Chef at the University Canteen

Chapter 554 - 295: Not Winning Gold Means No Right to Attend the Celebration Banquet

The Jiang University campus during summer break is spacious and silent.

Looking around, half a day might pass without seeing a single person.

Of course, under the scorching sun, no student in their right mind would be idling outside, baking themselves like meat on a grill.

No people can be seen on campus because the Seventh Dining Hall hasn’t reached mealtime yet. Once it’s mealtime, the students appear like mice coming out for winter, one by one, from every corner.

After all, nothing is more important than eating!

Which dining hall is the best for meals? It’s none other than the Jiang University Seventh Dining Hall!

This slogan is unanimously recognized by Jiang University Students and is the highest praise for the Jiang University Seventh Dining Hall.

The majority of Jiang University’s students staying over the summer are either "battling" games in their dorms or buried in studying at the library.

There are also some who are resting in the hall of the Seventh Dining Hall to enjoy the air conditioning, simultaneously revising for exams and not missing any meal from the Seventh Dining Hall.

This move is called "having both the fish and the bear’s paw."

Besides these people, a small group continues to sweat it out in the indoor gym, striving to win gold and silver at the upcoming provincial sports meet.

After this period of intense training, Liu Xiaohu has undergone a transformation.

Initially, his belly wobbled slightly with some fat when walking. Now, the fat has burned off due to vigorous exercise.

If you were to lift his sportswear, you could clearly see eight sharp abdominal muscles, as if sculpted with a knife, displayed on his belly.

This means that Liu Xiaohu’s efforts in recent times have not been in vain; his core strength has significantly improved compared to before.

Of course, with one-on-one guidance from Lin Yahu, the Asian Games high jump champion, Liu Xiaohu’s progress is evidently more than just a little bit.

"Xiaohu, your power distribution in the recent run-up and jump was a bit off. Otherwise, you could’ve made that jump."

Lin Yahu beckoned, summoning the sweaty and panting Liu Xiaohu over, explaining the technical points of the run-up and jump in detail, then added,

"Don’t be too tense. You’re accustomed to your previous run-up actions; it’s normal if you can’t change some actions immediately. It’ll be fine once you’re familiar with this set of movements."

Liu Xiaohu didn’t speak, took a big gulp of water from his bottle, nodding from time to time while panting heavily.

His workout shirt was soaked, and sweat beads continually emerged on his forehead, showing his hard work during this period.

"Alright, take a break first, we’ll go again in five minutes!"

Lin Yahu, of course, knew that even with intensive training, athletes can’t always train desperately without rest.

It’s like a spring; whether pressed to the extreme or stretched to the limit over time, without relief, the spring will undoubtedly be ruined.

The same principle applies to athletes’ training, requiring both tension and relaxation, otherwise, unnecessary injuries might occur.

If injuries happen, the losses truly outweigh the gains.

Being an athlete himself, Lin Yahu deeply understood the severity of injuries for an athlete. Thus, while creating the specialized training plan for Liu Xiaohu and his peers, comprehensive preventative measures had already been in place.

It’s all to prevent Liu Xiaohu and others from getting injured during high-intensity training.

"Hmm."

Liu Xiaohu responded, wiped the sweat off his face with a towel, and walked aside.

Once, during training, Liu Xiaohu surprisingly cleared a height of 2.2 meters, reaching the national high jump standard for men.

Because of this, Liu Xiaohu was excited for quite some time.

He initially thought he’d "conquered" this height, not realizing it was an illusion.

In the subsequent period, Liu Xiaohu’s best trial jump consistently stayed at 2.16 meters.

2.2 meters?

He’s not even certain about clearing 2.18 meters, let alone 2.2 meters?

After repeated trial jump failures, Liu Xiaohu realized the reason he’d managed 2.2 meters once was purely due to a burst of energy at the time.

In that moment of extreme explosion, coupled with a bit of luck, he successfully cleared a height he’d never managed before.

However, in the following period, that energy he’d stored up had dissipated, making it hard to unleash the power from that successful attempt.

It’s like a deflated ball; no matter how hard you hit it, it just can’t bounce to heights worth admiring.

Yet, Liu Xiaohu wasn’t discouraged.

Since Lin Yahu became his dedicated coach, Liu Xiaohu’s thinking had undergone significant changes during this time.

Originally, his goal in practicing high jump was merely to get a university diploma, making it easier to find work later on.

Whether as a PE teacher in a middle or primary school, or opening his own gym with funds raised, it would all be much easier.

This is likely the mindset of many students in the School of Sports; a lot of them do exactly this.

But after a few deep conversations with Lin Yahu, Liu Xiaohu’s thoughts changed.

He also wished to be like Lin Yahu, striving with his talent and effort, seeking to explore a broader world.