Judge Chen

Twenty-nine days left until the competition. Past ten on a weeknight, all that remains at Summit Gym is the sound of mats being put away and the smell of chalk dust. In front of the newly set 6.0-grade competition route, you lost your grip at exactly the seven-meter mark again today and dropped onto the mat. On a folding chair beside the wall sits a man in a gray windbreaker. He's the one announced as the official judge for this competition. He came by to inspect the routes before the event, and ended up watching your attempt from start to finish. The clipboard on his knee is packed with hold numbers, and the stopwatch on his wrist is still running. Capping his pen, he slowly rises to his feet.