9: Chapter 9 Dimension of Skill

Chen Zhen hissed, drawing in a sharp breath from the pain.

That pain wasn't the kind from torn skin and flesh, but an aching soreness that drilled from the cracks in his bones straight into his marrow.

It made his very teeth clench.

It really hurt!

"Hold on."

The Old Man's hands didn't stop; his rough knuckles pressed against both sides of his spine.

The force was steady and heavy, pressing deeper with each movement.

"Young people just don't know how to cherish their bodies. You're messing around before your injuries have fully healed; you'll be crying about it when you get old."

As the pain persisted, the sharp sensation began to fade.

It turned into a burning, aching soreness.

It felt like a stream of warm Qi flowing down his back.

Chen Zhen gritted his teeth, beads of sweat rolling down his temples and hitting the collar of his sportswear.

The system panel before his eyes kept flashing notifications:

[Muscle tension relieving, Health Dimension EXP + 0.1, 0.1, 0.1...]

About five minutes later, The Old Man finally withdrew his hands and leaned back on the bench:

"Get up and walk around."

Chen Zhen slowly stood up and tried taking a few steps.

Hey, it really was different!

The stiffness on the left side had actually loosened up quite a bit.

He tried jogging a few steps, and the difference in the sound of his left and right feet hitting the ground had finally decreased.

"Go back and press it yourself every day."

The Old Man sat back on the bench, "Just press the spots I just showed you, along both sides of your spine, from top to bottom, three minutes on each side."

"If it hurts, that's right; if it doesn't hurt, it means you haven't pressed the right spot."

"Thank you, Old Man!" Chen Zhen was genuinely impressed.

The Old Man waved his hand and turned the radio back on.

The warbling sounds of Peking Opera drifted out once more.

Then he closed his eyes again, looking like he couldn't be bothered with him.

Chen Zhen stood there for two seconds, then turned and continued running.

For the rest of the distance, he deliberately controlled the balance of his left and right feet.

The system panel would occasionally flash a [Posture Correction + 0.05] notification.

After finishing the three-kilometer run, the system panel displayed a long list of rewards:

[Morning run completed, Health Dimension EXP + 2.1 (including correction bonus)]

[Cultivation + 0.18]

[Hidden achievement unlocked: Received professional guidance]

[Extra reward: Cultivation + 0.3, Health Dimension EXP + 5]

Awesome!

This was a huge profit!

Today's gains were almost double the usual amount.

It seems this System doesn't just encourage mindless practice; it values progress—there needs to be qualitative improvement.

While stretching, Chen Zhen spent a few extra minutes on his left foot.

Pressing the spots The Old Man mentioned was indeed agonizingly sore, but every time he pressed, the system panel jumped by 0.02 EXP.

Although it was only 0.02 each time, it added up to quite a bit.

Even a mosquito is meat; little by little, it adds up.

He raised his wrist to check his watch; it was 6:30, just the right time to head back.

When passing the familiar bench in the park, The Old Man was actually still there.

He was still half-squinting, his head nodding slightly, like an old cat dozing off.

Chen Zhen paused his steps, clenched his hand in his pocket, then relaxed it, and asked softly.

"Will you be here tomorrow?"

"Yes." The Old Man didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice lazy, "What, do you want me to loosen your bones again?"

"No, no." Chen Zhen quickly waved his hands, "I just wanted to... learn from you."

"Learn what?"

"Learn how to... repair the body?"

The Old Man slowly opened one eye, looked him up and down for a few seconds, and suddenly grinned and chuckled:

"Sure. Bring two bottles of water tomorrow, make it plain boiled water; don't try to fool me with those sugary drinks."

"Alright! Thank you, Old Man!" Chen Zhen beamed.

"Also," The Old Man added, "Arrive before six tomorrow. I leave promptly at 6:05; if you're late, there won't be a spot."

"Got it!"

Chen Zhen turned and ran toward home; from the wind behind him came The Old Man's low mutter: "This kid, not bad..."

It was nearly seven when he got home; his mother was already busy in the kitchen, wearing a slightly faded apron.

The porridge in the clay pot was bubbling and steaming.

Chen Zhen took a hot shower, and when he came out drying his hair, breakfast was already set on the table:

A bowl of thick white porridge, a dish of crispy pickled mustard greens, and two soft-boiled eggs with runny yolks.

"Is Zhou Shu not up yet?" Chen Zhen picked up his chopsticks and took a mouthful of porridge.

"Let her sleep a bit more; she was reading until midnight yesterday."

His mother, while peeling an eggshell, asked casually, "How was your run this morning?"

"It has to be better every day! Your son is about to become a running expert."

Chen Zhen joked with a grin.

"You only know how to joke." His mother laughed at him and put the peeled egg into his bowl.

"Oh right..." His mother paused suddenly, as if remembering something,

"Your dad said last night that a colleague at his workplace has a child who scored over 600 in the college entrance exam this year and got into a polytechnic university."

"Hmm... impressive." Chen Zhen replied nonchalantly.

"Your dad said that for all three years of high school, that child woke up at five every morning and didn't sleep until at least twelve at night. They really worked hard."

His mother spooned some more pickled mustard greens into his bowl.

"I said, doesn't that make them a machine? Your dad said, if you want to get into a good university, that's what you have to do."

"I'd like to do that, but I'd probably fall asleep on the desk in two days." Chen Zhen smiled.

"Hey, I'm not telling you to copy him." His mother said softly, "It's just... if you really want to study hard, Mom supports you, but don't ruin your health, you hear me?"

"Don't worry, Mom, your son values his life very much!"

"Alright, alright, then Mom is relieved, knowing you won't mistreat yourself."

The porridge was a bit hot; Chen Zhen blew on it, the steam hitting his face.

...

The morning's study tasks went unexpectedly smoothly.

Perhaps the correction during the morning run had an effect, or perhaps the [Regular Schedule Keeper] bonus had taken effect.

Today, his train of thought while solving problems was particularly clear.

When he finished the math test paper, the system panel displayed:

[Continuously focused study for 2 hours and 15 minutes, efficiency evaluation: Excellent]

The EXP was a full 20% higher than usual!

Chen Zhen stretched, got up, and went to the kitchen to get a Coke.

Just as he opened the refrigerator door, he saw Zhou Shu walking out of her room, rubbing her eyes.

She stared at the Coke in his hand, hesitated for a long time, and then asked softly:

"Brother... did you just finish studying?"

"Yeah, just taking a break." Chen Zhen put the Coke on the table.

"Hmm..." Zhou Shu twisted the corner of her shirt, wanting to say something but hesitating.

"What's wrong? If there's something, just say it."

Chen Zhen felt that she seemed to want to ask something.

"It's just... that online course of yours, how much does it cost exactly?"

"Why ask that? Do you want to sign up too?"

If he had to give a specific number, he definitely couldn't say it.

He hadn't signed up either.

"Yeah, I want to sign up for an eighth-grade one too; my math isn't very good."

Chen Zhen filled a bowl of porridge for her and put it on the dining table.

"You're only in eighth grade, what's the rush."

"So many people in our class are taking extra classes." Zhou Shu's voice grew quieter.

"Zhang Yuyan takes four tutoring classes on the weekend, and Li Weiwei hired a private tutor for three hundred an hour."

She lowered her lashes, casting a small shadow under her eyes.

Chen Zhen sighed inwardly.

He knew his aunt's family's situation; both husband and wife were ordinary office workers, and providing for their child's schooling was already tight enough; a private tutor was out of the question.

"Mine is for high school, but it's fine, I'll help you find one suitable for eighth grade."

He filled a bowl of porridge for Zhou Shu and pushed it toward her.

Zhou Shu's eyes lit up instantly: "Really, Brother?"

"Of course it's real."

"Thank you, Brother... I, I'll give you my pocket money!"

"No need, keep it to buy your own study aids and snacks; Brother will find you a reliable one."

"Thank you, Brother!"

Zhou Shu's voice was a bit louder than usual, her eyes shining with a hint of admiration.

Before lunch, his mother asked Chen Zhen to help pick vegetables.

Today they bought water spinach, and the old stems had to be pinched off one by one.

Chen Zhen moved a small stool and sat at the kitchen door; he had just pinched two stalks when the system panel popped up a new notification:

[Assisting with meal prep, Skill Dimension EXP + 0.1/minute]

!!!

Holy crap! The Skill Dimension has finally unlocked!

Chen Zhen felt a burst of ecstasy, but upon closer inspection, the dimension icon was still gray—

The EXP was rising, but it wasn't activated. Whatever, any change is a good thing!

His mother was cutting meat, the knife hitting the cutting board with a rhythmic tap-tap sound.

After cutting for a while, she suddenly said, "Your aunt called this morning."

Chen Zhen continued picking the vegetables, "What did Aunt say?"