Chapter Forty: A Sensational Conclusion

The final ten meters—within the span of a single second, the outcome was overturned.

One had to admit, Zhou Xuan’s maneuver had truly astonished everyone present.

A comeback nothing short of perfect left the crowd exhilarated, their excitement no less than what one might feel watching a live sports match.

Especially those who cared about Zhou Xuan—Liu Yixue, Zhou Lin, the PE class representative Li Qing, and others—when they saw Wang Wen and his group’s scheme succeed, leaving Zhou Xuan trailing behind in third place, they all believed Zhou Xuan was surely out of the finals.

Who could have guessed Zhou Xuan was playing the biggest joke of all, concealing a strength that could crush everyone in an instant?

Indeed! With Zhou Xuan’s intelligence, how could he not have hidden his true abilities? If Wang Wen and his cohort could hide their strength, so could Zhou Xuan—but his was an overwhelming force beyond imagination.

In the final ten meters, he unleashed a furious burst, deciding victory and defeat in a single second, sending Wang Wen and his group plummeting from the heights of triumph.

Victory and defeat, reversed in an instant.

As cheers erupted from the sidelines, Zhou Xuan stood at the finish line, watching as the others arrived one after another, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.

At this moment, Zhou Xuan felt utterly elated!

He finally understood what it felt like to overtake his rivals at the sports meet and claim first place.

Exhilarating! Absolutely exhilarating!

It was especially satisfying to leave Wang Wen and his crew far behind, to shatter their victory so decisively. Zhou Xuan felt a weight lifted, all his earlier frustration swept away.

Just then, Li Qing, the PE committee member, ran over and clapped Zhou Xuan on the shoulder, exclaiming, “Zhou Xuan, you nearly scared me to death. I almost thought you were going to be eliminated! Please don’t pull a stunt like that again, or you’ll give me a heart attack one of these days.”

“Haha, Li Qing, do you still doubt my abilities? With Wang Wen and his lot? They’re not even worthy opponents,” Zhou Xuan said, glancing toward Wang Wen and his group. “Hmph, those who dare scheme against me must be ready to be laughed at in return!”

“All right, I know how strong you are, but caution never hurts—don’t underestimate anyone in the finals. Remember, Wang Wen from Class One is only third or fourth among the junior high sprinters. Wei Linxi and Luo Fei are much faster.”

As the PE committee member, Li Qing was well aware of who the top sprinters in the junior high were. Among them, Wang Wen from Class One ranked only third or fourth. Judging by past results, the other two had much better times—it wasn’t even close.

Those two were Wei Linxi from Class Two and Luo Fei from Class Five, both capable of running 100 meters in 12 seconds. To put it in perspective, the national third-tier standard for men’s 100 meters is 12.64 seconds, and when they were only in eighth grade last year, they could already break 12 seconds. Now, a year later, they might even break 11 seconds, approaching the national second-tier standard.

So Li Qing couldn’t help but remind Zhou Xuan not to be complacent in the finals—not to let his guard down.

Hearing Li Qing’s nagging, Zhou Xuan recognized his concern: “Don’t worry, I won’t get careless in the finals. You’ve already told me about Wei Linxi and Luo Fei’s abilities—I know what I’m up against.”

“That’s good to hear!”

While Li Qing and Zhou Xuan joked and chatted, things were much gloomier for Wang Wen and his group.

They’d been so close to winning first place and pocketing two hundred yuan, only to be played by Zhou Xuan.

“Wang Wen, Zhou Xuan was playing us from the very start. He only made his move in the last ten meters,” muttered the student who’d just missed the finals by coming in third.

Though unwilling to accept it, Wang Wen had to admit, “Zhou Xuan’s strength far surpasses ours—we can’t complain about losing.”

The facts were plain to see—Wang Wen wasn’t about to make excuses, though he was frustrated by the loss of what seemed like easy money.

“Damn, it’s just not fair,” grumbled the student who’d finished third, bitter at missing the finals and the cash prize by a single second.

“What can we do? The race is over,” Wang Wen said, a little dejected. Though he’d made it to the finals, he knew that compared to Wei Linxi and Zhou Xuan, he was merely an also-ran.

“To think we tried to outsmart Zhou Xuan, only to be outsmarted ourselves—maybe we should stop making life difficult for him.”

Watching Zhou Xuan surrounded by admirers, basking in the limelight, those who’d plotted to ostracize him now felt a twinge of regret.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xuan was encircled by Zhuo Lian, Zhou Lin, and other classmates, recounting the dramatic turn of events.

“Zhou Xuan, you really gave me a fright just now!” Zhuo Lian said, clutching her chest in mock indignation.

“What’s the matter? After all this time sitting beside me, you still doubt my strength?” Zhou Xuan replied with a laugh.

Zhuo Lian pouted, “Oh, after all this time, all I’ve heard from you is bragging.”

“Isn’t it true that every time, Brother Xuan’s boasts come true in the end, Zhuo Lian?” Zhou Lin chimed in. “Brother Xuan, you’re incredible. I admire you more and more each day.”

“Hmph, Zhou Lin, I feel like you’re getting better at flattery,” Zhuo Lian retorted, countering his teasing.

“What’s wrong with flattering Brother Xuan? Think about it—he’s top of the class academically, and now he’s a star athlete too. In ancient times, he’d be a scholar and a general, winning every honor. If I flatter him now, maybe he’ll remember me when he makes it big,” Zhou Lin replied smugly.

Zhou Xuan laughed. “Zhou Lin, how come I never noticed you were so eloquent before?”

“That’s what happens when you spend too much time with Brother Xuan—proximity to greatness rubs off on you.”

“I’d say it’s more like being stained by ink than surrounded by cinnabar,” Zhuo Lian quipped, thinking of Zhou Xuan’s own talent for words.

While they chatted, the third and fourth heats of the boys’ 100 meters finished in quick succession.

As expected, first place in the third heat went to Wei Linxi of Class Two, and first in the fourth heat to Luo Fei of Class Five. Both had left the runners-up far behind, each clocking in under twelve seconds.

Soon, the loudspeaker announced the finalists for the junior high boys’ 100-meter dash.

“First place, Wei Linxi—11.75 seconds.”

The result left everyone stunned, and all eyes turned toward Wei Linxi.

“Incredible! He broke eleven seconds!”

“His last race was 12.48—he’s improved by seven tenths of a second in a year. That’s a massive leap,” a PE teacher exclaimed.

To think the national second-tier standard for the men’s 100 meters is just 11.74, and here was Wei Linxi, only sixteen years old, already at that level. With systematic training, he might even make it onto the provincial team.

“Oh wow, Zhou Xuan doesn’t stand a chance now.”

“Second place, Luo Fei—12.36 seconds.”

“Third place, Zhou Xuan—12.57 seconds.”

…

Hearing Zhou Xuan’s result, all eyes turned to him: with such a gap, could he possibly win first place?

In everyone’s view, Wei Linxi had taken first place at the school sports meet two years in a row, even placing sixth at the city meet. There was no way Zhou Xuan, a first-time competitor, could challenge him.

“It’s over—the gap is just too big. Brother Xuan can’t beat Wei Linxi, though he might vie for second,” someone commented.

“You’re wrong! Zhou Xuan’s speed in the prelims wasn’t his top speed—if he ran the whole 100 meters as fast as his last ten, he’d break eleven seconds with ease.”

“Yeah right, that kind of explosive speed can’t last the whole race.”

“I believe Zhou Xuan can work a miracle!” a girl declared.