Chapter 3: Warning! Warning!
Morning, seven o’clock.
Shen He jolted upright in bed and reached for his abdomen.
He exhaled in relief.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a dream—his eight-pack abs were still there, and the ordeal he’d endured was real.
He summoned his personal status panel:
[Player: Shen He]
[Strength: 1.0]
[Stamina: 0.8]
[Agility: 1.0]
[Mental Power: 1.2]
[Remaining Points: 0.0]
(Evaluation: In a weak sub-healthy state, barely approaching the standard of a healthy adult male. At last, you can just about be called a person.)
…
He ignored the faintly mocking evaluation.
Gazing at the numbers on his panel, Shen He couldn’t help but break into a grin.
The next moment, points of light flickered on the screen before him.
[Daily Tasks]
[Task One: Survive for twenty-four hours]
[Time Remaining: 16:55]
[Potential Reward: 0.5 free attribute points]
[…]
[Task Two: Gather enough supplies to survive for one month]
[Potential Reward: Three hours of full radar activation]
[…]
Shen He’s eyes lit up at the flashing daily tasks.
Surviving for twenty-four hours was the easiest thing for him. After all, the real spiritual energy tide wouldn’t erupt for another two years.
At least for now, he was perfectly safe.
That half-point of free attribute was practically a gift.
As for Task Two, gathering survival supplies—he could just make time to buy some things from the supermarket. But what exactly was this “three hours of full radar activation”?
What kind of radar was it supposed to be?
He pondered the question for a while, but couldn’t figure it out, nor did he find any instructions.
He decided to let it go.
He got up, washed up briefly, and poured himself a cup of black coffee.
A cup of black coffee to start the day, then fasted cardio until exhaustion.
No sooner said than done.
Shen He packed his gym bag and left his rented apartment, heading straight for the fitness center where he was a member.
It wasn’t far; jogging there took barely over ten minutes.
Normally, he’d work out after work in the evening, riding his little electric scooter to the gym.
But now, he had to seize every opportunity to improve himself.
Who said running didn’t count as cardio?
After a little more than ten minutes, Shen He entered the gym with his bag, his face unflushed and breathing steady—the attribute boost from yesterday was clearly working wonders.
He checked the time, stowed his things, and stepped into the main area.
In the early morning, the gym was nearly empty; the equipment was mostly unused.
After all, in this city, most people were busy—few managed to get up early to exercise.
Shen He used to be the same; even squeezing in a short session after work was already an achievement.
About an hour and a half passed.
Shen He stepped off the treadmill drenched in sweat, his T-shirt soaked through, the lines of his eight-pack abs just visible.
With his height of 188 centimeters and striking features, he instantly drew the few eyes present in the gym.
Suddenly, a sharp alarm sounded in Shen He’s ear:
[Warning! Warning! A Tier-Three Mutant, Venom Queen, is approaching!]
[Warning! Warning! A Tier-Three Mutant, Venom Queen, is approaching!]
[Warning! Warning! A Tier-Three Mutant, Venom Queen, is approaching!]
[…]
Shen He stared at the flashing screen before him, his body tensing violently.
The next instant, a soft, almost boneless hand patted his shoulder, startling him into a leap backward.
“Hehe, you’re such an amusing guy—so tall, but so easily frightened.”
A curvaceous, stunningly dressed woman stood there, holding two bottles of water and smiling at Shen He.
He wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and gazed at the woman the system had named a Tier-Three Mutant, the Venom Queen, taking a deep breath.
Then he said, “You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that—it’s enough to give someone a heart attack.”
The woman handed him a bottle of water, laughing, “Sorry, I didn’t think you’d be so jumpy. My name’s Zhang Ling’er. Nice to meet you, handsome.”
Shen He waved her off. “I’m Shen He. No need for the water—I brought my own.”
He picked up his thermos, took a sip, and swallowed the wolfberries that washed into his mouth.
Zhang Ling’er glanced at the thermos, sniffed, then gave him a peculiar look. “You soak wolfberries in your thermos, but you don’t look the least bit frail.”
Just then, a voice called out from behind her: “Maybe he’s a silver spear with a wax tip, Ling’er. Don’t judge a book by its cover!”
Shen He frowned slightly and glanced over.
A young man in designer brands, swaggering with dyed blond hair, sauntered over, snatching the extra water bottle from Zhang Ling’er’s hand and gulping it down.
He grinned, “Water from Ling’er always tastes sweeter.”
Shen He shot him a look of pure disdain, then packed his things and left.
Zhang Ling’er also looked at the blond with clear annoyance. “I hid all the way over here—how did you still manage to find me?”
The blond patted his chest, “Can’t help it, I’ve got lots of friends. It only takes a few questions to know where you are.”
Zhang Ling’er tossed the other bottle at him and turned to go.
The blond hurried after her like an eager puppy.
The few others in the gym snickered at the scene.
“Doesn’t that blond look just like a dog?”
“He is a dog—who says being a bootlicker doesn’t count as being a dog?”
…
Locker room.
Shen He stood under the shower.
A floating screen appeared before him:
[Congratulations, Player, for escaping from the Tier-Three Mutant, Venom Queen.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Narrow Escape!]
[Against an opponent three levels higher, the player has a fifty percent chance of surviving.]
This thing means business!
He replayed Zhang Ling’er’s face in his mind—no matter how he looked at her, he couldn’t imagine she would one day become some kind of Tier-Three Mutant.
And what did mutants even look like? What on earth was a Venom Queen?
As Shen He pondered, someone else walked in from outside. The man glanced at Shen He under the shower, then immediately moved to the farthest stall.
Shen He finished up, changed into fresh clothes, and carried his bag to a nearby breakfast shop.
Nine ten in the morning.
After breakfast, Shen He returned to his apartment, glanced at the tightly closed door of Lele’s place, and tossed his workout clothes straight into the washing machine.
Nine fifteen.
The phone rang. Shen He checked the caller ID—it was that bastard Zhao Hu.
He answered and was greeted by Wang Long’s brash voice: “Hey Shen, what’s the big idea? My brother-in-law and I have been waiting for you nearly half an hour. Don’t you want your commission anymore?”
Zhao Hu had messaged him yesterday, setting up a meeting this morning at a teahouse nearby.
It wasn’t that Shen He had forgotten—he just hadn’t planned on going.
But now, thinking it over, he changed his mind. Not only did he want the year’s commission he was owed—
He wanted the commission from that huge deal Wang Long had poached from him as well.