After "losing" contact with Jiang Wei again, Yi Ming focused all his attention on winning the competition, training intensely and attentively every day.
"Good, not bad."
Coach Wu narrowed his eyes, his calm gaze sweeping over his three team members.
Liu Xiaoyun was the most diligent one. His talent was somewhat inferior to Yi Ming and Chen Zeyi, so to keep up with his teammates, Liu Xiaoyun had put in a tremendous amount of sweat for this competition.
Coach Wu often said that Liu Xiaoyun's most outstanding quality was his willingness to accept his shortcomings. He bravely acknowledged his deficiencies and never wallowed in self-pity or blamed fate. His favorite saying was: "When the Creator made me, He must have forgotten to add the talent potion. But it's alright, I'll just spend more time practicing and learning from the masters. This gap can still be made up."
Coach Wu rarely saw Liu Xiaoyun complaining about being tired or overworked.
Previously, when he coached these few, Liu Xiaoyun always insisted on training until he was the last one. Sometimes even Coach Wu felt exhausted, yet that boy would still be energetic on his racing bike, as if he had only used up half his strength.
The other team member, Chen Zeyi, was a typical "excellent student."
He possessed sufficient talent and the requisite diligence. In the various cycling competitions he had participated in, his results were consistently outstanding. Although he didn't win many championships, the number of times he placed lower than second was few and far between.
As long as Chen Zeyi performed steadily, his results never caused Coach Wu to worry.
Of the three medals up for grabs, Chen Zeyi was sure to take one. There was never any doubt about that.
Coach Wu's last team member was Yi Ming.
Coach Wu had never found the right word to describe Yi Ming.
He was far too intelligent, shockingly gifted, his training time the shortest among the three boys, yet he was the top performer. Yi Ming exuded an absolute arrogance in cycling, that youthful exuberance that Coach Wu loved to see.
This Yi Ming resembled Coach Wu's younger self.
But from another perspective, Yi Ming was also the one Coach Wu was most concerned about.
He didn't worry about Yi Ming's skills and abilities. He worried whether Yi Ming's heart would always remain here.
Coach Wu remembered five years ago, the first time he met Yi Ming was at a banquet where he got acquainted with Yi's Father. They happened to discuss cycling, and Yi's Father patted Yi Ming's shoulder, smiling as he said to Coach Wu: "My son also loves cycling, and he's quite talented. You can let him learn from you in the future, Uncle Wu, and one day he can participate in competitions to win championships for the country."
Back then, Yi Ming had short, messy hair, with delicate features like a young lady, but his defiant and unruly eyes betrayed his youthful spirit.
At that tender age, even his smile was like the morning sun. Yi Ming stood up, grinning as he bowed to Coach Wu: "Uncle Wu, please take good care of me in the future. I'll be relying on you when I compete for championships."
Coach Wu smiled with satisfaction, patting the young man's shoulder: "Good, with that diligent spirit, you'll definitely make your parents proud one day."
"My father doesn't need me to make him proud," Yi Ming grinned, waving his little hand. "In my heart, my father is already the most successful dad. He himself is the pride. I don't want to win championships for my father."
"Then who is it for?" Coach Wu was taken aback.
"For my little Jiang Wei. I have to work hard to grow up, so I can protect her, take care of her..."
The young man's earnest expression was etched clearly in Coach Wu's memory even till now.
There was no childishness, he was firm and resolute, he was serious.
