Chapter 375: Little Puppy
Translator: BeetleBarker Editor: Tennesh
Fang Zhao only paid a little attention to the person following him before tossing the matter aside. He didn't sense any menace from the other party and so let the man do as he pleased.
It was late at night, and the tall hotels all around continued to shine splendidly. The number of people in this little park continued to decrease until there were only two figures that remained running.
Fang Zhao ran laps in the park. This sort of peaceful environment made it easier for him to think about issues.
He had gained a lot during this period in Ma'ersizhou. Not only had he come to understand the cooperative styles of this sort of project team, but he had also gained a lot of experience and had learned even more composition techniques from the others.
The sporting arenas in Ma'ersizhou were much more intense than those of other continents, especially the atmosphere, which couldn't be experienced on any other continent. For the members of the project team, these were a precious source of inspiration, and it was an experience that images had no way of providing.
Fang Zhao didn't know the progress of the others. On his end, he had already come up with an outline.
Even though Fang Zhao had only been at the viewing terrace, recalling the scenes at the sporting arenas made him able to feel his racing heart, his perspiration and the merriment of progress, the radiance of physical capability and fighting spirit, and the countless sounds erupting and brushing past him at the venue.
Intense, relaxing, high, downcast sections of a melody appeared in his mind. The melody's tempo was quick at times yet slow at others. Fang Zhao's legs moved along to the beat of the floating melody playing in his head.
Fang Zhao didn't have any clear-cut objective in coming here to run. At this sort of time when inspiration was overflowing, his body would move along to that inspiration.
However, while Fang Zhao was doing as he wished, the person behind him was perplexed.
At the start, that young fellow had even been humming a tune as he studied Fang Zhao's running technique. In the past, he had neither known nor paid attention to long-distance running techniques. But after signing a contract with the club, he had received some brief specialized coaching, although he wasn't considered a professional athlete yet.
Tsk, one look and I can tell that he's an amateur. That person came to this conclusion as he observed Fang Zhao's running style for a while.
Three laps later, he saw that Fang Zhao was starting to pick up the pace. His somewhat disorganized state of mind was stirred, and he felt somewhat excited.
He increased his speed! Is he simulating a last spurt to the finish!
With these thoughts, he also increased his speed. This sort of experience when accompanying a passerby on a run wasn't too bad.
However, after a short period, he felt that something was amiss.
Isn't this simulation of one last spurt a little too long?
After a few laps, Fang Zhao started to slow down.
That person heaved a sigh of relief. His sprint is over. Is he slowing down for a bit before leaving?
However...
After a few unhurried laps, Fang Zhao started to speed up again.
That person: "???"
Again?
He watched as Fang Zhao ran lap after lap, sometimes fast, other times slow. Sometimes, his quick pace lasted a long time, while other times, it only briefly lasted half a lap.
Is he toying with me?!
He really wanted to call out to the person in front and tell him, "Brother, this isn't how your pace should be! You won't last very long running this way!"
However, an hour passed, then two hours later, and Fang Zhao was still persisting.
For Fang Zhao, who housed a symphony orchestra in his head, he was like this when his mind was lively.
A section of tunes passed. This section isn't bad... but there are still some areas that need to be amended.
A moment later, the amended tune played in his head, Once more, and again... There are still some small areas that need to be worked on.
The third edition played in his head twice... Good, the back... Hey, this area isn't right...
Amend... for the nth time... Amend again... for the nth time...
This led to Fang Zhao's pace, which was following the beat—it was fast and slow at various times with varying durations.
At the same time, the thought process of the person running behind him was like this:
A pleasant and floating state of mind... Strange... Speechless... Bad feeling about this... I feel pressured... Starting to feel tired... Last stand of obstinance... Crazy...
The fellow up there is still running!
He f*cking started to increase his speed... Slow down again…
Ah ah ah ah—
There's a complete lack of logic in his running!
What exactly does he want! Trying to slip away or toying with me!
Later on, he didn't even have the strength to be impetuous.
Feels like my heart and lungs are about to go on strike.
Heart rate on the rise, body weary... Every single muscle in my body is going on strike.
I can't do it, I can't run any longer. My legs can no longer be ordered around!
Watching himself being left further behind, the person lagging behind finally gave up on chasing after Fang Zhao. He dragged his heavy feet to a long bench and sat down. He had an extremely perplexed look in his eyes and seemed to be at a total loss.
He considered himself to have a body condition blessed by heaven, and he had reserves from all his years of running. However, at this time, he felt like he was just a piece of trash.
He just sat there like a stone statue, his lifeless eyes following Fang Zhao's silhouette as Fang Zhao continued to run lap after lap after lap…...
At this time, he suddenly understood the words his manager had said when he had first signed: "You still have a long way to go." Indeed, it was as everyone said, Ma'ersizhou is the apex of competition, and it isn't that easy to break into. There are many talented athletes. Ultimately, how many of them can truly break into the top? In this whole wide world, there are always people more talented than oneself. Among the strong, there is always someone stronger!
He had merely come out for a night run, yet a passerby he had come across possessed such monstrous physical ability! And this person still wasn't someone on the rankings list he had seen! Then wouldn't that mean that those godly professional athletes were geniuses among geniuses, the monsters among monsters?
As he sat on the long bench in the small park, the person carried a serious attitude for the first time. It was as though he was about to embark on a pilgrimage to examine the route taken by this professional athlete.
Time passed by slowly, and Fang Zhao's pace finally slowed down for real, all the way until he stopped.
Fang Zhao took deep breaths as he gazed at the sky, which had already turned hazy. He took in the sounds of seeds breaking through the earth and the rustling of wind through tree branches. The beauty of this world was really captivating.
There were only two people in this small park at this moment. Besides Fang Zhao, the other was the passerby seated on the bench beside the grass.
Fang Zhao knew that this passerby had run behind him for sometime before stopping and sitting on the bench to rest. He had remained seated there without leaving, as though he was a lost puppy.
Kids these days, Fang Zhao thought as he flashed a smile in that direction.
The "lost little puppy" seating on the bench woke up from his deep pondering. His expression changed and he stared at Fang Zhao as though he was facing a terrifying creature.
After hesitating for a bit, he spoke. "You... how are you feeling right now?"
"Still okay," Fang Zhao replied.
The "lost little puppy" felt as though his chest was being stabbed by a knife, as though his world was crumbling apart.
How is this "still okay"? Fang Zhao looked as though he was simply refreshed!
Fang Zhao decided to show some concern for this little friend. "You..."
"No, I don't wish to speak with you now!" The other party got up and ran away.
In a certain club, the manager stood ashen faced at the door. The newly signed young talent was a prick.
This was a good young talent with an innate aptitude and much stronger basics than many people. With two years of training... No, perhaps he could be allowed to compete next year. The club was planning to nurture this young talent and use him as a secret weapon.
He had already known about the matter of this newcomer having won a little contest with the other members of the club. A genius would have the pride of a genius. The more this was so, the more they needed to be polished. Before that, this young talent with loads of potential couldn't be allowed to be cocky.
Even saying that he was going out for a night run. A night run that lasted the whole night? Bullsh*t!
As the manager contemplated how to teach the young talent a lesson, someone dressed in a retro-punk-style sweatshirt appeared in his field of vision, but before he could say anything, the other party lamented with all his strength, as though he had witnessed great vicissitudes. "The competition competition really has a fully justified reputation! There are hidden talents everywhere!"
The manager, who had originally wanted to give him a harsh admonishing: "..."
In the space of one night, how had this pompous newcomer gained such a profound understanding?
The newcomer spoke agitatedly. "I feel that my spirit has taken a beating that cannot be erased! I finally understand what manager meant by those words! You were right!"
Manager: "..." What did I say?
Although the manager couldn't remember what he had said, when he saw that this newly signed talent looked like he had received a huge blow, he showed some affirmation and said, "You are really an extremely talented and capable athlete!"
The newcomer was already on the verge of tears. "No! Manager, you don't have to console me, I know that I am actually very lacking! I am below average!"
Manager: "....." Have you given any thought to those club members you beat on the first day?
The clearly stirred-up newcomer informed the manager and made a call to his family.
"Mazhou is really too scary! It's no wonder that it is called the competition competition… Right, I always thought that the people of Mazhou were just exaggerating, but after personally experiencing it for myself, I discovered that am I still too young! I only went out for a night run because I couldn't sleep, and guess who I ran into? That simply wasn't a person, he was a monster! You know what a monster is?! The sort that you wouldn't wish to run into a second time... A monster! I totally couldn't find myself capable of having any intention of challenging it!"
The club manager beside him: "..." Nonsense! Since when has our Mazhou been that terrifying? Don't make us Mazhou people out to be demons and monsters! However, which world champion did this kid run into last night? That is really quite some luck.
However, the "lost little puppy" simply didn't take note of the manager's expression. He shared a whole bunch of thoughts with his family.
Originally, he had thought himself sufficiently outstanding regardless of whatever impressive people he faced. Even if he couldn't win, he wouldn't lose too horribly. However, reality was just an appalling scene.
Now every time he closed his eyes, that person's back appeared in his mind. No, that could no longer be considered his back, that was simply psychological trauma! His professional career hadn't even formally started! Psychological trauma had already been imprinted in him at the starting line!
"I feel that I will have to at least train for a decade or two to have the power to fight!"