CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39: BECOMING A PROMINENT FIGURE, GAINING SOME FAME

"???"

"What’s this? Fifty pounds? You’re really pushing it, aren’t you? Are you an athlete? Can you really handle this much pressure?"

The delivery guy had a look of sheer amazement on his face.

"Uh... it’s manageable. Can I take it now?"

"Please do!"

The delivery guy was extremely courteous.

After signing for the package, Zhang Beixing carried it to the nearby sports field and unpacked it. He used his phone to record himself inspecting the package from all sides, making sure the quality was satisfactory and that there was no leakage of sand. Zhang Beixing then put on the weighted vest and did a push-up.

[Weighted Push-up +1]

[Current Progress: 1/1000]

He opened the system panel and noticed a change in the progress bar. Knowing that the weight was also fine, Zhang Beixing started doing push-ups on the spot while wearing the weighted vest.

Just as Zhang Beixing received his new equipment and began his workout to earn Ability Points, his phone vibrated and rang continuously for half an hour before it finally quieted down.

But as it quieted down, the Shi University forum started buzzing.

Initially, with the issue involving Dong Shengjie today, if the school hadn’t directly downplayed the incident and controlled public opinion, the matter might have spread outside. Whether it would catch fire if it leaked out was uncertain, but it would undoubtedly damage the school’s reputation. Thankfully, Zhang Beixing intervened in time, and the school responded swiftly, preventing the situation from escalating.

But as they say, the more popular you are, the more controversy you attract!

After Zhang Beixing had a burst of fame among his classmates, many became curious about where his skills originated and began to dig deeper. Once they started digging...

The fact that Zhang Beixing had been weak and was dumped by his girlfriend the day after they stayed in a hotel was instantly revealed.

Suddenly, the students on the forum were baffled!

"Damn, weak? You call this one-man army weak? If he’s considered weak, then what are we? Double amputees?"

"Damn, just what kind of terrifying creature is Zhang Beixing’s ex-girlfriend if she can’t be satisfied by this kind of man? Quick! Go to Gakanda and buy a cotton harvester!"

"As a classmate of Zhang Beixing, although I don’t know why he’s so formidable now, I do know that he was really weak when he was dating his ex-girlfriend. Ever heard of Empty Lord? That was him!"

"So, what you’re saying is, Zhang Beixing got dumped by his girlfriend and that’s why he became so powerful? How is that even possible!"

"I’m telling you, if breaking up could make someone that badass, let’s not even talk about it. From today, I’m breaking up every day, several hundred times a day—I’d be a walking nuclear bomb!"

"Who says being ’weak’ and being great at fighting are connected? Lots of gym bros might have small dicks and be quick finishers, but their muscles are still massive."

"Give me a break! If you ask me, Zhang Beixing isn’t just formidable, he’s ruthless! Haven’t you noticed, during fights, many of his moves aim for the opponents’ vital spots? In my opinion, he became so formidable because the breakup messed him up mentally and twisted his psyche!"

"..."

Initially, people were just discussing how incredible Zhang Beixing was and where his Combat Value came from, but then the conversation took a turn. Now, opening the comment section, you’d find that people were debating whether Zhang Beixing was really weak or not. Opinions were split—some insisted that someone as tough as Zhang Beixing couldn’t be weak; it must be a rumor. Naturally, there were dissenters.

Even a few who claimed to be Zhang Beixing’s close bros and female friends appeared, providing detailed accounts from an ’insider’s’ perspective on the reasons behind Zhang Beixing’s breakup with his ex-girlfriend.

It was absurd. The key thing is, despite these obviously fake posts, the comments section was still filled with people begging for updates.

It’s hard not to marvel at human nature’s inclination for gossip. Especially the juicy, scandalous type of gossip!

And this trait isn’t just manifested online—it’s even more pronounced in real life!

Just like attending a class, if the teacher strictly adheres to the textbook, you can’t say that eighty percent, but at least seventy percent of the students sitting in the lecture hall would listen drowsily, unable to muster any enthusiasm. But when the teacher switched to another topic, talking about his failed romantic encounters and how he found out his ex was cheating, you would see a bunch of eyes sparkling with excitement. Even if some had stayed up for five or six nights in a row and could fall asleep the moment they closed their eyes, they’d slap themselves in the face to stay awake and listen before sleeping again. If he didn’t finish the story by the end of class, students would even ask the teacher to extend the lecture, a rarity indeed!

All in the name of fun, people really had a knack for it.

"134, 135, 136, 137."

On the sports field, Zhang Beixing, who was yet unaware of his growing popularity at school, was enduring the scorching sun, wearing a weighted vest, his body rising and falling as he muttered to himself.

After gritting his teeth and counting to 140 with all his might, THUMP! Zhang Beixing finally couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed onto the ground with a dull thud.

He struggled to turn over, looking at the sky, gasping like a bull, with sweat pouring down like rain.

This fifty-pound weight was no joke.

From the start of the exercise to now, less than twenty minutes had passed, and Zhang Beixing felt like he was about to die from exhaustion.

He then opened the System.

[Master: Zhang Beixing]

[Status: Moderately fatigued, minor muscle strain (arms)]

[Power: 70]

[Constitution: 70]

[Spirit: 105]

[Ability Points: 1]

[Skill: Yue Family Combo (Entry Level) +1]

Seeing his status change to moderately fatigued and the addition of minor muscle strain (arms), Zhang Beixing couldn’t help but curse in his heart, Damn System, is this really ’C’ level?

Keep in mind, even the "Martial Arts Training" task was at the same ’C’ level difficulty. After completing one set of Yue Family combos, he would just be moderately tired with minor injuries. Plus, he would get rewards, allowing Zhang Beixing to improve over time.

But what about these weighted push-ups? Zhang Beixing had been busy for a long time and had only completed one-seventh of it, and his condition was worse than after the Yue Family combos.

"This is just ridiculous! Thankfully, the progress on these push-ups can be saved, unlike the plank exercises where interrupting them would reset everything."

"Otherwise, dude, after all that effort, if I took a break and came back to find the progress reset, I would totally snap!"

He muttered, disgruntled.

With a thought, Zhang Beixing allocated 0.1 Ability Points to both Power and Constitution.

As a tingling sensation spread through his body, Zhang Beixing finally felt revived.

He was now very grateful. Grateful that he had saved some Ability Points after practicing the Yue Family combos in the morning. Otherwise, with such intense training, if he hadn’t had Ability Points to restore his energy and ease fatigue, it was uncertain whether his hands would still function the next day.

"Let’s call it a day for the push-ups. I’ve got a fight tonight, and if my arms are shot, I’m just going to get beaten up."

"Now, let’s run and see how long I can run under the influence of this fifty-pound weight....."