The Illusion of an Ability "Upgrade"

The hydraulic jack at the repair shop had been broken for three days, and the replacement Carlos had sent had yet to arrive. Lin Mo could only change the truck tire by hand. Squatting beside the massive wheel, he hooked his fingers around the edge of the rim and, with a slight exertion, lifted the eighty-kilogram thing and steadily set it onto the stand. Sunlight streamed through a hole in the garage roof onto his arms, his muscles shifting gently with the movement without the slightest sign of strain.

"Hey, Little Lin!" Old Joe from the grocery store next door poked his head in, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. "Mind lending me a wrench? My freezer's stuck again." He spotted the tire on the ground, and his eyes widened. "You didn't use a hydraulic jack? You lifted that tire by hand?"

Lin Mo wiped the grease from his hands and handed him a wrench. "Yeah, just did it while I was at it." He said it so casually, as if he had lifted a basketball rather than a truck tire.

Old Joe accepted the wrench, still looking incredulous. "I used to haul cargo at the docks when I was young. A thing like that would take at least three guys your age to lift. Have you been secretly training?"

"Maybe." Lin Mo smiled and turned to get the new tire. Truthfully, he was puzzled too. Last month, lifting the same tire had required him to hold his breath and strain, but now it felt like carrying an empty box. The wristband on his arm remained perfectly still, not even giving off the faintest glimmer, let alone an upgrade notification.

At lunch, he deliberately dug out his old records. When he had first gained Physical Enhancement, he could lift at most 150 kilograms. Now, he figured 200 kilograms would be no problem. His Dynamic Vision had become much sharper too. Yesterday, while helping Aunt May repair a window screen, he had actually been able to see the patterns on an insect's wings. "Could it be that practice makes perfect?" Lin Mo muttered, stroking his chin. Shield lay at his feet gnawing on a bone, its tail sweeping across the floor with a soft rustle.

Ted's booming voice suddenly exploded from the doorway. "Mo! Help!" He stumbled and crawled into the garage, his magic box scraping a long mark across the floor. "My cousin's moving to Brooklyn, but that damn wardrobe is heavy as hell! Even three firefighters can't lift it!"

Lin Mo set down his sandwich. "How big is the wardrobe?"

"The redwood one!" Ted gestured wildly. "It's taller than you, and the drawers are stuffed with his beer-can collection. It's got to weigh over a hundred kilos!" He grabbed Lin Mo by the arm and dragged him outside. "Hurry, or we'll miss the moving company's truck!"

Ted pulled him so hard that Lin Mo staggered, leaving him no choice but to lock the garage and follow. Along the way, Ted kept rambling. "I told him to throw it away, but he insisted it was some family heirloom. Well, serves him right for not being able to move it now..."

Ted's cousin lived on the third floor of an apartment building without an elevator. Three burly men in firefighter uniforms stood around the wardrobe, panting, sweat soaking through their uniforms. When they saw Lin Mo, one tall firefighter frowned. "Ted, why'd you bring a kid here? Is he supposed to help, or just get in the way?"

"He's no ordinary kid!" Ted said urgently. "He can lift truck tires with his bare hands!"

The tall firefighter clearly did not believe him. Folding his arms, he sneered, "Really? Then let him try. The three of us can barely lift this wardrobe. If he can move it by himself, I'll eat my fire helmet."

Lin Mo ignored the provocation and walked up to inspect the wardrobe. It was an old-fashioned redwood piece with carved handles, and it really was heavy. He took a deep breath, gripped the lower edges with both hands, and deliberately grunted twice as though he were straining. The power of Physical Enhancement flowed slowly through his muscles, more obedient than usual, like well-trained soldiers.

"Up!" Lin Mo shouted softly, flexing both arms. The wardrobe actually rose steadily into his embrace! The three firefighters' eyes nearly popped out of their heads, while the tall man's helmet fell to the floor with a clatter.

"My god..." Ted's mouth hung wide enough to fit an egg.

Lin Mo carried the wardrobe toward the stairwell, his steps as steady as if he had tracks beneath his feet. Physical Enhancement gave him far better balance than before. He did not even sway while walking downstairs, and the beer cans inside the wardrobe drawers did not make a single clink. From the third floor to the first, there were fifty-six steps in all. His face was not red, his breathing was not labored, and he even had a free hand to catch Ted when he nearly fell.

After setting the wardrobe inside the moving company's truck, Lin Mo dusted off his hands. The three firefighters gathered around him, staring as though he were a monster. The tall firefighter picked up his helmet, his voice trembling. "You... have you secretly trained in weightlifting? I've been on the fire department for five years, and I've never seen strength like that!"

"Maybe I was born with it." Lin Mo smiled but said no more. He looked down at his wrist. The wristband was still quiet, and the doubt in his heart only grew heavier. Was it really an illusion, or was his ability actually upgrading in secret?

Ted insisted on treating him to ice cream. At the dessert shop, the man was still buzzing with excitement. "Mo, you're incredible! My cousin says he can introduce you to the fire department's special response unit. The pay is crazy good!"

"No." Lin Mo scooped up a spoonful of chocolate ice cream. "I think fixing cars is fine." What concerned him more was the change in his abilities. While carrying the wardrobe, he had clearly felt that his strength output was more stable, unlike before, when it occasionally went out of control.

"Are you stupid?" Ted said anxiously. "Being a firefighter is awesome! You even get to wear a uniform!"

"What's the point of being awesome?" Lin Mo watched the sycamore leaves drifting past the window. He remembered what Phil Coulson had said the last time he came to repair the computer in his car: "With great power comes great responsibility." It had not meant much to him at the time, but now he suddenly understood a little. Once his strength grew, even if he wanted to hide, he could not.

When he returned to the repair shop that afternoon, Lin Mo deliberately ran some tests. He stacked five barrels of motor oil together, an estimated 150 kilograms, and easily lifted them over his head. He used a wrench to turn a rusted bolt, no longer needing to spray it with loosening agent first. He even ran to deliver medicine to Gretchen's grandmother, moving half a beat faster than usual without feeling tired at all, his breathing as even as if he were taking a walk.

"Could it be because I've been using it more lately?" Lin Mo sat on the toolbox and stared at his hands. These hands had fixed computers, changed tires, and moved wardrobes. Now they could easily lift things he would never have dared imagine before. On the wristband's screen, the synchronization rate for Physical Enhancement still sat at 48%, unchanged.

Peter came by after school to bring him a calculator he had repaired. Seeing Lin Mo bending a steel bar with his bare hands as a strength test, he nearly dropped the calculator. "Brother Lin Mo! What are you doing?"

"Just testing how tough this steel bar is." Lin Mo tossed aside the bar he had bent into a right angle. "Your calculator's fixed. See if it works."

Peter took the calculator, his fingers still trembling. "You... how did you do that just now? You'd need hydraulic cutters to bend a steel bar like this, wouldn't you?" He suddenly seemed to remember something and pulled a notebook from his backpack, scribbling rapidly. "Muscle density, explosive force, skeletal load-bearing... Brother Lin Mo, have you undergone some kind of special training?"

"No. I was just born strong." Lin Mo ruffled his hair. "Don't overthink it. Get home already. Aunt May will worry."

Peter nodded, but stopped again at the doorway. "Brother Lin Mo, be careful. Don't overwork yourself. I looked it up—overusing strength can damage your joints." The boy's expression was extremely serious. "I can help you design a wrist guard, the kind that disperses force."

"Sure." Lin Mo agreed with a smile. Watching Peter disappear around the street corner, warmth suddenly filled his heart. The kid was always so thoughtful.

As he was closing up that evening, old Martha came to collect her repaired bicycle. Seeing Lin Mo lift the bike onto a shelf with one hand, she nearly jabbed her own foot with her cane. "You child, why are you getting stronger and stronger? Last time I asked you to help lift my rice jar, you said it was hard work."

"Maybe I've been exercising more lately." Lin Mo handed her the repaired bicycle, and its bell rang crisply.

"You can't train like this even if you are exercising." Martha looked him up and down. "Look at those arms. Your muscles are nearly as big as Carlos's. Don't just focus on work. You should find yourself a girl too. My neighbor Lily is nice. She works at a flower shop, and she's pretty as—"

Lin Mo hurriedly cut her off. "Mrs. Martha, I have something to do. I'll be going!" He pushed his own bicycle and slipped away, only to hear the old woman laughing behind him. "What are you running for? I'm talking about something serious!"

That night, Lin Mo lay in his basement bed, tossing and turning unable to sleep. He tried using Physical Enhancement again, this time deliberately sensing the flow of power. It truly was smoother than before, as though a blocked river channel had been cleared. His Dynamic Vision could also last longer. It used to make him dizzy after half an hour, but now he was fine even after an hour.

"What's going on?" Lin Mo touched his wristband. The screen was completely black, showing no sign of a new notification. He remembered the stone he had buried in New Mexico. Could Asgardian energy still be affecting him? Or did Physical Enhancement itself grow stronger with increased use?

Shield suddenly crawled out of its bed and lay across his arm, purring softly in its throat. Lin Mo patted the puppy's head and suddenly smiled. Who cares whether it's an upgrade or not? As long as it works, that's enough. At least now, he could easily fix truck tires, help Ted move wardrobes, and deliver medicine to old ladies faster. That was enough.

Moonlight streamed through the basement window, casting a faint patch of light across the wristband. Lin Mo yawned, gathered Shield into his arms, and soon fell asleep. In his dream, he raced through Queens carrying a truck overhead while Ted chased after him, shouting, "Take me with you!" Peter rode a mechanical spider he had designed, and Martha's apple pies fell from the sky like a sweet rain.

Early the next morning, Lin Mo discovered that he could lift the repair shop's jack with one hand. He froze for a moment, then smiled. Whether it was an illusion or a real upgrade, life still had to go on, didn't it?