"Handsome, I've always charged this price, I'm not ripping you off."
Seeing Wang Longhu's surprised expression and silence, the middle-aged owner misunderstood something and quickly explained.
Reflecting on his years of working in Hang City, Wang Longhu suddenly realized that he had been eating nothing but takeout for the past few years.
Even in the days leading up to heading back to his hometown, it was the same, indicating that the issue with potential points might stem from this.
Could it be because takeout often consists of pre-packaged meals with no nutrition?
Wang Longhu shook his head; there was no need to overthink such matters. Since he was back in his hometown, his years of savings were just for exercise and survival.
This period might well be the last glimmer of his life, so from now on, he planned to feast on seafood and meat daily, observing how to gain potential points in the process.
"No worries, I'll scan it." Wang Longhu took out his phone to pay and walked straight into the vegetable market.
Dong County, being built on an island, had an abundant supply of seafood. In the past, while in Hang City, Wang Longhu often craved seafood, but it was not only expensive but also not fresh. Now that he was home, he couldn't miss a feast.
He bought three small yellow croakers, two pomfrets, a pound of sea snails, two pounds of tiger prawns, and some scallions, ginger, garlic, and chilies for cooking, along with five pounds of beef and five pounds of pork hind leg meat for fridge storage.
Almost at death's door, and if the panel couldn't save him, then before he died, he had to enjoy a few good meals. Wang Longhu leisurely carried several plastic bags home.
…
At nightfall, the broadcast from the nearby elementary school ground played the song 'The Lonely Brave.'
Having taken off his apron, Wang Longhu had finished preparing the last dish of tonight's dinner.
On the dining table were scallion oil small yellow croaker, braised pomfret, boiled sea snails, and steamed tiger prawns.
Wang Longhu sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat with excitement and anticipation.
Seafood is the least filling, and although the dishes looked plentiful, the portions were actually small. When Wang Longhu finished them all, sure enough, the potential points on the panel had indeed increased.
[Name: Wang Longhu]
[Strength: 0.83 (+)]
[Physique: 0.76 (+)]
[Spirit: 0.88 (+)]
[Skill: Basic Fitness Lv2 (0/200)]
[Potential Points: 0.03]
After eating the eight pork bones, Wang Longhu initially had 0.01 potential points, but now it was 0.03, meaning this dinner provided him with 0.02 points.
He added all the potential points to physique, and instantly felt comfortably relaxed, squinting his eyes in satisfaction.
"Eating can yield potential points, could this be the so-called 'nutritional supplement'? Though effective, the cost to gain potential points is too high." Wang Longhu looked at the plates he had cleaned off, smiling wryly.
Eight pork bones cost 144 yuan, and the ingredients for this seafood dinner cost 316 yuan. Spending 460 yuan to buy 0.03 potential points seemed like a worthwhile investment.
But for someone like Wang Longhu, who had saved diligently over the years, with his bank balance barely over 40,000 yuan, and now unemployed, he could only afford such luxury 87 more times.
"Lacking both money and time, if I had sufficient financial resources and time, I would indulge in nutritional supplements every meal. Without even exercising, I could boost my physique to 1000 points." Wang Longhu sighed, dutifully cleaning the table and washing the dishes.
Tired from the day's travel and with physical discomfort, Wang Longhu opted not to exercise that night but went to bed early to prepare for a morning workout by the sea.
...
The morning mist was thin, and the air was damp.
A youth wearing a windbreaker was jogging evenly along the sidewalk; it was Wang Longhu.
Exercise involves both aerobic and anaerobic activities; alternating between the two yields the best effects. Wang Longhu had laid out a plan before sleeping last night.
From now on, he would wake up at 5 a.m. every day for a two-hour morning run, followed by prisoner-style workouts in the afternoon and a two-hour night run, never wasting a moment of life.
Such a plan was equivalent to a death sentence for Wang Longhu in the past, but the current situation was different. With the proverbial Sword of Damocles hanging over him, laziness was not an option.
Moreover, perhaps due to the increased physique from yesterday, he felt slightly more comfortable waking up today, with less chest pain than before.
"If I could gather thirteen people like me for a year's training to play football, we'd probably take the World Cup easily." Gazing at the empty street, Wang Longhu chuckled internally.
Crossing through the urban area and jogging for half an hour, Wang Longhu arrived at the seaside, with the bus station he alighted at yesterday not far away.
Years ago, the government built a 6.4-kilometer-long seawall along the coast to withstand typhoon waves, ensuring the safety of residents along the shore.
In recent years, a rubber running track was laid on top, with a square park built below, becoming a favored spot for night runners.
Breathing heavily, coughing up phlegm tainted with blood, Wang Longhu climbed the seawall and leaned against it, gazing at the distant blue sea. Watching waves crash against the seawall, the spray exploding, and the vast expanse of the sea, he suddenly felt his mood lifted, and even his sore thighs felt much better.
"Once you get used to it, exercise feels quite nice, too. I wouldn't have been able to run for half an hour straight before; now, with an improved physique, many things have become much easier." Wang Longhu mused to himself.
The seawall running track was particularly quiet at this time, with only one or two early risers jogging. Wang Longhu adjusted his breathing and started jogging again.
This 6.4-kilometer seawall was a challenge for even tough individuals when attempting to run its full length; Wang Longhu had never tried it, opting today to spend one and a half hours challenging his limits.
Half an hour later.
"Huff... Huff... Huff..." Collapsed on the ground, Wang Longhu sat slumped on the slope beside the track, gasping for breath, sweat pouring down his forehead like streams.
Being sedentary for years, even with his slight increase in physique yesterday, Wang Longhu had overestimated his physical condition.
As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day," and fitness isn't achieved overnight. Having jogged for half an hour en route to the seaside, he drained his stamina completely now.
Feeling nauseous, ready to vomit, with stars dancing before his eyes and a dizzy spell threatening to faint once he stood up, Wang Longhu was inexplicably reminded of his middle school physical exam.
Back then, having finished the 1000-meter boys' run in 3 minutes and 45 seconds, he felt as miserable as he did now.
This time, however, he no longer possessed his youthful vitality from those days.
After resting for an unknown amount of time, Wang Longhu finally felt his dizziness subside, lifting his arm-supported head to see a group of elderly people practicing exercises in Half Moon Bay Square below.
These elderly folks stood neatly in line, quietly meditating, legs spread a fist's length apart, looking particularly intriguing.
What caught Wang Longhu's attention the most was the white-haired old man who appeared to be the leader at the front of the line.
Donning a white training suit, with knees bent and hands poised at his abdomen, he inhaled and exhaled, from his mouth emitted a stream of white mist like an arrow, shooting several inches ahead before slowly dissipating.
After watching for a while, Wang Longhu's gaze shifted from interest to astonishment.
It's already late March, with the weather warming up, and people don't usually speak in foggy breaths like in winter.
Even when Wang Longhu tried, he could barely puff out any white mist, starkly contrasting with the white-haired old man's performance.
"How is this possible? Could the old man be some reclusive master?"
With that thought, Wang Longhu hurriedly got up, steadied himself, and walked down the slope, intending to seek advice from the elderly gentleman.
If he could learn a trick or two, that would be perfect.