Chapter 20 — Medals Are Not For You

When Luc Thua Da appeared, his hips were covered with black muscle tape. The MC introduced him as the national champion who had just returned strongly, the audience at the scene kept chanting his name. The first round is a 30 meter bend run. He started very steadily, but when he turned around, the movement on the right side slowed down significantly. Tong Han stood on the sideline and immediately looked towards Chu Khoi Son. Chu Khoi Son raised his hand to stop. Luc Thua Da didn't care at all. The second round was the 50-meter relay, he was placed in the last run. After receiving the baton, the first 20 meters he was still leading. At the 30th meter, his right foot just touched the ground, his body suddenly wobbled to the left. That moment was extremely brief, the average audience couldn't even see the problem. But I saw that the support time of his left leg was forcibly prolonged, and the bending angle of the knee joint exceeded the safe limit. With the next step, his whole body lost momentum and fell down. Luc Thua Da did not fall. He tried to run across the finish line, still ranking first in the entire race. When the cheers rang out, he bowed his head and hugged his knees, unable to stand up straight. Tong Han and the medical team rushed into the yard. The live camera quickly moved away, the MC's voice still echoed, congratulating the championship team on their victory. My phone rang all at once. Du Kieu standing next to him also saw the fall scene just now. “Miss Kieu, is his waist injury getting worse?” “Not sure yet.” I stared at the screen that had switched to an advertisement. “The scary thing is that left leg.” Half an hour later, Tong Han texted. *[Acute pain appeared in the area around the Achilles tendon in the left leg, going to the hospital.]* Right after that, there was a call from Chu Khoi Son. “Kieu Tranh.” His voice trembled. “You came here for a trip.” ### 8 The hallway outside the hospital clinic was filled with people from the club. Phuong Kha was standing at the end of the hallway calling, lowering his voice to negotiate with social networking platforms about removing the video of Luc Thua Da hugging his knees after the race. The sponsor's representative had a gray face and repeatedly asked if this injury would affect the Asian Championship. No one asked him if he was in pain. When I walked over, Tong Han had just walked out of the clinic. Seeing me, she immediately gave me the initial results report. “The Achilles tendon did not rupture.” “And the ultrasound?” "There was fluid around the tendon, diagnosed with a fiber disorder in the local area. The doctor said that the old injury site was overloaded, so I had to stop exercising for at least four weeks, specifically I had to wait for an MRI." Four weeks means missing out on the final points tournament before the Asian Championship selection round. If recovery is not good, the time will be even longer. “What about the waist?” “Second degree muscle tear, worse condition.” Tong Han took off his mask, the bridge of his nose was marked with a red streak. "Before the start of the second round, I discovered that his time to support his left leg had decreased and advised him to withdraw. He said it was just because the bandage was too tight." “Where is the movement data?” “The stadium's temporary system is not compatible with our equipment and cannot transmit data in real time.” “The handover table clearly states that participants in commercial events must bring their own handheld tracking device.” Tong Han's fingers twitched. “Do not bring equipment.” “Who decides?” "Mr. Luc Bao is only used for commercial activities and has no use." I don't ask anymore. The clinic door opened and the nurse pushed Luc Thua Da out. His left leg has been fixed, and his right lumbar area is also covered with a support belt. Seeing me, his normally tense face relaxed a bit. “I'm here.” I received the test form from the nurse.