After an MRI scan, Dr. Chai looked at the results and said to Zhang Junbao: “Your nephew has strong bones and muscles, with the strength of a hundred pounds, just like a modern-day Wu Song.”

“He could go out and fight a tiger (a juvenile one), and then be escorted in stylish silver handcuffs to a luxurious solitary cell.”

Based on the results, all of Zhang Jue’s metrics were unbelievably good, even the common athlete’s issue of meniscus wear had improved significantly, showing that he had recovered very well this time.

Zhang Junbao, exasperated, responded: “I just want to know if his ligaments have healed. Whether he’s a modern-day Wu Song or not doesn’t matter, and it’s unclear if he still has the same strength since he hasn’t trained for several months.”

Before the World Championships, Zhang Jue’s maximum weight for a weighted squat was 1.5 times his body weight, but he usually didn’t train with such heavy weights to avoid hurting his knees. Also, as a figure skater, he didn’t need large muscle mass, but lifting a hundred pounds was definitely not a problem for him.

Dr. Chai, expressionless, replied: “Among the patients with grade 2 ligament injuries I’ve seen, Zhang Jue has recovered the best. Others may take two years to recover as well as he has in half a year. Also, I estimate that your nephew’s body fat is now less than twelve percent, but he weighs 65 kilograms. You can calculate how much of that is muscle. Zhang Jue hasn’t been skipping weight training, has he?”

Zhang Junbao said: “He has been using equipment in the warm-up room next to the commercial ice rink.”

Dr. Chai confidently replied: “That’s right. His frame is now larger than before and can carry more muscle. He’s been eating well and training well, so his strength has definitely increased.”

Before he hit puberty, Zhang Jue could easily do Russian-style push-ups and run 20 kilometers with a 5-kilogram weight on his back. When he was younger, he once carried his chubby brother, who was only eight or nine pounds lighter than him, from school to home after his brother twisted his ankle. If Xu Yan hadn’t discovered them in time, Zhang Jue would have even carried his brother up the stairs. This shows that he had good strength and endurance from a young age, but because his frame was slender, his strength potential was limited.

Now that his height had shot up, according to Dr. Chai, his strength had likely increased significantly.

His uncle: suddenly surprised.

Zhang Jue, upon learning that he had fully recovered, couldn’t deny that he was pleased.

He unconsciously twisted his right ankle and thought that his inability to land on the ice might be a psychological issue.

His uncle didn’t look at him with the eager eyes that wished for his immediate return to training. Instead, he said that Zhang Qingyan had taken a week off for him to enjoy.

The poor kid had spent his summer break attending make-up classes at school, with the only relief being no evening self-study sessions. The effort was still considerable, so this week could be considered a belated vacation for Zhang Jue.

Whether Zhang Jue decided to fully focus on preparing for the college entrance exam or return to figure skating, this week would be his last chance to rest properly.

Then, Zhang Junbao went to the national team to confirm with Sun Qian about Liu Yemeng’s training with the team. Although they didn’t immediately give the kid a national team spot, Liu Yemeng’s level was already at a point where he could be cultivated as a seed player.

Liu Yemeng, 17 years old, was only a year older than Zhang Jue, but he had been tall since childhood. Now, he was 1.78 meters tall, with a sturdy build and plenty of strength, like a taller version of Cha Hanbuhua. However, his growth spurt had been slow and steady, so he hadn’t lost his balance like Zhang Jue did due to a sudden height increase.

Because of his height, he was once considered to have limited potential. But who would have thought that this guy could suddenly break through just before the Winter Olympic season?

In this regard, Liu Yemeng’s mental strength had also improved significantly compared to before, and his endurance was excellent. Like Zhang Jue, he had the ability to place most of his jumps in the second half of his programs. Moreover, his program was choreographed by Madam Mia, and his performance training was led by Zhang Junbao, so his expressiveness was also good.

Who wouldn’t be envious after seeing Zhang Jue score points with his stamina and expressiveness? When Liu Yemeng’s skills became evident, even Sun Qian was impressed. As long as his consistency improved, the spots of Fan Zhaoying and Shi Mosheng would be in jeopardy.

This year, Hayato Teraoka also performed well. The 18-year-old won the first leg of the Grand Prix this season—the U.S. stop—and claimed his first senior-level gold medal.

No one stays in place; they all move forward, becoming stronger. After watching the U.S. competition, Zhang Jue could confidently say that if Hayato Teraoka maintained his current form, even pre-growth-spurt Zhang Jue could only split a win 60-40 with him.

At his peak, Zhang Jue had the edge at 6 to Teraoka’s 4, mainly because Zhang Jue had an advantage in performance and stamina.

However, due to various reasons, Zhang Jue had not only failed to improve over the past six months but had regressed to the point where he couldn’t even land a triple jump consistently. With this in mind, his current self would just be an easy target on the international stage.

By the way, Zhang Jue had a house in Beijing, so when he came here for treatment and rest, he naturally stayed in his own place. Qin Xuejun had already cleaned up the room before Zhang Jue went for his check-up.

This guy was thoughtful enough to leave a note on the fridge, saying that the vegetables he had grown on the balcony were safe to eat and that Zhang Jue could pick them at will.

“Eat as much as you want, no need to leave any for me. If you’re a friend, don’t be polite.”

After a few days of feeling down, Zhang Jue actually ate all the vegetables on the balcony.

Qin Xuejun was amazed by the young man’s appetite as he watched Zhang Jue eat with a thoughtful expression.

On the second-to-last day of the break, at three in the morning, Zhang Jue was woken up.

“Zhang Jue, get up, I’m taking you to see something good.”

“Huh?”

Qin Xuejun squatted by the bed and said seriously: “I owe you a favor, let’s go.”

Zhang Jue followed him downstairs and saw the familiar small pickup truck parked on the first floor. Although the vehicle had many scratches, it added to its wild beauty.

They drove out of the city in the middle of the night. At first, Zhang Jue didn’t ask where they were going, just watched as the vehicle entered a tunnel.

“Zhang Jue.”

“Huh?”

“Choose some music.”

At Qin Xuejun’s suggestion, Zhang Jue opened the glove compartment, which was full of tapes labeled with various rock bands’ names. He didn’t know how Qin had managed to find these treasures. Underneath the tapes was a certificate.

Mr. Qin Xuejun, first place in the 6th Beijing Amateur Off-Road Competition.

August 13, 2012.

A Bon Jovi tape was inserted into the player, and the first song was “Never Say Goodbye.”

The tunnel lights flashed through Zhang Jue’s view, the alternating light and dark seemingly endless. As the song played, the pickup truck seemed to pick up speed.

Leaving from Haidian District, they drove west until they got on the Jingha Expressway. The small pickup truck reached a new high speed, at least it seemed that way to Zhang Jue.

He gripped the handle: “Qin, Brother Qin, take it easy.”

“Don’t worry, I have a B2 driver’s license.”

The young man, who usually had little expression, smiled, his brows raised, and his handsome face with its strong mixed-race features took on a wild, unrestrained look.

And he did drive steadily. Zhang Jue gradually relaxed, and then Qin Xuejun started talking to him.

“Actually, I won the amateur off-road competition last year, and a team offered me a 600,000-yuan annual salary to compete professionally.”

Zhang Jue tilted his head and asked: “So why didn’t you go?”

The young man, with deep-set features, smiled.

He suddenly said: “Zhang Jue, I’m actually quite poor. You only charge 500 yuan for rent, but after paying my rent each month, to save money, I still have to grow vegetables on the balcony.”

Zhang Jue laughed: “Why are we back on this topic? Besides, you’re not at the point where you need to worry about money, right? Your parents are still working, and you haven’t finished your PhD, so you’re still a student.”

“My parents sold the house when they divorced. They each gave me 300,000 yuan, making a total of 600,000. Since then, I haven’t taken a penny from them. Last year, my dad even had a daughter with his new wife, and when my stepmother moved into my dad’s house, I immediately moved out.”

He sighed: “The money I have isn’t even enough for a down payment on a 30-square-meter apartment. I don’t need to even think about buying a house before I’m 35. If I joined that racing team, with my talent, my life would be completely different.”

“If I continue being a doctor, I might end up getting beaten up or encountering even worse situations. I don’t have high hopes for my luck. Doctors have to spend their whole lives with exams and studies, facing the sadness of life and death. Most don’t make money before 30. Even though my mentor is very good, my monthly salary only just covers my living expenses. So I ended up growing vegetables to reduce food costs.”

Zhang Jue thought, even so, Brother Qin still stayed in this profession and didn’t become a racer, which would earn him more money and spare him the beatings.

At this moment, the music switched to “What Do You Got.” Zhang Jue looked at Qin Xuejun’s profile and couldn’t help but smile.

“This decision sounds a bit silly. You don’t have much money, yet you turned down an opportunity to earn more. Is being a doctor that important to you?”

Qin Xuejun glanced at him: “Yes, I like racing, but being a racer is only my second dream. Being a doctor is more important to me. It’s what I chose. Sometimes I feel a bit regretful for rejecting the team’s offer, but I don’t regret it.”

“Zhang Jue, you have great talent, whether it’s in singing, dancing, or studying. You’ll have a bright future in any of those fields. Figure skating may not be your best option because it’s the hardest path. Whether or not to take this path is a decision only you can make.”

“Once you’ve made your decision, you still have the right to feel regret and have lingering doubts. Just live the life you want.”

At that moment, Zhang Jue looked out at the night and thought a lot.

He was a prodigy, highly anticipated from the moment he debuted. Though he faced many challenges after moving up a level, he had defeated many strong opponents. And as long as he competed, he would always make it to the podium. He was used to being at the top. But if he couldn’t return to his previous form, or worse, if he didn’t continue to improve, Zhang Jue knew he would eventually be left behind by the ever-advancing world.

Retiring at his peak would leave a lasting impression, but if someone who was once brilliant declined to the point where they couldn’t even reach the podium and then retired in disgrace, that would be a tragedy.

In contrast, giving up figure skating to focus on studying, even if it meant he wouldn’t be as famous as before, would offer stability. If he got into a top university, people would still praise him as a scholar.

Once he left competitive sports, barring any accidents, he wouldn’t have to worry about injuries again.

At first, this was how Zhang Jue thought.

But…

“After leaving figure skating, whenever I think back, I’m surprised at how much I loved something, to the point of burning my soul.”

After nearly four hours of driving, they reached Beidaihe and arrived at the beach before sunrise.

The sun slowly rose from the horizon, and the sound of the waves filled their ears.

Qin Xuejun threw over a jacket, and Zhang Jue put it on, feeling like a kid wearing an adult’s clothes.

He put his hands in his pockets, watched the magnificent sunrise, and walked toward the sea. As the water reached his sandals, Zhang Jue turned and waved to Qin Xuejun, who approached, only to be splashed with water.

Zhang Jue beckoned again and joyfully splashed more water.

The two young men, both under twenty, chased and splashed each other by the sea, eventually lying on the sand with their clothes soaking wet.

Zhang Jue breathed lightly and said: “I want to get into the best agricultural university, but I also want to skate.”

Qin Xuejun, breathing heavier, replied: “Agriculture is hard to find a job in, right?”

Zhang Jue said: “Do I look like someone who needs to worry about a job?”

After all, he was the fearless Zhang Jue!

 

Support translation: