Zhang Jue injured his ligament, and according to the examination, there was an aseptic inflammation in that area. An injection could quickly block the pain.

Yang Zhiyuan specifically reminded him before the injection: “Zhang Jue, I can give you this injection, but remember this! It’s best not to get a second injection in the same place within six months. Also, this only alleviates your symptoms, it doesn’t mean your injury is healed. Besides, you injured your right foot, so the competition will definitely worsen your injury.”

Both the 3lz and 3F jumps use the right foot for landing. Most athletes are most prone to injury in the right foot, except for left-handed athletes whose jumping and spinning directions are opposite to others.

Zhang Jue swore to the sky: “I swear, I will take good care of my injury once I return to the country.”

Yang Zhiyuan chuckled: “I have heard many athletes make such oaths. Do you want to hear how many of them broke their promises?”

Having been an athlete himself, Yang Zhiyuan knew very well how impulsive this group could be when they were passionate.

Zhang Jue replied awkwardly: “There’s no need for that. I promise I will really follow the doctor’s advice and take good care of my injury.”

Having made similar oaths many times before and eventually breaking them, Shen Liu, who had taken injections to compete, felt guilty and turned his head. Uncle Zhang calmly drank lemon juice.

He had also used injections to compete at the Four Continents Championships because his hip bone was in poor condition. After jumping three times, it hurt, and to show his full strength in competition, he needed at least two injections.

Once you have the first injection, there will be a second one. Athletes like Zhang Jue, who only had their first injection at A-level competitions, were lucky and exceptionally talented. Most athletes had to start getting injections just to seize the slim chance to compete at higher levels.

For example, the current ace of the H Province sprint team had to get his first injection at the age of 17 just to achieve a good result in the provincial team selection and qualify for the national competition.

As athletes, their careers are limited. Whenever an opportunity arises, they have to seize it with all their might not to let their training go to waste.

Then, as Yang Zhiyuan administered the injection, Zhang Jue let out a loud cry of pain.

“Ow! It hurts so much!”

Yang Zhiyuan said coolly: “There’s no way around it. Since your injury is in an area as small as the ankle, the injection will definitely hurt more. If you had an injury in your hip like Zhang Junbao, the pain would have been much less.”

Zhang Junbao quickly waved his hand: “Injuring the ligament is bad enough. Adding a hip injury would make this kid a top contender in the national athlete’s suffering rankings.”

Shen Liu asked: “When did this ranking come about?”

Zhang Junbao replied: “It’s been around for a while. You even made the top five in your retirement year. People said that anyone who could land a quad jump was unlucky to miss a triple jump.”

Shen Liu responded: “…”

Shen Yi also didn’t want this. He had injured his knee before the Vancouver Winter Olympics and had taken injections to catch up with the Olympic season. But the injury, which had not fully healed, combined with intense quad jump training and an accidental injury, had caused the injury to worsen to the point of requiring retirement.

Zhang Jue, in tears from the pain, pitifully leaned into his uncle’s comforting embrace, while Zhang Junbao, rubbing his crocodile head, sighed repeatedly.

“It hurts me to see you endure this pain.”

Zhang Jue looked up, somewhat touched, and heard his uncle continue: “I didn’t inform your parents about this injection. When we go back, your mom definitely won’t let me off.”

Thinking of Mrs. Zhang’s clothes drying rack, both Zhang Junbao and Zhang Jue shuddered.

To escape reality, they both drank milk and prepared to sleep. Zhang Jue, too lazy to move, spent the night on his uncle’s bed. When he woke up in the morning, he found that his foot no longer hurt.

The little boy jumped around, hands on his hips, and proudly said: “Hey, I feel like my condition is back to how it was at the US competition!”

He thought he could compete against Maquen, and even Vasily, Sergey, and Martin!

Zhang Junbao knew that as long as Zhang Jue could unleash his full potential, he could indeed compete with those top athletes, but he still warned his nephew unceremoniously.

“The ligament injury has caused joint laxity issues that haven’t healed yet. Don’t think that just because you got an injection everything is fine.”

Coach Zhang had taken four injections before retiring, and Shen Liu had taken nine. Compared to them, Zhang Jue was just a novice with injuries.

Zhang Jue stuck out his tongue, changed into the Chinese team uniform in tomato egg stir-fry colors, and stuffed his skates, spare skates, blade covers, towels, and other items into a backpack.

Since the costumes had many shiny rhinestones and beads, and the material was extremely light, they couldn’t be cleaned by regular means. Especially after free skating, Zhang Jue would definitely be covered in sweat, but the only way to handle the costume’s odor was to sprinkle some body powder.
Because of his growth, he had made a new costume this time, which didn’t have the strong body powder smell typical of mid-season. Zhang Jue cherished the rhinestones on it.

“I used to say that when I had money, I would rotate several sets of costumes each season, so I wouldn’t have to wear those with such strong body powder smells. I didn’t expect to achieve this goal this season.”

After speaking, he carefully wrapped the costume in a plastic bag before stuffing it into the backpack.

Though he appeared to be naive and well taken care of by the coaching team, Zhang Jue, who had cooked for his younger brother at the age of six or seven, was actually very skilled at managing daily life and packed things neatly.

Zhang Junbao reminded him: “Bring an extra towel. Last time, you only took one towel and used it to wipe your face and then your feet. Isn’t that dirty?”

Zhang Jue protested: “But my feet aren’t smelly, and I wiped my face first before my feet. It’s unavoidable to sweat all over after exercising. It’s uncomfortable not to wipe off the sweat.”

His uncle forcefully shoved a light yellow towel with LEGO patterns into his bag.

Zhang Jue complained: “This is my pillow towel.”

He felt that the pillowcase outside couldn’t be washed clean, so he used a towel to pad it when traveling. If he used this towel to wipe off sweat today, he couldn’t use it as a pillowcase.

But when it came to these small matters, Zhang Jue could never oppose his uncle.

Shen Liu, sitting aside, commented: “Generally, men’s costumes should not exceed 850 grams. You, on the other hand, are asking for the costume to be no more than 350 grams. Women’s singles usually aim for such a low weight.”

Zhang Jue stuck out his tongue: “Because I still rely on speed to complete quad jumps. If the costume is too heavy, I won’t be able to rotate.”

After saying this, the child stuffed his feet into his sports shoes, slung the backpack on his back, and set off with his rolling suitcase.

He was only 163.5 cm tall, still half a head shorter than Zhang Junbao. Due to his skinny physique, Shen Liu noticed that Zhang Jue’s back already gave off a reliable feeling.

Although Zhang Jue’s victory over Maquen was just a qualifying event, it was considered the most significant win in the first half of the season. This victory showed the world’s ice skating fans that at his peak, Zhang Jue was strong enough to beat even world champions, firmly establishing his status in the skating world.

After this win, Zhang Jue’s position in the minds of judges, coaches, athletes, and fans around the world changed. He was no longer just a super newcomer on par with Hayato Teraoka and Ilya, now, everyone placed him on the same level as Sergey and Martin.

Increasing expectations weighed heavily on Zhang Jue’s shoulders. Everyone wanted him to win, and to win impressively.

Since the retirement of Jin Meng and Yao Lan, he had become the only assurance for domestic figure skating viewership, even surpassing Huang Ying and Guan Lin.

Shen Liu thought that if it had been him facing such pressure while still active, he would have started running to the bathroom with irritable bowel syndrome, but Zhang Jue was still in the mood to discuss towels with his uncle. Zhang Junbao had mentioned that Zhang Jue was mentally prepared to give his all even if he still couldn’t win.

He said he could handle losing, but he would still fight hard.

With such a strong mentality, Zhang Jue would surely reach heights beyond anyone’s imagination in the future.

In the afternoon, during the junior men’s competition, Arthur saw Zhang Jue enter the arena with steady steps, lay out a yoga mat, and sit on it to stretch his legs.
Had his foot injury healed?

Arthur had barely spoken with Jue and it was not the right moment to approach him for a chat. Shiratsuka Keiko, however, cheerfully ran over, sat down beside Jue, and chatted with him for a while before leaving.

The young man sighed inwardly: It’s so nice, I wish I could chat with Jue like that too.

Until the coach called his name: “Arthur, you’ll be on the ice soon. Is your warm-up enough?”

The boy then realized what was happening and saw Zhang Jue lift his head. Their eyes met, and Arthur quickly looked away, pretending to nonchalantly answer the coach’s question.

“Sorry, coach, I’m not fully warmed up yet. Can you help me stretch? I feel like the muscles in my thighs are too tight.”

He had a background in street dance, but his flexibility was not outstanding, at least not comparable to Zhang Jue’s 200-degree splits. He couldn’t even do the Bellman or doughnut moves, and could only manage a half-hearted attempt at the blade spin, which looked less elegant compared to more flexible skaters.

But his current coach, Mr. Barren, stubbornly insisted he practice this spinning position. Besides that, they had him work hard on the 3A and hand raises.

Arthur was a smart kid and understood that the American skating federation, desperate for a talented young skater, hoped he could be on par with Zhang Jue, the new top skater from across the ocean. If he followed a similar path, ice fans would have more confidence in him.

Coincidentally, Arthur also had a delicate face.

But he wouldn’t become anyone’s replica, even if the original was someone he greatly admired.

Arthur took a deep breath, put on a pair of fingerless gloves, and prepared for his routine. This season’s free skate was a street dance adaptation, and due to his solid foundation, his performance scores were initially high. He had argued with his coach for a long time about the music choice.

He loved figure skating and hoped to follow in Jue’s footsteps, achieving a full set of junior titles and then challenging Jue.

Kharhasha performed a land 2A, and Coach Ayala nodded in satisfaction: “Maintain this feeling.”

Even though all three major rising stars of the new generation had moved up a level, this year’s junior grand prix remained exciting. The new North American champion, backed by nationality and genuine strength, fiercely competed with the most anticipated champion of this season, Kharhasha.

Young athletes were naturally fiery. When they competed fiercely, emotions ran high, making their interactions less friendly.

Especially when Kharhasha barely won the gold medal with only a one-point lead over his competitor despite having one more 3A, both he and Ayala’s joy seemed forced.

During the awards ceremony, their smiles at each other were particularly stiff, clearly just for show, and they didn’t want to say a word to each other.

Zhang Jue found this amusing. He pointed at the podium and laughed: “Their relationship doesn’t seem great. Look at Alan Helge standing next to them, he looks uncomfortable.”

Yes, the men’s junior grand prix bronze medalist this year was Norway’s top skater Alan Helge, who was also the direct disciple of Switzerland’s former top spinner, Stephen.

Coach Shen rubbed Zhang Jue’s head: “The relationship between Hayato Teraoka and Ilya wasn’t good either. Alan Helge and Carlson’s relationship is also tense due to close scores in major competitions. You’re just fine with anyone.”

It was indeed surprising. Even if athletes had a good relationship before, with only one gold medal available, competition intensified, and relationships would deteriorate. With the media fueling the fire, creating a situation where they hoped for a headline-grabbing fight, many in the sports world dealt with opponents as if they were enemies, only friendly to a limited extent.

Unlike their little crocodile, no matter if he won or lost, his opponents never disliked him. Those who were closer to him might even lift him up, and he would end up with a silly smile despite being grumpy.

This specifically referred to a certain Russian prince and a certain Kazakhstan ice dance champion.

Given Zhang Jue’s current growth, by the time he finished growing, no one would be able to lift him anymore. This thought brought a small sense of regret.

After the junior men’s free skate, it was time for the junior women’s free skate.

There were two main contenders for the title: Japan’s new star Shiratsuka Keiko and the top skater from China, Xu Chuo.

Interestingly, in recent years, North America, Japan, and China have all had top skaters stay in the junior ranks, with national ice fans eagerly awaiting their promotion.

But those in the know understood that this phenomenon occurred because there was a gap in the senior ranks. Fans focused their attention on the younger juniors, hoping these young skaters would eventually succeed in the competitive senior ranks.

Since Zhang Jue’s promotion, he had proven himself as the strongest among China’s historical top skaters and was now considered a top junior men’s skater.

Whether Xu Chuo could stand out after moving to the senior ranks was still uncertain.

It was well-known that while men’s singles skaters could still gain strength as they developed, women’s singles skaters mainly developed in chest and hips, with athletic ability often declining. Thus, the developmental stage for women’s singles was more challenging.

Xu Chuo appeared petite and thin, seemingly not likely to grow taller or stronger. But with Zhang Jue as a precedent, many ice fans no longer judged a skater’s developmental success based on their small frame—Zhang Jue’s small and slender build was considered the least likely to experience a growth spurt, yet he still did!
This year, the young girl’s free skate routine was “Carmen,” choreographed by Francis Miller, a piece mentioned by Coach Zhao last year.

“Carmen” had been performed by many figure skating veterans, with many aspects to learn from, and with top-notch choreography, Xu Chuo’s performance showed clear improvement this year.

Zhang Junbao looked quite regretful: “Her 2A was already practiced well before she left me. At that time, I saw she struggled with the 3Lo, always forcing herself to practice it, which could easily lead to back injuries. So I planned to let her try the 3A with Zhang Jue first.”

But Xu Chuo’s mother believed the chances of a junior woman landing a 3A were too low and that a 3F+3lo would be easier to practice. As a result, Xu Chuo lost confidence in the 3A.

“Actually, this girl’s frame is slightly broader than Zhang Jue’s, so she could carry more muscle. If she had followed the training plan I gave her completely, she would definitely be able to land a 3A by now.”

Because there were so few women landing a 3A, just having this jump would elevate a skater’s status with the judges and improve her scores. Moreover, with such a powerful jump as a base, sweeping the junior category would become much easier.

Shen Liu patted his shoulder: “It’s okay. The current path this kid is on is pretty good. Coach Zhao has trained many generations of top junior female skaters since Chen Zhu retired. Her experience might be more suitable for Xu Chuo.”

Zhang Junbao shook his head: “I just feel sorry. Xu Chuo’s physical condition is actually quite similar to Shiratsuka Keiko’s. We’ve all had close contact with Shiratsuka Keiko, right? She is a typical strength-based female skater. You can see how smoothly she performs her jumps—strong, well-controlled, and her jumps look lighter and more graceful than others.”

“Shiratsuka Keiko’s natural talent isn’t as good as her sister’s. She’s like a weakened version of Shiratsuka Keiko, yet she also follows the strength-based approach. You see, she’s now competing almost on par with Xu Chuo. I’m sure with Shiratsuka Keiko’s efforts and her control over body fat, this young girl will have a very good developmental stage in the future.”Muscle consumes more energy, so athletes with more muscle actually have a lower chance of gaining weight compared to those who don’t train their muscles. Even if they gain more fat during development, as long as they have enough strength, they can maintain better jumping ability.
In recent years, Zhang Junbao has faced criticism as a coach for insisting on a strength-based approach, which many believed was not suitable for female students. However, this was his teaching method, and even though Zhang Jue spent at least 10 hours a week lifting weights with Zhang Junbao, the results were still limited. Instead, Zhang Jue relied on speed to achieve a 4S.

This led many people, from keyboard warriors to some industry insiders, to believe that Zhang Junbao’s insistence on weight training was a waste of time and potential for the children.

If Zhang Junbao hadn’t been a close disciple of Song Cheng, who had always defended him, and if Zhang Jue’s performance hadn’t been improving, Zhang Junbao’s pressure would have been even greater.

After all, talented prospects were considered “assets” by coaches, and many wanted to recruit Zhang Jue.

When Xu Chuo won the gold medal, the young girl excitedly hugged Coach Zhao and her mother, screaming with joy. Zhang Junbao, however, felt uneasy.
He thought Xu Chuo looked too thin, and this excessive thinness could be detrimental to her future.

Aside from other concerns, extremely low body fat could disrupt female hormonal balance, potentially causing irregular or absent menstruation. Xu Chuo was 14 years old, had she even started menstruating yet? Had Xu Chuo development been delayed by intense training

Xu Chuo had definitely started menstruating, just yesterday, the young girl had naturally picked up a pack of tampons from a nearby store on the way back to the hotel.

Zhang Junbao also knew she hadn’t been on a strict diet. She had self-discipline in controlling her cravings for sweets and carbs, choosing to fill up on vegetables and chicken or beef instead. This was the healthy diet an athlete should have.

“Uncle, your training theory is correct. My success is the biggest proof of your coaching philosophy.”

Zhang Junbao turned in surprise and saw Zhang Jue giving him a thumbs-up, his face full of confidence.

To Zhang Jue, his uncle had passed the 211 entrance exam on his own, so his professional standards were undoubtedly solid. Based on Zhang Jue’s experience, he had only worked on two-week and three-week jumps with Coach Lu, but even though the old coach was strict, his professional background had laid a strong foundation for Zhang Jue.

As for Zhang Jue’s other three-week jumps, combination jumps, and four-revolution jumps, they were all developed with his uncle.

Thanks to Coach Zhang’s guidance and care, despite the setbacks during development and boot issues, Zhang Jue never needed a major injury closure.

Due to his long-term experience with severe hip injuries, Zhang Junbao had a set method for cushioning impacts during landings. He taught his students how to exert force and bend their knees during landings to protect their joints—this was his unique technique.

Of course, he would also herd his students to the team doctor like sheep after training, strictly controlling their training plans. Staying up late counted as training, and Zhang Jue was particularly concerned about his liver, often calling to remind his uncle to sleep.

Four-revolution jumps were indeed valuable but came with a high injury rate. Zhang Jue, having only endured one injury closure, was considered among the top skaters with fewer injuries. As far as he knew, Hayato Teraoka had endured a closure in the junior category, which had hindered his performance after moving up a level. Ilya had also withdrawn from the finals this year due to a knee injury.

In 2021, a coach who could maintain health while managing four-revolution jumps was a treasure. However, as of now, he had no disciples besides Zhang Jue, so people couldn’t fully see his capabilities as a coach.

Therefore, before the growth of Cha Hanbuhuahua, Min Shan, and Jiang Yihong, Zhang Jue would strive to prove his uncle’s greatness through his own performance.

After practicing the 4T for so long, it was time to showcase it to figure skating fans worldwide!

Then Zhang Jue got a knock on the head.

Uncle knew Zhang Jue too well, just by looking at his posture, he knew exactly what he was planning!

Zhang Junbao scolded him sternly: “Kid, do you think I’m still expecting you to achieve anything? First, take care of your foot! I’m telling you, if you slack off in the competition again, I’ll tell your mom!

Hearing this, the ambitious Zhang Jue’s face fell, and he visibly slumped like a defeated crocodile.

 

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