Chapter 80

The track and field team's journey at this Olympic Games has basically come to an end, with only the marathon yet to begin.

On the bus, Liu Feiren’s eyes were red-rimmed, clearly having just cried. Over a decade of uninterrupted training, sweating under the scorching summer sun, and enduring the biting cold of winter mornings, he had bravely endured it all. He had wanted to give up countless times but ultimately persisted. At this moment, he felt that everything was worth it, and a gold medal was the best reward for his years of hard work.

"How do you feel?" Zhang Guan suddenly sat next to Liu Feiren and asked.

Liu Feiren was taken aback. He suddenly found himself at a loss, unsure of what to do now that he had achieved what he had been striving for.

"I..." Liu Feiren didn’t know what to say.

"You’ve only just tied the world record; it’s still early! Don’t you think you should break it?" Zhang Guan said.

"Break the world record?" Liu Feiren was stunned for a moment, then remembered that Zhang Guan had just broken the world record in the men's 100 meters not long ago!

"He has broken the world record, and I am still feeling lost after winning the Olympic gold! It’s as if I’ve lost my goal. He’s right, it’s still early! I also need to break the world record!" Thinking this, Liu Feiren smiled happily and firmly.

"Zhang Guan, you’re right. I need to break the world record!"

...

With Liu Feiren’s victory, the media’s focus shifted back to him, and various interviews and special reports followed one after another. Zhang Guan, who had been surrounded by the media, finally had a moment of respite and could now enjoy the historical sites and beautiful scenery of Athens.

Zhang Guan, now wealthy, hired a private tour guide through a travel agency. During the Olympics, tour guides in Athens were in short supply and very expensive, but the travel agency, recognizing the “world’s fastest man,” specially arranged for a seasoned, top-rated guide to show Zhang Guan around the main attractions in Athens.

The Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Observatory of Nymphs, and the Academy of Athens were all crowded with tourists from around the world. As the Olympic competitions neared their end, even more tourists came to these famous sites, immersing themselves in the culture of ancient Athens.

For Zhang Guan, who was used to quick tours, a day was enough to see everything in Athens. Taking a photo in front of famous landmarks was enough to say he had been there, which was how most domestic tourists approached sightseeing.

In the evening, Zhang Guan returned to the Olympic Village and saw a car from the embassy in the parking lot. Counselor Zhu was just about to get in the car when he saw Zhang Guan and turned to greet him.

"Zhang Guan! Thank you so much for helping with the Dubai prince’s matter." Counselor Zhu smiled, clearly pleased with how things had gone.

"It’s nothing, it was my duty," Zhang Guan replied.

"I’m here for tomorrow night’s Olympic banquet. Our embassy will be hosting a banquet tomorrow evening to honor our country’s Olympic athletes. We have also invited Chinese residents and businesspeople in Greece, representatives of Chinese-funded institutions in Greece, and well-known entrepreneurs from China. The Chinese community and businesspeople in Athens have been very supportive during this Olympic Games, and we want to take this opportunity to introduce our Olympic champions to them. You must come tomorrow night; many of the Chinese residents have specifically requested to meet you!" Counselor Zhu said.

Zhang Guan nodded in agreement. The gold medals won at the Olympics were a significant boost to the country’s image and national confidence. Meeting these Chinese residents was also a way to enhance their sense of national identity, and he would participate unconditionally.

"By the way, Counselor Zhu, it won’t be a pool party this time, right?" Zhang Guan asked.

"No, no, it will be a formal banquet," Counselor Zhu laughed awkwardly, clearly aware that the Dubai prince’s event was a pool party. He had even had a custom suit made for Zhang Guan, which he felt bad about.

...

At the Chinese Embassy in Greece.

On the wall of the hall, a red banner with golden letters read “Olympic Athletes Bring Glory to the Country.” Above the Western-style floor-to-ceiling windows hung Chinese-style paper cuttings, and under the spotlights were a row of red and yellow lanterns. Although the atmosphere was festive, Zhang Guan felt that the blend of Eastern and Western styles was somewhat awkward.

A young Chinese girl skipped over to Zhang Guan, asking for a photo. He picked her up, took the photo, and watched her leave happily.

The pale yellow liquid in the champagne glass looked inviting, but Zhang Guan only took a small sip. Regardless of whether the taste suited him, the events that occurred after drinking at the Dubai prince’s party a few days ago were enough to make him stay away from alcohol.

Although it was a buffet, the Chinese chef at the embassy prepared dishes that catered to everyone’s tastes, and Zhang Guan enjoyed the long-missed stir-fried dishes. The flavors of oil, salt, sourness, and spiciness mixed in his mouth, and even the simple spicy and sour potato shreds almost made him cry with joy at the familiar taste.

Being able to taste the flavors of home while abroad was truly a blessing!

After quickly finishing the food on his plate and burping, he picked up a glass of champagne and walked to the window to admire the view outside. At that moment, a voice came from behind him.

"The view is quite nice, isn’t it?" The person walked up to Zhang Guan and said, "We meet again."

"You are... Mr. He!" Zhang Guan immediately recognized the chubby middle-aged man, who was the general manager of Yiming Consulting, whom he had helped when they were robbed on the street.

"I’m here to join the fun at the embassy’s banquet!" He Yiming said with a smile, but Zhang Guan knew that, apart from the Chinese residents and businesspeople, the other Chinese people invited here were not ordinary. They included representatives of Chinese-funded institutions and well-known entrepreneurs who happened to be in Greece. He Yiming was clearly not a representative of a Chinese-funded institution but belonged to the category of well-known entrepreneurs.

"Although I haven’t heard of Yiming Consulting before, it must be quite impressive!" Zhang Guan thought to himself.

He Yiming continued, "I read in the newspaper that you won 10 million euros. If you want to transfer the funds back to China, you can come to me. I can help you save a lot of trouble."

He then introduced himself, "My consulting company has a wide range of business, including finance, investment, industry, entertainment, and more. We do a bit of everything! Sometimes we go where the money is."

"Thank you, Mr. He, but OPAP has already introduced me to an accountant, and the financial matters are being handled," Zhang Guan said.

However, Zhang Guan suddenly thought of something else and asked tentatively, "Mr. He, I want to set up a dedicated management team for myself but don’t know how to go about it. Since you have a lot of experience, could you give me some advice?"

"Don’t be so formal!" He Yiming seemed very pleased. He thought for a few seconds and then said, "We haven’t done management teams for celebrities before. For your situation, you’ll need professional managers, as well as experts in law, advertising and marketing, media relations, and accounting. There are many talented people in China, so finding these professionals shouldn’t be too difficult. The key is to integrate them. How about this, I’ll take the lead on this project?"

"Wouldn’t that be too much trouble..." Zhang Guan said, but he was secretly looking forward to it.

"Not at all! Give me your contact information, and I’ll call back to find the right people. The Athens Olympics are coming to an end, and I’ll get the team together for you as soon as possible." He Yiming promised, patting his chest.

Zhang Guan left his contact information and chatted a bit more before they parted ways.

A few seconds later, Coach Yu approached Zhang Guan.

"You seem to know him well?" Coach Yu asked.

"We met on the streets of Athens before." Zhang Guan recounted how he had helped He Yiming and his wife when they were robbed, and then asked, "Coach Yu, do you know him?"

"Just a passing acquaintance," Coach Yu paused and then whispered, "These third-generation figures from Beijing don’t usually have much interaction with the sports world."

"So Mr. He is a third-generation figure! No wonder..."

"He’s not a major third-generation figure, just an ordinary one. His ancestors had some achievements but didn’t hold high positions. They have been in office for a long time, and there are many such third-generation figures in Beijing," Coach Yu continued. "However, He Yiming has a good reputation. He is known for being reasonable and loyal, so he has a good network of connections."

...

On the evening of August 29, Athens time, with the conclusion of the men's marathon, the Athens Olympics came to an end.

The United States remained at the top of the medal table with 34 gold medals, while the national team came in second with 33 gold medals, just one medal behind. This was a significant improvement from the previous Sydney Olympics. Russia came in third with 27 gold medals.

At the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics, the “8 Minutes of China” performance captured the attention of the entire audience. Traditional Chinese instruments, acrobatics, martial arts, and Peking Opera instantly sparked the audience’s interest in ancient Eastern culture.

Holding the national flag in his hand, Zhang Guan felt a surge of emotion.

"I can’t wait for the next Olympics!"

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Chapter 2 delivered, please give a recommendation! Thank you to the readers Xin Weixue, Reader-YES, Xiaoli Feidao 1000, ζ Listening, _Xiu Shu Bao Tu_, Xingxue Rou, Quan 18, Kuaiyu Shiqing, Zheng Jinxuan, Honglou Yan Yu, Freehire, 9922392, Aijili, Zhu Luoyan, Yue Zhi Fenghen, Zengjing Dongran, San Hao Feitu, Da 1 Cheng, Reader-YES, Shua Si De Nian, Book Friend 160122171537086, I Don’t Breathe Smog for your support! Thank you.

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