Rebirth: My dad is too obedient

Chapter 542 Recruitment of Special Task Force
In the tea room.

Li Yue took a sip of tea and continued:

"The matter has been thoroughly investigated, and the leaders in Shanghai are very angry, after all, it was their team member Dong Jiajia who was bullied."

Other team members from other provinces also stepped forward, so the facts are clear: Chen Lan's problem is undeniable.

However, there is a problem now: Chen Lan has someone protecting her.

After all, she has Coach Wu and the Beijing team behind her, and she also won a silver medal at the Asian Games.

At the same time, the higher-ups must also consider the overall impact.

Xu Chen: "..."

Cheng Hong looked sullen.
"I'm so angry!"

Li Yue smiled:

"Don't rush, it hasn't been decided yet."

There's a power struggle at the top, and those at the very top are still evaluating the best course of action.

However, one fact is clear...

Cheng Hong: "What?"

Xu Chen began to speak:

"Chen Lan's value is definitely not as great as Bing Ge's."

Li Yue smiled and said, "That's right! That's the key!"

He took another sip of tea slowly and deliberately, and then continued:
"What Cheng Hong said yesterday was right, and it also involves the original issue of 'succession' for the Asian Games."

The Asian Games gold medal in the women's 100-meter hurdles was originally intended to be passed from Feng Youping to Chen Lan.

Feng Youping and Chen Lan are both from the Beijing team, so this Asian Games gold medal should naturally stay with the Beijing team.

But Xie Bingran suddenly appeared and snatched it away.

Moreover, Bingge broke the Asian Games record, directly taking a commanding lead over Chen Lan, leaving her no chance to recover.

There must be someone in the 'north' who is extremely angry.

It may seem like just a gold medal, but behind it lies the promotion of certain people within the system, resource allocation, and the power of discourse.

For example, after Bing Ge won the Asian Games, Coach Sun and the team in Xinzhuang suddenly added a lot of people, and coaches from the Wenchuan provincial team were also commended.

After Bing Ge won the gold medal in Zurich in April, someone from the Shanghai sports system was promoted to Beijing, and Coach Sun's influence in the national team clearly increased.

Cheng Hong should be well aware of these things.

All of these are direct and indirect consequences of winning gold medals…

The words were not profound, but Xu Chen and Cheng Hong naturally understood.

Chen Lan alone would never dare to do this; there must be someone supporting her behind the scenes.

There may have been more than one person involved, and they were all quite influential.

Xu Chen also felt helpless.

As the saying goes, "a tall tree catches the wind" and "people are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat," as Bing Ge's achievements in the sports world grow higher and higher, it is difficult for him to avoid being swayed by many things.

In fact, as you continue to move up in any field, the burdens you carry and the inexplicable pressures you face will also increase.

Li Yue glanced at Cheng Hong again:

"Just as you analyzed before, this 'Asian Championships' is almost Chen Lan's last chance to win an Asian gold medal."

She's already twenty-six years old, and her peak competitive form is about to pass.

She wanted to give it her all and win an Asian gold medal.

Cheng Hong seemed to understand something, and her expression turned somewhat gloomy.

Xu Chen sensed a clear underlying meaning in the words and said:

"What do you mean?"

Cheng Hong: "Some people don't want Bing Ge to participate in this Asian Championships."

The goal is to leave an Asian gold medal for Chen Lan and the Beijing team.

This matter was discussed openly and covertly within the organization last month, and the pressure was directly put on Coach Sun, who wanted Bing Ge to voluntarily withdraw from the competition and "give up" this Asian gold medal.

Whether Bingge participates in the competition or not is actually fine for her; she doesn't care about that.

But in the end, after the leaders of the General Administration and Coach Sun evaluated the situation together, they arranged for Bing Ge to participate in the competition.

The main consideration from above is that August 8th marks the one-year countdown to next year's Olympics.

The fact that Bing Ge won a gold medal on this day is of great symbolic significance.

It is also crucial for warming up for the Olympics and boosting the overall morale of the national track and field team.

Xu Chen: "So some people in the 'Beijing team' were unwilling to give up, so they dragged Chen Lan into it and caused this whole mess."

It really does seem like a desperate gamble...

Cheng Hong: "By making this fuss, they have a reason to use public opinion to force Bing Ge not to participate in the competition."

Or they might be trying to influence Bingge's performance through public opinion, making her unable to outrun Chen Lan.

She gave a disdainful look:
"These people really underestimate Brother Bing!"

Once she steps onto the track, nothing and no one can stop her.

The championship will still be hers as long as she wants it.

"..."

Cheng Hong took a sip of tea and turned to look at Li Yue:

"So what exactly is the arrangement? Has the higher-ups made a decision?!"

Li Yue paused slightly:
"That's why I asked you two out today—I need your help!"

He smiled deliberately:

"Coach Cheng was about to board the plane when he was stopped again. I had to report to my superiors that Coach Cheng had to help with this matter."

Cheng Hong was stunned for a moment, then looked at him with a reproachful expression:
"Tell me quickly, don't keep me in suspense! I'll do anything you ask!"

Li Yue, however, remained unhurried:
"There is a power struggle at the top, and the 'north' and 'south' are tearing each other apart and mediating."

Some people want to protect Chen Lan, or even directly protect the gold medal from the Asian Championships.

Of course, some people disagreed; it wasn't just Shanghai and Wenchuan; several provincial teams voiced their opinions.

"Overall, this incident has had a very negative impact. Regardless of the circumstances, this wave of public opinion has had a serious negative impact on the image of the national team."

The top leaders in the bureau are very angry, and this time it's not just the top leaders in the bureau who are involved..."

Cheng Hong: "Huh?"

Li Yue nodded:

"A higher-ups have intervened and sent people down."

"..."

Li Yue continued, "After all, it involves the Olympics."

The 08 Olympics can be described as a 'national strategy'.

Now, Bing Ge (a nickname for a player) has a chance to win a medal for the country at next year's Olympics—a medal that has never been won before.

Cheng Hong: "Well said! That makes sense!"

Li Yue paused again:

"However... we'll have to put things on hold for now."

Cheng Hong was about to speak when Li Yue stopped her with a gesture:
"Don't worry.

Letting things rest for a while is to get a clearer picture of the situation and see who else is behind this mess.

The matter has been determined, and the bureau and higher authorities need to investigate thoroughly, hold those responsible accountable, and conduct a cleanup.

This is an act that spread from within, smearing the image of the General Administration of Sport and the national team, and discrediting heroic athletes. We must find out exactly who was involved.

He glanced at Xu Chen again:
"And what we talked about last time, which may also involve collusion with external media and business organizations, should also be investigated thoroughly."

Many people haven't realized the seriousness of the problem yet, such as the reporter who was the first to speak out; he will definitely be dealt with.

"Drawing a salary from within the system and still colluding to smear national athletes, they really have a death wish..." Xu Chen remained silent and nodded in agreement.

Li Yue continued, "Brother Bing is innocent, but he did indeed act somewhat excessively in communication and handling matters."

"I've already arranged for Brother Bing to write a self-criticism..."

Cheng Hong looked annoyed again:
"Write a self-criticism?! Why should Brother Bing write a self-criticism?!"

Li Yue: "Don't be in such a hurry!"

It's a good thing to make Bing write a self-criticism!

"I wrote a self-criticism and submitted it, which means there will be no other punishment!"

Cheng Hong blinked:
"Oh, oh, oh... I see."

Xu Chen was speechless, and couldn't help but think of Bing Ge from junior and senior high school. She must have been very good at writing self-criticisms.

Li Yue:

"The higher-ups and the leaders in the bureau have already made their decisions."

Since some within the system want to protect Chen Lan, then the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) wants to protect Xie Bingran.

Xie Bingran represents the first time since the founding of the People's Republic of China that our athletes have had the opportunity to win the first Olympic gold medal in short track and field.

This involves national honor, which is something that cannot be compromised.

Besides, Brother Bing was actually wronged!

......"

Li Yue delivered another stern and righteous speech, which was indeed very inspiring.

Xu Chen and Cheng Hong listened quietly, and their hearts naturally calmed down as well.

The higher-ups have already made their decision, so the situation is bound to become clearer.

Li Yue continued:
"The only problem is that Bing will have to endure it for two more days, but I've already discussed this with Coach Sun privately, and he will inform Bing as well."

He picked up the teapot and poured tea for Xu Chen and Cheng Hong respectively.

"There are still some things that I need to trouble you two with."

Xu Chen and Cheng Hong exchanged a glance, and they already roughly understood.

Actually, Cheng Hong had mentioned it to Xu Chen before.

What surprised Cheng Hong was that she actually had the opportunity to participate directly.

Li Yue began to speak:

"The current public opinion issues will need to be addressed step by step."

The leader's exact words were:

'To restore the truth and clear Xie Bingran's name, we still need to pay attention to the steps and methods.'

Therefore, the State Administration of Radio and Television will now establish a special working group to plan and deploy subsequent public opinion work.

The working group included leaders from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, leaders in charge of publicity, leaders from external media outlets on secondment, public relations experts, and so on.

Then, Mr. Xu and Instructor Cheng were also experts who were 'recruited'.

That's why I specifically kept the two of you here.

Cheng Hong thought for a moment:
"Xu Chen works in advertising and marketing, so it's understandable that he's staying."

But what can I do?

Li Yue: "Coach Cheng is of utmost importance."

You are the team leader and coach for Xie Bingran and Dong Jiajia, and you know their situations best...

The leaders of the Shanghai Sports Bureau specifically requested that you be included in the working group.

Cheng Hong thought for a moment:
"Alright! How should we arrange it?"

Li Yue took a sip of tea:
"I'm not in the working group either, so I don't know the specific arrangements."

The first meeting will be held next Monday, and it will be arranged next to the General Administration.

I'll take you there then; the rest is up to you.

He smiled:

"I'll need you to keep me informed of any further inside information privately."

……

……

Monday, April 8th.

The 17th Asian Athletics Championships are being held in Jordan, a country in West Asia.

CCTV's sports channel broadcasts key events throughout the day, especially matches involving domestic athletes.

The women's 100-meter hurdles will hold its preliminary rounds today.

The sports channel even gave a special preview of the women's 100-meter hurdles event in its morning news.

The group qualifying rounds will begin at 10:00 AM local time, with some interspersed with other events, and are expected to continue until the afternoon.

According to domestic time, this lasts from 3 PM until evening.

Based on the seeding order, it's almost a certainty that Xie Bingran, Chen Lan, and Bai Miao will advance from their group.

Xie Bingran had already secured her place in the finals thanks to her Asian Games gold medal.

Therefore, Xu Chen still doesn't know whether Xie Bingran will appear on the field in the group stage.

Coach Cheng Hong, who did not travel with the team, is currently unaware of the preparation arrangements in Jordan...

In the entire field of Asian athletics, China and Japan are the only two countries that have achieved this distinction. The gold medal and total medal standings of the Asian Championships over the years have basically been a contest between China and Japan.

However, in general, Asia, which is dominated by people of yellow race, does not have a significant advantage in track and field events, especially compared to Black and White people from Europe and America who have a natural genetic advantage.

Previously, the track and field events in which China was able to compete for medals in major international competitions such as the Olympics and World Championships were mainly race walking and long-distance running.

Short-distance track events such as the men's and women's 100 meters and 100-meter hurdles have never been a strong suit for Chinese people or people of East Asian descent.

This is precisely why Xie Bingran's gold medal at the IAAF Grand Prix in Zurich was all the more precious.

It is hailed as a "breakthrough" in the field of short-distance racing in China.

The Asian Athletics Championships is the highest-level professional track and field event in Asia, but it still doesn't attract as much attention as large-scale multi-sport events like the Olympics and the Asian Games.

However, due to Xie Bingran's involvement, especially the recent public opinion uproar, it has inadvertently attracted a lot of attention and discussion.

Xu Chen couldn't help but recall Bing Ge's match in Osaka, Japan on September 18th last year.

In modern parlance, Bing Ge (Bing Ge) had a certain "hot search physique".

From a commercial perspective, this is naturally a good thing; there's no need to specifically create buzz for her.

The only difference is that this surge in attention is due to a negative event.

However, as quoted in the article on the "Bunshweh Sports Website," the marshal's poem reads:
"To know the pine's nobility, wait until the snow melts."

……

At 9:00 a.m., following Director Li Yue's "instructions", Xu Chen arrived on time at the entrance of the "Sports Newspaper Headquarters" located on Tiantan East Road.

Director Li Yue and Coach Cheng Hong were already waiting inside, so they waved Xu Chen in.

"Your special task force will temporarily use this place as your office and operational location," Director Li Yue said.

"China Sports Media Group" is a newspaper group under the General Administration of Sport. It was formed in the 1990s by the merger of the four most influential sports media outlets in China.

Xu Chen followed Li Yue inside and took a look around. Several office buildings and administrative buildings looked very much like those of a news agency.

However, the strong "sports newspaper" attribute can still be seen from the bulletin boards and some of the slogans hanging there.

Li Yue led Xu Chen and Cheng Hong to the "conference building".

The three waited for a while in the lobby on the first floor. A slightly chubby female colleague dressed in black came down and greeted Li Yue with a smile, politely calling him "Director Li".

Li Yue began by saying, "Let me introduce you. This is Director Niu Xiaoli from the newspaper company."

Then, Mr. Xu and Instructor Cheng were handed over to Director Niu!

(End of this chapter)