Chapter 39 - 34: New Skill: Climbing

Walking out the main entrance of the International Darts Club, Chen Jue knew he probably wouldn’t be back.

He’d consider the 6,888 yuan membership fee as repayment for the favor.

Since he had already rejected Zhu Hongbin’s offer, coming back to his turf to practice Darts would just be asking for trouble.

As for why he so resolutely turned down such an immense fortune, Chen Jue had his own reasons.

If he were a recent college graduate, as inexperienced as his young apprentice Jiang Lin, perhaps Chen Jue would have been swayed by a few words from Zhu Hongbin.

’Sign the contract? Why not!’

’It’s all about making money, no matter the job.’

’And how fast do internet celebrities make money?’

’Do some livestreams, promote a few products, make some commercial appearances... you could become a multimillionaire in a year or two.’

’A normal person could work hard their whole life and never make that kind of money!’

But Chen Jue was almost thirty now, and he had seen enough of the world.

After awakening his panel, the most important things to him were no longer money or a job, but a healthy body and his own personal freedom!

Take his high-paying job at Hengtong Group, for example. Chen Jue just needed to make a phone call or send a message to HR saying he was resigning, and he could walk away at any time.

But these MCN companies were different.

Once you sign the contract, even the biggest internet celebrity has to obey them and be at their beck and call.

Don’t want to obey? No problem. First, they’ll shelve you and cut off your income, then get you banned across the entire internet, and finally sue you for an exorbitant amount for breach of contract.

Although Chen Jue had never been an influencer himself, he had seen enough news and short videos to know the tricks of the trade.

Although he was socially anxious, introverted, and had some character flaws, at his core, he was very straightforward.

’What’s that saying again?’

’Better to be upright in your gains than to seek fortune through compromise.’

That pretty much summed up Chen Jue’s personality.

...

After leaving the Darts club, Chen Jue didn’t go far. He wandered around the sports complex while sending Wu Fang a message about the failed interview.

He also explained the inside story of the interview and pointed out the risks and loopholes in the contracts, editing it all into a long text for her.

It was a well-intentioned warning; no one would refuse it.

Wu Fang quickly replied with a few adorable emojis—one for ’shocked,’ one for ’got it,’ and one for ’thank you.’

Seeing this beautiful, kind-hearted teacher had such an adorable side, Chen Jue felt his degenerate heart truly skip a beat.

’I’ve got to get to know her better!’

’If fate brings us together, I’ll pursue her. If not, I’ll make my own fate!’ Chen Jue chuckled.

Putting his phone away, he looked up.

To his surprise, he’d been so engrossed in his WeChat conversation that he had unconsciously wandered over to the Rock Climbing area.

Before him stood several outdoor Rock Climbing walls, side by side. They ranged from a beginner’s wall, just over five meters tall, to a professional one over twelve meters—nearly the height of a four-story building.

Chen Jue’s gaze was immediately captured by the colorful holds dotting the walls and by an agile figure swiftly ascending the 12-meter wall.

He was a young man in his early twenties with medium-length, silver-gray hair. He was shirtless, wearing professional, dark green climbing pants with a safety rope clipped to his harness. One of his feet dangled in the air while the other was planted firmly on a hold.

He reached out, deftly hooked a hold above him, and then gave a powerful pull.

With the Strength of a single arm, he hauled his entire body nearly half a meter upward, swiftly repositioning his feet onto another hold.

’He can do that with just one arm?’

’This guy is incredible!’

Chen Jue stood rooted to the spot, completely captivated.

As a Stone Skimming novice and a Darts expert, he paid close attention to his arm, wrist, and finger Strength.

The stronger the muscles in these three areas were, the faster he could release his Darts or Water-Drifting Stones, which in turn would increase their range and impact power.

On top of that, he hadn’t been to the gym to pump iron for the past two days, and Chen Jue was feeling antsy all over.

Exercise really is addictive, after all.

The sight of the Rock Climbing wall made him want to give it a try. He wanted to test his hand Strength and see if he could climb as effortlessly as the silver-haired young man.

"Sir, I noticed you’ve been watching for a while."

"Want to come give it a try?"

"Our outdoor Rock Climbing equipment is free to try! No charge!" A yawning young woman standing guard by a nearby display rack approached him.

She was wearing a uniform with the Rock Climbing club’s logo, so it was clear she either worked there or was a college student with a part-time job.

"A free trial?"

"In that case, I’ll give it a shot!"

His interest piqued, Chen Jue walked over to the beginner’s Rock Climbing wall, which was just over five meters high.

Gazing at the holds of various shapes before him, Chen Jue curiously reached out to feel them, then tested one with his foot.

Just then, the silver-haired young man, who had already reached the summit, saw a potential new customer. He let out a triumphant whoop from the top, earning a few glances from the young women below, before rappelling swiftly down on his safety rope.

He looked just like Tarzan, king of the apes!

"Hey, man!"

"I’m Yu Jie, one of the instructors here. You look like a beginner. Want me to give you a quick rundown on the basics of Rock Climbing?"

"It’s free! No charge!" The silver-haired young man leaned in, his enthusiasm palpable.

However, as the man drew closer, Chen Jue was visibly stunned.

The distance, combined with the climber’s swift movements, had given Chen Jue a false impression. He had subconsciously assumed the young man was quite slender.

He hadn’t expected that, up close, the man’s shirtless torso would be as perfect as a Renaissance sculpture!

His muscles were clearly defined, showing off an eight-pack and V-cut abs. His arms were incredibly taut and powerful from shoulder to forearm. His hands had long fingers, and the backs were a roadmap of dark veins, completely devoid of excess fat.

Compared to the bulky, almost-inflated muscles of Coach Li Chaoyun from the gym, this silver-haired young man’s physique was exactly what Chen Jue had always dreamed of!

"Coach Yu, is it?"

"I’d appreciate an explanation!"

As Chen Jue sized him up with curiosity, he started to make small talk.

He learned that Yu Jie, like the fresh-faced young woman from before, was a college junior working part-time. Their campus was nearby.

Yu Jie himself was the president of his university’s Rock Climbing club.

He was handsome with a great physique and stylish silver-gray hair. He had a habit of trying to look cool, which had earned him a massive following of fangirls at his school.

Of course, aside from the small talk, Yu Jie also made sure to explain the fundamentals of Rock Climbing to Chen Jue.

He explained that the holds on the wall, despite their different colors and shapes, each had specific names and uses.

For example, the hemispherical hold is called a "Sloper," also known as a friction hold. It’s large and smooth with no grooves, making it very easy for your hand to slip off.

Then there’s the "Jug," a large hold with a deep groove that feels like a handle. It’s very easy to grip and a favorite among beginners. Climbers often use it for Strength training.

There are also "Crimps," which are small holds with such a shallow edge that you can’t even fit one finger joint on them. You typically have to hang on with just your fingertips.

In addition, there are long, narrow holds called "Pinches," which you can only grip by squeezing them, and "Pockets," which are holds with holes for your fingers.

There was a huge variety of them. Chen Jue listened as he followed Yu Jie’s lead, trying out the different holds. Following his instructions, he managed to climb more than three meters up the wall in one go.

But to Chen Jue’s surprise, his Attribute panel suddenly came to life!

——————

[DING~]

[A qualifying action has been completed]

[Skill Activated: Climbing]

——————

’Climbing?’

’Not Rock Climbing?’ Chen Jue stared, thinking he must have seen it wrong.

He glanced at the panel again. It definitely said [Climbing Lv. 0 (1/100)], not Rock Climbing.

He then recalled how, when he was practicing Darts, the England-style steel-tip darts were also categorized under the general [Darts] Skill. Chen Jue quickly figured out the hierarchical relationship between Rock Climbing and Climbing.

’Does this Skill mean the panel wants me to learn how to climb trees, scale boulders, ascend mountains, or even climb waterfalls?’ Chen Jue’s eyes widened as he seemed to grasp the panel’s true intent.

Seeing Chen Jue’s eyes go wide, Yu Jie, who was standing beside him, thought he might have given poor instructions. He immediately asked with concern, "Brother Jue! What’s wrong? Did you pull something?"

"It’s your first time, so we can ease up on the difficulty a bit. You don’t have to get to the top all at once."

Startled by the question, Chen Jue quickly closed his panel and jumped down from the beginner wall.

"I’m fine! I was just thinking about how I can lose weight and get an awesome physique like yours!" Chen Jue waved a hand, letting him know not to worry.

Yu Jie breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Chen Jue was okay. It wasn’t easy for a college student like him to find a decent part-time job.

This Rock Climbing club had hired him because his skills were a perfect match, and he also had a good image.

If he accidentally let a customer get injured, a complaint could ruin his reputation and cost him his job.

"Brother Jue, you’ll have to keep at it, then!"

"I joined the Rock Climbing club my freshman year and built this body by basically living in the gym with the upperclassmen."

"I’d guess you’re over 85 kilograms. If you’re serious about Rock Climbing, you should focus on lowering your body fat and building up your hand Strength." Yu Jie chuckled. In addition to explaining the basics of Rock Climbing, he shared some of his own fitness experiences.

But when he heard that Chen Jue had a job and didn’t have much free time for the gym, an idea struck Yu Jie. He opened Taobao and searched for an item.

"Brother Jue!"

"This hand gripper is perfect for you! It only costs a few dozen yuan. You can buy one, stick it in your pocket, and squeeze it while you work. It won’t just train your grip, it’ll also increase the Strength in your fingers, wrists, and forearms!"

"I used to use one secretly during my classes. I guarantee you’ll see results!"