Evolution by Adding Points

”So that’s the answer?”

’Knowledge really is power!’

Chen Jue gazed at the large ”254 kg” result on the board, feeling that his trip to Jiang University had been worthwhile.

As expected of a top-tier university. Even a PE teacher could easily solve a physics problem like this.

’So how come my high school PE teacher was always busy with something or suddenly sick whenever it was time for class?’

Of course, 254 kg was obviously not the most precise figure for his grip strength.

Since the friction coefficient of the crucial nylon glove was missing, this was just a rough estimate.

Still, upon seeing a number like 254 kg, Chen Jue couldn’t help but gulp.

Just as the PE majors in his class had said, the current world record for grip strength was 192 kg. It was set by a Western European named Samuelson, a professional strongman and wrestling champion—the kind of monster who could snap his opponent’s arm in an arm-wrestling match.

However, the 192 kg record was a bit dubious. Online, you could only find news reports and reposted articles, but no actual videos of the event.

Nowadays, the world’s top grip strength masters all use a device called the GM150 Grip Strengthener, which has an official leaderboard. Topping the list was Sergei at 164.7 kg.

The national champion was Lei Heng at 142 kg, ranking 12th in the world on the GM150 leaderboard.

As for Chen Jue, at his absolute maximum, he could only manage an 85 kg grip strengthener. He hadn’t even broken the domestic record, let alone challenge for that gold brick worth tens of millions.

’254 kg probably isn’t the exact number!’

’But now that I have the formula, I can go online later, buy the same type of nylon glove they use at the Gold Museum, measure its friction coefficient, and plug it back into the equation.’

Chen Jue was delighted. He memorized the formulas on the blackboard and returned to his seat.

As long as he had a clear target number, he would have a benchmark for his future grip strength training.

He was the type of person who planned things out. He just needed to set a clear goal and then slowly work his way toward it.

With his Attribute panel, Chen Jue was confident he could bring that seemingly impossible gold brick home.

...

Since Chen Jue had gotten things off to a good start and livened up the atmosphere, a few other students came forward with their own bizarre questions.

This Teacher Sun got into the swing of things, using his expertise in physics and mathematics to help the students solve their problems.

According to his deskmate, Ma Qiang, this Teacher Sun wasn’t actually a PE department instructor. His real specialty was in the neighboring Mathematics and Applied Mathematics department. He’d just been temporarily roped in to fill the spot because he’d taken a few sports training courses.

As for their original instructor, Teacher Li, he had recently taken a long leave of absence for a family emergency, which explained why the first half of the class had been so dead.

’So he was basically drafted!’

’No wonder his lecture was so dry,’ Chen Jue mused, reminded of his own junior college days.

Even at a regular junior college, there was a huge gap in teaching quality between instructors, to say nothing of a top-tier institution like Jiang University.

As for how to judge an instructor’s skill, you just had to look at how many students were dozing off or playing on their phones. The better the teacher, the fewer students would be slacking off.

...

After his last class of the afternoon, having obtained the data and formulas he wanted, Chen Jue was in high spirits. He packed his bag and headed for the athletic field.

It was just past 4 p.m., still a long way from sunset—the perfect time to work out.

Before class ended, however, the honest-looking Ma Qiang made a point of adding Chen Jue on WeChat.

He had probably seen all the tricks Chen Jue pulled during class—spinning his pen, squeezing the grip strengthener—and was deeply impressed by his senior’s ”slacking” skills, hoping to learn a thing or two from him.

Arriving at the athletic field, Chen Jue spotted a few familiar faces.

Aside from the president of the Self-Discipline Club he had recently joined, there were also a few classmates from his PE class, now changed into workout clothes.

They were all student-athletes on scholarships, with fixed daily training schedules and professional coaches. They were more likely to get results than self-motivated people like Wang Xin.

”Senior, you’re here!”

”What are you working on today?” Wang Xin, who was resting by the horizontal bar, scooted over.

He was the president of Jiang University’s Self-Discipline Club and made time every day after class to come to the equipment area, leading the club members in their workouts.

Seeing Chen Jue—the impressive senior who could crank out 40 high pull-ups in a single set—arrive, Wang Xin eagerly came over to greet him.

”I’m continuing with upper body and core today!”

”Gotta strike while the iron is hot and get my body fat down,” Chen Jue said with a smile. He dropped his bag, asked Wang Xin to keep an eye on it, and started jogging on the track.

During his athletic training class earlier, Chen Jue had read in the textbook that it’s best to do a warm-up before any intense muscle training.

The human body needs a buffer period when transitioning from a resting state to an active one.

Your muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissues don’t just react instantly the moment you give them the signal, like, ’Alright, time to move!’

A proper warm-up reduces the risk of injury, improves circulation and metabolism, alleviates muscle soreness, and helps the body transition from a resting to an active state more quickly.

In sports like soccer and basketball, which have substitutes on the bench, you often see the coach telling a player to warm up on the sidelines before sending them into the game.

Other than the few times Li Chaoyun had guided him through a warm-up at the gym, the rest of Chen Jue’s training, for things like [Stone Skimming] and [Darts], had been mostly unsystematic and reckless.

He had relied entirely on his own Constitution to power through, which was why he so frequently got injured and pulled muscles.

Now that he was at Jiang University and had started training systematically, Chen Jue was determined to learn from his mistakes. He would use his new knowledge of the human body to plan his Attribute increases rationally.

...

After three laps around the standard 400-meter rubber track, transitioning from a brisk walk to a slow jog, Chen Jue felt a light sweat break out. His pores seemed to open up, and a comfortable warmth spread through his entire body.

He knew it was a sign that his muscles were being awakened by the warm-up.

He jogged over to the equipment area and saw Wang Xin leading some club members, who were also done with classes, through exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups. Chen Jue joined them.

He started with a set of 30 standard push-ups to get his upper body warmed up.

He then moved to the horizontal bar, gripped it firmly, and performed a few high pull-ups with a powerful pull and push.

”Senior, if you want to work your core, you should try Hannibal Pull-ups!”

”It’s an advanced version of the high pull-up. Here, let me show you,” Wang Xin said, coming over after he finished helping another club member. As he spoke, he grabbed a nearby bar.

”Hannibal Pull-ups?” Chen Jue paused, letting his body hang from the bar.

As Wang Xin performed a high pull-up, he simultaneously raised his legs straight out in front of him, tensing them until his body formed a perfect 90-degree ”L” shape.

The moment he executed the move, all the nearby club members turned to watch.

It looked like he was powering up for an ultimate attack in a video game!

During the ascent, Wang Xin even managed to bring his thighs all the way up to touch the bar. His incredible explosive strength left the freshmen who had just joined the Self-Discipline Club completely stunned.

Of course, to Chen Jue, this so-called Hannibal Pull-up was simply a high pull-up combined with a leg raise crunch.

It was extremely difficult, but it definitely looked cool!

Since Chen Jue was specifically lacking core strength in his waist and abs, he decided to give it a try.

One, two, three... By the tenth rep, Chen Jue could feel his waist, abs, back, and thighs beginning to burn with fatigue.

The sensation of his muscles fighting against gravity was truly intoxicating.

By his 30th Hannibal Pull-up, Chen Jue’s face was flushed, and he was gasping for air. His limbs, waist, and abs ached to the point of numbness.

And just then, a notification popped up on his panel:

——————

[DING~]

[After a proper warm-up, you completed a high-intensity anaerobic exercise. Your core and limb muscle groups were effectively trained. Your cardiac function and lung capacity have been slightly enhanced.]

[Strength Attribute +0.01]

[Constitution Attribute +0.01]

[Free Attribute +0.01]

——————

”So exhausting!”

’What kind of god came up with this move?’ Chen Jue thought as he dropped from the bar, his body stiff as a board.

This was a normal phenomenon—muscles becoming stiff and pumped with blood after high-intensity exercise. It would subside after a little while.

Wang Xin clapped from the sidelines. ”Amazing, senior! That’s a high-level move designed by Hannibal, the King of Street Fitness! When I first started, I could only do 10 reps in a set before hitting my limit.”

”Hannibal, the King of Street Fitness?”

”You don’t mean Hannibal the cannibal?” Chen Jue’s interest was piqued. When he’d first heard the name, his mind immediately went to the horror movie.

’How did a pull-up get associated with a cannibal? Turns out I had the wrong guy.’

”Hannibal is the King of Street Fitness, a fitness legend from the United States! He invented the five god-tier moves of extreme street fitness: the human flag, Russian Push-up, muscle-up, one-arm pull-up, and front lever,” Wang Xin explained in detail, demonstrating the other moves for Chen Jue.

The moves were impressive, but incredibly difficult.

Especially the one called the [Russian Push-up]. Even a Street Fitness pro like Wang Xin struggled mightily with it. It required placing his hands by his waist, bending his elbows to support himself, and then suspending his entire body parallel to the ground before doing push-ups.

’No wonder they’re called god-tier moves!’

’Anyone who can pull off such insane moves would definitely be considered a master in real life!’ Chen Jue thought, his jaw almost dropping after watching the live demonstration of the five god-tier Street Fitness moves.

These were several times harder than the Hannibal Pull-ups he had just managed.

But then again, Chen Jue felt a sense of relief.

’If it weren’t for these incredible people developing such high-difficulty moves, my Strength Attribute wouldn’t have hit a solid 1.00 so quickly!’

——————

Name: Chen Jue

Strength: 1.00

Constitution: 1.37

Spirit: 1.11

Skills: [Hidden Weapon Throwing Lv5], [Climbing Lv2], [Horse Stance Lv2], [Squeezing Valley Dao Lv2], [Ear Health Exercises Lv0], [Eye Health Exercises (Perfection)], [Tai Chi Strategy]

Assignable Free Attribute: 0.07

(Character Evaluation: A reasonably strong and healthy adult male. Your awakened willpower is guiding you toward greater heights. You are beginning to prioritize your physical condition, hoping to arm your mind with more useful knowledge.)

(Friendly Reminder: The hidden ailment within your body still requires close attention. Since medicinal treatment is proving slow, why not try other methods or avenues?)