Chapter 160: Another Career Change
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
An A4 paper was posted to the notice board on the wall of the meeting room. The results of the selection examination had been announced. Dai Li saw his name on the paper and immediately revealed a relieved expression.
The examination papers had not been given back, mostly because most of the questions did not have standard answers. Because of this, the rest of the coaches were still uncertain about their performances on the examination.
What Dai Li did not know was that his full score had not only shocked himself, but Li Xue!
Dai Li had felt that the lucky coaches who could stay should be about as good as him, even if their answers had been no match for his. But in fact, Dai Li's answers were better than the answers of the other accepted coaches by a good amount!
Dai Li looked around. He found that while some people were excited about the results, others were depressed. He counted the number of coaches who had passed the examination. There were only ten names, which meant that the other twenty coaches had been knocked out.
The program had started out with sixty people; thirty had been knocked out from that original group. Now, only ten people were left. The rejection rate was very high. Dai Li remembered the "fundraising" theory Zhongyi Xu had told him about.
Zhongyi Xu had said that besides the talent selection, the purpose of the Youth Training Program organized by the national team was also to help get funds from the government. This "fundraising" program would last five consecutive years. The less candidates there were, the less the development cost would be. The cost for sixty people had to be different than it was for thirty people. Only ten people had been selected, so the extra funds the national team had saved could be used as disposable public funds for the national team, which could be put towards other areas.
As Dai Li was pondering to himself quietly, Li Xue entered the meeting room. Everyone immediately quieted down.
"The results have been announced. Congratulations to those who will be staying. As for those who have failed the exam, don't be discouraged; you are also an outstanding group. In the future, if you manage to develop elite athletes and achieve good results, you will still have a chance to be admitted to the national team. The gates of the national team are always open for excellent talents!"
After saying a few comforting and encouraging words, Li Xue continued, "The national team has prepared little souvenirs for those who will be leaving. The souvenirs have been placed outside the meeting room. You can collect your souvenirs now."
The smarter people in the room knew that this was an eviction order. Getting a souvenir to commemorate the experience was putting it nicely; what the national team was really trying to say was, "get lost with your souvenir."
The coaches who had not been selected left the room soon after. The remaining ten coaches, including Dai Li, stayed in the meeting room.
The meeting room suddenly felt much more empty. Looking at Li Xue, who was standing in the front, Dai Li felt Li Xue seemed more authoritative than before.
Then, Li Xue began to say, "As I said before, this Youth Training Program is composed of three stages—the selection, the training, and the examination. You have passed the selection. You will now enter the training stage.
"I have read your resumes. You all have you specialties, which I discovered while grading your exams. Therefore, the national team will assign you to the training groups of different events, taking your specialties into consideration."
Many people let out a sigh of relief. Nobody wanted to engage in the training of events he or she was unfamiliar with. A long-distance running coach would know nothing about the training of the discus.
Dai Li was also preparing his own plan. So the grouping is according to the coaches' specialties. The specialty written on my resume is the long jump. Looks like I will be assigned to the long jump group. In the future, if I get the chance to go to the Beikou Training Center, maybe I can see Haiquan Fang. Haiquan Fang... I wonder how things are going for him. When I return to Qingcheng, I will definitely ask him to treat me to a big dinner in the Home of Champions Restaurant.
As Dai Li was recalling the menu of the Home of Champions Restaurant, Li Xue began to read the grouping of the coaches.
"Guang Chen, No. 2 long jump team… Coach Yousheng Qin will be your instructor."
"Jun Wu, No. 3 throwing team... Coach Hao Huang will be your instructor."
"Chenglong Zhu, No. 1 long-distance running team….. Coach Hua Cai will be your instructor."
"Dai Li..." Finally, Li Xue shouted out Dai Li's name. Dai Li pricked up his ears immediately.
"No. 1 sprinting team!" Li Xue said.
What? The No. 1 sprinting team? It's not the long jump group! Dai Li was surprised.
On Dai Li had submitted to the national team, he had put the long jump as his specialty. He had also noted on the resume that he had been the head coach of Haiquan Fang. Because of this, Dai Li had been ninety percent sure that he would be assigned to the long jump group. However, to his surprise, the words that had come out of Li Xue's mouth were "No. 1 sprinting team."
The No. 1 sprinting team should be responsible for the 100m and 200m sprint. I already changed my specialty from the shot put to the long jump; now I have to change it again to sprinting. Now I really want to know who will be my instructor…
Just as the thought crossed Dai Li's mind, Li Xue gave him an answer.
"Coach Li Xue will be your instructor!"
Who? Li Xue? Dai Li looked at Li Xue with a shocked face. He had not expected Li Xue to instruct him personally.
At the same time, Li Xue also gave a glance to Dai Li, as if to say, "You heard that right. It's me!"
...
"Oh, Coach Li, how I envy you! You will be instructed by Coach Li Xue!"
"Envy me? I honestly wish I could switch with you. Just the look of Coach Li Xue is scary enough for me!" Dai Li was thinking about the grisly look of Li Xue—a bald head with a ferocious looking face, just like a bandit…
"Coach Xue is a bit scary, but he is actually quite a nice person. Moreover, as the deputy head coach of the national team, he is responsible for the daily training of the national team. Coach Xue used to be a sprinter, so the No. 1 sprinting team has more training resources than the other training groups!"
Dai Li nodded to express his understanding. Indeed, the No. 1 sprinting team had more training resources than the other groups, which could be attributed to Li Xue.
This rule was applicable to all industries. The boss would usually take extra care of the department he or she had worked at themselves. This rule was more subtle in industries like science, education, culture, health, and sports.
In a university, if the president had been a professor in a department, that department would get more resources for sure, such as financial support and preferential treatments in scientific research. In a hospital, if the director had once been a doctor in a certain department, that department would certainly be superior to other departments, and would always get preferential treatment when it came to things like equipment introduction and talent development.
Because Li Xue had been a sprinter and was responsible for the training of the No. 1 sprinting team, more training resources would naturally be allocated to the No. 1 sprinting team.
"As the second chief of the national team, Li Xue will definitely have more opportunities to take part in events. As his trainee, maybe you can also take part in matches all over the country by following him," a coach beside Dai Li said with the expression of admiration.
I could have the chance to take part in the matches! Dai Li's face lit up. Now he felt that it might be a good thing to be the Li Xue's trainee.