What does it feel like to be effortlessly carried to victory by someone else?

On the curb outside Jing Tang Hui, Chen Jue and Jiang Zhe squatted side by side. Watching as Wang Xing’s BMW X5 was driven away by a valet, Jiang Zhe fished out a cigarette and handed it over: “Old Fourth, when you really make it big, don’t forget to bring me along!”

“Screw off, will you?” Chen Jue shot back with a laugh. He didn’t refuse the cigarette, borrowing a light as he began to smoke, exhaling clouds into the night.

Quitting smoking really was no easy feat. Even knowing the harm it did, when night fell and the world quieted, no smoker could resist lighting up that post-event cigarette.

Thinking back on what had happened at Jing Tang Hui, Chen Jue couldn’t help but sigh, “Connections only work if you have money.” If Zhu Hongbin and that Mr. Tang hadn’t suddenly shown up, his shot at a job would likely have slipped through his fingers tonight.

As for that Hangzhou International Darts Club, he was planning to check it out too. He had nothing else going on, and if he really could carve a path as a professional darts player, it would be a huge improvement in his life. Opportunities like this—who could turn them down? Especially someone like Chen Jue, freshly unemployed and about to live off dwindling savings, a small-time loser by all accounts.

After a while spent squatting, smoking, bantering, and mutual back-patting, the two each called for a chauffeur. Back in his cramped rental in Changhe Community, Chen Jue lay in bed, thoughts whirling.

If he hadn’t unexpectedly awakened that attribute panel, he’d probably still be muddling through life as before. Now, not only did he have a referral offer from a top-three industry giant, he’d also caught the eye of a darts pro by pure chance.

He scrolled through Zhu Hongbin’s social media—clearly a work account, filled with posts about international darts: club events, videos of pro players attending overseas tournaments, group photos from charity events. The man’s life was vibrant and diverse, unlike the working stiffs like Chen Jue, who kept their social circles locked down to “six months visible,” terrified that others would see how little they had going on.

The next morning, Chen Jue woke a little after six. Maybe it was the alcohol from last night—his mouth was dry, and his breath reeked of stale booze. After brushing his teeth twice and getting dressed, he left the house.

He didn’t rush to breakfast, but instead headed to a corner of the community where a group of elderly men and women were practicing tai chi. Chen Jue joined in. The simplified twelve forms of tai chi looked soft and harmless, and though it lacked any real power, it was about health and well-being.

His last health check had revealed a host of minor ailments. Not wanting to go under the knife, he pinned his hopes on that miraculous panel and this health-preserving exercise.

He started the routine—parting the wild horse’s mane, white crane spreading its wings—moving in time with the gentle, soothing music. With his [Tai Chi Twelve Forms] already leveled to Lv1, the movements no longer felt awkward or unfamiliar, though his breathing was still a bit uneven, unlike the calm, steady breaths of the regulars.

After about an hour, his body was faintly sweating, [Tai Chi Twelve Forms] had gained over eighty proficiency points, and his attribute panel flashed with notifications:

———
[Ding~]
[You have completed a qualifying aerobic exercise.]
[+0.01 Free Attribute Point]
———
[Ding~]
[With sustained moderate exercise, your muscle groups have relaxed, your cardiovascular and metabolic capacities have improved, and your muscle recovery speed has slightly increased.]
[+0.01 Constitution Attribute]
———
[Ding~]
[Constitution attribute has reached 1.00]
[Milestone achievement unlocked: Escaped Sub-Health]
[Character evaluation updated]
———

Seeing the string of notifications, Chen Jue ended the routine and took a deep breath, feeling a wave of heat nourishing his body.

Compared to normal workouts, [Tai Chi Twelve Forms] seemed to boost constitution attributes much faster. Previously, training with [Skipping Stones] or [Darts], he’d earned points only through sheer exhaustion, scraping together every little bit. But with tai chi, the attributes seemed to flow in almost effortlessly.

“Could it really be the health benefits of this exercise?” he wondered, checking his current stats:

———
Name: Chen Jue
Strength: 0.82+
Constitution: 1.00+
Spirit: 1.07+
Skills: [Skipping Stones (Mastered)] [Darts Lv3 (1623/2000)+] [Tai Chi Twelve Forms Lv1 (85/200)+]
Unassigned Free Attribute Points: 0.01
(Character Evaluation: An awakened office worker. Though your body has escaped sub-health, some hidden issues remain. Targeted treatment is recommended to avoid minor ailments developing into serious illness.)
———

“Avoiding treatment out of fear?” Chen Jue murmured. “Is that about me?” The new character evaluation made him uneasy. Even the panel was warning him to seek medical attention, a sign that these little problems might really be affecting his health.

“Well, I’ve put it off this long without any major trouble. A few more days won’t hurt. Let’s sort out the job first!” He comforted himself, planning to visit the hospital in a day or two. If need be, he could accept conservative treatment—medication, injections, that sort of thing—but surgery? Never.

That was the stubbornness of an old homebody; once he made up his mind, no one could change it.

By the time his morning exercise was done, it was almost eight. While having breakfast, he received a message from Wang Xing, the boss he’d met the night before. The tone was extremely polite, and Wang Xing sent over the contact information for the HR manager at Hengtong Group, saying he’d already put in a good word and Chen Jue could drop by during work hours.

Seeing how invested this vice president was in his onboarding, Chen Jue could only chuckle. The influence of the powerful really was something—just a chance encounter, and it had changed his fortunes.

He replied with a few polite words of thanks, hurried home to shower, shave, and change, then drove to Hengtong Group.

Located on Qingchun Road, Hengtong Group sat at the heart of Hangzhou’s real CBD, within walking distance of the West Lake scenic area. All around were glass-clad Grade A office towers, bank headquarters, and clusters of securities firms. The city’s CBD was built on the foundation of these financial giants.

Wanting to make a good impression, he’d taken extra care with his appearance and arrived right on time. But as soon as he started his interview with HR Manager Li, discussing some basic job requirements, he was ushered off to meet Director Luo of the risk control department. Luo asked a few technical questions about risk data, reviewed his past experience with overdue accounts, and then—just like that—Chen Jue was hired!

The position was a data analyst in risk control. It wasn’t middle management, nor would he have subordinates to share the load, but the salary was an impressive 20K a month, not to mention benefits and year-end bonuses. Even better, Hengtong provided every employee with a fully furnished one-bedroom apartment in their talent housing complex—no need to rent a cramped subdivided room anymore.

“No wonder it’s a major foreign-backed conglomerate,” Chen Jue marveled. “The perks are incredible.”

He thought of the years he’d slaved away at Taisheng Financial. If not for that pesky diploma blocking his promotion, he wouldn’t have had to live so frugally for so long.

He filled out his ID info, registered fingerprints, joined Hengtong’s DingTalk group, picked up his employee card, and collected a smart key for his apartment from the admin office. By the time all the onboarding steps were done, the whole morning had slipped away.

But since he’d just been hired, there was no rush to start. His supervisor, Director Luo, messaged to say he could report as late as next Monday, and would meet his new colleagues then.

This news delighted Chen Jue—he’d scored a few more days to loaf around.

He went out to a stylish Chinese restaurant near West Lake, ordered a few dishes to celebrate, and messaged Jiang Zhe about his new job.

“(Awesome)”
“(You know it)”
“(Evil grin)”

Jiang Zhe, probably at lunch too, replied instantly. Chen Jue laughed at the familiar string of emoji, sent his location at Jing Tang Hui, and used a group-buy app to purchase two electronic vouchers worth a thousand each, transferring them over. Since he’d promised to treat his roommate if things worked out, Chen Jue was determined to keep his word. Without Jiang Zhe’s help, he might have been unemployed for ages instead of landing such a prestigious job so easily.

After some idle chat on WeChat, Chen Jue finished lunch, then took his big belly for a stroll along the West Lake to digest. Realizing that ninety percent of his success was thanks to Zhu Hongbin and Mr. Tang, he decided to head straight to Hangzhou International Darts Club.

The club was located near the city sports stadium in a large sports entrepreneurship park. It was a comprehensive complex, with clubs for badminton, table tennis, fencing, archery, golf, and outdoor climbing, all gathered together alongside Zhu Hongbin’s darts club. Driving by, Chen Jue even spotted a large swimming pool and soccer field. The place was expansive and bustling with fitness enthusiasts. But since it was a weekday, most of the crowd were retirees and wealthy folks arriving in luxury cars.

As he parked, Chen Jue immediately recognized a sleek black Mercedes GT-R nearby—Coach Lin Ning from Yilian Fitness.

“She comes here too?” he wondered. “What are the odds?”

Curious, Chen Jue entered the darts club. The décor was modern and minimalist, the space about twice the size of a typical gym. It featured a dining bar, café, and reading room—a place clearly favored by the well-heeled.

At the front desk, he presented Zhu Hongbin’s card, mentioning he’d been invited, and asked about membership fees. The cost for a year: 6,888 yuan. Remembering how much he owed Zhu Hongbin for his new job, Chen Jue didn’t hesitate to scan the code and sign up.

Though not socially adept, he was clear about debts and gratitude, always remembering those who’d helped him.

The receptionist, seeing he wanted to join, instantly became exceptionally attentive—setting up his card, entering his details, and giving him a tour of the club. As they reached the main darts practice area, Chen Jue spotted Lin Ling in the distance, with her striking figure and a face both pure and alluring. She was practicing with another attractive woman at an electronic dartboard, surrounded by a group of eager young men and middle-aged members, some offering tips, others just chatting—almost certainly more interested in the women’s looks than their darts skills.

Of course, Chen Jue, a reserved admirer himself, wouldn’t stoop to striking up a conversation so blatantly. That was too low-class; it left a bad impression.

As he strolled past with the receptionist, sure enough, Lin Ling called out to him.

“Hey! Mr. Chen, you came to the club too?”

“I knew it! An amateur ace like you was bound to show up here,” Lin Ling said, putting down her dart with a cheerful tone.

But the moment she spoke, Chen Jue felt like he’d suddenly drawn all the aggro—every young and middle-aged man in the vicinity turned to glare at him in unison.

Goodness! A whole group of lecherous rivals, eyes flashing with hostility, as if he’d suddenly become the raid boss everyone wanted to take down on the spot.