Chapter 34: Everyone Is Astonished—How Is Wang Xiaoming Not Tired at All?

The 800-meter swimming race has officially concluded!

Wang Xiaoming sat on the edge of the pool, breathing evenly. Although he had utilized his skills, he had indeed exerted every ounce of his strength. Yet, the outcome was positive; another gold medal was in his pocket. Wang Xiaoming removed his swim cap and waited for the remaining competitors to reach the side. The second-place finisher was, naturally, the American swimmer who had fought tooth and nail with him until the very end.

One by one, the other athletes arrived. Upon reaching the shore, they all stared at Wang Xiaoming, who had been waiting for them for some time, with faces full of disbelief and frustration.

His time: 7 minutes, 26.39 seconds!

Not only did he secure the gold medal, but he also shattered the previous Olympic record for the 800-meter event, which had been set by a Ukrainian swimmer at 7 minutes, 41.28 seconds. He had improved the time by a full 15 seconds. This feat left everyone who saw the results on the giant screen sighing in amazement. They had felt it was impossible to even swim under 7 minutes and 30 seconds, let alone achieve such a time. But someone had actually done it!

The Chinese audience in front of their screens waved their fists in excitement. Although they hadn't had the chance to be at the venue to cheer for Wang Xiaoming in person, watching on television did nothing to dampen their surging emotions. Many even shed tears of joy. Because of the words previously spoken by the swimming team coach, Wang Mu, Wang Xiaoming’s image had instantly become larger than life. Everyone believed he had sacrificed his own physical health to secure this victory. To them, Wang Xiaoming was like a solitary hero, indifferent to personal gain in the face of national honor.

"Why go to such lengths, risking his life like that?"
"Sigh, the bystander sees more than the player. We have a god's-eye view, but he is in the thick of it; how could he consider so much?"
"I just hope the country treats him well. Let's hope the tragedy that happened to those weightlifters a few years ago never repeats itself!"
"Rest assured, the country is strong now; such things will certainly not happen again!"
"Exactly, the country will never ignore anyone who earns glory for the nation!"

All the viewers were concerned about Wang Xiaoming's health, but once he had successfully won the gold and climbed out of the pool, they noticed he didn't seem to show any signs of severe fatigue. He was even happily waiting on the deck for the other swimmers to arrive. Could it be that such a massive physical expenditure meant nothing to him?

The audience at the venue was far less reserved than those watching from home. The moment Wang Xiaoming touched the wall, the entire arena erupted with a tsunami of cheers. Zhang Wei, the chubby fan, took the lead, shaking his belly and rallying the crowd to start a wave. The waves rolled on, one after another, until the on-site security could barely manage the crowd.

However, compared to the foreign spectators, the Chinese fans were relatively restrained. After two waves, they ceased the action. After all, such displays had been discouraged for years. Yet, feeling unsatisfied, some female fans took the lead and began to dance. Carried away by the moment, they even removed their outer layers, leaving only their undergarments to cover their chests. Inspired by this, female spectators from other countries followed suit. Although their own athletes hadn't won gold, the race had been a truly exhilarating spectacle. For a moment, the venue was filled with an alluring, vibrant atmosphere—the seductive, sensual bodies of the women forming a sharp contrast to the explosive, muscular physiques of the men on the pool deck.

Swimming coach Wang Mu buried his face in his hands and crouched on the ground, tears streaming down his face. Finally, at long last, China had broken the monopoly foreigners held over the 800-meter event. In this moment, Wang Mu seemed to see the shadow of Sun Yang in Wang Xiaoming.

Back in Beijing, Sun Yang, who was watching the race, couldn't help but smile. It was a relaxed, indifferent smile—a stark contrast to his usual persona. To his friends, Sun Yang had always been a "big boy," the kind who loved to joke around and act unserious. But seeing him now, they realized that his usual playfulness had always been a mask. People said he didn't care about the cyberbullying or the impact of the past incidents, but how could there not have been an impact? He was only in his twenties then, at the absolute peak of his physical and mental prime, when he encountered those events and was subjected to intense online harassment. In the end, he retired, forever bidding farewell to the pool that had once been his greatest pride.

This was also what led to the years of foreign dominance in the swimming events, a situation that had just been broken.

Meanwhile, the Japanese swimmer who had just reached the shore kept his head low when faced with Wang Xiaoming’s gaze. He had boasted earlier, never imagining that Wang Xiaoming didn't even consider him a rival; he had been left in the dust after just a hundred meters. Recalling his previous arrogance, the Japanese swimmer felt like diving back into the water to drown himself. But clearly, Wang Xiaoming didn't give him a second thought. After a brief glance, Wang Xiaoming turned his attention elsewhere.

The other athletes gave Wang Xiaoming a thumbs-up. They had thought he was just there to make up the numbers, but it turned out he was a dark horse—a dark horse that had easily left everyone else behind. If they had looked down on him before, no one could afford to overlook him now.

However, when Wang Xiaoming looked at the second-place American swimmer, he noticed the man's face was turning purple, looking as if he had overexerted himself to the point of collapse. Even after getting out of the water, the man remained in a state of high, strange excitement.

"Hey, are you okay?" Wang Xiaoming, not knowing the situation, asked out of humanitarian concern.

The American swimmer only smiled at him in response before bracing himself against the side of the pool, preparing to climb out. At that very instant, with a "thud," the American swimmer's hand slipped, and he collapsed back toward the edge of the pool.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The sudden turn of events startled everyone. It wasn't until the Olympic medical staff arrived to examine him that they realized the American swimmer had suffered total physical exhaustion. Comparing Wang Xiaoming to the American, the crowd's shock grew even deeper.

Wang Xiaoming, however, was deep in thought. Looking at the color of the American's face and remembering his expression upon reaching the shore, Wang Xiaoming rubbed his chin. It was all quite thought-provoking.