Wei Zhi blinked, not having time to react before the man who had been acting helpless while she treated his arm turned around. He covered her ears with both hands, his large palms sealing them tightly as he said, “The whispers of evil spirits. Don’t listen.”
Everyone present fell into silence.
The man turned to the coach, his expression even sourer due to the latter’s venomous words: “Who doesn’t have a mother? Do you know what ‘filial piety is the first of all virtues’ means?”
“I think I’m quite filial, but after becoming an adult, if my mom tells me to go east, I might occasionally dare to go west. If I can’t even do that, what’s the point of being an adult? To play mobile games for 24 hours without anti-addiction restrictions?”
“…Get out.”
“Kicking people out when you can’t win an argument?”
“Yes,” the man said righteously, “If you like it here so much, go get your room.”
Wei Zhi tugged at the man’s hands, pulling them away from her ears. When he tried to cover them again, she swatted his hands away with a loud “slap”.
As the room became even more silent, the man wore a helpless expression. He turned slightly towards Wang Xin: “Even if I could make a comeback—”
Wang Xin’s ears perked up.
“Would there be enough time?” Shan Chong asked. “You’d better count on your fingers how long until the Winter Olympics open. It’s a year and a month, right? Should I go steal points or grab points to get qualification, or should I just change my name to Dai Duo… Oh, that’s assuming he has enough points. Isn’t he still frantically testing the ‘qualification threshold’ back and forth?”
Dai Duo hadn’t expected this attack to implicate him. Unable to be held back by Wang Xin this time, he stood up: “You think I want to test?!”
“I thought you did. Otherwise, why would you always rush to put your tail edge down when landing? Even kids in training camps know not to land on the tail edge. You don’t know this? If you don’t fall, who will?”
“Look in the mirror at your chin and think about how that happened.”
Shan Chong took out his phone.
His fingers quickly scrolled through two videos, successfully finding a clip of his third jump in less than 30 seconds. He muted the background noise full of amazed praise and national curses, then held the phone up to Dai Duo’s face—
“Look.”
“What’s there to look at?”
“Even when I fell, I rolled out from the front edge.”
“So what?”
“It’s a more sophisticated fall than yours.”
Now Wei Zhi wanted to cover her ears.
Wang Xin, unable to bear it any longer, asked, “Are you two-three years old combined?” He pushed away the phone Shan Chong was holding.
“Lucky dog, the overall environment has changed everything this year. Did you know that many major competitions originally scheduled for January and February have been postponed? Doesn’t the FIS know it’s inconvenient to go abroad now? Don’t they want to let athletes get more points? X Games, Burton U.S. Open, and many competitions this year are linked with FIS, plus FIS’s own World Cup events, and International Championships… It’s just a matter of landing back and forth for fifteen days. If you want to go to the Beijing Winter Olympics, just stand at the door of the Sports Bureau and say you’re Shan Chong. Are you afraid the embassy will block your visa or the plane won’t take off?”
Wang Xin paused, then repeated his words with added emphasis—
“If you want to go, who can stop you?”
Shan Chong sat there, not wanting to speak.
It wasn’t for any particular reason, he just hadn’t thought that far ahead—
When he retired, it was ultimately his own decision. Even if he wasn’t entirely willing, he submitted the documents and signed his name…
He had agreed to it.
Two years later, he didn’t want his spontaneous decision to participate in an amateur competition to become public knowledge. The gossip-loving public and brand sponsors might at most treat it as some interesting gossip…
But what would the officials say?
In any case, Wang Xin’s attitude was clear. Ice and snow events had never been China’s strong suit. For the home Winter Olympics, anyone who could compete should. How could they keep a top domestic athlete in an event from competing?
This suddenly put pressure on his family.
If grand reasons and logic had worked back then, he wouldn’t have had to sign the retirement papers… Years later, apart from the premise changing from “ample time and stable qualification spots” to “on the verge of the Winter Olympics with uncertain point totals,” nothing else had changed.
At least he didn’t believe anything had happened in this time that could change his family’s mind.
His attitude was clear: he would consider these matters himself and didn’t want anyone else interfering.
Wang Xin had watched Shan Chong grow up since he joined the national team in his teens. After more than ten years, he knew Shan Chong’s stubborn temperament and knew he couldn’t out-stubborn him—
Just as Shan Chong couldn’t out-stubborn his mother years ago.
As the saying goes, there’s always a bigger fish.
Thinking back to the victory celebrations over the years, when everyone joked that he, Wang Xin, was like Shan Chong’s second father…
Now it felt like a curse.
However, on this trip, hearing the wavering in Shan Chong’s attitude was enough. To be honest, given the current situation—
Shan Chong was still here, his form was still good, his desire to jump was still there, he had never abandoned training, his physique hadn’t deteriorated, and his competitive mindset hadn’t been lost…
Wang Xin was already very satisfied.
Coach Wang didn’t expect this man to burst into tears on the competition podium, reminiscing about the glory days and publicly announcing his comeback…
That wouldn’t be Shan Chong.
This man’s low-key nature was truly ingrained in his bones.
The most outrageous thing he had ever done in his life was probably announcing that he had a girlfriend in the Xinjiang region, and he didn’t even do it on his podium, but on his mother’s and girlfriend’s podium.
Thinking of this, Wang Xin felt a bit speechless again. He turned to the confused young girl standing beside Shan Chong and said “Run quickly” once more before preparing to leave.
He needed to go home and think about how to handle the current situation.
As Wang Xin was pondering, Shan Chong called out to him. The middle-aged man turned back impatiently, asking what he wanted. Shan Chong thought for a moment and said, “Drink less, and make Dai Duo quit smoking.”
Dai Duo: “? What’s wrong with you?”
With one foot out the door, he still wouldn’t let him off.
Today he hadn’t said a single harsh word, nearly suffocating himself, and this was the treatment he got?
Standing by the door, Wang Xin snorted, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes making him look much older than two years ago. The middle-aged man stood at the doorway with his hands behind his back: “Stop worrying about this and that, Shan Chong. Occasionally, you should look at yourself…”
He paused.
“If there’s no special reason, you should reveal the identity of Shanyoumu. It’s not about putting pressure on you and your family. If you don’t want to, I’ll stop those people from going to your home. It’s just… it’s been two years. You should tell those who have been waiting for you all this time, in your own words, that you’re still here.”
…
Wang Xin left.
He wasn’t sure if his words had any effect.
Maybe they did.
Because late that night, as he was yawning and leaning against the bed, wondering if Shan Chong was truly impervious to both harsh and soft approaches, having shown no reaction to years of scolding and now seeming equally unresponsive to a gentler policy…
Suddenly, his hand trembled as he scrolled through a short video platform and saw a new post from someone he followed—
This video was quite skillfully edited.
It opened with a long musical prelude.
At sunset, Shan Chong, without face protection, carrying his Burton Custom, climbs the Big Air jump at Chongli Yunding;
Then the scene changes to the Shanyoumu athlete carrying an old Burton Custom X to the competition platform;
By now, it’s already apparent that these two figures are almost identical in height, the way they carry their boards, and even their hairstyles.
Then, rhythmic music with a beat kicks in.
The scene splits into upper and lower frames, showing Shan Chong and the Shanyoumu athlete standing on their respective starting gates, bending to adjust their bindings;
The scene changes again, showing Shan Chong and Shanyoumu in different weather and backgrounds, but with identical edge control as they start;
Their take-off postures.
The angles at which they grab their boards.
The fluidity of their mid-air rotations.
Completely identical.
If not for the entirely different backgrounds, different clothing, and different helmet colors, the two sets of comparisons would look like copy-and-paste.
As the background music grew more intense, the split-screen showed two scenes:
In the upper frame, Shan Chong landed smoothly and stood his ground.
In the lower frame, Shan Youmu landed at an awkward angle, struggling to maintain balance. He performed a long tail slide but couldn’t stabilize, ultimately sliding out of control.
At this point, the passionate background music came to an abrupt halt, and the screen went black.
A familiar voice of an older man from Northeast China spoke: “So, this is what you wanted to see, eh? The di-f-scork-2520. Well, there you have it. The jump’s over.”
After a three-second pause, the video continued.
The Northeastern man’s voice resumed: “Was it good?”
Only then did the video finally end.
Wang Xin faced the screen in silence, feeling as if he’d been lured in by the earlier, serious comparison of jumping styles, only to be mocked – a classic bait-and-switch.
He hadn’t engaged in the foolishness of “praising Shan Youmu while belittling Shan Chong,” after all.
Wang Xin couldn’t be bothered to wonder why this person had to make such an aggressive official announcement video. Nor did he feel like sending a private message to ask why it was so difficult to simply post a selfie saying, “Hello everyone, thanks to all the fans and fellow snow enthusiasts for your support. With your encouragement, I’ve finally returned to the big air as an amateur under the name Shan Youmu.”
This was the nature of being a free agent – no one could control what they chose to say.
He scrolled up and refreshed the video. In just five minutes since its update, it had garnered thousands of likes and hundreds of comments.
The comment section was a battlefield.
Some were outraged:
[Passerby A: Jumping off a platform with such sneaky tactics? Is this a TV drama?]
[Passerby B: I’m in shock. How could it be you?]
[Passerby C: It’s over. I thought there was hope this time, but it seems Snowboard Big Air is still doomed.]
[Passerby D: Unfollowing. Goodbye.]
[Passerby E: I don’t know what you’re trying to do. Is toying with everyone fun? I genuinely felt happy for Shan Youmu’s existence. If it’s you, just forget it!]
… And so on, omitting dozens more critical comments.
Others were ecstatic:
[Person A: Ahhhhh! I knew it! I fucking knew it!! Seeing some people above so upset honestly makes me even happier. Do you like Shan Youmu? Hilarious! What did you even like about him? Hahaha, it’s Shan Chong again! You must be sick!]
[Person B: Well, well. We can finally use this phrase again: No you, no Winter Olympics for me!]
[Person C: We’re not expecting you at the Winter Olympics. It’s just good to have you back.]
[Person D: From your previous back-and-forth reports with Dai Duo, I knew you had never given up on jumping… From now on, whether you’re an amateur immortal or a professional god returning to competition, as your fan for so many years, I finally feel a sense of vindication.]
[Person E: I always thought I was just a fan of your looks, but my heart is racing so fast I might die. I just realized I’m a fan of your career.]
[Person F: To be honest, I’m holding my phone and crying – I’ve never regretted becoming a snowboard park fan since watching you win gold in the championships back then, and I never will.]
… And thousands more positive comments from ordinary fans.
Brand representatives lined up to post “laughing-crying” emojis.
The boss of DF Snow Equipment didn’t wait in line. He said: “To those who criticized me for not signing Shan Youmu, listen up. As everyone knows, a person can’t sign with us twice. I felt so wronged when you all scolded me this afternoon. I need to buy a set of protective gear to feel better QAQ.”
As likes and comments flooded in, the snow sports circle experienced a new round of upheaval.
Everyone was like a weasel jumping up and down in the snow, having found their melon, but it was frozen too hard. They couldn’t bear to look directly at it or bite into it, exclaiming that this was probably going to keep them up all night.
In the comment section, the most liked comment read:
[I knew there was never any Purple Wei Star. I knew it was you all along.]
If I were Shan Chong, Wang Xin thought as he silently liked this comment with a straight face, this one line would be enough to make me cry until dawn.
Overnight, Shan Chong gained countless new fans.
For now, this was limited to the snow sports circle.
Those who had felt vindicated stood up to personally knock on Shan Chong’s door and embrace him to show their respect.
Some time ago, they had been mocked for posting about Shan Chong’s effortless and thought-provoking 1800 and tagging Dai Duo. They had been dejected and inactive for many days…
Now, they were suddenly vindicated.
Countless people flooded the comments of that post, liking the predictions made by the original poster and Wang Xin, who had replied asking if Shan Chong would attempt 2520. They called them great prophets, with some even praising blindly: “Indeed, insiders see the essence while outsiders only see the superficial. Who could have imagined that behind this 1800 was a 2520?”
The vindicated fans were elated.
They gained a large number of followers by riding this wave of popularity.
By the late night, when everyone was stuffed with gossip, someone finally thought to ask about the odd pseudonym Shan Chong had been using. The man replied with an intimidating smile…
In the end, it was the vindicated fan, in a good mood today, who kindly explained: “It’s because his wife’s name contains the character ‘zhi’ (branch). ‘Shan you mu xi mu you zhi’ – where there are mountains, there are trees; where there are trees, there are branches. Haven’t you read any literature?”
This answer exploded among the straight male fans.
Suddenly, all these guys who usually only discussed how to spin (flatland tricks), how to slide rails (park), and how to carve (alpine) were stunned. They all exclaimed: “Damn, that’s romantic.”
The ladies who, besides discussing skiing, also talked about ski gear, makeup, making money, and men who ski, were equally stunned. They all exclaimed: “Damn, that’s so cheesy.”
… But it was cheesy in a slightly romantic way.
At this point, the phenomenon began to spread like wildfire.
One told ten, ten told a hundred. By the time Shan Chong woke up the next day, he found he had gained unprecedented likes and views. His sarcastic official announcement video, which also mocked fair-weather fans and haters, had received over 700,000 likes. He had gained 40-50,000 new followers, approaching the number of Lao Yan, who had been diligently posting free tutorial videos…
However, the comments on this post had completely derailed, becoming:
“I’m here to see how sports celebrities date.”
“Looked at your previous videos, so sweet.”
“I didn’t know skiing could be like this! Even 1998 Taiwanese dramas wouldn’t dare film it this way!”
“The comment above stole my thoughts! Hahaha!”
“Well, well, looks like I’m watching a dating KOL now.”
“Never thought my first time paying attention to skiing would be just to watch someone else’s love life.”
As more people joined, the topics became increasingly diverse.
Both inside and outside the circle, everyone’s focus shifted to the Himalayas, as they seriously began to discuss a question:
Shan Chong’s girlfriend, an ordinary skiing enthusiast (not a pro), who doesn’t look exceptionally beautiful – how did she manage to unreasonably monopolize the pro’s love?
… Judging from the endless stream of announcements, it even seemed like the pro might be the one pursuing her.
Interesting.
Why not write a book?
The title could be “How to Conquer a Beautiful Pro.”