Chapter 438: Returning to the Country

Chapter 438: Returning Home

Every day at the Capital Airport, a throng of fans and station sisters gathered to greet arrivals, but during the Olympics it was a bit different—especially in the latter half, when fans and station sisters were still there, even more so, but the majority were ordinary citizens, all coming to welcome the athletes home.

Whenever an Olympic champion appeared, the scene was ten times more extravagant than any fleeting idol’s arrival, and the atmosphere was electric; many travelers who weren’t there to pick anyone up would spontaneously join the welcoming crowd, making it even more chaotic and lively.

In the final days of the Olympics, more athletes returned, and so did more greeters. Some citizens camped out all day, regardless of whether they knew the athletes—anyone who contributed to the nation deserved a welcome!

The day after the closing ceremony, the Capital Airport was especially bustling. It was the day the main Olympic contingent came home, with far more people than in previous days—at least three or four times as many. Thank goodness the airport’s arrival hall was huge, or it might not have held them all. Banners were unfurled, bouquets clutched in arms, and the number of journalists lying in wait went without saying.

“They’re out!”

“Who is it? Who?”

“The women’s volleyball team!”

“It’s the girls! Raise the banners!”

“Coach Lang is so commanding!”

“My Ting is here!”

“Zhang Changning is so beautiful!”

“I declare my love for Yuan Xinyue!”

“Wow, all long legs!”

“The long-legged legion!”

“They’re here!”

“Who this time?”

“The table tennis squad is here!”

“The landlord’s silly son is so handsome!”

“I love Xu Xin!”

“I really like Fan Zhendong!”

“My Ding Ning, the big demon king, has such strong presence!”

“Chen Meng is so cute!”

“You’d never guess Chen Meng’s cousin is Huang Xiaoming.”

“Oh my, really? What, now you need a big star in the family to become an Olympic champion?”

“That’s a unique way to look at it, haha!”

“I’m different from you all—I like the chubby official the most!”

“No, you’re just like us!”

From noon onward, the airport saw a succession of “Olympic squads,” the most dazzling being the national table tennis team and the defending champion women’s volleyball team, of course, along with the biggest dark horse of these Games—the judo squad, and by extension, the weightlifting, wrestling, and judo combined team.

This time, the Weightlifting, Wrestling, and Judo Center had won a huge number of gold medals, ranking first among all sports centers and associations under the General Administration of Sport, with a total of 12 golds—5 in weightlifting, 3 in wrestling, and 4 in judo—accounting for about a quarter of China’s total Olympic golds, truly a standout!

Meng Fan, with his five gold medals, debuted as the centerpiece of both the judo squad and the weightlifting-wrestling-judo squad, earning him the nickname from insiders: the Center of the Weightlifting, Wrestling, and Judo Center!

The remaining members of the weightlifting, wrestling, and judo national team flew back on the same flight, arriving at the Capital Airport around 4 p.m. Their emergence naturally sparked another wave of excitement among the greeters, arguably the liveliest and most joyful of all.

“It’s Meng Fan!”

“The Iron God is back!”

“Oh my, he’s so handsome!”

“That face, incredible!”

“Even more handsome in person than on TV!”

“Iron God is awesome!”

“Finally seeing Meng Fan—my dream has come true!”

“My Zhan Shen is here too, so happy!”

“Cheng Xunzhao is awesome!”

“My Qingdao girl is so fierce!”

“I declare my love for the miracle girl Feng Xuemei!”

“...”

Among the weightlifting, wrestling, and judo athletes, Meng Fan was undoubtedly the most popular, followed by the members of the mixed judo team—mainly because that match had drawn a lot of attention, and they had all shown their style—not to mention the famous names from the weightlifting and wrestling teams, oh, and the renowned Zhan Shen.

The scene on the ground differed slightly from before; the biggest difference was the banners held up for Meng Fan. Congratulations on his triumphant return and shouts of “awesome” were standard, but one banner reading “Iron God, slow down” was a bit puzzling—was it asking Meng Fan to walk slower so they could see him longer?

Also, the girl presenting flowers to Meng Fan somehow pulled out a manga volume and a pen from nowhere, asking for his autograph—a real stunt.

Then, at least a hundred people in the crowd followed suit, pulling out their own manga volumes, which was quite thrilling. The airport had a bookstore, and the bookstore had Meng Fan’s manga volumes. If the airport hadn’t been managing the crowd flow, many would have rushed to buy copies and come back for autographs, turning the place into a signing session in no time!

As Meng Fan and the other Olympians returned home, domestic media and websites naturally stirred up another wave of coverage, focusing mostly on the medal winners. After an Olympics, new sports stars emerge and old ones fade, drawing a clear line between Olympic champions and non-champions—this was reality, and human nature.

Four years of preparation, or even longer, and fame overnight!

These athletes, who had paid a tremendous price to stand at the pinnacle of human sports, deserved it all—honor, popularity, and naturally better income, treatment, and life.

With the Olympians back, businesses and TV stations swarmed like sharks scenting blood, inviting them to commercial performances, endorsements, brand events, TV shows, and more. The athletes and the sports authorities welcomed these invitations—privately, to boost the athletes’ income; publicly, to promote sports; and on a larger scale, it still fell within the realm of serving the people.

Meng Fan, the five-gold king, was the most popular athlete of these Olympics, with immense audience appeal—mainly because of his good looks—making him the most commercially valuable among China’s Olympians.

Before the Olympics, his commercial value was estimated at tens of millions, and returning with five gold medals had certainly multiplied it tenfold!

Crucially, Meng Fan had no endorsements before this, and the industry had already been fiercely competing over who would land his first deal, while outsiders had pulled up their little stools to watch, wondering who would win Meng Fan and what astronomical price would be offered.

From the moment Meng Fan won his first gold, if anyone related to him in China was busiest, it was Hu Yijing. Brands already knew the endorsement relationship between Meng Fan and the national team, and that Hu Yijing was the contact for his commercial appearances, so they all came to her.

The number of businesses and brands approaching her was enormous, many of which she had previously wished her own artists could connect with—even being a “brand friend” would have been an honor for such big names. Now they came begging for global endorsements, or at least regional ambassadorships, but Hu Yijing, brimming with confidence, cheerfully put them all on hold.

She hadn’t contacted Meng Fan during the Olympics, nor immediately after learning of his return. She knew he would have plenty of time ahead, so she was organizing the materials while waiting for the right moment.

After leaving the airport, Meng Fan and the other athletes who had returned earlier temporarily stayed in the Beijing Olympic Village. Next came collective activities for the Olympic delegation, the most important being a meeting with national leaders at the Great Hall of the People, along with social and public welfare events, before commercial activities began.

The meeting took place on the afternoon of August 13, with all Chinese Olympians in attendance. Medal winners and high-performing athletes, along with their coaches, were mostly arranged in the first and second rows—positions where they could shake hands. Meng Fan was in the first row, enjoying a five-second handshake and a personal question with his name, and in the group photo, he had the best spot, his five gold medals hanging proudly on his chest.

Afterward, although Meng Fan’s schedule was somewhat autonomous, he still had to follow the national team for social and public welfare events. At the same time, he cooperated with some arrangements from the center, such as recording CCTV programs and giving interviews with CCTV and People’s Daily.

This series of events kept Meng Fan in Beijing until August 18, when he finally left the Olympic Village for Shanghai.

Since it was summer break, he naturally didn’t return to Hangzhou right away. The main reason for going to Shanghai was that Meng Caiwei and Wu Tong were there, along with his parents and others temporarily waiting for him.

(The chapter ends)