Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Awesome Reward

Today was truly a good day; all the good things were coming together.

[Task: Return to Health: Progress increased by 1%]

[Task: Return to Health: Progress increased by 5%]

[Task: Return to Health: Progress increased by 3%]

[Current Task Progress: 100% (Completed)]

Unlike the other two tasks, the "Return to Health" task wasn’t about pushing past 100% progress. It was a speed run. Because of this, the moment Zhang Yan finished his morning run, the progress bar hit 100%, and the task was automatically submitted.

[Evaluating task...]

[Task Completion Time: 10 days. Evaluation: Excellent. All additional rewards unlocked.]

[Searching for suitable rewards...]

[Excellent Reward Obtained: One Hongqi Guoya (Reward will be delivered within 72 hours)]

Zhang Yan had actually heard of this car. Around mid-June, a content creator on Bilibili had done the first exclusive test drive on the entire internet.

At first glance, Zhang Yan had thought the car looked incredibly sharp—easily on par with a Maybach! He had heard that the official release wouldn’t be until the end of the year, which was a real shame... my ass!

For an ordinary person, if you weren’t born with a million-dollar luxury car, chances were you’d never have one in your lifetime. Whether it was through sheer hard work or winning the lottery, the odds of obtaining one were practically the same. So, at the time, his interest in it had been purely cyber-window-shopping.

But now, Brother Tongzi was telling him he’d get one within 72 hours!

This car hadn’t even been released to the public yet! And since it was manufactured by FAW Hongqi, driving it would be the ultimate status symbol.

Since it was a reward for an "Excellent" evaluation, Brother Tongzi’s surprises were just beginning.

[Additional Reward 1 Obtained: Internal Organ Repair Potion (Consumable · Effective only on Host)]

[Internal Organ Repair Potion: No matter the damage, it can be saved!]

[Effect: Upon use, restores all internal organs to their absolute peak condition within 6 hours.]

Now this was some mind-blowing stuff that completely surpassed modern science!

According to Brother Tongzi’s description, no matter how much Zhang Yan abused his body—kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, heart disease—this could cure it all!

Realistically speaking, even if Zhang Yan started living a life of total debauchery right now, partying every night until he was in his thirties or forties, drinking this potion would instantly revert his insides back to an eighteen-year-old’s, giving him a second youth! And if he exercised a little restraint and lived a normal, healthy life, chugging this potion in his fifties or sixties would be equivalent to extending his lifespan by half!

The additional rewards were terrifyingly good!

But wait, there was more.

[Additional Reward 2 Obtained: Blessing of Shimizu Ken (Permanent Aura)]

[Blessing of Shimizu Ken: Return to your masculine glory, I am here to help!]

[Effect: Combat prowess increased by 100%]

Short and to the point!

Greatness needed no further explanation!

"Whatever, this reward is just average," Zhang Yan lied through his teeth, though in reality, his grin was harder to suppress than the recoil of an AK-47.

If men were given the choice to trade ten years of their lifespan for ten years of unwavering peak sexual stamina, ninety-five percent of them would take that deal in a heartbeat.

The Internal Organ Recovery Potion was stored in the system inventory, but the blessing aura of Shimizu Ken had already taken effect! Zhang Yan didn’t feel anything specific, but he felt *everything*. He had the urge to find someone and test it out immediately!

He waited eagerly for a bit longer, only to realize the rewards had truly finished distributing.

"Brother Tongzi is so stingy. Couldn’t you give me a few more?"

Seeing how incredible the additional rewards were, Zhang Yan felt a slight pang of regret for submitting the "Improve Appearance" task so hastily. If he had another chance, he would have ground it out just to secure the first-tier additional reward!

"Sigh!"

He let out a remorseful sigh, but this only fueled his anticipation for the "Elevate Cognition" task. As long as he invested enough time, getting the first-tier additional reward was a guaranteed certainty.

The second-tier reward, however, would be tough. Truly mastering and integrating the knowledge and skills from those books required not just natural comprehension, but also the right platform to apply them. The few books on sexual intimacy were manageable, but the ones on philosophy and life were practically a lost cause.

"Oh, Daju, Daju. Do you think I should stubbornly grind it out with sheer time and go for the highest-tier reward?"

MEOW. MEOW.

Daju had no idea what nonsense he was blabbering about; it just circled him, searching for something.

Zhang Yan was smarter this time. He squeezed out just enough scent before wrapping up the cat treat and hiding it in his pocket, letting Daju smell the tantalizing aroma without letting it get even a single lick.

The cat could only pace around anxiously, meowing in utter frustration. It was acting exactly like a manipulative little tease!

Suddenly, Daju stopped wasting time and darted off in another direction.

Xia Xiqing had arrived.

According to the intel from the security guard, Xia Xiqing still kept up with her morning runs most of the time. Only on Mondays or Tuesdays would she leave the neighborhood exceptionally early. Because of this, Zhang Yan was essentially biding his time, waiting for her to come to him.

This time, however, Xia Xiqing didn’t pull out a small snack to feed Daju like she usually did. Instead, she walked over to Zhang Yan with the cat trailing beside her.

She stretched out a hand in front of him. "I didn’t bring any."

Did she not bring any because she knew he would be there and have some? Or was her financial situation so dire that she could no longer afford such unnecessary expenses?

Zhang Yan pondered this inwardly but kept a poker face, pulling the half-opened cat treat out of his pocket and handing it to her.

Xia Xiqing was a woman of few words. Even if Zhang Yan started a conversation, she would quickly bring it to a dead end. Although she had made some progress under his "guidance," it was still only slightly better than nothing.

But Zhang Yan wasn’t asking for much in the short term. Right now, his main objective was to maximize his presence in her life without making her annoyed. He wanted Xia Xiqing to gradually become familiar with him, accept him, get used to him... and ultimately, become utterly dependent on him.

However, there was one crucial thing to keep in mind during their interactions: he had to maintain an equal or higher footing. Otherwise, he ran the risk of becoming just another spare tire or a pathetic simp.

Companionship was the most genuine form of affection. This strategy was highly effective. Even if he accidentally slipped into simp territory, the day he suddenly stopped doting on her, she would still feel an uncomfortable, lingering emptiness.

In fact, Zhang Yan had already made some tangible progress.

When they had first met, he noticed right away that she was deeply guarded around the opposite sex. She always maintained a strict "safe distance." Even when they were petting the cat together, she would deliberately avoid doing it at the same time, waiting until he pulled his hand back before reaching out herself.

But now, because they had become friends—and thanks to a few accidental physical brushes and their mini-date—her wariness toward him had practically vanished.

When the two of them petted Daju together, their fingertips would occasionally brush against each other. It was slightly cool, carrying a faint, electric jolt that made Zhang Yan’s heart flutter. Yet, every single time, he suppressed his urge to push things further.

As a result, Xia Xiqing no longer flinched or dodged away defensively. She was slowly getting used to this level of contact.

He was playing the long game, and it was working perfectly.

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