Talent, the Gap

[Beginner Achievement—Deep Sleep (3/7)]

Seeing that line of phantom text, Qin Shi felt fulfilled inside.

It was like logging into a game every day and waiting for generous rewards to be handed out.

His anticipation was through the roof!

"Full of energy every day! In this state, forget training with Old Liang—even if I had to do the Old Factory Street triathlon, deliver food, run express packages, or drive a taxi, I could handle it!"

At the break of dawn, Qin Shi swiftly washed up and loosened his body.

Old Martial Arts really did show results fast.

He had only trained for two days, yet the effects were already immediate!

"My arms, shoulders, waist, abs... it's like they've been carved with a knife. The lines are starting to show."

Qin Shi wiped himself down with cold water and put on clean clothes.

His refined, delicate good looks now carried an extra hint of masculinity.

"Damn, bro, young girls nowadays are totally into your type.

Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, lean muscles, plus the buff of being a six-foot high school athlete—your killing power is insane!"

Qin Lan carried breakfast over and, seeing Qin Shi's even more impressive aura, couldn't help rubbing her hands together eagerly.

If she dressed up and packaged her second brother properly, the ranks of her future second-sister-in-law candidates would soon expand into a whole regiment.

Then she could ride her brother's coattails to glory. No problem at all!

"What are you thinking about? Wipe your drool."

Qin Shi expressionlessly flicked her smooth forehead with his finger.

"Why are you up so early? Aren't your part-time jobs usually at noon?"

Qin Lan pouted and cried out in pain.

"Ow! This is the head of Santan Heavy Industry's future chief designer! What if you damage it?"

Your top priority right now was getting into college. Dream less!

Qin Shi looked at his mysteriously confident little sister and grumbled inwardly:

"Overconfident woman. What a turnoff."

Qin Lan took a huge bite of a thin-skinned, generously filled beef bun.

"My last part-time job ended early. I was doing pretty well at first—I tutored kids for one paycheck, then helped the little brats finish their homework for another.

But the competition was too fierce. That piano teacher kept stealing my clients!

That guy not only did their homework for them, he even boosted their game ranks. I couldn't outwork him!"

Even now, the youngest was still fuming over it.

Anyone who cut off her source of income was her sworn enemy!

"Sure enough, workaholics are the main culprits behind the industry's worsening environment."

Qin Shi gave a thumbs-up. He could tutor them going forward and boost their ranks going backward—both literary and martial.

"So what's your part-time job now?"

Qin Lan lowered her head and honestly confessed:

"I write homework for students in the Elite Class. There are lots of slackers in Metropolitan Area schools who can't even finish their daily assignments.

Especially rich young masters and misses whose families want them to take mechanical engineering electives in the future.

I help them solve a few little problems. I make more than a supermarket cashier or a tutor!"

Qin Shi instinctively frowned, his expression turning serious.

"That violates school rules. What if a teacher catches you? Little sis, we can't take that risk."

He had spent three years in New No. 1 Middle School's Hongzhi Class and had encountered plenty of people from the Elite Class.

He knew all too well that ordinary people's so-called "excellent education" and "high quality" of wealthy families—

were really just an unrealistic, illusory filter.

Not all rich people were evil, but children raised in privilege got things too easily, and the cost of making mistakes without being punished was too low.

They simply did not live in the same "world" as Worker's Children from Old Factory Street like him and his little sister.

If word got out and the matter was exposed, Qin Lan would inevitably be the first to suffer.

"Okay, got it, bro. I'll listen to you!"

Qin Lan sat up obediently. There was no perfunctory attitude in her at all as she nodded seriously.

As the youngest in the family, she never lied to Eldest Sister or her second brother, nor did she ever use being young as an excuse for rebellion or ignorance.

Qin Shi said softly:

"Don't worry about tuition. Mechanical engineering electives cost a lot, but Eldest Sister can earn money, and I'll find a way too. We can definitely support the future Engineer Qin through the Four Great National Universities and see her graduate smoothly!"

Qin Lan swung her ponytail and giggled.

"Got it, got it. My brother is the most capable! I'll just study hard and not think about anything else!"

After breakfast, Qin Shi left home. As he jogged along, he thought:

"Old Liang said yesterday that as long as my Life Force level is high enough, I won't have to worry about ways to make money..."

He calculated that he had barely touched the money Eldest Sister had given him.

Old Liang had waived the tutoring class registration fee.

But considering that Nutritional Paste and trips to the foot massage parlor would both be necessary expenses—

he would also need to set aside money in advance for many of the costs of continuing his martial arts training.

"Relying solely on part-time work is way too tight."

As Qin Shi pondered how to make money, he suddenly realized:

"Back then, at most, I would've thought about asking Old Xu for a few more part-time gigs.

But now, restless thoughts are stirring for no reason.

When a man carries a weapon, murderous intent naturally arises. That really is true."

Shaking off those chaotic thoughts, Qin Shi's expression returned to calm.

No matter how difficult his circumstances were, he could never walk down the irreversible road of crime for money.

Taking ten thousand steps back, even going into Jinse Impression would be better!

Being the top male escort of Old Factory Street and living off rich Metropolitan Area women was better than getting a pair of silver bracelets slapped on his wrists!

"Raise my Life Force to ten points and pass the Rank-Placement Exam.

If nothing else, I'll at least secure that Hongzhi Class scholarship."

Qin Shi entered Ninth High School through the back gate right on time. Old Liang had yet to arrive, but nearly all the tutoring students were already there.

The training ground was lively. Li Yuan, lean and capable but plain-looking, hung from a horizontal bar and did twisting exercises.

"The new guy grasped the Qi sensation yesterday. Old Liang even treated him to Nutritional Paste. Looks like he's planning to focus on training him."

"New No. 1 Middle School's good students really are fierce. He can endure Muscle Twisting and Back Stretching, and he grasped the Qi sensation quickly too.

I bet Old Liang won't arrange for him to attend class with us anymore."

Xie Yucheng's eyes were full of envy. Teacher Liang's teaching method at Ninth High School was simple.

However far you could train, that was how far he would teach you.

He and Li Yuan had tried Muscle Twisting and Back Stretching once, and neither had been able to keep going.

Even gritting their teeth and forcing themselves through it was useless!

They were so exhausted the next day that they could not even get out of bed.

They had been forced to rest for several days, missing classes in the process. It was more loss than gain.

Grasping Qi Sensation was even more hopeless.

That step was far too mysterious—like asking a blind man to accurately describe the scenery in front of him. It was as hard as reaching the sky.

"It's so unfair!"

Li Yuan said indignantly:

"It's not like we aren't working hard, but we just can't learn it. Meanwhile, he gets started in two days!

A'cheng, tell me—why is the gap this huge?!"

Maybe it was because of that bottle of soda, or maybe because they both lived on Baogong Street and could be considered half-neighbors.

Xie Yucheng had a favorable impression of Qin Shi.

"Come on, Brother Yuan. Didn't Old Liang say that there are always some people in this world who are born with extraordinary talent and gifts?

Think about it. New No. 1 Middle School in the Metropolitan Area has such a high threshold. You can't just buy your way in.

Besides, his family circumstances are pretty ordinary.

He got into the Hongzhi Class through his own ability. Isn't that impressive?"

Li Yuan let out a breath, released the bar, and landed on both feet.

"Heaven really doesn't make any sense at all!"

Xie Yucheng consoled him:

"There really is a gap between people. What can we do about it?

I'm jealous too. If this guy trains for a few more days, he'll probably catch up to our progress.

Old Liang's methods hurt like hell, but as long as you can learn them, your Life Force rises crazy fast.

Come to think of it, isn't Brother Ze looking for people? We might as well introduce him to Brother Ze."

Li Yuan looked hesitant.

"Him? Is he reliable? Brother Ze wants real brothers who dare to fight and risk it all!"

Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng were standard Worker's Children. They had been hanging around the streets since they were little.

They frequented places like Billiard Halls, video arcades, and game centers all year round, and knew plenty of local "big brothers."

"This guy's family isn't any better off than ours. His little sister goes to school in the Metropolitan Area, and his Eldest Sister drives deliveries.

If he had any other path, who would be willing to wreck their body learning boxing with Old Liang?"

Xie Yucheng stomped his feet to warm up, grinning.

"West of North Pass Street, Boss Ze is number one.

Following Brother Ze has to be more promising than going down a mine or becoming a laborer in the future, right?

The best way out on Old Factory Street is nothing more than getting into a factory."

Li Yuan did not answer. He said gloomily:

"Let's watch him for a few more days. He may have talent for training, but physical fitness and actual combat ability are completely different things.

When it comes to a real fight, he might not even be able to beat us. Brother Ze's standards for recruiting fighters aren't low."