"What?"
"It's restricted already?"
"That can't be right. It can still level up—it hasn't reached [Mastery] yet."
Chen Jue froze for a moment, then tried throwing the electronic dart in his hand.
Thud! It hit the bullseye again.
After the [Darts] skill reached Lv4, Chen Jue's feel for the game had improved even more, and his bullseye accuracy had become downright ridiculous.
He could probably hit the mark six or seven times out of ten.
But this time, the Attribute Panel didn't give him a [Perfect] rating or the usual prompt that his proficiency had increased by 5.
The result could only mean that the panel had become more demanding. It no longer wanted Chen Jue exploiting the short throwing distance of the international-standard dartboard.
Mechanical throws at such close range could no longer provide any technical gains.
"[Stone Skipping] hit its ceiling at Level 4 and went straight to Mastery."
"I didn't expect [Darts] to hit a restriction at Level 4 too."
"Looks like the panel's skill threshold starts at Level 4." Chen Jue analyzed the situation in silence.
He tried another machine, stood farther away, and threw a few darts.
At first, he moved from the marked distance of 2.44 meters to about 5 meters and gave it a try. The darts were considerably harder to throw from there.
But Chen Jue had found his rhythm, and his dart-throwing technique had reached the level of a professional. His first attempt from 5 meters still landed on the board.
The problem was that the increased distance called for adjustments to the way he used his arm, wrist, and fingers. His accuracy dropped sharply, and his first test throw landed in the outermost ring.
It had nearly missed the board altogether.
Faced with that result, Chen Jue took a deep breath, put more force into his left hand, and threw another dart.
This one landed in the scoring area, but the panel still didn't display a prompt that his proficiency had increased.
"That still doesn't count?"
Chen Jue was a little unwilling to give up, so he backed away a few more steps.
This time, he moved a full 10 meters from the board and tried throwing a few darts again.
The distance was too great, and his glasses had gone far too long without being replaced with a stronger prescription. From 10 meters away, the board looked blurry and doubled.
His nearsightedness and astigmatism were interfering with his performance.
He tried throwing the first two darts, but both missed the board.
His strength wasn't enough, and his aim was much worse too.
"My left hand's too weak."
"A forceful, straight throw won't carry that far." Chen Jue adjusted his technique and switched to the most common kind of lob.
This time, he finally managed to get lucky.
The dart hit the outermost ring of the scoring area, and at last, the panel responded!
[ Ding~ ]
[You have completed a high-difficulty dart throw. You have gained an extraordinary new understanding of the sport of darts.]
[Darts proficiency +1]
"Does it only trigger from more than 10 meters away?"
"That's a really high difficulty!"
Chen Jue looked at the prompt and pressed his lips together helplessly.
That throw had been a lucky guess. He hadn't felt remotely as in control as he had at the marked distance of 2.44 meters.
His eyesight and arm strength were both far below what was needed to throw darts from 10 meters away.
On top of that, he'd gained only 1 point of proficiency this time. At this rate, reaching Level 5 might take him more than half a year.
After experiencing the joy of gaining a level every few days, Chen Jue naturally didn't want to practice darts so inefficiently.
"Brother Jue, are you trying some high-difficulty trick shots?" Lin Ling asked curiously as she came over from where she had been practicing.
She had seen Chen Jue throwing from more than 10 meters away, and it had piqued her curiosity.
"Trick shots?"
"Not really! I just wanted to test my arm strength."
Chen Jue shook his head. He thought of the flashy trick shots in billiards, which only top masters with absolute confidence in their skills could pull off.
He had only just reached a professional level. He was still a long way from becoming a true top dart master.
"Brother Jue, you've only been working out for a few days. It's no big deal if you're not very strong yet."
"Keep training for a while, lose some body fat, then build some muscle. Your strength will come naturally."
"Feifei and I aren't like that. We don't have much talent for darts. We've been playing for nearly two years, but we're still only amateurs," Lin Ling said with a smile, looking Chen Jue over as she spoke.
His fundamentals were decent, and he had a good frame. His looks would probably earn him a six out of ten.
But he was overweight, with extra flesh on his face, and his hair was a little thin. That dropped him to around a four or five.
He was the sort of ordinary man who wouldn't catch anyone's eye in a crowd.
If Chen Jue hadn't been so polite and refrained from leering at them, Lin Ling and Hu Feifei probably wouldn't have bothered with him.
About half an hour later, Hu Feifei and Lin Ling had both lost interest in practicing.
After saying goodbye to Chen Jue, the two women changed clothes and left the club together.
Inside the black Mercedes sports car in the parking lot, Lin Ling couldn't resist teasing her. "Feifei, you asked Brother Jue for his WeChat just now. Don't tell me you've got a thing for him?"
Hu Feifei immediately looked disgusted. "Lin Ling, have you gone crazy, or am I blind? My shop's full of handsome young guys. Some of them have eight-pack abs and V-lines, and there are a few rich second-generation guys pursuing me who are more handsome than celebrities and influencers."
"I only asked him for advice because he's good at darts. He's an old codger. Why would I ever be interested in him?"
Seeing Hu Feifei deny it so emphatically, Lin Ling laughed until she could barely breathe.
They were both young fitness instructors from middle-class families in Hang City. They had plenty going for them and generally looked for partners who were better off than they were.
A man like Chen Jue might have a good personality, but his looks and presence put him at a disadvantage.
Unless he was loaded—rich to an extraordinary degree—they might consider him.
But once they saw Chen Jue get into a domestic SUV in the parking lot, they immediately lost interest in who he was.
What good was it for an ordinary man to be great at darts?
It wasn't like his face could earn him a living.
They honked to give him a polite greeting, then chatted as they drove off to find somewhere to shop and have dinner.
As for Chen Jue, the sharp drop in his [Darts] proficiency gains had made him lose interest in practicing after a little while.
He got into his car and headed toward Changhe Residential District.
After completing his new employee paperwork that morning, Chen Jue had posted messages about subletting his place on the Huaye Industrial Park forum and in various group chats.
Two groups had already contacted him that afternoon to arrange a viewing.
It was nearly quitting time. If he didn't leave soon, Hang City's main roads would be gridlocked.
As for the two pretty girls, Lin Ling and Hu Feifei, he'd already had the pleasure of admiring them up close all afternoon. There was no need to rush into pursuing them.
Thinking he could hook up with a rich beauty just by being good at darts?
That was nothing but a toad dreaming of eating swan meat.
He'd better focus on his own affairs for now. As long as he had their WeChat and practiced at the same club, he'd have plenty of chances to see them again.
He was nearly 30. Chen Jue had enough self-awareness to know that much.
He drove back to Changhe Residential District.
Traffic on the road was starting to build.
After reaching the residential district, Chen Jue made two calls and arranged to meet the two prospective tenants.
They arrived about ten minutes later. They both worked for companies in the industrial park.
When they met, Chen Jue saw that they were young men who had only just graduated. They looked green, and even after work, they still had their backpacks on and wore glasses. They seemed innocent, but a little wary—just like Jing Lin, the young apprentice Chen Jue taught.
After chatting briefly, he took them inside to see the room.
There wasn't much to look at. It was just a standard partitioned room.
Since it was on the first floor, both young men seemed reluctant.
Hang City's weather was very humid, and the damp was even worse on the first floor. An older person living there would surely end up with rheumatism and arthritis.
Only young migrant workers like them could rely on their youthful bodies to tough it out.
But when one of them heard that the rent for the first three months was only 1,800 yuan, he immediately agreed. He was short on money.
Since it was a sublet, the place would be hard to rent out without a discount. Chen Jue quickly cut the monthly rent by 500 yuan.
He called the landlord, who lived in the same residential district, and had him come over to sign a sublease agreement. After collecting the rent and deposit from the young man, Chen Jue began packing his things.
Like most migrant workers in Hang City, he had arrived with only a suitcase and a quilt.
He hadn't expected to have accumulated such a hodgepodge of belongings by the time he left.
If he hadn't just bought a car, Chen Jue would have had to hire a quick-move service online to help him pack.
It took him about an hour to pack. The landlord would send someone to clean the place, so Chen Jue didn't need to finish up or clean anything himself.
He carried a pile of belongings to the car and handed the key to the young man who had taken over the lease.
Chen Jue took off his light autumn jacket and, soaked in sweat, sat down in the driver's seat.
He started the engine, turned on his signal, and, after leaving Changhe Residential District, drove around the neighborhood for a bit.
He had lived and worked here for more than two years. He had no real attachment to the place, but he still felt a little wistful.
Taking the opportunity, he reached into the suit jacket hanging in the back seat and pulled out the crumpled pack of Blue Liqun cigarettes, with only three left.
He took one out and lit it with a flick of his lighter.
As he sat in the car, puffing away, he watched young workers around his age hurry in and out of the residential district, their faces exhausted.
In their hurried steps and weary expressions, Chen Jue saw his former self.
If he hadn't awakened the Attribute Panel, he might still be just like them, trapped in the cage of the Binjiang Industrial Park.
When the cigarette had burned out, he put those pointless thoughts aside, stepped on the gas, and headed for the talent apartments at Hengtong Group.
A whole new life lay ahead of him.
As for the industrial park where he'd spent more than two years, he probably wouldn't be returning anytime soon.
First update~
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Starting early today. I'm feeling great.
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