Golden League Debut

On June 30th, just one day before the IAAF Golden League in Paris, the hype surrounding the battle for the "World's Fastest Man" reached its peak.

Due to a doping scandal, Justin Gatlin was absent from this event, leaving Asafa Powell as the only real threat to Zhang Guan.

In the morning, the organizers held a press conference for each event. Almost all the participating athletes attended, making it a pre-race meeting for everyone.

"Zhang! It's great to see you again," Powell greeted Zhang Guan warmly.

"Asafa, congratulations on your impressive 9.77-second performance in Athens," Zhang Guan shook hands with Powell courteously and continued, "Do you remember what I told you during last year's Olympics?"

"What did you say?" Powell was momentarily puzzled.

"Last year, I also ran a 9.77-second race. You congratulated me, and I told you, 'Next year, you'll achieve this time too, maybe even on this track.' How about it, Asafa, do you remember now? My prediction was spot on!" Zhang Guan said with a smile.

Powell's expression suddenly changed as he recalled the scene from last year's Olympic finals. Zhang Guan indeed told him those words, but Powell hadn't taken them seriously, thinking Zhang Guan was just being polite. Today, Zhang Guan's reminder brought the memory flooding back. As predicted, Powell had indeed run 9.77 seconds the following year in Athens, the same venue that hosted the Olympics.

"How is this possible? A coincidence? It's too incredible!" Powell stared at Zhang Guan in astonishment, while Zhang Guan maintained his composed smile.

"Alright, Asafa, don't dwell on it too much. Just think of me as having some magic," Zhang Guan knew that at this moment, Powell's confidence had been slightly shaken. To truly defeat Powell psychologically, Zhang Guan needed to keep beating him in future competitions, breaking his spirit over time.

During the press conference, both Zhang Guan and Powell appeared, chatting amiably with each other. The friendly exchange lacked the intense rivalry the media had hoped for, leaving them a bit disappointed. However, it heightened the anticipation for the following day's contest to see who would ultimately be crowned the world's fastest man.

After dinner, Liu Feiren (Flying Liu) planned to go to bed early, but he couldn't sleep no matter how much he tossed and turned.

"Golden League! I'm so nervous! But also so excited!" Liu Feiren got up and walked to the window, opening it to breathe in the fresh air and calm himself down.

A warm breeze hit Liu Feiren's face. Although the temperature in Paris in June and July is usually quite mild, every year a few heat waves hit Europe, and a heat wave had just arrived. Therefore, it was still quite warm outside.

Due to the weather, the street in front of the hotel was full of people dressed lightly, especially young people getting ready for their nightlife, wearing tank tops, short skirts, and shorts. Liu Feiren felt he had a feast for his eyes.

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in Liu Feiren's sight—it was Zhang Guan. And beside him was a tall, blonde woman.

"A foreign girl? Where did Zhang Guan find a foreign girl? Who is she?" Liu Feiren's curiosity peaked. But from his angle and height, he couldn't see the woman's face clearly. He identified the man as Zhang Guan due to their daily training together and mutual familiarity.

"Zhang Guan and the foreign girl went into the hotel! Looks like they're going back to the room together!" Liu Feiren quickly moved to his door, peeking through the peephole. Zhang Guan lived directly across from him, so Curious Liu was eager to see what kind of girl Zhang Guan had brought back.

"It's great to speak English well; you can even find a foreign girl. Wait, this is France, they should speak French, right? Has Zhang Guan been secretly learning French? French people should also speak English, right?" Liu Feiren mulled over these thoughts while waiting for Zhang Guan and the girl to return.

However, despite waiting for a long time, there was no sign of Zhang Guan, and no one passed by. The door across remained unopened.

"Why haven't they come up yet? Considering the time, they should have arrived by now. Did they get stuck in the elevator?" Liu Feiren continued to wait patiently but saw no one.

"Could they really be stuck in the elevator?" Liu Feiren immediately put on his clothes and headed toward the elevator, only to find all the elevators working normally.

"Did they not come up at all?" The curious Liu took the elevator to the ground floor but still couldn't find Zhang Guan.

Meanwhile, in the suite upstairs, Zhang Guan and Sharapova were entwined together.

"Darling, don't forget you have a race tomorrow," Sharapova reminded him.

"No worries, I can make up for it," Zhang Guan thought as he checked the system's items and decided he should buy some more stamina recovery potions.

On the day of the Golden League Paris meet.

Liu Feiren's event was before Zhang Guan's. The men's 110-meter hurdles would be followed by the women's 800 meters, then the men's 800 meters, and finally the much-anticipated 100-meter sprint. Due to the media hype about the battle for the world's fastest man, the men's 100-meter sprint was scheduled as the final event.

In the 110-meter hurdles, Liu Feiren ran an impressive 13.06 seconds, his best time this year. However, his two main rivals, France's Ladji Doucouré and the USA's Allen Johnson, performed even better, leaving Liu Feiren in third place.

Failing to take first place left Liu Feiren a bit downcast. Although it was his first time participating in the Golden League, he had hoped to win the championship. Looking at Zhang Guan, who came over to comfort him, Liu Feiren said, "I lost. No chance for the 100 kilograms of gold now. It's up to you next."

"Don't worry about it. We're still young; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future," Zhang Guan reassured him, knowing that what Liu Feiren cared about wasn't the gold but the honor of the championship.

Taking a deep breath and adjusting his mood, Liu Feiren said, "You're right. Youth is our asset, and my performance wasn't bad either. If I can get into slightly better shape, I might even break 13 seconds. You should get ready; the two 800-meter races will be over soon, and then it's your turn."

At this point, Liu Feiren remembered Zhang Guan's escapade with the blonde woman the previous night and hoped Zhang Guan hadn't exhausted himself. He kindly asked, "How did you sleep last night? Are you still feeling okay?"

Zhang Guan sensed something strange in Liu Feiren's question, wondering if he knew something. His stamina was only at 73 points according to the system, which wasn't ideal for a high-level competition like this.

"Don't worry! No problem at all! I'll break a record!" Zhang Guan joked with a smile.

Liu Feiren took it as a joke and laughed along.

The women's 800 meters and the men's 800 meters ended quickly, leading to the most anticipated event—the 100-meter sprint showdown.

This race had been hyped by sports media worldwide for a whole week, and fans had been eagerly waiting. Since Powell's 9.77-second run, debates had raged on, with some supporting Zhang Guan and others backing Powell. Even European betting companies had equal odds for Zhang Guan and Powell, indicating no one could predict the winner. The outcome was about to be revealed.

At the starting line, Powell was fully focused, feeling a hint of nervousness but mostly anticipation. Since the Olympics, Powell had been waiting to challenge Zhang Guan again, and after running 9.76 seconds in training, his desire to face Zhang Guan had only grown stronger. Now, he finally had his chance.

"The race is finally here, the pinnacle of the world. Here I come! God, bless me!" Powell prayed silently, then looked at Zhang Guan. Staring at the man standing at the world's peak, Powell hoped to defeat him and become the world's fastest man, his lifelong dream.

But Zhang Guan appeared relaxed, scanning the stands until he spotted Sharapova in the front row.

"Masha is watching me for the first time; I must perform well and not embarrass myself in front of my girlfriend," Zhang Guan's pride surged, feeling like a peacock displaying its feathers. He used stamina and state potions to max out his stamina and condition.

"World record, here I come again!" Zhang Guan roared as he positioned himself on the starting blocks.

The camera zoomed in on Zhang Guan and Powell, giving each a close-up. The world knew they were the main contenders for this race.

"Set…" The starter raised the gun, followed by the sound of the gunshot.

Then, a whistle for a false start rang out.

A Jamaican runner had jumped the gun, but it wasn't Powell; it was another Jamaican athlete, Thomas.

As the two leading men were about to showcase their skills, a supporting actor tried to steal the spotlight, which was quite frustrating. The crowd began to boo.

Thomas apologized, shaking his head. He didn't mean to false start; he was just nervous.

The athletes returned to the starting line, preparing for a new round. The referee didn't rush them, as it was the last event of the day. Taking a bit more time meant more ad slots for the broadcast, making the broadcasters and advertisers happy.

Finally, the eight athletes stood on the starting line again, and the race restarted.