Cheng Che's steps were very steady.
After the start, he didn't rush forward, but ran at his own pace.
Runners surged past him in waves, but he didn't follow.
His breathing was even, and his stride was steady, like a sophisticated machine in operation.
After five kilometers, he began to accelerate.
[ Enduring Progress Without Fail ] works quietly within the body in conjunction with [ Self-Healing Instinct ], rapidly breaking down lactic acid in the muscles and suppressing fatigue as soon as it begins to appear.
[ Natural Breathing Rhythm ] allows him to step on the most efficient rhythm with every step, saving him effort.
After ten kilometers, he caught up with the second group.
Fifteen kilometers later, the first group came into view.
At 20 kilometers, he overtook the leading Black runner.
The Black athlete glanced at him, his expression somewhat surprised.
Cheng Che didn't look at him, his eyes were straight ahead, his stride was relaxed, and his breathing was still as steady as if he were taking a walk.
At the halfway point, he was almost two minutes ahead of the second-place finisher.
The live stream camera followed him the whole time.
The commentator's voice was visibly excited:
" Cheng Che! It's Cheng Che again! He left all the professional athletes behind halfway through the race! His pace is terrifying, and he's in even better shape today than he was in Spring City last time!"
The comments section went crazy.
He really is flying!!!
[What kind of stamina is that??? No wonder he crushed the other players during the Master tournament, who could keep up with that kind of stamina???]
Look at his face, not a drop of sweat. I'd be more out of breath after running five kilometers.
Is this the stamina reserves of a tennis Champion...?
Wait, isn't he even more handsome?! He looks amazing even with the camera zoomed in on him!
Yes, the camera was definitely right up in their face.
The drone cut down from the sky to the ground, and the motorcycle followed from the side, with the high-definition camera pointing directly at Cheng Che's profile and upper body.
The sunlight slanted in from the direction of West Lake, falling on his shoulders.
Sweat glistened slightly on his forehead, and his T-shirt clung to his upper body, outlining the smooth lines of his shoulders and back.
His expression was calm, his lips were slightly pursed, and his eyes were looking straight ahead, his pupils appearing as a very light amber color in the sunlight.
The number of comments in the live stream doubled in an instant.
Holy crap, this face!!!
[He looks so good when he runs... I'm dying.]
[Help! He's glowing! He's really glowing!]
I originally just came to watch the marathon, but now I can't leave.
[ Cheng Che, slow down! Let me watch a little longer!!!]
The [ Stars Surrounding the Moon ] effect was quietly triggered at this moment.
The closer the camera gets, the more attention he receives, and the stronger his presence becomes.
He didn't deliberately look at the camera, but every movement naturally landed in the most comfortable position in the frame.
The angle of the arm swing, the rhythm of the foot landing, and the curve of the chin when looking up were all just right.
With the aid of [ Camera Language ], he seemed to be enveloped in an invisible halo.
In the live stream, all the other runners became blurry backgrounds, but his figure was excessively clear.
People started posting coordinates in the comments.
[Wait, is he near Nanshan Road? I'm in Hang City, I'm out!!!]
[I'm on this side of the Broken Bridge, I'm going to intercept him right away!!!]
[Sisters, wait for me, I'm taking a taxi there!!!]
[Go, sisters of Hang City!!!]
People started to gather along the track.
First, there were a few young girls holding up their phones, then more.
They stood behind the barriers, craning their necks to look into the track, holding their phones high.
When Cheng Che ran to Nanshan Road, he saw a crowd.
He didn't have to watch it.
But he tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the barriers and landing on the face of one of the girls holding up her phone.
The girl was about twenty years old, with her hair in a ponytail, and her face was flushed with excitement.
The moment her eyes met Cheng Che's, she froze completely.
Cheng Che smiled.
The corners of her mouth curved up slightly, but her eyes also curved up.
He raised his right hand and waved in that direction.
The girl almost dropped her phone.
She covered her mouth and let out a scream.
"Aaaaaaaahh...
The two girls next to them also screamed and jumped up and down a couple of times.
The phone is still recording, but the picture is already so shaky that it's hard to see clearly.
Cheng Che did not stop.
He didn't slow down; after waving his hand, he turned around and continued running forward.
But that smile and wave were clearly recorded by the girl's phone.
In less than ten minutes, the video appeared in the " Star Journey " fan group.
The video quality is a bit shaky, but you can clearly see Cheng Che running from a distance, his profile glowing white in the sunlight, then he turns his head, smiles, and waves.
The group chat exploded instantly.
He smiled!!! He smiled at me!!!
[No, it's a smile for our sisters in Hang City!!!]
Why am I not in Hang City?! Why?!
[His smile while running was so charming, my heart stopped.]
Please, those of you in Hang City, take more pictures! We, the people living elsewhere, can only afford to scavenge for food.
[I just took leave from work and I'm on my way to the racetrack!!!]
The video was quickly posted on Weibo.
The number of reposts exceeded 10,000 within minutes, and the comment section was filled with lamentations.
I'm so jealous! I'm so jealous! I'm so jealous!
Why doesn't he smile at me?
[People in Hang City are winning big today!]
Meanwhile, three related terms are trending on Weibo's hot search list.
Hang City Marathon Cheng Che
# Cheng Che #
#ChengChePositionedOnFlowerRoad#
Three trending topics: one on the entertainment list, one on the overall trending topics list, and one on the sports list.
But when you click on it, it's all Cheng Che.
The announcement of the guest lineup for " Walking the Flower Road Together " and the announcement of the lead actors for " The Youth Here " had already sent Cheng Che trending on social media.
Now that the marathon live stream footage is out, these three things combined have caused a huge surge in popularity.
The celebrities looked at the trending topics list with varying expressions.
Someone posted in their studio's group chat. "What's going on with him? Three trending topics in one day?"
"And every single one of them has organic popularity, not bought."
Who exactly is the team behind him?
" Qin Lie used to play tennis, but he wasn't particularly good. But after signing Cheng Che, it's a completely different story."
"His rise to fame was incredibly rapid; he was involved in variety shows, dramas, endorsements, and competitions—he did it all. The key is, the general public didn't dislike him."
This is what really bothers them.
When celebrities frequently trend on social media, there are always comments criticizing them for "marketing," "buying their way onto the charts," or saying they're "tired of seeing this."
But under Cheng Che's trending topic, the comments are all "He deserves it," "I want to see more," and "More of this!"
Someone in the group asked, "Why is he so popular with the general public?"
No one answered.
If Cheng Che heard this question, he would probably just smile.
After all, he has a talent called " Tolerance Makes Greatness."
For every 10,000 people who feel hostility or dislike towards him, his overall public image improves by 1%.
The more people criticize him, the more people like him.
The louder the criticism of him, the more stable his public image becomes.
This talent is simply unreasonable.
But Cheng Che didn't have time to think about those things at the moment.
He's running.
Thirty kilometers.
At 35 kilometers, he was still in the lead, and his pace hadn't dropped.
The professional athletes behind them had already given up the chase.
Several teams started to slow down, focusing instead on securing a good ranking.
Only Cheng Che kept running forward, seemingly oblivious to the concept of fatigue.
Forty kilometers.
The racetrack along West Lake was packed with people.
Some people were holding up their phones, some were holding up support signs, and some were just passing by when they were drawn in and stopped.
When Cheng Che's figure appeared at the end of the track, a cheer erupted from the crowd.
" Cheng Che!!!"
"Come on!!!"
" Cheng Che, you're the best!!!"
He heard it. He didn't stop walking, but the corner of his mouth curved slightly.
In the last two kilometers, his pace picked up again.
The commentator's voice was already trembling:
"He's accelerating! He's still accelerating in the last two kilometers! His stamina is terrifying! His current pace is almost as fast as when he broke the record last time! No, it's even faster than last time!"
The finish line came into view.
Cheng Che rushed over.
The numbers on the clock stand froze.
2 hours, 11 minutes, and 47 seconds.
The tournament record has been broken.
It was almost three minutes faster than his own time of 2 hours, 14 minutes and 28 seconds in Spring City.
The commentator's voice exploded:
"A new tournament record!!! Cheng Che!!! He broke his own record again!!! 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 47 seconds!!! This is a marathon time achieved by a tennis player!!! What is he made of???"
The comments section is going crazy.
[I cried, he's so strong]
[It's him again, it's him again, it's him again!!!]
You can always trust Cheng Che!!!
Is this what genius is...?
[Ahhhhhh, Champion!!!]
[2 hours and 11 minutes? I can't even run a half marathon that fast]
He is not human, he is a god.
After crossing the finish line, Cheng Che jogged a few more steps before stopping.
He braced himself on his knees with both hands, head down, catching his breath for a while.
Then he straightened up, took the towel handed to him by a staff member, and wiped his face.
The award ceremony was very simple.
Champion's medal, a wreath, and a large check.
Reporters swarmed around him, shoving microphones in his face.
" Cheng Che, you've broken another record. Anything you'd like to say?"
"I'm in good shape today," he said. "The track is beautiful, and the audience in Hang City is very enthusiastic."
Will you continue participating in marathons? Have you considered turning professional?
"It depends. For now, tennis will be the main focus."
The official announcements of " Walking the Flower Road Together " and " The Youth Here " have sparked a lot of discussion. This is your first time participating in a variety show and a TV series. Is there anything you would like to say to the audience?
Cheng Che draped the towel over his shoulder and smiled, "You'll see when the show airs."
He didn't answer again, nodded to the reporters, and turned to leave.
Chen Wei was already waiting at the exit.
She handed him a bottle of water, holding the car keys in her hand.
"The car is over there."
Cheng Che nodded and followed her outside.
Back at the hotel, Cheng Che placed the medal and wreath on the table and went into the bathroom.
Hot water was poured down from above, and steam filled the entire space.
He stood under the flowing water, eyes closed, letting the hot water wash away the sweat and fatigue from his body.
The feeling after running a marathon is strange.
My body is tired, but my mind is clear.
It's like a machine that has just completed a high-intensity computation and is still cooling down, but the core is already ready to move on to the next task.
He reached out and turned off the water, dried his hair with a towel, and opened the system panel in the steamy bathroom.
[ Stamina Trial - Stage 4: Two Crowns in Tandem. Mission Objective: Win one Champion in both running and tennis. Completed!]