Chapter 12
Time flew by, and it had been several days since Zhou Chao last went out with Big Bro Li to the bar. During these days, Zhou Chao had also checked in multiple times, receiving some cash rewards but no practical skills.
“Open the system panel.”
“Host: Zhou Chao”
“Age: 24 years old.”
“Skills: Racing God, Radiant Gentleman”
“Cash: 13.14 million.”
“Items: Maserati Quattroporte x1, Yanqing Road Old Mansion x1, Fuzhou Binjiang Community x10, Hongguang Mini EV x1.”
Zhou Chao looked at his system panel. In less than two weeks, he now had a car, a house, and savings. The only thing missing was a virtuous wife. He patted his belly, realizing that he hadn’t been exercising lately, and decided to change into sportswear and head to the gym on the third floor.
The gym was well-equipped, and Zhou Chao started his battle with the treadmill. Within 20 minutes, his clothes were soaked with sweat, and he began to pant heavily. Time passed unconsciously as he alternated between running and resting, and two hours had already gone by. His entire body was drenched in sweat.
After a rejuvenating shower, Zhou Chao reclined on the sofa, half-laid and half-sitting. The clock had already struck 2:30 in the afternoon. Retrieving his phone from his pocket, he launched the DouShark Live app and proceeded to check the list of streamers he followed. To his delight, Xiaotuantuan was currently streaming. Zhou Chao had been an avid user of DouShark for over two years, initially enticed by Xiaotuantuan’s captivating short videos that had prompted him to download the app. Although he had been freeloading all this time, his dedication had propelled him to reach level 21. Whenever he experienced a bout of unhappiness, he sought solace in live streams, particularly in Xiaotuantuan’s performances, which never failed to uplift his spirits.
Looking at his list of followed streamers, he noticed that a user named Hei Pi was currently live. Hei Pi was Xiaotuantuan’s friend, with a cheerful personality that attracted a large number of fans. Zhou Chao clicked on the live stream and saw Hei Pi playing mahjong. Just as he entered, Hei Pi lost a game, and all his beans were gone.
Zhou Chao opened the recharge page and added 100,000 fish fins. He chuckled as he watched Hei Pi arguing with viewers about losing the game. He then clicked on the gift section.
“Half_a_Lifetime_of_Drifting_ovo sends Super Fire in Hei Pi’s live stream.”
“Half_a_Lifetime_of_Drifting_ovo sends Super Fire in Hei Pi’s live stream.”
Ten consecutive Super Fire gifts filled the screen, instantly attracting a crowd of onlookers to the live stream. Hei Pi, who had been arguing with viewers, was taken aback.
“Thanks, big bro! Thanks to Lifetime bro for the ten Super Fire gifts.”
Zhou Chao smiled and said in the live stream, “Hei Pi, wanna play PUBG together? Let’s team up.”
“Sure, big bro! Let’s go.”
“Alright, I’ll turn on my computer.”
Zhou Chao went to the study on the third floor and sat on the computer chair, enjoying the high-performance computer worth over 100,000 yuan. In less than a minute, he was in the game and on YY.
“Hey, Hei Pi, can you hear me?”
“Yes, yes, big bro. I’m adding you as a friend in the game.”
“Okay.”
The two of them played PUBG together, and by the evening, they hadn’t won a single chicken dinner. However, they had a great time playing. Zhou Chao checked the time and suggested they have dinner first and continue later. After saying goodbye, he logged out.
After indulging in several hours of gameplay, Zhou Chao began to feel a wave of dizziness wash over him. Recognizing the need for a break, he decided to take a pause from his gaming session and placed an order for takeout through an online platform. While awaiting the arrival of his meal, he instinctively opened the DouShark app and discovered that Xiaotuantuan had started a live stream. Despite being a freeloader for the past two years, Zhou Chao had initially purchased a card but hadn’t gifted anything since. With a curious glance, he navigated to the gift section of the app, only to be greeted by the sight of his impressive stash of 80,000 fish fins.
Watching Xiaotuantuan singing, Zhou Chao sent forty Super Fire gifts, instantly filling the entire live stream with rockets. The barrage in the live chat filled the screen. Zhou Chao selected a song in the live stream and lay on the sofa, closing his eyes and enjoying Xiaotuantuan’s singing. Soon, he heard a knock on the door. Zhou Chao got up, opened the door, and found that his food had arrived.
While watching Xiaotuantuan’s live stream and eating, the time quickly passed and it was already 10:30 at night. Zhou Chao tidied up briefly and turned on the computer. He saw that Hei Pi was still playing games and sent him a message, suggesting they play together later.
Within ten minutes, Hei Pi ended the game and sent Zhou Chao a team invitation. They roamed across the battleground of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). Happy moments are always fleeting. They played until two or three in the morning, feeling sleepy before finally quitting the game and becoming WeChat friends.
Zhou Chao lay in bed, feeling extremely satisfied with the enjoyable day of gaming. Having played games all day, he fulfilled his fantasy of being a big bro. Unknowingly, Zhou Chao drifted off to sleep.
The next day, Zhou Chao woke up at 8 o’clock, went to the gym for a short run, took a shower, and had breakfast. Then he went to the garden and lounged on a chair, basking in the morning sun.
“System, is today my second weekly check-in?”
“Yes, would you like to check in, Host?”
“Yes, I’ll check in.”
“Congratulations, Host, on obtaining a top-floor duplex unit in The Palms Residence.”
“Congratulations, Host, on obtaining a Ferrari F12TDF.”
“Congratulations, Host, on one physical enhancement.”
“Congratulations, Host, on achieving Master-level culinary skills.”
“Hiss…”
Upon hearing these rewards, Zhou Chao couldn’t help but inhale sharply. The rewards for the second weekly sign-in were even better than the first, especially the physical enhancement, which could optimize his body to its peak condition. And the Master-level culinary skills covered all cuisines, including Sichuan, Cantonese, and more.
“Hahaha, this is fantastic.”
“System, claim the rewards.”
Before him, a few documents and an exquisitely designed key appeared on the table.
“Host, would you like to use the physical enhancement and Master-level culinary skills?” Zhou Chao thought for a moment and decided to use the physical enhancement first.
“Please lie down,” the system’s voice echoed.
Zhou Chao immediately laid down upon hearing this. “Begin the physical enhancement.”
“Hiss… Ah… Why does it hurt so much, System? How long will this pain last?” Zhou Chao gritted his teeth and yelled.
At this moment, Zhou Chao felt like he had been thrown into a machine, being kneaded and twisted all over.
“Physical enhancement complete.” Zhou Chao instantly felt as if he had ascended from hell to heaven. The pain he experienced earlier had completely disappeared, leaving him with a warm sensation throughout his body.
Sitting up, Zhou Chao noticed that his clothes were soaked in sweat. He reached out and took off his shirt, only to find that his previously flabby belly had disappeared. After a quick shower, Zhou Chao looked at himself in the mirror. His facial appearance hadn’t changed much, but there were some subtle improvements in certain areas.
The subtle alterations brought about a remarkable transformation in Zhou Chao’s overall countenance. His once gentle features now boasted a chiseled and refined look, accentuated by well-defined eyebrows and eyes that emanated a distinct air of masculinity. His appearance had undergone such a remarkable shift that people couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity and ease when in his presence.
Zhou Chao stood there shirtless, observing the transformation of his former belly fat into eight-pack abs, a slim waist, v-cut lines, and well-toned muscles. He was now a perfect combination of physical fitness and aesthetics, appearing lean in clothes and muscular when shirtless.
In addition to the changes in his physical appearance, Zhou Chao also noticed that his senses had become sharper, and his mind was clearer. His previous nearsightedness from playing games in college had completely disappeared.
Zhou Chao couldn’t contain his excitement as he admired himself in the mirror, trying out various poses and reveling in his own beauty.