“Yu Chengci, you’re here.”

The three brothers, carrying their schoolbags, noticed that Yu Chengci wasn’t carrying anything.

“Yeah, I’m taking you to the sports school. Lin Hairui, do you want to check out the sports school too?” Yu Chengci asked.

Erbao replied, “My mom said she’d take me to check it out and see if I can get in. She also said there would be a test to get in, and if I pass, I should be able to join.”

“You run so fast and are so strong, you’ll definitely get in,” Yu Chengci said confidently.

Such unshakeable confidence in elementary school students is something adults don’t quite understand.

When Ning Shu came out, she heard this and closed the door with a smile. “Thank you for your help today, Chengci. We’ll treat you to lunch outside. How about that?”

“Sure, sure!” Yu Chengci, who was very outgoing, said. “Auntie, if you need directions anywhere in the future, you can always ask me. My mom says since you just moved here, there are many places you might not be familiar with. She told me to help you out. Also, Auntie, let me tell you, if I guide you around, my mom gives me extra pocket money. I used up all my pocket money for this week, and now I have more. It’s great!”

Ning Shu couldn’t help but laugh.

This was quite amusing—so he was motivated by extra pocket money to be a guide?

“Alright then. If we need directions anywhere, we’ll definitely ask Comrade Chengci for help,” Ning Shu joked.

“No trouble at all,” Yu Chengci quickly waved off.

As a true local of the capital, Yu Chengci knew almost every child-friendly place in the city.

Being born into the Yu family and not lacking in money, his upbringing was quite different from average city worker families.

While some families might be concerned about expenses and restrict where their children can go, the Yu family didn’t have such concerns.

Yu Chengci led the way and took them on the bus.

Although the three brothers had taken the bus before, they couldn’t help but be curious and look around once again.

The bus to the sports school wasn’t crowded, probably because the students were on vacation.

However, there wasn’t a direct bus from the compound to the sports school; it took two transfers to get there.

“This is the sports school,” Yu Chengci pointed ahead.

The sports schools of the 1970s were quite different from schools of later years, but still far more advanced compared to schools in other cities.

The sports school in the capital was seen as quite prestigious.

“Let’s go in and take a look,” Ning Shu said.

Due to the nature of the sports school, it was different from regular schools.

While regular schools had long holidays, sports schools required year-round training.

Even during breaks, their vacations weren’t as long.

However, the gate was closed, and strangers weren’t allowed inside.

“Who are you looking for?” asked the gatekeeper, a middle-aged man.

“Hello, we’re here to learn about the sports school. Our child is interested in joining, and we want to know what the requirements are,” Ning Shu explained.

Upon hearing that they were interested in enrolling their child, the gatekeeper became very enthusiastic. “I know the basic requirements. The age cannot exceed 16, so your child should be fine. As for the lower limit, it’s not an issue; as long as the child can pass the test, they can get in.”

“You can come in; I’ll take you to the admissions office,” the gatekeeper said.

“Thank you,” Ning Shu said, leading the four children inside.

Once inside, the gatekeeper noticed the four children following Ning Shu, including the twins, and curiously asked, “Comrade, do all four children want to join the sports school?”

Generally, parents who send their children to sports schools are those whose academic performance isn’t great and are looking for alternative paths for their children.

On the other hand, children who excel academically are usually recruited by the school’s teachers, who spot their athletic talent and recommend them to the sports school.

“Not all of them, just one. The others are accompanying,” Ning Shu said.

“It’s me,” Erbao volunteered, “I run very fast and am very strong. An older brother said I could become an athlete and bring glory to the country. If I win, there’s a prize too, so I came here.”

The gatekeepers were amused by Erbao’s words, as the child’s innocent remarks clearly showed his patriotic spirit.

As for the bonus, the gatekeepers ignored it; after all, it wasn’t unusual to give a little reward if a child won something.

As they spoke, the gatekeepers led them to the entrance of the admissions office.

The door was open, and the gatekeeper said, “Teacher Qi, there are parents with their children here. They want to know about the admission requirements for our sports school.”

The national sports program, though well-established and progressing steadily, still had strict admission requirements compared to other schools.

For those who came proactively, the school always welcomed them with enthusiasm.

Teacher Qi, upon hearing the gatekeeper’s message, nodded and said, “You can go back to work now; I’ll take care of them.”

Then, turning to Ning Shu and the four children, he smiled.

If all four children passed the tests, the country would gain four more promising athletes, which was excellent. “Hello, I’m Qi. Just call me Teacher Qi.”

“Hello, Teacher Qi. I’m Ning. Today, my son came to learn about the admission requirements for your sports school,” Ning Shu said.

“Hello, Comrade Ning. Please have a seat. Are all four children here for admission?” Teacher Qi asked warmly.

“No, just this child.” Ning Shu gestured to Erbao.

Erbao, with a sincere smile, introduced himself, “Hello, Teacher Qi. I’m Lin Hairui. I run very fast and am very strong. I want to become an athlete to bring glory to our country and win prizes.”

Teacher Qi was deeply moved.

His thoughts mirrored those of the gatekeepers.

He hadn’t expected such a young child to have such a strong sense of duty and honor.

It was truly commendable.

“Hello, Lin. To get into our sports school, the main requirement is passing the tests. As long as you meet the test standards, you can be admitted. I have time now, so let’s start the test right away. If you pass, we’ll fill out the paperwork.” Otherwise, filling out the paperwork would be pointless.

“That’s fine with me,” Ning Shu was not only agreeable but also happy to resolve everything in one go.

Teacher Qi led Ning Shu and the four children to the sports field, a small one, as the school’s regular activities took place at a larger sports venue in Daxing.

“Teacher Qi, you’re here?” A teacher came over to greet them.

The teacher’s enthusiasm was understandable.

Knowing that Teacher Qi, who was in charge of admissions, had brought four children, the teacher was eager to know the child’s performance.

If possible, the school’s teachers might even compete for the athlete.

Teacher Qi said, “Teacher Jin…,” and explained Erbao’s situation.

Teacher Jin responded, “We’re on a break now. I’ll join you in testing the child.”

Teacher Qi said, “Great, having your help will make things easier.”

He then turned to Erbao, “Lin, our school has many admission projects. Please tell us your strongest event, and we’ll start with that.”

Without hesitation, Erbao said, “I run very fast and am very strong. When I was in military elementary school, I was always first in running races.” Since elementary school sports events were limited, Erbao could only mention running.

Teacher Jin said, “Let’s arrange a 100-meter sprint and a standing shot put.”

Ning Shu added, “The child’s physical strength is also excellent, twice that of ordinary kids.”

Endurance is another advantage for long-distance running.

As a mother, Ning Shu didn’t want to miss any opportunity to highlight Erbao’s strengths.

Teacher Jin considered this and said, “We’ll start with the 100-meter sprint and standing shot put. If those two tests are passed, we’ll also include an 800-meter long run.”

Teacher Qi agreed, “Alright.”

Soon, the small sports field was cleared, with the resting students moving aside but still watching Erbao’s test.

Erbao, unbothered and confident, took his place at the starting line.

The observing students burst into laughter because, despite Erbao’s impressive demeanor, his starting posture was far from perfect.

Typically, school sports don’t emphasize such details, and military elementary school teachers don’t focus on them either, as long as the basics are covered.

However, Teacher Qi and Teacher Jin weren’t concerned about this right now.

The key was the test results.

If Erbao passed, there would be time to refine his technique later.

“Get ready, set… Go…”

As Teacher Jin’s voice fell, Erbao shot off the starting line like a rocket.

The students who had been laughing earlier were now stunned, their mouths agape as if they could fit an egg in them.

Even Teacher Jin was momentarily stunned, recovering only after a while.

Erbao’s speed was extraordinarily fast.

What he had said about running fast was an understatement.

His speed not only surpassed that of ordinary people but was also likely to break records for his age group.

Whether it could beat youth records was uncertain, but it definitely seemed to surpass the records of his peers.

The key was to see what time Teacher Qi recorded on the stopwatch.

Realizing this, Teacher Jin couldn’t help but run over from behind, eager to find out Erbao’s result immediately.

The other students, now snapping out of their shock, began discussing among themselves.

“He was so fast just now.”

“He seems younger than us.”

“He’s definitely younger. He’ll probably get into our school.”