Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

"My official role is to represent the Bureau as a seconded data collection specialist.

"While I’m on the team, I’ll still be handling your logistics, but my core mission is to collect data and build a training model for the sport of road cycling on behalf of the country.

"This will provide a scientific foundation for all future generations of cyclists in this sport—"

Chen Junyi was halfway through her explanation when she saw the astonished and blank look on Huang Chong’s face. She knew this blockhead wasn’t grasping any of the technical details.

So she quickly changed the subject, rephrased her words, and continued,

"Basically, once we get to the Intercontinental Team, our jobs will be much tougher than they were on the provincial team.

"You’ll need to train even harder to raise your competitive level. That’s the only way you can provide me with the specific performance data I need. So, keep up the hard work."

Hearing this from Chen Junyi, Huang Chong just let out a dejected "Oh" and went back to the base to continue his training.

’Damn it, and here I was thinking she had some other reason for transferring to the Intercontinental Team with me.’

’Turns out it was all just my wishful thinking.’

’Sigh, when you’re around a professional like her, all you can think about is work!’

Huang Chong let out a soft sigh before burying himself in hard training on the velodrome’s oval track, working to improve his sprinting power.

There was still some time before the Chinese New Year, and he certainly wasn’t going to waste it. He had no intention of taking an early vacation to go home.

The provincial team hadn’t kicked anyone out yet, so he planned to take advantage of the base’s excellent facilities to improve his overall stats.

...

「A few days later, the calendar turned to 2023.」

On January 1st, New Year’s Day, Huang Chong went to Dewey’s engagement party as planned.

His good friend had met Wu Fang in college, and now, after dating for three years, they were ready to walk down the aisle.

’Tying the knot so young!’

Huang Chong wasn’t the least bit envious.

’Only a rich kid from a wealthy family could afford to get married this young.’

In any case, he wouldn’t even consider marriage and kids until his own career had taken off.

Dressed to the nines in a sharp suit, Dewey greeted his arrival with a fierce hug. They immediately fell into the easy back-and-forth of old friends, exchanging pleasantries and compliments.

The engagement party, however, was a low-key affair—just a small get-together for the immediate families of Dewey and Wu Fang, plus their closest friends. It was simple and to the point.

When they officially married at the end of 2023, they would host dozens of tables at a luxury hotel. That would be the real spectacle.

All their college roommates would be there to celebrate with Dewey then.

At the engagement party, Huang Chong gave Dewey a small red envelope as a token of his well wishes.

He would give a much larger, more formal one when they officially got married.

He wasn’t short on cash these days.

One of the perks of being an athlete on the provincial team was the very stable base salary.

As for daily expenses, he hardly spent a dime.

He wasn’t into online shopping and never left the base, so there was nowhere to spend money anyway.

The team covered his food, lodging, and training equipment.

They even provided all his clothes—casual wear and training gear for all four seasons—as long as he was willing to wear team apparel.

Plus, after reaching the rank of Athletic Champion, he would start receiving a monthly athlete’s stipend.

Meanwhile, he had earned 60,000 in prize money from two provincial game championships and 100,000 from two national road cycling championships.

So, over the past six months, adding in the salary and prize money he’d previously received from Dewey and Zhou Ming, he had already saved nearly 200,000.

For a rookie fresh out of college, that was a considerable amount.

"Assistant Chen, Chinese New Year is almost here, so I need to go home.

"You help me out so much, and I usually just keep my gratitude to myself or say a few inadequate words of thanks. I feel like I really need to do something to repay you, or I’ll feel bad.

"So, with the New Year upon us, please let me get you a gift.

"I don’t know what you like, though, and I’d hate to get you something you don’t want. So, is there anything you need? Just tell me, and I’ll buy it for you."

As the Chinese New Year drew near, it was time for Huang Chong to leave the team for the holiday.

Before heading home, he planned to buy some gifts for his parents, and he wanted to get something for Chen Junyi as well.

They might have been colleagues, but she had taken care of him an incredible amount.

Chen Junyi handled practically every miscellaneous task for him, leaving him with nothing to worry about but riding.

For that level of kindness, one gift felt insufficient; even ten wouldn’t be too many.

Chen Junyi had a very straightforward personality. She was never coy or pretentious.

When she heard Huang Chong wanted to give her a gift, she thought for a moment and, instead of refusing, said with a smile,

"When we get back next year, we’ll be going with the team to Yunnan and Hainan for pre-season training camps. Since I work for a cycling team, I’d like to experience the joy of riding for myself.

"How about this: you can get me a road bike. You’re the expert, after all. It’ll save me the trouble of buying one myself and potentially getting ripped off.

"But don’t get me one of those top-of-the-line racing bikes. I won’t accept something like that.

"I just need an entry-level bike, something I can ride normally is enough."

Huang Chong nodded and readily agreed.

He took Chen Junyi straight to Dewey’s shop. After personally taking her measurements for a bike fit, he helped her pick out an entry-level, all-around carbon fiber frame. He then built her a complete, all-carbon all-around road bike, personally selecting the components and equipping it with an entry-level Shimano 105 electronic groupset and a domestic-brand integrated handlebar.

Since Dewey gave them the insider price and didn’t make a cent of profit, the total cost came out to less than 20,000.

Of course, once you added a cycling kit, clipless shoes, a helmet, and photochromic sunglasses, the total was over 25,000.

However, Chen Junyi refused to let Huang Chong pay for these personal items. She paid for them out of her own pocket, getting fully kitted out at Dewey’s shop.

"Old Huang, something feels a little off here."

While the saleswoman at the front desk was taking Chen Junyi to the fitting room to try on her kit, Dewey couldn’t resist lowering his voice to ask Huang Chong, "Is this beauty really your coach and not your girlfriend?"

From his perspective, she was just too young—she looked about the same age as him.

’How can someone that young be a coach?’

’It’s a little ridiculous!’

Besides, she was gorgeous and had a killer figure. She didn’t look like a professional coach at all.

Seeing Dewey’s gossipy expression, Huang Chong put on a serious face and explained Chen Junyi’s entire background and resume to him.

After listening, Dewey, who had always been a slacker in school, was silent for a long moment. Finally, he just gave a thumbs-up in admiration.

After buying the road bike for Chen Junyi, Huang Chong went to the mall to buy gifts for his parents.

Once everything was taken care of, he said a temporary goodbye to Dewey and prepared to head home.

The journey from Hangcheng back to his home in Xianyun County was about 260 kilometers south along the provincial highway.

The route had a mix of flat sections and climbs, making it an excellent course for a ride.

Plus, the weather on the twenty-eighth day of the last lunar month was perfect, with a warm sun shining brightly.

Huang Chong thought for a moment. Instead of bothering with the high-speed train from Hangcheng East Station, he stuffed all his belongings into his system’s storage space and decided to ride home as a training session.

The roads in Zhejiang Province were generally in excellent condition; even the most remote villages had paved asphalt, making them perfect for cycling.

Since most motor vehicles used the expressway, the provincial highway was relatively empty. Huang Chong maintained a Zone 2 aerobic pace the whole way home, finishing the ride in just over six hours with an average speed of around 40 km/h.

However, just as he rode up to the gate of his residential community and got off his bike, a long-unseen system notification appeared:

[Congratulations, Host, on completing your first 250 km ride with an average speed of 40 km/h. You have unlocked the Junior Professional Cyclist Honor Badge.]

[Rewards: All weak stats +5 points, Energy Gel x100, Rapid Recovery Energy Bar x100, Electrolyte Sports Drink x100 cases, Strengthening and Purifying Pill x1]

[Strengthening and Purifying Pill: Taking this pill will allow the Host to eat normally during Chinese New Year family gatherings. The pill will automatically purify and filter all banned substances from food, help burn off excess calorie intake, and ensure the Host maintains their ideal ’golden’ weight. Duration: 7 days.]

...