Chapter 439: Post-Race Activity Arrangements

Chapter 439: Post-Competition Activity Arrangements

After the series of events in the capital concluded, the Olympic athletes began returning to their respective provincial teams, with a series of activities awaiting them.

Meng Fan was relatively free; instead of heading back to Zhejiang Province first, he came to Shanghai, giving a huge surprise to the locals who had been waiting at the airport for the return of Shanghai-born athletes. A distance that wasn't very long took him half an hour to cover before he finally got into Meng Caiwei's car.

"Brother!"

Meng Caihui had also come. After Meng Fan got in the car, she chattered endlessly with him in the back seat. The most important thing she told him was that their grandfather had enlarged the photo of Meng Fan shaking hands during the meeting at the Great Hall of the People and hung it in the living room of the old house, saying it was a matter of bringing glory to the ancestors.

Meng Fan laughed heartily, remarking that his own parents had also been received before—could this be a case of affection skipping a generation?

By the time they arrived at Meng Caiwei's home in Shanghai, many people were already there, including Meng Fan's parents, his other sisters, and Wu Tong's family.

"I'm hungry!"

Meng Fan's first words upon entering were very honest. After greeting everyone, he headed straight for the dining table. Seeing the table laden with dishes, he grinned from ear to ear, reached out, grabbed a crab leg, and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling, "I'll start eating first," before launching into a whirlwind feast.

Everyone watching burst into laughter. Only his future mother-in-law, who liked Meng Fan more and more, wiped away a tear: "This child has really suffered these past six months. I heard athletes have to avoid many foods; he must not have eaten well!"

Next, Meng Fan stayed in Shanghai for two days, mostly eating, drinking, and sleeping—life was very comfortable. Then he went back to his hometown in Ruicheng, Wenzhou, where he also spent two days, but life there was naturally not so leisurely.

At Meng Fan's grandfather's house, at least fifty tables were set up, inviting the entire village and all relatives and friends, along with some local officials. Matters of bringing glory to the ancestors could not be kept low-key. To make the old man happy, Meng Fan had to attend to everyone.

Returning to Hangzhou on August 24, the freshmen at the art academy had already started military training, and returning students were gradually coming back to school. The campus slowly regained its former vitality amid the heat.

"Almost a year!"

Walking alone on the school path, Meng Fan couldn't help but feel emotional. In just over ten days, it would be the first anniversary of his "rebirth."

Many things had happened in this year; time seemed both slow and fast.

Thinking back to who he was then and looking at who he was now, the change was enormous.

Just like the title of a popular online post about him after the Olympics: "In Just One Year, From Fat Otaku to Five-Gold King—The Most Glorious Comeback in History." Indeed, the change was huge.

Of course, many netizens had different opinions on the word "comeback," since everyone knew Meng Fan had a bunch of "immortals" in his family. Even without such a change, he would still live better than 99% of people on Earth. The term "comeback" was inaccurate; he had never been in adversity.

"Iron God!"

Passing art academy students naturally recognized Meng Fan, extremely excited and thrilled. Those carrying drawing tubes immediately opened them to get paper and pens for Meng Fan's autograph.

Meng Fan naturally obliged, even taking the initiative to take photos.

Many returning students who knew Meng Fan were especially excited to see him.

Zhang Heng from the next dormitory had come to school early this time to handle freshman orientation and had successfully found a suitable partner among the new female students, thus shedding his single status. He was quite rugged in appearance, so rugged that he didn't look like an art student at all, and his personality was rather unrestrained. He was strolling with his cute girlfriend, waving his hand grandly as he introduced interesting stories about the school, laughing heartily and carrying himself with an air of magnanimity. As he walked, he spotted Meng Fan, and his demeanor instantly changed. He tiptoed over, with a face of "shyness" and shouted, "Meng Fatty, lift me up!"

With that, he leaped up.

Meng Fan laughed, sidestepped to dodge, caught Zhang Heng who almost fell, and put his arm around his shoulders, smiling: "Why are you at school so early?"

Zhang Heng chuckled and introduced his girlfriend to Meng Fan, who naturally understood the reason. After a few casual words, Meng Fan continued walking inside.

Zhang Heng's little girlfriend was extremely excited; she hadn't managed to say a single word the whole time Meng Fan was there. Only after he left did she burst into tears, asking Zhang Heng in a sobbing voice to send her the photo they had just taken with Meng Fan and then posted it on her Moments: "Mom, I took a photo with an Olympic champion!"

Meng Fan was stopped for photos all the way to Qin Jiao's office, and then he went with Qin Jiao to the dean's office to complete some "procedures" left over from the previous semester, thus smoothly entering his senior year.

The dean was naturally very happy and proud to see Meng Fan, and was even more delighted to confirm that Meng Fan would give a speech at the welcome party for new students.

"Did you bring the gold medals?"

Qin Jiao hadn't gone to the Olympics because the studio was very busy with summer business, but she had certainly watched Meng Fan's competitions. Now she wanted to see the legendary five gold medals.

Meng Fan smiled wryly: "Why would I carry those things around? They're at home."

"Which home? Hangzhou or Wenzhou?"

"Hangzhou."

"Then what are you waiting for? Go get them quickly!"

"Oh. Well, are you going to the studio later? You go ahead; I'll go back and get them and come over."

"Hurry up, run!"

Half an hour later, Meng Fan arrived at the studio with the five gold medals. The studio members screamed and shouted, all abandoning Meng Fan to crowd around the gold medals. After obtaining Meng Fan's permission, each of them hung the medals on themselves and took photos.

After the excitement died down, Meng Fan got down to business.

"I'm planning to arrange a few stops for a book signing tour. I want to leave the itinerary arrangements to the studio. Can you spare some manpower?"

The main purpose of Meng Fan's visit was related to the signing tour. Since he had already held a signing event in Japan, there was no reason not to hold a few stops domestically. It wasn't purely to sell more manga volumes, but more to give back to the fans.

If Meng Fan's event arrangements were outsourced, many people would be willing to take them on, even for free. At the very least, Penguin Animation would cooperate unconditionally. The reason he wanted to entrust it to the studio wasn't that he didn't trust others, but because he wanted to train a team within the studio, so that in the future, he wouldn't have to worry about or negotiate many things himself.

Meng Fan also explained this reason and said, "Penguin Animation will also send a professional team to cooperate with you. For the first few stops, our side will mainly observe and learn, as well as check my requirements. Also, I'll find an industry insider who knows event arrangements well to join the group."

(End of this chapter)