Chapter 3: The Suddenly Viral Video

There were still many people running on the track, and Jiang Zheng began to jog slowly. The rewards from the system motivated him to keep exercising, though it never specified the manner of exercise. Jiang Zheng reckoned that running ought to count as physical training. Compared to more intense forms, jogging was relatively gentle.

Jiang Zheng was not someone who particularly enjoyed working out. Apart from when he played basketball, he rarely set aside time for deliberate exercise. Night runs were not new to him; his dormitory had once caught a craze for evening jogs. Everyone had sworn with great conviction to work on their fitness, making pacts to run together every night. But in the end, they only lasted three days before abandoning the effort.

There were plenty of couples out for night runs, but theirs were not really runs—they were dates. The campus only offered a few spots for rendezvous: the cafeteria, the track, and the grove. During the day, everyone had classes, and schedules rarely matched. The free times were mealtimes and evenings. Those seeking intimacy would choose the grove, while those not needing such closeness would head for the track.

After two laps, Jiang Zheng spotted many couples. For someone single like him, such scenes were a bitter reminder of his solitude. By the fourth lap around the four-hundred-meter track, he was thoroughly exhausted. Back during university military training, he could have easily run eight laps, let alone four. Now, after slacking off, four laps were already taxing. He realized his physical condition had deteriorated.

Walking back to the dormitory, Jiang Zheng noticed his stamina recovered quickly. Moreover, perhaps it was just his imagination, but he felt a bit stronger. "The system’s reward must be working," he thought.

Back in the dorm, Jiang Zheng took a shower. In summer, after sweating, not showering left him uncomfortable while sleeping. As he stepped out of the bathroom, he saw the second eldest of the group returning.

The second, named Yang Po, was a romantic wanderer. He changed girlfriends quickly, but he was no Casanova. Yang Po was a peculiar sort: his girlfriends rotated frequently, yet he never kept several at once. Each time he dated, he focused solely on his current partner, never flirting with other girls during the relationship.

Seeing Jiang Zheng emerge from the bathroom, Yang Po said, "Fourth, I think I saw you at the track just now." Zhou Quanyi chimed in, "Second, you saw Fourth? Did you see any girls with him?" Yang Po was puzzled, "Fourth is dating someone?" Jiang Zheng explained, "Don’t listen to First’s nonsense, I just went to exercise." "Second, do you believe that? I don’t," Zhou Quanyi said. "I truly didn’t see any girls with Fourth. Maybe he really went to exercise," Yang Po replied.

Hearing this, Zhou Quanyi was shocked, "Damn, Fourth, you really went to exercise?" "Of course, I told you I was going to exercise, but you refused to believe me," Jiang Zheng replied. "I still can’t accept it; Fourth, did something happen to you?" Zhou Quanyi pressed. Jiang Zheng couldn’t be bothered to explain.

At that moment, the dormitory door opened and Yu Qingkui walked in, the youngest of the group. He carried books and wore glasses, just back from the library. "Nothing much, Fourth suddenly went to work out, it shocked me," Zhou Quanyi said. "Well, exercising is good," Yu Qingkui replied. He placed his books on the dorm table, turned on the lamp, and began reading.

Jiang Zheng’s unexpected workout surprised everyone, but it wasn’t something unimaginable. Soon, everyone went back to their own activities. Zhou Quanyi, Liu Hua, and Wang Bing played games; Yang Po lay in bed scrolling through short videos and chatting with his girlfriend; Yu Qingkui continued studying. Jiang Zheng, like Yu Qingkui, sat at the desk and read for a while. He wasn’t as studious as Yu Qingkui, but he took learning seriously.

As time passed, suddenly Yang Po, who was scrolling through short videos, cried out, "Damn, that’s incredible!" "Guys, I’ve got a video to recommend, check it out," Yang Po said. "What video?" Zhou Quanyi asked. "Just watch it and you’ll see," Yang Po replied.

Curious, Zhou Quanyi grabbed his phone, opened the short video app, and saw the video Yang Po had recommended. "Amazing, really amazing," Zhou Quanyi echoed. The others were intrigued, wondering what sort of video could impress them so much. Even Yu Qingkui, who had been reading, was drawn in.

Soon, Jiang Zheng saw the video Yang Po had shared. His face darkened—it was very familiar. The protagonist of the video was Jiang Zheng himself. It captured the moment when, during his part-time job, he fought barehanded against a criminal. Someone had filmed it, and it ended up online. To his surprise, the video had gone viral and was trending.

"So kung fu is real. Look at how decisive his moves are: the criminal had a knife, but he was subdued in just a few steps," Liu Hua commented. "Say what you will, but anyone who dares to take on a knife-wielding criminal empty-handed—I can only say, that’s incredible," Zhou Quanyi added. "If only we could find this person, I’d want him to teach me. Isn’t this more impressive than those flashy moves?" Liu Hua said.

For a while, everyone in the dorm discussed the martial arts expert in the video. Jiang Zheng kept silent, secretly grateful that he had worn a mascot costume, thoroughly concealing his body and face. Otherwise, how could he explain it to these guys? Compared to himself, Jiang Zheng admired even more the person who had confronted the criminal before him. He had the system’s boost, which gave him the courage to act.

The comments on the video were full of praise; any doubts were quickly drowned out. Jiang Zheng felt unworthy of the netizens’ admiration. After discussing it for a while, the topic changed to other things. Jiang Zheng lost the mood to study; he hadn’t expected today’s events to go viral, and he didn’t want the attention. There were too many things he couldn’t explain—he was just an ordinary university student who rarely exercised, yet suddenly managed to subdue a knife-wielding criminal barehanded. It seemed out of place.

But what was done was done, and Jiang Zheng couldn’t change it. He was just thankful he’d worn that mascot costume, which hid his physique and face. He lay down, preparing to read a novel before sleep. But as soon as he opened the app, he saw a flood of messages.