Chapter 501: Office Cheers for the Race

The office.

A few guys had set up a big screen in the rest area, tuned to the CCTV Sports Channel.

They were broadcasting the International Athletics Grand Prix, with a long jump qualifying round underway.

Since no domestic athletes were competing and long jump isn’t the most thrilling event, viewership was low.

Without the upcoming women’s 100m hurdles, this long jump might not have made it onto CCTV at all.

Still, it was a contest that sorted the best from the rest, and they watched with keen interest.

The guys pushed together a long table, loaded it with pizzas, fried chicken, cola, and more—perfect for a Thursday afternoon treat.

After hiring new staff post-New Year, including interns, the place buzzed with energy.

Wu Feifei was already there, munching on her requested Margherita pizza and chatting happily with Nie Fei.

Xu Chen and Su Rong arrived fashionably late, drawing everyone’s attention as they joined the group.

“The race doesn’t start for a bit—grab some food first!” Nie Fei said with a smile.

Su Rong sat next to Wu Feifei and dug into some chicken wings with enthusiasm.

…

During a break from watching, Xu Chen glanced back and saw Gu Xinxi and Sun Aimi still working at their desks.

He walked over and checked; Gu Xinxi was updating project coordination spreadsheets, while Sun Aimi handled follow-up tasks for the Cadillac project.

“Take a break and eat something—you can pick this up later,” Xu Chen said with a grin.

Sun Aimi: “Sure, boss, I’ll be right there!”

Gu Xinxi suddenly remembered something else:

“Boss, we’ve had quite a few clients reach out this month.

The Baidu ads went live and performed great; some internet products have come knocking.

Plus, joining ‘China 4A’ has clients contacting us through the association.

Aimi and I screened them; a few clients and projects look promising—I already sent them to your email.”

Xu Chen nodded:

“Let’s hold off on new projects for now—you’re all swamped. Aimi, get those two new designers on board first.

The last interviewees didn’t cut it; ask Tang Mo to scout around in the industry.

Once we’re staffed up, I’ll review things. We’ll only take on solid projects that fit without overloading us.

Remember, we’re a small team—focus on quality, not quantity, to avoid burning out.”

“Got it, boss!”

Earlier, Xu Chen had faced heavy pressure to make money, mainly to fund the initial cash needs for Ran Bing Sports.

Now, with Ran Bing 001 selling steadily, revenue and cash flow there are stabilizing.

Also, as ‘Young Xu Chen’ holds half the shares in Lifeng Footwear, we can manage production payments flexibly and extend payment terms.

Even profits and dividends from there can support ongoing investments in Ran Bing Sports.

Ran Bing Sports doesn’t require massive funds for nationwide stores or big marketing pushes yet, so cash demands are under control.

That means Xu Chen can take it easy here and not rush into new ad projects.

From now on, pick projects that spark interest, especially those tied to Xie Bingran, and enjoy the ride.

…

…

The office fell silent as the TV switched to the women’s 100m hurdles qualifying round.

The athletes hadn’t entered yet; the camera showed nine empty lanes and rows of neatly set hurdles.

The shot panned calmly over the track, serene and visually striking, yet charged with the tension of competition.

Commentating for CCTV Sports Channel was the host Tong Kexin.

“Hello, viewers, welcome to the International Athletics Grand Prix in Zurich for the women’s 100m hurdles qualifying round.”

“This is the final qualifying group.

The Grand Prix format mixes invitations based on world rankings with open entries…

Once today’s races end, along with the previous groups, the nine finalists will be set.”

“Back home, evening is falling, but in Zurich, it’s still morning with sunny skies at Letzigrund Stadium…

The athletes haven’t come out, but you can see a good crowd in the stands from the camera.”

…

“Today’s event features China’s young stars Xie Bingran and Bai Miao making their debut on this top international stage.

In yesterday’s group, veteran Chen Lan, who won silver at the Asian Games, unfortunately didn’t advance.

So, the push for the finals now rests on these two newcomers.”

“Xie Bingran is well-known; after her National Games gold and record break, she claimed gold in Doha and set another record.

She’s the dominant force in Asian women’s 100m hurdles and last year’s biggest surprise in Chinese athletics.

Whether Xie Bingran can represent China and Asians by reaching the finals is today’s biggest question and the hope of millions.”

“Xie Bingran excels on the track and has a huge fanbase at home.

I know many of you watching are rooting for her.

Today, let’s cheer for Xie Bingran and Bai Miao!”

…

…

After a wide overhead shot of the stadium, the camera cut to the entrance.

The nine competitors began entering.

In the meeting room, everyone dropped their chats and snacks, eyes glued to the screen.

No one knew yet which lane Xie Bingran would take…

Unlike past events Xu Chen had watched, there was no warm-up segment; athletes just entered and headed straight to their lanes.

They must have warmed up elsewhere before coming in.

The first one out the entrance, waving to the crowd, was Bai Miao.

On TV, CCTV’s Tong Kexin announced:

“And taking lane one is China’s young talent Bai Miao.

Last month at the National Athletics Championships, she hit a personal best of 13.01 seconds and took bronze.

She’s now a top-three hurdler in China and top-ten in Asia…”

Bai Miao sported two bun hairstyles, reminiscent of Nezha from future animated films.

In her light silver tank top and shorts, she strode onto the track with a fierce, determined look.

A small red national flag stood out on her top.

Xu Chen hadn’t gone to the Little Yellow Building lecture hall to watch.

But he imagined Bai Miao’s entrance must have sparked cheers and applause.

“In lane two, we have Grace Tapper from Jamaica…”

…

“Lane four features the Canadian hurdling star Lopez Schlip.

With a personal best of 12.40 seconds, she’s in peak form and a top favorite to win.”

As the Canadian athlete appeared, the crowd erupted in cheers.

In the meeting room, seeing this black female competitor, everyone couldn’t help but react with surprise.

“Whoa… she’s built like a tank!”

“Straight out of a superhero story—that muscle mass is insane!”

“She could take on a whole group of guys in a fight!”

Xu Chen recalled the athlete gossip Huang Hao had shared before.

“The Muscle Devil” Lopez Schlip was said to have a genetic mutation.

Huang Hao called her the real-life Hulk, and seeing her on TV, Xu Chen had to agree.

Her massive frame looked like a solid wall of iron on screen.

Su Rong held a fry, hesitating as she said:

“Bing Ge has to race against someone like that…”

Wu Feifei studied the screen:

“She’s super bulky, but maybe a bit shorter than Bing Ge.”

The TV displayed some athlete stats.

Xu Chen noted she was indeed a little shorter than Bing Ge’s 175 cm.

Lopez Schlip’s personal best was 12.40 seconds, just ahead of Xie Bingran’s 12.42.

Though the difference was tiny, for elite athletes, it could be an unbeatable gap.

“Now in lane five, it’s Damu Cheli from the USA, a world-class hurdler.

She won the North American leg of the IAAF Diamond League in 2004.

But a positive drug test led to her results being voided and a ban until now.

This is her first competition since returning…

Her best valid time is 12.41 seconds from the 2004 US Indoor Championships…”

In sprint hurdles, the central lanes like four and five usually hold the top seeds.

…

The athletes took their positions.

Besides Bai Miao, the rest were all black competitors.

Against their muscular, dark-skinned frames, Bai Miao stood out as fair and delicate.

“And now, entering is the record-breaker from the Asian Games women’s 100m hurdles, Xie Bingran…”

The moment Bing Ge appeared on screen, Su Rong and Wu Feifei jumped to their feet.

Realizing they were blocking others, the two girls quickly sat back down, buzzing with excitement.

“Bing Ge looks so cool!” Su Rong whispered.

Xu Chen stared at the screen, thinking, She still looks as stunning as ever—I really miss you…

With her signature short hair, she took her place, her eyes sharp and intense.

Today, she wore an ice-blue tank top with a bold red national flag on the left chest.

No denying it, that ice-blue outfit matched the vibe of the Chenfeng Ice Power promotion perfectly.

…

Nine lanes, nine athletes ready.

Bai Miao in lane one, Xie Bingran in lane eight.

The other seven lanes held black athletes.

In that lineup, the two fair-skinned Asian women in lanes one and eight really stood out.

Compared to the others’ powerful builds, both Bai Miao and Xie Bingran looked more slender.

Amid the group of strong figures, they seemed oddly out of place.

The camera highlighted these racial and genetic differences clearly.

At the same time, it reinforced the long-hyped idea:

Just competing against these athletes was already making history…

…

The starting pistol fired.

The high-angle camera swept across the runners.

Everyone held their breath.

It was over in just seconds.

…

“What place?”

“Can’t tell!”

“Bing Ge was out front, but neck and neck with a couple of those black runners at the finish…”

…

In the meeting room, everyone stood up without thinking.

Wu Feifei and Su Rong hugged each other tightly.

“The athletes are looking up at the big screen for the results…”

“First place: Lopez Schlip, 12.43 seconds…”

“Second place: Xie Bingran, 12.44 seconds…”

…

“Second! Does that mean she’s in the finals?!”

“She made it, right?! That’s second place!”

“She beat that doper and finished ahead—definitely qualifying!”

…

…

“Ladies and gentlemen!

All qualifying results are now finalized…

China’s Xie Bingran has advanced to the finals!”

“This is a major breakthrough for Chinese athletics in women’s 100m hurdles and a historic moment for Asia and Asians.

China, Asia, Asians are stepping onto the world stage, aiming for a top-three medal!”

“Let’s congratulate Xie Bingran and State Athletics Team head coach Sun Mouping!

And Chinese athletics as a whole!”

“From the Asian Games to the National Championships and now this Grand Prix qualifying, Xie Bingran has consistently broken into the 12.40 range…

She’s virtually locked in for finals at world events like this!”

“On the 28th, 10 AM Zurich time, 5 PM Beijing time…

Xie Bingran will represent China, Asia, and Asians in the Grand Prix finals for the first time.

Let’s all look forward to and witness this historic event!”

…

The meeting room erupted in celebration.

Xu Chen covered his ears against Wu Feifei and Su Rong’s piercing screams.

He glanced at Bing Ge on screen, calmly leaving the track, and couldn’t help but think:

“Only second place, huh…

Is it because I didn’t go watch that you’re holding back again?”