After the opening ceremony, all the competitions were launched. Among the first batch of events, the most eye-catching was the men's basketball match, in which the national team of the Republic of West Asia temporarily formed a match against the American Dream Team. Unlike the opening ceremony, the stands were packed with spectators, most of whom were journalists, of whom sports journalists accounted for only a small proportion, mainly war correspondents who swarmed in from the West Asian front. Unlike any other ball games in the past, no one was making noise, and even fewer people were talking. The game was played in silence, and only the thump of the basketball hitting the ground and the squeak of the soles of the shoes rubbing against the floor could be heard. When the first half was about to end, no one was looking at the scoreboard anymore. The blue ball elves of the Dream Team soared lightly on the court like a few black birds, as if they were dancing a dream dance in an inaudible light music, while the West Asian team just mixed in some impurities in this beautiful dance, trying to interfere with the dance, but the dream dance did not seem to feel the existence of impurities, and flowed smoothly like a river of mercury... ... During the halftime break, the old coach of the West Asian team waved his bony fists, coughed hoarsely, and said to the players who were exhausted mentally and physically: "Don't collapse, kids, don't let them pity us!" But they were still pitied. Halfway through the second half, many spectators couldn't bear to watch it anymore and got up and left. When the gong sounded at the end of the game, the black blue ball dancers of the Dream Team left the court, and the players of the West Asian team remained standing still, like sand settled after the tide receded. After a long time, the center woke up and squatted on the ground and cried bitterly, while another player ran under the blue rack and weakly vomited acid... ...
In the subsequent competitions, the West Asian Republic was completely defeated in all events, which was expected, but no one expected such a terrible defeat. In fact, even in the post-war blockade period, West Asian sports still had a certain strength. In recent years, as the situation worsened, the government had no time to take care of sports, and the commercial sports clubs that were barely maintained disappeared. These athletes participating in the Olympic Games have not had any training for three or four years. At the same time, they have no other skills except sports. Most of them have become the poorest people in the difficult years in West Asia. Several years of hunger and disease have made these people no longer have the minimum physique to be athletes.
The Olympic Games had been over for the most part in a dull atmosphere. The public opinion surveys at this time showed that even American audiences wanted to see a miracle from West Asian athletes. People placed their hopes of creating a miracle on two West Asians, Riley and Sari. The whole world was waiting for their appearance.
However, in the gymnastics competition that followed, Riley still disappointed the world. Her skills were still quite good, but her physical strength and power were no longer good. She made many mistakes and fell twice on the balance beam, which was her most advantageous position. She was simply unable to compete with the American team's gymnastics angels who were as agile as colorful springs. Before the last gymnastics competition began, on the way to the stadium, Sinnie heard Riley's conversation with her coach:
"Are you really going to do the Karmann jump?" the coach asked. "You've never quite done it before, and the uneven bars aren't your strong suit."
"It will work this time," Riley said coldly.
"Don't be silly! So what if you get full marks on the uneven bars free exercise?"
"The final score gap with the American girl will be smaller."
"So what? Just listen to me and do the moves I've given you. Just do them steadily. There's no point in risking your life now."
Laili sneered: "Do you really care about my life? To be honest, I don't care at all."
At the beginning of the competition, when Riley jumped onto the uneven bars, Sinnie immediately saw that she had become a different person. Some invisible shackles on her body had disappeared. The competition was no longer a mission for her, but a way to vent her pain. She flew between the uneven bars, and her movements gradually became crazy. There were rare exclamations from the audience, but the gymnastics experts in the field all stood up with horror on their faces. The beautiful gymnastics angels of the American team hugged each other in shock. They all knew that this West Asian girl was risking her life. When she did the difficult Karmanlin jump, Riley was completely immersed in her madness. She successfully completed a 1,080-degree somersault in the air, but when she grabbed the low bar and jumped back to the high bar, she lost her grip and fell to the floor under the low bar with her head down and her body at a 45-degree angle. Sinnie, who was sitting in the first row of the stands, heard the crisp snap of a broken spine... ...
Clare caught up with the stretcher holding a West Asian flag and stuffed a corner of the flag into Riley's hand. This was the flag that led the athletes from the West Asian Republic at the opening ceremony. Riley held on to the flag tightly. She didn't know what she was holding. Her eyes were staring blankly at the sky. Her pale face was twitching in pain. Blood flowed from the corners of her mouth, dripping onto the ground and onto the national flag that was mopping on the ground.
"One thing we may not have expected," the IOC president told reporters, "is that when athletes become fighters, sports can also bleed."
In fact, people have such high hopes for Riley, which is largely the result of media hype. Riley's excellence is only relative. Even if she performs exceptionally well, her strength is far behind that of the US team. But Sarri is different. He is a real world champion, and compared with other events, stopping training for a few years will have relatively less impact on a shooter. Although the United States is a world power in shooting sports, Sarri is also strong in men's skeet shooting. He broke the world record for skeet double shooting at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. But since he won the bronze medal in this event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, his level has stagnated. James Graf, the contestant this time, lost to Sarri at the World Shooting Championships four years ago and only won the bronze medal. Therefore, the West Asian Republic has a great hope of winning this gold medal, which will bring a * to the last afternoon of this Olympic Games.
On the last stretch of the way to the shooting competition, Sari was carried high by the West Asians. The athletes of the West Asian delegation cheered him around. He had become their god. The cameramen gathered around him so that the whole world could see this scene. If there were people who didn't know, they would definitely think that West Asia had won the entire Olympic Games. On the other side of the Asian continent, 30 million people in the West Asian Republic gathered in front of TV and radio, waiting for their last hero to bring them the final comfort. But Sari was very calm and expressionless.
At the entrance to the shooting competition, Clare solemnly said to Sari who had just been put down: "You certainly know the significance of this competition. If we at least get a gold medal and thereby win some rights for our post-war country, then this virtual war will have a completely different meaning for the people of West Asia."
Sarri nodded and said coldly: "So it is only natural that I put forward the conditions for the country to participate in the competition: I want five million US dollars."
Sarri's words were like a basin of ice water, which instantly extinguished the enthusiasm surrounding him, and everyone looked at him in surprise.
"Sari, are you crazy?" Clare asked in a low voice.
"I am very normal. Compared with the benefits I bring to the country, I don't ask for much. This money is just for me to spend the rest of my life quietly in a place I like."
"Once you win the gold medal, the country will consider giving you a reward."
"Mr. Krell, do you really think this country that is about to disappear still has any credibility? No, I want it now, otherwise I will refuse to compete. You have to understand that if I win the gold medal, I will be a world star. If I withdraw from the competition, I will also become a hero who refuses to work for a dictatorship. The latter is more valuable in the West."
Sari and Claire stared at each other for a long time, and the latter finally gave in and withdrew his gaze, "Okay, please wait a moment." Then he squeezed out of the crowd, took out his mobile phone from a distance and started calling.
"Sari, you are committing treason!" someone in the West Asian delegation shouted.
"My father died for the country. He was killed in the war seventeen years ago when I was only eight years old. My mother and I only received a pension of 1,200 West Asian dollars from the government. After that, prices soared, and that little money was not enough for us to have a full meal for two weeks." Sarri took off the national flag that other West Asian athletes had draped over him from his shoulders, grabbed it in his hands and asked loudly: "Country? What is a country? If it is a piece of bread, how big is it? If it is a piece of clothing, how warm is it? If it is a house, can it block the wind and rain for us?! The rich people in West Asia have already fled abroad to avoid the war, leaving only us poor guys waiting to die in the patriotic myth woven by the government!"
By this time, Claire had finished his call. He squeezed through the crowd and came to Sari. "I have already asked for instructions, Sari. You are doing your duty as a West Asian citizen. The government cannot pay you this money."
"Very good." Sari nodded and stuffed the flag into Claire's arms.
"The calls went all the way to the president, who said that if a country only has mercenaries fighting for it, then there is no need for it to continue to exist."
Sarri said nothing more, turned and walked away, and the excited reporters swarmed after him.
With Clare holding the national flag in his hand as the center, the West Asian delegation stood in silence for a long time, as if they were mourning for something. After an unknown amount of time, gunshots were heard in the shooting range. James Graf was getting the easiest gold medal in Olympic history. The gunshots gradually brought the West Asians back to reality. They all focused their attention on one person. The large group of reporters who had just followed Surrey also ran back and pointed hundreds of cameras at this person.
Vidya Sini will participate in the last event of this Olympics: the women's marathon, which will start in an hour.
The reporters knew that Xinni was mute, so no one asked questions. They just whispered to each other, as if they were watching a small animal they had never seen before. Surrounded by the crowd and cameras, this dark and thin West Asian girl opened her eyes wide in fear, her thin body trembling, like a deer cornered by a pack of hounds. Fortunately, Claire pulled her up and squeezed out of the crowd, and got on the car bound for the main stadium.
They soon arrived at the Olympic Stadium, where the closing ceremony of the 29th Olympic Games would be held in the evening, and where the marathon would start and end. After getting off the bus, they were immediately surrounded by more reporters. Sinni looked even more frightened and uneasy, clinging to Claire. Claire finally got rid of the entanglement and took Sinni into an empty athlete lounge, shutting out the noise that almost broke her spirit.
Claire took a paper cup of water and walked up to the frightened Sinni, and opened his clenched hand in front of her. Sinni saw a white pill on his palm. She stared at the pill for a few seconds, then looked at Claire in horror and shook her head.
"Eat it." Claire said in an irresistible tone, and then slowed down his voice: "Believe me, it's okay."
Sinni took the pill hesitantly and put it in her mouth. She tasted the sour taste. She took the water handed by Claire and swallowed the pill. A few seconds later, the door of the lounge opened gently. Claire turned around suddenly and saw a burly figure. He stared at the man for a long time before he recognized him with surprise.
The man was General West, the man who lit the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony and the commander of the 500,000-man army that was ready to attack the West Asian Republic. He was wearing a black suit and holding a paper box in his hands.
"Please get out." Claire glared at him.
"I want to talk to Xinni."
"She couldn't speak or understand English."
"You can translate for me, thank you." The general bowed slightly to Claire, and there was an irresistible power in his solemn voice.
"I told you to get out!" Claire said, blocking Sini behind him.
The general didn't answer. He gently pulled Claire away with a strong arm, squatted in front of Sinnie and took off one of her sneakers.
"What are you doing?!" Claire shouted.
The general stood up and held the sneakers in front of Claire: "You just bought this at a sports store in Beijing, right? If you run a marathon in new shoes like this, your feet will get blisters within 20 kilometers." He squatted down again and took off Xinni's other shoe. He threw both shoes away with a wave of his hand, then he picked up the paper box next to him and opened it, revealing a pair of snow-white sneakers. He held the shoes in front of Xinni: "Child, this is a personal gift from me to you. It was made for you by a special workshop of Nike. That workshop can make the best marathon shoes in the world."
Clare then remembered that three nights ago, two people who claimed to be Nike technicians came to Sinnie's room in the Olympic Village and scanned her foot model with a 3D scanner. He could see that this was indeed a pair of top-notch marathon shoes, and the price of custom-made shoes would be at least tens of thousands of dollars.
The general began to put shoes on Sinni: "Marathon is a beautiful sport, I like it too. When I was a lieutenant, I won the championship at the Army Games. Oh, not the marathon, but the triathlon." After putting the shoes on, he smiled and motioned for Sinni to get up and try them on. Sinni stood up and walked a few steps. The shoes were light, soft and elastic, and fit her feet perfectly, as if they were a part of her feet.
The general turned and walked away, and Clare followed him to the door and said, "Thank you."
The general stopped but did not turn around. "To be honest, I would rather it was Sinni who defected than Sari."
"This is incomprehensible," Claire said. "Sinni's results are the best in West Asia, but she's not even in the top 20 in the world, let alone compared to Emma."
The general continued walking away, leaving behind a sentence: "I am afraid of her eyes." (To be continued)