Bolt was stunned.
Mills was also badly shaken. He quickly said, "Chen, you can’t be serious. A 19-second 200-meter? Do you have any idea what that implies?"
"That means he’d need to run the 100-meter in 9.5 seconds to even have a shot at a time like that. And what’s the 100-meter world record? 9.78 seconds... no, 9.79."
Last year, the renowned American sprinter Tim Montgomery set a world record of 9.78 seconds.
But in the first half of this year, thanks to Chen Yu, it was definitively proven that Montgomery had used performance-enhancing drugs.
World Athletics ultimately ruled that all of his race results after 2001 were to be annulled.
This meant the 100-meter world record he set in ’02 was also voided.
The current world record holder was, once again, the renowned American sprinter Maurice Greene, with the 9.79-second record he set in Athens in ’99.
That time was already astounding, shattering the expectations of countless experts.
And yet, Chen Yu believed Bolt had a chance to break 19 seconds.
Just for the 100-meter portion, he would have to not only break the world record but also improve upon it by nearly 0.3 seconds.
Who could do that?
You probably couldn’t achieve that even if you ate performance-enhancing drugs for every meal.
Chen Yu shrugged and smiled. "Who knows? He’s only sixteen. Who can say for sure what the future holds?"
’With Bolt’s talent, my help, and the boost from my system’s training effects, anything is possible.’
The urine and blood test results would take a few more days to come back.
But for now, at least, his time seemed legitimate.
Bolt had become the first junior athlete in history to break the 20-second barrier in the 200-meter.
This achievement immediately attracted a massive amount of attention.
The next day, there were many more reporters on the sidelines of the stadium.
Chen Yu also made his way to the track to watch Bolt compete in the 400-meter final.
Bolt’s main events were currently the 200-meter and the 400-meter.
However, his performance in the 400-meter wasn’t as strong; he had barely qualified for the final, missing elimination by just 0.03 seconds.
The 400-meter is a unique event, one that straddles the line between aerobic and anaerobic exertion.
To be more precise, it’s a combination of both.
Theoretically, the long-legged Bolt should have an advantage in this event.
But after the 300-meter mark, the faster your time, the more you wring yourself completely dry.
And Bolt, who was used to pushing his limits in the anaerobic 200-meter sprint, didn’t really have a significant advantage in the 400-meter.
Chen Yu watched the entire race.
It was clear that Bolt was in good form today, especially since Chen Yu had specifically helped him with muscle relaxation and recovery the previous night.
But his result was still just average. He finished fourth with a time of 47.56 seconds.
After the race, Bolt was full of disappointment. When he saw Chen Yu, he hung his head, his spirits low.
"It’s alright. So you didn’t run your best this time. Just work harder for the next one," Chen Yu said with a smile, patting Bolt’s shoulder.
Besides, even if he felt he hadn’t run well, it was still a personal best.
"Yeah."
Bolt looked up and nodded firmly, a smile finally appearing on his face.
Mills, who was walking beside them, couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
’I just spent ages trying to console him after the race,’ he thought. ’And all it takes is one sentence and a pat on the shoulder from Chen Yu for Bolt’s mood to completely turn around.’
’Talk about playing favorites.’
As the three of them were walking out, Chen Yu suddenly said, "Usain, have you ever considered dropping the 400-meter and switching to the 100-meter?"
Bolt stopped, momentarily stunned. "Dr. Chen, I do train for the 100-meter," he said reflexively.
Mills immediately looked over at Chen Yu as well.
Chen Yu smiled. "I don’t mean as part of your regular training. I’m talking about your main events. I want to shift your focus from the 200-meter and 400-meter to the 100-meter and 200-meter."
In truth, Chen Yu had been entertaining this idea for some time.
Over the past year, Chen Yu had gradually realized that Bolt’s explosive power was extraordinary.
This became increasingly apparent after he arrived in the United States and started bulking up under the nutrition plan Chen Yu designed for him.
Under these circumstances, having him train for longer distances and focus on endurance was a waste.
He should be fully capitalizing on his explosive power. The shorter the distance, the better.
And after today’s race, Chen Yu’s conviction was solidified.
Bolt just wasn’t suited for longer distances.
Of course, "unsuited" didn’t mean he couldn’t get results. With his natural talent, he could definitely post good times if he really trained for it.
But by changing his focus to pure sprinting, he had the potential to become one of the greats!
Mills was taken aback. "Chen, what makes you think that?" he said hastily. "Look at him! How is someone with his height supposed to run the 100-meter?"
"If you look at the athletes who’ve broken the world record, a shorter guy like Tim Montgomery is a definite exception."
"While there’s no hard-and-fast rule, it’s generally believed that 180 to 185 centimeters is the golden height range for a 100-meter sprinter."
"And Bolt is 195 centimeters—a full 10 centimeters taller."
"For someone that tall, the disadvantage in stride frequency is too great."
"Most importantly, Bolt has never formally trained for the 100-meter. He’s always trained starting from the 200-meter."
"Even then, his first coach initially wanted him to run the 400-meter, but Bolt refused."
’That lazy kid just hates long-distance running.’
"No." Chen Yu shook his head. "Glenn, you’re trapped in conventional thinking. Who says a tall person’s stride rate has to be slow? Usain is different. He has long Achilles tendons, powerful leg muscles, and outstanding explosive power. With the right training, it’s possible for him to have both a long stride and a high stride rate."
’My goal for Bolt is for him to break the limits of human potential,’ Chen Yu thought. ’And to do that, we must first break the limits of conventional wisdom.’
’Since everyone thinks tall people have a slow stride rate and can’t run fast, the only way for him to become a legend is to develop a high stride rate to complement his long stride.’
Mills still shook his head. "Chen, I still don’t think it’ll work. He really isn’t suited for the 100-meter. You’ll be wasting his talent."
Chen Yu paid him no mind.
’He seems to forget that I signed a contract with Bolt last year,’ he thought. ’It’s stipulated in black and white that I am responsible for the direction of Bolt’s training.’
’The only reason Mills is still training Bolt is because I don’t have enough time to personally supervise his daily regimen.’
’Ultimately, what he trains and which competitions he enters are my decisions to make.’
’Therefore, Mills’s approval is completely irrelevant.’
"Usain, I’d like to hear your thoughts," Chen Yu said, turning to Bolt.
Chen Yu could have disregarded Bolt’s opinion, but he wanted the boy to understand his reasoning. It was crucial for them to be on the same page.
Bolt grinned widely. "Dr. Chen, I’ll listen to you. If you tell me to train for the 100-meter, then I’ll train for the 100-meter. Whatever you say goes. And to be honest, I really hate running the 400-meter. It’s exhausting."
At the Professional Level, the 400-meter was a true killer. It was an event that made runners wish for death.
Chen Yu nodded in satisfaction. "Usain, trust me, you won’t regret this decision. I have a feeling that in the future, you will create miracles and legends for all of humanity on the 100-meter and 200-meter tracks."
"Alright."
Bolt nodded vigorously, his heart pounding with excitement, inspired by Chen Yu’s words.
Beside them, Mills just sighed.
’Deciding Bolt’s entire future in just a few sentences... Isn’t that a bit too rash?’ he thought.
But he knew his words carried no weight. Bolt wouldn’t listen to him anyway.
The kid had a kind of inexplicable, blind faith in Chen Yu now.
"Let’s go. Time to head back to Phoenix."
They had been gone for a while, and Chen Yu was starting to feel homesick.
The plane touched down with a roar at Phoenix International Airport.
As Chen Yu walked out of the terminal, the first person he saw was Brian, who had come to pick him up.
The man was waving at him from a distance.
"Are you a mind reader or something? I never told you I was coming back today," Chen Yu joked as he walked over.
’I flew back from Canada, but I never notified Brian.’
"’Roundworm’?"
Brian pointed at himself with a bewildered expression.
"It’s a Chinese saying," Chen Yu explained.
His recent trip to China hadn’t been long—only four days—but he’d met a lot of people, and his understanding of the country had deepened considerably.
Brian stepped forward to take Chen Yu’s suitcase, greeted Bolt and Mills, and started leading them toward the parking lot. "I’m no roundworm," he said. "I just guessed. I saw in the news that Usain was competing in Canada and broke a world record. Then I saw you in the press photos."
"So I did the math with the timing and the flight schedules and figured you’d be back today."
Chen Yu chuckled, touched by the gesture.
Brian truly valued him. It seemed like every time Chen Yu returned from a trip, Brian was there at the airport to greet him.
It was a small thing, but it spoke volumes about his thoughtfulness.
"By the way, you went to China, right?" Brian said as they walked. "Did you know the media over here in the United States has been calling you a traitor?"
"Let them talk."
Of course, Chen Yu knew about this.
Although FIFA hadn’t made a formal announcement, the news was already out.
The United States Soccer Federation, at least, already knew this year’s World Cup would be hosted by China after all.
And it was Chen Yu who had changed FIFA’s stance.
That was why some American media outlets had started going after Chen Yu, calling him a traitor for helping China instead of the United States.
Chen Yu paid it no mind.
Even Contiguglia hadn’t said anything, so who were these reporters to flap their gums?
His recent trip to China had been on a tight schedule. He had visited four cities in three days and had even squeezed in surgery for a player named Qu Bo in Shanghai, but the main purpose of the trip was to assess China’s disease control situation.
Amazingly, according to data from China’s health department and the World Health Organization, the disease had suddenly vanished without a trace by July.
Therefore, it wouldn’t affect the World Cup in September at all.
Once they were in the car and on the road, after a bit of small talk, Brian brought something up.
"Oh, right. Word from Miami is that the Heat have completely given up on Moning. Or maybe it’s that Moning has given up on the Heat. He’s in talks with other teams, and rumor has it the Brooklyn Nets are quite interested."
"That’s to be expected."
Chen Yu sighed.
Although rumors had been flying in the media since the end of the season that Moning would stay with the Heat, Chen Yu knew it was impossible.
Moning himself saw no future with the Heat, and the Heat had already given him plenty of time.
But his kidney disease remained an unsolvable problem.
Parting ways was the only logical outcome.
"Don’t tell me you’re thinking of having him join the Phoenix Suns."
Brian might be good at reading Chen Yu’s mind, but after all this time, Chen Yu knew him just as well.
Brian gave a sheepish grin. "From what I’ve heard, his recovery has been going well for the past year or so. Why else would other teams be in contact with him?"
There’s no room for that much sentiment in the NBA.
Chen Yu still shook his head. "With his condition, there’s nothing that can be done unless he gets a kidney transplant."
And even with a transplant, a full recovery wouldn’t be guaranteed.
"We’re not that desperate for a frontcourt player, are we? There’s no need to gamble on his condition. Most importantly, I’m a doctor, not a god."
It was obvious Brian had only gotten this idea because he thought Chen Yu could miraculously cure any and every player.

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