Chapter 82

Since the party hosted by the Dubai prince, Zhang Guan has developed an inexplicable fear of alcohol. Even when He Yiming kept urging him to drink, Zhang Guan only took a few sips.

Subsequently, He Yiming's driver sent Zhang Guan back to the Temple of Heaven Apartments. According to the schedule, at 3 PM, he had an appointment to meet with a famous producer from CCTV to discuss his participation in the performance of "The Same Song."

The large-scale concert of "The Same Song" on September 2nd was the first formal meeting between Olympic athletes and domestic audiences. CCTV hoped that all Olympic champions and some well-known coaches would attend, and ideally, they would perform a song. For this, CCTV also specially invited several big-name singers, who could partner with the athletes. Even if the athletes didn't sing well, the professional singers could cover for them.

Liu Feiren, a famous karaoke king, naturally had to perform on the spot; the two women's doubles tennis champions, who often enjoyed singing, would also perform; the entire women's volleyball team would participate in a chorus, which was fine even if a few members only opened their mouths without making a sound. Other Olympic champions who were not good at singing were arranged to participate in the group chorus.

Zhang Guan originally planned to only participate in the chorus. However, as the brightest star of this Olympic Games, the CCTV producer strongly requested that Zhang Guan personally perform a song, even if it was pre-recorded and lip-synced.

Zhang Guan looked at the song list provided by the producer, which included songs like "True Hero." Although they were appropriate for the occasion, they left Zhang Guan at a loss. These songs were familiar to everyone, but with Zhang Guan's perspective from over a decade ahead, he really didn't want to sing these songs.

"These songs don't seem to suit me," Zhang Guan prepared to refuse CCTV's request, thinking it would be better to just blend in with the chorus and be a mediocre participant.

Noticing Zhang Guan's intention to refuse, the producer immediately handed him another list and said, "Why don't you look at this one? This is the list of invited singers. You can choose a partner, and the singer will take the lead."

Zhang Guan carefully examined the list and noticed the name of the famous rock singer Wang Feng.

"So Wang Feng is coming too!" Zhang Guan said softly.

"Yes, why don't you duet with Wang Feng?" The producer thought for a moment and continued, "Wang Feng released a new album a few months ago, and one of the songs, 'Fly Higher,' was performed on our show with great feedback. Since you are the 100-meter sprinter, why don't you duet with Wang Feng on this song?"

"Fly Higher? Sure, but I can't hit the high notes," Zhang Guan said with a smile. He usually liked Wang Feng's songs, mainly because they were inspiring and uplifting.

Seeing Zhang Guan agree, the producer breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's fine if you can't hit the high notes. Wang Feng is the best singer on this list. And there will be a rehearsal tomorrow morning. If you really can't sing well, we can record it in the studio and edit it for you. During the performance, you just need to open your mouth without making a sound."

...

Later in the afternoon, Zhang Guan and Liu Feiren went to the CCTV building to participate in the recording of the "News Salon" program.

This was Liu Feiren's second time on the show. Before the Olympics, he had participated in the recording of this program, so he was familiar with the host, who was known for his golden microphone.

Although it was Zhang Guan's first time, he had watched the program multiple times on TV and knew that the host was very wise and his interviewing style could easily engage the guests.

In the earliest episodes, the host and guests sat on stools, but now the program used red sofas, which were more comfortable and relaxing.

In the studio, the host said to the camera, "Hello, dear viewers, welcome to 'News Salon.' I'm not good with numbers, but there are two numbers I will remember for life: 12.91 and 9.77. 12.91 is the time Liu Feiren set to tie the world record at the Athens Olympics; 9.77 is the time Zhang Guan set to break the world record at the Athens Olympics. So today, our guests are naturally Liu Feiren and Zhang Guan!"

The director switched to a wide shot, capturing all three people on camera.

The host turned to Liu Feiren and said, "More than 40 days ago, you were on this show, and everyone celebrated your birthday. I remember the time 13.06 was written on the cake, which was your best time. Did you think you could surpass it at this Olympics?"

"At the time, I didn't think so. I estimated that if I could run 13.06, I would probably win the gold medal. I never thought I could break the 13-second barrier," Liu Feiren paused and continued, "But when I saw Zhang Guan win and break the world record on TV, I had a new idea: to break the 13-second barrier!"

The host turned to Zhang Guan and asked, "9.77, a new world record. To be honest, when I first heard this number, I felt joy and shock, then disbelief. But after verifying it, I felt joy and shock again. That day, my mood was like a roller coaster. You achieved something we never dared to imagine. Did you ever think you could break the world record?"

"Yes," Zhang Guan nodded seriously and continued, "I always believed I could break the world record."

"Why? What gave you such strong confidence?" the host asked.

"In May last year, I was just an ordinary high school student who had never received professional sports training. Two months later in July, I broke the national record, and two months after that, I broke the Asian record," Zhang Guan paused and continued, "It took me two months to go from a beginner to a national record holder, and another two months to become an Asian record holder. After that, I had 11 months to train and prepare, so breaking the world record didn't surprise me."

"It sounds like a math problem," the host smiled and continued, "But let's talk about the most recent news. How did it feel to come home? Liu Feiren, you go first!"

"It felt great to return to my homeland, even though I was very tired, it was still wonderful," Liu Feiren said.

"And how about you, Zhang Guan?" the host asked.

"I feel the same as Liu Feiren, but I have to add that my arms are a bit sore from practicing calligraphy recently."

"Practicing calligraphy? Why? For autographs?" the host asked.

Zhang Guan nodded, "My handwriting is not good, so I need to practice. Otherwise, it would look bad and embarrassing."

The host continued, "Speaking of autographs, I have to ask Liu Feiren about the most important one, which was signing on the camera lens. Was it spontaneous or planned?"

"It was suggested to me, and I didn't think much about it, so I signed. Now, thinking back, it seemed a bit off, it was too slippery," Liu Feiren replied.

"That's the first detail. Another one is during the award ceremony, everyone thought Liu Feiren was too quiet and not excited, but when your name was called, you jumped up. Was that planned?" the host asked.

"Yes, I thought I should do something novel. I imagined jumping up with the flag, wrapping it around me, and turning around," Liu Feiren said.

"But I noticed that Zhang Guan seemed very calm during the award ceremony," the host asked Zhang Guan.

"That's because Liu Feiren's final was followed by the award ceremony two hours later. My final was the day before, and the award ceremony was the next day. The excitement had already passed," Zhang Guan replied.

"But I watched the video of your victory, and it didn't seem like you were very excited. There were no intense celebrations. Many viewers have questions about whether you are usually a quiet person," the host asked.

"That day's final was the last event, and it was a two-race day. Two hours before the final, I won against Morris Greene in the semi-finals, and then the final followed. I was quite tired. By the time the final ended, it was already midnight in Athens. I was a bit tired and sleepy," Zhang Guan explained.

"Indeed, two races in two hours are very physically demanding," the host nodded. "Moving on to a topic everyone is concerned about, both of you are very handsome, and people want to find girlfriends for you. I'll ask Zhang Guan first. Although you are only 18, many of your peers in college are already dating."

"Being single is tough! When it gets cold, I might turn into a sled dog!" Zhang Guan joked.

"Ha ha, our world champion is quite funny! Single dog? This new term sounds like it's straight from the heart," the host then asked Liu Feiren, "Liu Feiren, you are over 21 and still don't have a girlfriend. Is this like a hurdle in front of you?"

"I see it as a process..." Liu Feiren spoke calmly.

As the topic of girlfriends came up, Zhang Guan's mind suddenly flashed back to that night, the beautiful face, and the strand of golden hair.

"I wonder where she is now?"

...

After completing her training for the day, Sharapova soaked in the bathtub and picked up the latest issue of a sports magazine.

"Top 10 Dark Horses of the Athens Olympics"

This title caught Sharapova's interest, and she found the article and read it carefully.

"10th place, Zimbabwe's women's 200-meter backstroke champion, Coventry..."

Sharapova flipped through the pages, and the following entries included the archery champion from Italy, the women's 100-meter champion from Belarus, Iraq's advancement to the semi-finals, and the "Oriental Gazelle" winning the women's 10,000-meter gold medal, each accompanied by a photo of the athlete.

"2nd place, the stunning victory of the tennis doubles. These are Chinese players, and I've never heard of them! They must not have participated in any Grand Slams. This is a huge upset. I wonder who the biggest upset is."

Sharapova turned to the next page, and a photo of an Asian athlete caught her eye. It was Zhang Guan, and the title read, "1st place, Miracle! The New World's Fastest Man!"

"Wow! It's that guy!" Sharapova exclaimed.

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