We Are All Students
The Yenching University Sports Meet is about to begin, and the organizer is the Yanjing University Running Association.
An official from the running association came to the sports field and found Shen Qi, who was warming up.
"Professor Shen, are you sure you want to participate in the student group competition?" asked a young man, a staff member from the running association.
"Faculty and staff group..." Shen Qi jumped up and touched the high ground, then landed and said, "No challenge at all."
The young man added, "There are quite a few professional athletes in the student group."
"Me too..." Shen Qi continued jumping, and said after landing, "Pro-level."
Young man. "But you..."
"Handsome young man..." Shen Qi asked as he jumped up and down, "What year are you in?"
"Junior year."
What's your personal best (PB) in the 5000 meters?
"19 minutes and 21 seconds."
"When I was your age... I ran the 5000 meters in under 16 minutes."
"Professor Shen, can we stop jumping?" The third-year students from the running club couldn't take it anymore. Shen Qi kept jumping like a kangaroo.
"The coach made me do these jumps as a warm-up." Shen Qi stopped jumping and pointed to a middle-aged man not far away, who was a coach from the Track and Field team.
"We all know about your illustrious history in long-distance running. You won the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter championships when you were a student. But this time you've signed up for two individual events, the 100-meter dash and the long jump, and both are in the student category," said the young man from the running association.
Shen Qi had his reasons. "Faculty members aren't allowed to participate in student competitions? Can't we make an exception this time? Actually, I'm a student too. I'm currently studying literature and history, preparing to apply for graduate school at School of Arts and Humanities. Tell me, don't I count as a student? We're all students, we're all learners."
Shen Qi's logic seemed absurd, but upon closer examination, the young man couldn't refute it for a moment.
"Dude, what's your personal best (PB) in the 100 meters?" Shen Qi asked.
The young man looked embarrassed. "I'm terrible at the 100 meters, my time is just under 12 seconds."
Shen Qi suggested, "How about we make a bet? If I run the 100 meters in 11.50 seconds by hand, you'll approve my participation in the student group competition."
"Well... alright." The young man agreed. 11.50 seconds is the qualifying standard for a second-level athlete. Professor Shen is a top researcher, but in sprinting, there's no reason for Professor Shen to run that fast, right?
"Professor Shen, get on the starting blocks!" the Track and Field team coach shouted.
This junior from the running club is a bit stubborn. Professor Shen participating in the student group competition is such exciting news, something that's hard to come by, yet he's actually a little resistant.
The Track and Field team coach was much more open-minded. He fully supported Shen Qi's participation in the student group competition, saying that if he didn't enjoy the excitement, he would be struck by lightning.
Shen Qi contacted this coach a few days ago, saying he wanted to do intensive training in the 100-meter dash and long jump.
The coach readily agreed and devoted himself to training Shen Qi's 100-meter and long jump skills.
Shen Qi arrived at the starting blocks and skillfully adjusted the positions of the front and rear footplates.
The coach shouted the command, "On your marks!"
Upon receiving the order, Shen Qi braced himself with both hands on the ground, placed his feet on the front and back foot pads in turn, knelt on his back knee, and straightened his arms.
Shen Qi's positioning movements were quite impressive, while the young man from the running association watched silently.
"Preparation!"
"Bang!"
The coach near the starting line fired the starting gun. This training was quite professional; apart from the lack of electronic measuring equipment, everything else was operated exactly like a formal 100-meter race.
Shen Qi heard the gunshot and started running—whoosh!
The starting reaction was quick.
Shen Qi quickly completed the acceleration run and smoothly entered the middle stage.
During the race, Shen Qi's arm swing, hip thrust, and landing were all well executed. When he crossed the finish line, he even did a nod to the line, which is typical of professional athletes.
"Professor Shen is that fast?" The young man from the running club was very surprised; he felt that Shen Qi ran very fast!
At the finish line, the assistant coach stopped the stopwatch and shouted, "10.70 seconds!"
"Holy crap?" The young man from the running club was dumbfounded. He ran to the finish line and checked his time on his cycling computer.
"It really is 10.70 seconds!" The young man was shocked. The hand-timed 10.70 seconds plus 0.24 seconds converted to an electronically timed result of 10.94 seconds.
The qualifying time for a national first-class sprinter is 10.93 seconds (electronically measured). Professor Shen achieved a time almost equivalent to that of a first-class athlete!
"Extremely strong winds, right?" The young man looked up at the sky; it was a clear, sunny day with no wind.
"This... this is so illogical!" The young man was baffled. Professor Shen, a long-distance running enthusiast, was almost 30 years old, yet he could run the 100 meters in under 11 seconds!
"Huff..." Shen Qi, panting heavily after his all-out sprint, said, "Dude, science is far more incredible than you imagine... What's your major?"
The young man, drenched in sweat, said, "I'm from the math department, majoring in mathematical finance."
Shen Qi: "Huh? That's not right of you. You're a student from the School of Mathematics, and you won't let me participate in the student group competition?"
The young man explained, "I didn't know you were so good at the 100 meters, Professor Shen! Seeing is believing. If you can run it in under 11 seconds, you're definitely qualified to compete in the student group."
Shen Qi: "I've only recently resumed training. Give me a few more days of training, and I can run under 10.90 seconds."
"Alright, good luck, and I wish you great success in the student group competition." The young man respected the facts, Shen Qi successfully registered for the student group's 100-meter dash and long jump events.
The news that Shen Qi had signed up for the student group competition quickly spread throughout Yenching University.
"Professor Shen Qi has registered for the student events of the 100-meter dash and long jump at this year's school sports meet!"
"According to the running association, Professor Shen's 100-meter training time is 10.70 seconds (manually timed)! His long jump is 7.40 meters! He's definitely not here to joke around with the students!"
"Holy crap, no way! Professor Shen is so amazing, a real athlete with incredible speed and agility! The Carl Lewis of scientists!"
"The School of Mathematical Sciences Student Union fully supports Professor Shen!"
"The Physics Department Student Union gives a shout-out to Professor Shen!"
"The Law School student union stated that we will not show any mercy, even if he is Shen Qi!"
"The student union of the School of Government and Public Affairs stated that this was a statement we should have made."
Students from the School of Mathematics and the School of Physics regard Shen Qi as an academic idol, but the track and field level of these two Chinese Academy of Sciences is relatively weak.
More than half of the track and field special admissions students at Yenching University are from the Law School and the School of Government and Public Affairs. The student athletes from these two schools are motivated to defeat Shen Qi on the track and in the sandpit.
The only way to defeat Shen Qi is on the track and field.
The day before the start of the sports meet, at Academician Shen's villa.
"Honey, can you really outrun students?" Ou Ye had also heard the news; her husband was going to race against young students, and he was serious about it.
"Honey, you absolutely have to come to the game tomorrow to cheer me on, and bring Nofi along." Shen Qi had made all the preparations; competitive sports had brought him a long-lost passion.