One by one, young people were overtaken by Ji Xinghe. Initially, their eyes held resentment because they believed if it wasn't for Ji Xinghe pushing from behind, they wouldn't have had to run so hard and risk losing their stamina before the finish line.
The resentful glances gradually disappeared as Ji Xinghe passed the leading pack. These young front-runners, usually fond of exercising, started adjusting their pace and conserving energy on a more relaxed runway, aiming to finish the test within the allocated time.
One kilometer, two kilometers....
By the time they reached five kilometers from the stadium, they all felt tired, all dripping with sweat, even the athletes among them.
This wasn't a five-kilometer jog; if it was, they could effortlessly run ten kilometers. But a ten-kilometer jog would take them over an hour, and this physical fitness test was only for 35 minutes.
The military drones in the sky ruled out the possibility of cheating – everyone was pouring out their true physical strength to keep running.
So when the youthful front-runners heard the astonished exclamations of the spectators and saw their excited faces, they couldn't help but look back. To their surprise, the old fart who had somehow infiltrated their group was actually keeping up.
Five kilometers! They looked at the roadside distance markers and started to suspect that the signage had been placed wrongly. But the distance they'd run, the time it had taken, and the energy exerted all confirmed the signage was correct. The old man, who was at the back from the start, had really run five kilometers and caught up with them.
From resentful to incredulous and then admiring and awe-struck, all within the span of five kilometers, albeit among different groups of people. The perspective of the underdogs is different from that of the frontrunners.
Because the frontrunners knew clearly that appearing five kilometers from the stadium, and not falling behind again, Ji Xinghe must have spent a lot of energy... an amount an old man shouldn't have.
"Keep going!"
A young man surpassed by Ji Xinghe's steady pace suddenly shouted out to Ji Xinghe.
But then more and more cheers erupted, coming from the young people Ji Xinghe had passed and the impassioned spectators lining the track.
Some people actually started following from the stadium exit, but they had all disappeared now, unable to keep up. Most of the remaining followers had joined around the three-kilometer mark, but now, having only covered two kilometers, even they were struggling to stay paced.
Even though the one they were following was a 65-year-old geezer.
"Ji, my friend, call it a day."
A couple of odd voices joined the ongoing cheers. The spectators shot them disapproving looks, but their anger quickly faded when they realized these odd voices were coming from a few old men and women who seemed to know the old man on the track.
"Ji, are you trying to run yourself to death?"
An old woman who had just accused Ji Xinghe of seducing her daughter pushed her way to the edge of the track, shouting at Ji Xinghe.
"Uncle Ji, stop, you can't hang in there."
"Ji, if you're gonna run, can you slow down a bit? I can't keep up with you, don't you feel tired?"
Several elderly men and women and a few young people ran alongside the track, their shouts turning into gasps for breath, but Ji Xinghe turned a deaf ear to them.
Both the spectators and the youthful competitors on the track gradually fell silent, no one cheering anymore, as they finally remembered that the old man had already run five kilometers at quite a fast pace, even faster than many young runners.
They finally noticed the sweat dropping off Ji Xinghe, they finally noticed his face was turning pale, they finally noticed his vest and shorts were soaked through.
But Ji Xinghe kept running. His pace, although slower than when he first started out from the stadium, was still steady. His eyes weren't diverted by the shouting from the side of the track, and he kept looking at the road straight ahead.
"Grandfather Ji, take a break, you can rest, you know."
Pei Jing, exploiting her position, approached Ji Xinghe, her hands stretched out as if ready to assist Ji Xinghe at any moment.
But Ji Xinghe didn't fall, he kept running, overtaking more and more young people, and surpassing his own limits.
Pei Jing was incredibly worried, but she didn't dare to stop Ji Xinghe. So, she ran ahead to the supply station and picked up two cups of warm water. One cup contained salt water and the other sugar water. Then, she zipped back to Ji Xinghe's side on her hoverboard and offered them to him.
But Ji Xinghe did not take them. It was as if he hadn't seen Pei Jing at all.
"Grandfather Ji, you can drink some water, it's not against the rules."
Ji Xinghe ignored her, continuing to run, completely disregarding both Pei Jing and the two cups of water in her hand.
A sign indicating 'Six Kilometers' appeared on the side of the track. Ji Xinghe didn't even spare it a glance as he ran past.
"Grandfather Ji, it won't take much time to drink some water. You still have time, you'll make it."
Pei Jing was somewhat worried. She knew that long-distance running would cause a lot of sweating, and since sweat is salty, one needed to drink saltwater. Additionally, to replenish the energy consumed, one needed sugar, hence the sugar water. Otherwise, hypoglycemia could set in.
"Grandfather Ji, you really have enough time, but you have to hydrate, or else you might get dehydrated and fatigued..."
Ji Xinghe continued to ignore her.
"Ji."
A flying car suddenly zoomed over the spectators lining the track. The window was rolled down, and the elderly man driving the car was a colleague of Ji Xinghe's for over thirty years. As he drove, he looked at Ji Xinghe and called out.
The police drone hovering by the track emitted a siren, along with an announcement demanding the flying car to immediately stop its dangerous driving behavior. However, the elderly chauffeur continued hollering, unconcerned about the warning.
"Ji, can my son avenge your son? Go home, you'll run yourself to death."
There wasn't only one person in the car. If the car could seat more than four, and if there was another working flying car in the repair shop, dozens of people from the shop might have come. Ji Xinghe was well-liked.
The window at the back seat was also rolled down, and a middle-aged man called out with a choked voice: "Master Ji, I'll seek vengeance for your disciple. I'll join the army and avenge for your younger disciple, please take a break."
This middle-aged man wasn't Ji Xinghe's martial arts disciple. Ji Xinghe had only taught his son martial arts, but he did teach this younger man how to repair cars.
However, the spectators had no idea about this, and two keywords sprung up in their minds: "Master" and "younger disciple".
"Ji, respond to us."
"Master Ji, take a break, just a short one, then you can run again."
The car repair master who was driving looked at the approaching police hover-car and hurriedly shouted, "That girl, don't ask him, just make him drink. Ji cannot hear you, he can't hear anything anymore."
Huh?
He can't hear anymore?
But just now...
Pei Jing was confused as to why Ji Xinghe had suddenly become deaf, but the man in the car, despite the pursuing police and potential punishment, had taken the trouble to come and advise Ji Xinghe. He surely wouldn't lie about something like this.
So, she kept pace with him on her hoverboard, ensuring not to interfere with Ji Xinghe's running. She matched his speed, maintaining a relative stationary position, after which she offered the cup in her right hand to Ji Xinghe's lips.
Ji Xinghe, who had shown no reaction up to this point, finally made a movement other than running. As he started to raise his head and open his mouth, Pei Jing tilted the cup in sync, so he drank it all at once.
Throughout the entire process, Ji Xinghe never stopped running. In fact, he even surpassed a young man during this time. The young man watched the beautiful Pei Jing keeping pace with Ji Xinghe and offering him water repeatedly. A sudden wave of inexplicable heartache hit him.
He was planning to join the army because of a breakup, but still had to watch someone else getting pampered during the physical fitness test. Moreover, it was an old man and a beautiful young girl.
O Heavens, where did I go wrong?