Chapter 138 - 99: Suddenly, a Night of Hair

’Broke the limit again?’ Chen Jue mused, looking at the new notification on his panel.

This was the second time he had broken the limit through exercise, and the attribute value rewards had been exceptionally high on both occasions.

That feeling of accomplishment after gaining three small Attribute points was even stronger than the satisfaction of seeing an extra 620,000 in cash deposited into his account.

Indeed, wealth was just a worldly possession; a healthy body was what Chen Jue truly cared about.

Without this panel, he’d still be that meek corporate drone who only knew how to bow and scrape at the office.

What was truly strengthening his Spirit and willpower wasn’t just the money, but also this body, which was beginning to transform under the panel’s influence.

’The money won’t arrive for a few days, so I’ll set that aside for now.’

’The top priority is to keep training and getting stronger!’

Chen Jue admonished himself, then flexed his fingers, feeling a dull ache and a slight stinging pain.

Compared to the previous time he broke the limit by jogging, this half-hour of high-intensity Flying Needle practice had inflicted considerable strain and wear on his finger and wrist joints, as well as the muscles and fascia of his hands.

And unlike his legs, which were less sensitive, Chen Jue’s awareness of his hands was much more acute.

His hands were the first part of his body he had started training to strengthen, since both Stone Skimming and Darts relied on them.

Furthermore, his hands contained a dense network of nerves, making them extremely sensitive to pain and touch, giving rise to the saying "the ten fingers are connected to the heart."

Any discomfort in his hands would affect his subsequent training, so Chen Jue got out of bed. He first went to the fridge, scooped out some ice, and soaked his hands in the cold water. Then, he switched to soaking them in a hot, medicinal bath.

After alternating between cold and hot several times, the aching and stinging in his hands had eased a bit. Only then did he apply a round of medicated spray and stick on some plasters.

But even after applying the medicine, the fleeting stimulative effect of the ointment left Chen Jue feeling a little unsatisfied.

’Just using these two products really isn’t cutting it anymore.’

"They’re all cheap, generic products. They work, I guess, but they’re not doing enough for my hands anymore," Chen Jue muttered.

Since he had just earned a large sum of money, he decided to pick up his phone and search on Taobao for various ointments that strengthen sinews and bones and help recovery from sprains and injuries.

Hua Tuo Bone-Penetrating Plaster, Dragon and Tiger Bone-Strengthening Patch, Shaolin Black Ointment, topical Tongluo Wine, imported Joint Spirit, and so on—he added ten of each, both domestic and imported, to his shopping cart, picking only the most popular and highly-rated products.

He would buy them, try them all one by one, and order more of whichever topical remedy proved most effective.

And that was just for topical treatments; Chen Jue also went ahead and searched for things to be taken orally.

He bought a whole pile of calcium and vitamin supplements, as well as health products for enriching the blood and nourishing one’s essence, planning to try each one.

He was reminded of that wealthy foreigner who took over 100 different nutritional supplements every morning in his quest for longevity. By comparison, Chen Jue felt the little bit he had bought was nothing at all.

In addition, Chen Jue bought himself several new sets of athletic clothes and shoes for running, for practicing stances, and for Rock Climbing. Getting serious about sports was a money sink, and just acquiring the equipment cost a pretty penny.

While he was at it, he also ordered a new phone and laptop to improve his quality of life.

His old phone and laptop were several years old. They were laggy and affected the video quality of his recordings and livestreams. Now that he could finally afford it, he decided to replace them both with the latest models from Huawei—they were "miles ahead," after all.

After selecting all several dozen items in his shopping cart for checkout, Chen Jue pursed his lips. "Did I really just spend over 30,000 in a matter of minutes?"

’A windfall indeed. Easy come, easy go!’

Chen Jue sighed to himself, but he completed the payment without so much as batting an eye.

After all, he’d earned big. This was just chump change. He’d buy it all first and worry later, treating it as a belated Singles’ Day shopping festival to reward himself for all his recent hard training.

...

Filled with the joy of his online shopping spree, Chen Jue went to bed early and slept soundly.

When he woke up the next day, the stinging pain in his hands had diminished considerably. However, when he flexed his fingers, it was obvious something was still not quite right; clearly, the deeper, minor injuries had yet to heal.

Chen Jue glanced at the single Free Attribute point he had accumulated on the panel and decided to use a [Designated Constitution Point] on his hands.

As that familiar warm current flowed through them, his once-pale hands took on a rosy hue, and a notification popped up on the panel:

——————

[Ding!]

[You have completed one Designated Point allocation to the hand region. Blood circulation in this area has accelerated, and metabolic function has slightly improved. Accumulated lactic acid and inflammation in the hands have been alleviated, and nerve reflexes have slightly increased.]

——————

"Not bad!"

"I can probably manage some light exercise now."

"Once I farm some more Free Attributes, I’ll add more points to my hands." Chen Jue clenched his fists again. The stinging pain had lessened even more; the point allocation had clearly accelerated the healing of his injuries.

Before the sun was fully up, Chen Jue hurried to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth.

As he wiped the sleep from the corners of his eyes, Chen Jue stared at his reflection and took a closer look.

He was met with a delightful surprise!

His previously visible scalp was now covered in tiny, dense black dots. He reached up to touch it, and the prickly, stubble-like texture almost made Chen Jue break down in tears on the spot!

"My hair... The hair I lost... it’s growing back!"