"Alright, that concludes today's session."
In the training hall, Coach Zhang announced the end of the Sanda practice.
Immediately, the thirty-plus trainees dispersed.
They each grabbed their belongings and headed towards the changing room.
Blake Bai noticed that Guo Hao seemed to be called aside by the coach, likely for an important conversation. Not one to eavesdrop, he quickly dragged his tired body towards the exit.
After changing into his regular clothes, a black tracksuit, Blake walked into the marble-floored lobby, where the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant. He frowned, hoisted the blue canvas bag onto his right shoulder, and quickly stepped outside.
It was now 3:30 PM.
The sun was still blazing, the sky clear and blue.
Blake walked along the grid-patterned red brick sidewalk, following the greenbelt. Five minutes later, he rounded the bus shelter and billboard, arriving at the platform just in time to catch a bus.
…
"Beihe Road Station, please exit from the rear door."
With a voice prompt, the bus doors creaked open.
A young man in a tracksuit with black hair stepped off.
"Tianxia Federation, Nanjiang Province, Huai River City, Xuanshan District, and then Beihe Road." Blake shook his head, "Not a single familiar name…"
This world felt both familiar and alien, making it hard for him to adjust.
"After sweating so much today, I'll take a shower at the rental place first."
Near the university town, Beihe Road, No. 136.
In a small rental apartment, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.
Under the orange-yellow light, the shower sprayed down steadily.
Blake tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and let the water wash over his face.
He stayed in this position, unmoving, like a monk meditating under a waterfall, for over a minute. Once the stickiness was washed away, Blake stepped over to the sink.
On the sink were toiletries, with a mirror above.
In the bright light, the mirror reflected Blake's upper body.
Standing at 5'10", his adult body lacked muscle definition. Moving closer to the mirror, Blake could see his somewhat handsome face, with deep-set features and sharp eyebrows and eyes.
Unfortunately, his skin was rough and tanned from exposure to the elements.
"If my skin were better, I might be considered quite good-looking."
Blake glanced in the mirror, then reached for the shampoo.
The pale blue shampoo lathered into white foam on his wet hair. Rinsing off, the foam flowed down his body to the floor.
After a while, Blake turned off the shower, grabbed a dry towel from the metal rack, and wiped the water off his body and face. Half a minute later, he was drying his hair in front of the mirror.
Focusing slightly, he watched carefully.
Suddenly, a dim screen appeared on his retina.
The screen gradually became clear, filling his vision.
It displayed something similar to a game character panel.
[Occupation Panel]
[Character: Blake Bai]
[Age: 24]
[Status: Fatigued]
[Occupation: Deliveryman]
[Four Attributes: Strength, Speed, Constitution, Willpower]
[Strength: 10.0]
[Speed: 9.6]
[Constitution: 9.8]
[Willpower: 10.8]
This was a game Blake had played in his previous life. Unexpectedly, after transmigrating, it had come along with him, functioning like a part of his innate abilities.
Trigger occupation, unlock occupation, upgrade occupation.
These seemed to be the functions of this character panel.
Blake's only regret was that he hadn't brought the mods he had installed for the game. Otherwise, it would have been a game-changer.
"The Fighter occupation has been triggered but not fully unlocked."
"For now, I am only a Deliveryman."
He stepped out of the bathroom and quickly turned off the light.
Three minutes later, inside the rental apartment.
Blake Bai, dressed in a black tracksuit with white stripes, stood by the bed.
He checked his phone; it was already 4:05 PM.
The lock screen showed some messages. After unlocking with his fingerprint, he opened them.
[Sakura Bird Bar (Security Manager)]: Something came up today, so the business hours will be moved up by 15 minutes, starting at 8:45 PM.
[Xiao Tang]: Bro, I'm out of living expenses, help… bowing.gif.
[Nanjiang Mobile]: Dear customer, your June 2020 bill is due...
Glancing through them, Blake first replied to the security manager: Got it.
In this era, university graduation often led to unemployment.
The original owner of this body had graduated from a mediocre university and was juggling two jobs: part-time deliveryman and night-time security guard. The martial arts training at Bai Niao Martial Arts Academy was his hobby.
Under stress, people often seek ways to vent.
Some drink, some dance, some sing.
The original owner vented by sweating it out and boxing.
After replying to the security manager, Blake looked at the next message.
Xiao Tang, or Bai Tang, was the original owner's younger brother. Not a biological brother, Bai Tang was a baby adopted by the original owner's parents and raised to adulthood.
However, a car accident last year claimed the lives of the original owner's parents, leaving the family without its pillars. Only the elderly grandparents in the countryside, who couldn't work, and Bai Tang, who was still in university, were left. Blake had to shoulder the burden of the entire family, which was the source of the original owner's recent stress.
After some thought, Blake checked his bank account balance.
3,096.52
A meager amount.
The original owner had just paid the martial arts training fee a few days ago and the 1,500 rent yesterday, leaving very little money.
Blake hesitated as he looked at the account balance.
Finally, he transferred 1,000 to Bai Tang.
2,096.52
It hurt a bit.
Honestly, if it weren't for Bai Tang's excellent academic performance, the original owner would have insisted he work part-time to support himself.
The screen flickered slightly.
[Xiao Tang]: Thanks, bro!!! crying.gif
Blake didn't reply, sticking to the original owner's silent persona.
He lightly pressed a finger to exit the chat interface.
4:10 PM
"Almost time."
Blake grabbed his phone, power bank, and keys, and hurried downstairs.
His sneakers hit the sun-scorched concrete outside with a thud.
He raised a hand to shield his eyes, squinting against the glare.
This was an old neighborhood but well-maintained. The round flower bed at the front was planted with orange marigolds, filling the air with a faint, fresh floral scent. A few old men were setting up a table in the shade by the flower bed to play chess, chatting occasionally.
Blake took a deep breath and walked towards the parking shed nearby.
A minute later.
Click, the key turned in the lock.
Blake's ride, a five-year-old, paint-chipped Hummer electric bike, roared to life. The chassis and tires were caked with mud.
A vehicle that had seen better days.
Blake sat on the electric bike, took out his phone, and opened a delivery app called "Chi Le Me Rider." Orders were dispatched through the app. As a part-timer, he had to snatch orders. Fortunately, Blake chose to go online around dinner time, a peak period for orders.
From 4 PM to past 8 PM, he usually got enough delivery orders to earn 2,500 to 3,000 a month.
Enough to cover all his personal expenses, from rent to food.
"First order of the day, Nanjiang Industrial and Commercial University…"
"Let's go."
Compared to the original owner, Blake felt a surge of motivation in delivering food.
The reason was, of course, the deliveryman occupation panel in front of him.
[Occupation: Deliveryman LV.1 (39/100)]
[Skill 1: Electric Bike Riding LV.1 (86/100), upgraded to LV.2 (1/200)]
[Skill 2: City Route Mastery LV.1 (62/100)]
The highest skill experience was in electric bike riding, almost level two.
Driving, Blake was quite good at it.
Vroom...
The oncoming hot wind blew through his helmet as the Hummer electric bike set off.
Time ticked by; it was now 8:10 PM.
The sky over Huai River City had turned a deep indigo, scattered stars hidden behind clouds, like concealed eyes watching the earth.
Blake was about to complete his last delivery of the day.
The electric bike drove through the alleys to a somewhat remote factory.
As he neared the drop-off point, his occupation panel flashed slightly, and he slowly came to a stop.
[Your occupation skill "Electric Bike Riding" has gained +10 experience]
[Your occupation skill "Electric Bike Riding" has reached LV.2]
[Skill 1: Electric Bike Riding LV.2 (1/200)]
"With a panel that tracks experience in real-time, even mundane work feels a bit more motivating and enjoyable…"
A genuine thought flashed through his mind.
Sometimes, what people fear is the lack of visible goals and endpoints.
When the goal is visible, everything feels different.
Restarting the electric bike, Blake soon arrived at the factory gate.
He pocketed his keys, took out the fried chicken from the insulated box, and delivered it to the guardhouse.
Passing the factory gate on his way out, Blake noticed several missing person posters on a nearby utility pole. He paused to glance at them; they described people's heights and appearances or showed photos.
What caught his attention the most was that these people had all gone missing recently.
"May 16th, May 22nd, May 28th…"
"Have that many people gone missing recently?"
Blake withdrew his gaze in confusion and quickly headed to his bike.
He had to go home, take a shower, and then head to his night job as a security guard.