Beret

Yunhai University of Finance and Economics, Fitness Center.

Tang Hong brought out his student pass, paid a one-time fee, and hurriedly ran to the gym area. It was still the place where he did his bench presses for the first time. Wu Jie was wiping his sweat while seated and Xuan Lizheng was holding his arms.

"He's here."

Xuan Lizheng's eyes lit up.

"Tang Hong."

Wu Jie stood up and greeted him.

Only, his expression was a little odd.

"Hahaha."

"You actually didn't believe me…"

Tang Hong easily lifted the weight that he had used to train with the previous time. An indifferent look was on his face. His face wasn't red nor was panting. His arms weren't shaking anymore either.

Tang Hong sat up and said coolly.

"It's too light."

Wu Jie and Xuan Lizheng stared at each other. They were at a loss of words for some time.

Both of them were surprised by Tang Hong's great progress.

Beginners would certainly have sore muscles after completing an entire set of bench presses for the first time.

It would take them at least two to three days to recover.

Xuan Lizheng could not help but ask. "How much do you want to add?"

'It's truly lonely to be at the summit…'

Tang Hong sighed.

"Let's add another 20kg."

That was adding 10kg on each side. Before Wu Jie moved, Xuan Lizheng leaped to the side.

He prepared the discs with the fastest speed he could muster and added them to both sides of the bar. Then, he tightly pushed the discs inwards, making it difficult for them to fall off the bar.

Afterwards, he stared at Tang Hong.

"Be careful. Wu Jie, spot for him."

When everything was in order…

Tang Hong's palms opened. Resting against the bar, he performed a close-grip bench press…

He allowed the weight of the barbell to press down on the lower part of his palm that was perpendicular to his wrist.

Hua!

He lifted it with ease!

The corners of Tang Hong's eyes twitched unconsciously.

After adding six Individual Value points to the percentage of his Strength, the added value to his weight limit in bench presses was definitely more than 20kg!

"Hiss!"

Xuan Lizheng's eyes bulged. He was rendered speechless.

He remembered back when he was in Year 1, the school had yet to have a Fitness Center.

He often went to the Fitness Centers outside the campus, and it took him half a year to move from the initial 20kg to 60kg.

"This isn't scientific."

He stared at Tang Hong's biceps.

A strange idea emerged in his mind.

'He couldn't be Hongjun's reincarnation, could he?'

"How formidable!"

At the same time, Wu Jie who was spotting for Tang Hong also drew in a cold breath.

He did not exert any strength at all.

Tang Hong had lifted the 60kg barbell all alone with his strength.

Furthermore, his movements were very fluid.

Tang Hong did seven to eight sets.

Ka!

Lifting the barbell and placing it back on the rack, Tang Hong shook his head in what seemed to be great disappointment as he said, "I'll go back and continue my training. I'll challenge 80kg upon my return."

"Big boss! Big boss!"

Xuan Lizheng's smile was very stiff.

After watching Tang Hong disappear, Xuan Lizheng turned his head to look towards Wu Jie.

"Wu Jie, come clean… This roommate of yours really hasn't train before in the past?"

"He probably has not… has not trained before."

Even Wu Jie was both surprised and doubtful.

"A newbie pretending to be a big boss?"

Xuan Lizheng rolled his eyes.

"I reckon it wouldn't take two months before Tang Hong can bench press 80kg."

…

The night was cold in the self-study classroom.

Tang Hong felt a chill throughout his body.

For some reason, he felt especially cold.

He seemed to have caught a cold after getting wet in the rain, going all the way to the seaside, and then even exerting himself by doing bench presses. Touching his forehead, Tang Hong felt that he was slightly feverish.

"I'm sleepy…"

"Why don't I just sleep in the classroom? Sleeping alone in the classroom should increase my Individual Value too, right?"

Tang Hong dozed off drowsily as he gave the system interface a look.

Mortal: Extremely small and weak creature.

Willpower: 50%

Strength: 35%

Realm: 0.00

Individual Value: 2

'I've already caught a cold.'

'Why're there still no changes in these figures? I thought that the percentage figure of Strength would temporarily be lowered while I'm ill?'

Amidst the border of sleep and wakefulness, Tang Hong was both weary and dizzy. He had no idea how much time had passed since he entered such a state.

But Tang Hong had a dream.

In his dream, he was standing above the white clouds. He was overlooking the world itself. But he was alone above the skies. His Individual Value endlessly soared and the heavens itself came into his sight.

Out of nowhere, above the Nine Heavens, layers of fog were split and a scorching sun hung in that outer space that was filled with boundless darkness!

Its divine flames were in their full glory!

Golden light filled the skies!

It was a Noble God towering in the faraway horizon.

The terrifying golden flames surged like a tide. It filled all the gaps in the universe as it rushed towards him. Tang Hong felt a cold sweat rush through his spine as he felt as if he had nowhere to hide. He felt as if this scorching sun itself was bearing its weight down on him…

It was getting closer… closer… and closer…

"Classmate?"

"Classmate? Wake up!"

There seemed to be someone calling to him.

Tang Hong thought for a moment and immediately understood that he was having a nightmare.

'A dream!'

Tang Hong's heart chilled.

He discovered that his consciousness was clearer than usual.

He could still vividly remember the details of that nightmare.

"Classmate?"

The voice was very soft.

It called out to him for a very long time until it managed to wake him up.

His head was placed on his bent arm.

His mind quickly spun.

He checked and made sure that he wasn't drooling before he lifted his head.

Tang Hong slept face down on the table.

The side of his cheek laid on the edge of the right sleeve of his t-shirt.

The pressure left two clear imprints. He looked weary and weak, but his eyes were very bright.

The person who woke him up…

Tang Hong faltered…

In the empty self-study classroom, two young ladies stood in the aisle beside him.

They seemed brighter and more delicate than the average student. Furthermore, they had a seemingly artistic air around them. The one who woke him up must be the girl on the left. She had an emerald green formal coat wrapped around her body.

It was a few sizes bigger than her figure.

The other was in a campus-style attire, wearing a light blue blouse and a short skirt with a slender waistline. This outlined her dainty height. Her snow-white legs were in a pair of small leather shoes and her jet-black hair casually laid on her shoulders.

She was wearing a beret with her head down, looking at her mobile phone.

In a twinkle, there seemed to be the air of youth blowing on his face.

Her fresh and refined visuals as well as her attire was short-lived…

But the glimpse of a passing beauty was deeply burned into the retina of his eyes.

His heart pounded!

Tang Hong controlled his heartbeat.

The girl wearing the emerald coat smiled at Tang Hong.

"The classrooms are about to be closed. The teacher at the management office got me to help wake you up."

"Alright, thank you."

Tang Hong nodded and attentively darted another glance at the young lady wearing the beret.

The girl sensed his gaze and she turned her head to look at him.

But she didn't say anything.

Tang Hong distinctly felt his heart rate speeding up, but his gaze didn't falter.

After making eye contact, he retracted his gaze and got up to pack his stuff.

Deng. Deng. Deng…

These were the crisp sounds of the heels coming from the girl with the emerald coat landing on the floor in the classroom.

'Are they leaving?'

For some reason, Tang Hong felt unwilling. But he still obediently packed his bags before nonchalantly looking towards the front door of the classroom. The back door was already locked, so only the front door could be used as the exit.

That speck of light blue entered his eyes. It was not a back view but a profile.

Tang Hong was rooted in the same spot.

He saw that girl lift the long hair by her ears.

She happened to be turning back as she looked over in his direction.

Those raven, delicate eyes watched him.

Across the distance of half of the entire classroom—the air in between them froze—the lights around them dimmed and silence seemed to fall for a moment.

"Aiyaaa…"

With her eyelashes twitching, the girl let out a low exclamation.

She then turned around and left the classroom.

In the self-study classroom, the lights were dim.

Although Tang Hong was in a trance as he stood there all alone.

'This has to be an illusion.'

He murmured to himself before shaking his head inwardly and crushing those unrealistic thoughts.

A month later and he would be heading to the Imperial Capital headquarters of the Yellow River Organization for the special training camp.

Moreover, the literal meaning of the [Power of One] support system meant that he had to do things alone before he could increase his Individual Value.

Unless he satisfied those three conditions…

It would be impossible for him to increase his Individual Value.

"It already this late."

"Where should I stay today?"

Tang Hong carried his dark gray backpack and stood outside the academic building.

He had a severe cold. He could easily pass it onto his roommates if he returned to the dormitory room. Moreover, he could not miss his daily Individual Value grind.

Hence, he opened WeChat.

He looked towards the address that Fang Nanxun sent him.

Speaking of this address, Tang Hong had been too busy confirming his theories regarding how to trigger the increase in his Individual Value.

But to be honest, he wasn't planning on going to the bungalow that Fang Nanxun temporarily loaned to him.

But…

For the sake of Individual Value points, Tang Hong's hesitation only lasted for a moment. There was no need to be pretentious. Fang Nanxun did not need that from him as well. Producing a good result at the special training camp would be the best repayment that he could do to him.

Dong Dong~

The standard tall, rich and handsome man, Zeng Li tagged Tang Hong in the dormitory room's WeChat group chat as he asked, "Have you got something going on recently? It's been a week since you've returned to stay at the dorm."

Wu Jie also sent a WeChat message.

"Come back quickly! We're making a hotpot! Eat more meat and eggs. It'll take just a month and you'll surely conquer 80KG!"

As they chatted, Wu Jie sent several clear photos of a steaming small pot with lamb, fish balls, and potatoes bubbling in red chili oil. Regarding the matter of Tang Hong purchasing the so-called 'fake keys', Wu Jie did not even mention it all this while.

"I'm going to expose you people!" Tang Hong was drooling.

Wu Jie said with a cold smile. "People who sneak away are destined to be forever alone!"

Tang Hong replied, "Long live the single life!"

Wu Jie said, "We have your favorite Kungfu potato slices."

Zeng Li also joined in. "It's so spicy. Bring two bottles of sprite back, brother. The cold ones."

Whereas Han Zhibin sent a beautiful feminine sticker of a little monk striking a wooden clapper with a little fox quietly holding an umbrella at the side.

"Benefactor Tang, suffering is a boundless sea. Come back to the shore to eat hotpot."

Playing games and ranking up with girls every day, the changes that Han Zhibin underwent through were evident. He now had a lot more cute images in his WeChat sticker packs.

After seeing the photos of the hotpot, Tang Hong completely turned green with envy.

It was a lie to say that he wasn't tempted nor moved.

His fingers rested on the text box beneath the chat interface.

He didn't know what to say for quite some time.

The cold wind of the 10 PM night blew past his face.

Tang Hong felt cold. His shoulders shrunk but his heart was warm.

To the many people who attended school away from home, the dormitory rooms were already half a home to them.

Tang Hong finally knew why.