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 a
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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 p
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Chapter 102
Chapter 103
Chapter 104
Chapter 105
Chapter 106
Chapter 107
Chapter 108
Chapter 109
Chapter 110
Chapter 111
Chapter 112
Chapter 113
Chapter 114
Chapter 115
Chapter 116
Chapter 117
Chapter 118
Chapter 119
Chapter 120
Chapter 121
Chapter 122
Chapter 123
Chapter 124
Chapter 125
Chapter 126
Chapter 127
Chapter 128
Chapter 129
Chapter 130
Chapter 131
Chapter 132
Chapter 133
Chapter 134
Chapter 135
Chapter 136
Chapter 137
Chapter 138
Chapter 139
Chapter 140
Chapter 141
Chapter 142
Chapter 143
Chapter 144
Chapter 145
Chapter 146
Chapter 147
Chapter 148
Chapter 149
Chapter 150
Chapter 151
Chapter 152
Chapter 153
Chapter 154
Chapter 155
Chapter 156
Chapter 157
Chapter 158
Chapter 159
Chapter 160
Chapter 161
Chapter 162
Chapter 163
Chapter 164
Chapter 165
Chapter 166
Chapter 167
Chapter 168
Chapter 169
Chapter 170
Chapter 171
Chapter 172
Chapter 173
Chapter 174
Chapter 175
Chapter 176
Chapter 177
Chapter 178
Chapter 179
Chapter 180
Chapter 181
Chapter 182
Chapter 183
Chapter 184
Chapter 185
Chapter 186
Chapter 187
Chapter 188
Chapter 189
Chapter 190
Chapter 191
Chapter 192
Chapter 193
Chapter 194
Chapter 195
Chapter 196
Chapter 197
Chapter 198
Chapter 199
Chapter 200
Chapter 201
Chapter 202
Chapter 203
Chapter 204
Chapter 205
Chapter 206
Chapter 207
Chapter 208
Chapter 209
Chapter 210
Chapter 211
Chapter 212
Chapter 213
Chapter 214
Chapter 215
Chapter 216
Chapter 217
Chapter 218
Chapter 219
Chapter 220
Chapter 221
Chapter 222
Chapter 223
Chapter 224
Chapter 225
Chapter 226
Chapter 227
Chapter 228
Chapter 229
Chapter 230
Chapter 231
Chapter 232
Chapter 233
Chapter 234
Chapter 235
Chapter 236
Chapter 237
Chapter 238
Chapter 239
Chapter 240
Chapter 241
Chapter 242
Chapter 243
Chapter 244
Chapter 245
Chapter 246
Chapter 247
Chapter 248
Chapter 249
Chapter 250
Chapter 251
Chapter 252
Chapter 253
Chapter 254
Chapter 255
Chapter 256
Chapter 257
Chapter 258
Chapter 259
