Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
‘After many days of verification.’
‘The furnishing of the budget hotel, Jinjiang Inn, in the Yangtze District of Yunhai City is bad.’
‘There is one good point with the furnishing of the three star hotel, Lake Garden Hotel, in the Yangtze District of Yunhai City.’
‘The four star hotel, Mingshu Atour Hotel, in the Yangtze District of Yunhai City has one good point.’
‘The five-star hotel, Crown Design Hotel, in the Yangtze District of Yunhai City has two good points.’ Tang Hong looked down at this sheet of paper with black ink that was full of inexplicable meaning.
If another person were to see this, he would only think that Tang Hong was spouting nonsense and not understand what he meant.
Tang Hong scratched his ears and lifted his pen to write several more phrases: the first time is priceless, time and mood, difficulty level.
Swoosh swoosh.
He drew a red circle around ‘the first time is priceless’. As proven by facts, the first-time incidents or acts could not be triggered a second time.
“Staying in a five-star hotel…”
“Individual value plus two!”
This was the most critical discovery, one that was most essential.
Tang Hong pondered inwardly, “First time experiencing a five-star hotel allowed me to earn two points in individual value. That night I heard the sacred voice of the gods and sobered up because of the appearance of the information interface, triggering an addition of five points to individual value.”
In this case, the more difficult an event or act was, the more individual value it would trigger.
However.
Was it very difficult to check into a five-star hotel?
Tang Hong frowned. Even if it was difficult, it would be relative to the economic classes of the current human society. If one were to reference the law of conservation of energy of the vast universe, sleeping in a five-star hotel was no different from doing so in an ordinary guest house. It was just sleeping.
The money of the human society could actually correspond with the difficulty level of the individual value trigger mechanism.
“Unless…”
“Money, status, identity, reputation could also be seen as resources… the difficulty of obtaining resources naturally had different levels… but there could also be other reasons.” Tang Hong was in deep thought for a long while, unable to figure things out.
Anyway, this was a good thing to him.
Referring to the first Transcendent that he had encountered, Fang Nanxun of the Yellow River Organization was virtually a wild tycoon. This meant that the average income of Transcendents was higher.
“Let’s not think about this for now.”
Tang Hong’s gaze landed on the paper before him once more.
The first time was priceless and could not be triggered a second time. But a person could have many first-times. The world is so big, there are so many possibilities. Even with the strength of Tang Hong’s willpower, he felt this dizzying, incomparably huge surprise!
First time taking a motor car alone…
First time going to the amusement park alone…
He originally had the loneliness scale in mind but now found a broader world with countless opportunities hidden.
“Searching for first-time events will be listed as the priority goal.”
“The secondary goal is to figure out the three essential factors, difficulty, level, time threshold and mood changes.”
“Next would then be how to improve the singlehanded support system and realm. Is there a deeper significance with the willpower percentage? Strength increases bit by bit, its importance is secondary to willpower.”
Compared to a sudden boost in strength, willpower was more concealed, it would not attract attention. Moreover, in the process of engaging Fang Nanxun, Tang Hong had already felt the advantage of strong willpower, it could not be described in words.
Besides.
He was a university student now. He wouldn’t go onto a battlefield nor would he compete in a ring. What was the use of great strength, to be a boorish man and go show off his muscles and power in the gym?
Many times, great strength would not create miracles, it would only bring problems.
If it wasn’t for the rewards for the top three placings of the entrance test for the special training camp, Tang Hong would not raise his strength percentage.
He brought out the system interface:
Mortal: Infinitely small and weak creature.
Willpower: 44%
Strength: 29%
Realm: 0.00
Individual value: 12
Five days of sleeping alone, together with the remaining gains and earlier accumulation, he already had 12 whole points of individual value.
He first added six points to strength.
Then everything else to willpower.
He only felt that the skin on his body surface, his blood, bones, as well as consciousness seemed to explode.
The percentage figure of his strength rose to 35%, whereas the percentage figure of his willpower rose with a glimmer to 50%!
Rumble!
Dull thunder sounded outside the library’s windows, prompting low exclamations, mainly from the girls.
Tang Hong rubbed the area between his eyebrows. His mind was sober and calm and he picked up his pen again.
He wrote a few lines of words.
First line: Motor car, guest house, hotels that are four-stars and below.
Second line: Five-star hotel.
The third and fourth line were both question marks, while the fifth line was break free.
According to the increment of individual value, he temporarily drew out five classes.
Due to less references, this individual value increment scale appeared to be very empty. But as he adds the references little by little in the future and then look back at it, he might have some findings.
Rumble.
Thunder reverberated outside the window. The flash of lightning seemed to cut open the skies and light up the faces of everyone inside the library.
“Hmm.”
Tang Hong abruptly faltered.
After some thought, he packed up his books, clutched that sheet of paper tightly and strode out of the library. That dark-colored back filled with loneliness and determination reflected in the water surface at the entrance and also fell into the eyes of the many students standing at the entrance of the library.
The majority were waiting for the rain to stop while the minority had summoned their friends and were waiting for umbrellas.
In such a stormy weather, no one dared to walk out without an umbrella.
Tang Hong was an exception.
“That person…”
“He looks so pitiful.”
“Don’t you have umbrellas, go give him one.”
All these were the exchanges between the girls. On the other hand, the boys wore looks of understanding but also sympathy. They sighed and mused with emotion as they watched this pitiful person who had been hurt in love disappear into the heavy rain curtain.
He was drenched.
That sheet of paper was also wet.
‘Liar!’
“Damn it!”
“Getting wet in the rain alone for the first time actually did not trigger the increase of individual value!” Tang Hong ran into an academic building from the library and entered the washroom. His hair was dripping with rain water. He removed his t-shirt and wrung it before putting it on. Finally, he took out that sheet of paper he had held clutched in his palm.
He was going to burn this sheet of paper.
Even if there were Transcendents watching him, with technological instruments watching him, Tang Hong was not worried. No one would care about this messy writing that was clearly from an unsound mind.
When it rains, it pours!
The wet paper could not be set on fire!
Simply enraged, he strolled around the academic building and waited for the sheet of paper to dry up before returning to the washroom to burn it up.
Actually, there was also this reason for leaving the library. Naked fires and smoking were prohibited in the library. Even though no one would know if he lit a fire in the washroom, Tang Hong still honored the bottom line.
And right now…
He bowed his head to glance at the loneliness scale…
“I’m out of money.”
Tang Hong expressionlessly opened WeChat to send a message to Fang Nanxun. “Huhuhuhuhu, I’m so broke that I have not eaten for three days and three nights. Right now, I’m so hungry that I’m dizzy, have blurred vision, chest pains, backache and numb feet. I’m feeling terrible, I might not be able to participate in the special training camp next month!”
…
Mo Yan Group, reception. Fan Yu added Tang Hong to her WeChat friends.
“Hello, I am Fan Yu, you can approach me anytime if you have any questions.” Fan Yu lifted the jet-black hair that fell by her ear and thought of Consultant Fang’s expression that was black as charcoal.
Fan Yu’s impression of Tang Hong was that he was a student, a talent of the recommended channel, three consultants had specially gone through his information.
Mindful of this.
She was very respectful to Tang Hong. “Consultant Fang mentioned that you are looking for an internship, we sincerely do not suggest you waste your time on an internship. Why don’t I apply for an economic grant for you, please let me know if it works.”
“All right.”
Tang Hong then said, absorbed in thought, “You don’t provide funds?”
“Sorry.” Fan Yu replied, “Before you have completed the special training camp, we, in principle, will not provide livelihood support in any form.”
Seeing Fan Yu’s reply, Tang Hong immediately understood that this was Fang Nanxun’s private favor, and not the standard treatment of the Yellow River Organization.
He instantly felt a little ashamed.
Earlier, he thought that this was the remuneration of the Yellow River Organization so he naturally thought that it would be a waste not getting it. But now, it was a different situation.
Without waiting for Tang Hong’s reply, Fan Yu added him into a WeChat group chat named ‘June Meeting in the Capital, Compiling the Canon of Supreme Mystery Till Heads Are White’.
“Wa!”
“A newbie has joined the group!”
“Drop your voice and photo as initiation, please send red packets on your own initiative!”
A few messages instantly popped up in the WeChat group, they were all from one person. Within less than thirty seconds, another four to five people appeared. They were either teasing him or watching the show.
Tang Hong: “Will a one dollar red packet work.”
“Courting death (╰_╯)#”
“@TangMonkCannotGetBy, leave the group yourself!”
“Take the initiative!”
There were a total of 13 people in the group chat. It was built by Fan Yu and mainly consisted of people who had gotten spots in the special training camp at end-June.
A mix of males and females, their profile pictures were clear, everyone had used a photo of themselves.
Watching the WeChat group chat that had gotten lively, Fan Yu hesitated for a moment before saying, “Tang Hong is someone who the consultants are paying attention to, do get to know one another more. Remember to look out for one another when you go to the capital next month.”
Instantly.
The WeChat group chat went silent.