Chapter 43: The Match Ends, and the Urine Test Crisis Strikes Again!

As the race concluded, thunderous cheers erupted across the stadium. Just as Wang Xiaoming and his teammates were heading toward the podium, they suddenly noticed four swimmers from a certain relay team huddled in a corner, weeping bitterly with their heads in their hands.

"What's going on? Even if they didn't win a medal, there's no need to cry as if both their grandparents had just passed away, right?" Wang Xiaoming asked with genuine puzzlement.

Although athletes from other countries were naturally disappointed when they lost, this was the first time he had ever seen anyone cry like this. It could truly be described as wailing and weeping profusely, with tears and mucus streaming down endlessly without a moment's pause.

Pan Zhanle glanced over casually and explained, "Oh, South Korean athletes. Perfectly normal!"

"Normal? How so?" Wang Xiaoming remained confused.

"Don't they have mandatory military service in South Korea? Winning an Olympic medal exempts them from it! They finished precisely in fourth place, missing out on the podium by just a fraction of a second," Pan Zhanle said slowly, looking entirely indifferent.

Right now, his only concern was the gold medal he was about to receive. He couldn't care less about the athletes from other nations.

Wang Xiaoming nodded in realization. So that was how it was.

As competitors from other countries climbed out of the pool, Wang Xiaoming cast a few casual glances around. To his surprise, he noticed that the faces of the athletes from Europe, America, and Australia had all turned the color of purple sweet potatoes, making them look as if Thanos himself had manifested in the real world.

Wang Xiaoming curled the corner of his lips. This situation seemed rather... suspicious.

However, he chose not to dwell on it. For one thing, they had already secured first place, and there was no need to go looking for unnecessary trouble. Besides, since they had already cleared the organizing committee's doping tests, what more was there for him to say?

With that, the four of them continued walking toward the podium.

Yet at that very moment, for reasons unknown, deafening boos suddenly erupted throughout the venue. Cries of "Cheaters!" and "Dopers!" echoed incessantly from all directions.

Looking at the foreign spectators who were relentlessly jeering at them, Wang Xiaoming furrowed his brow once again. Would this endless harassment never stop?

It seemed they needed a dose of heavy medicine.

Furthermore, Coach Wang Mu, who should have rushed over to congratulate and embrace them, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was standing not far away, engaged in a heated and continuous argument with the coaches of various other countries.

"What's going on? Are they trying to stir up trouble again?" Seeing this scene, the joy in Pan Zhanle's heart was considerably dampened. The remaining two team members also wore grim expressions. This was simply going too far and bullying them beyond acceptable limits!

And it wasn't just the foreign spectators in the stands making a commotion.

Several officials from the French Olympic Organizing Committee suddenly reappeared on the scene, marching straight toward Wang Xiaoming.

"Damn it, will this never end? What the hell!" cursing softly, Pan Zhanle took a step forward to block their path.

However, Wang Xiaoming reached out and pulled him back.

Wang Xiaoming simply shook his head, not a single trace of panic on his face. "It's fine, don't rush. Let's hear what they have to say first."

"Hello, Mr. Wang Xiaoming..." Clearly, the organizing committee officials were rather embarrassed as well. In truth, this wasn't their own initiative; they were merely following orders from the higher-ups.

If they allowed Wang Xiaoming to continue creating miracles like this, what gold medals would be left in the remaining swimming events for their own country?

They could accept a strong China; they could accept China winning gold medals. Those things were entirely acceptable.

However, they could not accept China leaving everyone else so far behind in the dust! That was simply too terrifying. Besides, once the medal table was officially announced, where would their country's dignity and pride go?

One had to remember, this was their home turf! To let a Chinese athlete steal every spotlight and claim every single honor—where would they be able to save face?

The shooting events earlier could be let slide, as there was no plausible angle to stir up controversy. But this swimming competition was different! There were simply too many aspects they could exploit.

And Wang Xiaoming's sudden descent like a celestial being today provided the exact opening they needed to seize.

"What is it?" Wang Xiaoming asked with a smile, his demeanor calm and detached, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred at all.

"Hello, could you please provide an explanation regarding your performance in today's race?" one of the officials demanded.

"An explanation? What kind of explanation could they possibly need? If you have something to say, just spit it out directly!" Pan Zhanle had a straightforward temperament and immediately stood up to defend Wang Xiaoming. He was utterly fed up. They tried to mess with their mental state before the race, and now they were back trying to mess with their mental state after the race! Just how terrified were these people of China growing strong?

At that moment, Coach Wang Mu had already hurried over, and the coaches from various other countries had also converged on the spot.

Not only that, but every single media camera was now trained directly on them. Everyone realized that this was unquestionably the biggest news story of these Olympic Games. There would surely be no other event that could surpass this level of public attention in the future!

Therefore, they recorded every single frame and every single second with meticulous care.

Meanwhile, under the live broadcast lenses of media outlets from every nation, hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide were closely following the unfolding drama.

In an instant, the Olympic television broadcasts in various countries hit unprecedented, record-breaking viewing ratings.

In front of their screens, some viewers were indignant on Wang Xiaoming's behalf; others were simply watching the spectacle with a detached "not my problem" attitude; while still others firmly supported the organizing committee's demand for a thorough investigation into Wang Xiaoming. Every conceivable attitude and perspective was represented.

Back at the venue, all the Chinese team members stood firmly behind Wang Xiaoming. Opposite them stood the coaches and athletes from the other nations.

The scene was sharply divided into two completely polarized camps.

"Xiaoming, don't waste your breath on them. Our people will be here in a moment!" Wang Mu comforted Wang Xiaoming, having already notified the senior Chinese officials to head over.

Wang Xiaoming, however, merely waved his hand. "It's nothing major, everyone stay calm."

He then turned to the organizing committee official who had interrogated him and asked, "Tell me, what kind of explanation are you looking for?"

The official stated, "Mr. Wang Xiaoming, we have watched all your previous races!"

"Your starting acceleration might not be described as terrible, but it was certainly far below expectations!"

"So why is it that today, you were able to establish such a massive, insurmountable advantage right from the very beginning?"

Wang Xiaoming smiled faintly. "If your skills are inferior to others, stop running your mouth!"

"What?" Since Wang Xiaoming had spoken those words in Chinese, the athletes and coaches from the opposing countries failed to catch his meaning.

Wang Xiaoming rephrased it in a more colloquial manner: "If you're trash, practice more!" He then turned to the translator standing nearby and said calmly, "Translate!"

When the group of foreigners finally understood the translator's words, the entire area instantly erupted into an uproar. Wang Xiaoming's single remark had directly incited the fury of everyone present.

"Mr. Wang Xiaoming, regarding your performance results today, we are required to place them under provisional review. We expect you to undergo another doping test with us!"

If it had only been his performance in the 800-meter race earlier, they might have refused yet another drug test as they had before. But Wang Xiaoming's physical condition today was simply too terrifying, reaching levels that humanly should not exist. It had aroused suspicion in everyone's minds.

Listening to the official's demand, Wang Xiaoming glanced back at the purple sweet-potato-faced individuals whose facial coloring had yet to fade.

"Very well, I..."

Just as he was about to continue, his voice was interrupted by a shout from the tunnel entrance.

"Wait!"

"Whether he takes a drug test or not is not for you people to decide!"