"That's it for today's training,"
Zhang Hongtao's voice pulled Bai Xiao back to reality.
He suddenly withdrew from that state, the noisy surroundings and the warm scent of sweat enveloping him. Bai Xiao stretched out a hand and wiped his face, smeared with sweat. His training clothes were almost soaked as well.
His limbs felt somewhat fatigued, but it was still within a tolerable range.
Turning his head, he noticed the other students had already started heading to the changing rooms.
Bai Xiao stood still, calming his heartbeat and allowing his blood to cool slightly. He raised his right hand and swept his drenched hair back behind his head.
His clean forehead was revealed.
He was just about to take a step forward.
But he heard a crisp, pleasant female voice next to him.
"You're Bai Xiao, right? Nice to meet you, I'm Li Xuefei."
Turning around, to his right stood a long-legged girl dressed in a women's training outfit. She had a well-proportioned, tall figure, fair skin, and long black hair tied back into a ponytail that nearly reached her waist.
At the moment, Li Xuefei was looking at Bai Xiao with a curious tilt of her head, her pretty oval face lit up by her bright, sparkling eyes giving her a clean appearance.
Wasn't this the dark ponytail who had been hanging out with Guo Hao before?
Why was she greeting him now?
Bai Xiao glanced at her, replying emotionlessly.
"Hello, is there something you need?"
"Not really, I just wanted to get to know you. Since I joined this training class, I haven't spoken to you," the dark ponytail said with a light smile, looking youthful enough to be either in college or high school.
Perhaps like Guo Hao, she had just graduated from high school.
This striking appearance and figure, even without makeup, must have made her the object of many high school boys' secret crushes and their unattainable dream.
"Well, now we've met."
"Sorry, but I have some things to take care of, so I'll be going,"
Bai Xiao looked at Li Xuefei, nodded politely, and then walked straight towards the changing room. His expression was somewhat peculiar, clearly realizing that Li Xuefei was hitting on him. But Bai Xiao had long outgrown that age of full of longing and excitement about the opposite sex.
Those moments that could make a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy's face turn red.
To him, they hardly had any effect.
After all.
Can you use women to earn points?
If not, then don't waste his precious time.
On his retina, the professional panel information displayed.
"Your Skill 'Sandboxing' experience +11!"
"Your profession 'Fighter' experience +2!"
Bai Xiao pressed his tongue against the inside of his left cheek, his eyes narrowing in pleasure.
Only progress brought joy.
In place, at Training Hall No.2.
Li Xuefei's attempt at flirting was only half-successful, but she didn't get angry or frustrated. Instead, she found Bai Xiao quite a character. Beside her, seemingly her close friend, a short-haired girl came over. The two linked arms, giggling and chatting as they walked towards the changing room on the left.
The topic of their discussion seemed to subtly involve Bai Xiao.
Previously, when Bai Xiao had been immersed in a state of pure heart, he hadn't noticed that some onlookers within the vicinity had been attracted by his sweat-slicked figure.
When a person is wholly engaged, they generate a magnetic field of their own.
This is why there once was a topic on the internet.
"Men who are serious about their work are the most attractive."
As the training hall had nearly emptied, Guo Hao wasn't in a hurry to leave. He randomly picked a black rubber punching bag and began punching it rhythmically, using techniques taught in previous classes at the training camp.
Bang!
A punch flew out, striking forcefully against the punching bag.
"Hiss."
Guo Hao frowned slightly, obviously having exerted too much force.
It had affected a bruise caused by a moment of distraction during target practice earlier.
"This Bai Xiao, he's really suited for Sandboxing? I remember when he practiced boxing, he wasn't that great," Guo Hao felt a looming threat, remembering Coach Zhang saying that the elite class was competitive.
That spot, might not necessarily be his.
Bang!
Guo Hao threw a punch and then turned around.
With a cold expression, he headed to the locker room.
At this moment, outside the White Bird Martial Arts Hall.
Bai Xiao had already changed his clothes and was walking out with a backpack.
His gaze turned across the street where a dance training center was opening today. Groups of girls with fine figures and exquisite faces were sorting into classes—ethnic dance, classical dance, ballet…
No matter which type of dance, the girls trained were tall and graceful, with a temperament that might or might not have been cultivated by the arts.
"A dance class right next to the martial arts hall…"
"Those boys in the training class will probably be distracted."
Bai Xiao glanced over and walked straight toward the bus station.
He hadn't left the street yet when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Li Yufei with a ponytail and another girl with short hair walking towards the dance class; perhaps they had friends attending classes there.
At three forty-five in the afternoon, Bai Xiao returned to his rental apartment.
He hadn't even had time to shower when his grandparents from the countryside called. Their rustic dialect, full of care, made Bai Xiao feel a strange sense of closeness. The entire call was stress-free, filled only with concerns about whether their dear grandson was doing okay in the city, or if he had lost weight.
"I'm fine, my health is good," he reassured them.
"Once I get settled and earn a bit more money, everything will get better," he promised, following the original tenant's habits.
Finally, with a beep, the call ended.
Clearly, the grandparents were worried after the original tenant's parents had died in a car accident, leaving behind just a university graduate as the family pillar.
The pressure was immense, fearing something might happen.
They frequently phoned to check on the original tenant, who often reassured his relatives over the phone that he would make something of himself and that things would get better.
"Make everything better, huh?"
Having inherited the original tenant's body and identity, Bai Xiao also felt this vision. Making everything better was also what he wanted.
"I'm already on my way... "
Next, it was time to intensively work as a delivery driver and a security guard.
This time, Bai Xiao found his groove quickly.
Eight thirty in the evening.
[Your profession 'Delivery Driver', Experience +13]
[Your professional skill 'Electric Scooter Driving' Experience +18]
[Your professional skill 'Mastering City Routes' Experience +18]
…
Two in the morning.
[Your profession 'Security Guard', Experience +11]
[Your professional skill 'Patrolling' Experience +14]
Back at his rental, Bai Xiao began to summarize.
Security guard and fighter, let's not mention those, they haven't been activated for long.
It would still be a while before the profession or the professional skills could be upgraded.
But the delivery driver profession was about to level up from LV.1 to LV.2.
[Profession: Delivery Driver LV.1 (89/100)]
[Skill 1: Electric Scooter Driving LV.2 (56/200)]
[Skill 2: Mastering City Routes LV.2 (39/200)]
With one more day's work, the delivery driver profession could reach level two.
I wonder how many Potential Points the "Dark Red Modifier" could extract?
Bai Xiao was looking forward to it…