New Skill: Climbing

Walking out of the International Darts Club, Chen Jue knew he likely wouldn't be coming back again.

That 6,888 membership fee could just be considered settling a debt of gratitude.

Since he had already rejected Zhu Hongbin's request, coming back to his turf to practice darts would be purely asking for trouble.

As for why he was so firm in turning away such a massive fortune, Chen Jue had his own reasons.

If he were fresh out of college, as naive and inexperienced as his young apprentice Jiang Lin, perhaps Chen Jue would have been swayed by a few words from Zhu Hongbin.

Just sign it, right?

It's just a job to make money anywhere.

How fast can you make money as an influencer?

Do some livestreams, promote some products, go out for commercial appearances, and you could be a millionaire in less than a year or two.

Ordinary people couldn't earn that much money in a lifetime of hard work!

But Chen Jue was nearly 30 now; he had long since seen through the ways of the world.

After awakening his panel, what mattered most to him was no longer money or a job, but a healthy body and freedom of thought.

Take his high-paying job at Hengtong Group, for instance; Chen Jue only needed to make a call or send a message to HR to resign, and he could walk away at any time.

But these MCN companies were different.

Once the contract was signed, even the biggest influencers had to obediently listen and let themselves be manipulated.

If you didn't listen, it was fine—they'd freeze your accounts to cut off your income, blacklist you across the entire web, and finally sue you for astronomical breach-of-contract damages.

Although Chen Jue had never worked as an influencer, he had seen enough news and short videos to know the tricks of the trade.

While he was socially anxious, introverted, and had his fair share of personality flaws, he was fundamentally a straight shooter at heart.

How did that saying go?

Better to take the straight path than to seek through crooked means.

That was likely the kind of temperament Chen Jue had.

After leaving the darts club, Chen Jue didn't go far, instead wandering around the sports park while sending a message to Wu Fang about the failed interview.

He took the opportunity to edit and send her all the inside information about the interview and the loopholes in those contracts.

It was a well-intentioned reminder; no one would refuse that.

Upon seeing it, Wu Fang quickly replied with a few cute emojis: (Surprised) (Received) (Thank you).

Seeing that this beautiful and kind-hearted teacher had such an adorable side, Chen Jue felt his "lecherous" heart truly waver.

"I should get to know her more!"

"If there's fate, I'll pursue it; if there isn't, I'll create it!" Chen Jue chuckled.

He put his phone away and looked up.

He hadn't realized that while chatting on WeChat, he had wandered over to the rock climbing area.

What came into view were several outdoor climbing walls side-by-side, ranging from the five-meter-tall beginner level to the professional walls over 12 meters high—nearly as tall as a four-story building.

The colorful protrusions scattered across the walls and the agile figure rapidly ascending the 12-meter wall firmly captured Chen Jue's attention.

It was a young man in his twenties with medium-length silver-gray hair, shirtless, wearing a safety harness and professional dark green climbing pants. One foot was suspended in the air while the other stepped on a rock protrusion.

He reached out and hooked a protrusion above him, then pulled upward with a sudden burst of force.

Relying solely on the strength of one arm, he hauled his entire body up by nearly half a meter, instantly switching his foot to another protrusion—a "hold" (Note: professional climbing term).

"He can do that with just one arm?"

"This guy is amazing!"

Chen Jue stood where he was, watching in a trance.

As a beginner at stone skipping and a darts enthusiast, he placed great importance on the strength of his arms, wrists, and fingers.

Because the stronger the muscle power in those three areas, the more he could enhance the release speed of his darts or skipping stones, thereby increasing their range and destructive power.

Plus, having not gone to the gym to lift weights for the past two days, Chen Jue felt restless all over.

After all, exercise was truly addictive.

Seeing the climbing wall, he wanted to go up and test his hand strength to see if he could climb as freely as that silver-haired young man.

"Sir, I've seen you standing there for a long time."

"Would you like to come in and give it a try?"

"Our outdoor climbing equipment here is free to try! No charge!" A young girl standing by the display rack yawned and approached him.

Seeing the climbing club logo on her uniform, it was clear she was a college student working there part-time.

"Free to try?"

"Then I'll give it a go!"

Chen Jue felt a stir in his heart and walked toward the beginner rock climbing wall, which stood over five meters tall.

Looking at the various rock holds of different shapes protruding from the wall, Chen Jue curiously reached out to touch them, then tested them by pushing off with his feet.

Just then, the silver-haired youth who had already reached the top let out a loud, piercing whistle upon spotting a new customer, drawing the eyes of several young girls below before rappelling down on his safety rope.

He was the spitting image of Tarzan!

"Hey, brother!"

"I'm Yu Jie, the interest coach here. You look like a beginner; would you like me to give you a quick rundown on rock climbing?"

"It's free! No charge!" The silver-haired youth leaned in, appearing extremely enthusiastic.

However, once the other man got closer, Chen Jue's face showed a look of sudden astonishment.

Because of the distance and the speed of the youth's climbing, Chen Jue's vision had been slightly off, and he had subconsciously assumed the young man was the lean, slender type.

He hadn't expected that upon closer inspection, the man's bare upper body would be as perfect as a Renaissance sculpture!

The muscle definition was sharp, with an eight-pack and V-taper; both arms were incredibly dense and thick from shoulder to forearm, and his fingers were long and slender, with the backs of his hands showing dark, prominent veins and not a shred of excess fat.

Compared to the "inflated" bulk of Coach Li Chaoqun at the gym, the silver-haired youth's physique was exactly what Chen Jue dreamed of!

"Coach Yu, is it?"

"I'd appreciate it if you could show me the ropes!"

As Chen Jue sized him up with curiosity, he struck up a conversation.

It turned out that Yu Jie, like the young girl nearby, was a junior in college working a part-time job, with his university located not far away.

As for Yu Jie himself, he was the president of their university's rock climbing club.

He was handsome, had a great physique, and sported a trendy silver-gray hairstyle; he was prone to showing off, which had earned him a large following of young admirers at school.

Of course, beyond the small talk, Yu Jie specifically explained the basics of rock climbing to Chen Jue.

Take these protruding rock holds, for example; despite their different colors and shapes, each had specific terminology and uses.

The hemispherical ones are called Slopers—also known as friction holds. They are bulky and smooth with no grooves, making them very easy to slip off of.

Then there are the Jugs, which have deep grooves like handles. They are very easy to grip and are a beginner's favorite, often used by climbers for strength training.

There are also Crimps, which have such small grooves that you can't even fit a finger joint in them, usually requiring you to use just your fingertips.

Beyond those, there are long, thin Pinches that you have to squeeze with your fingers, and Pocket holds that you have to hook with your fingertips, among others.

In short, there was a lot to learn. As Chen Jue listened, he followed Yu Jie's guidance and tried them out, managing to climb over three meters high in one go.

However, what Chen Jue didn't expect was for his attribute panel to suddenly react!

[Ding~]

[Requirement met: Action performed]

[Skill Activated: Climbing]

"Climbing?"

"Isn't it Rock Climbing?" Chen Jue paused, thinking he had misread it.

He glanced at the panel again, and it clearly displayed [Climbing Lv0 (1/100)], not the term "Rock Climbing."

Recalling how his English needle darts were also categorized under [Darts] when he practiced, Chen Jue roughly guessed the hierarchical relationship between rock climbing and general climbing.

Is this skill planning on having me climb trees, scale rock faces, or perhaps ascend high mountains and waterfalls? Chen Jue's eyes widened as he seemed to grasp the panel's true intent.

Seeing Chen Jue's eyes go wide, Yu Jie thought his instruction had been lacking and immediately asked with concern, "Brother Jue! What's wrong? Did you pull a muscle?"

"Since it's your first time, we can lower the difficulty. You don't have to climb to the top in one go."

Prompted by this, Chen Jue immediately closed the panel and jumped down from the beginner wall.

"I'm fine! I was just thinking about how to lose weight quickly and build a physique as great as yours!" Chen Jue waved his hand to show there was no need to worry.

Seeing that Chen Jue was fine, Yu Jie felt relieved; it wasn't easy for a college student like him to find a suitable part-time job.

The reason this climbing club hired him was because of his relevant expertise and his good appearance.

If he accidentally injured a customer and received a complaint that ruined the club's reputation, he would lose his job.

"Brother Jue, then you've got to keep at it!"

"I've been in the climbing club since my freshman year, and I built this physique by spending a lot of time in the gym with the seniors."

"I'd guess you're over 85 kilograms. If you really want to do this, it's best to lower your body fat and work on your grip strength." Yu Jie chuckled, sharing his fitness journey alongside his climbing tips.

However, upon hearing that Chen Jue had to work and didn't have much time for the gym, Yu Jie's eyes lit up as he opened Taobao to search for a product.

"Brother Jue!"

"This grip strengthener is perfect for you! It only costs a few dozen yuan; keep it in your pocket and squeeze it while you're at work. It won't just build your grip—it'll strengthen your fingers, wrists, and forearms!"

"I used to practice with it secretly during class, and I guarantee it works!"

Second update~

The baby was restless tonight, so we went to the hospital for a check-up, which delayed the update.

Continuing to ask for recommendation votes~

I am in the new author phase and really need these stats, thank you all for your support!

Kowtowing to everyone (thud thud)