Knowing Others is Wisdom, Knowing Oneself is Enlightenment

"What?"

"It's already hit a limit?"

"That's not right, it clearly hasn't reached (Perfection) yet."

Chen Jue froze, holding the electronic dart in his hand and testing it with a throw.

Thud. It hit the bullseye dead center once again.

After the [Darts] skill upgraded to Lv4, Chen Jue's feel for the game was stronger than before, and his accuracy in hitting the bullseye was becoming increasingly absurd.

He could manage to hit the mark about six or seven times out of ten.

However, this time the panel did not provide a [Perfect] rating or the usual +5 proficiency growth notification.

The result was simple: the panel had become pickier and no longer wanted to let Chen Jue exploit loopholes by using the short-range targets of international darts.

Mechanical throwing at such close range could no longer yield any technical returns.

"The [Stone Skipping] skill hit its peak at level 4 and went straight to (Perfection)."

"I didn't expect this [Darts] skill to hit a limit at level 4 as well."

"It seems the panel's threshold for [Skills] starts at level 4," Chen Jue analyzed to himself.

He tried switching to another machine and stood further back to throw a few rounds.

He moved from the standard 2.44-meter line to about 5 meters away; the difficulty increased significantly.

However, because Chen Jue had found his rhythm and his technique with needle-style darts had reached a professional level, the first dart from 5 meters out successfully landed on the board.

But as the distance increased, the force exerted by his arm, wrist, and fingers required adjustment, and his accuracy dropped sharply; the first test dart landed on the outermost ring.

It was just a hair's breadth away from missing the board entirely.

Facing this result, Chen Jue took a deep breath, increased the force in his left hand, and threw another dart.

This one landed in a scoring zone, but the panel still did not show a [Notification] for increased proficiency.

"That's still not enough?"

Chen Jue refused to give up and stepped back a few more paces.

He retreated to a distance of 10 meters from the target and tried a few more throws.

Because of the distance, combined with the fact that he hadn't updated his high-prescription glasses in a long time, Chen Jue found that looking at the target from 10 meters away was actually a bit blurry and doubled.

His nearsightedness and astigmatism were interfering with his performance.

The first two test throws missed the board entirely, without exception.

It wasn't just a lack of power; his aim was also significantly off.

"The strength in my left hand is too low."

"I can't throw a straight line that far using an explosive darting motion." Chen Jue adjusted his stance and switched to the most common lobbing technique.

This time, he finally managed to land one by pure luck.

The dart struck the outermost scoring ring, and the panel finally reacted!

[Ding~]

[Completed a high-difficulty dart maneuver; you have gained a unique, extraordinary understanding of the sport of darts.]

[Darts proficiency +1]

"It only triggers beyond 10 meters?"

"That is a truly high difficulty!"

Chen Jue pursed his lips helplessly as he looked at the notification.

That last throw was based purely on instinct; he had none of the control he felt at the 2.44-meter line.

Whether it was his eyesight or his hand strength, he was far from meeting the basic requirements for 10-meter darts.

Furthermore, this throw only granted +1 proficiency. At this rate, he would likely spend more than half a year trying to reach level 5.

Having experienced the joy of leveling up every few days, Chen Jue naturally didn't want to train with such low efficiency.

"Brother Jue, are you practicing high-difficulty trick shots?" Lin Ling, who was practicing nearby, leaned in and asked curiously.

Seeing Chen Jue attempting to throw from over 10 meters away had piqued her interest.

"Trick shots?"

"Not exactly! I just wanted to test my hand strength."

Chen Jue shook his head, thinking of the fancy trick shots in billiards, which usually only top masters with absolute confidence in their technique could pull off.

He had only just reached a professional level; he was still a long way from being a true master of darts.

"Brother Jue, you've only just started working out a few days ago, it's fine if your strength is a little lacking."

"Once you've trained for a while, your body fat will drop, and as you build muscle, your strength will naturally increase."

"Unlike Feifei and me—we don't have any talent for Darts. We've been playing for nearly two years and are still at an amateur level," Lin Ling said with a smile, taking the opportunity to size up Chen Jue's physique and appearance.

His foundation wasn't bad; his frame was decent, and on a scale of ten, his looks were probably a six.

But because he was soft and bloated, with excess fat on his face and thinning hair, he dropped straight down to a four or five.

He was just an ordinary person who wouldn't draw a second glance from anyone in a crowd.

If it weren't for the fact that Chen Jue was polite and didn't stare at them inappropriately, Lin Ling and Hu Feifei probably wouldn't have bothered with him at all.

About half an hour later, Hu Feifei and Lin Ling lost interest in practicing.

After saying goodbye to Chen Jue, the two women changed their clothes and left the club together.

In the black Mercedes sports car at the parking lot, Lin Ling teased, "Feifei, you asked for Brother Jue's WeChat earlier—don't tell me you've taken a fancy to him?"

Hu Feifei looked nauseated the moment she heard that. "Lin Ling, have you lost your mind, or am I blind? My shop is full of handsome young guys—some are rich second-generation heirs with eight-pack abs and V-taper lines who are even better looking than celebrities or influencers, and they're all chasing me."

"If it weren't for the fact that Brother Jue is good at Darts and I wanted some pointers, why would I ever look twice at an old geezer like him?"

Seeing Hu Feifei deny it so vehemently, Lin Ling couldn't help but laugh.

They were both young fitness trainers with middle-class family backgrounds in Hang City. They had good foundations and generally looked for partners who were a step above them.

Men like Chen Jue might have decent personalities, but they were at a huge disadvantage when it came to looks and charisma.

Unless he was rolling in money—wealthy to a very high degree—they might have considered it.

Unfortunately, the moment they saw Chen Jue appear in the parking lot and get into a domestic SUV, they lost all interest in his background.

What was the point of an ordinary person being good at Darts?

It wasn't like a pretty face; it couldn't be used to make a living.

After a polite honk to say goodbye, the two women chatted as they drove off to find a place to shop and have dinner.

As for Chen Jue, because the efficiency of grinding his [Darts] proficiency had dropped significantly, he didn't want to practice anymore.

He got into his car and headed toward Changhe Residential District.

Since finishing his onboarding that morning, Chen Jue had posted about subletting his apartment on the Huaye Industrial Park forums and various group chats.

By the afternoon, two parties had already contacted him, wanting to see the place.

It was almost time to get off work, and if he didn't leave soon, the main roads in Hang City would be jammed solid.

As for the two pretty girls, Lin Ling and Hu Feifei, he had already enjoyed their company up close for an afternoon; there was no rush to pursue them.

Thinking he could hook a high-class beauty just by being good at Darts?

That was nothing but a toad lusting after swan meat—pure delusion!

It was better to focus on his own affairs first. As long as he had their WeChat and they practiced at the same club, there would be plenty of opportunities to interact later.

He was nearly thirty; Chen Jue had at least that much self-awareness.

He drove all the way back to Changhe Residential District.

The traffic on the road was starting to pick up.

Once he arrived at the complex, Chen Jue made two calls and arranged for both prospective tenants to meet him.

After waiting about ten minutes, they arrived—they were workers from companies in the industrial park.

When they met, he saw they were just young guys who had recently graduated. They looked naive, wearing backpacks and glasses even after work, carrying a mix of innocence and wariness, much like his little apprentice Jing Lin.

After a brief chat, he took them in to see the room.

The room was tiny and nothing special—just a standard partitioned space.

Since it was on the first floor, both young men were a bit hesitant.

Hang City's weather was extremely humid, and the ground floor was even worse; if an elderly person lived here, they would definitely develop rheumatoid arthritis.

Only these young "leeks" out working could rely on their youthful bodies to endure it.

However, as soon as they heard the rent was only 1,800 for the first three months, one of the cash-strapped guys immediately made the decision.

Because it was a sublet, it was hard to move without a discount, so Chen Jue had cut the rent by 500 a month to make a quick deal.

He called the landlord, who lived in the same complex, signed the sublease agreement, collected the rent and deposit from the young man, and began packing.

Like many other drifters in Hang City, he had arrived with just a suitcase and a quilt.

He hadn't expected that by the time he left, his belongings would be so varied.

If he hadn't just bought a car, Chen Jue would have had to hire a moving service online to help him pack.

It took about an hour to pack his luggage. As for the cleaning, the landlord would have someone handle it, so Chen Jue didn't have to worry about the cleanup.

He loaded his things into the car and handed the keys to the new tenant.

Chen Jue took off his thin autumn jacket and sat in the driver's seat, drenched in sweat.

He ignited the engine, signaled, and made a point of circling the area once he exited Changhe Residential District.

He had lived and worked here for over two years; although there was no deep attachment, he still felt a touch of sentimentality.

Taking this opportunity, he reached into the suit jacket hanging in the back seat and pulled out the crumpled pack of Blue Liqun that had only three cigarettes left.

He pulled one out and lit it with a "click" of his lighter.

As he puffed away inside the cabin, he watched the young workers of similar age coming and going through the residential gate.

In these hurried, weary-faced young people, Chen Jue saw his former self.

Had he not awakened this attribute panel, he might still be just like them, unable to escape the cage that was Binjiang Industrial Park.

Once the cigarette burned down, he reined in these useless sentiments, stepped on the gas, and headed toward the talent apartments of Hengtong Group.

A brand-new life awaited him.

As for this industrial park where he had stayed for over two years, he would likely not return easily in the future.