Chapter 158 - 156: A Nation’s Ultimate Weapon Must Not Be Lightly Revealed

Chapter 158: Chapter 156: A Nation’s Ultimate Weapon Must Not Be Lightly Revealed

In the Head Coach’s office.

After hearing the reason behind the wildcard athlete’s sudden visit, Yan Peisheng’s face turned a deep, furious purple. Only Su Yunzhou’s special status kept him from unleashing a torrent of curses. If any other athlete had dared to make such an absurd request, Yan Peisheng would have chewed them out so ruthlessly they wouldn’t know what hit them. He’d gladly show them that his reputation as "Iron-Mouthed and Merciless" wasn’t just for show!

But right now, he had to swallow his anger, even as the young man in front of him continued to dance all over his last nerve.

Su Yunzhou continued, "Coach Yan, if this is too difficult to arrange, I can just sponsor the opening ceremony. Money isn’t an issue..."

"This isn’t about money!" Yan Peisheng snapped in annoyance. "Su Yunzhou, to be completely honest, I think very highly of you. That’s why I pulled so many strings to secure you a wildcard spot.

"I won’t reiterate the importance of this competition. I just want to tell you that all the people of Rongcheng are watching us. This competition isn’t just about results; it’s about our pride."

Seeing the young man nod, Yan Peisheng continued, "So, at such a crucial moment, you’re telling me you want to perform on the piano at the opening ceremony? Are you out of your... Does that sound reasonable to you?

"With all that time, wouldn’t it be better to follow the training plan I made for you, prepare properly, and increase your chances of winning the championship?"

Yan Peisheng had exercised a tremendous amount of restraint with those words. Yet, completely unappreciative of his efforts, Su Yunzhou replied, "Coach Yan, don’t worry. My stage performance absolutely will not affect the actual competition..."

"No way!" Yan Peisheng interrupted him immediately. "There is no room for negotiation on this matter."

Seeing the coach’s absolute, hot-headed refusal, Su Yunzhou knew the timing was just about right. He smoothly changed his tune. "Coach Yan, what if I can guarantee you a first-place finish? Would there be any wiggle room then?"

"You..." Unable to suppress the fiery rage in his chest, Yan Peisheng barked, "What exactly are you trying to pull? How can you shamelessly guarantee a first-place finish? What kind of athlete would dare say such a thing?

"I admit you have talent, but I sent you the videos of your opponents for this event! I don’t even know if you’ve bothered to watch them..."

Seeing that Yan Peisheng was about to launch into a bleep-worthy tirade, Su Yunzhou spoke with overwhelming confidence. "Coach Yan, don’t be so anxious!

"I have a very clear understanding of my own abilities.

"How about this? I’ll demonstrate all three sport climbing events for you right now, going all out.

"If I can’t meet the standards I just claimed, then from today onward, I will train exactly how you want me to train, and I will never bring up any other requests again."

Hearing this, Yan Peisheng glared at him. After taking several deep breaths, he finally nodded. "Fine! Follow me!"

Although he hadn’t known Su Yunzhou for long, he knew the kid was the type to stand by his word—a courageous young man who dared to take action and shoulder the consequences. Such exceptionally talented individuals were often proud and stubborn; once they made up their minds, a team of horses couldn’t drag them back. Therefore, Yan Peisheng needed to let the kid hit a brick wall. Only by experiencing the sting of reality and realizing the gap between himself and the world-class competitors would he finally rein in his ego and focus.

Yan Peisheng led Su Yunzhou forward with a dark, brooding expression. Along the way, the athletes and staff at the climbing center all stopped respectfully to greet him and make way. This alone was enough to show just how notoriously fierce Yan Peisheng’s everyday temper was.

Before long, the two arrived at the training ground up ahead.

However, Su Yunzhou shook his head. "Coach Yan, not here!"

"Huh?!" Yan Peisheng’s brows knitted tightly together. "Why not?"

Looking at the coach who was on the verge of a volcanic eruption, Su Yunzhou said earnestly, "The nation’s ultimate weapon shouldn’t be casually displayed to the public."

Furious to the point of laughter, Yan Peisheng practically spat out, "Good! Good! Good!" before marching toward another area.

He had seen plenty of arrogant and conceited people, but this was the first time he’d ever heard someone liken themselves to a ’national treasure.’ Ironically, this managed to calm him down. Today, he was going to see exactly what kind of skills this kid possessed to justify such breathtaking audacity.

At the same time, he harbored a faint glimmer of anticipation in his heart. If it were true, then everyone would be happy.

Truthfully, Yan Peisheng couldn’t be blamed for being so anxious. The pressure from his superiors was simply too immense. As for this upcoming competition, to be perfectly honest, he had absolutely no confidence. Especially after watching the daily training routines of several foreign competitors. It felt as if the weight of the Five Great Mountains was pressing down on Yan Peisheng’s chest, leaving him breathless for over a year.

As for the competitors representing Dragon Country, apart from the speed climbing event... well, the other two events were better left unmentioned.

That was precisely why he had pinned such great hopes on Su Yunzhou, a young man who had already created a miracle on sheer cliffs. He truly hoped that Su Yunzhou could create another miracle.

But miracles... since when were they so easy to create?

Amidst his turbulent thoughts, Yan Peisheng led Su Yunzhou to a massive warehouse behind the climbing center. Several staff members immediately approached to ask what they needed. After Yan Peisheng instructed them to open the doors, he ordered them not to let anyone approach without his explicit permission.

The staff immediately complied, and Yan Peisheng led Su Yunzhou inside.

The warehouse housed several large climbing wall structures, along with a wide assortment of climbing gear. Yan Peisheng stood before a regulation-size speed climbing wall and pulled a stopwatch from his pocket.

"Come on! I hope you don’t disappoint me. Show me your true strength!"

"Sure thing."

Su Yunzhou stepped forward. After hooking up his safety harness, he stood at the base of the fifteen-meter climbing wall and began to stretch, mentally calculating the optimal route. A moment later, he nodded at the stern-faced Yan Peisheng. "I’m ready!"

Stopwatch in hand, Yan Peisheng stared intently at the overly confident youth. "Three... Two... One... Go!"

The moment the word left his lips, Su Yunzhou shot up the wall with the speed of lightning. His movements were as smooth as flowing water, without a single moment of hesitation. With a light tap of his toes, his body soared upward as if entirely unaffected by gravity.

In the blink of an eye, he had already reached the fifteen-meter mark.

Yan Peisheng’s pupils contracted. Swallowing hard, he instinctively glanced down at the stopwatch in his hand and drew in a sharp breath. "HISS... Holy shit... 4.51 seconds! A new... A new world record..."

Even after Su Yunzhou unhooked his safety rope, removed his harness, and walked right up to him, Yan Peisheng was still completely unresponsive. The expression on Coach Yan’s face shifted continuously as his eyes darted back and forth between the stopwatch and the unpowered timer pad at the top of the wall, which now bore a distinct handprint.

"Hello?" Su Yunzhou waved a hand. "Coach Yan, let’s move on to the next event!"

Yan Peisheng finally snapped out of his daze. The sheer excitement on his face was beyond words. His wrinkled old face broke out into a beaming smile, and his voice became so sickeningly sweet it made one’s scalp tingle. "Su! Are you tired? Do you want to take a little break?"

Seeing the coach’s drastic change in attitude, Su Yunzhou replied with a grin, "How could I be tired? Come on! Let’s finish testing the remaining two events. Then we can have a nice, long chat about the opening ceremony."

"Hehehe... You got it!" Yan Peisheng chuckled, rubbing his hands together in pure excitement as he practically skipped toward the next area, looking as thrilled as a man heading off to a secret rendezvous...