Chapter 52 of 100

Chapter 52

10 min read2,385 words

The atmosphere of the Olympics had already infected all of Europe, with people on the streets and in alleys talking about Olympic-related matters. However, in London, the British public seemed to have little interest in discussing the Olympics. After three competition days since the opening ceremony, Britain had only won one gold medal in equestrian events, while the United States, traditionally the leader, had only won three gold medals. China, on the other hand, was leading the gold medal tally with ten gold medals.

The proud British could not accept this outcome. In their eyes, China was still a place of ignorance, poverty, and backwardness, and how could it rank first in the gold medal tally! Especially those with racial prejudices were particularly displeased. Not having the upper hand in terms of strength, they could only seek some advantage in words. The British media once again launched their smear campaign against China. If there were no new topics, they would rehash old ones, and even mainstream media were no exception. In particular, the BBC, The Times, and The Guardian had a long tradition of smearing China, and now their techniques were even more refined.

The BBC correspondent in Athens sent back a report about Zhang Guan betting on himself, which was immediately hyped up by the BBC. In the day's top ten funniest Olympic moments, Zhang Guan's bet on himself winning the Olympic 100-meter sprint was placed at the top.

"Who will be the first in today's top ten funniest Olympic moments? Let's reveal it right away!" The host waved his hand, and the screen immediately showed the footage.

"I think he has the potential to win, and he might even break the 100-meter world record," Zhang Guan said on the TV.

The camera cut back to the host, who said, "So who is this generous bettor talking about? Guan-Zhang? We checked the Olympic athlete information center."

The screen then showed Zhang Guan's information in the athlete information system, and the camera zoomed in on his photo. On the other side of the screen, footage of Zhang Guan being interviewed appeared.

"It's the same person! He bet on himself winning! Hahahaha... A Chinese person betting on himself to win the Olympic 100-meter sprint! Hahaha..." The host laughed exaggeratedly, with a clear performative element, making the show seem vulgar, but the audience loved such vulgar content.

...

In the evening talk show, the guests also discussed this matter.

"Tom, do you know what I saw today? A very interesting news item. In the men's 100-meter sprint, a Chinese athlete spent over 50,000 euros betting on himself to win the championship," the talk show host said.

Tom, the guest, exaggeratedly showed a look of surprise and shouted, "What did you say? I didn't hear wrong! You're sure it's a Chinese athlete, not Maurice Greene or Shawn Crawford?"

"Tom, I also saw this news, and I was as surprised as you. I almost spat out my fish and chips," another guest said.

"I can hardly imagine a Chinese person with a long braid running on the track. I wonder if the braid can reduce wind resistance," Tom said.

"Chinese people don't have braids anymore, Tom. Your thinking is still stuck in the last century," another guest said.

At that moment, a photo of Zhang Guan appeared on the TV behind the guests. The host pointed to the photo and said, "Look, this is the Chinese athlete. Now, let's watch an interview from a few days ago."

The TV showed an interview with Zhang Guan at a betting station a few days earlier.

"A few days ago, our reporter accidentally interviewed this Chinese athlete at a betting station in Athens, not knowing his identity at the time," the host explained.

"Is this Chinese person crazy! How can a Chinese person win the Olympic 100-meter sprint! So much money wasted on the betting company! 50,000 euros! If each bet is 500 euros, the thickness of his tickets must be more than 50,000 euros, maybe 70,000 or 80,000 euros!" Tom said.

"Tom, you're wrong. I have to correct you. A Chinese person can win the 100-meter sprint. For example, if this Chinese athlete were to participate in the women's 100-meter sprint, he would definitely win," another guest said with a sarcastic expression.

"Are you sure? I think American sprinter Marion Jones would run faster than this Chinese person," Tom shook his head.

The host interjected, "Tom, I have to tell you that Marion Jones is not as fast as this Chinese person. His name is Guan-Zhang, or Zhang-Guan in the Eastern naming convention. He is the current Asian 100-meter record holder and the only Asian to break the 10-second barrier. His best time is..."

The host flipped through his notes and continued, "9.98 seconds!"

"Hahaha, I thought he could run 9.78 seconds! 9.98 seconds and he dreams of winning the Olympic championship! Does he think it's fifty years ago? I think he should see a psychologist to check if he has delusions of grandeur," Tom laughed loudly.

"Tom, you can't blame him. China is a poor and backward place, much worse than Britain fifty years ago. Maybe the Chinese still think the 100-meter world record is from fifty years ago!"

"Speaking of which, I really admire this Chinese person. He spent 50,000 euros betting on himself to win! 50,000 euros is enough to last a lifetime in China. This must be his life savings. I can hardly imagine him losing his life savings," Tom deliberately showed a sad expression and continued, "I almost feel sorry for him."

Tom's sad expression made everyone laugh, and the show's ratings kept climbing.

...

In the first three days of the Olympics, European athletes performed relatively poorly, with few gold medals won by the major sports powers. This disappointing performance in the home continent of Europe left many Europeans very disappointed. In contrast, China was making steady progress.

Europeans have always considered themselves the center of the world. Colonial thinking, racial discrimination, and ideological reasons have determined that European media would not report positive news about China. They do not want to see China rise and do not want to convey the message of China's growing strength to the public. Therefore, they have been working hard to portray China as a poor, backward, and ignorant country.

However, the facts cannot be hidden. Winning ten gold medals in three days and leading the gold medal tally, anyone who isn't blind can see it. Thus, European mainstream media selectively ignored these achievements. But with good news about China everywhere, how could they report it? The incident of Zhang Guan betting on himself to win appeared at this time, and European media found a big black spot. They could finally smear China, so what was originally a small matter was quickly exaggerated. Of course, this was not the first time they had done this.

The Times used the typical British arrogance: "A Chinese athlete has placed a heavy bet on himself, but note that his event is not table tennis, badminton, diving, weightlifting, or shooting, but the 100-meter sprint! We don't know where the Chinese get their confidence to think they can win the Olympic 100-meter sprint. This reminds us of China 150 years ago, ignorant, arrogant, and self-important, thinking they were the center of the world. Our great Queen Victoria used warships and cannons to teach the Chinese a lesson. Now, in the 21st century, the Chinese mindset has not changed. Who will teach the Chinese a lesson this time?"

The Berliner Zeitung in Germany listed a set of data: "The current Olympic record in the men's 100-meter sprint is 9.84 seconds, set by Canadian Donovan Bailey at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The world record is 9.78 seconds, set by American Tim Montgomery in 2002. To win the Olympic gold, an athlete needs to run at least 9.85 seconds. Let's look at this athlete, Zhang, whose personal best is 9.98 seconds. So, all we can say is 'thank you.' The betting company will thank Mr. Zhang for his generosity, which will earn them 50,000 euros, and we should also thank Mr. Zhang for his contribution to the European economy."

In France, where racial discrimination is the most severe, the newspaper Le Liberté said: "Who will be the 100-meter champion of this Olympics? Maurice Greene? Shawn Crawford? Asafa Powell? Justin Gatlin? Obikwelu? There are many excellent athletes, all capable of winning, but if someone tells you the Olympic 100-meter champion is a Chinese person, what would you think? April Fool's Day? I can hardly imagine a thin Asian body struggling on the Olympic track, maybe even scared by the tall black athletes! Fortunately, this isn't a long-distance race, so we don't have to worry about being lapped. But if he wants to gain fame, I can tell this Chinese athlete that his foolish act of betting on himself has indeed made many Europeans recognize him. Congratulations, you are famous!"

The media did their best to portray Zhang Guan as ignorant, foolish, arrogant, and self-important, adding some eye-catching details, which instantly made Zhang Guan the "idiot" spokesperson. This was in line with Europe's consistent stance of smearing China. As for the facts and the truth, who cares? They only care about the focus and the hype.

The media has always been like this. When the story about treating congenital megacolon for 80 cents came out, many media outlets reported it, but who investigated the truth? The media only care about how to attract attention, and in the end, the patient had to spend tens of thousands of yuan on surgery. The media that first reported the story apologized to the hospital, but it was a private apology.

European media are even worse, almost not knowing what "integrity" means. They insult others while shouting about defending freedom of speech, but in fact, they are just cheering for the interest groups behind them.

...

At this moment, Zhang Guan was staying in the Olympic Village, unaware of the situation outside.

According to the schedule, the track and field delegation would arrive in Athens in the afternoon, and Zhang Guan would officially join the team to prepare for the first round of the men's 100-meter sprint in four days.

After lunch, Zhang Guan was about to return to his room to rest when he found two strangers in the living room of his room. One was in his early thirties, wearing glasses; the other was about fifty, bald, and short.

Although they were strangers, Zhang Guan had actually met them before, but they had never spoken to each other. They were officials in the delegation, and Zhang Guan did not know their specific roles.

"Are you Zhang Guan?" the man with glasses asked.

"Yes," Zhang Guan nodded.

"This is Director Guo," the man with glasses introduced the bald man first, then introduced himself, "I am Mr. Zhao, a staff member of the delegation. We are responsible for discipline in the delegation."

"Director Guo, Mr. Zhao. What brings you here?" Zhang Guan asked.

"Don't be nervous. We are here to understand some situations," Director Guo said in a friendly tone.

"Please, go ahead," Zhang Guan said, sitting down.

"Have you been to a betting station before?" Mr. Zhao asked.

Zhang Guan's heart tightened. He wondered how they knew about this. Since they asked, it was clear they had some information, and Zhang Guan could not deny it, so he nodded straightforwardly, "Yes, I went and bought a few tickets."

"Did you bet on yourself to win the 100-meter sprint?" Mr. Zhao continued.

"Yes, I bet on myself to win the Olympic championship," Zhang Guan answered straightforwardly, wondering how these two knew such detailed information.

"Very good. It seems you have some awareness," Mr. Zhao nodded. "Since you have confessed, we will report your proactive admission of the facts. We believe that, considering your willingness to admit your mistake, the punishment will be reduced."

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This chapter is over 3,900 words. I need your support with a recommendation. Also, I have to work a night shift tonight, which means I will be working for two days and one night, and I won't be able to return home tonight, so I can only update one chapter today. Tomorrow, after I return home, I will be very tired, so I can only update one chapter as well. I am taking a leave of absence for these two days. However, I will try to ensure that each chapter is around 4,000 words, and tomorrow's chapter will be longer than today's. Finally, thank you to Loli Green Town, Xin Wei Xue, Colorful Bat, Book Friend 130503143013024, Starry Sky, Book Friend 140408091415598, and m258372 for your support. Thank you.

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