Chapter 21: Let’s Have Another 200 Meters to Show Him (Wishing Su Shen a Happy Birthday Today!)

Testing Ground.

“Coach Ning, finally decided to bring your precious gem out for testing?” A coach who was also here with trainees couldn’t help but tease upon seeing Ning De Bao arrive.

Ning De Bao rarely came here, as he had no one under his wing.

“After all this training, it’s only right to test them,” Ning De Bao replied without elaboration. But it was clear at a glance that he and this male coach weren’t on good terms. Wherever there are people, there is rivalry, grudges, and entanglements; Su Shen was long accustomed to this.

He was merely here to fulfill his duties.

“Come on, Xiao Tian, give it your all,” Ning De Bao said, clearly implying something. Su Shen nodded, understanding that he was expected to prove himself. After all, Ning De Bao had also just arrived here not long ago, with no soldiers or generals at his disposal, and his standing at this school was still somewhat unstable.

Moreover, female coaches in sports were often underestimated.

And this was still 2004.

Su Shen adjusted his usual angle and distance on the starting blocks, then awaited the gunshot.

The advantage of a professional sports school was evident—they were already using electronic timing devices. While not the most advanced gadgets, they were far superior to manual timing.

“Coach Ning, I heard you’re trying some new tricks. I wonder how they’re working out. Don’t mess up the kid’s future. At this age, time is money; they can’t afford to wait,” the other coach said, his tone dripping with skepticism. Because Ning De Bao was a female coach and new to this place, many people instinctively dismissed her.

It seemed safer to choose a male coach.

Hence, Ning De Bao didn’t have any impressive achievements yet.

No achievements meant no confidence.

“Coach Gou, mind your own business. I heard you have quite a few trainees, but none of them have emerged yet. You’d better hurry up before the top provincial coaches steal your thunder,” Ning De Bao shot back bluntly. She came from a sports background, was a university graduate, and didn’t mince words.

“Don’t worry, we already have some promising talents. Once I take them to a few invitationals, they’ll enter the official competition circuit. How long until your protégés are ready to compete?” Coach Gou—full name Gou Laozhi—had a somewhat uncommon surname but was known to come from a respectable sports family. He had embarked on this path early and, thanks to his family connections, had become a “renowned coach” at this school.

But because of this, he often got carried away, giving unsolicited advice everywhere.

Others indulged him, but Ning De Bao had a fiery temper and, being new, refused to give him face.

The two had their little conflicts.

“Don’t worry, Coach Gou. They’ll compete in half a month at the Pearl River Delta Invitational. I heard your trainees will be there too? It’ll be a good chance for friendly competition; young athletes need mutual inspiration.”

“Pearl River Delta Invitational? Who’s going? Him?” Gou Laozhi was momentarily stunned but laughed. “He’s only been here a short time. If it weren’t for a backdoor, he’d probably still be stuck in ‘boot camp.’ Take my advice—I have more experience than you—don’t sacrifice a kid’s confidence for your pride. Many youngsters aren’t ready and fall apart once they compete.”

“Rest assured, he has a solid foundation. I believe in him,” Ning De Bao dismissed him. Gou Laozhi kept rambling on. Actually, invitationals were meant for training and giving newcomers a platform to gain experience. With Su Shen’s best time at 11.18 seconds, he was firmly in the finals.

Sprinters who break the 11-second barrier don’t bother with such competitions; they focus on higher-level contests.

Because this was a simulation of real competition, commands were frequent. After going through the routine, Su Shen subtly lifted his body, raising his hips.

Bang—

At the sound of the starter pistol, Su Shen shot forward like an arrow.

“Good start.”

Gou Laozhi could still smile at first, but after 30 meters, he was slightly surprised.

Such speed was not typical for someone who had trained less than two months.

“The initial burst is strong, but judging by his height, his later stage might falter. Starting this fast might exhaust his stamina. Coach Ning, didn’t you warn him about this?” Gou Laozhi lectured on his expertise, unaware that Ning De Bao, already versed in cutting-edge scientific training, found his remarks laughable.

“Don’t rush,” Ning De Bao had yet to say the rest—just wait and be dazzled.

The figure on the track accelerated.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

At 40 meters, he hadn’t reached top speed yet. Around 45 meters, he stabilized, then accelerated again. This was the phase requiring steady velocity. Along the way, Su Shen’s upper body strength advantage began to shine, enabling him to maintain peak speed longer and build distance. Most domestic sprinters lack this ability.

Neglecting upper body strength means even the fastest runners can’t sustain their speed for long.

In the 100-meter dash, maintaining an extra second at top speed yields tremendous gains.

Originally, Gou Laozhi wanted to mock Ning De Bao’s emphasis on Su Shen’s upper body training. Instead of decreasing, it got bigger and stronger. Was this sprinting or weightlifting?

Entering the final stretch, typically Su Shen’s weakest phase, he was virtually flawless for his age and training.

His fluid, powerful arm swings, especially the deliberate strengthening in the sixth second, made this test feel remarkably successful.

The last 10 meters felt good—though lacking competitors, and thus a bit less thrilling, it was sufficient.

He didn’t even use the lean at the finish line, crossing the tape casually.

His body was gradually recovering, which lifted his spirits.

Most importantly, he had perfectly surpassed his previous self at this age.

That was progress.

“How’s the time?” Even Ning De Bao hadn’t asked yet; Gou Laozhi was the first to speak.

The official reported Su Shen’s detailed time.

11.10 seconds.

Just over a month in, Su Shen didn’t just maintain his breakthrough time from the Xiangshan City middle school track meet; he improved it by 0.08 seconds. The higher your level, the slower your progress. Being new to the sports school, both physiologically and psychologically, required adaptation. Thus, Ning De Bao initially set a modest goal of maintaining 11.18 seconds.

Track times aren’t guaranteed once you hit them—you need time to stabilize them.

The higher the level, the longer it takes to solidify.

Yet, Su Shen exceeded expectations in one go, shaving 0.08 seconds off.

Crucially, Ning De Bao noticed he didn’t lean at the finish.

Whether he gave full effort or not, mastering that technical move could break 11.10 seconds.

That was an electronic timing 11.10 seconds; with manual timing, he could break the 11-second barrier.

Unless some terrifying prodigy appeared at the invitational, Su Shen would undoubtedly make the finals.

“Coach Ning, how was my time?” Su Shen slowed down, jogging over to ask.

“Not bad, very good—11.10 seconds. But you were just showing off at the end, weren’t you? Didn’t lean at all,” Ning De Bao teased, though inside she was ecstatic, not really blaming him. She turned to Gou Laozhi with a smile: “11.10 seconds, 15 years old, less than two months of training. What do you think, Coach Gou? Please advise.”

He was close to first-class athlete level; you could see and smell the threshold.

Such a level usually requires at least half a year or even a year at a sports school, especially for younger athletes whose bodies aren’t fully developed.

To recall, when Su Shen participated in this Pearl River Delta Invitational in his previous life, he ran 11.32 seconds and made the final as the last qualifier.

If memory served, that time was the winning mark that year.

And he hadn’t even given his all.

No one had brought out his best state.

That prior 11.32 was already a full-throttle effort, even showing signs of a breakthrough mid-race. Su Shen knew he was a competition-driven athlete; many records were broken or set during races. So…

This 11.10 seconds was definitely not his limit.

It was just difficult to unlock his full energy threshold in ordinary circumstances.

Gou Laozhi’s mouth moved with a sneer: “Not bad, but not that impressive. There are plenty of top talents nationwide with better times.” Before he finished, Ning De Bao cut in: “Don’t talk about nationwide. Just at our school, how many of your students, after less than two months of training, have this kind of result? Isn’t it just the kid who made the provincial team?”

This woman was truly blunt.

“Fifteen years old? With that physique, he doesn’t look fifteen. Coach Ning, aren’t you mistaken? That’d be a huge blunder,” Gou Laozhi ‘kindly’ warned.

“I’ve seen his birth certificate. What do you think?” Ning De Bao, feeling bolstered by Su Shen’s performance, retorted playfully: “Honestly, your kids are all too skinny. Don’t you feed them enough?”

“Corporal punishment is wrong, you know. Growing kids need to eat more, not less. Take me as an example—I sometimes improve my trainees’ meals,” Ning De Bao said, eliciting envy from the other coaches, who glanced at Gou Laozhi as if to say—

Coach, when will you treat us to better meals?

That was Ning De Bao’s subtle jab.

How many trainees did she have? Barely three.

He had over a dozen.

Could it be the same?

In 2004, salaries weren’t enough to support such extravagance.

Training plus extra food really could bankrupt a coach.

Seeing Gou Laozhi taken aback, Ning De Bao was in high spirits and told Su Shen, “Xiao Tian, take a rest and prepare for the 200 meters.”

“Let’s see what level Coach Gou’s students are.”

“You should learn something too.”

Though she said that, anyone could see—

There was no intention of learning on Ning De Bao’s face.

Only blatant boasting.

PS: Today is Su Shen’s birthday. Please send your blessings! 32 years old and still breaking records!

Getting stronger with every battle! Su Shen forever!

Thanks to Tiancheng9, sjhsw, Decade, and Hui Lian for the generous rewards! More tonight!