Chapter 116: My Dream
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
20 billion was a figure completely beyond Dai Li's imagination. He only had a vague concept. However, as a coach, he really hoped that Haiquan Fang could stay. After all, Fang had A-level talent; it would be a waste if he couldn't become an athlete. It was the same as a good chef not being able to use the best materials to make a dish; an outstanding jade master would not be able to stand if he was not allowed to carve jade. As for coaches, if he missed out on a talented athlete, he would be disappointed.
"Haiquan Fang, you would rather stay than retreat, right?" asked Li.
Fang nodded. "Yes, I want to stay. I love long jump! It makes me feel like I can fly."
"You wanna fly? I can buy you a plane! You can fly by plane to wherever you want!" Manager Fang snorted.
If someone else had said it, he may have been regarded as a joker. But Manager Fang was different. With his resources, it would not be a problem for him to buy a private plane, which is why nobody dared to laugh at him. Some salesmen might actually immediately come advertising their private planes to Manager Fang.
Worried about having a third quarrel, he turned to the father and said, "Manager Fang, if you never wanted your son to become an athlete, why did you send him here? Our youth team only recruits juveniles, they can't enroll without a guardian's permission."
Li was telling the truth. No matter what team it was, as long as it referred to juveniles, the recruitment required a guardian's permission and their signatures on relative contracts.
Upon mentioning this, Manager Fang became annoyed. "This is all about his mother! She secretly sent him here, my son is spoiled by his mom!"
"I see." Li was still smiling. "in my opinion, it would be better for you to have a negotiation first. It seems like you and Mrs. Fang have different views. If you don't come up with a final decision, you might bring your son home only to have Mrs. Fang send him back tomorrow."
"She wouldn't dare!" Manager Fang snorted again. He sounded less confident.
"Perhaps he is intimidated by his wife?" Li continued, "Manager Fang, we have a high elimination rate, so much so that our training is too intensive for teenagers to insist. A lot of people give up by themselves because they can't stand it anymore. Usually, only 20% of athletes can make it until the end. Therefore, I suggest letting your son try first. There is no need to push him too hard right now. Besides, he is not willing to go back. How about you give him a chance?"
Hearing this, Manager Fang's face brightened. He thought that Li was indicating that his son may not hold on for much longer. What he didn't know, however, was that it was just Li's misdirection.
The father finally went back alone, while Haiquan Fang stayed. But Li could sense that Manager Fang wouldn't easily give up. He would return soon. Staring at his father's back, the son was still filled with anger.
"Hey, are you still annoyed?" asked Li.
"He never thinks about me! He never knows what I want! He only cares about himself!" The son showed his anger by giving a snort.
"I would say that your father does all of these because he really cares about you, otherwise he wouldn't come here by himself. Think about it; if he really wanted you to leave, he could simply tell our leader and have you expelled," said Li.
As an extremely rich man, Manager Fang definitely possessed a strong network. In the last few years especially, after the rapid development of the Continental Cooperation, even the local government began trying to please Manager Fang in an attempt to attract his investment. Therefore, as long as he wished, he could simply pressure the Provincial Sport Department to expel his son.
But he didn't. This did not mean that he lacked power, nor did it mean that he did not think about it. It was because he cared too much about his son. Mr. Fang loved his son; he was just expressing his love in the wrong way.
Fang knew that Li was telling the truth. He thought in silence for a few seconds, then replied, "My father wanted to send me to the UK for high school. Then he wants me to major in business management in college so I can take his position after I graduate."
"Isn't that cool? Leading a huge company with billions of dollars worth of property?" Li felt jealous.
"That is not what I want! I love long jump; I love the feeling when I'm flying in the sky. I enjoy the excitement whenever I challenge myself and outperform myself, especially when I have a good performance. Nothing else can bring me such satisfaction!" Fang's eyes were full of longing.
"I don't know what's going on in your mind. You know, being an athlete means receiving intense training every day, no matter how bad the weather is," said Li. "I have to make it clear: if you insist in doing this, you are going to have a hard life. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I'm sure!" answered Fang firmly. His eyes were shining with stubbornness.
"Alright, let's get started then." Li patted Fang's shoulder. "From now on, you are going to live in hell. If you can't deal with it, leave!"
...
Li already knew that Fang was a stubborn person. That was why he had prodded Fang into action. During their daily training, Li was very strict with Fang. He had A-level talent, which was above all the other teenagers. He deserved more attention.
Long jump training was not a big deal. It was a sport that required basic skills, and whose training was divided into two parts: explosive leg strength and methods training. Every sport shared similar explosive force training skills. The main emphasis was on weight training and additional resistance. Considering the limitations of human muscle, overloading or offering too much resistance could cause harm to the body, especially to professional athletes who received high-intensity training each day. It was very important to control the weight and resistance to make training effective.
Luckily, because Li owned two beneficial tools—Muscle Relaxation and Rehabilitative Massage—he didn't worry about Fang getting injured. He pushed Fang to improve his capacity, and as a result, Fang's workload indeed became "hell." Under such intensity, Fang made a lot of progress.
Manager Fang didn't come back for his son, which comforted Li. What Li didn't know, however, was that Manager Fang had everything under control!