Glancing back at the imposing but hollow facade of Taisheng Finance, Chen Jue hummed a cheerful tune he couldn't remember where he'd heard and happily stepped into the elevator to head downstairs.
It was the middle of the afternoon workday, and there weren't many people in the corridors or lobby of Huaye Building.
As he passed the front desk, Chen Jue heard security guards and property staff whispering about the major incident on the 23rd floor.
Even the authorities had been alerted. It was no surprise the building's management had already heard all about it.
In the several thousand-member group chats for the business park that Chen Jue belonged to, rumors about Taisheng Finance were also flooding the screen.
There were photos and videos, along with inside stories revealed by the company's own employees.
The chat had already hit 99+ messages when he arrived at work that morning. By now, he probably wouldn't even be able to scroll back to the beginning.
That was how good news stayed close to home while bad news traveled a thousand miles!
In a high-pressure work environment like Hang City, everyone was wound up tight like a spring inside a machine.
Ordinary wage slaves liked to slack off at work in private. Whenever they had a spare moment, they'd sneak a look at their phones and gawk at juicy news everyone enjoyed.
Chen Jue used to be one of them.
He loved checking all kinds of group chats, looking up trending topics online, then turning into a keyboard warrior and an online lurker, arguing away with a bunch of equally bored netizens.
It didn't matter if he lost the argument. He was just there to blow off steam and have some fun.
But after getting the Attribute Panel, Chen Jue realized he'd been a little immature.
Wouldn't it be better to exercise and get in shape instead of spending all that free time pontificating about the world, worrying about the country, and standing up for justice?
Even if he didn't feel like moving, going outside to get some sun and take a walk was better than wasting time glued to his phone!
After scanning for a shared bike and riding it back to his residential compound, Chen Jue changed into sportswear and headed straight to Yilian Fitness.
The young woman at the front desk had changed shifts. This time, an older cleaning lady was watching the desk.
With no one to bother him, Chen Jue swiped his card and entered the gym.
Since it was during work hours, there wasn't a single person there to exercise. The equipment area was deserted.
The only person there was Coach Li Chaoqun, venting his energy on a barbell loaded with weight plates.
"Thud!"
The barbell slammed onto the mat, and Chen Jue felt the whole gym shake with it.
"Holy crap!"
"One, two, three... ten plates?"
"He can lift that much in one go?" Chen Jue went over for a closer look and saw that each plate weighed 25 kilograms.
That meant Li Chaoqun had deadlifted 250 kilograms, not counting the weight of the bar.
That was like lifting three of Chen Jue!
"Mr. Chen! You're off work early today?" Li Chaoqun caught his breath and untied the lifting belt around his waist.
"I'm no Mr. Anything. I'm just a wage earner!"
Chen Jue waved his hand, denying it three times over. Anyone who was a boss had a lot to worry about. He thought being a carefree slacker suited him just fine, and exchanged pleasantries with Li Chaoqun. "The weekend went pretty well. I worked my thighs last time, and they're not that sore anymore. I happened to be free this afternoon, so I thought I'd come back and work out some more."
Li Chaoqun smiled. "I see! Then you could try some upper-body machines today, Mr. Chen. But it'd be best to do some cardio first to warm up."
He didn't take Chen Jue through a session, though. The trial card only covered one one-on-one personal-training session.
For the rest of the time, Chen Jue would have to work out on his own.
Of course, personal training here wasn't cheap.
The cheapest package started at 8,000 yuan, which worked out to more than 300 yuan per session. Chen Jue could afford it on his salary, but it was still a bit of a luxury.
Besides, he wouldn't be getting another paycheck. Until he found a stable job, it was better to save his money for a rainy day.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Li Chaoqun, Chen Jue got on a treadmill to warm up.
He started with a slow walk, picked up the pace, and eventually switched to a light jog.
After about ten minutes, he started to sweat, and an indescribable feeling of excitement spread through his body.
He asked Li Chaoqun, who was working out on the machines in the distance, about it. Li Chaoqun said it was normal.
"Exercise makes the body produce both endorphins and dopamine."
"Endorphins relieve pain, create a feeling of pleasure, ease stress, and improve your mood."
"Dopamine also stimulates the mind and boosts excitement and happiness."
"That's why our members, once they stick with it for a while, start coming in regularly. Exercise makes people happy, so it's normal to get hooked." Li Chaoqun explained the science behind it.
"So it's hormones in the body causing this?"
"No wonder skipping stones and throwing darts can be so addictive!" Chen Jue found it fascinating.
He hadn't exercised in years, so he didn't know much about how the body worked.
Trying to stick with his workouts over the past few days had broadened his horizons.
Taking the opportunity to ask, Chen Jue went on to ask Li Chaoqun which machines would suit him.
"Mr. Chen, in your current condition, the rowing machine would be a good fit."
"It works your whole body and counts as cardio. You're just starting out, and you've got more fat around your waist and upper arms. Rowing can help you build muscle and get in shape." Li Chaoqun set down the two heavy dumbbells he was holding and kindly explained how to use the rowing machine and what to watch out for.
He could tell Chen Jue was serious about working out. Although Chen Jue hadn't signed up for his personal-training sessions, Li Chaoqun still wanted to make a good impression and see if he could win himself a new client.
Following Li Chaoqun's instructions, Chen Jue sat down on the rowing machine.
He set it to the beginner level, Level 1, which had the least resistance.
As Li Chaoqun had advised, Chen Jue was new to the machine and still getting the hang of it, so Level 1 was the best place to start.
After adjusting the seat, he leaned forward, reached out with both arms to grip the handle, then leaned back and pulled.
He tried a few times and found it easy. It was just like paddling a rubber dinghy at the reservoir back home when he was a kid.
But after rowing the preset distance of 100 meters, he felt a mild ache in his lower back and arms. His lumbar spine hurt and felt especially swollen.
"Mr. Chen, your herniated disc is pretty serious!"
"And your spine is a bit curved, too. You should get it checked out at a hospital."
"Exercise alone can strengthen your back muscles and help correct spinal curvature, but you need to do the right exercises."
"Working out without a plan could make your symptoms worse."
Li Chaoqun spotted the problem and pressed a finger against Chen Jue's lower back. The pain made Chen Jue grimace and nearly cry out!
"Huh?"
"Does that mean I can't keep working out?" Chen Jue was a little nervous when he heard he should go to the hospital.
Over the past few years at work, he'd just put up with minor problems and powered through.
He had no choice!
Poor people couldn't afford to get sick!
He'd only had a physical when he first started his job. It had probably been at least four years since he'd gotten a proper checkup at a major hospital.
Perhaps noticing Chen Jue's concern, Li Chaoqun offered a few words of reassurance. "Your situation is very common. Most of the clients I work with have something like it."
"People these days spend long hours working at desks or hunched over their phones. Given enough time, they'll end up with a herniated disc."
"Get a comprehensive checkup. It won't cost that much."
"Your health is what matters most!"
After hearing Li Chaoqun say that, Chen Jue reluctantly accepted it.
Then he asked what kind of equipment he could use for now.
Li Chaoqun took him to try a seated shoulder press, a machine designed to work the shoulder muscles.
But after sitting down and pressing a few times, Chen Jue's left shoulder started creaking. Even Li Chaoqun, standing beside him, could hear the grinding of the bones and joints.
Li Chaoqun laughed from the side. "That's frozen shoulder! You should get that checked out at the hospital, too."
Now Chen Jue was the one feeling awkward. He managed a couple of sheepish laughs and thought, Well, looks like I really do have to go to the hospital!
Since he had problems all over, Chen Jue didn't spend long in the equipment area after trying a few machines.
According to Li Chaoqun, working out blindly before finding out what was wrong could easily lead to further problems.
So Chen Jue went to the Leisure Sports Room and practiced throwing darts instead.
He was definitely going to get a checkup, but it was almost closing time at the hospital that afternoon.
It wouldn't be worth going to the emergency department for these minor issues, so he decided to put it off until the next day.
Since he had some free time, he'd focus on what he could practice and build up his [Darts] proficiency.
The first two times he'd come here to throw darts, he'd used his left hand because of special circumstances.
But Chen Jue was right-handed, unlike Lin Ling, who had learned to use her left hand later in life.
His right hand was far better than his left in both strength and dexterity.
Now that he could use his right hand again, he tried throwing a dart with it to see if he could still retain the Level 3 amateur proficiency in [Darts].
Unexpectedly, on his first throw, the needle dart landed with a heavy thunk on the edge of the board.
The throw had some force behind it, but his aim was terrible!
It was nowhere near as good as throwing with his usual left hand!
What surprised Chen Jue most was that throwing with his right hand didn't trigger the usual proficiency notification. Instead, an unfamiliar message appeared on the Attribute Panel:
[Beep~] [The skills [Stone Skipping] and [Darts] have highly overlapping physical movements. Would you like to merge them?] [This merge will consume 0.10 free attribute points.] [The result will be issued as a brand-new athletic skill.]
Second update~ A little late, but I still got it done!
More tomorrow.
And to those calling me the eunuch-in-chief, which of my books have I ever abandoned?
There's a nine-in-ten chance that a story will fall apart or end badly in the later stages. Even bestselling authors with platinum contracts have written bad endings, let alone a small-time writer like me.
I haven't fully grasped the cultivation system in Adding Points to Cultivation; I've only grasped half of it.
I only started this one after I'd figured it out, so it absolutely won't end badly. I can guarantee that.
Before you continue