Eat Something Good

Just then, Jiang Zhe, who had finished a round of The King of Fighters '97, came over.

Seeing Chen Jue grinning foolishly at a dartboard, he could not help asking curiously, "Fourth, what are you playing? You've been giggling over here this whole time. Got your eye on some pretty girl?"

"What girl?"

"I just hit the bullseye!" Chen Jue waved his hand and hurriedly explained.

The two of them were in the same dorm group chat, where they exposed each other's embarrassing stories all the time. Chen Jue did not want some rumor about falling for a foot-massage girl to start at a bathhouse like Jingtanghui.

If that happened, the idiots from his dorm would probably tease him about it for the rest of his life.

Of course, Chen Jue did not look down on foot-massage girls or massage therapists.

Many of the young women working here made a living through their skills. They sold their craft, not themselves, and probably earned more than he did at his job.

Making money was nothing to be ashamed of.

If people did not view it through tinted glasses, this was actually a fairly high-paying profession.

"You got a perfect score in Darts?"

"What's so special about that?"

"Watch me!" Jiang Zhe grabbed a few steel-tip darts and put on a show, tossing them a few times.

Unexpectedly, the guy had decent luck and hit the bullseye after just a few throws.

Chen Jue was immediately speechless.

He had just raised [Darts] to Level 2 and thought hitting the bullseye was some incredible achievement.

But seeing a complete amateur like Jiang Zhe hit it through sheer recklessness and blind luck instantly killed his excitement.

What Chen Jue did not know was that steel-tip darts were originally a casual recreational sport. It was easy to pick up, and anyone could start playing.

Men, women, young, or old—after trying a few throws, anyone had a chance of hitting the bullseye. The difficulty was not high.

Otherwise, [Darts] proficiency would not have increased so quickly.

The true difficulty lay in applying force properly, achieving the kind of precision Zhu Hongbin had shown earlier—hitting exactly where he aimed and repeatedly landing in the desired scoring areas within a very short time.

Chen Jue had only encountered steel-tip darts that morning and had not even fully understood the official international competition rules, so naturally he did not understand the deeper intricacies of [Darts].

After killing some time in the entertainment area, Jingtanghui's buffet restaurant officially opened at five-thirty.

Chen Jue followed Jiang Zhe over to check it out.

Damn!

There was an entire spread of seafood: Boston lobster, East China Sea swimming crabs, oysters, beef—everything was all-you-can-eat.

There were even teppanyaki chefs serving food on the spot. The standard was no worse than a five-star hotel buffet.

According to Jiang Zhe, the buffet alone cost 588 yuan per person. Combined with the spa treatment as part of the package, it used up exactly one thousand-yuan cash voucher.

Spending over a thousand yuan per person in one afternoon, dinner included, was seriously upscale.

And after the massage and spa treatment, his physical exertion had left him hungry. Chen Jue specifically went for the seafood and beef.

They were high-protein foods rich in calcium, exactly what he needed to supplement his training.

When he was working normally, Chen Jue ate rather casually.

Most of the time, he settled his meals at the first-floor cafeteria in Huaye Building.

The cafeteria food was heavy on oil and barely passable in flavor, but the ingredients were all ordinary cheap stuff. Eating too much of it did not provide much nutrition.

The body assessment he had done that morning included a nutritional evaluation.

There were three ratings: insufficient, average, and sufficient. Chen Jue had received only an [Average] rating for both protein and calcium.

If he wanted a healthy body, exercise was not enough. Diet was equally important.

There had been an old saying: the poor studied literature, while the rich practiced martial arts.

Just think about how Principal Wang even used natural mineral water airlifted from Fiji to cook rice. It was obvious that rich people's nutritional evaluations definitely went beyond merely sufficient.

Chen Jue did not have that kind of money, so he took advantage of this free meal to eat more good food and replenish himself.

As they ate, he also chatted with Jiang Zhe about how things had been lately.

Most college classmates did not stay close for long. After graduation, they scattered to all corners of the country. Other than exchanging pleasantries on WeChat during holidays, most never interacted again for the rest of their lives.

Chen Jue's dorm was an exception. They had stayed in touch even after so many years, occasionally gathering at some scenic spot. Their friendship had only grown stronger.

As for Jiang Zhe, he had been depressed for a while after his business venture failed. If Chen Jue and his family had not been there to comfort him, he probably would have become depressed long ago.

That was why whenever there were company benefits or chances to have fun, Jiang Zhe usually brought Chen Jue along.

"Fourth, if I remember right, you were born in '94. You'll be thirty next year, right?"

"My wife introduced you to several girls before. How come you didn't hit it off with a single one?" Jiang Zhe teased with a waggling brow.

Because they were close, Jiang Zhe and his wife often helped Chen Jue look for suitable partners.

But aside from having a barely decent job, Chen Jue was average in both height and looks. On top of that, not owning a home in Hang City was a major flaw. After several introductions, things always ended hastily with no follow-up.

"No money. Can't afford a home, can't afford a relationship."

"Being single is pretty good too." Chen Jue cracked open a lobster claw and stuffed the meat into his mouth.

He had once had a passionate relationship in college. It dragged on for two years after graduation, but in the end, they had no choice but to break up in the face of harsh reality.

Once he understood that sincere love could not overcome reality, Chen Jue gradually became more detached about relationships.

After entering society, he had felt attracted to several women at work, but none of it led anywhere.

If he could not give someone happiness, it was better not to hold them back.

"Your thinking's gone down a dead end. Plenty of people can't afford a house. They can't all stay single, can they?"

"If nothing else works, I'll have my wife introduce you to a rich older woman. You can become a live-in son-in-law." Seeing that persuasion was useless, Jiang Zhe began offering terrible advice.

"Rich older women aren't stupid either!"

"Why would they skip over young, strong, handsome guys fresh out of college and choose an old dried-up piece of meat like me? What, because I'm older? Because I don't shower?" Chen Jue rolled his eyes, quoting a line from a TV drama as he continued wrestling with the lobster in his hands.

Still, while Boston lobster was not as good as Australian lobster, the meat in those two claws was truly satisfying.

Big portions, guaranteed full!

The buffet lasted nearly an hour and a half.

Seeing that Chen Jue was completely unmoved on the matter of blind dates and relationships, Jiang Zhe stopped trying to persuade him and shifted the conversation toward work and making money.

Hearing that Chen Jue's company was about to disband, Jiang Zhe was surprised as well.

On the way to play games together, he said he would help Chen Jue find a suitable workplace.

The design company Jiang Zhe worked for was quite influential in Hang City, and the clients they dealt with every day had at least some assets.

With so many clients came extensive connections spanning every industry. Helping find a suitable finance company would not be difficult.

"Second Jiang, you really are my true second brother!"

"If you really help me find a new job, three... no, five trips to Jingtanghui will be on me!" Chen Jue patted his chest in promise, then followed Jiang Zhe to Slacker Internet Cafe and got two adjacent computers.

As for his strained arm affecting his performance, that was nothing compared to the importance of gaming together.

What was that saying again?

Men remained boys until they died!

Even after death, they would climb out of their coffins to play a couple rounds at the computer. That showed just how addictive gaming was!

They played until nearly ten, when Jiang Zhe's phone started vibrating nonstop—the unmistakable sign of a married man.

"Fourth, I won't be taking you home. Just call a car yourself!" Jiang Zhe answered the phone, jumped off the computer with a panicked look, then floored the gas pedal and rushed home to kneel on a durian. If he got back any later, he would probably be sleeping in his car.

Unlike Chen Jue, a single dog who could spend the whole night fooling around outside without anyone caring.

After leaving Slacker Internet Cafe, Chen Jue ordered a Didi. He sat on the curb, lit a cigarette, and waited for his ride as his thoughts began to wander.

Exercise in the morning, a massage in the afternoon, a lavish dinner at night followed by gaming—his day had been incredibly fulfilling.

But when night fell, Chen Jue began to feel melancholy for no reason.

Looking at Hang City's dazzling neon lights, listening to the roar of motorcycles and sports cars on the road, hearing the bustling voices from nearby late-night eateries and barbecue joints, it seemed as though everyone had somewhere they belonged.

Yet Chen Jue always felt out of place in this rapidly developing first-tier city.

"Hiss... whew."

"This damn life really is confus—" Just as Chen Jue was about to say the word "confusing," the sudden movement on the Attribute Panel jolted him awake, leaving him with no mood for poetry.

[ Ding~ ]

[ You have completed a qualifying nutritional intake. The nutritional energy provided by high-quality food has interacted with your exercise expenditure, and your subhealthy body has improved slightly. ]

[ Constitution Attribute +0.01 ]

"Holy shit!"

"Eating something good actually works?"

Chen Jue watched his Constitution rise from 0.94 to 0.95 on the Attribute Panel, and the faint confusion that had just welled up inside him instantly vanished.

He felt that he should start taking this strange Attribute Panel seriously.

Even if he could not make money, could not afford a house, and could not afford a wife, he could at least improve this trash-like body of his first!

First update~

Seeing the obituary for July New Anime, Pianfeng felt deeply moved.

I'm already past thirty myself. My body is declining too—I have a herniated lumbar disc, and sitting for too long leaves my lower back sore and aching. I also have plenty of other minor problems.

Earlier, I went to Shanghai with my family for medical treatment and saw many people suffering from illness and pain. After returning, I started working out harder at the gym.

This new book was also published after I came to understand certain things through all the reflections of the past year or so.

I hope that all of you readers, no matter how busy you are with work or studies, will take good care of your health.

Sleep well, rest well, and like the protagonist, treat yourselves to a good meal now and then.

In life, health really is important.