"Ow!"
With a sharp pain shooting through him, Xu Feng's face turned beet red. He clenched his jaw for a long moment, but in the end, he couldn't hold it in. He opened his mouth and let out a blood-curdling scream, one that echoed like a pig being slaughtered, leaping three feet into the air.
The wail was so pitiful that everyone in the restaurant instinctively shrank back, covering their ears.
"Ah! Su Hang, you bastard! How dare you ambush me! Aaaaa!"
The pain was excruciating—far worse than anything he'd ever experienced, even worse than getting kicked where it counts. Xu Feng couldn't endure it. He fell to the floor with a loud thud, clutching his rear as he rolled around in agony, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face.
Seeing this scene, everyone in the restaurant couldn't help but feel a collective tightness in their behinds.
"He's crying!"
Shuai Yu stood beside Su Hang, glancing down at the miserable Xu Feng on the ground. Despite himself, he felt a pang of sympathy. From the looks of it, Su Hang had held back earlier; at least Shuai Yu hadn't been left in such a sorry state.
Su Hang withdrew his hand, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. The Secret Art— Millennium Strike—one precise jab to the target's weak spot—never failed. No matter how tough the opponent, they'd end up on the ground after this move.
"You... Su Hang, you're too much!" Tan Lili exclaimed in shock, rushing to help Xu Feng. Seeing his miserable state, she was both furious and flustered, shouting at Su Hang in anger.
"Pfft, who the hell are you? Su Hang isn't someone you can just call out like that," Shuai Yu sneered before Su Hang could respond.
"You…" Tan Lili was furious, but one look at Shuai Yu's bulky frame made her swallow her words, simmering in silence.
As for Tan Lili, Su Hang didn't even bother to argue. She wasn't worth his time or energy.
"Despicable, lowly!" Xu Feng gritted his teeth, lying on the floor, glaring at Su Hang and spitting out words between clenched jaws.
Su Hang shrugged indifferently, looking down at Xu Feng. "If you're so upset about it, get up and let's go another round."
Xu Feng was so enraged he almost spat blood, but he could barely even speak, let alone stand up.
"Can't even handle one move from my boss, yet you still think you're tough? Pathetic." Shuai Yu scoffed, glancing at Tan Lili. "A weakling paired with a shallow woman. What a match made in heaven. Hey waiter, let's buy them two pork chop rice bowls. My treat."
With that, he tossed a hundred yuan onto the table and swaggered out with Su Hang.
The restaurant owner walked over and picked up the money. "Hey, kid, do you need to go to the hospital? You look like you're in serious pain. It could be bad."
"Get lost!" Xu Feng bellowed, a mix of anger and humiliation burning in his chest.
"Tch." The owner sneered, spitting on the floor, and turned away, unwilling to waste any more time on him.
Tan Lili stared at the spot where Su Hang and Shuai Yu had exited, momentarily dazed. In her mind, Su Hang had always been a timid, small-town boy, honest and scared of confrontation. But now, he was standing up to Xu Feng, even using such a bold and shameless move.
She couldn't help but feel that Su Hang had changed—he was different now.
...
"Bro, you were awesome back there! Did you see that guy? He probably won't even be able to pee properly for days! You've really mastered the Thousand-Year Kill technique," Shuai Yu gushed as they returned to their dorm room. His excitement was palpable, even his own pain from earlier seemed to have subsided.
Su Hang chuckled lightly. He had used the real, ultimate version of the Millennium Strike, far beyond Shuai Yu's amateur attempt. Though it wasn't the most honorable move, it was undeniably satisfying.
Taking out his wallet, Su Hang pulled out a hundred yuan and handed it to Shuai Yu.
"What's this for?" Shuai Yu asked, surprised.
"You said I was treating." Su Hang's tone was casual.
Shuai Yu didn't hesitate, pocketing the bill with a grin. "Perfect timing. I lost a lot in the stock market lately. I'll gladly take it."
Su Hang ignored him and climbed onto his bed, eager to delve into the mysterious Ultimate Learning System now occupying his mind.
Shuai Yu sidled over. "Bro, you must have practiced that Millennium Strike move a lot, right? Your speed, your technique—it's flawless. Teach me sometime! I'll introduce you to my cousin as thanks."
"Forget it. Judging by how you look, your cousin can't be much smaller." Su Hang shot him a side-eye. "Go entertain yourself somewhere else."
"Tch, my cousin's a beauty from the neighboring university! Just you wait, you'll regret it," Shuai Yu retorted, realizing he wasn't welcome. "Fine, I'm heading out. Might not be back tonight. Enjoy having the room to yourself."
Su Hang didn't even look at him, fully immersed in the Ultimate Learning System.
"Close the door on your way out!"
As Shuai Yu left, Su Hang casually removed his black-rimmed glasses. The system had mentioned that even ordinary objects could be refined. Could these glasses be upgraded as well?
"Item: Black-rimmed glasses, 250-degree lenses. Please select a refinement option: [Basic Refinement] or [Special Refinement]."
A notification flashed in Su Hang's mind, and he winced. 250 is an unlucky number for Chinese. He'd always hated discussing his prescription—it was an embarrassing number to admit.
Basic refinement would enhance an item's attributes, while special refinement would transform and evolve it. Knowing how much better special refinement could be, Su Hang chose it without hesitation.
"Special refinement requires 10 energy points. Success rate: 10%."
"Wait a second," Su Hang paused, pulling up his stats. After eating three bowls of pork chop rice, he'd only accumulated 13 energy points.
This number felt unlucky. With only a 10% success rate, he couldn't afford to gamble. One attempt would nearly drain him dry!
"Change of plans. Go with basic refinement," Su Hang decided.
Energy flowed through his hands into the glasses, surrounding them in a shimmering glow. For twenty seconds, multicolored light danced before the glasses reappeared in his hand. They looked almost the same—same size, same style—except the lenses sparkled brighter, and the frame felt sturdier.
"Refinement successful. Energy points -10. Item attributes doubled."
The system's notification appeared in Su Hang's mind. He frowned. "Wait, where are the study points? Shouldn't I have earned some?"
According to the system, study points were essential for leveling up.
"This is the Scholar God System. Object refinement is merely a support function. Only refining personal skills or attributes grants study points," the system explained.
"So, refining items won't give study points?" Su Hang confirmed.
"Correct. As the future conqueror , you must acquire and master knowledge. True strength comes from within, not external objects," the system replied.