The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

"hiss--"

He gasped sharply, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, and his face turned pale.

It was obvious that he had lost the ability to run; he couldn't exert any force on one leg, and all his weight was on the other leg, making it very difficult for him to even move himself.

Xu Nian and Long Teng arrived just in time, each taking one of his arms and trying to pull him off the track.

"No, let go of me!"

Xiao Chen struggled to break free from the two men, gripping the baton tightly in his hand, his gaze fixed on Jiang Xun not far away.

At this moment, he was less than 100 meters away from the handover point for the next runner, which is about a quarter lap around the track.

The brothers have trained for so long, all for today's match.

If the baton breaks in his hands, how can he face everyone's hard work and dedication during this time?

He took a deep breath, tried to regulate his breathing, and dragged his injured ankle, limping step by step toward Jiang Xun.

90 meters, 80 meters, 70 meters...

Xiao Chen gritted his teeth, his back was already soaked in cold sweat, and his ankle was trembling with pain.

With every step he took, he felt a heart-wrenching pain, and his whole body swayed precariously.

Soon, his left foot could no longer bear the pressure that someone his age should not have to bear, and he fell to the ground again like a kite with a broken string.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the other contestants quickly passed him, their footsteps creating gusts of wind, leaving him far behind.

Their previous absolute advantage vanished in an instant.

"Xiao Chen, stop running!" Counselor Qin Xin stamped her feet anxiously. "If you keep going like this, you'll strain your ligaments! Stop now, we'll take you to the infirmary!"

But Xiao Chen ignored her calls and stubbornly continued to move forward.

40 meters, 30 meters, 20 meters...

He fell down again and again, got up again and again... In the end, he crawled through the last 10 meters step by step and finally handed the baton to Jiang Xun.

"I'm...I'm sorry."

He practically spat out those words through gritted teeth, then his head lolled to the side and he collapsed onto the playground, panting heavily.

"It's okay, leave it to me."

Jiang Xun gripped the baton tightly, having no time to comfort Xiao Chen. He immediately transformed into a wild horse, exerting all his strength to gallop forward.

Even though the runners from other classes had already crossed the finish line and started cheering and celebrating.

Even if they are already destined to be last, no matter how hard they try, it won't change the final outcome.

His final sprint was pointless.

But in life, there are many things that seem worthless, yet we still have to persist in doing them.

For example, participating in this meaningless sports meet, training desperately for this sports meet, and Xiao Chen knowingly climbing over the relay line step by step despite knowing there was no hope of winning.

The former is for friendship, the middle is for self-respect, and the latter is to live up to the efforts of their companions.

Humans are animals with seven emotions and six desires, and they will do everything in their power for things that are unseen and intangible.

If we have to consider whether something is worthwhile and calculate the break-even point before doing anything, wouldn't we become cold, emotionless robots?

The song playing on the radio switched to "Proud Youth" by Nan Zheng Bei Zhan in real time.

"Run, proud young man!"

"In a young heart lies unwavering conviction."

"Burn, proud blood!"

"I want to sing the song of victory one more time."

......

On the other side, Xu Nian and Long Teng struggled to carry Xiao Chen to the infirmary.

Whether it was because Xiao Chen was lucky or because he was a sturdy tank with plenty of blood, after this deadly ordeal, apart from a sprained ankle and scraped hands, he was almost completely unharmed.

As the school nurse gently bandaged Xiao Chen's hand, she listened to Xu Nian and Long Teng recount his heroic deeds on the field. She couldn't help but sigh in admiration, and her gaze towards Xiao Chen held a hint of approval. Even the pressure she applied to the bandage softened considerably.

Finally, she wrapped Xiao Chen's hand in a bandage and carefully tied it into a pretty bow. She gently instructed him, "Don't let the wound get wet during this time, and try to use this hand as little as possible. I'll write you a leave slip. If your major requires any writing assignments, take this to your teacher to ask for leave."

"Oh, I can't use my hands?" Xiao Chen asked nervously. "Then... does that mean I can't play games either?"

"Of course," the school doctor chuckled, then said irritably, "Just bear with it, you internet addict."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen instantly became extremely frustrated, and his face immediately contorted into a painful, constipated expression.

He had finally made it to the end of the sports meet and could finally have time to play games. But now, because of his hand injury, he couldn't play games, which was even more painful for him than having super glue applied to the anus of a constipated person.

With the season almost over, who's going to make up for the points I missed?

The school doctor walked out of the room with a smile, carrying disinfection equipment. Immediately afterward, Long Teng walked in with a gloomy expression.

When Xiao Chen saw that horrifying face that filled him with dread, he instinctively shivered and stammered, "Instructor... I'm sorry, I dragged our class down and didn't get first place. I've embarrassed you."

Long Teng waved his hand and chuckled softly, the gloom on his face instantly vanishing, his expression clearing up like a cloud.

"I was just trying to scare you. Participation is key in competitions; if you don't win first place, I won't really blame you."

"Moreover, your spirit of hard work, perseverance, and never giving up is truly commendable. I heard that the school committee is working on awarding you a first-class prize for your fighting spirit."

"Really?" Xiao Chen's eyes lit up instantly, his dejected mood vanished, and his face immediately broke into a wide smile. He said with a grin, "Then Instructor Long, you have no reason to give us any more extra training. Rounding up, we're practically first-prize winners!"

"Of course." Long Teng's lips curled into a wicked smile. "The others won't get extra training, but once your leg is healed, you'll have to get extra training on your own."

"Ah, why?"

Xiao Chen's chubby face suddenly went from sunny to cloudy, and then to a mix of rain and snow.

"Look how fat you've gotten! It was almost impossible for the two of us to lift you. If you don't start exercising and losing weight soon, you'll be served as the main course this Chinese New Year."

"Ah! No!"

......