi at the Diamond League sub-station with 44.76 seconds. But in just the semifinals and finals of the Olympics, China's 400-meter sprint record jumped from 44.76 seconds to 44.59, 44.57, and then to today's 44.49 seconds.
Looking back, China's 400-meter sprint record was broken from 45.25 seconds at the Asian Six-Country Athletics Championships, to the current 44.49 seconds.
In less than two years, the 400-meter sprint record in China has undergone earth-shattering changes.
And all of this is thanks to Zhang Ziyi, to Qiu Wen, to...
The live camera seemed to understand the thoughts of countless people at that moment. As all the track and field enthusiasts thought of that name in their hearts, the live camera at the scene coincidentally turned to the Chinese athlete's seat, focusing on one of the young men who was standing and applauding with a smile.
It was Su Bai.
"There is no doubt that the team of the 400-meter sprint project is the undisputed miracle squad within the Chinese track and field team! And the one who has created this miracle in just a few years is this young man standing in the audience seat at this moment!"
"Who could believe that this legendary coach of the Chinese track and field team is only 25 years old this year, and the miracle he has created is enough to honor him for a lifetime!
In the sports channel's live broadcast room, Shao Minyi and Li Sen couldn't help but sigh when they saw Su Bai appear on the screen. But at the same time as they were sighing, they both mentioned Su Bai's age and were equally stunned.
25 years old, what an incredible age?
Only when they truly mentioned this number did they realize that the leader who is now leading the Chinese 400-meter sprint project forward with pride is just a young man of only 25 years old.
In the sports channel's online live chat, the previously jubilant screen paused briefly upon hearing the number 25. Then, the screen was silently flooded with comments like '25?!!!'.
【=口= OMG OMG OMG!!! What the hell, is Coach Su really only 25 years old this year?!】
【Oh my god, I always knew that Su Bai, the coach of the track and field team's 400-meter sprint, was very young, but I subconsciously thought he was at least 30 years old. As a result, he brought out Zhang Ziyi and Qiu Wen, and I even remember that Fang Yu's breakthrough was also because of him, right? And he's only 25 years old?!!!】
【Mom asked me why I was kneeling in front of the computer... Is this Su's amazing life?】
【??? 25 years old, leading the entire legendary team of the Chinese 400-meter sprint...】
【Not just the 400-meter sprint, look back at the 110-meter hurdles, the 100-meter sprint, and men's high jump?】
【Yeah, Zhang Ziyi, Qiu Wen, Cui Luoheng, Wang Shen, Li Junhao, Chen Yadan, Fang Yu... Damn it, I think I'm stupid, it's not that I don't understand, this world is just too crazy, isn't it???】
【...Talking about Coach Su, I just calculated it. So far in this Tokyo Olympics, the athletics events have won gold medals in the men's high jump, 110-meter hurdles, and women's hammer throw. Friends, take a look, among these, who are the coaches responsible for the gold medalists in men's high jump and 110-meter hurdles?】
【Okay, that's enough, I've already knelt down for Coach Su. Can someone come and see if my kneeling is up to the standard?】
In the sports channel's online live chat, the barrage exploded due to the issue of Su Bai's age. Most of the people watching the sports channel's Olympic live broadcast were not actually watching in the online live chat but were directly watching the competition on TV. For most new fans who have been obsessed with the athletics events since the Tokyo Olympics cycle or some casual viewers, although Su Bai had previously become a hot topic due to the "noodle guy," during the Olympics, more people only knew that the head coach of the track and field team's 400-meter sprint project was young, but they were not clear about the extent of his youth.
After Shao Minyi and Li Sen revealed Su Bai's age during the prime time that attracted a large audience flow due to Qiu Wen's medal win and the breaking of the national record, the viewers who were previously unaware of Su Bai's age were completely dumbfounded.
For a while, along with the trending topics of #Qiu Wen wins bronze in the 400m sprint# and #Qiu Wen breaks national record again#, what soared to the top of the trending searches was the topic of #Su Bai is 25 years old this year#, which seemed somewhat inexplicable to unknowing passersby.
On Weibo, this topic almost instantly shot up to the top of the trending list, accompanied by similar discussions such as #Su Bai is only 25 years old?# and #Others at 25 years old#.
From the moment Shao Minyi and Li Sen mentioned Su Bai's age, there were probably a large group of people on Weibo all posting "What the hell" at the same time.
【#Su Bai is 25 years old this year# I'm shocked, are young people this amazing nowadays? Su Master's age completely disbelieves me!】
【#Su Bai is 25 years old this year# ...Just went back and sorted through Master Su's resume. I saw in a report that Master Su did indeed submit a retirement application when he was almost 23, because he judged that it would be difficult for him to make a breakthrough in his athletic career. After retiring, he worked as a chef in the S province athletics team for a while, and then he started coaching little Qiu... Calculated it again, Little Qiu started the 400m sprint at the National Athletics Grand Prix in 2018, and then he followed Su Bai into the national team based on his performance.
I'm kneeling down, recalculating, and indeed Master Su has been coaching the national athletics team's 400m sprint for just under 2 years. In just these two years, the achievements of the athletics team's 400m sprint project...
Well, I've fainted in place. Goodbye, everyone. I plan to see if I can get some of Master Su's awesomeness in my dreams while I'm out.】
Whether it was an athletics enthusiast or not, the level of participation and enthusiasm in the discussion of this topic was very high.
Most athletics enthusiasts harbored the purest gratitude, as well as a hopeful anticipation for the future of the athletics project. Just think, Su Bai is only 25 years old this year, and he has already built the Chinese athletics team's 400m sprint project to such a level. How much more could he achieve in a few more years?
The next Olympics, and the one after that?
While Zhang Ziyi and Qiu Wen were indeed excellent, athletics enthusiasts always felt that they shouldn't be trained by Qiu Wen right from the early stages of their careers, which was somewhat regrettable in their eyes.
If, if Su Bai were given some time, to select talented athletes from those young seedlings in their early teens and then cultivate them all the way into adulthood, what kind of results would there be?
In such a development model, would China's 400m sprint project produce a genius that would shine on the world stage, leaving even black athletes far behind? Athletics enthusiasts made countless assumptions about such hopes and expectations. They were grateful that Su Bai made the decisive decision to retire, and they were grateful that Su Bai met senior leaders who were willing to believe in him, giving him the opportunity to show his skills even at a young age. Because of this, he brought about the earth-shattering changes in China's athletics projects as seen today.
They were also grateful that Su Bai was still so young, and his youth was equivalent to the youth of Chinese athletics, equivalent to the limitless hope for the future of Chinese athletics.
Just the thought of this made athletics enthusiasts want to immediately pull out fireworks to celebrate.
The excitement of athletics enthusiasts was due to this, while the new fans of athletics projects and casual fans were simply shocked that Su Bai, as the head coach of the national athletics team's 400m sprint project, could be so young. The casual fans who were not very familiar with athletics during the Olympics were quite confused.
What's going on?
Who is this Su Bai?
The name seems a little familiar... but why did the topic of him being 25 years old this year trend on hot search?
Some casual users even thought he was a newcomer in the entertainment industry. After all, nowadays in the entertainment industry, people change all the time, and there are so many names that ordinary people have never even heard of. These people are also particularly willing to buy hot search spots, so some inexplicable names and hot search topics often appear on Weibo.
Some righteous casual users were already annoyed by the celebrity-related topics on the internet, and when they saw this inexplicable topic, they immediately planned to go on a rampage.
But when they clicked on the hot search and saw the topic description, they were dumbfounded.
The topic description on the hot search read: 【Su Bai, the head coach of China's national athletics team's 400m sprint project, has made outstanding contributions to China's athletics projects since taking up the position. He has provided significant assistance to athletes such as Zhang Ziyi, Qiu Wen, Li Junhao, Cui Luoheng, Chen Yadan, Fang Yu, Wang Shen, etc., in breaking through their records. In the live broadcast of the men's 400m sprint final at the Tokyo Olympics on August 5, 2020, the mention by sports commentator Shao Minyi that Su Bai is only 25 years old this year has sparked shock and discussion among netizens.】
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......
_(:3)∠)_
After reading the lead, the "righteous bystanders" who had angrily clicked on the topic put away their 40-meter-long swords in secret and then stared at the description a few more times.
Although they didn't care about athletics, it was still the Olympic cycle, and names like Zhang Ziyi and Qiu Wen were still occasionally seen and left an impression.
These were all awesome athletes bringing glory to the country!
So the coach who brought out these awesome athletes... of course, it was worth trending! And this coach... oh my god, he's only 25 years old?!
Shouldn't such a shocking topic be given a top spot on the trending list?
Of course, it should!
Therefore, these "righteous bystanders" who had originally clicked on the topic with anger found themselves getting involved in the topic with a sense of shock.
【=口= Such a great coach is only 25 years old? I'm in awe!】
【Zhang Ziyi, Qiu Wen... Even someone like me who doesn't care about sports has heard of these two athletes' names. And their coach is only 25 years old?】
【Ah, wasn't there just a nationwide celebration for Cui Luoheng yesterday? I watched the game with my parents, and they were so ecstatic. He's also a player brought out by Su Bai? Wait, isn't Su Bai the head coach of the 400m sprint project? Cui Luoheng is the gold medalist in the 110m hurdles? ?????】
These bystanders who had never cared about sports in the past suddenly felt like they had opened up a whole new world after clicking on this topic about Su Bai's age.
However, this world never lacks for trolls. Even in topics related to athletes and coaches who have made significant contributions to the country, the trolls are always late to the party.
Some people, after "carefully studying" the lead about Su Bai, began to mock:
【(Screenshots), this topic lead is shameless. Su Bai is amazing and young, I admit, but even amazing things need to make sense, right? They specially took a screenshot from the official website of the Athletics National Team, and it shows that Wang Shen's coach is Li Mingzhuo. You can't erase Li's contributions and heap them all onto Su Bai, right?】
【Moreover, praise should also be reasonable. It's right that Qiu Wen was brought out by Su Bai, but can Zhang Ziyi also be counted as Su Bai's achievement? Su Bai has only been in the national team for two years, but Zhang Ziyi was already the top athlete in the domestic 400m sprint project two years ago. Should this credit also be given to Su Bai? It's fine to praise, but not to mindlessly praise, right?】
【Exactly, take Cui Luoheng, for example. He was training for the 110m hurdles in the S provincial athletics team, and his coach at that time was Coach Zhou Wen. Cui Luoheng was a well-known young athlete in China during his youth, and it was said that his future was promising. How come now when we mention Cui Luoheng, it's all about Su Bai, as if Coach Zhou Wen didn't have any contribution? Cui Luoheng's current achievements must have been built on a solid foundation!】
【That's right, not to mention Fang Yu, who was the first East Asian to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters. What did Su Bai do to help him?】
These trolls, claiming to be rational and not just trying to stir up trouble, were simply trying to "reveal the real Su Bai, without excessive praise."
This unique style of sarcasm appeared particularly confusing in a discussion full of excitement, anticipation, and nonsense.
Fortunately, the athletics fans who were wandering around in this topic had already had enough mental preparation and experience with these trolls as the discussion about athletics-related topics heated up.
Because of the "super data brain" joke about Su Bai in the past, many athletics fans have developed a habit of recording various data and information.
They categorized this data and information and stored it separately so that they could readily use it when needed.
In these related materials, there were various news interview screenshots of the athletes mentioned by the trolls. They specifically thanked Su Bai for his guidance when discussing their training and achievements. Even the original coaches of these athletes also acknowledged Su Bai's crucial role in their performance improvements.
Some people even brought up an example of a player's before and after performance. When talking about Zhang Ziyi, one athletics fan directly posted a list of Zhang Ziyi's recent performance data that had been organized by someone. This data table clearly showed a rapid improvement in performance, and the key point of this rapid improvement was the time when Su Bai took over the Athletics National Team's 400m sprint project.
After presenting this data, the provocateurs still wanted to continue their arguments, but their points had already been refuted. Continuing to argue would only make them appear unreasonably contentious.
At this moment, the track and field enthusiasts didn't need to step in; even ordinary onlookers could have pressed down and rubbed these provocateurs into the ground thousands of times.
On the internet, the discussions about Su Bai's age were in full swing, while the atmosphere at the Tokyo Olympics was still fervent. In the entire audience area, Chinese spectators spontaneously started chanting Qiu Wen's name and enthusiastically singing the national anthem. A small chorus even started.
Truly, after watching a race like the one just now, the passion in the hearts of these track and field enthusiasts at the scene seemed to have nowhere to vent. It seemed that only by shouting, screaming, and singing loudly could they express the joy and excitement in their hearts.
In the Chinese athletes' section of the audience, after the initial confusion, both Jiang Wentao and Pei Jin'an finally regained their senses. Even after regaining their composure, all they could do was applaud vigorously. The intense emotional turmoil in their hearts left them unsure of how to express themselves in words.
After applauding for a while, Jiang Wentao remembered something and immediately took out his phone to call Wang Zhengsheng, the director of the domestic athletics management center.
As the call connected, Jiang Wentao could hear excited cheers and shouts from the staff around Wang Zhengsheng on the other end of the phone.
Separated by the phone, both of them were too overwhelmed with emotion to know what to say. After a while, Jiang Wentao switched his phone to video mode.
"Old Wang, let me show you our scene!"
Jiang Wentao said, turning the camera of his phone towards the direction where the track and field enthusiasts were singing the national anthem and waving the national flag.
This is a corner that would not be presented in the current live broadcast scene. In China, Wang Zhengsheng and the staff of the Athletics Management Center were watching Jiang Wentao's somewhat unclear and even noisy "live broadcast" from the Tokyo scene through a small phone screen. As they watched, many of them began to shed tears.
It was wonderful, being able to witness such a sight was truly wonderful!
As many people had said, China's track and field project was now like the rising morning sun, exuding vitality and radiance, gradually emanating its hope, and heading towards a brighter future.
The past hardships, the past difficulties, they did exist, and they should not be forgotten. But Chinese track and field was now on a bright path.
Cry, get excited, scream.
These were the best outlets for the supporters of Chinese track and field at this moment.
In the city of S, in China, in the home of Qiu Wen:
Grandpa Qiu, along with his son, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and granddaughter, were all watching the live broadcast of the 400-meter final tonight.
Before the race started, they were all very nervous. If Qiu Wen didn't perform well and ended up in last place, even if he squeezed into the final, it would still not look good.
It was Grandpa Qiu who admonished them, rebuking their thoughts for smearing Qiu Wen's previous efforts. Before the others could reflect on it, Qiu Wen's race had already begun, and their attention was immediately focused on the competition.
After the race began, all their attention was focused on the competition, and there was no room for thoughts about how it might not look good if he didn't perform well.
For Qiu Wen to enter such a stage was already an incredible honor!
When they saw Qiu Wen finally cross the finish line and then secure the bronze medal, they were as excited and proud as all the other track and field fans.
Of course...
_(:3)∠)_
When they saw this poor kid collapse on the ground, panting heavily, and still smiling foolishly, they all couldn't help but laugh—okay, Qiu Wen was still Qiu Wen, still the silly child of their family.
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Chapter 288 Award Ceremony & Cui Luoheng's Late-night Visit (?)
While everyone was excited and happy about Qiu Wen's performance, Qiu Wen himself was also quite happy. However, he was completely exhausted from the recent race, and at the moment, he was completely collapsed on the track, grinning foolishly while gasping for breath.
At the finish line, Morris and Barnes, who were running at the front, didn't pay much attention to what was happening behind during the race. When they finally saw the results displayed by the judging panel, they were both somewhat stunned.
In fact, including Barnes and Morris, they had originally thought that their biggest opponents in this race would be Le Clos and Fernandez, as these two guys who controlled the flow were indeed extraordinary in controlling their own states.
As members of the US track and field team, Barnes was well aware that he had an advantage in the explosive stage, but he might fall behind in the later stages. So, before crossing the finish line, Barnes's mind was still tightly wound, thinking that his teammate Fernandez might surpass him in the final stage.
Barnes found that not only did Fernandez not overtake him until the end, but he didn't even win a medal!
When Barnes saw Fernandez's time was only 44.50 seconds, he couldn't believe his eyes—this was not the level Barnes was supposed to have!
Moreover, the bronze medalist turned out to be that Chinese athlete, which also surprised Barnes for a long time.
What exactly was going on?
The gold medalist, Morris from Grenada, was naturally the most excited one, but while he was excited, he was also somewhat surprised that he was the only one in the Olympic final to run within 44 seconds.
Initially, Morris didn't associate the cause of this result with the Chinese athlete on the field. He simply thought that the other competitors in the race had performed poorly.
Apart from Morris, when Barnes and the other athletes on the field heard Fernandez and other athletes discussing, they all looked at Qiu Wen, who had collapsed on the ground and was grinning foolishly, with an expression of "what the heck."
Especially Trinidad and Tobago's Marshall and Tekawu.
Marshall finished last in this race, and his teammate Tekawu finished in a mere seventh place. The irony of their results compared to their confidence before the race was stark.
In the Olympic final, Marshall found that he had run a time of 45.47, which was almost close to 45.50, which he found absurd. As for his teammate Tekawu, he had a good start, so even though he was affected by Qiu Wen in the latter part, his time was 45.19.
Well, this result was not great, but it was much better than his 45.47.
Seeing Qiu Wen collapsed on the track, Marshall's expression was extremely unpleasant. He turned to his teammate and asked with a mixture of bewilderment and accusation, "Tekawu, didn't you say that the Chinese athlete Qiu didn't have as much influence as the legends say?"
Tekawu wiped his exhausted face with his hand and shook his head, saying, "I don't know either. You saw my semi-final, I really didn't feel his influence at that time..."
Marshall had indeed watched Tekawu's semi-final. They had analyzed it together afterward. However, because Tekawu was in the field and was not particularly affected at that time, he did not expect that he and Marshall would both be influenced by Qiu Wen in the final.
Even though the competition had ended, Tekawu could still recall the feeling of involuntarily focusing on Qiu Wen's rhythm during the race.
Athletes can instinctively and experientially perceive the rhythm of other athletes in the race, which is usually a normal occurrence. It is not uncommon for some athletes on the field to be influenced by the rhythm of another athlete, either keeping up with their pace or being led by it.
However, this situation doesn't happen frequently, especially among top athletes who have strong focus and self-control during the competition. It's not easy to have their rhythm led by someone else.
But this situation did occur repeatedly.
Both Tekawu and Marshall now remembered that this Chinese athlete seemed to have an aura that infected others, affecting their emotions and many characteristics.
Just like now...
This Chinese athlete lying on the track, smiling happily, even Tekawu and Marshall, the two athletes who were deeply affected by him, couldn't help but feel the pleasant feeling in their hearts when they saw his smile.
It was really... bizarre.
Qiu Wen was unaware that his opponents now felt as if he was the "devil of the 400-meter track." Despite his exhaustion, he continued to grin, waving happily at his opponents after seeing them. Even when the staff came to help him up from the track, he looked at his opponents with shining eyes and expressed admiration, "You guys are amazing!"
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=_=
Facing Qiu Wen's words, Fernandez thought about his own result, which Qiu Wen surpassed by 0.01 seconds. He glanced at the seemingly sincere Chinese athlete and clenched and then relaxed his fist. The way this guy spoke was really too sincere, but the words he said were not particularly pleasant.
Regardless of pleasure or displeasure, the race had ended. All the male 400-meter sprinters on this Olympic stage, or rather all those who paid attention to the Tokyo Olympics, remembered a name called "Qiu Wen." Especially those who had competed with him on the same field, they harbored vigilance towards him and were determined not to encounter this disruptive athlete from China in the next competition.
After the race, reporters from various countries interviewing the male 400-meter sprinters found that many of them mentioned the name "Qiu." As these reporters spread the news, titles such as "Rhythm Disruptor" and "Disruptor on the Curve" were reported for the first time alongside Qiu Wen's name by media outlets around the world.
After the conclusion of the men's 400-meter sprint final, the competition venue was rearranged. All the medals for the events of August 5 would be presented during the upcoming award ceremony.
As the on-site staff began to set up the award podium and other arrangements, the excitement among the spectators, both in the stands and those awaiting the live broadcast back in China, reignited.
The award ceremony tonight would naturally include the ceremonies for the men's 110-meter hurdles and the men's 400-meter sprint! Just the thought of this reignited the emotions of many in the audience.
Finally, after the podium was set up, the awards for the entire day's athletics events began to be presented one by one. When the top three winners of the 110-meter hurdles stepped onto the field to receive their awards, the stands erupted with sustained applause.
For the viewers at home, when they saw Cui Luoheng appear, many couldn't help but feel their hearts pounding. And when Cui Luoheng was invited to step onto the highest podium, the Chinese audience in the venue erupted with ecstatic cheers and shouts.
In the Chinese athletes' seating area, Su Bai and others stood in their respective positions. They had already witnessed the flag ceremonies several times during the previous award presentations. However, this time, as the national anthem played, it was finally China's turn.
When the president of the Olympic Committee placed the gold medal around Cui Luoheng's neck and the three winning athletes stood on the podium, the Chinese flag was raised to the highest point, accompanied by the resounding melody of the Chinese national anthem.
Tears welled up in the eyes of the Chinese audience present at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium, and the stadium reverberated with the collective singing of the Chinese national anthem.
In the broadcast room of the sports channel, Shao Minyi and Li Sen remained silent as they watched the scene. Like all the viewers in front of their television sets, they gazed at the rising Chinese flag with reverence and excitement.
At the scene, sports journalists from China, with a similar sense of excitement, recorded the image of Cui Luoheng, dressed in the Chinese team uniform, on the award podium, along with the slowly rising flag and the sea of red composed of the Chinese spectators.
The 400-meter sprint award ceremony, although not accompanied by the Chinese national anthem, was enough to make all the Chinese spectators at the scene proud of Qiu Wen for his achievement.
After all the award ceremonies were completed, Cui Luoheng and Qiu Wen returned to their teammates and, along with the Chinese team's staff, boarded a special car back to the Olympic Village.
As the group returned to the Olympic Village, it was already approaching late at night. Su Bai had just finished taking a shower in his room and was wearing a yukata, planning to blow-dry his hair when he heard a knocking at the door.
He casually grabbed a towel to dry his hair and opened the door with his still damp hair. On the other side, Cui Luoheng had come with a nervous heart to confess to Su Bai once again after winning the Olympic gold medal. With the victory, he finally gathered the courage to attempt a confession once more.
However, upon opening the door, Cui Luoheng was taken aback by the sight of Su Bai's wet hair, which appeared rosy and tender due to the steam from the shower. Not only that, Su Bai was wearing the Japanese-style yukata provided in each room, with the neckline casually gathered and not properly tied.
As a result, Cui Luoheng caught a glimpse of Su Bai's chest through the partially open neckline, and in an instant, Cui Luoheng's face turned beet red. He stood frozen outside the door, completely forgetting the purpose of his visit.
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