The Self-Cultivation of a Reborn Massage Therapist

Chapter 23 Encountering a Legend
Audience members began to have their tickets checked and enter the venue.

Zhao Xiaochui, with his work badge hanging around his neck, walked alone down another passage.

He limped behind, while Li Ying was already warming up in the stadium, and the team members didn't wait for him.

The passage was long, and Zhao Xiaochui moved forward step by step, seeing all sorts of people along the way: athletes, coaches, sports rehabilitation therapists, team doctor assistants, assistant referees, reporters... Among the crowd, one figure stood out.

It was a young woman in a Jiangsu provincial team uniform, not very tall and slightly plump. She was resting against the wall, her eyes closed and wearing a headset. Passersby, regardless of their status, all treaded softly, as if afraid of disturbing her. There was an empty space in front of her, while the other side of the passageway seemed somewhat crowded.

Zhao Xiaochui felt the face looked familiar, guessing it was a famous athlete, but didn't think much of it.

Considering that he was temporarily lame, he quickened his pace, intending to pass by the girl quickly, and like the others, he also made his footsteps quiet.

Unexpectedly, when I walked up to her, the girl suddenly moved.

She straightened up, intending to head to the warm-up area.

"Crack~"

It was a very soft sound, a very ordinary, unintentional physical contact.

"Break!"

A clear, low shout reached the girl's ears.

She glanced at the little cripple with a surprised look, gave him an apologetic smile, and then disappeared into the passage.

Zhao Xiaochui remained motionless, his body trembling slightly. At this moment, his warm right hand was burning hot, and the heat in his body seemed to exude a joyful and eager emotion.

Hot current likes that athlete.

Fortunately, Zhao Xiaochui managed to control himself.

We arrived at the warm-up area.

Li Ying was warming up with a training barbell, assisted by her coach and assistant coaching team. Everyone on the team was wearing headphones, suggesting there were other team members off the court, probably the technical analysis team.

Doctor Dong and his team were squatting nervously to the side, paying close attention to Li Ying's muscle changes.

The correct job title for Dong Baojianshi should be team doctor assistant, a mid-level position, a certified sports rehabilitation therapist, with a salary of 20,000.

Where is Zhao Xiaochui?

As a general laborer, his main job was to sit on a small stool next to Li Ying's chair.

This location is very close to the competition venue, making it the prime spot in the entire training ground.

There was no way around it; the venue was in Beijing, she was from the Beijing team, it was the National Training Center, and her father worked for the State General Administration of Sport…

Zhao Xiaochui slowly sat down on the stool, ignoring the busy crowd, and of course, no one paid any attention to him either.

His thoughts were still lingering on the accidental contact just now—in that instant, he felt a body riddled with wounds: injured knees, injured wrists, injured neck, injured ankles, primary sciatic nerve damage, peripheral nerve damage, lumbar muscle strain...

Zhao Xiaochui took out his phone, opened Bing+, and entered "female weightlifter, 58kg class"...

It's very simple, the first one is the girl's photo.

Chen Yanqing.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time World Championship gold medalist, two-time Asian Games gold medalist, and multiple national championship and National Games gold medalist...

Countless times they turned the tide and raised the five-star flag on the international stage.

She is one of China's top ten athletes, a provincial model worker, a legendary figure in women's weightlifting, and the pride of Chinese sports.

Could it be that my cheat code is patriotic?

Zhao Xiaochui tilted his head and thought for a long time, but he couldn't figure it out.

I heard people talking nearby:
"Chen Yanqing is here too."

"What is she doing here, inviting humiliation?"

"Her era has long passed."

"How long has it been since she last participated in a competition?"

"I've heard that some people maintain a regular training schedule."

"Don't let me be the first one to appear later? That would be ridiculous."

The whispers around him made Zhao Xiaochui a little uncomfortable. But there was nothing he could do; he knew everyone was telling the truth.

The heat flow told him that the girl had a serious problem with her right wrist. Considering Li Ying's physical condition and grades, the girl was essentially risking serious injury to join in the fun.

This is Coach Li Ying touching her headphones and listening to something:
"Just got some news. Chen Yanqing was personally invited by the leaders of the Sports Bureau to guarantee her a spot."

If no one can achieve the gold medal performance of the previous Olympics in this competition, then she will be selected for this Olympics.

Two months is enough time for them to recover from their injury and complete their rehabilitation training.

"Why should I?" someone protested.

"Based on the fact that at least three international athletes have qualified this year and have the ability to challenge the world record."

"..."

Zhao Xiaochui looked at his phone and suddenly realized that the world record was set by that girl; it was a weight that made people look up to her and despair.

Yes, ten years ago.

…………

The competition hadn't even started when there were some hiccups. But it wasn't unexpected, and Li Ying's team's plans didn't need to change.

Their target weight already exceeded that of the previous Olympics.

Li Ying's draw number was not good; the draw number and weight determine the order of appearance for the lifters during the lift phase.

The match is about to begin.

Li Ying sat on the rest chair, drenched in sweat, while Zhao Xiaochui, sitting on a stool next to her, began to examine her.

The heat from the acupoints around her knees had disappeared, indicating that the chubby girl had used up a lot of energy during the warm-up, but Zhao Xiaochui didn't add any more for her. The match was long, and he needed to save it for later.

It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone. If Li Ying had stopped training, Zhao Xiaochui was confident that she would be close to full recovery by now. Unfortunately, her mind was entirely focused on the competition.

But was her motivation for the competition truly pure?

Look at Chen Yanqing, she only has one coach and one sports rehabilitation therapist by her side. Then look at her, she has a group of coaches, a group of sports rehabilitation therapists, and who knows how many analysis coaches are on the sidelines, oh yeah, and a random handyman.

Beside her, two equally important teammates from the Beijing team will provide cover for her.

Zhao Xiaochui didn't understand, but he did understand that history is written by the victors, regardless of how they achieved their victory.

After checking the knees and then the muscles, Zhao Xiaochui, seeing the warm-up had been very effective, patted Li Ying's long, white legs and exclaimed loudly:
"You're in good shape. Keep your mindset and avoid sudden tension or relaxation, as that can affect your muscles."

Li Ying nodded, then suddenly shouted:
"Ha~"

Then, he stormed onto the field.

She was accompanied by the chubby coach and Dong.

Those who remained weren't idle either. They communicated with the off-field analysis coach through headphones, analyzing the condition of their competitors, recent news, and their personal bests. Then:

"Have Xiao Liu try lifting heavier weights to squeeze the weight out, and have Xiao Li lift lighter weights for the first two attempts, following Chen Yanqing's weight calls."

These people are Li Ying's teammates, pawns who can be discarded at any time.

"The others continue to observe."

Zhao Xiaochui and his team members stared at the big screen.

It was Chen Yanqing who successfully lifted 100 kilograms.

Her expression was calm, and she made no other unnecessary movements, only gently rubbing her right wrist.

When she left the field, the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause for the first time. Behind her, several middle-aged people wearing national team uniforms also stood up and applauded.

Does this ordinary result deserve applause?
Zhao Xiaochui suddenly frowned, looking at Li Ying on the screen.

She's next.

Chen Yanqing brushed past the chubby girl, giving her a friendly nod.

Li Ying suddenly took a deep breath and looked at the back of the audience with a complicated expression. Those middle-aged men were obviously leaders of the national team.

She was nervous.

(End of this chapter)