After the men’s short program results came out, the internet was full of criticism, but Zhang Jue wasn’t the one being blamed.

After all, he had just crawled out of a serious fracture injury. He managed to complete three difficult jumps in the short program, even though he made mistakes, but he didn’t fall. He did the best he could and ended up in fourth place, which was already impressive. Those who understood the sport couldn’t bear to criticize him.

The ones being criticized were his second-year junior, Cha Hanbuhua, and his third-year junior, Jin Zixuan.

Cha Hanbuhua’s jumps were still unstable. He fell once in the short program and ended up in 17th place. Jin Zixuan, although he managed a 4T in the short program, fell on the second jump of his combination and ended up in 12th place.

What upset the netizens was that both of these athletes were in good health, yet they couldn’t beat the recovering Zhang Jue: “What good are you if you can’t perform better than the brother who just recovered?”

Some overzealous netizens even claimed that they now seriously doubted Zhang’s reputation was exaggerated. They pointed out that currently in men’s singles, only Zhang Jue could hold up, while the others frequently failed. Fortunately, Min Shan’s impressive performance quickly silenced this criticism, or else Zhang’s coaching ability would have been questioned.

However, even so, some people were still worried that Zhang Jue was being too lenient with his other disciples.

It was well-known that Zhang Jue had a difficult start. Due to the lack of senior athletes in men’s singles, he had to rise through the ranks based on his age. When growth spurts and injuries hit at the same time, he had to force his body fat to the minimum level to guarantee a spot in the Sochi Winter Olympics. He competed while injured, which caused his health to decline by the time he was 18.

Because of this, Zhang Jue was more lenient with the training of his juniors. With an exceptional senior brother leading the way, the younger athletes didn’t need to drastically reduce their body fat or take on the intense physical toll of difficult routines before they were fully grown.

But isn’t competitive sports all about pushing limits? If this kind treatment led to them losing their drive, it could prevent them from reaching Zhang Jue’s level by the time they retired.

Originally, athletes were often questioned for not pushing themselves hard enough unless they suffered injuries. Coaches were expected to be stricter with the kids!

Zhang Jue, who used to go online, fell into a strange silence after reading the online comments.

Actually… the coaching team was really strict with the kids. Cha Hanbuhua hadn’t suffered injuries because he was incredibly resilient. Jin Zixuan hadn’t been without injuries either—he just hadn’t had flare-ups this season. Min Shan and Jiang Yihong seemed fine because they were still young.

And, to put it bluntly, no matter how hard they trained, even if they pushed themselves to the brink, it would be hard for them to reach Zhang Jue’s level.

Zhang Jue’s talent surpassed theirs, and in men’s figure skating, there were very few who could match his natural ability. Retired athletes like Vasily and Chiba Takashi came close, and though Hayato Teraoka and Iliya were also good, their physical and performance talents weren’t quite at Zhang Jue’s level.

But if Zhang Jue used this kind of blunt reasoning to rebut his critics, it was likely that the next people to criticize him wouldn’t be the trolls, but the authorities.

Everyone knew his talent was exceptional, but if Zhang Jue started belittling others by saying that no one could match him, it would be another story.

He decided to go see his uncle. Zhang Jue thought to himself as he slowly left his room. However, in the hallway corner, he saw Cha Hanbuhua standing in front of his uncle’s door, seemingly debating whether to knock.

He stood in the shadow, quietly watching his junior.

At that moment, Min Shan’s voice sounded behind him.

“Senior brother…”

Before Min Shan could say more, Zhang Jue covered his mouth. Min Shan immediately raised both hands, signaling that he would remain quiet. The two of them then sneaked behind the corner, peeking at Cha Hanbuhua.

Zhang Junbao was also scrolling through online news.

“Brother Jue got fourth in the short program, that’s unheard of!”

“This year’s Hayato Teraoka is in god-level form! His performance was truly spectacular, and his difficulty was insane: 4F, 4T3T, 3A. Such a combination could only be done by peak Zhang Jue. Current Zhang Jue really has a tough time keeping up.”

“He was unfortunate to break his bone mid-season, and he had to recover before continuing training. When he came back to the World Championships, he had to face the strongest competition. Who can handle that? Don’t blame Brother Jue, don’t feel too disappointed. As one of this season’s three major injured athletes, Brother Jue has already outperformed the ‘Prince of Bear’ and ‘Claypot Brother’!”

“No disappointment, no disappointment. Before the competition started, those female fans on the forum kept reminding us that the Crocodile God had broken his bone, so we shouldn’t expect too much. When they got disappointed and started cursing, though, who’s this ‘Claypot Brother’?”

“David Cassoulé, the Belgian male singles skater. His surname, Cassoulé, is actually a famous French dish, so we affectionately call him ‘Claypot Brother’.”

“Damn, those jealous fans of our Brother Jue from that forum are starting to spread more nonsense again. Watch me fire back now. Brothers, charge with me!”

 

…

 

Zhang Junbao chuckled lightly. He thought maybe he was just getting old. The young people online these days were always charging at each other or arguing with brainwashing tactics. Back in his day, things weren’t like this.

When he was young, computers weren’t as useful as they are now. The game Xianjian Qixia Chuan had just been released and became a beacon for domestic single-player games. At that time, Zhang Junbao and Shen Liu used to play Age of Discovery together. Looking back, it all seemed like a long time ago.

Now, young athletes like Zhang Jue, Cha Hanbuhua, and Min Shan, who were born after 2000, seemed to hardly use computers. Their phones were their main “toys.”

Perhaps the only thing they had in common was the spirit of figure skating.

There was a knock on the door. Zhang Junbao went to open it and saw Cha Hanbuhua standing there.

“Coach.”

“You’re still awake, little Cha?”

Zhang Junbao greeted the kid and invited him in to sit down, pouring him a glass of water.

Cha Hanbuhua shyly said: “Sorry, coach, I can’t sleep.”

After another failed attempt at the jump combination, he scrolled through his phone and saw more negative comments from netizens criticizing his performance. Who could sleep after that?

Cha Hanbuhua lowered his head, slowly voicing his request: “Coach, I want to increase the intensity of my training. I want to start practicing the 4T3T combination, and also the 4S.”

Zhang Jue had done these combinations before, and he had done them well. Cha Hanbuhua wanted to give it a try.

After all, he was just a young athlete trying to improve, and like most young athletes, he was full of energy and felt limitless. They were willing to exchange their health for better results.

Zhang Junbao, having gone through this stage himself, understood Cha Hanbuhua’s mindset.

He put his arm around Cha Hanbuhua’s shoulder. “Do you really want to push yourself even harder, disregarding your health, or are you just upset about this competition’s failure and not sure how to vent your frustration?”

Cha Hanbuhua avoided looking at him, but Zhang Junbao didn’t press him to answer. He just held the kid, looking out at the night view through the window.

They were on the 25th floor of the hotel. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, they could see how most of the city transitioned from noisy activity to the calm of the late night.

“Coach, you knew about the tortoise and hare race, right?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“In the tortoise and hare race, the rabbit lay down and slept, while the tortoise kept moving forward, so the tortoise won the race. I’ve always felt like I’m not smart, I don’t have outstanding talent. Without the spirit of the tortoise, I might have lived a mediocre life, not standing on the competition stage to enjoy the glory, and I was never born to be a genius.”

Cha Hanbuhua tightly clenched his fists.

“But when I came to the adult competition and competed with top-tier athletes, I realized there wasn’t a single lazy rabbit here. They were all constantly running, and I struggled so much to keep up. Maybe one day, I will be left behind, unable to even see their backs, and then I’ll be eliminated. I don’t want to be eliminated. I love ice skating.”

“I understand, I understand.”

Zhang Junbao responded: “Everything you’re going through now is what I went through before.”

“But even if the tortoise runs slowly, it still doesn’t want to stop, because as long as it keeps going, as long as its legs aren’t broken, it will reach the finish line.”

Zhang Junbao stood up, walked in front of Cha Hanbuhua, and squatted down. He pressed his disciple’s knee and said in a firm tone: “Cha Hanbuhua, you have very strong legs. You’re the rabbit in the health field, no one else can compare to you. You have talent, you have the foundation. Don’t rush. I swear, I’ll get you to the finish line!”

“Temporary wins and losses mean nothing. You’re doing great now, and the competition in this field hasn’t gotten so cruel that they would eliminate someone as outstanding as you.”

Upon hearing this, Cha Hanbuhua couldn’t help but cry. He covered his eyes: “Coach, I really want to win.”

He leaned on Zhang Junbao while crying. At the door, Zhang Jue and Min Shan, who had been listening to the conversation, exchanged a glance, both thinking that it was probably not good that the junior brother was crying.

But out of trust in the coach, they didn’t barge in. Instead, they went to a farther place and sent a text message to Cha Hanbuhua asking: “Do you want to go out for a late-night snack?”

In case Zhang Junbao had made the little white calf cry, this message would give Hanbuhua an excuse to leave. If Zhang Junbao was particularly angry, it could also shift his anger to Zhang Jue and Min Shan for wanting to eat something so late.

So this was a message filled with the love of fellow disciples.

The reply they received was: “Bring a portion for me and Hanbuhua too.”

Oh no!

The senior siblings exchanged another glance.

The tone of that reply was clearly old man Zhang! Since the usually strict Zhang Junbao had no objection to their late-night snack, it seemed that his mood was not bad.

Min Shan’s eyes rolled: “We can’t take anything that takes too much time, or else they’ll have to wait too long. Also, it can’t be too high in calories, or we’ll be scolded.”

Zhang Jue clapped his left fist into his right palm: “Let’s make a few plates of salad.”

In the figure skating community, who hasn’t been a salad expert? Eating this definitely wouldn’t get them scolded.

Zhang Junbao indeed didn’t scold them, he just complained that they weren’t clever enough to bring up some drinks.

Zhang Jue sat cross-legged on the floor, listening to his uncle nagging: “You too, staying up so late and not sleeping, taking your junior sister out to find food. Are you trying to make sure your body fat increases faster? Min Shan too, didn’t I ask you to listen to ‘Harry Potter’ again? If you don’t listen carefully, how can you be sure your program inspiration is on point? Or are you planning to be suppressed by Bai Ye Zhong Keiko’s performance advantage in the free skate?”

Min Shan, who had been watching the show, obediently responded.

The only one who didn’t get scolded, Cha Hanbuhua, sat by and looked at his fellow disciples, feeling a warmth in his heart.

After sending the junior disciples back to their rooms to rest, Zhang Jue stretched lazily in the hallway.

He smiled and asked his uncle: “Hey, have you seen the comments online? Are you feeling okay?”

Zhang Junbao rolled his eyes: “Not great, but no matter what they say, I will stick to my coaching method.”

Zhang Jue gave him a thumbs up with both hands: “Yes, you’re right. I think your coaching method is the best for us.”

Zhang Junbao paused for a moment, then shook his head and smiled: “I’m not that great. I just graduated from Beijing Sport University, and my performance during my career wasn’t that impressive. I’ve figured out a lot of things while training you, because I didn’t have enough experience before. A few times, when I could have helped you avoid injuries, I didn’t give you the advice.”

Zhang Jue interrupted him: “Uncle.”

“You’re excellent, one of the best figure skating coaches I’ve seen. You’re not inferior to famous coaches like Boris or Salena. On this point, you should trust yourself. I can say, if you hadn’t become a national team coach, by the time of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou cycle, our country wouldn’t have been able to produce female singles who can steadily perform advanced 33 consecutive jumps or even complete 3As, nor would we have had male singles like me who can steadily perform advanced quadruple jumps.”

Zhang Jue spoke the truth. In his memory, Chinese figure skating didn’t have much to show until the Beijing-Zhangjiakou cycle, and single skating was still struggling. It wasn’t until much later that Cha Hanbuhua was able to land a quadruple jump.

As a coach, Zhang Junbao had already reached the level where he could help athletes achieve extraordinary results.

Unfortunately, Zhang Junbao took Zhang Jue’s words as exaggerated praise meant to comfort him. Even though his shoulder was patted several times, Zhang Junbao still didn’t change his view that “as a coach, I’m not top-level, just first-rate at best.”

Sigh, it seemed he would have to keep an eye on his uncle to prevent him from overworking, staying up late to read and research papers, and ruining his health.

The next day, there were ice dance and pair skating short programs, as well as the women’s singles free skate. In any case, there was nothing to do with the men’s singles for now, so Zhang Jue came over to accompany his teammates.

Huang Ying was still recovering from the injuries caused by her throw in the fourth season. At this time, she was leaning against Guan Lin, blowing up a balloon to ease her internal pain. Zhang Junbao and Coach Lu were giving Min Shan pre-competition guidance.

Zhang Junbao: “The lifts of Keiko aren’t as good as yours, so you need to perform more lifts while ensuring no mistakes. Let’s see if we can get a higher GOE.”

Coach Lu: “This time, we’ll go with plan B, moving the 2A and 3Lo to the later part of the routine. This way, you’ll have two more jumps with base values that can be multiplied by 1.1.”

Zhang Junbao: “Before your competition starts, I won’t allow you to watch other athletes’ programs. Focus on yourself.”

Coach Lu: “We’ve found a place for you to warm up alone, just down the hall. We’ll keep an eye on the surroundings, let’s go.”

This kind of treatment from the coaching team had only been given to Zhang Jue before. Now, Min Shan, who was participating in her first senior world championship, also had this attention. She enjoyed the coaches’ meticulous care but felt a little nervous.

During her senior brother’s competitions, the coaches never talked so much, offering so many tips and strategies to increase her chances of success.

Min Shan, of course, didn’t know that the reason the coaches didn’t speak to Zhang Jue in such a manner was because whatever the coaches could think of, Zhang Jue had already considered, and he was even more daring in thinking and fighting for victory than they were.

Zhang Jue’s tactical thinking had long matured, and he didn’t need much guidance from the coaching staff; they just needed to assist him from the side and occasionally give suggestions.

Min Shan’s mother was also standing nearby, fully cooperating with the coaching team’s work. She didn’t speak a word but took on the task of carrying her daughter’s bag and coat.

Since there was nothing for him to do there, Zhang Jue simply went to the audience stands to watch the competition.

This year, the short dance music for Yin Meijing and Liu Mengcheng came from the song “When There Was Me And You,” sung by the female lead of the movie High School Musical.

The sweet female voice echoed through the arena, and the pair, playfully called the sweetest figure skaters, were chasing each other on the ice, expressing their love through body language.

When people saw them, they couldn’t help but exclaim: “This is love.”

Leaning against the back of his chair, Zhang Jue suddenly wondered if he had reached the age where he could skate for love.

 

 

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