At 4:20 in the afternoon, the lively Capital Gymnasium echoed with cheerful laughter, primarily coming from the domestic audience.

Sun Qian, unable to contain his amusement, looked at the big screen and sighed in a gentle tone: “Training is important, but we shouldn’t neglect our academic studies.”

Behind him were the three provincial team coaches from J Province, L Province, and H Province, and their expressions became awkward upon hearing his words.

Coach Lin from L Province wiped his sweat and said: “I’ll pay more attention to Lu Xiaorong’s performance when I get back.”

Coach Song Cheng sighed: “My kids over here are doing well academically. Both Zhang Jue and his junior sister, Xu Chuo, are students at prestigious high schools.”

Coach Ma from J Province remained silent. While Huang Ying was academically challenged, her partner, Guan Lin, had excellent grades. He had been caught helping Huang Ying with her homework just last week.

Fortunately, apart from Zhang Jue himself, the other five athletes on the rink couldn’t figure out why there was laughter in the venue moments ago. This allowed Zhang Jue to stabilize his mindset and continue the six-minute warm-up.

Spotlights on the ice reflected dazzling white light. The six young male skaters glided across the ice, and the six-minute warm-up provided figure skaters with a final chance to familiarize themselves with the competition venue and adjust their conditions.

For instance, Zhang Jue tried multiple times to execute the 3F jump, repeatedly confirming this element.

To be honest, Zhang Jue almost fell through the qualification rounds, with the 3F causing him the most errors. He couldn’t afford to make mistakes in the Grand Final. Otherwise, Zhang Junbao would pinch his earlobes and lecture him for more than half an hour with a strong and stern voice.

When his uncle scolded him, Zhang Jue rarely cared about avoiding others, so although the physical harm from being scolded was zero, the loss of face was considerable. Zhang Jue, deep down, was still an adult man who cared about his reputation.

As he jumped, Hayato Teraoka happened to glide nearby. Seeing this toxic jumping style appearing in front of him, the Japanese youth couldn’t bear to look directly, turned his head, and skated away.

Oh, this is toxic. Seeing it too much might warp my own 3A.

At the same time, Ilya Safoshenko also completed a 3A. He frowned slightly, dissatisfied with the jump, but the audience generously applauded him.

On the other side, as if in competition, Hayato Teraoka also executed a 3A.

Jiang Chaosheng was one of the commentators for the CCTV Figure Skating Grand Prix Finals.

He chatted with his co-commentator Zhao Ning: “These two athletes are close in age, and their strengths are comparable. They’ve been at each other’s throats on the ice.”

Zhao Ning agreed: “Yes, with them on the stage, the audience can hardly notice anyone else.”

“Not necessarily,” Jiang Chaosheng had a different opinion: “Zhang Jue also successfully executed a 3A in the Chinese part of the competition. His skills are not inferior to these two.”

Moreover, Zhang Jue was also the local favorite, and he looks were the best! Many spectators are keeping an eye on him, right?

Yes, especially after the recent banner incident, those who understand Chinese characters found Zhang Jue and his teammates quite amusing.

Zhao Ning rested her chin on her hands, puzzled: “If he can do 3A, why isn’t he attempting it now?”

Jiang Chaosheng said: “Perhaps for him, confirming the 3A jump is unnecessary. If you’ve seen his past competitions, you know his triple Axel has never failed.”

Before the end of the U.S. leg, Zhang Jue had hardly practiced the 3A. Still, within a month between the U.S. and Chinese competitions, he mastered the 3A! That’s talent!

The 3A is one of the most challenging jumps for junior male skaters. The even more challenging quadruple jumps not only require explosive power but also exert significant pressure on the joints. So, due to safety concerns, many coaches refrain from having their kids practice quadruple jumps before they mature. If a promising talent is injured prematurely, coaches would feel heartbroken.

Zhang Jue, after successfully trying 3F with hand gestures and delayed rotation, sighed in relief. At this moment, he inadvertently saw his name in the audience section.

In the front row of the audience seats, someone held a banner with the words “Zhang Jue, go for it.” Seeing Zhang Jue noticing them, Qin Xuejun shook it.

His study god buddy is indeed considerate; the character “珏” is correct.

Zhang Jue chuckled and immediately started his assisted glide. Then, near the section of the audience, he lifted his foot for a 3A and swiftly followed it up with a Rippon-style 3T.

This was currently the most challenging sequence of jumps that Zhang Jue could perform, elegant and with astonishing distance.

In human perception, distance brings more sensory impact than height. Therefore, jumps with exceptional distance are more likely to receive high Grades of Execution (GOE). However, since performing ultra-long jumps requires strong skating speed and skill, athletes who excel at it often score lower than those who focus on height.

Zhang Jue took off in front of Qin Xuejun, but when he landed, he was already eight seats away from Qin Xuejun.

The audience on this side collectively exclaimed, clearly impressed by the visual effects of this jump.

Until the end of the six-minute warm-up, all the athletes returned to the sidelines, and the short program competition officially began!

The competition order for the Grand Prix short program is related to their accumulated scores. The first to take the stage was Angus Joe, who ranked sixth in points.

This athlete was nicknamed the “artistic jellyfish,” meaning that he lacks technical advantages compared to other players in the same category, but his performance is always visually appealing, resulting in consistently good scores.

Zhang Jue leaned against the boards, occasionally hopping in place to keep his body active. As Alex, the second to perform, watched, he wore a disdainful expression.

“He not only turns prematurely but also under-rotates,” Alex commented.

Under-rotation means the rotation didn’t meet the required revolutions, and the skater lands on the ice prematurely.

Hayato Teraoka and Alex discussed it: “He has clearly gained weight, and his technique wasn’t clean to begin with. It’s harder to achieve enough rotations with a heavier body. Without these tricks, it will be challenging to guarantee completing the jumps.”

On the other hand, Juventus Bratov kept taking deep breaths. After a while, he asked a staff member about the location of the restroom, clearly showing signs of nervousness.

Ilya, on the other hand, seemed distracted, lost in his thoughts, unaware that he had entered some strange daydream land.

However, Zhang Jue had completely lost interest in Angus Joe’s performance. He leaned back, resting the back of his head against his uncle’s chest, sighing.

“Coach, I didn’t eat enough for lunch. I want chocolate.”

His uncle sternly held the child, and Shen Liu took out a piece of milk chocolate from his pocket, waving it in front of Zhang Jue. When Zhang Jue reached out, he pulled it back.

With a playful smile, Shen Liu pinched one side of Zhang Jue’s cheek: “Wait until after the competition to eat. Also, tighten up your game. I know you’re in a good mindset, but this is the Grand Prix Finals. You need not only a stable mindset but also excitement, understand?”

Zhang Jue elongated his voice: “I understanddd—”

Zhang Junbao added: “Bring out the competitive spirit you showed at the Shanghai ring. Otherwise, I’ll throw away all your snacks.”

Zhang Jue’s expression changed: “What the heck, when did you…” When did you find out about the snacks I secretly brought? That was clearly hidden by him!

After a while, Angus Joe left the ice and headed towards the kiss & cry area. Everyone turned their attention to the electronic scoreboard, and soon Angus Joe’s scores appeared.

Technical Score: 36.2

Performance Score: 36.5

Total score: 72.7

Angus Joe once again achieved the feat of inverting the performance and technical scores, scoring a solid 70 points.

Well, it’s just a 0.3 deduction for inversion, and everyone is too lazy to fuss about it. Besides, arguing about it won’t change anything.

The second skater, Alex, took the stage in exceptional form. His performance of “Dance of the Skeleton” was even more dazzling than in the previous U.S. competition. The grim and bewitching expression resembled the death-like charm seen in the German-Austrian musical “Elisabeth,” creating a sense of familiarity for those who had seen the production.

The expressions during this performance almost seemed to be directly taken from that musical.

This musical-style performance was genuinely captivating. Alex was a true performer, putting extra effort into every aspect, from body language to facial expressions. Overacting was not an issue for junior skaters, and as long as they were earnest in their performance, figure skating enthusiasts would express praise and admiration.

The only regret was that the young skater stumbled a bit while attempting the 3A jump, likely affecting his technical score.

However, standing a 3A, even if not perfectly, still counts as unlocking a new jump for the skater!

Shen Liu expressed admiration: “Indeed as someone aiming for the senior category. This young man is very diligent.”

Unfortunately, the next skater, Juventus, struggled on the ice due to irritable bowel syndrome. His performance lacked stability, and his 3lz turned into a flawed 1lz. All jumps had imperfections.

When he left the ice, the young man burst into tears, and it was unclear whether it was the pressure or a stomach issue that overwhelmed him.

At this moment, a girl in the audience raised the flag of the Czech Republic, ran over, and shouted something loudly in Czech. Juventus Bratov started crying even more.

At the same time, the audience erupted in a round of kind applause, filled with encouragement.

Figure skating is a sport with a pleasant atmosphere during competitions. Since athletes don’t have direct conflicts on the ice, the most significant challenge is often overcoming oneself. Therefore, figure skating fans have never witnessed conflicts similar to hooliganism in football. Many figure skaters, even if not friends, can exchange friendly words.

When athletes make mistakes during the competition, the audience encourages them with applause to stand up and continue.

Zhang Jue, who is accustomed to fandom battles, couldn’t deny that one of the reasons he liked figure skating competitions was the harmony in the figure skating community. Even if there were occasional conflicts among fans of star athletes, extreme behaviors like online bullying and doxing didn’t occur in the world of sports.

Well, only the judges are not cute.

After the athletes enter the rink, they have a brief 30 seconds for pre-competition preparation. Exceeding this time limit will result in a deduction of 1 point, and surpassing 60 seconds will lead to disqualification.

Zhang Jue took off his jacket with the word “China” on it, revealing his shiny Kostornaia, removed the blade covers, and stepped onto the ice.

Shen Liu reached out: “Come on.”

Zhang Jue bounced twice while holding Shen Liu’s hand, turned around, and skated forward with the force from Zhang Junbao.

Bilingual commentary echoed through the arena.

“Next on the ice is the representative athlete from China, Zhang Jue.”

“Representative of China, Zhang Jue.”

To others, this young athlete making his debut on the grand stage seemed exceptionally composed. Confirming his axis with the character for “swan” on his chest, he raised one foot, wiped off ice shavings from the blade with his hand, as if a swordsman was cleaning the blade before a martial arts competition.

His slightly long, black hair was tied into small braids, secured with a hairpin at the back of his head. The remaining hair gently floated as he skated, and no matter which country’s figure skating enthusiast saw Zhang Jue’s appearance, they would undoubtedly know that his routine had something to do with swans.

Shiratsuka Masako showed a hint of interest in his makeup: “Hmm, is he also performing the Black Swan?”

“Swan Lake” is an enduring classic in figure skating. Just this season, several skaters, including the adult Russian women’s singles Daria, the junior American women’s singles Clara, and the junior Italian women’s singles Helena, have chosen to skate to “Black Swan.” Although not as chaotic as the “Red Mill” next door, the collision of three swans was quite lively. Now, Zhang Jue, a men’s singles skater, has also joined in.

Daria leaned on the fence: “He is the first men’s single skater I’ve seen performing Black Swan. But he does look very handsome, the neutral style suits him perfectly.”

And since this young man could make it to the Grand Prix Finals, he must have outstanding qualities.

Vasili nodded: “Indeed, he is currently the most beautiful one in figure skating.”

At the same time, Clara and Helena both showed a serious expression.

Collisions in routines were not terrifying. The embarrassing part was being compared and being the one deemed “ugly.” However, what made the two girls feel upset was that judging solely on appearances, it seemed like they both lost!

It wasn’t until the elegant and melancholic harmony, accompanied by the sound of the harp, began that the Black Swan revived. When Zhang Jue stood up and spread his wings, Song Cheng, Sun Qian, Zhang Junbao, and Shen Liu all burst into laughter.

Shen Liu thought: “The pre-competition skin treatment for Zhang Xiaoyu really worked.”

Zhang Junbao thought: In the future when my nephew sneaks in snacks, he can just turn a blind eye. When necessary, he can use the snacks as hostages. If things go south, just throw the snacks.

The first-ever performance of “Black Swan,” with the body in perfect condition and a hundred percent dedication, made its debut, stunning the audience.

Zhang Jue focused on the performance in the first half of the program.

 

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