The gold is yours, you are mine

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 The Era

Tokyo New National Stadium.

Although it was already afternoon and the sun was blazing, long queues of spectators still formed as they waited to enter.

A young girl with a ponytail ran out of a convenience store on the side of the road, holding two popsicles, and rushed across the road, shoving them directly into the hands of her companion.

"Here you go. It's so hot today, I'm dying of heat. Why can't we go in yet? I really want to see Jian Changnian play!"

His companion chuckled, tucked the small national flag he was waving into his backpack, freed his hand to grab an ice pop, and gestured to the surroundings with his chin: "I reckon more than half the people here this afternoon came for her."

There are many Chinese people in Tokyo, and as the top seed in the national badminton team, Chien Chang-nian has quite a few fans.

If she wins this match, she will become the first female professional badminton player in the country to achieve a Grand Slam, naturally attracting widespread attention.

Someone nearby overheard their conversation, and several young people came over: "You're here to watch Jian Changnian's competition too?"

He spoke in perfect Beijing dialect from the moment he opened his mouth, and the group burst into laughter.

"Yes, that's right, I came from Hokkaido. What about you?"

"Me? I flew in from China."

...

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the group started talking about today's competition. The girl who had spoken first glanced at her watch; it was time to go in. She sighed.

"But her opponent today is Kim Nam-ji. Four years ago at the Rio Olympics, Jian Changnian narrowly lost to her. Even Xie Shi'an, who was ranked number one in the world at the time and is now the head coach of the women's team, also lost to her..."

Her companion nudged her arm: "Why think so much? The audience can come in now. Win or lose, this is a once-in-a-lifetime, top-level showdown."

The stadium doors slowly opened, like opening up a new, exciting world.

People of different skin colors scattered like birds and beasts.

The young people across the street waited quietly for the traffic light to turn green, and only slowly walked over after the crowd had mostly dispersed.

The woman was in her early twenties, wearing a simple sports t-shirt, a white baseball cap, and a black mask that covered most of her face, revealing only her clear, bright eyes.

The woman walked to the place where the crowd had just gathered, bent down slightly, picked up the five-star red flag that had been left on the ground, brushed off the dust, folded it neatly, and put it in her pocket.

When she bent over, her long arms and the lines of her back created a clear and smooth shape on her clothes.

After standing up, the woman looked up at the towering egg-shaped building in front of her, then turned and walked towards the athletes' private passage on the other side.

The preparations for the Olympics are very complicated, especially with two finals this afternoon, the men's singles and the women's singles. These are not only a test of skills, but also a test of the athletes' mentality.

The athletes were extremely nervous, and the coaching staff naturally couldn't sit idle either. After the tactical discussion meeting, Xie Shi'an was called back: "Shi'an, stay behind for a moment. The rest of you, go prepare for the match."

Xie Shi'an turned around, his name tag hanging around his neck, clearly displaying the words "Head Coach".

The speaker was their team leader, Wan Jing, who was now over fifty years old. Before coming to Tokyo, he had specially dyed the two tufts of white hair at his temples black, making him look much younger.

Xie Shi'an was the coach who recruited him into the national team and promoted him exceptionally. They were not only superior and subordinate but also teacher and student. At this moment, his gaze softened as he looked at her, but he couldn't help but feel worried.

Has Chang Nian arrived yet?

Xie Shi'an glanced at his watch, not particularly worried: "Judging by the time, we should be there soon."

Logically, Jian Changnian should have gone with the main group, but in order to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics, she trained overtime until late at night almost every day.

Xie Shi'an wanted her to sleep a little longer.

Wan Jing could easily see through her thoughts.

We're family, so it's understandable that I feel sorry for you.

Wan Jing sighed and said, "You know, Chang Nian absolutely cannot lose this match. So many eyes are watching, not just for honor, but for you, for herself, and also..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

Xie Shi'an lowered his eyes and nodded slightly.

"I know her opponent today is very strong."

Xie Shi'an rose to fame at a young age and was once hailed as a child prodigy. In her short professional career spanning several decades, she won countless championships. This experience instilled in her an arrogant and haughty attitude, and she didn't take ordinary people seriously at all. Anyone who could be praised by her as a very strong opponent was naturally no pushover.

She spoke calmly, but Wan Jing noticed that Xie Shi'an's hand, hanging by her side, clenched the ballpoint pen in her palm.

Yes, she has won many championships, in competitions of all sizes, and her trophies, medals, and certificates almost fill an entire wall.

But she is still one Olympic gold medal away from achieving a Grand Slam.

Four years ago at the Rio Olympics, she and Jian Changnian formed a women's doubles team and fought their way into the final, but lost 1-2 to Kim Nam-ji and her partner.

After that, she went to the United States, Kim Nam-ji switched to singles, and Chien Chang-nian followed suit and changed positions.

That match was a significant turning point in the lives of all three of them, and for Jian Changnian, it was an absolute necessity to win.

Therefore, in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, Jian Changnian underwent more than a year of closed training under Xie Shi'an's arrangement. In order to keep her tactics secret and to prevent her opponents from figuring out her playing style, she almost never participated in domestic competitions. In international competitions, her chances of winning against Kim Nam-ji were 40/60.

Jian Changnian Si, Jin Nanzhi Liu.

Wan Jing told her all this partly because he was worried about them, and partly to try and get some information out of her. After all, Xie Shi'an was the one he recommended, and Jian Changnian's victory or defeat indirectly affected their fates and futures. But it seemed he couldn't get anything out of her, so he could only sigh and wave his hand, saying, "Go ahead."

Xie Shi'an nodded slightly, then turned and left. She opened the door a crack to let in some sunlight, then turned back and said something.

"Old Yan once said that good coaches and athletes complement each other. This applies not only to Chang Nian's competition, but also to mine. I will let Kim Nam Ji know that her era has passed."

As she said this, a chilling fighting spirit flashed across her usually calm eyes.

For a fleeting moment, Wan Jing felt that Xie Shi'an, who had been invincible on the field before, had returned.

Whether it was because of her words or her gaze, Wan Jing's heart was also filled with emotion.

His heart finally settled down a little, and he looked at her with a smile: "I believe in you, and Lao Yan and I will always be proud of you."

Xie Shi'an smiled slightly, returned a faint smile, opened the door and walked out.

locker room.

Tick-tock—

Tick-tock—

Jian Changnian turned off the tap, wiped her face with a towel, turned around and walked towards the locker. She opened the locker door, and a photo came into view.

The middle-aged man in the photo, smiling broadly, has his arms around two children on either side. The older one, looking unhappy and acting all high and mighty, is Xie Shi'an, while the shorter, thinner one is her.

Jian Changnian took out the photo, smiled, her eyes filled with nostalgia, and gently put the photo into the inner pocket of her shirt.

With a soft creak, the locker room door was pushed open.

"The match is about to begin."

Jian Changnian thought it was a staff member coming to urge her, but who knew Xie Shian would come in person.

The cabinet door was still wide open, and Xie Shi'an wasn't blind, so of course he saw her put the photo into her pocket.

She would take Lao Yan with her wherever she went for competitions.

Xie Shi'an sighed silently to himself.

Before she could speak again, Jian Changnian quickly closed the cabinet door, her movements a bit hasty, making a jarring sound.

"I understand, I'll go right away."

But Xie Shi'an's attention was focused on the competition at the moment, and he didn't notice her unusual behavior. Even if he had, he would probably have assumed she was nervous.

As expected.

Xie Shi'an spoke up: "Don't be too nervous, just perform at your normal level."

As Jian Changnian struck up a conversation, he pulled out a racket from his enormous backpack and did a final check of his equipment.

Do you know what you and Lao Yan are most similar about?

"What?" Xie Shi'an raised an eyebrow.

"Wordy."

"..."

The head coach, who usually keeps his emotions hidden, is frantically trying to control his facial expressions.

Jian Changnian chuckled, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and stood up: "Let's go, Coach Xie, off to the competition."

Xie Shi'an was pushed forward, but when he turned around, he saw that she was holding an old racket in her hand. The racket had some paint chips on the edge, which did not affect her performance, but it was not very aesthetically pleasing.

For an athlete of Jian Changnian's caliber, countless sponsors would vie to have her use their company's products every year, but this major international competition could even be considered the pinnacle of her career.

She actually brought an old racket with her. What was she up to? And the racket looked more and more familiar. Wasn't it the one she had given her years ago?

Xie Shi'an turned his face away: "Why not use a new one?"

Jian Changnian smiled and said, "Well, it's easy to use."

Xie Shi'an was eager to expose her deception. They had done thousands or even tens of thousands of training sessions, simulating various unexpected situations during matches, including using all kinds of rackets.

She deserves to stand here because she can consistently perform at her best regardless of the racket she uses.

The fact that she brought out an old racket in such a crucial match can only mean that the racket and the match were equally significant.

Xie Shi'an wasn't ignorant, but he could only pretend not to understand and said calmly.

Why do you still keep it?

“I’ve been using it to play since you went to America.”

Jian Changnian was now a head taller than her, and with his arm around her shoulder the whole time they walked, Xie Shi'an looked up slightly and their eyes met. The man's eyes were slightly teasing, his gaze was intense, and he had a beautiful smile.

Xie Shi'an gave her a reverse elbow, shoving her aside: "It's just a racket, I'll give you another one if you win."

Although his actions were ruthless, his words were somewhat warm.

Jian Changnian rubbed her stomach, looking worried: "Hey—wait for me! What if I lose?"

"Lost? If you lose, you'll train for another four years, the kind where you train all year round without a break."

Jian Changnian let out a bloodcurdling wail: "Xie Shi'an, do you have any humanity left?!"

As they talked, Xie Shi'an walked very fast, with long strides and a very straight back. She was not short, and her whole demeanor was like a crisp and clean sword, just like her personality.

She has changed a lot over the years. Because she no longer competes, she has gradually grown her hair long and tied it into a low ponytail at the back of her head. It looks clean and beautiful, and the exposed part of her neck is long and fair.

Jian Changnian was engrossed in watching, stroking the racket in his hand, and whispered, "Hey, if I win, can I get a gift in return?"

After waiting for a while without a response, Jian Changnian smiled self-deprecatingly and had no choice but to hurry up and catch up with her, falling half a step behind.