Chapter 10: Muscular is Strong, Strong is Muscular!

Around seven in the evening, a heavy rainstorm swept through the entire city.

Thick clouds pressed down, making the sky even gloomier than a typical night. The rain poured down, pelting cars, roads, and bus shelters. Water cascaded off the eaves, forming streams along the road edges that rushed into the sewers. The wind and waves continually lashed against everything.

Boom!

Thunder rumbled like the roar of cannons, causing a sense of dread.

On the road, there was a screech as an electric scooter skidded and fell.

Fortunately, Blake Bai, with quick reflexes, jumped off, avoiding a nasty fall. Wearing a plastic raincoat, he stood on the waterlogged street, his helmet visor covered with rain droplets. Blake quickly picked up his scooter and crouched to inspect the road. It turned out a usual pothole had been filled with rainwater. The light sweeping over it didn't reveal any difference.

A slight increase in speed and a moment's carelessness could easily result in a fall.

Standing in the rain for a bit, Blake's sneakers were soaked, and his pants and one side of his body were drenched. Looking rather bedraggled, he got back on the scooter and turned the handle, only to find the scooter was damaged.

Though it still moved, the internal parts creaked and groaned.

Blake had used this Hummer electric scooter for four or five years, with frequent use over the past year. This fall seemed to be its last ride.

"Bad weather is every delivery person's enemy."

Blake shook his head with resignation. Faced with this difficult situation, he didn't react with complaints and dissatisfaction like the original Blake might have. Instead, he calmly assessed the situation.

For the current Blake, most negative information didn't matter much.

The most important thing was.

How was his experience gained for each occupation today?

Like a farmer calculating the yearly crop yield, he thought.

[Your occupation "Deliveryman" has gained +13 experience]

[Your skill "Electric Bike Riding" has gained +19 experience]

[Your skill "City Route Mastery" has gained +20 experience]

The summary from the occupation panel flashed briefly before his eyes.

In the rain-soaked streets, Blake rode his wobbly electric scooter.

He headed towards Sunshine Neighborhood, back to his rented apartment.

At 8:20 PM, in his warmly lit apartment.

Blake, still wearing his soaked sneakers and sportswear, stood by the wardrobe. His hair, wet and stringy, clung to his forehead. He felt uncomfortable with the wet fabric sticking to his skin.

In three swift movements, he stripped off his clothes and walked naked into the bathroom.

In front of the mirror, Blake looked at his slightly defined muscles, feeling dissatisfied. This physique barely qualified as "lean muscle." The so-called lean muscle physique was recently popular among women on the internet.

But Blake himself preferred something more muscular.

In his instinctual male perception:

Muscular is strong, and strong is muscular. More muscular meant more safety!

Blake Bai had heard about the bodybuilding world in his previous life.

Those people were obsessed with muscles, injecting large amounts of hormones and drugs into their bodies, even using a combination of nine different drugs. Many bodybuilders lost their fertility and had shortened lifespans because of this.

Yet, they still pursued muscle growth.

Because to them, muscles were love. Turning their muscles into hard armor was like wrapping themselves in a thick, suffocating love!

Blake believed that these bodybuilders' passion for the perfect body was worthy of respect. However, he didn't want to go to such extremes. As long as he could train normally, enhance his physique, and become stronger, he would be very satisfied.

After a quick self-assessment, Blake took a hot shower.

Out of the bathroom, he swept and mopped the floor, and quickly washed the clothes soaking in soapy water. By the time he was done, it was 8:40 PM.

Standing by the wardrobe, Blake glanced at the empty space by the window.

He hesitated about whether to buy a standing punching bag for that spot.

But after a moment, he gave up on the idea.

His rented apartment was in a residential area, with neighbors above and below. The noise from hitting the punching bag might lead to complaints, and the soundproofing in Sunshine Neighborhood wasn't great. Besides, Blake was out all day, with a very tight schedule. He barely had any free time at home, so the punching bag would probably not get much use.

The main issue was that he was short on money.

If he had the funds, he would get a dedicated training room, complete with various fitness equipment, martial arts gear, and professional tools, and train as he wished.

He wouldn't have to hesitate and consider everything.

"It's close. With my two major talents, the occupation panel and the Dark Red Modifier, everything will gradually get better…"

Blake's phone lit up slightly, interrupting his thoughts.

He took a look and saw a notification from the chat app on the lock screen.

The avatar was a swordsman, and the note read "Bro Dong."

Bro Dong: Bai, I miss you and Old Liang. Want to come out for a drink tonight? I'm at Hengguang. I'll cover your transportation and accommodation costs.

Bro Dong: Had another fight with my dad, not feeling great.

Blake read the message and recalled the details.

Dong Wei, a buddy from three years in high school, shared the same dorm room, and they were bunkmates. They were always close and kept in touch after graduation. Back in high school, Dong Wei's father was a small business owner, but during college, he suddenly made it big, becoming the CEO of a large company in just four or five years.

Dong Wei fully relied on his father, becoming a second-generation rich kid. His social media was full of photos of sports cars and luxury venues.

Dong Wei wanted to bring his old buddy Blake along. But the original Blake was stubborn and had a strong sense of pride.

So, their relationship remained purely friendly, without any business ties.

This was actually good. If Blake had become an employee in Dong Wei's father's company, their pure friendship might have changed.

Blake thought for a moment and replied.

"No, Bro Dong. I've been busy with work lately."

He then added one of the original Blake's commonly used emojis.

Soon, a reply came.

Bro Dong: Alright, take care. Being busy is good. Busy is blessed.jpg

Bro Dong: My dad is opening a branch in Huai River City. It should be ready in half a month. I'll get a position there and come to hang out with you. Don't turn me down then!

Blake sent an emoji of exasperation and typed.

"Big Boss Dong, you still need someone to accompany you? I saw your birthday photos on social media, surrounded by impressive people, and lots of young, attractive men and women, even a few minor celebrities. You're not short of friends…"

"Why so desperate to find me?"

The screen flashed.

Bro Dong: It's not the same. Those people are not real friends. After my dad made it big, none of the people I meet are real friends. The only ones I can truly talk to are you and Old Liang.

Blake sent another exasperation emoji and typed: Whatever.

Bro Dong: Hehe.jpg

Then, he sent a photo.

A young man leaned against a riverside railing, wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigarette. He looked up at the sky, seemingly deep in thought.

Five minutes later, Blake left home, riding his beat-up electric scooter to the bar.

Faithfully playing his role as a security guard in the night scene filled with roaring music. Ever since he got the plug-in, his attitude towards every job had become meticulous.

Because in Blake's view.

Knowing you can get stronger and not doing so is laziness!

He enjoyed the sense of progress far more than the pleasure of idleness.

[Your occupation "Security Guard" has gained +11 experience]

[Your skill "Patrolling" has gained +15 experience]