Chapter 374: Hurdles Under the Doha Sun
by xennovelThis is ‘Doha 24 Hours’. I’m Han Qiaosheng.
Right now, I’m at the Al Khalifa International Stadium on the western shore of the Persian Gulf, bringing you live coverage of this Asian Games…
Up next is a highly anticipated event on today’s schedule: the women’s 100m hurdles final!
……
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Around 9:40 AM in Doha, it’s nearly 3 PM back home.
Chenfeng Technology Park.
Even on a Sunday, workers in the factory are pulling overtime, but they’ve all stopped to watch.
Wu Yue from the administrative department set up several large TVs in the rest areas of various factories.
The main conference room in the comprehensive building is already packed.
Seats ran out ages ago, so everyone’s sitting cross-legged on the floor or even on the conference table.
Xu Zhiquan walked in with two packs of cigarettes, grinning as he opened them and handed them out.
Li Rui and Zhao Feng quickly got up from the floor and joined their boss in passing them around.
……
Tiancheng No. 1 High School.
Right now, the students on campus are mostly senior-year boarders.
Many of them, like Xu Chen and Xie Bingran, come from rural suburbs.
Most have modest backgrounds and see hard work as their only way out.
A few students were hanging out with Li Rui, Fang Tao, and Zhao Feng earlier this year, but they’ve just moved up to senior year.
They used to be Bing Ge’s ‘brothers’…
Led by Vice Principal Zhao, the Discipline Office organized a live viewing event in the Yifu Building’s small auditorium.
Besides the students currently on campus, they invited a group of teachers and staff.
The respected former principal Huang Hua, a legend in Shandong Province’s sports world, sat in the front row, supported by two vice principals.
Xie Bingran’s former homeroom teacher Huang Aiying was on site, coordinating the event.
Under the urging of the hefty Director Liu from the Discipline Office, Huang Aiying, as Xie Bingran’s old teacher, stepped up for a quick speech.
This teacher, who once saw Xie Bingran as a ‘bad example’, now praised her endlessly.
History, after all, is written by the victors.
In the back rows, a few guys were surrounded by students, sharing legendary stories about ‘Bing Ge’.
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Provincial Sports University.
The provincial athletics team teamed up with the university’s athletics research group to organize a viewing session for the Asian Games track events in the indoor arena.
They said it was for all track events, but everyone knew the real focus was the women’s 100m hurdles final.
It’s like wrapping dumplings just for that splash of vinegar…
Xu Chen’s good buddy Chen Dahai stood in the crowd, bragging about ‘Bing Ge’ to those around him.
Tian Chaorui, once ‘Bing Ge’s’ defeated rival, looked up at the banner urging to ‘learn from Xie Bingran’s spirit’, her expression touched.
The ‘street dog’ Xie Bingran, whom she once looked down on, went from the provincial team to the national team and claimed the national championship…
And now, she’s on the Asian Games track.
That height is probably beyond anything she’ll ever reach.
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Tonghai University, in the Little Yellow Building lecture hall.
Banners cheering for Bai Miao waved everywhere.
Yet, plenty of young women silently cheered for ‘Bing Ge’ in their hearts.
……
Huahai Normal University.
Posters of Xie Bingran covered both sides of the main campus path.
Outside Siqun Hall, crowds of students gathered, waving flags with ‘Xie Bingran’ and the national flag.
Inside the grand auditorium, waves of excitement echoed.
……
Lujiazui, Jeep Greater China Headquarters.
It’s a Sunday holiday, but the main conference room is packed with people staring at the computer screen.
Vice President Pang Ming and Director He Da Chang sat upfront, silent.
He Da Chang lit a cigarette for Pang Ming.
The subordinates behind them kept quiet, waiting for the event to start.
Signing Xie Bingran as a spokesperson was a big gamble.
And today, that gamble is about to pay off…
……
Al Khalifa International Stadium.
Here, it’s still morning with the sun blazing.
The on-site host announced the upcoming event in English, and the stands erupted in cheers.
Banners and flags shot up instantly.
Wu Feifei pointed to the opposite stand:
“Look! So many people here to cheer for Bing Ge!”
Besides the opposite stand, the northwest and south sides also had ‘Xie Bingran’ banners and flags.
Nie Fei said:
“Bing Ge’s popularity has really taken off!”
Xu Chen: “We owe a lot to that September match in Osaka…”
“That buzz was massive.”
Su Rong clutched a small banner, already on the verge of tears even before the race started.
Just as Xu Chen said, many domestic fans got hooked on Xie Bingran during the September Osaka showdown.
Like Su Rong beside him.
Xu Chen stood up from the white sofa and moved to the edge of the stand.
……
The cheering squad from Tonghai University in the diagonally opposite C section.
Banners for Bai Miao were already up high.
Too far away, Xu Chen couldn’t make out Qian Xin or Huang Hao’s faces.
……
Xu Chen glanced around and saw fans cheering for other athletes too.
National team member Chen Lan, Japan’s Akabane Kaoru, South Korea’s Kim Sang-cai, India’s Rohana…
These competitors all had solid fan bases with plenty of flags waving.
Especially India’s Rohana.
Qatar and Doha seem to have a lot of South Asian immigrants, all turning out to support Rohana.
The reason for so many Chinese fans is obviously because of Chen Lan and Xie Bingran.
With them competing, the chances of the five-star red flag rising are huge.
……
Xu Chen turned to look at Nie Fei.
Fei Jie glanced back at Xu Chen…
Neither spoke, but they both understood the weight in each other’s minds.
For ‘Ran Bing Sports’, today’s race is crucial.
Nie Fei and Xu Chen should be feeling more tense and invested.
In fact, the outcome could shape ‘Ran Bing Sports’ momentum and its next five years.
Only if Xie Bingran claims ‘Asia’s top spot’ will the ‘Ran Bing Sports’ brand truly stand strong.
Only if she earns the title of ‘Asia’s Female Sprinter’ will the commercial ambitions behind ‘Ran Bing Sports’ have solid prestige.
……
For Xie Bingran herself, many brands and partners are watching this race.
If she wins, it fulfills the commercial value Jeep and Kunlun Mountain bet on.
After that, more brands will line up with cash in hand.
……
Over the speakers, CCTV announcer Han Qiaosheng reported:
“Alright, we can see the athletes entering for warm-ups…”
The stands burst into cheers and applause.
Xu Chen and the others moved to the edge of the stand, eyes fixed on the field!
Nine lanes, nine sets of hurdles stood ready.
At the starting line, the finalists stepped out one by one.
Three figures stood out in their orange-red tracksuits.
It was Chen Lan, Xie Bingran, and Bai Miao…
“Bing Ge’s out!” Wu Feifei exclaimed with excitement.
Su Rong stared wide-eyed, clutching her banner tightly.
Fang Jun grabbed binoculars and muttered:
“Bing Ge looks amazing…”
Nie Fei stood nearby, watching Bing Ge on the field, unable to look away.
When ‘Fei Jie’ first joined ‘Ran Bing Sports’, it was partly because she admired Xu Chen and believed in Xie Bingran’s future commercial potential.
That belief came from watching Bing Ge race in Osaka back in September.
Back then, Fei Jie thought: This girl is destined to shine…
Her track records, her striking looks, her cool vibe, her mysterious and intriguing personality.
Nie Fei had been a bit nervous about today’s race, but seeing Bing Ge now, all worries faded.
……
Xu Chen leaned against the stand edge, gazing down, his thoughts stirring.
Xie Bingran wore an orange-red tracksuit, warming up with Chen Lan and Bai Miao.
From afar, her hair seemed freshly trimmed, a bit shorter than last time.
Among the three, Xie Bingran was the tallest.
And the most eye-catching.
Of course, the most beautiful too…
Maybe it’s that ‘lover’s eye’ thing.
Nie Fei, Wu Feifei, Su Rong… they’re all stunning in their own ways, even called goddesses or campus beauties.
But in Xu Chen’s eyes, none match his Bing.
Bing is the best.
……
……
During the pre-race lull, CCTV’s Han Qiaosheng introduced the key players.
“Chen Lan, one of today’s top favorites, bronze medalist from the last Asian Games.
In July’s National Games in Yangcheng, she narrowly lost to young star Xie Bingran for silver.
But in October’s national indoor championships, she clocked 12.65 seconds, setting a personal best…”
“Xie Bingran, the rising dark horse in women’s 100m hurdles.
She burst onto the scene at the National Youth Athletics Championships with a record-breaking 13.28 seconds, dominating the under-18 category.
At the National Games, she ran 12.62 seconds to beat favorite Chen Lan and shatter a 13-year-old record, claiming the national title.
In September’s East Asia Youth Games, Xie Bingran crushed the field with 12.58 seconds.
Her anti-Japan battle made her a star overnight, her momentum unstoppable!”
“Today marks the second showdown between Chen Lan and Xie Bingran.
At 25, Chen Lan is at her peak; at 18, Xie Bingran is a force of nature…
This clash will go down in Chinese and Asian track history…”
“Another favorite is India’s star Rohana.
This athlete, who rose from Indian slums, is the 2002 Asian Games silver medalist, losing to China’s veteran Feng Youping.
Before Xie Bingran’s emergence, the top contenders here were Chen Lan and Rohana!”
……
……
Xu Chen stood at the stand edge, suddenly lost in thought.
In his past life’s memories, Xie Bingran hadn’t debuted by the 2006 Asian Games.
She truly rose four years later at the Yangcheng Asian Games.
That’s when she earned the ‘Asia’s Female Sprinter’ title.
So, today’s result is still up in the air for Xu Chen.
He’s full of confidence in Bing Ge, but can’t shake the nerves.
Maybe it’s because caring makes you overthink.
Watching the athletes on the track amid the roaring crowd, Xu Chen wondered what Xie Bingran was feeling right now.
……
……
“Is it starting?”
Wu Feifei was too tense to sit, gripping the stand railing with a worried face.
Su Rong clung to Wu Feifei’s arm, shrinking back, almost afraid to watch.
Fang Jun had grabbed that bottle of white wine, hugging it tight while staring at the track with unease.
On the track.
The nine finalists were in position, adjusting their starting blocks or shaking out their bodies.
Xie Bingran had shed her jacket, revealing a light-colored tank top and black shorts.
……
The stadium’s loudspeakers introduced the athletes one by one.
In the VIP stand speakers, it was Han Qiaosheng’s broadcast.
Each time the camera hit a player, cheers erupted.
Xie Bingran was in lane four, right in the middle—usually reserved for the top seeds.
“Lane one, Kim Sang-cai, South Korea…”
“Lane two, Bai Miao, China…”
Bai Miao waved at the camera, her cute smile flashing on the LED screen above the field.
The C section stands, with Tonghai University’s cheering squad, exploded in noise.
Bai Miao even turned to wave at her alma mater’s group.
“Lane three, Akabane Kaoru, Japan…”
“Lane four, Xie Bingran, China…”
The on-site host mangled “Xie Bingran” with a strange accent.
When her cool, striking features hit the big screen, the whole stadium roared.
In the VIP stand, Xu Chen and his group held up their largest banner.
“Born Invincible, Heaven-Sent Ice”…
Maybe it was fate, or the cameraman’s sharp eye, because they caught it just right.
Those eight words flashed on the main screen.
Everyone in the stadium and watching at home saw the banner.
Han Qiaosheng quickly picked up on it, murmuring:
“Born Invincible, Heaven-Sent Ice…”
……
Xie Bingran glanced up at the big screen overhead.
A warm smile broke through her icy expression.
……
……
“Lane five, Chen Lan, China…”
Chen Lan looked determined, waving at the camera and sparking more cheers.
“Lane six, Rohana, India…”
The applause and yells were the loudest yet.
“Lane seven, Tadashi Taguchi, Japan…”
“Lane eight, Korkunova, Kazakhstan…”
“Lane nine, Jang Mi-na, South Korea…”
……
……
The preparatory whistle blew, and the nine athletes crouched at the starting line.
The crowd’s noise vanished in an instant, leaving utter silence.
……
In that absolute quiet.
In one fleeting moment.
The starting pistol fired.
……
From dead silence to explosive chaos, it felt like a brief delay.
And in those seconds, she…
Tore through the track, crushed the competition without mercy.
No hesitation, no holding back.
Turning doubts into an unyielding triumph.
……
……
“Ladies and gentlemen watching live and at home.
Powerful and ruthless.
Resolute and unyielding!
Heaven-Sent Ice, Born Invincible…
If you’ve never seen what ‘rising star’ means, remember this moment.
If you’ve never grasped ‘talent and genius’, remember this name.
Xie Bingran…”
……
“12.42 seconds—commit that number to memory!
Since 1995, that record held by Kazakhstan’s Shishkina for eleven years…
Today, it’s broken!”
“12.42 seconds—commit that number to memory!
12.40 seconds was seen as an unbreakable barrier for Asians…
Today, she’s right on its heels!”