I'm a senior in high school, and the Emperor Development System has arrived!

The autumn sun shone through the windows into the slightly busy classroom of Senior Three (8).

The noise from the morning self-study session hadn't completely subsided when class monitor Jiang Yutong stood on the podium, her voice clear and bright:

"Dear students, the sports meet is about to begin! Hurry up and move your chairs to the playground! Those of you who need to write broadcast scripts, don't forget! You'll get extra points for writing them!"

After saying that, Jiang Yutong jumped off the podium with the schedule in hand and asked Chen Zhou:
"Are you sure you want to run the 4x100m and 4x400m relays? They might clash with your other events..."

Chen Zhou, who was engrossed in reading a novel, looked up at the sound, the sunlight highlighting his defined jawline and straight nose.

He put down his pen, his tone relaxed:
"Yeah, sure."

It's just a school sports meet, not some important event. His enthusiasm stems from the desire for imperial rewards.

It's not certain whether individual or team events will award more royal prestige.

As soon as he finished speaking, several girls in the classroom couldn't help but whisper among themselves:

"Wow, Chen Zhou is also participating in sprinting! He's not only good at academics, but also at sports. He's so cool!"

"necessary!"

Two loud, boisterous voices came from the back row.

Li Bin slammed his hand on the table and stood up:
"Brother Zhou, we absolutely have to win the 'Fastest Man' title this time! And break the school record while we're at it!"

Stephen Chow immediately picked up on the joke:
"Let those who questioned your status as a sports student after the midterm exams see what it means to excel in both academics and sports!"

The two of them sang in unison, which made the whole class burst into laughter and the atmosphere became lively.

Wang Rui and Zhu Zhou, two of the class's recognized top athletes, walked over. Wang Rui patted Chen Zhou on the shoulder, his tone steady:
"Shall we warm up together during lunch break? Let's check on the relay team's progress."

Zhu Zhou nodded in agreement:
"Yes, get used to the track."

There was no jealousy in their eyes, only recognition of the strong and a hint of competitive desire.

Bai Qianqian, who sat at the table in front of Chen Zhou, subtly turned her body slightly when she heard the commotion.

She seemed to want to say something, her lips moved, but when she saw Chen Zhou surrounded by a group of people and becoming the center of attention, she quickly lowered her head.

Her long eyelashes drooped, obscuring the emotions in her eyes. Her fingers nervously twisted the hem of her clothes, leaving a few faint white marks.

At this moment, He Lili, who is tall and has a beautiful figure, walked through the corridor wearing a sports vest.

As she passed Chen Zhou's seat, she paused slightly and gave him a bright, flirtatious wink:

"Go for it, Zhou Ge! I believe in you!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strong sense of confidence and a subtle hint of provocation.

Chen Zhou simply smiled and nodded.

Jiang Yutong looked at all this, shook her head helplessly, and continued her work.

Her eyes reflected both her expectation for the class's honor and her trust in Chen Zhou, this "all-rounder".

Then, she began urging her classmates to move chairs to the track and field:

"The opening ceremony is about to begin!"

……

The autumn weather is clear and sunny.

The entire playground was decorated with colorful flags fluttering in the wind, and the class formations, dressed in uniform, marched in with neat steps.

In the formation of Class 8 of Senior Three, Chen Zhou, as the flag bearer, walked at the forefront, holding the class flag.

His upright posture and steady steps attracted countless glances and the clicking of cameras along the way.

The sunlight shone on him, as if he were gilded, making countless girls' cheeks slightly flush and their hearts skip a beat.

The opening ceremony proceeded smoothly, with the principal giving a speech and athlete representatives taking an oath.

Class teacher Shen Enxi stood beside the class line, dressed in simple sportswear, and occasionally reminded the students:
"Please prioritize safety, competition is secondary, friendship is paramount. Especially for those participating in the event, please adjust your mindset."

The morning's competition featured a wide variety of events.

Beside the track for the women's 100-meter preliminary round, He Lili, dressed in a bright gray sports vest and shorts, stood ready to go.

Chen Zhou was also watching from the sidelines, nodding slightly as he looked at He Lili's impressive figure.

It is indeed huge; Ultraman Tiga lives up to its name.

As the starting gun fired, she dashed off like a gust of wind, ultimately advancing to the next round as the second-place finisher in her group, drawing cheers from the sidelines.

Jiang Yutong, on the other hand, was like a spinning top, shuttling between the class rest area and various competition venues.

"Lingling, go and deliver a bottle of water to the students participating in the shot put!"

"Xiao Meng, is the broadcast script finished? Quickly send it to the podium!"

"Everyone, please clean up the trash and keep the area tidy!"

She arranged all logistical tasks in an orderly manner, ensuring that the class was in good order.

On the other side of the stands, Jiang Xia and her classmates were cheering for their teammates who were participating in the high jump competition.

Her gaze kept drifting towards Chen Zhou's class, searching for the figure that caught her attention.

Suddenly, she saw Lu Mi carrying a bottle of water, trying to walk through the crowd towards the rest area of ​​Chen Zhou's class.

Jiang Xia immediately frowned and looked over sharply.

Lu Mi paused, seemingly sensing the unfriendly gaze. After hesitating for a moment, she finally stopped and sat down on the spot, looking rather disgruntled.

Finally, it was time for the men's 100-meter preliminary rounds.

When the broadcast announced "Class 3(8), Chen Zhou", the atmosphere in the entire classroom seemed to ignite instantly.

The girls, in particular, erupted in an uncontrollable commotion and screams.

Chen Zhou took off his jacket, revealing a tight-fitting sports vest underneath, the smooth muscle lines exuding power in the sunlight.

He walked to the starting line and did some simple warm-up exercises.

In the audience, Li Bin and Zhou Xinglun were even more excited than during the competition, standing on their chairs and leading the chant:

"Chen Zhou! Chen Zhou! The fastest in the universe! No arguments allowed!"

"Brother Zhou is awesome! He crushed them!"

This drew laughter from the surrounding students.

Wang Rui was also standing beside the adjacent track, doing his final warm-up exercises.

He watched Chen Zhou's retreating figure with a relaxed expression.

He's been training in sports for two years, so he can't possibly be worse than Chen Zhou, who's only been training for two months, right?
Chen Zhou shook his arm and looked to the side, noticing that Lin Feng was also in this group.

Their eyes met, and a fighting spirit ignited in Lin Feng's eyes.

He lost face in basketball last time, so he's going to make up for it in sprinting this time.

Bai Qianqian stood at the edge of the crowd, her heart pounding, her palms sweating with nervousness.

She clutched the hem of her dress tightly, her lips trembling, and in a stammering voice only she could hear, she repeated:
"Chen...Chen Zhou...Go for it..."

Her voice was barely audible, but her eyes were bright and she stared intently at the tall figure on the track.

"On your marks—get set—"

As soon as the starter's voice fell, the entire stadium fell silent.

"boom!"

The starting gun fired, like lighting a fuse.

Chen Zhou reacted with lightning speed, rushing out almost at the same instant the gunshot rang out!
His pace was extremely fast, like a black whirlwind, instantly putting him far ahead of the other competitors.

Almost the instant the gunshot rang out, Wang Rui also leaped out of the ground.

His starting technique is perfect, the result of two years of daily training.

However, as he instinctively tried to gain the lead during the acceleration phase, he caught a glimpse of a dark figure darting out like a ghost out of the corner of his eye—

It’s Chen Zhou!
"How is this possible?!" Wang Rui's heart sank.

He always felt that although Chen Zhou had good talent, his systematic training time was short, and he should have more advantages in the start and acceleration.

But the scene before him overturned his understanding.

Chen Zhou's starting reaction was astonishingly fast, and his stride frequency was so fast that it dazzled the runner, as if every step he took was on the most intense beat of the drum.

"No! We can't let them pull us apart!"

Wang Rui gritted his teeth, mobilizing all the muscles in his body, trying to keep up with Chen Zhou's pace.

He could feel the wind whistling in his ears and hear the deafening shouts from the audience, but all his attention was focused on the increasingly blurry figure in front of him.

That was Chen Zhou's back view, upright and smooth, full of power, yet carrying an effortless lightness.

"I practiced for two years! A full two years!"

Do you know how I've spent the last two years?

Sweat dripped from his forehead and into his eyes, causing a stinging sensation.

He felt an unprecedented pressure, not only from the speed of his opponents, but also from the deep-seated doubts he had about his efforts over the past two years.

He tried to speed up his arm swing and increase his stride, but his body felt as if it were bound by invisible shackles. No matter how hard he tried, the distance between him and Chen Zhou not only did not shorten, but gradually increased.

"Damn it!"

Wang Rui let out a low roar, and the track beneath his feet seemed to become scorching hot.

He could sense the presence of the other contestants beside him, who were also striving to catch up, but at this moment, he only had eyes for Chen Zhou.

That guy, whom he once thought was "just a good student who was good at sports," is now crushing his pride and joy in his field with absolute speed.

A profound sense of powerlessness emerged for the first time in his athletic career.

But no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't catch up with Chen Zhou's figure.

At that moment, he finally realized the true meaning of being "far beyond reach".

Lin Feng's goal was clear from the very beginning—

Defeat Chen Zhou!

The loss in the basketball game was like a thorn, deeply embedded in his heart.

He wants to win back his lost face twice over in sprinting, a sport he excels at just as much!

The moment the gun fired, Lin Feng also erupted.

His start was equally rapid, fueled by a fierce flame of revenge.

He stared intently ahead, especially at Chen Zhou's position.

However, the next second, he saw Chen Zhou shoot out like an arrow released from a bow, so fast that his pupils shrank!
"impossible!"

Lin Feng's mind went blank.

He had anticipated that Chen Zhou would be very strong, and that it would be a fierce battle, but he never imagined that the gap between them would be so vast!

Chen Zhou's figure rapidly shrank in front of him, the visual impact almost suffocating him.

"Chase after them! Chase after them!"

Lin Feng roared inwardly.

He felt his heart was about to leap out of his chest, his blood was surging through his veins, and every breath he took was hot.

He channeled all his anger, resentment, and humiliation into motivation, his legs kicking wildly as if they were springs.

He could faintly hear cheers from the audience calling his name, but there was an overwhelming chorus of "Chen Zhou"!
The sound was like a tidal wave, almost drowning him.

He glanced at Wang Rui beside him and found that even this recognized strong athlete had been left behind by Chen Zhou.

"No! I can't lose! Especially not to Chen Zhou!"

Lin Feng's eyes turned bloodshot. He felt a burning pain in his lungs and his strength was being rapidly depleted.

But he dared not slow down; he was still desperately trying to catch up, even if it was just by narrowing the gap a little bit.

However, reality is cruel; Chen Zhou's figure recedes further and further into the distance, like an insurmountable mountain.

For the first time, he clearly realized that there might really be an insurmountable chasm between him and Chen Zhou.

This realization was more frustrating for him than the failure itself.

The sound of a gunshot seemed to ignite the passion of the entire Senior Three (8) Class!
In the audience, Li Bin and Zhou Xinglun were absolutely ecstatic!
They stood on the chairs, gesturing wildly, their voices almost hoarse from shouting:

"Chen Zhou! Charge! My god! That speed! Even Usain Bolt would offer you a cigarette!"

"Brother Zhou! Awesome! You left them all in the dust! Let them know what 'the fastest in the universe' really means! No arguments allowed!"

"No matter who it is, they're all little brothers in front of Brother Zhou! Hahaha!"

The two of them, talking back and forth, used the most exaggerated and down-to-earth language to ignite the atmosphere of the entire class.

Not only them, but the entire area of ​​Class 8 of Senior Three was in an uproar!
"Go Chen Zhou! Chen Zhou will win!"

"Hold on! Widen the gap!"

"Sprint! Sprint!"

Squad leader Jiang Yutong also stood at the front. The usually composed girl clenched her fists, her face flushed with excitement, and shouted along with everyone:

"Chen Zhou! Keep it up!"

Her voice was clear and bright, with a powerful appeal.

He Lili stood among the girls, cupped her hands to her mouth, and shouted:
"Brother Zhou! Well done! You're the coolest!"

Her voice was sweet and bright, making her particularly eye-catching.

Students from other classes were also inspired by this momentum, and many neutral spectators began to cheer for Chen Zhou's amazing speed:
"Chen Zhou from Class 8 of Senior Three is so fast!"

"With this level of skill, taking first place is a sure thing, right?"

At the very edge of the crowd, Bai Qianqian's heart was pounding in her throat.

Unlike the others, she didn't shout out loud; she just gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Her lips moved, and she repeated, in a stammering voice only she could hear, over and over again:

"Chen...Chen Zhou...Go for it...Go for it..."

Her eyes were wide open, following the figure on the track like a black lightning bolt without blinking.

His image was reflected in her clear eyes, sparkling as if stars were twinkling within them.

That was all her nervousness, anticipation, and silent blessing.

The entire playground erupted in cheers because of Chen Zhou's amazing performance in the 100-meter preliminary round!

Cheers, shouts, and gasps of amazement mingled together, creating a vibrant symphony of youth.

On the track, Chen Zhou was moving forward at breakneck speed toward the finish line, toward everyone's expectations, with an unstoppable momentum!
In just a few seconds, the outcome was decided.

Chen Zhou crossed the finish line with ease, even appearing somewhat relaxed, as if he hadn't exerted his full strength at all.

First place in the group, no doubt about it.

After crossing the finish line, he habitually raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the stands as if searching for something, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Senior, you're amazing!"

Like a nimble butterfly, Lu Mi broke through the crowd at the first moment, grabbed water and a towel, and ran over, her tone filled with undisguised admiration.

Almost simultaneously, Jiang Xia squeezed through the crowd and shoved a still-cold, unopened bottle of mineral water into Chen Zhou's hand, her tone tinged with a hint of pride:

"You ran well! Keep it up in the final tomorrow!"

Two girls stood on either side of Chen Zhou, creating a delicate standoff. (End of Chapter)