Although it was rare for athletes to throw things, it was not unheard of in the industry. For example, the table tennis team had players who got so agitated that they broke their rackets.

Sun Qian thought that with Zhang Junbao’s fiery temper, Zhang Jue would definitely get scolded if he threw something. However, Zhang Junbao did not react that way.

He just calmly waved his hand and said: “Jin Zixuan was scared by you. Go apologize and throw the trash away.”

Zhang Jue responded with: “Oh.”

He really did obediently pick up the bottle, patted Jin Zixuan on the shoulder and said: “Sorry” then accurately threw the bottle into the recycling bin.

This young man seemed to have no sense of embarrassment about picking up the bottle and throwing it in the trash. The people around watched in astonishment.

They had no idea that many years ago, at the age of 15, Zhang Jue had been extremely volatile, getting reprimanded by the school more than once. Jin Zixuan, if he had encountered Zhang Jue back then, would probably have been too scared to come near, retreating in fear.

But even during his most rebellious phase, he would still listen to Zhang Junbao. Now that Zhang Junbao was like a lost-and-found treasure to Zhang Jue, he almost couldn’t bear to contradict his requests.

When Zhang Jue returned, Zhang Junbao calmly discussed the issue of changing the jump configuration for the National Championships, showing no sign of anger.
Zhang Jue had not been so invested in figure skating before, and during his soccer days at noon, he had already somewhat dulled his uncle’s temper. This situation was far from a reason for him to get angry.

Huang Ying whispered to Mi Yuanyuan: “Zhang Jue looks so much more manly now.”

Mi Yuanyuan nodded in agreement: “He really looks like a boy now.”

Although Zhang Jue still had long hair, he would no longer be mistaken for a girl.

Due to his growth, while his clothes could still temporarily fit due to material stretch, his costume pants had to be replaced, otherwise, his ankles would show on the competition floor. So, Zhang Junbao pulled out his old pants from when he was young and lent them to Zhang Jue.

Buying new ones was possible, but Zhang Jue’s waist was too slim. Normal pants for a man of 168 cm would slide down on him, requiring a belt. Only Zhang Junbao’s old pants, which fit his own physique during his youth, were a perfect fit for Zhang Jue.

Similarly, Zhang Jue’s everyday clothes were no longer wearable. He now wore old elementary school clothes that Qin Xuejun had dug out from home, which were still loose on him… Yes, Qin Xuejun had been 170 cm tall during elementary school.

Even though Qin Xuejun’s old clothes were more than enough for Zhang Jue to grow to 180 cm, he couldn’t wear someone else’s clothes every day.

So, after training that day, Zhang Junbao took Zhang Jue to the mall, casually wandering into a clothing store. They went to the men’s section on the second floor, where Zhang Junbao pointed to the clothes on the mannequins.

“Here, choose what you want. Call me when you’re done so I can pay.”

Zhang Jue took out his red Pigsy wallet and said: “I have money.”

Zhang Junbao waved him off: “Don’t be silly. You still have a 5000 mortgage payment every month after buying the house. What money do you have?”

Feeling embarrassed about having a 20-year mortgage, Zhang Jue coughed awkwardly: “I really do have money. After paying the down payment, I still left 50,000 in my card for emergencies. I can buy my own clothes.”

Despite the expenses for international competitions—such as clothing, choreography, plane tickets, and accommodation—being reimbursed, and even though Song Cheng had covered his recent medical bills, Zhang Jue didn’t have many other spending needs. He didn’t smoke, drink, or indulge in luxury items.

He had even returned the 100,000 card from Ms. Zhang Qingyan and still had spare money to care for pets.

Considering his continued growth, Zhang Jue chose clothes based on low price and warmth, no longer caring much about appearance. Yet, perhaps due to his excellent personal condition, he still looked good in the clothes he tried on.

Even though he was thin, Zhang Jue was a man with a low body fat percentage. His body was in great shape, and with the “youthful look” requirement from his former manager, Brother Bai, he could look youthful even in oversized clothes. His face was full of youthful collagen.

On the way back, Zhang Jue made a special stop at a pet store to buy a bag of hamster food.

“Saori eats a lot, so I need to stock up.”

He explained this to Zhang Junbao.

Zhang Junbao snorted: “You pamper her. The draw for the National Championships is tomorrow, and the men’s short program is the day after. You’d better be careful.”

If Zhang Jue managed to win a silver medal at a high-difficulty Grand Prix final but stumbled in a domestic competition with no notable competitors, it would be embarrassing. Additionally, the topic of whether Zhang Jue’s development had harmed his performance would become more prevalent in public opinion.

Zhang Junbao’s concern about whether Zhang Jue could handle the developmental phase was always a hidden worry. What truly worried him enough to voice it was the public opinion, which, in some ways, was more daunting than the developmental phase itself.

Many athletes over the years had chosen to retire due to unbearable public pressure. Especially for Zhang Jue, the only hope in this category, the pressure of competition was immense, with almost all focus on him.

Zhang Jue, with his hands on his belt, calmly said: “Don’t worry.”

He knew what his uncle was concerned about, but as someone who had experienced the public opinion attacks of the fan circles and the dark sides of the entertainment industry, the small controversies in the sports world didn’t bother him much.

On Friday, Zhang Jue attended the draw event. When Zhang Jue, dressed in the H Province team uniform with a high ponytail, walked on stage, many provincial athletes who had not participated in national team training were astonished and whispered.

“That’s Zhang Jue, right?”

“He’s grown so tall? He looks like a completely different person.”

“His development has been so intense. I heard he had been injured for a while. I wonder how much his performance has declined.”

Zhang Jue wore a safety charm earring from his mother, a white tourmaline bracelet blessed by his hometown Bai Xian, a protective talisman from Cui Zhengshu in his left pocket, a lucky charm from Qingzi in his right pocket, and a brass magic pendant with energy from Eliya around his neck.

By the way, that magic pendant had even made it to the finals of this year’s Magic Pendant Battle and was an incredibly skilled old lady.

The youth, adorned with friendship buffs, reached into a box and pulled out a ball with the number 19 on it.

“Group 4, First Appearance.”

Shen Liu, who had come with Min Shan, Jiang Yihong, and Liu Yeming from the provincial team, covered his face.

“Ah—”

Cha Hanbuhua moved closer to Zhang Junbao and whispered: “My mother knows a shaman who is very skilled at rituals and famous in our hometown.”

Zhang Junbao, a firm believer in materialism, felt a moment of weakness.

When Zhang Jue returned, he warned them with a blank expression: “Don’t think about inviting a shaman to perform a ritual for me. Even if I die, I wouldn’t accept such an embarrassing thing.”

The next day, the women’s short program competition started before the men’s. Because there were fewer participants in domestic competitions compared to international ones and figure skating was not very popular in the country, although the event organizers had divided the competition into junior, youth, and senior groups, the women’s competition planned to finish all age categories’ short programs in the afternoon.

So, the 12-year-old Min Shan naturally had to compete as well.

As Zhang’s third disciple, Min Shan, who came from a Korean family, had a mischievous personality similar to that of the senior brother. There was a record of her being so unruly that her mother chased her around the provincial training hall, and she was eventually caught and beaten in front of the entire team. It was said that this happened because she knocked out the neighbor’s kid’s front teeth before joining the team.

However, based on Zhang Junbao’s experience coaching Zhang Jue, he knew that this child also had a strong heart. During training, Min Shan showed exceptional bravery, daring to attempt any jump without fear of falling—she was recklessly bold.

Unfortunately, unlike Xu Chuo, who appeared delicate but was actually quite strong, Min Shan truly lacked strength. She could only follow the traditional figure skating path for female skaters, focusing on rotational speed. She did not diet, she ate whatever the cafeteria staff gave her, and since she had a bit of a tendency to gain weight, she had to undergo an additional 10 hours of swimming training each week compared to her peers.

At the same time, Min Shan, who somehow was particularly obedient to Zhang Junbao’s instructions, had not given up on weight training. Through hard work, her jump heights were now considered above average for skaters her age. She had successfully mastered all triple jumps except for 3lz and 3A and had even practiced raising both hands.

In Shen Liu’s words: “Min Shan’s potential isn’t as high as Xu Chuo’s, but she still has the potential to reach the world stage.”

However, Min Shan had a bit of a wild streak and occasionally had unpredictable outbursts. Her jumps were unstable, and another drawback was her lack of emotional sensitivity, making it difficult for her to connect with emotionally delicate music. Therefore, when it came to selecting music and choreography for her this year, Zhang Junbao especially recommended that she choose a more lively and cute piece.

For example, a piece like “Cuckoo Waltz” would suit her well since she was naturally lively and cute, and this would fit her performance style perfectly.
After hearing Zhang Junbao’s suggestion, Min Shan’s mother nodded seriously: “Alright, coach, whatever you say, Shan Shan will perform. By the way, do you need us to find someone to make her costume? Her father is in the fabric business, and it would be very convenient. He can even take care of her senior brother’s costume.”

Yes, Min Shan’s parents were the type to bring gifts worth thousands of dollars to teachers during the New Year to ensure their child received more attention. They were more than willing and capable of covering Zhang Junbao’s nephew’s costume production for the next several years to keep him happy.
But Zhang Junbao firmly declined.

Before the official competition began, Zhang Junbao had Min Shan sit on a bench, bent over to style her hair into a bun, and pinned a few shiny hair clips in place, giving her instructions.

“This is your first competition. Perform your program well when you’re on the ice. Don’t be afraid, this is nothing. The coach, senior brothers, and junior brothers are all watching you.”

Zhang Jue nodded: “Yes, yes, yes. You are the only flower of the Zhang family. When you compete, our whole family supports you.”
Min Shan smiled sweetly and, with a practiced touch, clung to Zhang Junbao’s arm and coquettishly asked: “Coach, if I make it to the podium in the junior group, can you give me grilled squid to eat?”

She knew Zhang Junbao had a grill at home. Don’t ask her how she knew—because Zhang Junbao had bought it specifically to pamper his nephew and disciples. Since athletes couldn’t eat out, Zhang Junbao occasionally brought a bag of ingredients from the cafeteria and had BBQs or hot pot with his family at home.

Zhang Junbao agreed readily: “Sure, sure. Go warm up, little girl.”

Zhang Jue reached out: “Come on, give me Luna.”

Min Shan, a fan of “Sailor Moon,” brought a custom-made black cat Luna tissue box with her to the competition.

To others, although Min Shan was only a 12-year-old girl, her entourage made her the center of attention.

The senior brother, known as the most beautiful figure skater, carried the tissue box, the second senior brother, a handsome young man, held her coat, and the cute junior brother followed closely. Before the performance, Coach Zhang and Coach Shen each held one of her hands, their faces full of affectionate smiles.

So, before the competition officially began, a post had already appeared on a domestic ice and snow forum.

Ice and Snow – Figure Skating – Women’s Singles

[Spam] I’m at the National Championships. I suddenly really wanted to be in young Min Shan shoes. Is it just me who has this thought?

Replies continued to pour in with +1s and +2s, eventually turning the post into a spectacular 6666th page.

 

 

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