Start with push-ups to gain experience

Chapter 506 represents luck, attribute point allocation.

Running from Jiangbin Park back to Jiuchang Street is about seven or eight kilometers.

For Fang Cheng now, this journey is nothing more than a slightly long walk.

He deliberately slowed down, carrying a heavy oil paper bag, yet he still seemed to be walking briskly.

The bag contained freshly cooked pan-fried buns.

Fang Cheng bought this from a well-known old shop on his way. It has a thin crust, a generous filling, and a crispy bottom.

My mom used to love this dish, but she's been busy making a living lately, so she doesn't eat it often anymore.

It was around 7:30 a.m., and the old factory street had fully awakened.

The narrow streets were mostly occupied by all kinds of breakfast stalls.

The fried dough sticks tumbled and puffed in the boiling oil, the plump white buns steamed in the steamer, and there was also freshly cooked glutinous rice chicken and tofu pudding.

The steaming aromas mingled together, making one's mouth water.

An older woman in her pajamas haggled over prices while carrying a shopping basket, while a student with a schoolbag on his back ran off with breakfast in his mouth.

Electric scooters and tricycles weaved through the gaps in the crowd, and the whole street was full of vibrant energy.

Fang Cheng walked through the noisy crowd and into his own old tenement building with its slightly mottled exterior.

As soon as I stepped onto the second-floor stairs, I bumped into a girl who was hurrying downstairs.

The girl was wearing a simple beige floral dress and a pair of clean white sneakers.

He was carrying a huge black guitar case on his back, which seemed a bit strenuous.

The morning sunlight streamed through the corridor window, illuminating her long, smooth, black hair and giving it a faint golden edge.

Her face, untouched by makeup, was as pure as a newly blooming lily, with fair skin and a delicate, straight nose.

Especially her eyes, which were bright and sparkling, like two black gems set in a jade plate.

"Xiumei."

Upon seeing this, Fang Cheng immediately called out.

The girl paused, then abruptly looked up.

When she saw the familiar face in front of her, her anxious expression was instantly filled with immense joy.

"Brother Cheng?!"

Zhou Xiumei blurted out, her voice clear and melodious, carrying an undisguised joy.

"You...you're back?"

Fang Cheng went on a "business trip" to Tiannan Province for nearly half a month. After returning, he was so busy with the preparations for the establishment of the Illuminati that he was constantly on the go.

Although the two lived in the same building, they never managed to run into each other.

"Yes, I just got back a few days ago."

Fang Cheng smiled and nodded, his gaze sweeping over the guitar case on her back:

"Leaving so early? Going to a training class?"

"Um……"

Zhou Xiumei pursed her lips shyly, twisting her fingers around the hem of her skirt:

"The audition is this weekend. My teacher said my high notes are still a bit unstable, so I want to go to the vocal studio early to practice more."

When the topic of the competition came up, her tone revealed a hint of nervousness, and her eyes, like those of a startled fawn, blinked uneasily.

"What, don't you have confidence?"

Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone tinged with a hint of teasing:

"Xiu Mei, you have a very talented voice. As long as you perform normally, you will definitely pass the audition. Winning the championship in the future will be a piece of cake."

"Don't forget, you're the nightingale of our Old Factory Street."

Hearing this familiar teasing remark, Zhou Xiumei burst out laughing, her cheeks flushing red, and her initial nervousness dissipated considerably.

"Cheng-ge, you just love making me happy..."

"I'm serious."

Fang Cheng looked at her, then suddenly seemed to remember something: "Wait for me."

After saying that, before Zhou Xiumei could react, he ran up to his home on the ninth floor in three quick steps.

When I got home, I first put the pan-fried buns I was holding on the dining table.

Then he rushed into the bedroom and pulled an exquisite dark blue velvet jewelry box from his handbag.

Before his mother could even call him, he ran down the stairs again.

"Give."

Fang Cheng handed the jewelry box to Zhou Xiumei.

Zhou Xiumei was stunned, looking at the box with a sense of helplessness:

"What's this?"

"open to take a look."

Encouragingly, Fang Cheng took the jewelry box carefully and gently opened the lid.

A delicate platinum necklace lay quietly inside, with a small four-leaf clover pendant and a crystal-clear blue gemstone set in the center.

In the dim light of the stairwell, that blue hue was serene and profound, just like the look of surprise that shone in her eyes at that moment.

"so beautiful……"

Zhou Xiumei gasped softly, covered her mouth, and then looked at Fang Cheng with some panic:
"Brother Cheng, this gift is too precious, I can't..."

"Keep it."

Fang Cheng interrupted her refusal and said sincerely:
“I bought this gemstone when I was on a business trip in Tiannan Province. When I saw it, I thought it was particularly clear and pure, and it suited your temperament very well.”

"I've also heard that four-leaf clovers represent good luck, and I thought it was a nice idea, so I bought it for you in the hope that it will bring you good luck in your game this weekend."

"It suits...my style perfectly?"

Zhou Xiumei murmured to herself, her heart skipping a beat.

Her cheeks instantly turned red to her ears, and even her neck was tinged with pink.

Then I gripped the small box tightly, feeling my palms burning.

"Alright, hurry up and go, don't be late."

Fang Cheng raised his fist and gave her a thumbs-up.
"Good luck! I'll celebrate with you when you make it to the finals."

"Ok!"

Zhou Xiumei nodded vigorously and carefully put the box into her small bag.

She took a deep breath, turned around hastily, and ran quickly down the stairs.

After taking a few steps, she couldn't help but turn back, as if summoning all her courage, and shouted loudly at Fang Cheng:

"Brother Cheng, thank you! I will definitely work hard, and I will come back to see you with the trophy!"

After saying that, she ran a few more steps, turned around again, and waved vigorously.

Her skirt fluttered, her long hair gently swayed, like a butterfly fluttering its wings in the morning light.

Fang Cheng stood at the top of the stairs, watching that youthful figure disappear into the distance, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips.

I went back to the ninth floor and pushed open the door to my home.

The house was already filled with the aroma of breakfast.

Li Biyun was carrying a pot of steaming millet porridge out of the kitchen when she saw Fang Cheng changing his shoes in the entryway. She asked him with some confusion:
"Chengcheng, you just got back, why did you rush out again?"

"Oh, I just remembered I left something in the car. I'll go get it."

Fang Cheng made up a reason on the spot and pointed to the oil paper bag on the table:
"Mom, have you tried the pan-fried buns? I went to Wang's shop to buy them; they're fresh out of the pan and still hot."

"Wang Ji? There's a really long queue there."

With a gentle smile on her face, Li Biyun walked to the dining table and put down the scalding hot casserole.

Then, she deftly untied the oil paper bag and, with a few deft movements of her chopsticks, placed the thin-skinned, crispy-bottomed pan-fried buns onto a plate.

"Hmm, it looks good, and it still smells that authentic caramel aroma."

“I remember you used to crave this when you were little. You would stuff your cheeks full and eat five or six in one go.”

As she spoke, she glanced at her son, her gaze landing on the fine beads of sweat on Fang Cheng's forehead. She quickly urged him, "Go take a shower and wash off this sweaty smell. You can eat it while it's hot."

"As you command, Mother."

Fang Cheng smiled and gave a somewhat imperfect military salute, then casually picked up his change of clothes draped over the back of the chair and turned to walk into the washroom.

The old brass faucet was turned on with a muffled thud.

The cool tap water gushed out and gathered in the enamel basin.

Fang Cheng scooped up a handful of cold water and splashed it hard on his face, then soaked a towel and vigorously wiped his chest and back.

The cool water washed over his muscles, which were as firm as if cast in steel, carrying away the stickiness and fatigue left from his morning exercise, and invigorating him.

He straightened up and shook his wet hair.

Then, while wiping his upper body with a towel, he looked in the mirror and admired his now-powerful and fit physique.

As the thought crossed my mind, a pale blue screen quietly appeared on the water-drenched mirror surface.

Congratulations! Through extraordinary effort and perseverance, your skills have reached the master level.

[Running lv2 (0/500)]

[Receive skill enhancement reward: 9 free attribute points]

Several messages, shimmering with a faint light, appeared one after another, reflected in Fang Cheng's dark pupils.

Previously, when he was jogging in the park in the morning, there were many people around, so he resisted the urge to immediately increase his pace.

Now, alone with the secret visible only to himself, he couldn't help but smile with a satisfied grin.

This is just like handing a pillow when you're about to fall asleep.

Fang Cheng hung the towel around his neck, his eyes fixed intently on the 9 points of freedom attribute.

My brain was working at lightning speed, and I started planning how to add points.

My current panel data is:

【Strength: 65】

[Agility: 64]

[Physique: 76]

【Spirit: 70】

These 9 attributes are perfectly timed; they're practically tailor-made to break through bottlenecks.

First, allocate 4 free attribute points to Constitution, pushing it directly to the 80-point mark.

Based on previous experience, it is speculated that 80 attribute points are very likely an absolute watershed for human physiological functions.

It may even be the key threshold for truly crossing from "ordinary person" to "superman".

Once this barrier is broken, physical fitness will experience a qualitative leap.

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered, and he couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

To what extent will the defense be enhanced? Will ordinary small-caliber bullets only leave a white mark on the body?
How much will recovery capabilities improve? Will bone regeneration and flesh reconstruction become a reality?

More importantly, the improvement of physical fitness will inevitably benefit the inner world.

That "sun" hanging high in the depths of consciousness may burn even more intensely.

The upper limit of true qi storage, the explosive power of qigong, and even the understanding of the "Way of the Sun" may all increase accordingly.

Just imagining the feeling of being filled with endless power, as if he could shatter mountains with a single punch, made his blood boil.

As for the remaining 5 attribute points, they were all added to Strength, bringing the total to 70 points.

It's worth noting that the skill effect description for pull-ups is very clear.

Once the Strength attribute exceeds 70 points, this skill will successfully unlock a hidden effect.

Although the specific effects are not yet clear, the increase in strength stats alone is already quite significant.

This is enough to take the power of skill effects such as "Ghost Back", "Qilin Arm" and "Infinite Combo" to another level.

Fang Cheng was in high spirits, and his fists, hanging at his sides, clenched slightly, his knuckles cracking.

However, just as he was about to confirm with his mind and add the points,

A terrifying image suddenly flashed through his mind, like a bucket of ice water being poured over his head, forcibly stopping him from having the thought.

"No... we can't add it here."

Fang Cheng stared at himself in the mirror, his brows gradually furrowing.

Having 80 points in physical attributes truly represents a major hurdle to the limits of human potential.

Therefore, the physical reaction triggered by breaking through this taboo will definitely be several times more intense than when trying to reach 60 attribute points.

Let's leave aside the excruciating pain that felt like every cell in my body was being torn apart and reassembled.

The biggest problem right now is the insatiable appetite that comes with the breakthrough.

Fang Chengshi knew that feeling all too well.

It's like a starving ghost who has been hungry for several lifetimes being reincarnated, wanting to devour everything edible around them.

If one's willpower is not strong enough, one's appetite can completely control them.

During his previous breakthroughs, he emptied the refrigerator in his house and even once swallowed rice whole.

The sight of their bloodshot eyes and wolfing down their food was like something out of a horror movie to outsiders.

If this suddenly flares up, turning the house upside down and doing something monstrous, it would definitely scare my mom half to death.

Moreover, if the strength attribute is increased to 70 points, the muscle size will definitely increase accordingly.

While it's unlikely to result in an exaggeratedly large figure, it's certain that clothes will be stretched tight and the body will suddenly appear a size larger.

These changes must be carefully considered, and contingency plans must be prepared in advance.

Otherwise, it will not only arouse suspicion among relatives and friends, but also attract the attention of those with ulterior motives, exposing any abnormalities in one's body.

During this sensitive period, any oversight could lead to unpredictable consequences.

Fang Cheng hesitated for a moment, then scooped up a handful of cold water and splashed it on his face.

I forced myself to calm down and then quickly made a decision.

After breakfast, I'll tell my mom and then head to Haitian Garden.

First, go to the large supermarket over there and buy enough meat and high-calorie food to fill the large freezer.

Make thorough preparations before adding points.

If the physical changes after the breakthrough are still within a controllable range, I'll head back to Old Factory Street that night.

If the change is too drastic, or if the raging appetite is difficult to suppress.

Then just make up an excuse and say you're participating in a closed-door fitness training camp organized by the company.

I'll just stay in seclusion at the Sea and Sky Garden for a few days to cultivate and fully adapt to the new power before coming back.

Having figured this out, Fang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, his tense nerves relaxing slightly.

Since returning to Dongdu, he has chosen to live in the old house on Jiuchang Street.

Aside from inspecting the base site with Lin Chuqiao and the others, and going to the club once, he spent almost all his time with his mother, never leaving her side.

He did not go to live alone in Haitian Garden as he had done before.

Although the gym equipment there is more complete and the environment is more private, the workout efficiency is much higher.

But the thought of his ideal world, which might be lurking in the shadows and spying on him, made Fang Cheng feel as if a sharp sword was hanging over his heart.

That powerful and mysterious leader was like a lingering shadow.

Fang Cheng could not truly feel at ease until the hidden dangers were completely eliminated.

Although he could sense his mother's condition anytime and anywhere through the connection of the "Sun Heart Network," he could immediately detect any danger.

But this kind of perception is passive and not nearly as reassuring as having someone personally by your side.

What if the other party has some strange methods and forcibly severs this connection?

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng picked up the wet towel and wiped his face vigorously again.

"If only I had a large enough and loyal force right now..."

(End of this chapter)