Chapter 632 - 558: Your Reputation Cannot Be Questioned

Chapter 632: Chapter 558: Your Reputation Cannot Be Questioned

Chen Yu knew very well that competitive sports and doping were never a black-and-white issue.

Once a competitive sport reached a certain level of development, even with the slightest hint of professionalization, it could never be completely clean.

Because it was tied to profits.

You train your heart out, while others use drugs and improve by leaps and bounds, raking in prize money. How could you not be envious? How could you stay true to your principles?

In such a situation, those who could avoid being swept up in it were truly remarkable.

Liu Xiang and Bolt were like that.

Was Liu Xiang’s natural talent top-tier? Of course it was.

But compared to Bolt’s once-in-a-million physical gifts, he was still a ways off.

The results he achieved today were thanks to his technique.

The technical component of hurdling was just too significant.

Over the past two years, Liu Xiang had used all sorts of scientific equipment to polish his technique. He meticulously adjusted every detail, down to the angle of his forward lean and the recovery of his trail leg. Others didn’t know the hardship he’d endured, but Chen Yu did.

His over-the-hurdle technique was so good that even Colin Jackson would have to give him a thumbs-up.

So he deserved to achieve these results!

As for Bolt, his talent was just on another level. He was so good that he could crush countless athletes even without using drugs.

He had been training with him in Phoenix the whole time. How could Chen Yu not know whether he was using drugs or not?

So, we don’t use drugs, and we don’t expect praise from anyone for it. We certainly won’t stand on a moral high ground and condemn those who do.

But for us to train our asses off, finally achieve a great result, and then be turned on and subjected to your accusations and slander—that is the ultimate shamelessness and insult.

That’s why Chen Yu couldn’t hold back. If he hadn’t given him a couple of shoves, he wouldn’t have been able to swallow his anger.

It was a pity he hadn’t used his fists to smash that shameless face.

His own hands were too valuable; Chen Yu couldn’t bear to risk them.

"Dr. Chen!"

Liu Xiang cried out in alarm and rushed over in two steps, nervously shielding Chen Yu.

He wasn’t the last one.

WHOOSH. A crowd of athletes, both Chinese and foreign, swarmed over, forming a protective circle around Chen Yu.

There were even many American athletes among them.

"Fack, he hit me, are you all blind? He hit me first, I’m the victim!" Graham shrieked.

Looking at the scene, who exactly was the victim here?

What made him want to spit blood in frustration was that he also saw his own disciple, Gatling.

He was just a dozen meters away; there was no way he hadn’t seen what was happening.

Seeing his own coach get beaten up, not only did the bastard not come over to help, but he also furtively turned around and silently slipped away.

The security guards and Olympic Committee officials maintaining order in the staging area also ran over.

Graham quickly pointed at Chen Yu in the crowd and yelled at the top of his lungs, "It was him! He’s the one who hit me!"

Someone immediately retorted, "That’s not what happened. We saw him push Dr. Chen first."

"That’s right, I saw it too!"

Graham’s eyes widened in disbelief. ’There are security cameras here!’

"Alright!"

Just then, Chen Yu spoke, silencing everyone. He then parted the crowd and walked to the front.

"I’m the one who hit him."

There were cameras, but since he’d done it, he had nothing to hide.

"Call the police? Sue me? Go ahead. You can contact my lawyer anytime."

"But," Chen Yu’s tone shifted as he said gravely, "I also reserve the right to sue you for slandering Liu Xiang and Bolt with accusations of doping."

In the crowd, Liu Xiang froze, suddenly realizing he was the cause of all this.

Chen Yu had hit Graham because of him.

Clearly, Chen Yu had been furious.

In Liu Xiang’s memory, Chen Yu was always gentle and amicable; he had never seen him angry enough to hit someone.

Seeing everyone in the crowd subconsciously look at him, Liu Xiang opened his mouth to defend himself and Chen Yu, but before he could speak, Chen Yu raised a hand to stop him.

"Everyone, whether Liu Xiang and Bolt have used performance-enhancing drugs can be proven by the official Olympic Committee drug tests!"

"If there are people who don’t believe the Olympic Committee’s test results, then I can vouch for both of them and attest that they have not used any banned substances. If you’ll take my word for it."

Chen Yu looked at everyone present.

Slander and rumors are like a collapsing dam. Once a breach opens up, it’s not so easy to plug.

With so many people here, Chen Yu had to clear the air for Liu Xiang and Bolt.

Because many people wouldn’t even believe the Olympic Committee’s test results and could find a whole host of reasons to question them.

"Dr. Chen, of course we believe you!"

An athlete in the crowd shouted without hesitation.

Many people voiced their agreement and nodded.

A man’s reputation precedes him. In the sports world these past few years, Chen Yu was a gold-plated brand.

He had won the trust of so many top athletes not just because of his exceptional skills, but also because he was a man of his word and worthy of trust.

Not to mention, after arriving at the Olympic Village, Chen Yu had worked tirelessly to help treat and diagnose many athletes. He was, in his own right, a highly-esteemed and respected doctor.

And as for you, Graham, before you accuse others, maybe you should check if your own ass is clean.

Chen Yu nodded slightly and looked toward Graham.

Graham slowly got to his feet, wiped the blood from under his nose, gave Chen Yu one last look, and pushed his way through the crowd to leave.

Chen Yu beckoned Liu Xiang over to the side and reminded him with a serious expression, "Remember, your results are clean. No one has the right to accuse or slander you. So, in any interview with any reporter, you can tell them that, loud and clear."

Liu Xiang nodded, his expression complicated. He said softly, "Dr. Chen, you didn’t have to do that. I really don’t know how to thank you."

This meant Chen Yu had gotten into a fight with Graham because of him.

All the trouble and criticism this would attract was because of him.

"Don’t say that. When they slander you, they’re slandering me," Chen Yu said gravely.

Accusing Liu Xiang of using drugs and his results being fake was tantamount to saying he himself was a cheat.

"Alright, you go back to the hotel and rest. I’m going to find Usain, I’ll be back in a bit." Chen Yu patted Liu Xiang’s shoulder and walked away quickly.

The matter didn’t die down at all. On the contrary, it blew up and spread quickly.

That very afternoon, many reporters who knew Chen Yu, like Su Jun, called him to ask for details about the incident.

By the afternoon, the news had even reached the United States.

Even Brian found out and called.

"Chen, you need a bodyguard!"

That was the first thing Brian said as soon as the call connected. Then he added fiercely, "If you want to hit someone in the future, you can have your bodyguard do it! What if you get hurt doing it yourself?"

Brian had heard from a reporter that Chen Yu had gotten into a fight in Athens, which gave him a scare. He was afraid something might have happened to Chen Yu.

"Forget the bodyguard."

Chen Yu didn’t feel he needed a bodyguard.

Realistically, no one would pick a fight with a doctor, let alone one of the world’s best.

"I didn’t actually have to get physical, but I thought about it at the moment and decided I had to."

This made Brian pause. He asked what Chen Yu meant.

Chen Yu said, "If I hadn’t gotten physical, this wouldn’t have blown up so much. Anyway, I have another call coming in. Let’s talk later."

Chen Yu hung up the phone.

It was a call from Stern.

He first asked if Chen Yu was hurt, then angrily said that Graham slandering Chen Yu was unforgivable. He also said he knew the United States Olympic Committee Chairman, Peter Ueberroth, and was going to call him to protest.

Slandering Chen Yu was tantamount to slandering the NBA!

"There’s no need, David."

’You know him, and you think I don’t?’ Chen Yu thought.

Ueberroth’s daughter was a vice president at the NBA, but Chen Yu worked with World Athletics and had interacted with Ueberroth quite a few times himself.

In fact, Ueberroth had already contacted Chen Yu that afternoon. He first apologized on Graham’s behalf, then carefully stated that Graham’s accusations against Chen Yu were his personal opinion and had absolutely nothing to do with the United States Olympic Committee, pleading for Chen Yu’s understanding.

On the other end of the line, Stern let out a sound of understanding, then asked curiously, "Chen, your handling of this matter feels a bit out of character."

People will say what they want to say; you can’t stop them.

Most importantly, they were all respectable people. Getting physical was a bit over the line.

And from what he knew of Chen Yu, he was definitely not the type to lose control and resort to violence out of exasperation.

Brian had already asked this question.

Chen Yu couldn’t help but ask in return, "David, was I that obvious?"

At that moment, Chen Yu was genuinely angry, but not to the point of losing control.

But after thinking for a moment, Chen Yu decided to get physical.

Only by hitting Graham could this incident be blown up.

The famous Dr. Chen losing his temper and hitting someone—what a rare piece of news!

Once the news reported on it, the full story would come out.

This time, Liu Xiang had uncharacteristically shattered a record in an incredible fashion. If he went on to break the world record and win the gold medal, one could only imagine how many people would question his achievement afterward.

Graham was the first, but he definitely wouldn’t be the last.

There was no real reason, other than the fact that Liu Xiang was a yellow man.

There was a certain group of people who, in their bones, looked down on Liu Xiang. They believed he was incapable of breaking the dominance of Black athletes in the world of track and field.

Even if he did, it must have been through some trick or dirty, underhanded method.

And then there was Bolt!

The sprints had always been a gold mine for the United States.

But Bolt had just run a 19.43, on the verge of breaking the world record.

And he was so young!

If he kept training like this, the United States was set to lose a huge number of gold medals in the sprints.

And within track and field, the sprints were the events with the highest public attention and the greatest commercial interests.

With profits on the line, one could imagine that the future Bolt would also face the same kind of criticism as Liu Xiang.

So Chen Yu felt that he had to use his own reputation to vouch for them right when these rumors were first starting to sprout, to dispel all the doubts.

Besides, questioning them was the same as questioning him.

His own reputation could not be tarnished!

So Chen Yu hit him. If he hadn’t, the matter would have ended quietly.

Hitting him was the only way to get people’s attention, to get them talking, and then to let the dust settle for good.

’If you’ve got the guts, come and question me!’

He just hadn’t expected that Stern would guess the reason just by looking at the news reports.

Stern laughed and said, "For you to get angry enough to get physical is so out of character. I imagine many people will figure out the reason soon enough."

"But Chen, you did the right thing. Your reputation cannot be questioned!"

Liu Xiang was crucial.

He had to get good results and prove himself. Only then could he prove that Chen Yu’s training strategy was sound.

Only then could Chen Yu smoothly take over the Chinese Men’s Basketball Team, and only then could basketball and soccer in China be fully commercialized, allowing for deep cooperation with the NBA to generate profits.