Chapter 45: Clearing the Stage

The young man two spots ahead of Jiang Zheng looked to be about his age. Upon taking the stage, he cleared the course at remarkable speed, barely pausing at any obstacle, and finished in just one minute and thirty seconds. This was already an impressive feat, though still shy of the record. Very few could complete the course in just over a minute; after all, not many even managed to finish, with most falling into the water along the way.

From what Jiang Zheng had learned, the fastest completion time among the men was forty-three seconds—a truly astonishing achievement! Considering there were eight stages in total, each with its own difficulty and considerable distance, the record holder must have seemed to simply glide across the obstacles as if walking on level ground. Jiang Zheng knew that breaking this record would be no easy task.

The show, "Boys and Girls, Charge Forward," had evolved somewhat since the last time Jiang Zheng watched, but the eight-stage format remained similar. Though each season featured new names for the challenges, the underlying design philosophy was much the same.

Jiang Zheng was participating in a regular competition. As long as his performance met the standard, he could advance through subsequent rounds—quarterfinals, semifinals, finals, and the grand finale. But personal glory was not his aim; he only wanted to break the record.

Soon, it was his turn to compete. After a brief introduction, the host asked if he had any special talents. Jiang Zheng shook his head decisively. Showcasing a talent was a chance to show off, and many contestants seized the opportunity. The producers welcomed such performances, as they enriched the show and made it more entertaining. Still, not every talent was suitable for the stage, so it was always up to the contestant; there was no pressure from the crew.

"Very well then, let's look forward to Jiang Zheng's performance. Everyone, stay tuned," the host said.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Zheng looked at the obstacles before him and glanced at the system's mission interface in his mind.

[Mission: Participate in 'Boys and Girls, Charge Forward' and break the fastest record.
Temporary skills:
Full Sprint: Greatly increases speed when running at full tilt.
Unshakable: Enhances balance ability.]

At this moment, Jiang Zheng could only hope these temporary skills would be powerful enough to help him complete his task successfully.

With the host’s cue, Jiang Zheng dashed forward with all his might. The moment he did, the "Full Sprint" skill activated, and he immediately noticed his speed was far beyond what he was used to.

The host remarked in surprise, "Jiang Zheng is incredibly fast, but such speed can easily lead to mistakes."

He cleared the first stage quickly. This obstacle was akin to stepping stones that would sink and wobble underfoot, their spherical surfaces slick with water and easy to slip on. As long as one moved fast and landed steadily, it wasn't too difficult to pass.

The host continued, "Jiang Zheng has cleared the first stage in no time and is now at the second. This one tests the contestant's sense of timing—can he maintain that speed? Wait! He's not slowing down at all, still charging forward!"

The core concept behind the course design of "Boys and Girls, Charge Forward" was instability. Whether it was floating balls, spinning disks, shaking platforms, or water hazards, all were meant to throw contestants off balance. Instability made it easy to stumble and fall. Each stage had its own unique features, and to clear them quickly, one needed both steadiness and precise timing.

"Jiang Zheng has cleared the second stage just as swiftly—the spinning disk didn’t slow him down one bit," the host commented.

With "Unshakable" in effect, Jiang Zheng could clearly feel his balance improving. No matter how unstable the footing, he could adjust in an instant, maintaining his equilibrium without conscious effort. His reflexive adjustments allowed him to breeze through the third, fourth, and fifth stages at astonishing speed.

"He looks like he's flying! Could we be witnessing a new course record today?" the host exclaimed, half in jest, half in awe.

Having watched countless contestants, the hosts knew better than anyone how treacherous these seemingly simple obstacles could be. Many people, cautious to the extreme, would hesitate at each stage, sometimes lingering for ages before moving on. Very few could make it through without a single pause, as Jiang Zheng was doing.

Soon, he reached the eighth and final stage.

"Now only the last obstacle remains. Can Jiang Zheng break the record? Let's all cheer him on!"

The final challenge was a climb. A rope hung down a slope; the contestant had to pull themselves up and hit a button at the top to finish. This stage had a particularly devious twist: halfway up, a torrent of water would be unleashed, and the already slippery slope would become even harder to grip.

In truth, the eighth stage wasn't all that hard—if one slipped, as long as they held the rope tightly, they were unlikely to fall into the water. But for Jiang Zheng, this was the most difficult part, the barrier to his goal. The previous seven stages were manageable thanks to his temporary skills, but here, neither would help him. He couldn't sprint, nor could he rely on enhanced balance. This stage would test his raw physical strength.

There was no time to hesitate. Jiang Zheng sprang forward, grabbed the rope, and began to climb as fast as he could. Compared to the earlier stages, this ascent took noticeably more time. When the water crashed down, he struggled to keep from slipping, forced to pause until the torrent passed, losing precious seconds—an inevitability he had to accept. To fight the current risked a disastrous fall, which would cost far more time than a brief stop.

As soon as the water subsided, he summoned all his remaining strength, scrambling up the last stretch. Finally, he reached the top. But it wasn't over—he still needed to press the red button to finish. Stumbling forward, he slapped it with his palm.

He had made it.

At that moment, the host cried out, "Forty-two seconds! Forty-two seconds! Jiang Zheng has broken the record!"

In his mind, Jiang Zheng heard another voice: [Mission complete! Please claim your reward.]

He let out a long breath, relief mingling with lingering anxiety. He had beaten the record by just a single second—had he been even a little slower, he would have failed the task. Even with the system’s temporary skills, the challenge had been perilous. Clearly, the previous record holder was no ordinary contestant. Jiang Zheng, lacking extensive training, knew luck played a part in his narrow victory.

No matter what, he had accomplished his mission.