No one knew from whom Yang Zhiyuan learned the technique of local anesthesia. When Zhang Jue took the ice, his left leg’s soleus muscle was completely numb.

In simple terms, that part of his leg was numb. Zhang Jue didn’t know how he managed to use that leg to tap the ice and successfully land two 4Ts. Maybe it was the miraculous effect of Cui Zhengshu’s lucky necklace.

However, his right knee began to hurt again during the last minute of his performance. At that moment, Zhang Jue was so focused on the routine that he didn’t feel it deeply. But when the competition ended, he realized that it was a miracle he managed to skate so well. It felt like the collective effort of divine beings from all over the world.

When he got off the ice, Zhang Jue stumbled and almost fell again. His uncle and Shen Liu supported him from both sides, helping him walk to the kiss and cry area.

He sat in the chair, looking up and focusing on the big screen. After a while, the scores came out.

His free skate score was 182.82, combined with the short program score of 91.33, totaling 274.15, just behind Vasili’s 275.5.

What can be said? Vasili also skated a clean program, and his performance was not lacking. Most importantly, almost all of Zhang Jue’s jumps in this free skate were off-axis. He didn’t fall thanks to luck and his reckless landing style, but in the scoring, a jump with a correct axis is undoubtedly rated higher.

Zhang Jue didn’t expect to get this score before taking the ice.

He turned to Sun Qian and said: “Coach Sun, I did it.”

Sun Qian hugged the young man and said in a deep voice: “I saw, you did well!”

This World Championships silver medal was not only the best result for Chinese men’s singles in international competitions, but it also meant that China could send an unprecedented three participants to next year’s Winter Olympics.

He narrowly defeated Maquen once again.

But how great it would have been if Zhang Jue hadn’t been injured and had grown up healthy?

Sun Qian felt full of regret and sorrow. This young boy had given everything for the Olympic spot, but he might not be able to compete in the Winter Olympics after all.

Martin ruffled Alex’s hair and smiled, saying: “It’s okay, I’m fifth, and our combined rankings still don’t exceed 13.”

The three spots were still there.

Alex wiped his eyes and shook his head: “I’m not worried about the spots. I just suddenly felt that he is so much like you.”

Both were top athletes willing to give everything for their beloved sport. That kind of burning passion made Alex deeply respect him.

After a while, the event organizers came to ask if they needed crutches.

Zhang Jue said: “We really need them, thank you.”

This time, he didn’t feel that the crutches were too tall or uncomfortable. They felt just right, and he walked quite smoothly with them. So when he went up to the red carpet to receive his award, he felt much better than right after the competition.

Vasili originally wanted to carry the kid onto the podium again, but when he looked down, he realized he probably couldn’t carry him, so he and Maquen helped Zhang Jue up together.

Maquen joked: “You beat me again.”

Zhang Jue winked at him: “Sorry about that.”

Maquen raised his eyebrows, made a grabbing motion, and placed his hand on his chest.

Zhang Jue thought: This guy is indeed as Francis Miller complained on Twitter, a quirky man who loves to flirt and release hormones that not everyone appreciates.

He seemed a bit silly, but he was a good person nonetheless.

Zhang Jue gave him a mental good-guy card, stood on the World Championships podium, held up his silver medal, and smiled at the camera.

This is the last time, Zhang Jue thought. It was his first time on the World Championships podium, and it would be the last. He couldn’t even participate in the exhibition skate after this competition. Actually, he hadn’t skated much in exhibitions this season because he was always injured after competitions.

Despite how much this sport had caused him to suffer, he still felt reluctant to leave it.

It was such a pity. The drumbeats in his “Say You, Say Me” program were played by Second German. He didn’t know if he could ever skate this program again, but he hadn’t had enough of it yet.

He hadn’t had enough of either competitions or exhibitions. When Francis texted him, he said he wanted to plan new programs for next season in advance. But Zhang Jue knew there would be no next season for him. He could only appreciate Francis’ goodwill.

However, Zhang Jue had a trait: unless he was in extreme pain, he wouldn’t let his negative emotions affect others. The worst moment for him was when he cried on the ice. Now he felt much better, so when he was taken to the hospital for a check-up, he could still joke with his coaches.

He hung the silver medal around his uncle’s neck, sat with his hands on his hips, and gave a passionate post-competition speech in a broadcaster’s tone.

“In my first year in the senior group, I have already collected two silver medals in A-level competitions. If I get silver in the national championships, Four Continents, and the Olympics, I can achieve a career Grand Slam of silver medals. Maybe I can even earn a nickname like ‘The Silver Collector’ or something, hahaha.”

Then he showed a confused expression: “Wait, if I compete in domestic competitions, I can’t win anything but gold. Never mind, I’ll retire from the scene, or my future Chinese male skaters won’t have a chance to touch the national championship gold medal.”

Zhang Junbao slapped the back of his head: “Stop being cheeky.”

Zhang Jue pouted: “I’m just trying to liven up the atmosphere.”

The adults in the car were all wearing grim expressions, making him very uncomfortable.

Zhang Jue didn’t know that it was because he had cried on the ice. The mischievous Zhang Xiaoyu crying made the coaches panic. They were all thinking about how to comfort him.

But the person who was about to be comforted seemed to have already adjusted. His quick recovery amazed all the coaches he had ever had.

Meanwhile, the domestic figure skating forum experienced another wave of thread creation frenzy.

This time, though, not many people were purely happy about Zhang Jue winning silver. Most people offered weak congratulations, saying: “Congratulations to Zhang Jue for breaking the record of Chinese men’s singles in international competitions again,” then discussed the extent of his injury with a sad and sorrowful tone.

The overall atmosphere was quite gloomy.

The top post was optimistic, stating that Zhang Jue was only 15, young, and with a strong body that could recover quickly. They urged everyone not to worry too much.

The participants in this thread were mostly optimistic, acting as the sunshine in the forum. Those who were feeling hopeless and suffocated went there to absorb some positivity.

The second top post represented the pessimists. People expressed concerns about Zhang Jue’s previous award ceremony with crutches, his absence from the national championships award ceremony in a wheelchair, and the nearly two months he spent in a wheelchair. They feared that his injury wasn’t healed, and competing worsened it, leading to a vicious cycle. Even a strong body couldn’t withstand this.

Moreover, the previous top skater, Shen Liu, retired due to injury. Zhang Jue’s uncle and head coach, Zhang Junbao, also retired due to injury. Perhaps injuries were an unfortunate tradition in the Zhang family?

By the way, many skating fans in the latter part of the post scoffed at the idea of the “Zhang family tradition” since both Cha Hanbuhua and Min Shan also had fans. Saying the Zhang family tradition is to retire due to injury was no different from cursing those two kids!

The third post belonged to the technical experts.

The first expert stated that this year has been particularly tough for Zhang Jue. Puberty caused his balance to falter and his feet to grow larger. Bigger feet meant new skates, which led to injuries, and injuries caused his performance to decline even more.

Zhang Jue experienced most of the worst things a figure skater could face this season.

Then, the second expert explained what puberty entails and listed various teenage talents who struggled with it over the years. This included several World Junior Champions, Junior Grand Prix champions, and Junior World Record holders, as well as many female skaters who dominated competitions in their first year after moving up due to not yet hitting puberty.

Yes, female skaters are the hardest hit by puberty. Boys can build muscle and increase strength during puberty, but girls mainly gain fat and their waist-hip curves become more pronounced, which greatly impacts their technique.

Although Zhang Jue is a stunningly handsome young man, he is still a true warrior (as agreed upon by domestic fans after the World Championships). Growing from 160 cm to 174 cm and gaining significant weight is a devastating blow to a figure skater. That Zhang Jue could win a silver medal at the World Championships under these conditions is nothing short of miraculous.

He created the best miracle in the worst situation.

The third expert concluded: the best outcome now is for Zhang Jue to take a good rest during the off-season and return for the Olympic season. His results might be poor in the first half due to the long break, but based on his performance at the World Championships, I can confidently say he is still our best male singles skater.

A slightly worse outcome would be Zhang Jue’s severe decline in ability due to his injuries. Young Fan (Fan Zhaoying) retired once due to injury in the junior group and later returned, but he never regained his form. Like Xiao Long, who was once a promising skater capable of quad jumps, he fell into mediocrity. However, Zhang Jue’s foundational skills are strong, so he can still compete. In that case, Jin Zixuan would take the lead role, and Zhang Jue would be the second, which is still acceptable.

This is not an exaggeration. I have a relative who is an orthopedic doctor. He said many people who have suffered ligament injuries, even after surgery, have a high chance of experiencing stiffness, instability, and pain.

The worst outcome is Zhang Jue’s retirement. The three Winter Olympic spots he fought so hard to secure wouldn’t be used by him at all.

It can only be said that Zhang Jue, like the French champion Martin who retired after the World Championships to undergo spinal surgery, firmly fulfilled his responsibility as the top skater despite the difficulties.

After reading the technical experts’ analysis posts, especially the last two, many fans couldn’t help but burst into tears.

Soon, another post was bumped to the top.

[hot~] A relative of mine is hospitalized at 703, and while visiting, I saw our top skater being wheeled into the hospital by Coach Zhang.

1L

Although they were wearing masks, his face was too handsome, and his long hair too distinctive, so I recognized him immediately. It’s you, it’s you, it’s really you! The first handsome man in the skating circle… Alright, I admit, I confirmed their identities through Coach Song’s shiny bald head.

As soon as he entered the hospital, he was wheeled to the MRI area, probably for a check-up. When I left the hospital, I saw a super beautiful auntie with a hamster cage at the entrance. She didn’t go in, probably because pets aren’t allowed. I’ve seen a documentary on H Province TV about him, that auntie should be his mother.

I didn’t dare to approach them, but I secretly took a side photo of Aunt Zhang and the hamster. [Zhang Lady and Saori Side Photo.jpg].

 

…

 

After a series of tedious examinations, Dr. Chai looked at Zhang Jue’s results and reached the same conclusion as the Canadian doctor.

“Local anesthesia only numbed your senses. Jumping so many times with an injury naturally worsened it. A second-degree strain, you’re lucky. If it were a third degree, your ligament would be torn.”

But at this level, you still need arthroscopic surgery.

Dr. Chai looked at the scans and fell into deep thought.

 

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