Chapter 637 - 563: An Enemy for Life

Chapter 637: Chapter 563: An Enemy for Life

Watching Little Nelson leave, Chen Yu fell into deep thought.

He was shocked by the determination of the Mavericks’ management. Kuban was really going all out.

But the guy had actually given him a deadline.

One week.

If the Phoenix Suns weren’t interested, they would give up on the trade.

Little Nelson had laid it all out for Chen Yu. They were already in contact with the Warriors and were close to an agreement.

They had their sights set on Eric Dampier, the guy who dared to call himself the top center in the West.

The guy’s contract was up this year. The Warriors were reluctant to give him a big contract but had been dragging their feet on an extension because they were in talks with the Magic, hoping to trade him for Howard.

Unexpectedly, the Magic’s management decided to keep Howard after all.

The Warriors’ fantasy was shattered on the 15th, and they immediately started looking for a new team for Dampier.

So, analyzing it from this angle, Little Nelson probably wasn’t lying.

Once it was clear the Phoenix Suns weren’t an option, they definitely wouldn’t just wait around. They would immediately complete the trade with the Warriors to strengthen their number 5 position.

Actually, regarding the O’Neal trade, Brian had always had an option: trade O’Neal away next summer, just like before, and pick up a number one draft pick in the process.

Chen Yu also tried hard to recall the eligible, high-potential rookies for next summer.

Since it wasn’t next summer yet, it was impossible to know who would stand out and ultimately become a top contender for the number one pick. After all, there was still a whole year to go.

He did recall a few names, though.

For example, Rashad McCants, North Carolina’s scoring leader, who was also the top scorer in the ACC Alliance last season.

And thinking of the ACC Alliance reminded Chen Yu of someone else: last season’s ACC Alliance Rookie of the Year, Chris Paul.

This freshman, representing Duncan’s alma mater Vickson University, had put up stats of 15 points and 6 assists in his first year.

He was an outstanding point guard.

The Phoenix Suns had always wanted to find a potential point guard.

Someone to succeed Hardaway.

But this was too big of a decision. Chen Yu really needed to have a serious discussion with Brian.

And it had to be in person.

The original plan was for Chen Yu to go to Spain to treat the King’s leg as soon as Liu Xiang’s competition ended tomorrow. Now, it looked like he had to make a trip back to the United States first.

The Old King’s leg had been hurting for several years; a few more days wouldn’t matter.

Liu Xiang, who had broken the world record in the second round of the preliminaries, didn’t stop there.

The 110-meter hurdles semifinals.

"The race is on, and Liu Xiang has a very smooth start."

"He’s in first place right now!"

"Liu Xiang is in the lead!"

"Liu Xiang, Liu Xiang wins! 12.88 seconds! Liu Xiang has broken the world record again!"

"In three days, from an Olympic record to a world record, and now breaking the world record again! Liu Xiang has broken three records! He has made history!"

"Liu Xiang!"

In the sports channel’s broadcast booth, Yang Jian was screaming at the top of his lungs. It was the only way to vent his inner excitement.

Three records in three days. Liu Xiang had already etched his name into the annals of track and field history forever.

But it wasn’t over yet.

「Two hours later.」

Two hours later, Bolt stood at the starting line of the 200-meter final.

When the camera focused on him, he grinned and flashed a peace sign for victory.

"This kid."

Backstage, Chen Yu couldn’t help but laugh.

If nothing else, Bolt’s mentality was always stable.

The starting gun fired, and everyone shot out at the same time.

This time, Bolt’s start wasn’t slow.

0.129 seconds!

For someone of his height, this reaction time could be considered top-tier—an extraordinary performance.

It was also his fastest of the four races.

Sprinting around the bend, Bolt strode with his long legs, maintaining an astonishing cadence.

In over two years, especially after Chen Yu performed surgery to correct his curved spine, the pendulum-like swing of his upper body was no longer an issue.

If you looked at him from the front, his shoulders barely swayed; only his legs were in a constant, frantic sprint.

The outcome would be decided by a hair’s breadth, and Chen Yu couldn’t visually gauge how fast he was running.

However, coming out of the bend, especially in the final 50 meters when everyone was hitting their physical limits, Chen Yu keenly noticed that Bolt’s speed seemed to be holding steady.

If you were to draw a velocity decay curve, his would be the flattest.

In other words, his endurance was stronger.

Or perhaps, he was just pushing himself harder.

His body had become more adapted to this extreme state.

After a race where he had run to the point of exhaustion and vomiting, pushing past his own limits, his body’s ceiling had been broken through and raised now that he was fully recovered.

Chen Yu’s heart couldn’t help but pound wildly.

’Maybe this time, Bolt can really break the world record.’

After all, he was only 0.04 seconds away from the world record.

Before he could think any further, Bolt had already shot across the finish line like a gust of wind.

Then, at the very moment he crossed the line, his forward momentum caused him to stumble and collapse to the ground.

Normally, for these top-tier athletes, it was rare to see them vomit or have their legs give out and fall after a race.

Unless it was the monstrous 400-meter event.

But Bolt had surpassed his body’s limits; he had truly given it his all.

The moment he hit the ground, Bolt felt all sound vanish from his ears, replaced by a constant ringing.

The next moment, a pair of hands grabbed him.

He turned his head and saw Shaun Crawford!

"Good job."

He gave Bolt a thumbs-up.

As he spoke, he slowly helped Bolt to his feet.

Only then did Bolt clearly see the time on the clock.

19.30 seconds!

All the emotions bottled up inside him were suddenly released at that moment.

Tears streamed down his face, completely beyond his control.

He didn’t even know why he was crying.

’He wanted to laugh more, a hearty, unrestrained laugh, to tell Mills, to tell Chen Yu, "See, I told you! I said I’d break the world record, and I did it."’

Crawford patted Bolt on the back, looking at his tear-streaked face with mixed feelings.

Before the race, he truly believed the 200-meter gold medal was in the bag for him.

A glance at the competition revealed no real rivals; it was lonely at the top!

He didn’t even see Gatling as a threat.

’I might not beat you in the 100-meter, but the 200-meter is my home turf.’

But then Bolt had come out of nowhere.

He really had just appeared.

Looking at the final rankings, apart from Bolt, the next four places were all held by Americans.

If it weren’t for Bolt, the United States would have swept the event.

Crawford took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, then grabbed Bolt’s right hand and raised it high toward the stands.

’To go from a performance that could win gold to repeatedly surpassing himself, all the way to breaking the world record...’

Besides respect, he had no other thoughts.

Bernard Williams and Gatling also came over one after another to embrace Bolt.

In the world of the 200-meter sprint, a new young king had appeared.

Amidst the thunderous applause and cheers from the stands, Gatling gave Bolt a deep hug.

His feelings were the most complicated of all.

Bolt’s sudden rise had cost him a medal.

Not winning a medal with a time of 20.03 seconds was just unbelievable.

Releasing Bolt and looking at his young, innocent face, Gatling felt a mix of emotions.

Although he was young too, only 22 this year.

He might have been crowned champion in the 100-meter dash, making him the fastest man in the world, but compared to Bolt, he still seemed a little inferior.

"Usain, congratulations. You’ve got a good coach," Gatling said with a smile.

It was unclear which good coach he was referring to.

Then, after a moment’s hesitation, Gatling added jokingly, "By the way, you’re not planning on running the 100-meter next, are you?"

In sprinting, the 100-meter and 200-meter were closely related. Bolt starting with the 200-meter didn’t at all prevent him from developing into a 100-meter runner.

"Huh?"

Bolt let out a small sound of surprise. "How did you know I was going to run the 100-meter?" he asked, puzzled.

The smile on Gatling’s face froze instantly.

’This guy is actually going to run the 100-meter!’

Beside him, Crawford and Williams also turned their heads to look at Bolt.

’Bolt running the 100-meter? Is that suitable?’

The two of them sized up Bolt’s towering height.

They already found it unbelievable that someone of his height could break the 200-meter world record.

Bolt didn’t notice their strange expressions and continued on his own, "Mr. Chen suggested I run the 100-meter before. I’ve thought about it too. After breaking the world record this time, I’m going to focus on training for the 100-meter."

He grinned at Gatling, his tone carrying a hint of a challenge. "We’ll be rivals from now on!"

Gatling stood there, stunned.

Crawford and Williams were also stunned.

When Bolt said he wanted to train for the 100-meter, the three of them didn’t think much of it.

It was about diversifying. If you’re a sprinter, who wouldn’t want to take a shot at the 100-meter?

The key was that, according to Bolt, it was Chen Yu who had suggested he run the 100-meter.

And the three of them couldn’t ignore Chen Yu’s judgment and advice.

"Good luck. I’ll be waiting for you to surpass me," Gatling said, recovering quickly. He patted Bolt on the shoulder as if encouraging a junior.

’It’s hard for a big guy like him to master the 100-meter! I’m the Olympic champion. If he wants to catch up to me, he’ll need a few more years of training.’

"Okay!"

Bolt nodded emphatically, his gaze sweeping over Crawford and Williams.

He would take them on one by one; they were all targets for him to surpass.

On the other side, Mills was already running over excitedly, holding the national flag.

Bolt raised the Jamaican flag and celebrated with a slow jog around the track.

Watching him gradually move away, Gatling couldn’t help but lean over to Crawford and whisper, "Should we be training with Chen?"

Graham’s immediate capitulation had left Gatling with a lingering sense of fear.

So many celebrities had come out in support of Chen Yu; one could only imagine how extensive his network and influence were.

So, he had already decided in his heart to abandon Graham.

In that case, the best choice now was Chen Yu.

Having single-handedly trained two powerhouses who broke world records, Chen Yu was truly on the verge of becoming a god in the world of track and field coaching.

Crawford gave his fellow alumnus from North Carolina a blank stare. He had told him back then not to choose Graham as a coach. Now he knew regret.

Just as he was thinking, Williams chimed in gloomily from the side, "I heard Alan wants to train with Chen Yu too."

After a pause, Williams added with a hint of complaint, "Chen is one of us, an American. He should be helping us more."

Gatling and Crawford looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

That’s right. Chen Yu was America’s Miracle Doctor. What was the deal with him not helping his own people and training two foreigners instead?