Chapter 13: Eat Something Good

Just then, Jiang Zhe, who had finished a round of The King of Fighters ’97, came over.

Seeing Chen Jue grinning foolishly at a dartboard, he couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Old Si, what are you playing at? You’ve just been standing here giggling to yourself. Did you spot a pretty girl or something?"

"What girl?!"

"I just hit the bullseye!" Chen Jue waved his hands, quickly trying to explain.

The two were in the same dorm group chat, where they often exposed each other’s embarrassing moments. Chen Jue definitely didn’t want a rumor about him falling for a foot-massage girl at a place like the Jingtang Club.

If that really happened, the idiots from his dorm would probably tease him about it for the rest of his life.

Of course, it wasn’t that Chen Jue looked down on the profession of foot-massage girls or massage therapists.

Many of the young women working here made a living with their skills, selling their craft and not their bodies. They probably earned more than he did at his job.

Earning money is nothing to be ashamed of.

In fact, if you didn’t look at it with prejudice, it was actually a pretty high-paying profession.

"You hit a bullseye with the Darts?"

"What’s the big deal!"

"Watch me!" Jiang Zhe grabbed a few steel-tip Darts and made a show of throwing them a couple of times.

Unexpectedly, the guy got lucky and hit the bullseye after just a few tries.

Chen Jue was instantly speechless.

He had just raised his [Darts] Skill to Level 2 and thought hitting the bullseye was some great accomplishment.

But then he saw a total amateur like Jiang Zhe hit it too, just by winging it, and all his excitement instantly vanished.

In reality, what Chen Jue didn’t know was that steel-tip Darts was a casual, recreational sport. It was very easy to get into, and anyone could pick it up and play.

Men and women, young and old—anyone had a chance to hit the bullseye after a few tries. It wasn’t very difficult.

Otherwise, the Skill Level for the [Darts] Skill wouldn’t have increased so quickly.

The real difficulty lay in standardizing your throwing force to hit exactly where you aimed, like that Zhu Hongbin from earlier, and consistently hitting the desired scoring zones in a very short time.

Chen Jue had only just been exposed to steel-tip Darts that morning and didn’t even fully understand the official international competition rules, so naturally, he didn’t grasp the deeper intricacies of [Darts].

「...」

After killing some time in the recreation area, the Jingtang Club’s buffet restaurant officially opened at 5:30 PM.

Chen Jue followed Jiang Zhe to check it out.

Holy cow!

There was a whole line of seafood dishes—Boston lobster, East China Sea swimming crabs, oysters, and beef, all all-you-can-eat.

There were even teppanyaki chefs providing service on the spot. The quality was no worse than a five-star hotel buffet.

According to Jiang Zhe, the buffet alone would cost 588 yuan per person. It was included in a package with the spa treatment, which perfectly used up a 1,000-yuan cash voucher.

Spending over a thousand yuan on one person for an afternoon and dinner was truly high-class consumption.

Besides, the massage and spa treatment were physically draining, which whetted his appetite. Chen Jue focused on eating the seafood and beef.

Because these were high-protein foods, rich in calcium, they were perfect for supplementing his current training regimen.

On a normal workday, Chen Jue’s meals were usually quite casual.

Most of the time, he ate in the first-floor cafeteria of Huaye Mansion.

The cafeteria food was greasy and the taste was barely passable, but the ingredients were all common, low-quality stuff. Eating it regularly didn’t provide much nutritional supplement.

He had done a physical assessment that morning, and the report included a nutritional evaluation.

There were three levels: Deficient, Average, and Sufficient. For both protein and calcium, Chen Jue had only received an "Average" rating.

If you want a healthy body, diet is just as important as exercise.

In ancient times, there was a saying: "Poor scholars, rich warriors."

Just think about how Principal Wang even used natural mineral water air-freighted from Fiji to cook rice. You could imagine that a rich person’s nutritional assessment would definitely be beyond the "Sufficient" level.

Chen Jue didn’t have that kind of financial power, so he took this opportunity to freeload and eat as much good food as he could to replenish his body.

While eating, he chatted with Jiang Zhe about what they’d been up to.

Most college classmates don’t stay close for long. They usually scatter across the country after graduation, and aside from exchanging pleasantries on WeChat during holidays, most never see each other again.

Chen Jue’s dorm room was an exception. They were still in touch so many years after graduating. They would even occasionally meet up at a scenic spot, so the friendship between the roommates had only grown stronger.

As for Jiang Zhe, he had been down for a while after his business failed. If it weren’t for a buddy like Chen Jue and his family helping him through it, he probably would have become clinically depressed.

That’s why whenever he had company perks or a chance to have fun, he would almost always bring Chen Jue along.

"Old Si, I remember you were born in ’94. You’ll be turning 30 next year, right?"

"What happened with those girls my wife introduced you to? How come you didn’t hit it off with a single one?" Jiang Zhe teased, winking.

Because they were close, Jiang Zhe and his wife often helped look for suitable partners for Chen Jue.

But besides having a passable job, Chen Jue was average in height and looks. On top of that, he had the critical flaw of not owning a house in Hang City. The few introductions they arranged all ended quickly with no follow-up.

"No money, can’t afford a house, can’t afford to be in a relationship."

"Being single is pretty good too!" Chen Jue broke off a lobster claw and stuffed the meat into his mouth.

He’d had a passionate romance in college, which dragged on for two years after graduation before they finally had to face the harsh reality and break up.

Understanding that sincere love couldn’t beat reality, Chen Jue had become increasingly indifferent toward relationships.

After entering the workforce, he’d been smitten a few times, but it all came to nothing.

’If I can’t give someone happiness, I’d better not waste their time.’

"You’re thinking yourself into a corner. Lots of people can’t afford a house, but that doesn’t mean they all have to be single, right?"

"If that doesn’t work, I’ll have my wife introduce you to a rich woman. You can even be a live-in son-in-law," Jiang Zhe said, starting to suggest bad ideas when his persuasion failed.

"Rich women aren’t stupid!"

"Why would she go for an old fossil like me instead of a strong, handsome young guy fresh out of college? What’s she going to like about me? That I’m old? That I don’t shower?" Chen Jue rolled his eyes, quoting a line from a TV show as he continued to wrestle with the lobster in his hands.

But you know, even though the meat of a Boston lobster wasn’t as good as an Australian one, the meat in the two claws was really satisfying.

Plenty to fill you up!

「...」

The buffet lasted for almost an hour and a half.

Seeing that Chen Jue was completely impervious to any talk of blind dates or relationships, Jiang Zhe stopped pushing and changed the subject to work and making money.

Jiang Zhe was also surprised to hear that Chen Jue’s company was shutting down.

On the way to the internet cafe for some games, he even said he would find a suitable job for Chen Jue.

This was because the design firm Jiang Zhe now worked for was quite influential in Hang City, and the clients he dealt with every day were at least moderately wealthy.

With so many clients, his network was extensive, covering all sorts of industries. It wouldn’t be difficult to help find a matching position in a financial company.

"Jiang the Second, you’re a true brother!"

"If you really help me find my next gig, three... no! Five trips to Jingtang Club are on me!" Chen Jue promised, patting his chest. Then he followed Jiang Zhe into the Moyu Internet Cafe and got two adjacent computers.

As for the strained arm from his workout affecting his performance, that was nothing compared to the importance of gaming with his bro.

What’s that saying again?

Men are boys until they die!

They’d jump out of their coffins even after death just to play a couple of rounds. That’s how strong the gaming addiction was!

「...」

They played until almost 10 PM when Jiang Zhe’s phone started vibrating non-stop—the sign of a family man.

"Old Si, I can’t give you a ride, just grab a cab!" Jiang Zhe answered the phone, logged off in a panic, and then floored it to go home and kneel on a durian. If he were any later, he’d probably have to spend the night in his car.

Unlike a "single dog" like Chen Jue, who could stay out all night without anyone caring.

After leaving the Moyu Internet Cafe, Chen Jue ordered a DiDi, sat on the curb, and lit a cigarette while waiting for his ride, his thoughts starting to drift.

A morning workout, an afternoon massage, a feast for dinner, and then gaming with his friend—it had been a very full day.

But as night fell, Chen Jue couldn’t stop himself from getting emo.

He watched the pulsing neon lights of Hang City at night, heard the roar of motorcycles and sports cars on the road, and listened to the clamor of people at the late-night snack stalls and barbecue joints nearby. It felt like everyone had a place to belong.

But Chen Jue always felt out of place in this rapidly developing first-tier city.

HSSSSSS...

"This bullshit life is so confu..." Chen Jue was about to say the word "confusing," but a sudden change on his panel made him jolt, all poetic melancholy instantly gone.

——————

[Ding~]

[A qualifying nutritional intake has been completed. The nutritional energy from high-quality food has synergized with your athletic expenditure. Your sub-optimal health has slightly improved.]

[Constitution Attribute +0.01]

——————

"Holy shit!"

"Eating a good meal actually works?"

Chen Jue watched his Constitution on the panel rise from 0.94 to 0.95, and the bit of melancholy that had just surfaced vanished in an instant.

He felt that he needed to start taking this strange panel seriously.

Even if he couldn’t earn money, buy a house, or get a wife, he could at least start by improving this useless body of his!