Chapter Summaries

After three months of intensive training, Huang Chong reviewed his improved cycling stats and discussed his exceptional muscle development with Chen Junyi. She approved his entry into two Provincial Games races, and he vowed to compete well and bring back two medals.

• Huang Chong checked his stats and saw that his power-to-weight ratio and sprint burst had reached entry-level professional standards, while his terrain anticipation remained weak.
• Huang Chong wondered why no system task had appeared to improve his terrain anticipation despite trying many forms of cycling training.
• Chen Junyi questioned Huang Chong's unusually rapid increase in muscle density and warned him not to do extra training beyond her program.
• Huang Chong admitted that he had secretly overtrained and promised to follow Chen Junyi's plan from then on.
• Chen Junyi told Huang Chong he could race as an individual in the Men's A Group 30KM individual time trial and the 80KM road bunch race at the provincial Provincial Games.
• Huang Chong thanked Chen Junyi and promised to perform well and try to bring back two medals.

Huang Chong prepared for the Provincial Games, where his results could earn him a place on the official provincial team and a shot at national competition. Before leaving, he confronted teammates who mocked his background and relationship with Chen Junyi, then left them furious and certain he would not threaten their positions.

• Huang Chong reviewed the Provincial Games schedule and learned that he would race the 30-kilometer time trial and the 80-kilometer road race.
• Chen Junyi told Huang Chong to focus on showing his training progress and explained that strong results could earn him official team status and a chance to reach the national championships.
• Huang Chong overheard teammates gossiping that he was a rich second-generation brat who received special treatment and was romantically involved with Chen Junyi.
• Huang Chong confronted the teammates, explained how he joined the team and received his bikes, and teased them about the possibility of newcomers taking their spots.
• The teammates angrily dismissed Huang Chong’s chances and vowed he could not take their positions on the team.

Huang Chong prepared for the Provincial Games individual time trial in cold, rainy weather while Chen Junyi offered support and arranged to follow him by car. He started the final Boys' A Group race at noon, and the system announced a reward tied to his finishing rank.

• Chen Junyi obtained permission to follow Huang Chong during his race and report split times and average speeds.
• Huang Chong warmed up and reviewed the results, while Chen Junyi cautioned him to ride carefully on the slippery course.
• A coach encouraged the final three club riders before their starts, and Chen Junyi gave Huang Chong a pep talk of her own.
• Huang Chong teased Chen Junyi about her encouragement, then focused as his start time approached.
• Huang Chong set off at noon on the Specialized TT bike, and the system displayed a top-ten objective and a Cold-Resistance Cardiopulmonary Adaptation Pill reward.

Huang Chong delivered an exceptionally fast opening section in the time trial, impressing Zhang Guowei and Chen Junyi with his progress. Chen Junyi argued that if he reached world-class level, he should leave the provincial system to develop with international teams.

• Huang Chong launched from the ramp with a powerful sprint, then settled into an aerodynamic position and held a cruising speed near 47 KM/H.
• Chen Junyi relayed Huang Chong's race data while Zhang Guowei monitored it from the support vehicle and marveled at his progress.
• Zhang Guowei praised Chen Junyi for joining the cycling program to train Huang Chong, and she reflected on his potential and her own reasons for taking the assignment.
• Chen Junyi warned Zhang Guowei that the provincial team's limited resources might not support Huang Chong's rise to world-class competition.
• Zhang Guowei asked whether Huang Chong should leave the system for a Continental or UCI WorldTour team, and Chen Junyi recommended that he develop abroad if he reached that level.

Huang Chong dominated the Provincial Games men's A time trial, leaving the city teams stunned when they learned he was a reserve rider trained by provincial director Zhang Guowei. After pulling off a spectacular high-speed drift through the U-turn, he resumed chasing the riders ahead.

• Huang Chong's speed and early timing results astonished competitors and coaches, who wondered which city team had entered him.
• Liu Jialiang explained that Huang Chong belonged to the provincial team as a reserve rider and had been specially trained by Director Zhang Guowei.
• Chen Junyi reported Huang Chong's second timing result and warned him to slow down for the approaching U-turn.
• Huang Chong drifted his TT bike through the rain-slick U-turn without losing much speed, impressing photographers and spectators.
• Huang Chong sprinted out of the turn, raised his speed to around 47 KM/H, and continued pursuing the riders ahead.

Huang Chong used his mountain biking skills and careful pacing to close out the rainy ITT, overtaking Wang Bao just before the finish and winning the gold medal by at least three minutes. The chapter ended with Wang Bao accepting his decisive defeat as Huang Chong’s time put him near the national master athlete standard.

• Huang Chong replenished his energy while maintaining an aerodynamic posture on the downhill, impressing the watching coaches and riders with his technique.
• Chen Junyi and Zhang Guowei discussed Huang Chong’s mountain biking skills, and Chen Junyi speculated that he had ridden mountain bikes before switching to road cycling.
• Chen Junyi told Huang Chong that he was on course to win gold by a huge margin and urged him to try to finish within forty minutes.
• Huang Chong caught Wang Bao near the finish and overtook him in the final meters, despite Wang Bao having started earlier.
• Wang Bao finished second and realized Huang Chong had beaten him by at least three minutes, taking the ITT gold medal decisively.

Huang Chong won the Men's Group A ITT by a huge margin, and Chen Junyi joined him to celebrate his first professional gold medal. Wang Bao challenged Huang Chong to the upcoming road race, while Zhang Guowei began wondering whether assigning Chen Junyi as Huang Chong’s full-time coach had been a mistake.

• Liu Jialiang comforted his Wenhai Cycling Team riders after Huang Chong beat them by more than three minutes, then sent Wang Bao and Zhou Zitong to the awards ceremony.
• Huang Chong received the ITT gold medal and posed for photos with the other medalists as Chen Junyi photographed him from the crowd.
• Wang Bao told Huang Chong he would beat him in the road race, and Huang Chong accepted the challenge.
• Huang Chong gave Chen Junyi his flowers and gold medal, crediting her coaching for his victory, and she asked Zhang Guowei to photograph them together.
• Zhang Guowei took their photo and privately worried about Chen Junyi’s father, whose standards for a son-in-law were famously high.

After winning the provincial games ITT, Huang Chong used his reward to raise his FTP and continued preparing for the road race and future national competitions. He told Du Wei about his victory, and Du Wei shared the news with Zhou Ming, who had been boasting about his amateur race result.

• After the photo shoot, Chen Junyi helped Huang Chong warm up and gave him cold medicine.
• Huang Chong claimed 20 Basic Optimization Points and a cold-resistance pill, raised his FTP to 348W, and swallowed the pill.
• Huang Chong considered his plans for the 2023 cycling season and the Asian Road Cycling Championships as he rested and trained.
• Du Wei messaged Huang Chong about his crash and engagement banquet, and Huang Chong told him he had won the provincial games ITT.
• Du Wei found the official news featuring Huang Chong's three-minute victory and sent a screenshot to Zhou Ming.
• Zhou Ming saw Huang Chong's gold-medal news and angrily threw his phone onto the sofa.

Huang Chong entered the men's Group A 80KM mass-start race as the provincial team's lone rider and stayed in the peloton while the Hangzhou Team tried to use coordinated tactics against him. When Zhou Zitong attacked, Huang Chong refused to chase, leaving both Zhou and Wang Bao unsure what to do.

• Liu Jialiang instructed Wang Bao and the other Hangzhou riders to work together to drop Huang Chong or protect their strongest rider for the finish.
• Huang Chong lined up alone at the front in his Specialized gear, then immediately dropped to the back of the field and rode at a Zone 2 pace.
• After the first lap, Huang Chong stayed in the peloton behind the Hangzhou Team instead of joining breakaways.
• Near the end of the second lap, Zhou Zitong attacked, while Wang Bao and another rider looked to Huang Chong to respond.
• Huang Chong kept drafting instead of chasing Zhou, and Zhou's hesitation let riders from other teams catch him and waste his effort.

Huang Chong countered Wang Bao’s attempt to break away, wore him down, and launched a decisive attack on the climb. He finished the rainy 80-kilometer road race alone to claim his second men’s Group A gold medal.

• After Zhou Zitong rejoined the peloton, Huang Chong recognized the Hangzhou Team’s tactics and let him return to his teammates.
• At 40 kilometers, Wang Bao attacked, but Huang Chong immediately followed and stayed on his wheel.
• Wang Bao asked Huang Chong to take a turn at the front, and Huang Chong pulled at a steady pace for nearly 10 kilometers, exhausting him.
• At the 55-kilometer climb, Huang Chong attacked; Wang Bao could not respond and fell behind.
• Huang Chong rode the remaining distance at about 320 watts and crossed the finish line first, winning his second Group A gold medal.

After winning both Men's A cycling events at the Provincial Games, Huang Chong returned to the Hangzhou base with Chen Junyi, who joined him in a commemorative photo. The photo sparked excitement among his friends and family, and his cousin Huang Lingshan rushed to tell his parents that he had a girlfriend.

• Zhang Guowei praised Huang Chong's victory and urged Liu Jialiang to prepare Wang Bao and Zhou Zitong for provincial team selection.
• Huang Chong and Chen Junyi took a photo together with their two gold medals before driving back to the Hangzhou base.
• Huang Chong posted the photo to Moments, where his friends congratulated him and speculated about whether Chen Junyi was his girlfriend.
• Li Zifan saw Huang Chong's post and congratulated him on winning gold at the Provincial Games.
• Huang Lingshan saw the photo and rushed to Huang Chong's home, telling his parents that he had a girlfriend.

Huang Chong’s parents learned that he had won two Provincial Games gold medals and began accepting his cycling ambitions, while his victories impressed his friends and the provincial team. The team members worried that Huang Chong’s results would cost one of them a place on the official roster.

• Liang Xiaomei told Huang Lingshan that Chen Junyi was Huang Chong’s coach and explained that Huang Chong had won gold and might have Olympic potential.
• Liang Xiaomei and Huang Yuda watched Huang Chong receive his award on provincial sports news and celebrated his success.
• Du Wei sent Zhou Ming news of Huang Chong’s second gold medal, but Zhou Ming claimed credit because he had given Huang Chong the Specialized SL7.
• Cyclists at the training base reviewed Huang Chong’s dominant results and worried he would take one of their six roster spots during the upcoming selection.

After Huang Chong’s two Provincial Games gold medals put the provincial team’s struggling riders under pressure, he returned to training for the team selection and National Road Cycling Championships. Chen Junyi brought him forms to claim his gold-medal bonus and apply for National Level 1 Road Cyclist status, confirming that his results qualified him.

• The six provincial-team riders realized Huang Chong’s results threatened their places and began intensive training ahead of selection.
• Chen Junyi gave Huang Chong one day off before he resumed preparing for the team selection and National Road Cycling Championships.
• Huang Chong used the provincial team’s workshop to dismantle and overhaul both of his racing bikes.
• Chen Junyi gave Huang Chong an application for his Provincial Games gold-medal bonus and an evaluation form for National Level 1 Road Cyclist status.
• Chen Junyi confirmed that Huang Chong’s two gold medals and sub-forty-minute 30 km time trial met the National Level 1 standard.

Huang Chong signed his Provincial Games forms and completed the provincial team’s 20 km time trial assessment, where he recorded a strong time while concealing some of his power. Chen Junyi encouraged him to focus on upcoming competitions, while privately reconsidering how long she would remain his coach.

• Huang Chong praised Chen Junyi’s paperwork and signed the forms, then admitted he would miss her if she were transferred away.
• Chen Junyi reflected on her temporary assignment to road cycling and advised Huang Chong to focus on his assessment and the National Road Cycling Championships.
• After the holiday, Huang Chong resumed intensive training for the team’s internal selection, a 20 km ITT involving twelve riders.
• Huang Chong drew the first starting position, then completed the course in 25:05.31 at an average speed of 47 km/h.
• Wang Bao was stunned by Huang Chong’s result, unaware that Huang Chong had averaged only 330W and held back his maximum power.

Huang Chong dominated the provincial team’s 20 KM time trial assessment, exposing the veterans’ decline and putting pressure on the later riders. After Huang Chong advised Wang Bao to stay calm and focus on his own effort, Wang Bao improved and finished second, but the newcomers still outperformed the first-team veterans overall.

• Huang Chong posted a leading time-trial result, and the riders starting after him felt mounting pressure as they saw his pace.
• The first-team veterans produced weak results, angering Zhang Guowei, while several newcomers recorded competitive times.
• Wang Bao asked Huang Chong for training and race advice, and Huang Chong urged him to stay calm, control his effort, and avoid chasing rivals’ results during the race.
• Wang Bao followed the advice, rode steadily, and finished second among the twelve riders with an average speed of 43.8 KM/H.
• Zhang Guowei reviewed the standings and found that the newcomers had taken six of the top nine places, while the veterans occupied the bottom six positions apart from Huang Chong.

Huang Chong's Zhejiang team arrived in Changzhou for the National Road Cycling Championships, where he prepared to compete in the men's ITT, TTT, and road race. After scouting the course and reviewing the field, he began warming up for the opening ITT, confident he could contend for a medal.

• Zhang Guowei finalized the team roster, keeping the three unsuccessful newcomers as reserves while Huang Chong, Wang Bao, and Zhou Zitong joined the first-string team.
• Huang Chong led his teammates through pre-race training as they practiced coordination for the team time trial.
• The Zhejiang team arrived at Jintan Maoshan Scenic Area, where Huang Chong assessed strong rival teams including Longjiang and Hong Kong.
• Xie Kun assigned Huang Chong and Chen Guangyi to the ITT, the full squad to the TTT, and Huang Chong and Wang Bao to the road race.
• Huang Chong reconnoitered the mostly flat course and judged that he had a strong chance at a medal.
• On December 23, Huang Chong and Chen Guangyi arrived at the venue and warmed up for the opening ITT.

Huang Chong rode the men's adult ITT at the National Road Cycling Championships and built a lead over the Longjiang Team's leading rider. With less than 4 KM remaining, including a climb, he was about 10 seconds ahead as the Continental team managers watched to see whether he could hold on for the title.

• Chen Guangyi finished his ITT in 55:08.43, and he wished Huang Chong good luck as Huang prepared to start.
• Huang Chong began his race cautiously and learned at the 15 KM timing point that he was three seconds behind the Longjiang Team rider ahead of him.
• Huang Chong pushed harder on a climb and passed the 30 KM timing point eight seconds ahead of his opponent.
• The Longjiang Team rider sprinted through the finish in 51:06.638, temporarily taking first place.
• With less than 4 KM remaining, Huang Chong held a live lead of about 10 seconds, and the Continental team managers watched to see if he could preserve it.

Huang Chong won the National Road Cycling Championships ITT title for Zhejiang Team, then helped his team finish second from last in the TTT as Longjiang Team dominated the other events. With the final days approaching, the remaining suspense was whether Huang Chong could take another gold from Longjiang Team in the men's elite road race.

• Huang Chong launched a powerful sprint up the final incline and finished the ITT in 50:07.399, winning by 59 seconds.
• Huang Chong watched the Hong Kong Team rider finish fourth, confirming his first national championship gold medal, and received praise from his teammates and interest from Continental team managers.
• Huang Chong received his award and completed an anti-doping test while Longjiang Team won the other ITT titles across the remaining categories.
• Xie Kun told Zhejiang Team to prioritize experience and avoid overexertion in the next day's TTT, preserving Huang Chong for the 180 km mass-start race.
• Huang Chong pulled his teammates through much of the TTT, but Zhejiang Team finished second from last as Longjiang Team swept both TTT titles.
• The competitors and Continental team managers turned their attention to whether Huang Chong could beat Longjiang Team in the men's elite road race.

After Zhejiang Team’s poor team time trial, Xie Kun assigned Wang Bao to support Huang Chong in the final mass-start race and told Huang Chong to conserve energy by drafting the Longjiang riders. Huang Chong accepted the plan for now but intended to adapt during the race, which began with Longjiang entering three riders.

• Xie Kun reassured Wang Bao about Zhejiang Team’s TTT result and asked him to act as Huang Chong’s lieutenant in the mass-start race.
• Wang Bao agreed, saying he wanted to gain experience and hoped to finish without being lapped.
• Xie Kun told Huang Chong to stay with the Longjiang riders, conserve energy, and consider attacking in the final 20 to 30 kilometers.
• Huang Chong accepted Xie Kun’s instructions but planned to adjust his tactics based on his condition and the race situation.
• At the start of the third day, Huang Chong and Wang Bao saw that Longjiang had entered three riders, and Huang Chong resolved to beat every opponent to win.

Huang Chong accidentally chased a Longjiang Team youth rider, setting off a breakaway that drew nearly every championship contender into the leading group. The Longjiang Team abandoned its original timing but devised a new plan to help its youth rider win gold.

• Huang Chong mistook a Longjiang Team youth rider's breakaway for an elite attack and chased him, prompting Liu Yunyou, the Longjiang Team elite riders, and the Shanghai Team riders to follow.
• Wang Bao caught up and asked Huang Chong why he had attacked, and Huang Chong admitted he had misidentified the rider.
• Huang Chong and Wang Bao realized the other teams were closely watching Huang Chong, while the Longjiang Team riders recognized that his move had disrupted their planned tactics.
• The Longjiang Team youth rider complained that Huang Chong's pursuit had made his breakaway pointless, and the elite riders explained they had responded to Huang Chong's attack.
• The Longjiang Team elite riders told their youth rider to recover and break away again while they controlled the pace, then promised one of them would provide a lead-out on the fifth lap.