Advancement Sequence, Is Dad a Team Captain?

Chen Yan was busy grumbling about the system.

Meanwhile, Ruan Caibai had finished packing up and turned to Du Qionghua.

"Ma'am, you've recovered quite well."

"If you have the energy now, I can teach you how to do the National Health Exercises with the baby."

Here it comes!

Chen Yan's eyes lit up.

No need to teach my mom. Just teach me!

"Sure."

Du Qionghua readily agreed, carefully laying Chen Yan flat on the soft bed.

Chen Yan felt like a doll being handled. His limbs were limp, and he was completely unable to resist.

Ruan Caibai knelt beside the bed, explaining as she demonstrated the exercises using Chen Yan's body.

"First exercise: stretching. Gently extend the baby's limbs..."

"Second exercise: chest expansion. This helps the baby's lungs develop..."

She guided Du Qionghua through the entire routine from start to finish.

The moment they completed the last movement, the system's notification rang out clearly in Chen Yan's mind.

[Congratulations, host! You have acquired a new skill—the Four National Health Exercises of the East Continent!]

[Progress for Vigorous as a Dragon and Tiger increased. Current progress: 1/30]

[Practice diligently to increase the National Health Exercises' progress. When progress reaches its maximum, you can advance to the next sequence.

(Advancement sequence: National Health Exercises—Qi Nurturing Foundation Art—Skeleton Forging Art—Indestructible Scripture...)]

Skills... advancement sequences?

Having been a hardcore gamer in his previous life, Chen Yan immediately understood what that meant.

In other words, grind for proficiency!

Once the progress bar was full, the skill would level up!

He focused his thoughts and tried opening the skill details.

In the depths of his consciousness, the words appeared clearly on the deep-blue panel.

[National Health Exercises]: Created by an East Continent grandmaster. Promotes children's growth and development and strengthens their immune systems!

[Qi Nurturing Foundation Art]: A top-tier foundational cultivation method in the universe, suitable for all races and laying the perfect groundwork for future body refinement!

[Skeleton Forging Art]: A superior body-refinement method that starts with the skin, flesh, sinews, and bones, then works inward to the organs.

[Indestructible Scripture]: One of the highest methods of bodily cultivation. Those who master it achieve an indestructible body and can regenerate from a drop of blood.

Awesome!

Chen Yan's little heart thumped wildly.

Mom, I want to learn this!

The day I master the martial path is just around the corner!

The routine wasn't complicated.

Du Qionghua was quick-witted and had memorized all the movements after watching them once.

After reminding her of a few precautions, Ruan Caibai left the room.

"Baby, let's do it once more, okay?"

Du Qionghua was eager, gazing at her fair-skinned son on the bed with unbridled affection.

"Sister Xiao Ruan said it's best to do the routine ten times a day."

"It was jointly developed by the East Continent's top martial arts masters and childcare experts. They say it's the best exercise routine for babies from the East Continent."

Du Qionghua's gentle voice sounded beside him. Her movements weren't as practiced as the nurse's, but they were even gentler.

As she guided him through the exercises, another notification appeared in Chen Yan's mind.

[You practiced the National Health Exercises once. Skill progress +1. Current progress: 2/1000.]

Ten times a day?

That was the quota for an ordinary baby!

But I'm a man with a system!

Mom, don't worry about being gentle with this delicate flower. Bring it on!

Overcome with excitement, Chen Yan opened his mouth and babbled.

His little hands and feet kicked wildly, full of vigor.

"Oh! Our Xiao Yan has so much energy. Do you like exercising that much?"

Du Qionghua burst out laughing at her son's reaction, her smile growing brighter.

"Our baby is so adorable!"

Night fell.

In his mother's warm embrace, Chen Yan happily finished his last meal of the day.

That was how babies were: once they were full, they got sleepy.

A second before his consciousness sank into darkness, the system's notification sounded right on cue.

[Self-Disciplined Baby Boy progress increased. Current progress: 1/30]

When he woke again, Chen Yan sensed something was off.

He was no longer being held in that softly fragrant embrace.

Instead, he was nestled against a broad, sturdy chest that carried a faint mix of tobacco and sunshine.

He struggled to lift his head. A handsome, unfamiliar face came into view.

The man had well-defined features, deep-set eyes, and a straight nose, though a trace of weariness lingered in his eyes.

Several people stood in the hospital room. A few wore white coats and looked like hospital administrators.

They were all bowing and scraping to the man holding him, their every gesture filled with respect.

So many people...

Chen Yan's little head couldn't quite keep up.

"Xiao Yan, Dad's here to see you."

The man's deep voice sounded above him.

He looked down at Chen Yan, an apologetic note in his eyes.

"Sorry, the team was swamped yesterday. I couldn't get here right away."

Dad?

Chen Yan blinked. So this was his father in this life.

"Kefa, work comes first. The baby and I understand."

Du Qionghua's gentle voice came from nearby.

She could already walk around, and her complexion had improved quite a bit.

"You haven't slept all night, have you? Sit down and rest."

"I'm fine. I'm not tired."

Though the man said this, he still sat down beside the bed as she'd asked.

From the snippets of conversation in the room, Chen Yan quickly pieced together his father's background.

Chen Kefa, captain of the Special Case Investigation Team at Jiang City's Public Security Bureau, known as the Special Investigation Team.

No wonder he was so busy—and carried such a fierce aura.

After a little more small talk, Chen Kefa sent the hospital administrators back to their duties.

At last, only the three of them remained.

Du Qionghua took her son from her husband's arms and spoke with concern.

"Kefa, the baby eats so much. I don't think I have enough milk."

"Should we buy some Beast Milk?"

"Hm? Xiao Yan eats that much?"

Curious, Chen Kefa leaned closer and teased Chen Yan's little hand with his thumb.

Chen Yan was wondering what "Beast Milk" was when he instinctively clamped his hand around the finger.

"Hey!" Chen Kefa raised his eyebrows. "This kid's got a pretty strong grip."

Du Qionghua's eyes lit up at once.

"Really? Sister Xiao Ruan said yesterday he might have a talent for martial arts, too. Take a good look at him."

Her own martial arts talent wasn't high, and she was afraid the baby might have inherited it.

"He's only two days old. What can you tell?"

Chen Kefa chuckled and shook his head.

"You can't test martial arts talent until a child is six, when their physique has more or less settled. You need special equipment to measure it."

"Hmph, and you call yourself a professional martial artist. You can't even manage that much."

Du Qionghua gave him a mockingly displeased glance.

"Oh, honey, even if I became a Martial Arts Grandmaster, I'd still have to listen to you..."

Chen Kefa immediately surrendered, then took Chen Yan from Du Qionghua's arms and laid him in the crib.

Chen Yan couldn't bear to watch the two of them fawn over each other.

Lying in the soft crib, he decided to ignore his oblivious parents and get started on the great undertaking of his life.

He recalled the National Health Exercises Ruan Caibai had taught them and tried to control his limp limbs.

Stretching...

Step one: raise an arm.

He focused with all his might. His little arm wobbled in the air for ages before he managed to lift it a little.

Chest expansion...

This one was even harder.

His face flushed as his whole body wriggled like a fish out of water.

But his spine hadn't fully developed, and he had no core strength to speak of, so his movements were completely off.

After all that struggling, Chen Yan was exhausted.

Yet not a thing stirred in his mind.

It seemed the movements had to be done perfectly to increase his proficiency.

Chen Yan wasn't discouraged. At least he'd figured out a little of how it worked.

But all that effort had drained his energy again, and a powerful hunger struck him.

He turned his little head toward his parents, still cooing at each other, and summoned all his strength to protest.

"Eeyaah, hungry!"

The sound was childish, but the syllable for "hungry" came out exceptionally clear.

The two beside the bed fell silent at once.

Du Qionghua and Chen Kefa exchanged a glance, both seeing the same astonishment in each other's eyes.

"D-did he just say he was hungry?"

Du Qionghua asked uncertainly.

Chen Kefa looked just as surprised. "I think so..."

"Our baby is so clever!"

Du Qionghua immediately forgot all about her husband and happily scooped up her son.

"Come on, Mommy will feed you."