Chapter 4: Keeping at It

At last, Li Hang lay on the ground, chest heaving, sweat running down both sides of his face. He looked like a fish hauled from the water and tossed onto the bank, mouth opening and closing as he gasped.

People walking around the field passed in twos and threes. Some glanced at him and moved on; others looked longer. A man weighing over 300 jin spread out on the ground like a pancake wasn’t an everyday sight.

“That guy walked for forty or fifty minutes, didn’t he?”

“I counted. Six whole laps, walking slowly without stopping once.”

“Then he did three sets of wall sits. I watched the whole time. He held them steady, too.”

“Seriously? At his size? I’d have collapsed ages ago.”

“That’s impressive. You’ve got to respect that kind of determination.”

A few students sitting on the steps spoke in low voices, their tone admiring. An overweight person trying to slim down was hardly unusual, but someone his size gritting his teeth through more than forty minutes on the track and following it with wall sits deserved a second look.

Plenty of people talked about losing weight. Few actually got moving, especially at his weight.

[Shock Points +6]
[Shock Points +8]
[Shock Points +5]

Huh? Still lying on the ground, Li Hang looked at the numbers suddenly appearing on his system screen. Earlier, people’s glances had earned him only a point or two at a time. Why so many now?

After a moment’s thought, he understood. Before, people had been surprised by his size and then moved on. Now they were surprised by his persistence. A man over 300 jin walking for more than forty minutes took determination, and that meant more than a simple “Wow, he’s fat.”

He considered the hundred million he’d earned. First, he’d spend some of it on a top nutritionist to plan his meals and a professional trainer to design exercises for someone his size. He couldn’t skimp there. His body was the foundation of everything; right now it was close to breaking down before he’d even begun.

Then again, the hundred million wasn’t much use to him yet. At his current size, most ways of enjoying himself were out of reach. Go dancing at a club? His knees would give out after two moves. Travel? A few steps would leave him puffing like a bellows.

The only thing he could think of buying was a car, and it would need an enormous interior and particularly sturdy seats.

[Ding! In response to the Host’s wishes, 10,000 yuan can be exchanged for one Shock Point. One thousand Shock Points can be exchanged for one attribute point.]

“???”

Li Hang nearly sprang up. At his weight, of course, springing was impossible. He managed little more than a token lift of his head.

What a rip-off! Ten thousand yuan for one Shock Point and a thousand points for one attribute point meant ten million yuan for a single point. Was the system running a bank? No, banks weren’t this greedy. At least they paid interest!

He cursed inwardly for a while, but in the end he had to accept it. That was the trouble with a monopoly: take the deal or leave it.

Then again, losing one jin earned him a hundred million. Ten million for an attribute point cost the equivalent of one-tenth of a jin of fat. Put that way… maybe it wasn’t impossible to accept. It still hurt to spend, though.

After about ten minutes of rest, he checked his phone. It was past eight. The floodlights still shone brightly over the field; fewer people were on the track now, though a few students continued to stroll.

He pushed against his knees and slowly stood. One knee gave an unwilling creak. Then he dragged himself toward the dorm at less than walking speed, an overweight snail inching along beneath the streetlights.

At the building entrance he rested as usual, then climbed the stairs. The third floor had nearly killed him yesterday. Today he was still gasping, but it felt a tiny bit easier. Just a tiny bit, but he could tell.

He opened Room 304’s door, and a warm wave of dormitory smell hit him. Given how sweaty he was himself, he wasn’t in a position to complain.

Shi Xiao, Xu Haodong, and Qiao Chuan were still gaming together, light flickering on their screens and keyboards clattering. The spacious room was a blessing: each of the four had a corner without getting in anyone else’s way.

“Mid lane, mid lane! Stop farming and join the fight!”

“Coming! Wait until I respawn.”

“Hey, flank them! Flank them! Do you even know how to play?”

As soon as Li Hang entered, all three caught the smell. Sweat and the distinctive odor of prolonged exertion were particularly strong in the enclosed, air-conditioned room. Shi Xiao’s nose twitched, and Xu Haodong’s fingers paused over his keyboard. Qiao Chuan didn’t react, perhaps too absorbed in the game.

Li Hang knew he smelled. Without hesitation, he grabbed clean clothes and went into the bathroom. Water splashed, and steam soon filled the room.

Outside, while waiting to respawn, Shi Xiao lowered his voice. “When we go out to eat or have fun, maybe we should invite Li Hang along.”

Qiao Chuan kept his eyes on the screen, fingers flying. “What if something happens to him? He’s so heavy.”

Shi Xiao fell silent. It was true that exercise carried greater risks for someone over 300 jin.

Xu Haodong took off his expensive headset and hung it around his neck, leaning back. “We can invite him to meals and things, but basketball, cycling, night runs, and clubs are definitely beyond him right now.”

As the son of a wealthy family, Xu Haodong held no particular prejudice against fat people. As long as Li Hang didn’t affect him, he could do as he pleased. And if Xu could help without much trouble, he didn’t mind. They’d be sharing a room for the next year, after all.

In the bathroom, hot water washed away the sticky sweat, and Li Hang finally felt refreshed. Eyes closed beneath the spray, he began planning for tomorrow.

When he emerged, he felt like a new man. His size hadn’t changed, but at least he smelled normal. He collapsed into his chair, too tired to move or even lift a finger. After resting a good while, he opened the system screen.

[Host: Li Hang]
[Weight: 311 jin]
[Height: 175 cm]
[Looks: 52]
[Stamina: 42]
[Intelligence: 68]
[Charisma: 30]
[Shock Points: 496]
[Assets: 100 million yuan]
[Skills: None]

His eyes lit up at 496. He was only four points short of a Bronze Treasure Chest. A little walk tomorrow, a few more looks from passersby, and reaching 500 would be easy.

As for the hundred million, it was just a number sitting in an account for now. Still, knowing the money was there gave him peace of mind.

He closed the screen and lay down on his bed. The boards groaned dully. Fortunately, Magic City University’s dorm furniture was solid. After a couple of complaints, it held his weight steady.

The keyboards kept clattering. Li Hang took out his phone, intending to play for a while himself.