Chapter 77

9.87 seconds!

This was a miraculous record, a performance capable of winning a medal at the Olympics. And this incredible achievement actually appeared at a university sports meet.

Although breaking the Asian record could not be officially recognized, Ai Xiaohai's strength was powerful enough to make any coach interested!

More importantly, at Ai Xiaohai's age, he was full of unlimited potential!

Kuang Dihan would never let this world-class treasure slip through his fingers.

He decided to take immediate action, sparing no effort to make Ai Xiaohai his disciple.

However, someone had moved faster than him: Lei Mingsheng!

As the coach of the national team, Lei Mingsheng was no fool. Although Ai Xiaohai had consecutively defeated his two disciples and thoroughly humiliated Guan Tongcheng, causing him to lose all confidence, the calmed-down Lei Mingsheng soon realized that a gem was right within his reach.

He could not let Kuang Dihan get ahead of him!

He offered Ai Xiaohai countless tempting conditions, even telling him that he could replace Guan Tongcheng to participate in the upcoming university games, and then the Olympics.

He painted a picture of an incredibly bright future, believing that his speech was enough to make anyone interested.

"Are you tired?" When he finally stopped, Ai Xiaohai suddenly asked this question.

What did he mean? Lei Mingsheng was a bit confused.

"Did you get tired from all that nonsense?" Ai Xiaohai said very seriously, "You might not be tired, but I am. Goodbye."

Ai Xiaohai had absolutely no interest in participating in any sports meet. If it weren't for Deng Chenglong's sincere desire to embarrass and undermine him, Ai Xiaohai might still be sleeping at home. Moreover, he had no good feelings towards the person in front of him.

Working with someone he couldn't get along with was a kind of torture.

Lei Mingsheng did not expect Ai Xiaohai to say such an unflattering thing. He was, after all, the coach of the national team. Where could he put his face? His face turned ashen, he snorted through his nose, and turned to leave.

Kuang Dihan, who had been secretly listening on the side, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good thing Ai Xiaohai did not agree to Lei Mingsheng, otherwise, with Lei Mingsheng's status, he would have no way to snatch him away.

"Comrade Ai Xiaohai, your decision is correct," Kuang Dihan walked over with a smile, "The middle and long-distance running events are too exhausting, and the exposure is too low. Think about it, a 10,000-meter race is 25 laps, and very few people can watch the whole thing. And how many people can name famous middle and long-distance runners?"

Ai Xiaohai thought for a moment, "Yes, that makes sense."

Seeing Ai Xiaohai agree, Kuang Dihan's spirits soared, "Short-distance running is different. Lewis, Powell, Greene, and the Jamaican lightning Bolt, there are too many. Each one is a famous big name. Winning championships and the prize money is not the main thing, but the sponsors. A sponsorship contract can be worth millions of dollars!"

"Very attractive, too tempting," Ai Xiaohai answered very seriously.

It was done, he had won. Who wouldn't be moved by such a beautiful future? Kuang Dihan felt he was much smarter than Lei Mingsheng. What could be more motivating than money? He was excited, as if he could already see Ai Xiaohai standing on the podium at the World Championships and the Olympics, and himself, as his coach, busily dividing Ai Xiaohai's prize money and the huge endorsement contracts.

"Look, I will help you quickly formulate a comprehensive training plan..." In Kuang Dihan's view, Ai Xiaohai was already his disciple, "We will first participate in the university games. With your level, winning a championship at the university games is more than enough, but we need to reserve our strength and confuse the opponents, and wait for the Olympics..."

"Wait, wait," Ai Xiaohai interrupted him, "Are you talking to me?"

"Of course," Kuang Dihan found Ai Xiaohai's question extremely strange. Who else would he be talking to? Ma Qi?

Although Ma Qi was once his star disciple, compared to Ai Xiaohai, he was nothing. Even if he could reach the peak of his life, the best he could do was win a medal at the Asian Games. Ai Xiaohai was different; he was a potential Olympic champion!

Ai Xiaohai scratched his head, "Who will be my coach? You?"

"Of course," Kuang Dihan almost laughed. Who else could it be?

"Even if I want to participate, why should you be my coach?" Ai Xiaohai asked seriously, seemingly very curious, "What do you think you can teach me?"

This... Kuang Dihan was embarrassed.

For a genius like Ai Xiaohai, anyone could be his coach. But... wasn't he the one who first discovered this gold mine... no, this talent?

"Your disciple is over there," Ai Xiaohai pointed to the distant and lonely Ma Qi, "I have no interest in participating in any university games or Olympics, and I have even less interest in you being my coach. Goodbye!"

He actually left just like that.

"Wait... there's honor, honor..." Kuang Dihan was not willing to let the gold mine fly away, and he called out with all his might.

But Ai Xiaohai did not even turn his head.

The gold mine, my gold mine...

...

In the autumn sports meet that continued in the afternoon, the other events had lost all interest for the audience. The only thing they wanted to see was Ai Xiaohai's remaining four events.

And Ai Xiaohai did not disappoint their expectations. In the 200 meters and 400 meters, even with deliberate deceleration, he still broke the Asian records.

The most excited person was Hong Qihai. He now wished that all the media in the country would come here to see the outstanding sports talent that Xinan University had produced!

If this were an officially recognized international competition, three new Asian records would be born here today!

The cheers for Ai Xiaohai never stopped, and everyone was crazy.

It was a magical day, and they witnessed the most magical moment!

When Ai Xiaohai's last event, the 4x400 meters, began, everyone held their breath.

Facing strong opponents, the team from the Marine and Shipbuilding Department was too weak. By the time the baton was passed to Ai Xiaohai, they were already 80 meters behind the first place!

In the race, this was an impossible gap to reverse.

But when the baton was passed to Ai Xiaohai, something strange happened. His blood began to boil.

Since he had already participated in the race, he would give it a perfect ending!

A low roar came from Ai Xiaohai's throat:

—The speed of a leopard!

This day would be forever etched in the history of Xinan University!

The athlete with the number 003 flew!

He was like lightning, like a bullet from a gun. He was the wind, the light—sharp enough to pierce the sky! Even if there were mountains in front of him, he could make them crumble with his speed!

He was not a person—he was a leopard sprinting across the plain!

No one could stop him—no one could run in front of him!

The 80-meter lead was erased in an instant by Ai Xiaohai's astonishing speed!

His appearance was enough to make every competitor on the track despair!

42.38 seconds!

The entire stadium erupted when the electronic timer displayed this time after Ai Xiaohai crossed the finish line!

The 400-meter world record, set by American Michael Johnson at the 7th World Athletics Championships in Seville in 1999 and claimed to be unbreakable for 50 years, was broken by a freshman at a university sports meet!

Moreover, Ai Xiaohai's performance was nearly a second faster than Johnson's world record of 43.18 seconds!

The cameraman sent by Xinan TV could not believe it. He asked the same question Kuang Dihan had asked in the morning: "Is the timer broken?"

"Probably not..." Yuyan was also completely unsure.

At a university sports meet, breaking three Asian records and one world record in a row?

This... how could it be possible?

Ai Xiaohai... Ai Xiaohai... how many more miracles will he create?

The cheerleaders' voices were hoarse. Ai Xiaohai's teammates surrounded him, shouting and cheering, their excitement as if they had won not just the university games but an Olympic gold medal.

Xu Yunqi was also cheering joyfully.

Among all the people, only Deng Mengmeng smiled as she watched Ai Xiaohai being "worshipped" by everyone. She was not surprised; she knew Ai Xiaohai could do anything he set his mind to.

Deng Chenglong was almost on the verge of collapse.

What was this? He had worked hard to dig a big trap, waiting for Ai Xiaohai to fall into it, but the result was that Ai Xiaohai once again became a hero?

Yang Zhiwei and Gao Mingyi, standing beside him, were speechless. They had never encountered such a bizarre situation. It was unbelievable, unbelievable. No matter what method they used to deal with Ai Xiaohai, he always found a way to handle it and always made those who harmed him look foolish.

"Master Deng..."

"Get lost!"

Yang Zhiwei finally mustered the courage to say this, but was immediately shouted down by Deng Chenglong's angry roar.

Losing face was a small matter, but seeing how popular Ai Xiaohai was, Deng Chenglong could not accept it.

"Director Niu? This is Kuang Dihan... Yes, I'm at Xinan University... Ma Qi? Forget Ma Qi, I have something very important to tell you. I discovered a genius at Xinan University. He ran 100 meters in 9.87 seconds... What? I haven't been drinking, I really haven't, I'm sober... Yes, really, but he won't come..."

Kuang Dihan swore that he would do whatever it took to recruit Ai Xiaohai, no matter what!

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