Chapter 2002: Watching the Competition

When Zhao Fusheng and Zheng Yao reached an agreement, there was naturally nothing within the Future Group that could not be accomplished.

When Li Fuzhen visited Zheng Yao again the next day, the reply she received was that the Future Group did not intend to cooperate with Samsung.

"Ms. Li, to be frank, we have no interest whatsoever in the internal disputes within Samsung."

Zheng Yao's words left Li Fuzhen speechless.

She had not expected to be rebuffed in China.

Watching the eldest Miss Li leave in frustration, a cold smile curled at the corner of Zheng Yao's mouth.

Trying to take advantage of the Future Group? Dream on!

Zhao Fusheng, of course, knew nothing of this. His mind was entirely on accompanying his wife and child. Fan Baobao was approaching her due date, so Zhao Fusheng had to be by her side.

The Olympics were proceeding smoothly, just as Zhao Fusheng had seen in his previous life. The Chinese team was advancing triumphantly.

"Isn't it strange? Why do our athletes perform so well at the Olympics on home soil, but always run into problems when they go abroad?"

That day, Zhao's mother and Li Yuan went to watch the competitions, while Zhao's father and Zhao Fusheng stayed home watching TV.

Zhao's father, watching the competition on the screen, remarked casually.

"It's simple: because this is China."

Zhao Fusheng smiled and said to his father.

"Huh?"

Zhao's father was slightly surprised.

Zhao Fusheng explained: "Look, this year our athletes have performed well, especially in several minor events where they've made breakthroughs, right?"

"Yes, I've seen gold medals in several events I'd never heard of before." Zhao's father nodded. While Zhao Fusheng was busy with work, he had time to watch the competitions and naturally knew more.

"Do you know why these events achieved results?" Zhao Fusheng countered.

"Why?"

Zhao's father was puzzled.

Clearly, he didn't know the intricacies involved.

"It involves the issue of the Olympic dividend."

Zhao Fusheng smiled and explained to his father: "You see, with the Olympics on home soil, the host country has the advantage of being able to participate in most events. That itself is an opportunity. Plus, under these circumstances, the state's investment in those minor events is bound to increase, right?"

"So it's easier to achieve results, isn't it?" Zhao's father immediately understood.

"Yes."

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "Small events, invest a little, just like giving comfort to the needy."

"And then what?"

Zhao's father asked, puzzled.

"Then?"

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "After the comfort, let the needy have a New Year, and that's it. What else can you do? Life goes on as usual."

Huh?

Zhao's father was stunned, never imagining such an outcome.

He didn't know that what Zhao Fusheng said was the truth.

The development of sports in China was indeed like this.

At this year's Beijing Olympics, China ranked first in gold medals and total medals, but in the following two Olympics, it began to decline.

The niche events that won gold at this Olympics almost immediately fell into neglect.

The reason was simple: both the authorities and sponsors realized the low attention given to niche events, so they naturally shifted their focus to events that could more easily yield results and attract more attention.

It was a vicious cycle.

Niche events had low attention and low investment, leading to a loss of athletes and coaches, making it hard to achieve results, and then even lower attention.

"Then what about the events you sponsor?"

Zhao's father knew that Zhao Fusheng sponsored several niche events like beach volleyball and cycling.

"Keep sponsoring them."

Zhao Fusheng waved his hand with a smile: "I'm not short of that money."

Speaking of this, he remembered that the beach volleyball team had called him, inviting him to watch their competition.

Maybe he should go watch?

Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and said to Zhao's father: "How about we go watch in a couple of days?"

"Sure."

Zhao's father was delighted, but he glanced upstairs and said: "What about Baobao?"

"It's fine, let my mother and them look after her."

Zhao Fusheng said with a smile.

His father rarely had the chance to watch competitions, and he wanted to spend more time with the old man.

"Alright."

...

...

True to his word, Zhao Fusheng arranged the next day for himself and his father to watch the beach volleyball match, with Liu Yiming making the arrangements.

He had tickets for the entire Olympic schedule, which made it very convenient.

The beach volleyball venue was at Chaoyang Park. Since the stands were supported by steel frames, one could see steel structures all around the stairs.

Just as they arrived, it started to drizzle. At the entrance, disposable raincoats—the kind you can wear, not ponchos—were handed out, so it was quite convenient to put them on.

Originally, Liu Yiming planned to have bodyguards hold umbrellas for Zhao Fusheng and Old Zhao, but he refused.

He wasn't some royal prince; holding an umbrella was completely unnecessary.

"Right now it's men's beach volleyball; the women's match is later."

Zhao Fusheng explained to Old Zhao.

Old Zhao nodded and watched intently.

With a slight smile, Zhao Fusheng nodded to Liu Yiming.

Liu Yiming had told him all this in advance.

Men's volleyball mainly tests the explosive power of male athletes. One could see that they could almost reach over the net by an arm's length, so downward spike shots often appeared, while women's beach volleyball usually produced parabolic spikes.

The second match was between the strong Australian team and Angola. The host specifically mentioned that they were able to participate in the Olympics because the rules allowed each continent to send one representative team, implying that if it were based on strength, they probably wouldn't have made it to the Olympic stage.

Moreover, the two Angolan players were forty and forty-one years old.

"My god! That's too old!"

Old Zhao couldn't help exclaiming.

Zhao Fusheng looked equally surprised; he hadn't expected such a thing either.

But thinking about Africa, he blinked and said nothing more.

Playing volleyball on the endless grasslands?

Hmph...

It was a match with no suspense; Australia won.

Soon, the host announced that the next match would feature the Chinese team.

"They're coming out, they're coming out!"

Old Zhao was quite excited, pointing at the court.

"Wait, the cheerleaders come out first."

Zhao Fusheng said with a smile.

"Cheerleaders?"

Old Zhao was a bit puzzled, and then he saw a group of girls in bikinis walking into the court in the rain and starting to dance.

"Are the organizers crazy?"

Old Zhao said, dumbfounded.

It wasn't because he thought they were dressed provocatively—after all, this was a volleyball court.

The key issue was that it was raining!

"What's wrong, Dad?"

Zhao Fusheng asked Old Zhao, puzzled.

"No, they just let those girls perform like that? What if they catch a cold?"

Old Zhao pointed at the cheerleaders on the court and said to Zhao Fusheng, "How can the organizers be so inflexible?"

As a businessman and boss himself, he knew that some things couldn't be changed casually.

But the problem was, although the schedule couldn't be altered, things like the cheerleading performance should be flexible.

Making a group of young, beautiful girls dance in the pouring rain—were the organizers out of their minds?

"Well..."

Zhao Fusheng shook his head helplessly.

To be honest, there was nothing he could do about it; it was the rules from above.

It was like the Minor Protection Law—even if you thought it was unreasonable, it was there, and even if you were furious, you could only sigh helplessly.

"Yiming, go and ask about it."

Zhao Fusheng said to Liu Yiming after a moment's thought.

Huh?

Liu Yiming was stunned.

What was going on?

The boss had actually given him such a task.

Although Future Group was a sponsor of Chinese beach volleyball, the problem was that this was an Olympic issue, not something on the Chinese side.

Even though the organizing committee was handled by the Chinese side, their procedures were like this.

But the boss was looking at him very seriously.

Liu Yiming knew well that Zhao Fusheng wasn't joking; he really wanted him to go and ask.

With that in mind, he nodded: "I understand, Chairman."

No matter what, since the boss had given the order, he would find a way.

It didn't matter if he messed up; at least Zhao Fusheng, the boss, would cover for him. But if he didn't act, he would be one step closer to losing his job.

Liu Yiming was all too clear on that point.