The Unreliable Phelps

White walls and blue roofs – this is the quintessential architecture along the Aegean Sea. As the sun sets, the clouds on the horizon turn a deep red, and the sparkling waves on the sea shimmer like precious gems, leaping with energy. The sea breeze carries a distinct scent of olives.

'The view here is truly remarkable!' Zhang Guan couldn't help but exclaim.

This was the villa of Prince Sheikh Rashid in Athens, located right by the Aegean Sea. The villa is of typical Greek architectural style, not very tall but sprawling over a large area, enclosing nearly a kilometer of coastline.

Zhang Guan, accompanied by a 'translator', walked up to the villa's entrance. Before he could take out the golden invitation card, a man who looked like a butler came out and said to Zhang Guan, 'Welcome, Mr. Zhang. I am Mohamed, His Highness the Prince's butler. The Prince is waiting for you inside. Please follow me.'

'Thank you. I'm honored that you recognize me,' Zhang Guan said in Chinese, and the 'translator' beside him translated it into English.

The butler did not seem to doubt the translator's identity and responded politely, 'His Highness the Prince has only invited you, a Chinese guest. When I saw an Oriental face, I knew it must be you.'

The butler led Zhang Guan through the front hall, and a burst of intense rock music came from not far away.

At this point, a young Arab man appeared in Zhang Guan's sight. He was dressed in traditional Arab attire – a snow-white, wide robe, a white headscarf, and a black headband. Zhang Guan guessed that this man was Prince Sheikh Rashid.

'Oh! The fastest man in the world has arrived!' Prince Sheikh Rashid greeted him with a smile.

'Your Highness, it's a pleasure to meet you,' Zhang Guan immediately said.

'I am very pleased to welcome you. Just a while ago, I led the fastest swimmer in the world inside, and now we have the fastest runner in the world here as well,' Prince Sheikh Rashid paused and added, 'I'm talking about Michael Phelps. By the way, do you know him?'

'I've heard of Phelps, but I haven't had the chance to meet him,' Zhang Guan added, 'Americans stay in star-rated hotels, while we stay in the Olympic Village.'

'Perfect. I will introduce you to Phelps! I am looking forward to seeing the fastest man on land and the fastest man in water together,' Prince Sheikh Rashid said, leading Zhang Guan to the backyard.

The heavy rock music surged into Zhang Guan's ears, and the scene before him took him by surprise.

In the center was a swimming pool equipped with a wave pump that created waves periodically. In and around the pool, there were men in swimming trunks and women in bikinis playing. On one side of the pool were a row of lounge chairs, and on the other, a row of white sofas.

A black DJ was spinning records in the corner, and the rock music was coming from there. In a small open area in front of the DJ, colored lights were flashing, and men and women were dancing enthusiastically. Diagonally across was a large marble bar, where a middle-aged bartender was skillfully mixing drinks. Nearby, a long dining table was laden with rows of beers and various freshly cut fruits, with different snacks on the other side. A young waiter stood there holding a tray with two glasses of champagne and two glasses of red wine.

In another corner, smoke was rising. An Arab man in traditional attire was tending to a grill, humming a tune and brushing thick sauce on the meat, which sent a delicious aroma wafting through the air as the fat sizzled on the coals.

'This is a pool party. I should have dressed more casually,' Zhang Guan thought, feeling a bit out of place.

A white man in a casual T-shirt and shorts approached. He was about the same height as Zhang Guan but had a lean build. His long face and prominent ears made him instantly recognizable – it was the swimming superstar Michael Phelps.

'Oh, look who's here – our flying man!' Phelps came over, showing no reserve at their first meeting, and gave Zhang Guan a hearty American hug.

'Hello, Michael, nice to meet you,' Zhang Guan awkwardly used a greeting from his high school textbook.

'Michael, Zhang is probably attending an event like this for the first time and seems a bit reserved. I'll leave him with you to make sure he has a good time,' Prince Sheikh Rashid said.

'No problem, dear Prince. There are great food, drinks, and beautiful women here! It's like paradise!' Phelps said, grabbing Zhang Guan and continuing, 'Zhang, let me show you around!'

Phelps took Zhang Guan straight to the Arab uncle grilling meat, holding up two fingers. The Arab uncle immediately handed two huge meat skewers to Phelps. Phelps gave one to Zhang Guan and said, 'This is the best grilled meat I've ever had! This chef is one of the top barbecue chefs from the UAE. Oh, and by the way, this is camel meat, just flown in from Dubai this morning.'

Zhang Guan took a bite, finding the meat tender and perfectly cooked. The reputation of the top UAE barbecue chef was well deserved, far surpassing the grilled meat master at the provincial sports center.

In domestic training centers, athletes' diets are restricted, especially during pre-competition preparation and competitions. During the pre-competition phase, which lasts for several months, there are strict dietary restrictions. Athletes are not forbidden from eating out, but they must avoid poultry, pork, beef, and fermented sauces. Vegetables and thoroughly cooked pasta are allowed because high temperatures can destroy the active ingredients in stimulants, though they can't eliminate residual clenbuterol. For instance, a gymnastics champion once ate only a bowl of vegetable noodle soup at a restaurant two months before a competition because it was his father's birthday.

In 2004, the requirements for eating meat outside were not as stringent. Organs were absolutely prohibited, and the ban on beef and lamb would come into effect a few years later. By 2012, poultry was entirely banned, and training centers stopped purchasing poultry altogether.

During the competition, restrictions are much stricter. Athletes are not allowed to eat or drink anything outside. They must keep their drinks within their or their coach's sight. Top athletes, like Liu Xiang, won't drink from a bottle of mineral water if it has been out of their sight; they would open a new bottle each time.

After the competition, as long as they pass the urine test, athletes' diets are no longer restricted. They can eat and drink whatever they want, including alcohol. This is why there are often news reports about some top athletes in Europe and America going to clubs and bars for a drink after a competition.

Some might worry, what if there's a spot check or re-examination after the competition?

Athletes' urine samples are divided into A and B samples. They don't collect new samples from the athletes for retesting. If a problem is found in the A sample, they test the B sample. If the B sample also has a problem, the athlete is judged to have used a stimulant, without needing to collect new samples.

There's also a concern about being deliberately drugged while eating out. The types of stimulants used by athletes are well-known. Short-term stimulants like stimulants and blood enhancers are usually taken before a competition and can be detected quickly. They metabolize fast and are out of the system in a few hours or a day, so drugging an athlete before a competition is pointless. The most widely used stimulants are anabolic steroids, which require long-term use to be effective. Occasional use has no effect and metabolizes within a few days. However, if used long-term, the body will show signs even after stopping, and they can be detected.

Diuretics, though not direct stimulants, can reduce the concentration of stimulant metabolites in the urine, making it difficult to detect stimulant components. Therefore, they are also banned.

...

Phelps continued to lead Zhang Guan forward.

A waiter came over with a tray of champagne. Zhang Guan was about to take one when Phelps stopped him.

'Our flying man doesn't need this girly stuff! We need that,' Phelps said, pointing to the marble bar. 'See that bartender? His name is Heinz, and he is the most famous bartender in Austria. I heard His Highness paid a lot to bring him here.'

Phelps dragged Zhang Guan to the bar and said to the bartender, 'Heinz, I brought a new friend. This is Zhang from China, who recently won the men's 100-meter sprint and broke the world record! Can you believe it – a Chinese friend breaking the world record in the 100 meters? Incredible, right!'

The bartender Heinz smiled at Zhang Guan and nodded, then said to Phelps, 'Michael, you better stay away from here. I don't like anyone chattering while I'm mixing drinks.'

'Heinz, our new friend seems a bit reserved. How about making him one of those special drinks to cheer him up!' Phelps suggested.

The bartender hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. He then started adding various liquids and powders to a cocktail shaker, and soon a dark green drink appeared in front of Zhang Guan.

'Try it, dear Zhang. This is good stuff! One glass of this is worth enough to buy a car,' Phelps said with a smile.

Zhang Guan didn't know if Phelps meant a luxury car or a rickshaw, but since Phelps said so, the drink must be valuable. He took a small sip and savored the taste.

'It's a bit sour and bitter, but it's also refreshing,' Zhang Guan thought.

Phelps took Zhang Guan to one of the white sofas by the pool. On one side of the sofa, there was a black man resting. Zhang Guan instantly recognized him – it was Maurice Greene!

'Look who's here, Maurice! It's our new 100-meter champion!' Phelps said, pointing to Zhang Guan.

Maurice Greene's face didn't look friendly at all. As a former 100-meter world record holder and the first to run under 9.80 seconds, Greene felt that his record-breaking performance was undermined by a Chinese man, especially since he was ousted from the Olympic Games as a favorite. Therefore, he didn't have a good impression of Zhang Guan.

In his heart, Maurice Greene didn't believe Zhang Guan's performance was credible. He suspected there was some sort of cheating, such as drugs, although all the doping tests Zhang Guan underwent showed negative results, including both urine and blood tests, and even the hair test didn't reveal any issues. Hair testing has the longest detection period and can detect drug use within the last six months. Despite these results, Greene still doubted Zhang Guan.

Therefore, when he saw Zhang Guan, Maurice Greene snorted coldly.

Phelps seemed to sense the tension and didn't want to worsen the situation, so he took Zhang Guan to the other side of the pool to continue the tour. Zhang Guan noticed a group of familiar people around the corner.

'Is that them?' Zhang Guan wondered.

As he approached, he saw his coach and teammates chatting and laughing together, with the 'translator' standing nearby, clearly feeling left out.

'Hey, Zhang! Over here!' Coach Wang excitedly called out when he saw Zhang Guan.

Zhang Guan hurried over and asked, 'Coach, why are you here too?'

Coach Wang smiled and said, 'His Highness invited us all to this party. He's very friendly. We just got here and were wondering where you were.'

Zhang Guan felt relieved and immediately joined his coach and teammates. The 'translator' was visibly pleased to be among familiar faces and started chatting with everyone.

Just then, Prince Sheikh Rashid walked over with a smile and said to Zhang Guan, 'Mr. Zhang, I hope you're enjoying yourself. Feel free to let me know if you need anything.'

Zhang Guan thanked him sincerely, 'Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness. I'm having a wonderful time.'

Prince Sheikh Rashid nodded, 'That's great to hear. We have more guests arriving soon. Please continue to enjoy the party.'

As the night went on, the party atmosphere became even more lively. Zhang Guan and his team mingled with other guests, enjoying the food, drinks, and music. The swimming pool was now illuminated with colorful lights, and more people were joining in the fun. The party was a blend of cultures and languages, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

By the end of the night, Zhang Guan had made new friends, tasted exotic dishes, and experienced a side of life he had never seen before. It was an unforgettable evening by the Aegean Sea, filled with laughter, music, and new connections.