What's it Like to Be Carried?

Chen Jue and Jiang Zhe squatted side by side on the curb outside the entrance of Jingtanghui.

Watching Wang Xing's BMW X5 being driven away by a designated driver, Jiang Zhe fished a cigarette from his pocket and offered it up: "Old Fourth, you've got to look out for me once you hit the big time!"

"Get lost!"

"We aren't even there yet," Chen Jue laughed and cursed.

He didn't refuse, taking the cigarette and borrowing a light, then squatting down to puff away in the clouds of smoke.

Quitting smoking was truly a difficult business.

Even knowing that smoking was harmful to one's health, when the dead of night rolled around, no smoker could ever refuse a cigarette to cap off the evening.

Thinking back on the encounter at Jingtanghui just now, Chen Jue couldn't help but feel a bit emotional: "Money really does buy influence!"

If Zhu Hongbin and that President Tang hadn't suddenly appeared, his job opportunity would have likely gone down the drain.

As for that Hang City International Darts Club, he planned to go check it out as well.

He was idle anyway, and if he could truly carve out a path as a professional darts athlete, it would be a great way for Chen Jue to improve his life.

No one could refuse an opportunity like that in life.

Especially not a loser like Chen Jue, who had just lost his job and was about to survive on meager savings.

After squatting and smoking for a while, chatting and blowing smoke, the two called for their own designated drivers once they finished trading pleasantries.

Returning to his cramped rental in Changhe Residential District, Chen Jue lay down and thought about many things.

If he hadn't accidentally awakened this attribute panel, he would likely have continued drifting through life in a daze.

Unlike now, where he had not only received a referral offer from one of the top three groups in the industry but also caught the unexpected favor of a darts bigwig.

He took out his phone and scrolled through Zhu Hongbin's Moments. The account seemed to be for work, filled mostly with content related to international darts.

There were blurbs about organizing club events, videos of him taking professional club players to compete internationally, and group photos of him giving back to society through charity work.

In short, the bigwig's life was rich and colorful, unlike Chen Jue and his fellow corporate slaves, whose Moments were locked to a six-month view for fear that others might see they weren't doing so well.

The next morning, Chen Jue woke up just past six.

He figured it was the alcohol from the night before; his mouth was dry and parched, and his breath even carried the stench of stale booze.

He brushed his teeth twice, changed his clothes, and headed out.

He didn't rush to grab breakfast, instead taking advantage of the time to head to a corner of the residential complex.

Seeing that the old men and women practicing Taiji were still there, Chen Jue joined in.

This simplified version of the Twelve Taiji Forms, while looking soft and lacking any real power, focused on health and longevity.

After his recent physical exam at the hospital, Chen Jue knew he had a laundry list of ailments.

Not wanting to go under the knife or have organs removed, he could only pin his hopes on that magical panel and this health-preserving practice.

Starting with the opening stance, followed by Parting the Wild Horse's Mane and White Crane Spreads Its Wings, Chen Jue followed the soft, soothing music as he slowly practiced Taiji.

Having upgraded to Lv1, the Twelve Taiji Forms no longer felt unfamiliar or sluggish, though his breathing rhythm was still a bit messy, lacking the steadiness of the old folks who practiced it regularly.

After practicing for about an hour, his body was slightly perspiring, and the proficiency of his Twelve Taiji Forms had increased by over 80 points. The attribute panel in his vision flashed another notification:

[Ding~]

[Completed one aerobic exercise meeting the requirements]

[Free attribute point +0.01]

[Ding~]

[After a period of moderate exercise, your muscle groups have been well-stretched. Your cardiopulmonary capacity and metabolic rate have increased, and your muscle recovery speed has slightly improved.]

[Physique attribute +0.01]

[Ding~]

[Physique attribute has reached a cumulative 1.00]

[Milestone achievement unlocked: Escaped Sub-health]

[Character evaluation has changed]

Watching the scrolling notifications, Chen Jue finished his practice and stood tall, exhaling a long breath as he felt a warm current nourishing his entire body.

Compared to normal fitness exercises, these Twelve Taiji Forms seemed to accumulate Physique attributes much faster.

Previously, through Stone Skipping and darts training, Chen Jue had gained quite a few attribute points, but the process was grueling; he basically had to exhaust his stamina completely just to earn a tiny point.

Unlike the Twelve Taiji Forms, where the attributes just click and climb upward with a bit of casual practice.

"Could it really be that the health-preserving exercises are actually working?" Chen Zhe wondered to himself, taking a glance at his current attribute panel:

Character: Chen Zhe

Strength: 0.82+

Constitution: 1.00+

Spirit: 1.07+

Skills: [Stone Skipping (Perfected)][Darts Lv3 (1623/2000)+][Twelve Taiji Forms Lv1 (85/200)+]

Available Free Attribute Points: 0.01

(Character Evaluation: A workplace laborer who has suddenly awakened. Although your body has shaken off sub-health, there are still some hidden issues. It is recommended to seek targeted treatment to avoid letting a minor ailment drag on into a serious illness.)

"Avoid seeking medical advice?"

"Is this talking about me?"

After reading the new character evaluation, Chen Zhe couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.

Even the panel was reminding him to see a doctor, which showed that these minor physical issues were indeed becoming an obstacle to his health.

"Forget it, I've dragged it out this long without any major problems, a few more days won't make a difference."

"Let's get the work situation sorted out first!"

Chen Zhe comforted himself, planning to go to the hospital to check it out in a day or two.

If it really came down to it, he could accept conservative treatment—taking some medicine or getting an injection was fine.

But the one thing Chen Zhe would never agree to was surgery to remove an organ; he would rather die.

This was the stubbornness of an old shut-in; once his mind was set, no amount of persuasion would work.

It was nearly 8 o'clock after his morning exercise. While he was eating breakfast, Wang Xing, the executive he had met last night, sent him a WeChat message.

The tone in the message was not only very polite, but he had also forwarded the contact information for the head of the Human Resources department at Hengtong Group, saying he had already put in a good word and that Chen Zhe could just drop by during business hours today to have a chat.

Seeing how attentive this Hengtong vice president was regarding his job placement, Chen Zhe sat there and let out a dry laugh.

He marveled at the power of a big shot's influence; a chance encounter was enough to give him a massive boost.

After sending a few polite words of thanks to Wang Xing on WeChat, Chen Zhe hurried back to his rental apartment to take a shower, shave, change into a new outfit, and then drove to Hengtong Group.

Hengtong Group was located on Qingchun Road, the true central CBD of Hang City, just a short walk from the West Lake scenic area.

Everywhere he looked, there were Grade-A office buildings with glass curtain walls, headquarters for various banks, and clusters of securities firms.

A city's CBD is built upon the backbone of these financial enterprises.

In order to look the part for an interview in such a high-end place and leave a good, punctual impression, Chen Zhe had specifically spruced up his image, pulling into his destination right on time.

To his surprise, as soon as he arrived at the HR department of Hengtong Group and sat down for a brief chat with Supervisor Li about the job requirements, he was immediately taken to meet General Manager Luo of the Risk Control department. After being asked a few professional questions about risk control data and showing the other party his historical overdue data from his previous work experience, Chen Zhe was told on the spot that he had been hired by Hengtong Group!

The position was a data role in the risk control department. Although it wasn't a middle-management role and he had no subordinates to help share the load, the salary had jumped to 20K a month, not including social insurance, housing funds, or year-end bonuses.

Even better, Hengtong Group provided talent apartments for every new employee—standard one-bedroom, one-living-room units with uniform renovations. He could move in with just his luggage, saving him from having to pay out of his own pocket to rent a partitioned room.

"As expected of a large group with foreign capital backing!"

"This compensation is truly high!"

Chen Zhe thought back to all those years he had spent working himself to the bone at Taisheng Finance.

If he hadn't been blocked from promotion by a single diploma, he wouldn't have had to live such a tight, miserable life as he had before.

He filled out his personal information, recorded his fingerprints, and joined the Hengtong Group DingTalk.

He then took his employee card and went to the logistics office to pick up the smart key for his talent apartment.

The whole process took up the entire morning.

However, since he had just been hired, Chen Zhe didn't need to rush into work.

His direct supervisor, General Manager Luo, sent a message saying he could report for duty as late as next Monday, at which point he would meet his new colleagues and get familiar with his position.

As soon as he heard that, Chen Zhe was delighted.

He could continue to slack off for a few more days.

He went out to a nice Chinese restaurant by West Lake, ordered a few small dishes to celebrate, and messaged Jiang Zhe to let him know he had been hired.

"(Awesome)"

"(You know what I mean)"

(Wicked smirk)

Jiang Zhe was likely eating lunch as well, as he replied to the message in seconds.

Seeing those familiar three emojis, Chen Jue laughed out loud. He sent over the location for Jingtanghui, then went to a group-buying app to purchase two thousand-yuan electronic vouchers and forwarded them to him.

Since he had promised his roommate a treat once things were settled, Chen Jue was determined to keep his word.

If not for Jiang Zhe's help, he would have been stuck as an unemployed drifter for quite some time; there was no way he could have landed a position with such a well-backed employer so easily.

After bragging on WeChat for a while.

Once he finished lunch, Chen Jue strolled along West Lake with a full belly to help his digestion.

Thinking about how ninety percent of the credit for his new job belonged to Zhu Hongbin and that President Tang, Chen Jue changed his route and navigated directly to the Hang City International Darts Club.

The club was located in a large sports entrepreneurship park near the Hang City Gymnasium.

It was a comprehensive complex; besides the darts club run by Zhu Hongbin, other clubs for badminton, table tennis, fencing, archery, golf, and outdoor mountaineering were all clustered together here.

As he drove past the exterior, Chen Jue even caught glimpses of a large swimming pool and a soccer field.

The place was massive, and there were quite a few people here to exercise.

However, since it was during work and school hours, most of the people visible in the park were retired seniors or wealthy individuals driving luxury cars in and out.

Just as he finished parking, Chen Jue spotted a familiar black Mercedes-AMG GT R in a parking space.

He glanced at the license plate and confirmed it belonged to Coach Lin Ning from Yilian Fitness.

She plays here too?

What a coincidence.

Filled with a bit of confusion, Chen Jue walked into the darts club.

The interior of the club was decorated in a stylish and minimalist fashion, covering an area roughly twice the size of the Yilian Fitness gym.

It was equipped with a snack bar, a café, and a reading room; it was clearly a place that the wealthy loved to frequent.

At the front desk, Chen Jue showed Zhu Hongbin's business card, mentioning that he had been invited by President Zhu, and took the opportunity to ask about membership prices—the annual fee was 6,888.

Thinking about how his new job had been secured thanks to this President Zhu's influence, Chen Jue didn't hesitate to scan the code and sign up for a membership.

Although he wasn't particularly good at socializing, he was clear about his debts and favors, and he kept those who had helped him in his heart.

Seeing that Chen Jue wanted to join, the young lady at the front desk immediately became extremely enthusiastic.

She helped him open a card, registered him in the system, and even took him on a tour of the club.

When they reached the formal darts practice area, Chen Jue saw Lin Ling from a distance—the one with the hot figure and a face that was both innocent and seductive.

She was accompanying another beauty with an equally explosive figure, training hard at an electronic dartboard.

A few young men and middle-aged men were gathered nearby, occasionally striking up conversations with them, though it was unclear if they were offering guidance or just chatting.

Regardless, nine out of ten were likely just lechers eyeing the figures and appearances of these two young women.

Of course, Chen Jue was also a closet lecher, but he wouldn't go up and hit on them so proactively.

That would be too low-class and would easily leave a bad impression.

As he followed the receptionist, he walked past them nonchalantly, and sure enough, Chen Jue was called out by Lin Ling.

"Hey!"

"Mr. Chen! You came to the club too?"

"I knew it! For an amateur master like you, coming here to experience and exchange skills is definitely the right move." Lin Ling put down her darts and greeted him with a tone of pleasant surprise.

But the moment she spoke, Chen Jue felt as if he were a cloth-armored character who had just triggered a group taunt, instantly maxing out his aggro.

The few club members nearby, whether young or middle-aged, all turned their gazes toward Chen Jue in unison.

Good grief!

A group of fellow lechers were glaring at him with murderous intent; were they planning to treat him like a raid boss and start a fight right here?

Second update~

A bit late, sorry to keep everyone waiting. I'll start writing earlier tomorrow.

By the way, please vote for me~