Chapter 2: Comments

After wrestling with his thoughts for a while, Jiang Zheng finally made a decision. He chose “Strengthened Physique.”

He really wanted to be a “Martial Arts Master,” but the issue was that mastery only offered combat skills. Without a robust body, those skills alone wouldn’t amount to much. Just like when he subdued the thug earlier—even with the enhanced physique, it was a struggle. Without it, he wouldn’t have been able to subdue anyone at all; in fact, he’d probably have been subdued himself.

Besides, there aren’t many opportunities to use martial arts mastery. In this age of law and order, Jiang Zheng wasn’t the sort to get into fights or cause trouble. In comparison, a strengthened body was far more practical. Whether for daily life or study, a healthy body is essential.

After getting off the bus, Jiang Zheng found a secluded spot and chose to claim his reward. He did this because he was worried that something unusual might happen when he received the reward.

[Reward successfully claimed! Note: Please exercise daily; the reward will be gradually distributed during your workouts.]

Jiang Zheng’s face darkened; it felt as though he’d received nothing at all. Regular exercise alone already improves health—this reward seemed no different from not receiving anything at all.

Still, Jiang Zheng didn’t complain too much. It was his own choice, after all; he couldn’t blame anyone else.

Back in the dormitory, he heard the sounds of gaming.

“Hey, Fourth, you’re back! Come join us for a round,” called Zhou Quanyi, the eldest in their dorm.

Relationships in Jiang Zheng’s dorm were good; everyone ranked themselves by age. Zhou Quanyi was the oldest, so he was “Big Brother.”

“Not today, I’m a bit tired. You guys play—I’ll rest for a while,” said Jiang Zheng.

Everyone in the dorm knew about Jiang Zheng’s part-time jobs.

“All right, you get some sleep. We’ll turn down the volume,” Zhou Quanyi replied with a smile.

Jiang Zheng smiled back, “No need, just play as usual.”

He then went to take a shower. Dressing up as a mascot had made him sweat profusely, and he felt sticky all over. After the shower, he felt much better, and climbed into bed, lying down while browsing his phone.

Though he appeared to be using his phone, Jiang Zheng’s mind was elsewhere—on the system he had just acquired.

As a veteran reader, Jiang Zheng was no stranger to systems and cheats; he accepted the idea quickly. Yet he couldn’t suppress the excitement and curiosity in his heart.

He tried calling out to the system, but there was no response. Jiang Zheng guessed that the system would only respond when there was a task to do.

He hadn’t yet figured out how to trigger the next task. He had some guesses, but wasn’t sure if they were correct.

With the system unresponsive, Jiang Zheng could only set it aside for now.

Since the system was bound to him and couldn’t disappear, perhaps the next task would shed light on how tasks were triggered.

With that thought, Jiang Zheng opened the DianNang app on his phone. In his spare time, he enjoyed reading web novels to pass the time—he was already a veteran reader.

The greatest sorrow for a reader like him was running out of books to read. He’d read so many novels, covering nearly every genre, and seen all the typical tropes, making it hard for him to enjoy many new books.

It had been easier when he first started reading novels—he wasn’t picky then, not like now.

He first checked the latest chapters of the books he’d subscribed to, then began his daily hunt for new novels.

Finding a book he liked amidst the vast sea of novels was its own kind of pleasure; the process itself was addicting. Often, time slipped away unnoticed during the search.

After an hour, Jiang Zheng found a promising novel—it had over thirty thousand bookmarks and nearly a thousand monthly votes.

Compared to top-tier authors, the book’s numbers were modest, but not everyone was destined to be a superstar. The stats were decent.

The synopsis was interesting enough to catch Jiang Zheng’s attention.

He began reading.

As a veteran, his reading speed was fast; soon he’d finished more than ten chapters.

The story was engaging at first, but after ten chapters, Jiang Zheng stumbled upon a “poison point.” Anyone who reads web novels knows that “poison points” are subjective—some can tolerate them, others can’t.

Jiang Zheng had decent tolerance, so he pressed on despite the flaw. But after two more chapters, he hit another poison point.

This time, he felt uneasy and lost the urge to continue. He opened the comment section and scrolled through a few reviews.

He found that the comments were polarized—many thought the writing was terrible, but many others loved it.

After reading a few comments, Jiang Zheng found a reader who shared his opinion.

Under that comment, many accused the poster of being negative for negativity’s sake.

Jiang Zheng replied, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with what the poster said. The early chapters really have some issues; I suggest the author consider revising them.”

After commenting, Jiang Zheng didn’t dwell on it, and returned to searching for new novels.

Time flew by, and soon it was time for dinner.

Zhou Quanyi and the others had just finished their game and tapped Jiang Zheng’s bed. “Fourth, let’s go eat together.”

Jiang Zheng snapped out of his thoughts. “Sure, let me put on my shoes.”

Soon, four of them headed out. Besides Zhou Quanyi and Jiang Zheng, there were Liu Hua and Wang Bing—one was Third, the other Fifth.

They reached the cafeteria, each got their meal, found a table, and ate while chatting.

Their conversation revolved around games. Zhou Quanyi and the other two loved gaming; Jiang Zheng played occasionally, but not as much.

After dinner, they went to the campus convenience store, bought a few things, and began walking back to the dorm.

“Fourth, log in! Let’s play a round.”

As soon as they returned, Zhou Quanyi eagerly called out.

Jiang Zheng agreed, sat down, and turned on his computer.

The four played together, creating a lively atmosphere—the shouts and clacking of keys blended into a melody unique to youth.

As night fell, they finished a round. Zhou Quanyi clamored for another, but Jiang Zheng said, “You guys go ahead; I’m heading out for a jog.”

With those words, the dorm fell silent.

Zhou Quanyi looked at him in disbelief. “Fourth, did I hear that right? You’re going jogging?”

Jiang Zheng nodded, “Yeah.”

“There’s definitely something up!” Zhou Quanyi eyed him suspiciously.

Normally, Jiang Zheng wasn’t the sporty type. University life was relaxed; few people were forced to do anything. There were people on the track, but even among those running, few were truly exercising.

“What’s the problem? I’m just going for a jog—what’s so strange about that?” Jiang Zheng replied.

“In our dorm, only Second goes running every day,” Zhou Quanyi pointed out.

Jiang Zheng immediately understood Zhou Quanyi’s implication and responded, somewhat speechless, “He goes to meet his girlfriend; I’m actually going to exercise.”

“Fine, fine, you’re really going for exercise. When are you going to introduce her to us?” Zhou Quanyi teased.

“I really am exercising—you don’t have to believe me,” Jiang Zheng said, then walked out the door.