Cheng Che sat in front of his computer, where the video " Life Slowed Down " was playing, but he barely watched the video, his eyes glued to the comments on his phone.
I browsed Weibo, Douyin, and Zhihu one after another.
He's not narcissistic.
He was confirming something.
After reading the question and answers on Zhihu, he turned off his phone and opened the system panel.
[ Charisma Trial - Phase One: Under the Under the Spotlight. Mission Objective: Film a public video and gain 10,000 Influence Points. Current Progress: 254/10,000.]
Cheng Che stared at the "254" for several seconds.
really.
The variety show aired, it trended on social media, it garnered over a million likes on Douyin, and it also made it onto the Zhihu hot list.
According to online data, his exposure has long exceeded ten million.
However, its influence is only 254.
He leaned back in his chair and went over the matter in his mind.
Online popularity, likes, shares, and comments are all superficial.
Unless someone actually does something concrete because of him.
You went to a place, bought something, or changed your mind.
That's what you call influence.
"Looks like the focus should still be on cultural tourism videos," he muttered.
Then he scrolled to the Stamina Trial section.
[ Stamina Trial - Phase One: Dual-Track Start. Mission Objective: Obtain the Advanced Tennis Training Pack and unlock the second sport. Selecting a sport will grant you the corresponding training pack.]
He just saw a lot of people discussing his physical fitness online. Some people said that if he ran a marathon, he would definitely win the Champion, while others argued that tennis fitness and long-distance running fitness are two different things.
But Cheng Che himself knew that he possessed the talents of " Enduring Progress Without Fail " and " Self-Healing Instinct," which, when applied to endurance sports, were practically cheating.
Moreover, he has been running since the first day he was connected to the system.
Running five kilometers every day, rain or shine, has become ingrained in his daily routine. He needs no venue, no equipment, and no opponent. He can run anytime.
Swimming requires a swimming pool, and cycling requires a bicycle.
All you need for running is a pair of shoes.
"I'm going for a run," he thought to himself.
[The host has selected running as their sport!]
[The running training pack has been unlocked. Congratulations on obtaining the following items:]
[One pair of Sneakers That Never Chafe ]
[ Endurance Running Training Pack x1]
[ Interval Running Training Pack x1]
[ Sprint Running Training Pack x1]
[ Technical Running Training Pack x1]
[Congratulations, host, on completing the Stamina Trial: First Stage!]
[Congratulations, host, you have acquired the passive talent " Natural Breathing Rhythm ".]
[ Natural Breathing Rhythm: Breathing and movement rhythm are naturally synchronized, automatically matching the optimal frequency during exercise. Breathing and stride are perfectly coordinated, significantly reducing unnecessary energy expenditure and improving exercise efficiency. The effect is affected by agility and endurance.]
[Congratulations, host, you have obtained the item " Phantom Pinky Ring "].
[ Phantom Pinky Ring: When worn, it will make the other person unconsciously feel that you are "more trustworthy" during face-to-face conversations.]
Cheng Che looked at the rewards, the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.
Natural Breathing Rhythm; this is the core talent of running.
Coordinate your breathing and pace to reduce energy expenditure and increase efficiency.
In long-distance running, this means he can run with less effort than anyone else, and it also means he can use the saved energy for the final sprint.
He took the " Phantom Pinky Ring " out of the system.
A matte black titanium steel pinky ring, very light, with extremely fine inverted triangular patterns engraved on the inside of the band.
He wore it on his little finger, and it fit perfectly.
He stood up and walked out of the bedroom.
Jiang Xue was watching TV in the living room, changing channels with the remote control in her hand.
Cheng Che walked over, sat down next to her, and said earnestly, "Mom, do you believe I can fly?"
Jiang Xue pressed the remote control, glanced at him sideways, and her expression was somewhat complicated.
She paused for two seconds, then reached out and touched his forehead. "You don't have a fever."
She looked into his eyes again.
"Son, go to sleep. You have to get up early tomorrow."
Cheng Che stood up with a dark expression, turned around and went to Cheng Jianguo's room.
Cheng Jianguo was lying in bed looking at his phone.
"Dad, I need to tell you something."
"Explain."
"I plan to start training for long-distance running tomorrow. Maybe I can even Champion a marathon someday."
Cheng Jianguo looked up from his phone, glanced at him for two seconds, and nodded. "Okay, run if you want. Just be careful not to get hurt."
Do you believe I can outrun a professional athlete?
Cheng Jianguo thought for a moment and said:
"You've already won the national tennis Champion, so your running shouldn't be bad either. But don't rush things, take it slow."
Cheng Che nodded and left the room.
He returned to his bedroom, sat on his bed, and identified a pattern.
The effect of a pinky ring is to "deepen trust," not to "hypnotize."
It can only make the other party more willing to believe you based on existing reality.
If he tells his mother "I can fly," it's clearly nonsense, and the pinky ring serves no purpose.
But if he says, "I plan to train for long-distance running and maybe win Champion in the future," Cheng Jianguo will subconsciously feel that the idea is reliable.
"What a pity," Cheng Che, looking at the ring on his hand. "If only it could hypnotize."
Cheng Che glanced up at the Stamina Trial: Second Stage.
[ Stamina Trial - Phase Two: The Able Go First. Objective: Participate in a running race and win first place.]
There's no clue how to do this task yet, but there's no rush. We'll wait until he's mastered it.
He turned the ring around, then lay down to sleep.
The next day, at 5:30.
After washing up, Cheng Che retrieved the pair of [ Sneakers That Never Chafe ] from the system.
The shoes are very light, with a breathable mesh upper and a sole that is neither too soft nor too hard.
He slipped his feet in, tied his shoelaces, and stood up, jumping twice.
It fits perfectly.
They fit perfectly.
The toes have ample room to move, the arch of the foot is firmly supported, and the ankle is snugly wrapped.
He walked around the room a couple of steps in his new shoes, showing no signs of unfamiliarity whatsoever.
"Good stuff." He picked up his tennis bag and sneakers and went out the door.
The entrance to the residential compound was deserted; Guo Xin and the others hadn't arrived yet.
Cheng Che sent them a message telling them to go directly to the park, and then he went there first.
When they arrived at the park, Cheng Che was warming up.
Guo Xin, Su Qingyue, Lin Xiao, and Zhou Mingxuan arrived one after another.
Guo Xin carried the newly bought video recorder, while Su Qingyue held an even better handheld camcorder, much larger than the one from yesterday, with a longer lens.
Lin Xiao and Zhou Mingxuan each carried their equipment.
"Why did you all bring equipment?" Cheng Che, somewhat puzzled.
Guo Xin chuckled:
"Good equipment is essential for good footage. We even made a bet: whoever has the most footage edited into the final video will be the Champion."
Su Qingyue didn't speak, and instead lowered her head to adjust the camera settings.
She pointed the camera at Cheng Che, tested the focus, and then changed the angle, her expression very serious.
Cheng Che didn't pay any attention, walked to the low wall, and activated the [ Baseline Weapon Pack ].
An hour later, Guo Xin clutched his stomach and cried out that he was hungry.
"Go eat first," Cheng Che said, wiping his sweat. "I still have five kilometers to run."
Guo Xin's eyes widened. "Running? No way! This is footage! We have to include your running scene!"
Cheng Che gave him a troubled look. "You can't keep up with me when I run."
Guo Xin was unconvinced, Lin Xiao also stood up, and Su Qingyue and Zhou Mingxuan put down what they were holding.
"We want to film!" Guo Xin said.
"Alright," Cheng Che said, stretching his ankles. "Then you guys stay close."
He opened his [ Endurance Running Training Pack ], turned around, and ran out of the park.
The wind blew from ahead, and he took a few steps, not fast, but steady.
He had run less than two hundred meters when he looked back.
Guo Xin, carrying the video camera, was panting heavily and had already started walking.
Lin Xiao was still persisting, but her pace had clearly slowed down.
Zhou Mingxuan followed behind, his expression relatively calm, but his breathing became heavy.
Only Su Qingyue.
She was holding the camera, running at the very back, her face pale, but she kept chasing.
She ran while filming, her hands trembling, the footage probably too skewed to be usable. But she didn't stop.
Cheng Che slowed down.
"You guys take a break," he called back, "I'll run back myself."
Guo Xin plopped down on the ground, put the video camera aside, and gasped for breath. "You run, we'll follow you later."
Cheng Che nodded, turned around, and continued running.
This time, he didn't look back.
The wind whizzed past my ears, and my new shoes made a soft rustling sound as they stomped on the ground.
His breathing was steady, perfectly in sync with the rhythm of his steps.
Inhale, inhale, exhale.
Take three steps and exhale; take three steps and inhale.
You don't need to consciously control it; your body will know how to breathe on its own.
This is [ the Natural Breathing Rhythm ].