"And about that Huang Chong you mentioned, Old Zhang brought him up to me before. He said the kid is incredibly talented, which is why he begged you to go and provide one-on-one training to improve his performance."

"But you spend all day following that guy around. Can he achieve any truly meaningful results and actually earn money from it?"

"If he doesn’t get results, you won’t get the corresponding bonuses. Is the basic salary and subsidy from the bureau really enough for you to live on?"

"I’m not against you pursuing your dreams, but the reality is, without that prize money, just relying on a fixed salary, you won’t even be able to afford a plane ticket back to the United Kingdom."

Chen Junyi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

She knew, of course, that the "truly meaningful results" her father was talking about were championships in major international competitions like the Olympics and the World Championships.

After all, only those competitions offered prize money that was high enough.

And only by achieving such results could an athlete secure their livelihood for the rest of their life after retirement.

But she couldn’t make any promises about whether Huang Chong could achieve such incredible results.

To win an Olympic gold, you have to become the world’s most exceptional Road Cyclist and defeat all the top contenders.

That’s not something you can achieve just by talking about it.

So, she fell silent for a long moment before speaking again:

"Dad, I can’t really answer the questions you just asked me right now."

"But what I can tell you is that Huang Chong’s progress, including his cardiorespiratory capacity, is absolutely the best I’ve ever seen. It’s a once-in-a-generation talent."

"And the speed of his improvement is so fast it almost defies the limits of normal human physiological development."

"You were an athlete, too, so you know how difficult it is to make the leap from amateur to professional."

"But for him, it all seems to happen effortlessly. He’s been unstoppable, as if he’s never hit a plateau."

"When he first joined the provincial team, he was just an amateur. Back then, forget winning the National Road Cycling Championship; even a provincial championship seemed completely out of reach for him."

"But after less than six months of professional training, he’s already at the level of the top cyclists in the country."

"And you know what? Before I came back from Changzhou, the managers of the top three Intercontinental Teams in the country had all personally visited to extend offers to him. They’re just waiting for him to pick one."

"One of them, a professional coach brought in from Europe, personally acknowledged Huang Chong’s potential. He said that with a bit more experience and refinement in high-level races, he has a real shot at reaching the World Tour Level."

"If even a foreign expert acknowledges his talent, why shouldn’t I believe in him?"

"Besides, I’ve always believed that for more niche sports, when someone does achieve great results, the impact is actually that much greater and more profound."

"Huang Chong might not even need to win an Olympic gold or a World Championships title."

"As long as he can make it to the World Tour Level—competing alongside the top riders from Europe in the Grand Tours and the five Monuments—that alone would have enormous media value!"

Chen Junyi paused for a moment before adding:

"Of course, I know these words probably aren’t enough to convince you."

"You’ll still think I’m being too reckless, betting my future on a single Road Cyclist."

"So I’m also promising you that I won’t stubbornly stick to this one path no matter what."

"After all, I only set aside two years to work after getting my bachelor’s. After that, I have to go back to the United Kingdom for my master’s degree anyway."

"So how about this: just give me these two years to do the work I’m passionate about."

"If, after two years, Huang Chong still hasn’t reached the World Tour Level, I’ll walk away from road cycling." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Then, after I finish my master’s and come back, I’ll go and dedicate myself to whichever sport you want me to. How does that sound?"

Hearing this, what more could Chen Mingyuan say?

His daughter had clearly prepared her entire argument before even coming home.

She was strategic, laying traps and making tactical retreats, slowly boxing her old father into a corner until he was utterly defeated and had no choice but to surrender.

Of course, the real reason was that he simply doted on his daughter too much.

She was the apple of his eye. Could he really force her to do something against her will?

Besides, his daughter had been logical and reasonable the entire time, never showing the slightest hint of defiance.

As a grown man, it would be rather undignified of him to be the unreasonable one.

"Nannan, do you have a picture of Huang Chong on your phone? Can you let Mom see?"

"I’m curious to see what this ’peerless genius’ you’re so taken with looks like!"

"After all, you’ve always had your father’s high standards, ever since you were a little girl!"

Hearing his wife, Chen Mingyuan, who was standing nearby, let out a proud huff and declared dominantly:

"Of course! My daughter takes after me. Having low standards would be unacceptable."

"If that kid doesn’t have some real talent, how dare he waste my daughter’s precious time and energy?"

"I’ll call Old Zhang and have that kid kicked out of the cycling management center right now!"

Chen Junyi was a straightforward person.

She had never been one to hide things from her parents.

She simply took out her phone, opened a photo of herself and Huang Chong, and handed it to her mother.

"This is him."

The photo was one of them together after winning dual gold medals at the provincial games. The two of them stood under an archway, each wearing a gold medal.

When Zhang Wanqing saw the photo, her first reaction was the same as Zhang Guowei’s had been—her heart skipped a beat.

The sight of the talented young man and the beautiful young woman looked just like an official marriage registration photo.

She froze for a moment, then zoomed in on Huang Chong’s face to get a closer look at his features before speaking.

"This young man is quite handsome. He has sharp features and a bright, open face. He just seems a little thin!"

Chen Mingyuan couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer.

The moment he heard his wife ask to see Huang Chong’s picture, he’d been itching to see what the kid looked like, too.

He quickly snatched the phone for a look and saw that the young man did indeed look sharp and wasn’t the type he found disagreeable.

He said to Zhang Wanqing:

"You don’t understand. A Road Cyclist has to maintain that kind of physique."

"He might look thin, but he’s all muscle, and his body fat percentage is extremely low."

"A Road Cyclist can’t be bulky, or they won’t be able to climb hills. They’re not like basketball players."

"The kid’s height is good, too. He’s half a head taller than our daughter."

After his analysis, Chen Mingyuan suddenly realized something. Why was his own daughter also wearing a gold medal around her neck?

And their pose in the photo didn’t look like that of a coach and an athlete at all. It looked more like they were a couple.

He couldn’t help but ask Chen Junyi:

"Daughter, I have a question. Why are you wearing his gold medal around your neck?"

Chen Junyi, who was always upfront about things and had nothing to hide, answered matter-of-factly:

"It was Huang Chong’s first-ever competition win, so I suggested we take a photo to commemorate it!"

"He just felt that half the credit for his victory belonged to me, so he was kind enough to lend me a gold medal. It’s a sign of respect!"

"This young man sure is a smooth talker!"

Hearing Chen Junyi’s explanation, a knowing smile appeared on Zhang Wanqing’s face.

She wasn’t as reserved as Chen Mingyuan and knew exactly what her husband was worried about, so she decided to ask for him:

"Nannan, I’ll be blunt. The reason you want to stay in road cycling... it isn’t because you’re dating this Huang Chong, is it?"

Chen Junyi replied without a moment’s hesitation:

"Mom, what are you thinking?"

"We’re both professionals."

"Besides, why would I let my love life interfere with my career?"

"Do you really think I’m that obsessed with romance?"

Her question left the old couple stunned.

’Right. With their daughter’s straightforward personality, was she really the type to be blinded by love?’

’Not at all.’

"What about after you’ve spent more time together? People aren’t made of stone; feelings can develop," Zhang Wanqing pressed on.

"If this young man really does make it in road cycling, you two will be spending all your time together, an unmarried man and woman. It’s only natural that feelings might develop over time, right?"

Hearing her mother’s question, Chen Junyi stared at her as if she’d grown a second head, and couldn’t help but say:

"Mom, that’s such a strange way of thinking."

"If it really happens like you say, then we’ll get together. So what?"

"We’d get married, have children, raise them to be adults... isn’t that just life?"

"Isn’t that what you and Dad did?"

Chen Mingyuan was left completely speechless by her response.

He realized he had absolutely nothing to say.

Because his daughter was right.