Su Hang chuckled awkwardly. "It's not that I'm refusing you, I'm just worried your family doesn't have enough food!"
Hearing this, Qin Shiyu burst into laughter. It took her a moment to catch her breath before she teased, "Alright, I'll make sure we have plenty of food stocked up. But when the time comes, don't let me down!"
"Don't worry, don't worry," Su Hang replied sheepishly. Honestly, it was hilarious. Most people attract the opposite sex with their looks, but him? His appeal was entirely "inner," and not in a typical way either. His unusual "talent"—eating massive amounts of food—somehow managed to catch a girl's attention.
Over the next two days, Shuai Yu didn't return to the dorm, presumably staying at Qin Shiyu's house to keep her grandfather company. This gave Su Hang some peace and quiet. He went to class as usual, ate as usual, but had no romantic pursuits to speak of. In his free time, he studied the Ultimate Learning System and practiced calisthenics. Within just a few days, Su Hang could feel a noticeable improvement in his physical condition.
The 25th-century physical training techniques were far from ordinary fitness routines. Each session left him utterly exhausted, as though every cell in his body was burning, growing stronger. With the large amount of food he had been consuming recently, his once lean physique had become more robust and upright. Even his overall demeanor had transformed—he seemed like a completely different person.
"Want to play basketball?" After dinner, Zhang Cheng and Wang Liang, dressed in jerseys and holding a basketball, asked Su Hang, who was lying on his bed.
Su Hang shook his head. "You guys go ahead. I'm wiped out."
"I heard you've hooked up with Rong University's campus belle. Is that true?" Wang Liang asked with a cheeky grin, his curiosity evident.
"Get lost. Who told you that? She's Shuai Yu's cousin!" Su Hang shot back.
"Yeah, right. Look, if you told me his cousin was more like a troll, I'd believe you. But a campus belle? Come on!" Wang Liang retorted with a look of disbelief.
Su Hang didn't bother arguing. "Aren't you guys going to play basketball? Hurry up, or someone else will grab the court."
He pushed the two of them out.
"Hey, Su Hang, I've got some porns on my computer. If you need to, uh, entertain yourself, go ahead. Don't let us interrupt you," Zhang Cheng called out with a mischievous laugh as they left.
Hearing Zhang Cheng's lewd joke, Su Hang rolled his eyes and raised a middle finger toward the door.
With the dorm now quiet, Su Hang didn't bother turning on the computer. Instead, he activated the system and checked his stats. His energy points had already reached the maximum limit of 100.
The system had mentioned before that it could extract talents from fictional characters as well as real people. He was curious to see if it was true.
"System, I want to extract a talent from a fictional character. How do I do it?" Su Hang asked.
The system responded promptly: "The system offers both targeted and random search functions. The host can either input specific criteria or opt for a random search. Based on the host's current level, only Level 1 characters can be searched. Additionally, extracting talents from fictional characters requires extra energy points."
"Alright, do a random search for me. Use all 100 energy points and find someone frigging awesome," Su Hang instructed, eager to see what he'd get.
"Understood," the system replied before falling silent for a few seconds.
"Search complete. Here are the details of the selected character. Please review."
Soon, a stream of information appeared in Su Hang's mind:
Name: Wei Xiaobao
Age: 22
Level:1
Available Talent: "Phantom Step" (Grade F) ——the lightness skill in kongfu
Extract?
[Yes] or [No]
"Wei Xiaobao?" Su Hang murmured in surprise. Alongside the information, a portrait of a young man in Qing Dynasty official attire appeared,China. He had a roguish smirk, a handsome face, and an air of mischief about him.
"This is Wei Xiaobao?" Su Hang muttered, still trying to process. As the protagonist of his story, how could he be only Level 1?
But after thinking it over, it made sense. Wei Xiaobao can't do anything except pick up girls. The only advanced martial arts skill he ever learned was "Phantom Step", a light-footed technique perfect for escaping danger. Though his talent in other martial arts was lackluster, he had mastered this skill exceptionally well.
PLUS:Wei Xiaobao, the protagonist of Jin Yong's novel "The Deer and the Cauldron", is a cunning, street-smart, and opportunistic character who rises from humble beginnings as a mischievous brothel-raised boy to become a high-ranking imperial official. Unlike typical martial arts heroes, Wei Xiaobao lacks martial skills but excels in wit, charm, and deceit. He befriends powerful figures, navigates dangerous political intrigue, and marries seven wives through a mix of luck and clever manipulation. His resourcefulness and humor make him a unique and beloved anti-hero in the wuxia genre.
"Too bad there isn't a 'flirting masterclass' or something," Su Hang grumbled. After all, Wei Xiaobao had seven wives—his ability to charm women was legendary.
"Extract," Su Hang said decisively, issuing the command.
After a brief pause, the system responded.
"Talent extraction complete. Energy points: -100. Credits: +10. Obtained: a reinforcement token."
"Would you like to inherit this talent?
[Yes] or [No]"
"Inherit!" Su Hang chose without hesitation. With his energy points now depleted, he couldn't refine the talent further. But he wasn't willing to wait—he wanted to experience it right away.
A surge of information flooded into Su Hang's mind, making his head feel like it was about to burst. Animated sequences of the Phantom Step played out in his consciousness, depicting a shadowy figure moving with incredible grace and precision.
Despite the pain, Su Hang focused intently, sitting cross-legged like a martial artist in meditation, absorbing every bit of knowledge.
Gradually, his mind assimilated the information, like a sponge soaking up water. As the influx subsided, Su Hang exhaled deeply. The Phantom Step was now etched deeply into his consciousness, its intricacies as natural to him as breathing.
Opening his eyes, Su Hang let out a long breath. The breeze from the fan cooled the sweat on his forehead, bringing a refreshing clarity to his thoughts.
"Was that worth 100 energy points?" he mused, still unsure of the technique's practical value since he hadn't tested it yet.
"And what's this 'reinforcement token' about?" he wondered, opening his right hand. Resting in his palm was a small, pitch-black wooden token.
The token was about half the size of his palm, completely black like a lump of charcoal. Intricate carvings covered its surface, and at its center was a bold, Chinese character: "靠" (mean "fuck" or "support" in china,this is a homophone pun).
" huh? What the hell is this supposed to mean?" Su Hang muttered, feeling confused.
Then, as if in response, a message appeared in his mind:
"reinforcement Token": A key item in Wei Xiaobao's life. This one-time consumable allows the host to summon a powerful ally in times of crisis. To use, simply crush the token.
"Well, that's... interesting," Su Hang muttered, staring at the wooden token in disbelief.