New Mission: Track Stand for 30 Seconds

"Old Huang, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you're acting just like that woman Wu Fang. Every morning when you get up, the first thing you do is step on the scale. You two are obsessed!"

Still bleary-eyed, Du Wei had unusually gotten up early today. The moment he stepped out of his room, he saw Huang Chong standing on the scale and immediately started complaining:

"I don't see any change in your figure. Isn't this just pointless fussing around?"

Huang Chong glanced at him and replied with a cheerful smile:

"Old Du, don't underestimate me.

You can't tell I've lost weight only because we live together and you're used to seeing me every day.

To be honest, I've already lost 5 kg."

Huang Chong himself was not surprised that he had shed 5 kg so quickly.

Anyone who had tried to lose weight knew that when someone first started dieting, as long as they controlled what they ate, the number on the scale dropped fast during the first few days.

For example, an overweight person could even lose two or three kilograms on the first day.

It was not because their body fat had been immediately burned away, but because a large amount of water in their body had been lost first.

As time went on, fat-burning efficiency would gradually decrease, and as fat was consumed, the body would also lose muscle.

Fortunately, he did not have that problem. He decisively took out a Fat-Burning Muscle-Preserving Pill from the system storage space. It looked like a chocolate malt ball, and he swallowed it in one bite.

It still tasted awful, with a strong herbal-medicine flavor, but he knew exactly how effective it was.

Not only could this thing preserve the abs, leg muscles, and other muscles that had already been optimized by the system, it could also accelerate his subsequent fat-burning speed.

"What? You've already lost 5 kg? You're bullshitting!"

Hearing that number, Du Wei, who had been yawning moments ago, instantly woke up.

It had only been a few days. How was that possible?

He lowered his head and looked at the scale's display. Sure enough, it showed Huang Chong's weight: 70 kg.

Unable to hide his surprise, he said:

"Get off. Let me test my weight too. Is this scale broken? It's only been a few days, and you've lost that much?"

The moment Du Wei stepped on it, the number on the scale shot upward, quickly reaching 78.3 kg.

"Fuck, how did I get fatter again while you really lost 5 kg? Does that make any sense?"

Huang Chong shrugged and spread his hands.

That was what it meant when facts spoke louder than words.

"Old Du, when have I ever lied to you? You still don't believe me?

I'm not afraid to tell you that in another month or so, I'll reach my ideal weight of 60 kg.

By then, my power-to-weight ratio will probably be close to 4.0. I'll climb hills like I'm riding on flat ground!"

"You think you're a gecko? Climbing hills like they're flat ground—"

Du Wei could not help glaring at Huang Chong, who was looking immensely pleased with himself, before continuing:

"Brother, it's not that I'm trying to be harsh, but at our height, if we drop to 60 kg, won't we be almost skin and bones?

Your fat-burning efficiency may be high, but your leg muscles will inevitably keep wasting away as your weight drops.

Forget about reaching a power-to-weight ratio of 4.0. It's hard to say whether you'll even be able to maintain your current power output!"

Huang Chong knew that if he reduced his weight to 60 kg, his body-fat percentage would definitely become ridiculously low.

He would certainly look skin and bones.

But neither his leg muscles nor his abdominal muscles would decrease, and his FTP power definitely would not decline. After all, he had supportive supplements.

Still, he did not want to explain too much to Du Wei. Getting down to 60 kg was only an experiment for him.

If he really got too thin, he could put some weight back on and maintain himself at 65 kg.

"We'll see when the time comes. Anyway, our cycling levels definitely won't be in the same league anymore."

"Bullshit. You just rode a little farther than me while I was busy clearing a game these past two days, and joined some amateur cycling team. Do you really think you're a professional rider now?

You're already looking down on your big brother?

After work tonight, let's ride around West Lake again. This time, neither of us is allowed to draft. We'll go all out for five laps and see who gets the last laugh!"

For the next week, Huang Chong did not plan to go on his usual rides. Instead, he wanted to first master all five beginner-level bike-handling techniques Li Zifan had taught him.

Completing those moves would also earn him beginner optimization points, so it would not affect the improvement of his FTP power.

Bike-handling skills had to be practiced sooner or later. Since he had not yet started participating in cycling races, he might as well make up for these potentially life-saving weaknesses in advance.

So he refused Du Wei's challenge:

"I'm busy this week. I want to practice mountain bike handling skills. Let's talk after the Tour de France ends.

Didn't Zhou Ming invite you to join his cycling group's event?

When the time comes, we'll team up and work together. We'll crush that spoiled rich kid's arrogance, drop that bunch of pretty-boy posers, and settle our score too!"

"What the hell? You're going to practice mountain bike handling skills?"

Ignoring the topic of Zhou Ming entirely, Du Wei asked in confusion:

"What are you up to now?

Didn't you say a few days ago that you wanted to become a professional road cyclist?

What, after practicing for only a few days, you found improving at road cycling too difficult, decided you had no hope, and now you want to become a mountain biker instead?"

Huang Chong rolled his eyes at him and snapped irritably:

"Do I look like the kind of person who changes his mind on a whim?

I'm practicing mountain bike handling skills because they're just as important for road cycling.

Especially as my leg power improves, my riding speed will inevitably get faster and faster.

Only with good bike-handling skills can I avoid getting taken down in a crash if there's a collision while riding in the peloton.

And if my wheels slip sideways while cornering, I'll be able to save myself in time."

"You really do think far ahead. You've considered even such low-probability accidents in cycling so thoroughly. Should I call you meticulous, or say you worry over nothing?"

Du Wei suddenly gave a short laugh, but he was not mocking him.

He knew that was simply Huang Chong's personality. Before doing anything, he usually made thorough preparations.

Unlike Du Wei, Huang Chong rarely got carried away and acted on emotional impulse, treating life and death lightly and charging ahead whenever someone challenged him.

Du Wei could not do the same, but he actually admired Huang Chong's cautious and meticulous nature.

For one thing, during their four years of undergraduate study, Huang Chong had helped him clean up plenty of academic messes.

Otherwise, he might not even have gotten his degree certificate. After graduation, he would have had to return to school and retake a lot of courses.

"Anyway, do whatever you want. The shop has plenty of bikes.

Whether you want a mountain bike or a trials bike, just go to the warehouse, grab the parts, and assemble one yourself. Practice as much as you like!"

Huang Chong chuckled. That was what a true brother was.

When it came to providing and creating training conditions, Du Wei was truly beyond reproach.

He replied:

"I started practicing yesterday, and I've already learned how to lift the front wheel. Today, I'm preparing to practice a new move: the track stand."

Du Wei nodded. As he headed to the bathroom to wash up and brush his teeth, he said indistinctly:

"Sure. Once you learn it, show me. Let me see what it's like. Anyway, I have to go to the bike shop today."

After Huang Chong and Du Wei went to the bike shop and finished a long day of hard work, Huang Chong had just carried a trials bike to the open space outside the shop entrance, preparing to practice the new move, when the system intelligently refreshed with new text:

[Detected that the host is practicing mountain bike handling skills. Complete a 30-second track stand. Reward: 2 beginner optimization points, bike-handling skill optimization points +2, Fast-Acting Muscle-and-Bone Repair Ointment ×1]