The message read: "Ask about someone?"
Upon seeing it, Lin Siqi raised an eyebrow, Sophia Zhou's energetic face subconsciously appearing in her mind.
Though today was only their first meeting, whether in conversation or demeanor, the other girl had made her feel very comfortable.
Someone worth befriending.
Thus, Lin Siqi typed back, "Who?"
Sophia Zhou replied, "Zhang Beixing."
Lin Siqi stared at the name, momentarily stunned.
???
She looked up towards the stands. There sat Zhang Beixing with his legs crossed, engrossed in his phone, a mysteriously pleased smile on his face.
Lin Siqi stared expressionlessly at him for a while before typing, "Why are you asking about him?"
It didn't make sense. They had just met once. Why would she suddenly inquire about Zhang Beixing? She's a prominent sports talent and a great beauty too. Surely she couldn't have fallen for Zhang Beixing at first sight, could she?
Sophia Zhou: "Because I want to learn martial arts from him! (serious face)"
Lin Siqi typed: "?"
It wasn't that she had a problem; she thought Sophia Zhou had a problem!
She had overheard the conversation between Sophia Zhou and Zhang Beixing. She knew perfectly well that Zhang Beixing had fabricated a Martial Artist identity just to trick Sophia Zhou.
So why would you still fall for it so foolishly and even seriously want to find him to learn martial arts? You're a sports student, not a brain-dead one!
Lin Siqi mentally grumbled, lamenting how incredibly naive Sophia Zhou was.
Thus, determined not to let such an innocent girl be deceived by Zhang Beixing and fall into his clutches, Lin Siqi began to persuade and explain.
She told Sophia Zhou that Zhang Beixing wasn't as incredible as she thought. He had only started training a little over a week ago. Before that, he was a weak homebody, a complete novice at sports who didn't even know proper breathing techniques for running, let alone possess any real martial arts training.
She thought such a detailed explanation would help Sophia Zhou snap out of it and realize she had been tricked by Zhang Beixing.
But unexpectedly...
Sophia Zhou: "Siqi, you make some good points, but I feel like Beixing isn't that kind of person. He has no reason to lie to me."
"You say he only started training over the past week or so. But to advance from a homebody to the current level of a second-grade athlete in such a short time—modern fitness methods alone wouldn't achieve that. He must truly possess real skills to improve so quickly!"
"Siqi, I know you mean well and are worried I'll be deceived, so you're trying to persuade me. But the truth is, what Beixing said is very likely true. He hasn't lied to me!"
Seeing Sophia Zhou's reply, Lin Siqi felt her blood pressure rising.
She honestly hadn't expected that from just a short conversation, Zhang Beixing could have deceived Sophia Zhou so thoroughly. The girl was acting like a complete fan, devoid of all basic judgment!
Seriously, Zhang Beixing, with skills like that, why aren't you out making a name for yourself in some pyramid scheme instead of holed up in school, tricking young girls? Is this how those abilities are supposed to be used?
...
"ACHOO!"
As Lin Siqi was trying to persuade Sophia Zhou, up in the stands, Zhang Beixing suddenly felt a chill and sneezed, somewhat puzzled.
He blew his nose and pocketed the tissue.
Then he opened his System panel to check his gains.
He had run thirteen kilometers, earning a total of 1.8 Ability Points.
Of these, 1.5 Ability Points were acquired by completing a rhythmic running task. Another 0.2 came from the four-step breathing method, and the remaining 0.1 was a reward from abdominal breathing while walking.
Excluding the Ability Points used earlier to maintain stamina and recover from fatigue during the run, he now had 1.4 Ability Points available.
His Power attribute, which was 69.3 before the run, had increased to 69.7.
First, I'll increase Power to seventy and get myself to the healthy level! Zhang Beixing thought, then clicked the plus sign next to Power three times.
As a burst of intense, numbing sensation spread through him, Zhang Beixing closed his eyes to savor it.
Perhaps because all his attributes had broken through 70, this upgrade felt incredibly intense!
If his previous upgrades had felt like getting a massage, or perhaps a full-body essential oil SPA, this time was far more potent. It felt as if he were surrounded by numerous masseuses, their countless soft, white, oil-coated hands meticulously caressing and massaging every inch of his skin.
Wait, what the hell? I'm outside! This can't be happening! Zhang Beixing inwardly exclaimed, but it was futile.
His expression began to twist unnaturally. So, in an attempt not to embarrass himself publicly, after a few milliseconds of frantic brainstorming, Zhang Beixing abruptly leaped up from the stands and started performing the Yue Family series of punches, trying to use the exertion to overcome the overwhelmingly pleasant sensation.
Bind, grab, lock, lean, push...
As his techniques and movements constantly changed, his muscles were engaged. A wave of fatigue washed over him, suppressing the comfortable sensation until it vanished without a trace!
Realizing this, Zhang Beixing let out a long breath, a mix of relief and regret churning within him.
But soon, these mixed feelings vanished.
He noticed that after all three of his primary attributes reached 70, his Yue Family punches had undergone some subtle changes.
Firstly, the punches had become more forceful and ferocious. Although not as explosive as Teacher Liu's, whose every punch could create an audible crack in the air, their deterrent force was now significantly greater than before.
Secondly, there was the matter of force generation. After his Power increased to 70, Zhang Beixing found his control over his body's muscles had deepened. Consequently, he realized some of his movements had issues with force application. For instance, using his waist could make a punch much fiercer and more ruthless. However, he had been using only his fist for certain moves. This meant that while such a punch looked imposing, it lost seventy percent of its actual power, possessing mere appearance but lacking true impact!
Zhang Beixing continued practicing, adjusting his Yue Family punches as he went.
Therefore, completing this set of Yue Family punches left him feeling particularly exhausted.
But the payoff was considerable.
[Master: Zhang Beixing]
[Status: Moderately tired, slightly injured]
[Power: 70]
[Constitution: 70]
[Spirit: 105]
[Ability Points: 1.1]
[Skill: Yue Family Punch (Proficiency) 100/100]