Returning to his room, Li Shi took a shower, then posted a question on BiHu using his mobile phone: As an ordinary person, if you have a collectible you want to sell through an auction house (jewelry category), which company is the best to go to? What should you pay attention to if you are to auction it?
He had registered his BiHu account several years ago and very rarely used it. This was his first time posting a question.
After inviting all possible answers, he exited the app and started to study according to his plan the High School Chinese Selective Compulsory Textbook Volume 1.
He had planned to check the replies from the netizens after a couple of hours, but he got absorbed into studying and had completely forgotten about it. He kept studying until 2:30 a.m., and finished reading the text for the entire first volume.
Yawning, an exhausted Li Shi flopped down onto the bed and went to sleep.
With a physique score of 11.5, he felt like he had regained the recovery ability of a seventeen or eighteen year old. After sleeping for a little over five hours, he woke up around seven in the morning, feeling refreshed. All the tiredness from his late-night study session was gone, and he felt energized.
"Once I have mastered Chinese and accumulated a bit more physique and wealth, I should slow down and find a balance between work and rest. Hmm, physical exercise can start to become a part of my daily routine, either in the morning or at night. I will see if I can increase my physical attributes by exercising every day."
The average physique score for a healthy male is 10. If someone is physically weak, in sub-health condition, or even sick, the physique attribute would be lower than 10. His previous sub-health condition had left him with a score of only 9.5. On the other hand, stronger and healthier individuals could score higher than 10.
"My current physique attribute score is 11.5, which is within the normal human range.
Normal human physical attributes range from 5 to 15 points. Close to 5 points indicates profound weakness, on the verge of death, whereas approaching 15 points is the upper limit for a normal individual. Once the score exceeds 15, it transcends the norm...
"But for me, with my learning panel, there are no limits!"
Standing by the window stretching, he noted the excellent view outside. The adjacent park was picturesque with multi-colored water, shady trees, and isolated from human presence. It seemed like an excellent spot for morning exercises.
"I'll start today. Regular physical exercise should be an integral part of familiarizing and adapting to the enhancement brought by increased physical attributes."
After freshening up, Li Shi went downstairs.
Upon stepping outside, he noticed that it was somewhat chilly.
Dressed in a short-sleeved shirt, he put his phone in his pocket and started to jog towards the park. Upon arrival, he began to jog around the small lake.
The lake was larger than he had expected. Its creator had evidently put a lot of thought into it—trees lined the sides, a bamboo fence surrounded it, blue stone paths wove around the circumference, and benches and old-fashioned octagonal pavilions were put up at regular intervals.
Halfway through his run, Li Shi noticed a woman leaning against the railing in front of him, looking quietly at the shimmering lake.
He instinctively slowed down and shifted to a walk.
The morning sun shone on the woman's face, contrasting against her snowy skin as if it were glowing.
Li Shi took a few steps closer, and once he got a clearer look at her face, a line from the Book of Songs instantly came to mind: 'Skin like lard, neck like a grub; teeth like melon seeds, temples like beetles' wings.'
"It's her."
It was the woman he ran into at the hotel's front desk last night, right after he got back from the Ping Zhou Jade Market.
Li Shi had an aesthetic mind; he took in her appearance.
This woman, with her snow-like skin and beautiful face, wore a charcoal-colored trench coat that emphasized her tall figure. Her gaze was distant and her demeanor was icy cold, silently staring at the water as if she were the only person left in the world. She looked elegant yet unapproachable.
Beautiful and aloof women like her were likely to trigger a man's desire to conquer.
Seeing such a top-tier woman in real life, Li Shi, as a lover and appreciator of beauty, couldn't help but be moved.
However, he had self-control. What distinguished humans from most animals was the ability to restrain themselves.
After casually looking at her for a few seconds, he looked away and continued running.
On his second lap around the lake, he ran into the woman again, this time she was walking and looking down as if searching for something on the ground.
As he got close, he was stopped by her.
"Excuse me, can you help me? I've lost my phone. Could I borrow yours to call my number?"
At her words, Li Shi was taken aback. It sounded oddly like the phone scam stories that were being circulated online.
Maintaining a poker face, he quickly scanned his surroundings. There was no one around. If she was a scammer, she was either working alone or her accomplice wasn't nearby. If she planned to run off with his phone, she didn't stand a chance. If she was planning something else, it would have to be when operating his phone...
Li Shi had several thoughts rushing through his head.
He pulled out his phone from his pocket, but instead of handing it to her, he held it and asked, "What's your number? I'll call it and see if we can hear the ringtone."
"139..."
The beautiful, reticent woman promptly gave him her number.
"Well, it starts with 139, an old mobile number. She must have had it for quite some time now," he thought, as he dialed the number. Soon, a faint ringing could be heard in the distance.
They followed the sound of the ringtone; it grew louder as they walked. Soon, they found a small, white flip phone, hidden beneath the grass. Li Shi picked it up and opened it, revealing his own number on the screen. He then handed the phone back to the woman who had just caught up behind him.
"Thank you so much," the woman gratefully took the phone from him.
Politely, Li Shi responded, "You're welcome. It was the least I could do."
He then smiled at her, indicating he would be on his way, and continued his jog around the lake.
After finishing two laps, Li Shi was drenched in sweat. On his way back, he noticed that the woman was still near the lake, talking on her phone.
Back in his hotel room, he took another shower and felt refreshed all over.
"Exercising feels pretty good," he mused.
After having breakfast downstairs, he checked out of his room and took a ride-hailing service to Yang Cheng South Station.
On the way, he didn't waste any time and continued to study High School Chinese Selective Compulsory Textbook Volume 2. He noticed that the new edition of the textbook didn't have a lot of text—only 26 pieces in total, including the ancient poems. Several pieces were ones he hadn't studied when he was in school.
He put particular focus on the unfamiliar pieces and found it extremely rewarding, especially the two texts about study and thought, which provided great insights.
It was only after his train to Blue Lake Province started its journey that he remembered the question he had asked on BiHu the previous night. He took out his phone, intending to check the responses from the netizens.
After unlocking his phone with his fingerprint, he noticed a new friend request on WeChat.
Someone had added him by searching his phone number.
"Autumn Leaves? I don't know this person," Li Shi glanced at the WeChat avatar, which was a few maple leaves and chose to ignore the request. He then switched to the BiHu app.
"Let's see if there are any talents among these netizens."