In short, credits were earned exclusively through studying. That made sense, and Su Hang decided not to overthink it. He quickly got out of bed, slipped on his worn glasses, and the world suddenly became crystal clear. His 250-degree nearsightedness wasn't severe, but he still relied on the glasses. This pair, over a year old, had already outlived its usefulness, with scratched lenses and an outdated prescription.
But now, Su Hang felt as though his eyes had been magically restored. Everything was incredibly clear. Rushing to the balcony, he was thrilled to see the world outside in greater detail than ever before. Not only had the glasses corrected his vision, but they had also amplified it beyond the ordinary.
With his vision effectively enhanced to 5.0, Su Hang had previously been able to see things clearly from 60 to 70 meters away. Now, thanks to the glasses' doubled attributes, he could easily make out the faces of people passing by on the track a full 100 meters away.
"This is amazing!" Su Hang exclaimed as he took the glasses off, his vision returning to its usual blur. He couldn't hide his excitement. The system's abilities were astonishing.
"If I refined a diamond, wouldn't that make me rich?"
His imagination raced with possibilities. The idea was tantalizing, but for now, it remained a distant dream. Refining a diamond would first require buying one, and diamonds weren't exactly cheap.
Su Hang came from a small rural village. While his hometown had improved over the years, it was far from wealthy. With a modest monthly living allowance of just 500 yuan,it's approximately 70 US dollars.he had to live frugally. Yesterday's meal alone had already pushed him over budget—where would he even find the money for a diamond?
The next day: Sunday.
Su Hang was woken up by the shrill sound of his phone ringing.
"Renmin Park. Get here now."
Before Su Hang could even respond, the caller hung up. Groggily rubbing his eyes, he glanced at the screen and saw it was Shuai Yu.
"Renmin Park? What's he up to now?"
Dragging himself out of bed, Su Hang's first instinct was to check the system. After a good night's rest, his energy points had risen to 22. Last night, he had scavenged every edible item in the dorm, even finishing off some nearly expired instant noodles his roommate had forgotten about. The effort had paid off.
At this stage, the only ways to gain energy points were through eating or exercising. For Su Hang, eating was by far the easier option.
After a quick wash, he grabbed a few pieces of high-calorie chocolate and headed out toward Renmin Park.
---
"The Eighth Set of Radio Gymnastics, full of youthful vigor!"
When Su Hang arrived at Renmin Park, he saw a group of elderly folks enjoying the fresh morning air while exercising. A loudspeaker played instructions for the eighth set of radio gymnastics, and the seniors enthusiastically followed along.
Scanning the area, Su Hang soon spotted the familiar, somewhat mischievous figure of Shuai Yu in a far corner. As he approached, still munching on a steamed bun, Su Hang handed the last one to Shuai Yu.
"Why'd you call me so early?" Su Hang asked, half-annoyed.
"Early? It's already past seven," Shuai Yu replied, taking the bun without hesitation.
"Yeah, and it's the weekend. I was planning to sleep in—thanks for ruining that," Su Hang shot back, rolling his eyes.
Shuai Yu slapped a hand on Su Hang's shoulder and launched into a mini-lecture. "The morning is the best time to plan your day. For martial artists, mornings are prime time for breathing exercises and workouts. And for young men like us, in our early twenties, full of energy and ambition, how can we waste it lying in bed?"
"Yeah, like when you're 'training' in bed every morning," Su Hang quipped sarcastically.
Shuai Yu's face twitched. "That's part of my 'Dragon Arm Technique' practice, okay?"
"More like your 'Two-Finger Zen.'" Su Hang smirked, poking fun. "How small is it, anyway?"
"Keep talking, and I'll stop introducing you to girls," Shuai Yu retorted, trying to regain the upper hand.
"Wait, girls?"
Su Hang looked around but saw only the seniors doing their morning exercises. Their swaying movements made him doubt there were any girls around.
Shuai Yu tapped him on the shoulder and pointed. Following his direction, Su Hang spotted a girl in a white tracksuit with a ponytail.
She wasn't particularly tall, standing around 165 cm, but her slender waist and curvy figure were hard to miss. Her ponytail swayed with her movements, radiating vitality. Among the crowd of seniors, she stood out like a beacon.
"Well? Not bad, huh?" Shuai Yu said smugly.
"She looks great from behind, but what about her face?" Su Hang was skeptical. He wasn't about to trust Shuai Yu's taste completely.
"Xiaoyu!" Shuai Yu called out.
As the radio gymnastics session came to an end, the girl turned around, her ponytail flicking behind her.
In that instant, Su Hang's eyes lit up. Her delicate face wasn't breathtaking, but there was an undeniable charm that made it impossible to look away.
The girl wiped her sweat with a tissue as she walked over.
"Let's grab breakfast," she said directly to Shuai Yu, not sparing Su Hang a second glance.
Her voice was clear and pleasant, like a melody. She was undeniably attractive, with an air of confidence and poise. Su Hang couldn't figure out how Shuai Yu had managed to meet someone like her.
Grinning, Shuai Yu brushed a stray strand of hair off her forehead. She smiled back, leaving Su Hang speechless. He had just been promised an introduction, yet here Shuai Yu was, flaunting their closeness.
"Forget breakfast. Let me introduce you to a handsome guy," Shuai Yu said, pulling the girl toward Su Hang. "This is my buddy, Su Hang!"
The girl offered Su Hang a polite smile, clearly unimpressed. While Su Hang wasn't unattractive, he wasn't particularly striking either.
Su Hang returned her smile awkwardly.
Shuai Yu nudged him. "Well? Isn't my cousin pretty?"
"Your… cousin?" Su Hang blinked, taken aback. He had assumed she was just another girl Shuai Yu had charmed.