Chapter 132: Triple Jump

"Old Huang, have you lost your mind? Why are you hitting me?" Qin Lang, still clueless about what had happened, lay on the ground clutching his head and shouting at Huang Jian. Deep down, he was fuming—was the old man senile? He had taken his bribes, yet now he was laying hands on him.

"I’m hitting you because you’re a jinx!" Huang Jian stomped on Qin Lang a few more times before standing up and smiling at Yang Tian and Huang Juan. "Little Yang, Little Juan, you two are here too? This jinx has done every wicked thing under the sun; I’ve been wanting to deal with him for a long time!"

"Third Uncle..." Huang Juan said softly, her expression tinged with anger.

"Third Uncle, you finally reached the position of Section Chief, you should cherish it! Power is given by the people. If you continue to use your authority to abet evil, you’ll only end up lifting a rock and dropping it on your own feet!" Yang Tian smiled coldly.

"Comrade Little Yang is right. I will pay attention from now on, I definitely will!" Huang Jian broke out in a cold sweat, nodding repeatedly.

Seeing Huang Jian nodding subserviently to Yang Tian, Qin Lang, lying on the ground, finally realized that he had offended someone he shouldn't have.

Off to the side, Bao Yuehong and the others let out a long sigh of relief. They seemed to realize only now that Yang Tian was no longer who he used to be. They had heard rumors of him dining with municipal bureau leaders and appearing on television, but it had always felt distant and surreal, as if that Yang Tian had nothing to do with the one they knew. Seeing Huang Jian treat him with such deference, they suddenly grasped that although Yang Tian was still a student, his social status had long since surpassed the imagination of an ordinary person.

Yang Tian didn't respond. He had the waiter pack up the roast duck and prepared to pay the bill and leave. Qin Lang had ruined the mood; Bao Yuehong and the others likely had no appetite left, so they might as well take it home.

"I'll pay, I'll pay! Comrade Little Yang, I really am not that familiar with this Qin Lang, so regarding Director Zhang... Little Juan, you should know your Third Uncle. How could I be the kind of person who backs street thugs?" As Huang Jian scrambled to pay the bill, he feigned grievance. In reality, he was terrified that Yang Tian would speak to Zhang Siguo and cost him the Section Chief position he had barely secured.

Seeing Yang Tian remain silent, Huang Jian turned to Huang Juan, knowing she was soft-hearted and easier to sway.

"As the ancients said, dog meat doesn't belong at a banquet!" Yang Tian pulled Huang Juan aside, shot a look of disdain at Huang Jian, and paid the bill himself before walking out.

People like Huang Jian—if you give them a bit of official power, they hold their heads high. It would be better to have Zhang Siguo reassign him to a grassroots post sooner rather than later, to avoid future trouble.

"Listen well, kid. If you dare to harass or threaten Teacher Bao again, I will make sure you can never hold your head up in Binhai ever again!" Before leaving, Yang Tian grabbed Qin Lang by the collar and gave him a stern warning.

"Old Huang, what exactly is that kid? Why are you so afraid of him?" Qin Lang stood up unsteadily and asked Huang Jian in confusion.

"What is he? My future has been ruined by a jinx like you!" Huang Jian roared, spitting in Qin Lang’s face before storming off in a rage.

Qin Lang stood there, utterly bewildered, surrounded by the jeers of the crowd.

Once they left Fu Lin Men, the mood among Huang Juan and the others improved significantly. Yang Xueling and Zhang Xinyu walked along nibbling on the roast duck, while Huang Juan and Bao Yuehong walked arm in arm, chatting. Seeing Yang Tian discipline Qin Lang had brought a sense of relief to Bao Yuehong; she had been bullied by Qin Lang for half a year, and this was the first time she felt a sense of release.

Seeing this, Yang Tian felt satisfied. As he grew older, the problems he faced would only increase. How could he better protect Huang Juan and his family? How could he fulfill his dreams? For the first time, a desire for power stirred within him. He understood clearly that as they grew older, money alone would not be enough to realize their dreams.

On Friday, the Binhai No. 1 High School Autumn Sports Meet began. As the primary events, the sprints and long-distance races were held first.

Chen Ming’s sprinting was indeed impressive, but compared to the students in the specialized athletic classes, there was a significant gap. He only managed to take fourteenth place in the school’s 100-meter dash.

An Qi’s performance was much better; she unexpectedly took seventh place in the women’s 800-meter run. While she didn't win a certificate, it was the best result for Class 8 of the senior year.

Huang Juan participated in the women’s 400-meter relay. She ran well, but unfortunately, another girl tripped, causing their team to finish tenth.

The other senior students performed poorly. With the specialized athletic classes dominating, most students from other classes couldn't secure good rankings.

The students in the stands were already jeering—not at the freshmen or sophomores, but at the seniors. The reason was simple: as the upperclassmen of the school, it was embarrassing that they couldn't place. Furthermore, before the meet, the seniors had boasted about their inevitable victories. To everyone’s surprise, only one boy from Senior Class 1 had managed a third place in the 100-meter dash, with nothing else to show for it.

The seniors in the seats felt humiliated, and the students from the athletic classes began to act arrogant.

"So what if they're seniors? Still useless, aren't they?"

"Yeah, look at that four-eyes, looks like a country bumpkin, and he actually entered the sprint!" Someone pointed at Chen Ming.

"That’s one thing, but look at that one—looks all clean and fair, runs like a girl, wiggling his butt, haha!" They were referring to Zhao Shilei, who had switched to the liberal arts track and was no longer in Class 8, though he was competing in the meet.

Seeing the athletic class students lording over the field, the freshmen and sophomores were indifferent, but the seniors were filled with resentment, especially since the athletic students had been targeting them everywhere.

"Yang Tian, it’s up to you. Win some face for Class 8 and for all the seniors!" Chen Ming and An Qi gathered around Yang Tian, looking at him with expectation.

"Competition is about participation, not the final ranking. Look at you all, sweating profusely—don't you feel refreshed?" Yang Tian, who was reading the *Reference News*, smiled calmly. He had no interest in the trivial chatter on or off the track.

Chen Ming and the others were stunned. Truth be told, after pushing themselves on the track and sweating, they did feel refreshed and energized.

Beside them, Bao Yuehong beamed. Her goal in having the students participate was precisely this. As for rankings, were they really more important than the ease of mind needed to face the college entrance exams?

Soon, the triple jump began. Yang Tian folded his newspaper and slowly stood up to head to the track. Aside from Chen Ming and Huang Juan, almost no one cheered for him, while the athletic class section erupted in applause and cheers.

There were twenty-five participants in the triple jump, divided into five groups. In Yang Tian’s group, there were two freshmen and two students from the athletic class.

The athletes from the specialized classes were mostly tall and muscular. The two triple jumpers were nearly 1.9 meters tall; their legs alone were over a meter long, giving them an inherent advantage before they even jumped. Moreover, this was what they trained for every day.

The two freshmen looked dejected at the sight of the towering, imposing athletic students. If not for the fact that Yang Tian was even smaller than them, offering a tiny bit of confidence, they might have quit right then and there.

The competition began. The first freshman took a running start, followed by the hop, step, and jump, landing in the sandpit. The judge stepped forward to measure the distance.

A burst of applause rang out from the freshman section. For a freshman, jumping 5.8 meters was quite good.

Next up was one of the athletic students. He mimicked the gestures of a professional athlete, waving to the crowd, which immediately drew cheers and shrieks from the infatuated schoolgirls.

The tall athlete felt a surge of satisfaction. He didn't even bother looking at Yang Tian’s group as he walked over to prepare for his jump.

Run-up, hop, step, and jump—it was all done in one fluid motion. Thunderous applause erupted from the stands. The judge stepped up to measure the distance.

The school broadcast soon blared: "Athletic class student Gao Yang has achieved an excellent result of 8.8 meters in the men's triple jump. Let us congratulate student Gao Yang with applause!"

The cheers around the field grew louder. The naive schoolgirls were nearly hysterical, shouting words of adoration and worship at Gao Yang.

Broadcasts like this had been constant all day, almost exclusively for the students of the athletic classes.

Gao Yang ran a victory lap around the track like a sports star, soaking in the congratulations and worship of the students in the stands.

The other athletic student, Ma Siyuan, also achieved an excellent result of 8.6 meters, drawing further cheers and applause.

With Gao Yang and Ma Siyuan stealing all the attention, no one bothered to watch the final competitors, Yang Tian and the last freshman.

The freshman jumped half-heartedly and left the field without even checking his score.

Yang Tian, meanwhile, was casually warming up, loosening his waist and legs.

"Hey, student, are you ready yet? Hurry up, the three-legged race is next!" The judges were fine, but one of the student assistants, dressed in a suit and looking pretentious, shouted impatiently.

Before he could finish his sentence, Yang Tian had already started his run-up. While most people used five or six steps, Yang Tian used over ten.

His speed increased with every stride, flashing past the assistant like a gust of wind. He executed the hop, step, and jump with precision, landing steadily in the sandpit with perfect balance.

The judges and assistants were stunned, for Yang Tian had achieved a staggering result.

(PS: The world record for the men's triple jump is 18.29 meters, held by the British athlete Jonathan Edwards!)