First Attempt at 200 Meters

Early in the morning, Zhang Guan rushed to the airport, preparing to return to the Xinzhuang training base. While waiting for his flight, he received a call from Zhuge Wenbo.

"Zhang Guan, the endorsement with Cola has been finalized. It's a three-year deal, one advertisement per year, totaling 25 million. Additionally, several big companies have contacted us about potential endorsements since yesterday," Zhuge Wenbo said.

"So soon? Before I left for Yokohama, wasn't Cola still haggling over the price, quibbling over ten thousand here and there? How did it get settled so quickly? Wenbo, you're really efficient," Zhang Guan said, his mood lifted by the news of incoming money.

"It's not about my efficiency; it's thanks to you breaking another world record. Originally, Cola was dragging their feet, but as soon as news of your new world record came out, they immediately agreed to our terms and requested to sign the contract. Their information channels are faster than mine, so I suspected something was up when they agreed so quickly. I delayed for a few hours on purpose and found out you broke another world record. So, I raised the price a bit more, and we settled the deal yesterday," Zhuge Wenbo explained.

Zhang Guan nodded. Breaking the world record twice in a month showcased his extraordinary potential, making it clear that he would likely break it again soon. This gave his team the upper hand, prompting Cola to agree to Zhuge Wenbo's higher terms. Nike, who had already signed with Zhang Guan, must be secretly pleased.

After ending the call with Zhuge Wenbo, Zhang Guan prepared to board his flight. However, his phone rang again as he passed through the boarding gate.

"Hello, Mr. Zhang, this is Huang Weida. Congratulations on breaking another world record," Huang Weida said.

"Thank you. Congratulations to you too," Zhang Guan replied.

"I have selected a few shop spaces in prime locations in Hong Kong. The locations, sizes, photos, and estimated prices have been sent to your email. When you have time, take a look and let me know which one you're interested in, and I'll have someone negotiate the purchase," Huang Weida continued.

"Thank you, Mr. Huang. I'm about to board a plane now, but I'll check my email and get back to you as soon as I can," Zhang Guan replied.

"The matter in the U.S. has been handled. There hasn't been much fluctuation in Fruit Company's stock over the past two days, so the final transaction price wasn't too high, but it wasn't too low either. As for that FB you mentioned, their founder has agreed to our terms. We got 32% of FB's shares for 1.5 million USD, though they are all Class A shares," Huang Weida said.

"That's fantastic!" Zhang Guan was so excited he almost jumped up. Although the 32% shares would be diluted in future financing and IPOs, their eventual market value would definitely be in the billions.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Huang!" Zhang Guan said, while Huang Weida, on the other end, was a bit surprised. Zhang Guan hadn't shown such enthusiasm even when discussing shop spaces or Fruit Company stock, which involved transactions worth over a billion HKD. Yet, a deal involving less than 20 million HKD for FB had him so excited.

"It seems Zhang Guan has high hopes for FB! I wonder what's so special about this website that attracts him so much," Huang Weida thought to himself.

...

After the National Athletics Grand Prix finals, this year's track and field competitions were concluded. The next domestic track meet wouldn't start until around March next year.

The day after the National Athletics Grand Prix was the Mid-Autumn Festival. At the airport, Zhang Guan transferred flights back to the provincial capital and finally arrived home that night. After spending the Mid-Autumn Festival with his parents, Zhang Guan bid them farewell and flew back to the training base.

During the Golden Week of October, while crowds flocked to the Huangpu River in Shanghai to visit China's most modern city, Zhang Guan began his 200-meter sprint training at the Xinzhuang base.

Coach Yu came specially from the capital to provide one-on-one guidance for Zhang Guan. Coach Yu had specialized in the 200-meter sprint in his younger days and had broken the national 200-meter record multiple times. His experience and skills made him the perfect coach for this event. However, this deputy head coach of the national athletics team had to start teaching from the basics, including the starting stance.

The main difference between the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints? The latter includes a curve.

In the 200-meter sprint, athletes start on the curve, requiring adjustments to their starting position and initial sprint. In the 100-meter sprint, athletes can start by simply charging forward, but the 200-meter sprint requires additional adjustments for the curve.

First, the positioning of the starting blocks must be adjusted. In the 200-meter sprint, correctly placing the starting blocks can improve the time by about 0.2 seconds, a significant advantage in sprinting. The angle of the blocks should be set so the athlete doesn't veer off the track during the start, and the height should be lower because acceleration on the curve cannot match that on a straight. Lower blocks make it easier to control the body.

In the 200-meter sprint, athletes should avoid lowering their heads too much and need to be aware of surrounding runners to avoid collisions. Body collisions are rare in straight sprints but more common on curves where runners are close together and accelerating quickly. Even a 0.1-second loss due to a collision can be critical in a 200-meter sprint.

There are numerous technical points and considerations for starting on a curve, followed by techniques for running on the curve, transitioning from the curve to the straight, and breathing while running, all of which are new to Zhang Guan compared to the 100-meter sprint.

Another critical point when running on the curve is to avoid stepping on the lane lines, which constitutes a foul and disqualification. Since the 200-meter sprint is a race against time, athletes aim to run as close to the inside lane as possible to minimize the distance. Running close to the inner line without stepping on it is a necessary skill.

In sprint races, athletes focus on looking ahead and cannot lower their heads to watch the lane lines. Top sprinters reach speeds exceeding 11 meters per second at the end of the curve. Controlling the body to run close to the inside line without stepping on it at such speeds requires not only skill and body control but also extensive training and experience.

...

Coach Yu taught Zhang Guan the key techniques for the 200-meter sprint. However, he was somewhat disappointed by Zhang Guan's slow progress. After a full day of training, there was no noticeable improvement.

Without the system's help, Zhang Guan's athletic talent was quite average. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been just a national second-class athlete in his previous life. Don't think athletes are all muscle and no brains. In the domestic selection system, those who make it to the national team must have top physical talent and an exceptional ability to learn sports techniques. No brainless fool could make it into the national team.

While Zhang Guan wasn't dumb, he wasn't a genius either. He was average compared to the national team's quick learners in sports techniques. The 100-meter sprint required fewer technical skills, allowing Zhang Guan to achieve his current success quickly. In other technically demanding sports, even with system help, it would likely take Zhang Guan one or two years to excel.

So, after a day of training, Zhang Guan's performance on the curve could still be described as "clumsy."

"Alas…" Coach Yu sighed as he watched Zhang Guan on the track. "It seems Zhang Guan, like many 100-meter runners, can't handle the 200 meters."

As a national team sprint coach, Coach Yu had seen countless athletes. He could tell if an athlete had potential for the 200 meters after two or three hours of training. Clearly, Zhang Guan lacked that potential.

"Better not let Zhang Guan waste time on the 200 meters. He doesn't seem to have the talent for it," Coach Yu thought, worrying that bluntly telling Zhang Guan might harm his enthusiasm and confidence. "He's a young athlete, after all, and not as mentally resilient as the veterans. I'll need to be tactful."

As Coach Yu pondered, he took out his stopwatch and said to Zhang Guan, "You trained all day yesterday. Run once more and let's see how it goes!"

Zhang Guan nodded and walked to the starting line.

"We'll let his performance speak for itself. With his current curve technique, he won't achieve a good time in the 200 meters. Once we see the results, I'll tell him he's not suited for the 200 meters and provide some mental guidance," Coach Yu thought as he prepared to give the start command.

"On your marks, get set, go!" Coach Yu called out instead of using the starting gun, pressing the stopwatch as Zhang Guan started.

As Zhang Guan took off, he activated his master-level "Curve Sprint" skill.

Coach Yu sighed again. Zhang Guan's first two steps brought him closer to the inside of the track, but after that, he lost form. His body wasn't inclined correctly, his arm movements and foot placement were off, and he drifted toward the middle of the track. The day's practice seemed wasted, and Zhang Guan appeared an amateur in the 200 meters. Coach Yu began to think that having Zhang Guan train for the 200 meters might have been a mistake.

Athletes skilled in running curves accelerate on the bend, while those who aren't slow down. A single curve could result in a difference of over a second, an unbridgeable gap in sprinting.

"Better stop Zhang Guan from training for the 200 meters. His training time is too precious to waste," Coach Yu thought, not even watching Zhang Guan on the track, but contemplating how to talk to him.

When Zhang Guan crossed the finish line, Coach Yu instinctively pressed the stopwatch. After decades of experience, he could accurately time an athlete's finish without conscious thought, even while preoccupied with other concerns. He was already thinking about how to tell Zhang Guan that he shouldn't pursue the 200 meters and provide mental support.

With his mind made up, Coach Yu walked towards Zhang Guan, glancing at the stopwatch out of habit.

Then he stopped abruptly, his mouth agape in shock. The number on the stopwatch left Coach Yu's mind blank...