Chapter Fifty-Six: The Celebrity Sports Gala

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Entertainment Around Us, No pop-up windows
Story occurred: June 2005 – November 2005
Recommended song: Bigbang – Dirty Net
Declaration: This story is purely fictional. Any resemblance is purely coincidental!

“What celebrity sports event is this?” Jiang Yihan asked curiously.

“It’s just a celebrity sports meet—a bunch of celebrities go and compete,” Li Ran gave the most idiotic explanation, leaving Jiang Yihan speechless.

“I mean, why did we have to accept this program, really!” Jiang Yihan shot Li Ran a disdainful look, expressing his contempt for his intelligence.

“Nonsense, you’ve been filming, and I’ve avoided scheduling other activities as much as possible. But this one can’t be declined.” Li Ran tapped Jiang Yihan’s head. “They went straight to President Li and insisted we participate. You haven’t taken any new engagements for ages, and this one can’t be pushed away, so just make an appearance.”

“Oh, can I deliberately lose then?” Jiang Yihan pouted.

“Up to you! But this show is produced by a senior—he’s here for the ratings. If you show up too briefly, be careful not to get scolded when you get back.” Li Ran’s voice was cold, but there was a hint of schadenfreude.

“Alright, alright, you heartless thing.” Jiang Yihan stuck out his tongue.

For a lazy person, exercise was always arduous. Though Jiang Yihan had never skipped dance practice to perform on stage, it didn’t mean he enjoyed sports now. Jiang Yihan remained someone who would sleep whenever possible—standing, sitting, lying down, he could sleep anywhere. Sports were not his thing.

But from Li Ran’s offhand tone, Jiang Yihan could sense the importance of this senior—the fact that he went straight to Li Tong meant he was of high status. If he didn’t perform well, he might be the one to suffer. Jiang Yihan sighed.

Arriving at the recording site, Jiang Yihan was utterly astonished by the scale. The entire venue was a stadium, and at its center was a massive inflatable structure, stretching hundreds of meters and making for a spectacular sight from afar. All around, staff bustled about preparing.

Approaching the competition area—the inflatable structure—he could see several large pools, with various inflatable mats, bridges, and obstacles. The final endpoint was nearly a thirty-degree sloped inflatable ramp. Jiang Yihan surveyed the course, shocked not only by the show’s production but also by the meticulous effort put into the venue. As he and Li Ran marveled at the outdoor recording’s wonders, a middle-aged man approached.

“You must be Jiang Yihan, right? Hello, hello!” The man extended his hand with a jovial smile. “I’m the show’s host, Li Nan-kui.”

“Hello, Senior Li Nan-kui, I’m Jiang Yihan.” Jiang Yihan and Li Ran hurriedly bowed in greeting.

This man must be the famed senior. Jiang Yihan quickly sized him up—about forty, dressed in a suit, the lines of age unmistakably etched on his face, a large square pair of glasses perched on his nose, and his smile revealed somewhat crooked teeth, yet he exuded a friendly air.

Just as Jiang Yihan felt relieved at the senior’s amiable demeanor, Li Nan-kui extended his hand for a handshake. Jiang Yihan quickly reached out, only to be greeted by a sudden surge of pain—Li Nan-kui was gripping him hard, very hard. Jiang Yihan thought to return the force, but having lost the initiative, he couldn’t muster any strength and could only flush red, enduring the pain. Fortunately, the ordeal lasted less than ten seconds before Li Nan-kui released his hand, a trace of smugness on his face.

“Jiang Yihan, perform well in the show. It took a lot to get you here, so today, I’m counting on you.” Li Nan-kui’s smile remained hearty and open, yet a chill ran through Jiang Yihan’s heart.

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Watching his retreating figure, Li Ran asked, “How’s your hand?”

“It’s fine.” Jiang Yihan shook his hand, though the pain lingered. “I didn’t expect him to pull that stunt, like some tired TV trope. It’s embarrassing, but effective, I suppose.”

“He probably hit many brick walls trying to get you on the show. This was just a lesson,” Li Ran said, watching Li Nan-kui’s distant back.

“Yeah, looks like I’ll have to perform well on the show, or who knows what he’ll do next,” Jiang Yihan joked. “Today, he resorted to such primitive threats; who knows what wild ideas he’ll come up with in the future.”

Li Ran smiled softly at Jiang Yihan’s teasing.

The recording progressed smoothly. Watching the preceding celebrities compete, Jiang Yihan got a general sense of the contest.

This competition was a race—the winner was whoever reached the finish line without falling into the water, and in the shortest time.

The course began with a floating platform, followed by a large pool with two more floats to cross. Next was a small incline, tricky to stand on; after the incline came a rotating single-plank bridge with three giant inflatable hammers swinging back and forth. The bridge was about ten meters long. Past it was a jump board and a massive pool; in the center of the pool was a large float, and contestants had to swing across on a suspended rope and land on the float. Then, using their hands, they’d paddle to the shore, climb a two-story ladder, and ride an inflatable boat down a sixty-degree water slide into another pool. After climbing ashore, they’d proceed to a door, which would only open if they answered a math problem from two hundred meters away. Then, using stilts, they’d cross a fifteen-meter single-plank bridge to the other side, ending with a thirty-degree inflatable slope, which had only a single rope to climb to the finish.

Throughout, falling into the water meant immediate defeat. Those who reached the finish were ranked by time, with the fastest winning.

It wasn’t easy—the inflatables were slippery when wet, and without careful control, contestants could easily slip and fall. Few had completed the course, and scores were average. Of course, it was mainly an entertainment show—the outcome mattered less than the celebrities’ participation.

Finally, it was Jiang Yihan’s turn. He stood up and warmed up on the spot.

Li Nan-kui approached. “Jiang Yihan, before the competition, why don’t you show us a warm-up dance and display your charm?”

As soon as the host finished speaking, music began to play. Jiang Yihan had no choice but to step forward and dance to the beat. For his warm-up, he performed several difficult breakdance moves, earning applause from the audience.

“So impressive! Jiang Yihan, what are your expectations for the competition?” Li Nan-kui asked in proper host fashion.

“It’s a tough contest. I only hope to do my best so everyone can see my efforts,” Jiang Yihan replied modestly, bowing humbly.

“Well then, may your performance go smoothly and bring us excitement,” Li Nan-kui concluded.

Everything seemed normal, as if nothing had happened before—such was the mask of this industry. Jiang Yihan smiled at Li Nan-kui, then walked to the starting point.

At the sound of the whistle, Jiang Yihan set off.

He took a few steps back to gain momentum and dashed forward, leaping forcefully at the edge of the inflatable and landing safely on the first float in the pool. Without pausing, he stepped onto the second float, then pushed off with both feet, using his forward momentum to jump onto the small incline. Because the incline was angled and already slick with water, Jiang Yihan’s footing slipped, causing him to slide backward. His first instinct was to use his right foot, which was still on the platform, to propel himself forward with a leap, moving about fifty centimeters ahead. That was enough—he sprawled onto a small platform atop the incline, barely avoiding a fall, eliciting a wave of screams from the audience.

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Without stopping, Jiang Yihan got up and ran toward the second challenge, the single-plank bridge. He paused before the bridge, adjusted his breathing, centered himself, heart pounding fiercely. Without hesitation, he seized the moment when the hammer had just swung past and dashed forward. The bridge spun clockwise beneath his feet, slippery with water, and the hammer swung back. Jiang Yihan had no time to catch his breath, using inertia to sprint the ten meters ahead. In a blink, he relied on his excellent balance and timing to clear the challenge in one go.

Standing on the jump board, Jiang Yihan paused, gauging the distance to the float in the pool. Gripping the rope tightly, he rocked his body to build momentum, then took a big step back and launched himself forward, soaring over the pool. Looking down, he realized he’d swung too far; if he let go now, he wouldn’t land on the float. In the split second it took him to process this, he swung back, then forward again, thrusting his waist ahead and releasing the rope, his feet landing squarely on the float. But the float was slick with water, his feet slipped, and he pitched forward. He quickly shifted his center of gravity backward, barely managing to cling to the float. He’d succeeded, but his right ankle throbbed with sharp pain—he’d twisted it.

After a two-second hesitation, Jiang Yihan decided to paddle to shore first. He used his hands to propel himself through the water. As he reached the shore, the audience erupted in cheers—many had fallen into the water at this stage, but Jiang Yihan had succeeded, and his time was very short. No one knew how much his foot hurt as everyone cheered. Jiang Yihan wanted to quit, but as soon as he stepped with his right foot, it gave way, and a wave of indescribable pain surged through him. He clenched his teeth hard.

Then Li Nan-kui’s voice echoed through the microphone, “Jiang Yihan has completed the first three challenges in record time. Let’s look forward to his upcoming performance!”

Countless thoughts whirled in Jiang Yihan’s mind, and he clenched his teeth even harder, feeling his facial muscles taut. He turned and continued forward.

Trying not to put weight on his right foot, Jiang Yihan pulled himself up the ladder with both hands. Though it was only two meters high, sweat quickly covered his forehead. He looked down, clenched his fists for encouragement, and sat on the inflatable boat. With a push from the staff, he shot down the slide. The steep angle and water made the inflatable move very fast, and as he landed in the pool, the momentum flipped the boat. Jiang Yihan pressed down with his feet, nearly biting through his teeth, but couldn’t keep the boat from overturning. The waves flipped him once more, and just as Jiang Yihan thought he’d failed, the residual force turned the boat upright—a perfect somersault—and he surfaced again.

Without hesitation, Jiang Yihan paddled to shore with his hands. By the time he arrived, he was soaked, and even though the water was warm, a chill ran over him as the wind blew.

The pain from his right foot eased a bit, seeming less severe. Jiang Yihan shook his head, took a deep breath, and walked to the door. The math problem appeared.

17 + 35 = ?

Without hesitation, 52. Jiang Yihan quickly pressed the answer.

Correct.

The door opened. Jiang Yihan grabbed the stilts and jumped on. Using stilts on flat ground was one thing, but here, on an inflatable bridge, he found his strength uneven, making progress very difficult. The pain in his foot, though intermittent, pulsed through his brain.

Jiang Yihan tried to keep his waist straight, maintaining balance. The fifteen meters felt like fifteen hundred, and after what seemed an eternity, he reached the end. He discarded the troublesome stilts and stepped onto solid ground.

Looking up at the thirty-degree slope, what had seemed manageable from below now suddenly appeared as a towering mountain. But there was no time to retreat, as Li Nan-kui led the crowd in cheering for Jiang Yihan through the microphone.

Jiang Yihan bit his lip so hard he tasted blood. He grabbed the rope and climbed the slope. Each step brought a fresh wave of indescribable pain, his heart hammered, sweat no longer flowed, but his whole body trembled, his muscles near collapse.

Come on, Jiang Yihan, you can do it!

He urged himself on, but the pain in his foot made every effort seem futile. His teeth, clenched without a gap, began to tremble, and he could barely feel his breath.

Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed Jiang Yihan’s own. He looked up with difficulty—he’d reached the top, and the staff helped him up. Crawling onto the platform, Jiang Yihan was completely spent, taking the hammer and using his last ounce of strength to strike the gong marking the finish line. Then all strength left him, and he lay down on the ground.

At last, it was over.