Chapter 172: New Intelligence And The Road To Sports Star Series Tasks!
“Hmm, alright.”
As soon as Jiang Tao finished speaking, a azure system interface shimmered into view.
Two informational messages appeared on it.
【Congratulations on completing the special mission『Compassionate Parents’ Hearts』】
【Congratulations on obtaining 660,000 cash, Physique +5, Charm Value +3!】
At the same time, the mobile phone in Jiang Tao’s pocket buzzed.
If his guess was correct, it should be the cash reward arriving.
System Brother was very prompt and timely when it came to settling rewards.
As soon as a mission was completed, he would settle it immediately, never delaying.
In the evening, he completed 【Protector of Sisters】 and earned 1 million.
Just now, he spent 66 yuan to activate 『Sleep Mode』 for Du Ennan and earned another 660,000!
The 10,000-fold rate of return made Jiang Tao’s nest egg fatter!
Doing system missions made money much faster than doing business!
Meanwhile.
Jiang Tao felt a warm current rise from his abdomen.
This warm current dispersed towards his limbs and bones, giving him a light, floating sensation.
He was already very familiar with this feeling; it was the tangible manifestation of his physique increasing!
Coupled with the 5 points of physique reward that had just arrived.
His physique had now reached 78 points!
System Brother’s assessment of his physical fitness had changed from “thin and weak” to “strong”!
“Charm Value…”
Jiang Tao’s mind moved, and a numerical panel related to charm value appeared before him.
【Jiang Tao: Charm Value 62 points! （Charming Uncle）】
【Charming Uncle】: Women are more easily attracted to your charm!
“…”
Seeing his current charm value and evaluation, Jiang Tao couldn’t help but feel amused and speechless.
At the same time, he thought to himself.
If he were to cultivate his charm value to 100, would he turn into a legendary succubus?
Jiang Tao’s gaze fell on Xu Li.
【Xu Li: Charm Value 95 points! （Loved by All）】
“…”
Seeing System Brother’s evaluation of Xu Li’s charm value, Jiang Tao was also speechless.
He had completed two missions today, increasing his charm value by 13 points to reach 62.
He had initially thought his 62 points were very high, but compared to Xu Li’s 95 points…
As expected, effort was insignificant in the face of talent!
“What’s wrong, husband? Why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden?”
Xu Li stepped forward, put her arm around Jiang Tao, and waved her other hand in front of him.
Jiang Tao snapped back to reality and said with a smile:
“Oh, nothing, I just suddenly realized how my silly wife is getting more and more beautiful?”
“Really? Hehe~”
Hearing Jiang Tao’s words, Xu Li’s smile became even brighter, and her heart felt as sweet as honey.
Her red lips lightly kissed Jiang Tao’s cheek like a dragonfly touching water.
“Let’s go, it’s getting late, we should head home.”
Jiang Tao raised his hand to look at the Green Water Ghost watch on his wrist.
It was already 11:42 PM, and it would be midnight in a little over ten minutes.
“Mhm, after eating so much beef tonight, we can’t let it go to waste.”
Xu Li suddenly leaned close to Jiang Tao’s ear and said, her breath like orchid fragrance.
The warm air blowing into Jiang Tao’s ear was like a spark, instantly igniting a flame within his heart.
Jiang Tao reached out, put his arm around Xu Li’s slender waist, and whispered:
“How about we don’t go back tonight? We can find a hotel nearby for some romantic couple time, and have Mom take Xiao Xue to catch the school bus in the morning.”
Hearing Jiang Tao’s words, Xu Li’s eyes lit up. Immediately, something flashed through her mind, and a blush instantly colored her pretty face.
“Okay! I’ll listen to you.”
Xu Li nodded shyly in agreement, feeling that living with her in-laws at home was quite restrictive.
The two hit it off immediately and left to have Driver Old Wu take them to a five-star hotel closest to the villa area.
Although he had earned over a million yuan in just one day.
Jiang Tao wasn’t so extravagant as to rent a presidential suite costing tens of thousands a night.
That money was enough to feed the entire family for a year.
After only a few days of living a good life, Jiang Tao’s ingrained frugality hadn’t disappeared yet.
A business king-size bed room for 1888 yuan a night was enough for the couple to enjoy themselves.
They swiped their room card and entered.
As soon as they entered, Xu Li wrapped her arms around Jiang Tao’s neck, her red lips actively meeting his.
The two moved from the doorway to the bedside, their clothes scattering along the way.
The room’s temperature soared, and spring scenery was revealed.
It started at 0:15 AM and ended at 1:00 AM.
It finally ended with Xu Li begging for mercy.
In one day, Jiang Tao’s physique increased by 15 points, and the strengthening effect on his physique was quite obvious.
Leaning against the headboard, Jiang Tao activated 『Sleep Mode』 for Xu Li, who was nestled in his arms. After she fell asleep, he gently placed her head on the pillow.
Then, he took a cigarette from the cigarette case on the bedside table, lit it, and exhaled a puff.
His gaze inadvertently shifted to his abdomen.
Recently, he had only been running on the 【Body-Strengthening Treadmill】 and hadn’t done any specific abdominal exercises.
However, with the increase in his physique, his entire body’s muscles had become sculpted.
His biceps and triceps on his arms, as well as his abdominal muscles, had clearly defined contours.
“78 points is already this strong. If I cultivate it to 100 points, will I be able to surpass professional athletes?”
Jiang Tao chuckled, feeling that he might have great potential in developing a career in sports in the future.
For example, he had been running every day recently and had gradually developed a habit of running, falling in love with the sport.
For ordinary people, running might just be a low-barrier activity or hobby.
For badminton or table tennis, you at least need to buy a racket and balls.
Running, even if you spend not a single cent, you can participate in the sport.
Its barrier to entry is definitely the lowest among all sports.
As the saying goes, every profession has its master.
If one can “run well” and reach the extreme, they can also become a remarkable sports star.
There are many running UP hosts or streamers online with millions of fans.
If he could achieve something in running.
Winning prize money in city marathons would only be pocket money.
Building a following, selling various sports products, and cooperating with various sports brands for endorsements.
Top streamers in the running category could earn millions, even tens of millions, in a year.
Furthermore, as far as Jiang Tao knew, the “National Speed” incentive plan jointly launched by the Athletics Association of China and Xtep also offered generous bonuses.
If one could break the national marathon record in a formal marathon race, they would directly receive a 1 million cash reward, with an additional 10,000 yuan for every second faster!
In other words, if you could beat the current marathon record by 10 seconds, you would receive a prize of 1.1 million yuan.
Additionally, some sports brands have their own “Running Great God reward mechanisms.”
For example, 361° launched its reward mechanism in 2023.
For Chinese non-registered athletes wearing a full set of 361° gear in a China Athletics Association certified event.
If the men’s full marathon time could be within 2 hours and 10 minutes, they would receive a 1 million cash reward.
Currently, Jiang Tao was still far from being a true running great.
However, with his physique constantly increasing, becoming a running great in the future was promising.
Moreover, in this E-era where the internet covers everyone’s lives.
If he could build a following through running and become a top streamer in the sports category.
It would also bring various benefits to his future career development.
【Ding! Congratulations on triggering the special mission『Road to Sports Star』 series of missions!】
【Mission Name】: Road to Sports Star（Beginner Stage）
【Mission Content】: Start a live stream and gain 10,000 real followers through sports.
【Mission Reward】: Physique +10 points, Charm Value +10 points, Cash Reward +1,000,000!
“Road to Sports Star, and it’s the beginner stage…”
Seeing the system panel that suddenly appeared before him, and the special mission displayed on it, Jiang Tao’s eyes lit up!
It was as if his thoughts had manifested instantly!
He had just been contemplating whether to develop in the direction of a sports star.
Now, System Brother was directly guiding him in that direction!
Furthermore, it seemed that this 【Road to Sports Star】 was a phased series.
The beginner stage already offered such generous rewards.
If it were the intermediate or even advanced stage, how abundant would the rewards be!
“Accept mission!”
Thinking of the future rewards of this series of missions, Jiang Tao accepted the mission with excitement.
Gaining 10,000 real followers was not simple, but not overly difficult either.
Given the generous mission rewards, it was very much worth trying!
As for what sport to use…
Although Jiang Tao now possessed system-level free fighting skills, he couldn’t just go around challenging martial arts schools like in TV shows.
After much thought, he felt that running was a good choice.
He had been running every day recently, and had followed a few running UP hosts, learning a lot about running.
Coupled with his rapid physique growth in the past two days, his running ability had also improved significantly.
In terms of running, he had progressed from a complete novice to a beginner runner.
“Let’s give it a try! If running doesn’t work, I’ll switch to another path.”
After some contemplation, Jiang Tao picked up his phone from the bedside table and glanced at it.
It was already 1:18 AM without him realizing it.
He was actually getting a little sleepy.
But he habitually opened the intelligence interface to check the first piece of intelligence refreshed for the day.
【Daily Intelligence 01】:
You had contact with Wang Tianheng yesterday and obtained related intelligence:
Wang Tianheng and his aunt Han Mei have an improper relationship, and his car was also purchased and gifted by Han Mei.
…
“Wang Tianheng… Han Mei… improper relationship? The car was a gift from Han Mei?”
Jiang Tao’s expression became rather interesting upon seeing the first piece of intelligence for the day.
“Could this Han Mei be the same Han Mei targeting Jiang Yi?”
Jiang Tao’s mind moved, and he focused his attention on the name “Han Mei.”
Soon, an image of a middle-aged woman wearing rose-red glasses and a permed curly hairstyle appeared in his mind.
“It’s really her!”
Although Jiang Tao didn’t have a deep impression of Han Mei, he could still vaguely recall her appearance.
At this moment, comparing it with the portrait provided by System Brother.
He confirmed that this Han Mei was indeed that Han Mei!
“System Brother, is this gossip… real?”
If the intelligence provided by Daily Intelligence was true.
It was equivalent to handing over Han Mei’s “biggest secret” directly to Jiang Tao!
With this piece of intelligence, wouldn’t Han Mei be at his mercy in the future?
【Do you wish to spend 18,888 yuan to download evidence of Wang Tianheng and Han Mei’s illicit affair?】
“Why is it so expensive this time! System Brother, you’re really out for money! Why don’t you just rob someone!”
Seeing the amount required to download the evidence this time, Jiang Tao silently complained to System Brother.
However, without conclusive evidence, it seemed he couldn’t control Han Mei with mere words.
Forget it!
Consider it spending 18,000 to improve Jiang Yi’s favorability!
As long as he cultivated her favorability to 90 points, he would not only receive a cash reward of 1 million.
He would also receive one Friendship Boat.
10 Friendship Boats could be merged into a real yacht.
In terms of value, a Friendship Boat was more precious than 1 million cash.
The 18,000 yuan data fee was insignificant compared to the generous rewards.
“Yes!”
Jiang Tao did not hesitate for too long and directly chose to spend money to download the evidence.
Soon, a 323MB video was downloaded to Jiang Tao’s mobile phone.
Opening the video, he saw that it was indeed the content he had imagined.
Jiang Tao was never a moral crusader.
He was too lazy to concern himself with the matter between Wang Tianheng and Han Mei.
He certainly wouldn’t be so righteous as to expose it to Han Mei’s husband.
That would bring him no benefit.
He was just an ordinary person, only wanting to use this matter to do things beneficial to himself and Jiang Yi.
That was all.
His mind moved, and he continued to refresh the second piece of intelligence for today.
【Today’s Intelligence 02】:
When you were dining yesterday, you consumed beef rolls purchased by Xu Li from fitness streamer Li Dagang’s live broadcast, and obtained related intelligence:
The beef rolls sold in Li Dagang’s live broadcast are not prime-cut beef rolls, but synthetic beef rolls!
If you place another order tomorrow morning at 10 AM during the live broadcast, you can receive compensation of ten times the value of fakes!
【Note】: The maximum purchase amount for this transaction is 20,000 yuan, and this information cannot be shared or leaked to others.
…
“Synthetic beef rolls?”
Jiang Tao was slightly surprised to see the second piece of intelligence for the day.
Although he didn’t follow the streamer, Xu Li mentioned that the streamer had millions of fans and was a big streamer.
“It shouldn’t be knowingly selling fakes, right? Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a ten-times compensation for fakes.”
“Did they get ripped off by the merchant?”
Regardless of the situation, Jiang Tao would definitely not miss this opportunity to “harvest wool.”
With 20,000 yuan triggering the ten-times compensation for fakes, he would receive 200,000 in compensation.
That’s enough to pay for his little cotton jacket’s tuition for a year!
“I’ll buy the full 20,000 tomorrow morning!”
With a plan in mind, Jiang Tao’s mind moved, and he browsed the last piece of intelligence for today.
【Today’s Intelligence 03】:
You had contact with Lu Qian yesterday and obtained related intelligence:
In a puddle that Lu Qian passes by daily while walking his bird, there is a meteorite from the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars, approximately 329 million kilometers from Earth.
This meteorite has extremely high scientific research value and is estimated to be worth 888,000 yuan!
…
“A meteorite worth 880,000 yuan? Meteorites falling in the city are rare.”
“Brother Lu is truly my lucky star!”
“Last time he gave me a pickle jar, and this time he’s brought me 880,000 in luck with money.”
Seeing the third piece of intelligence for the day, Jiang Tao’s spirits were lifted again.
However…
It was too late today, and he was too lazy to bother with it.
The meteorite had likely been in the puddle for quite some time.
Who would be idle enough to go fishing for a rock in a puddle?
“Sleep, sleep, I’ll check the situation tomorrow.”
Jiang Tao’s mind moved, and he closed the system interface. Then, he activated 『Sleep Mode』 for himself and began to sleep!
Under Sleep Mode, Jiang Tao fell asleep in less than a minute.
…
7:00 AM.
Ring ring, ring ring—
A Doraemon-shaped alarm clock placed on Du Ennan’s bedside table rang precisely on time.
On the bed, the sleeping Du Ennan slowly opened her eyes upon hearing the alarm.
She didn’t experience the usual grogginess and fuzziness upon waking, nor did her eyes feel as dry and sore as usual.
Even her mood today wasn’t as depressed as usual; she felt incredibly joyous.
Her mind was clear, her mood was peaceful and happy, and she felt refreshed!
“This feeling, this feeling is so wonderful!”
Du Ennan sat up from the bed with a happy expression and slowly rolled out of bed.
She took small steps to the window and, with a “chila” sound, pulled open the curtains.
Through the glass of the room’s large floor-to-ceiling window, she looked at the lush, towering spruce trees within the residential area.
Du Ennan felt as if the world had suddenly become much clearer.
It was as if the quality had jumped from standard definition directly to Blu-ray!
The leaves on the trees shimmered under the morning sun.
Several small birds chirped and flitted about joyfully on them.
Everything was so vibrant and full of life!
Life was so beautiful!
As if sensing Du Ennan’s joyful mood, the baby in her belly stirred a few times, like it was stretching after waking up.
“Baby~ Did you also sleep well last night?”
“It seems your godfather is quite capable, he really has some skills.”
At this moment, having personally experienced Jiang Tao’s miraculous “sleep aid technique.”
Du Ennan had fallen in love with the feeling of being full of energy after a good night’s sleep!
And, most importantly—
As Jiang Tao had said, his “sleep aid technique” had absolutely no negative impact on human health.
It didn’t rely on any equipment or medication, and there were no worries afterwards!
Thinking of this, Du Ennan immediately turned, walked to the bedside, picked up her phone, found Xu Li’s number, and dialed it.
Ring, ring, ring—
After a few rings, Xu Li’s voice answered.
“Lily! Your Old Jiang is truly amazing. I slept soundly from last night until now.”
“This feeling of being well-rested is so good!”
“Mhm, I feel great in terms of energy and spirit. I’ll need to trouble your Old Jiang to come over again tonight.”
“Haha, treating you to meals is simple. I can treat you both to breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day from now on.”
“I was almost driven crazy by insomnia. Your Old Jiang is practically my savior.”
“Lily, are you feeling unwell? Your voice sounds a bit strange?”
“It’s nothing, it’s just been fluctuating temperatures lately. Be careful not to catch a cold.”
“…”
Du Ennan chatted with Xu Li on the phone for about ten minutes before hanging up.
The relationship between these two was now like glue, closer than close sisters, and they had endless things to talk about even when calling every day.
…
In a room at the Hilton Hotel in Chaoyang District, on a large bed.
After hanging up Du Ennan’s call, Xu Li turned over with a slightly chiding expression and glared at Old Jiang, who was mischievously putting on his pants.
This guy’s appetite had been growing lately, and she was starting to find it difficult to keep up.
After about ten minutes, the two of them got dressed and went downstairs to the hotel’s buffet restaurant.
The 1888 yuan room fee from last night included a buffet breakfast for two.
Xu Li took a portion of shredded chicken congee, while Jiang Tao preferred noodles and took a portion of beef noodles.
They also added some ham, bacon, cheese, and various flavored small breads.
The hotel’s buffet restaurant was clean and hygienic, with a rich variety of breakfast items.
When the server saw an empty plate, they would promptly refill it, and the service was also good.
Towards the end of breakfast, Xu Li’s phone rang.
She took out her phone and saw it was Du Ennan calling again.
“Hello, Nannan.”
“Cough cough, my husband and I are having breakfast at the Hilton Hotel.”
“We didn’t go back last night because it was too late.”
“We’re an old married couple, what’s romantic about it.”
“Are you coming over? Have you had breakfast yet?”
“Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you?”
“Alright, then come over. We’re almost finished eating, we’ll wait for you outside the hotel.”
“Mhm, drive carefully, bye.”
After hanging up the call with Du Ennan, Xu Li turned to Jiang Tao, who was eating a sandwich, and said with a smile:
“Nannan said she’ll drive over to take us back.”
“Is that so? Our in-law is quite reliable.”
Jiang Tao smiled upon hearing Xu Li’s words. Du Ennan, as an in-law, was quite considerate.
“By the way, husband, is your sleep aid technique really that amazing?”
“Nannan told me on the phone this morning how incredible it is. You’ve been hiding it too well.”
“You can’t just let Nannan experience it; I want to try it tonight too!”
“…”
Jiang Tao couldn’t help but feel amused and speechless at Xu Li’s words.
How could he explain this?
His silly wife had been experiencing 『Sleep Mode』 every day.
She had already gotten used to it by now, she just didn’t know it herself.
“Okay, okay, I’ll let you try it tonight.”
Jiang Tao smiled and rubbed Xu Li’s head, finding his silly wife quite adorable.
After a bit of idle chat, they were both full and satisfied.
Jiang Tao went to the service desk to check out, and Xu Li, arm in arm with him, walked out, chatting and laughing.
The two had been dating since high school, and now it was almost ten years.
Their affectionate closeness hadn’t diminished much from their dating period.
Their friends would inevitably be fed a mouthful of dog food.
Within five minutes of them going outside to wait, a boxy Mercedes-Benz G-Class pulled up beside them.
Du Ennan got out of the car, smiling as she playfully teased them:
“You two are quite romantic, sneaking off to have your little world together without me.”
“Why do you call it sneaking off? We’re a legal couple, and having couple time is also legal and compliant.”
Jiang Tao’s thick skin wasn’t fazed by Du Ennan’s teasing.
As he spoke, he put his arm around Xu Li’s waist to assert his claim.
“Alright, alright, get in the car. You want to feed me dog food first thing in the morning, have you no humanity?”
Du Ennan gave Jiang Tao a sidelong glance, then walked to the back seat to open the car door herself.
Jiang Tao laughed, “No, Little Du driver, why are you sitting in the back? Does your car have autopilot?”
“Stop joking. Drive your car, Lily and I will chat in the back.”
“Little Jiang driver, take me home first, and then take Nannan to work.”
Xu Li said with a smile, helping Du Ennan into the car and closing the door with a bang.
Jiang Tao looked at the large vehicle in front of him, and a sense of emotion welled up in his heart.
This thing alone cost around 1.9 million yuan, and with everything included, it would be at least over 2 million.
Both the Mercedes-Benz GLS and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class in front of him were once things Jiang Tao could only dream of.
Now, if he wanted to buy one, he could easily pay in full.
In just over two months, his life had undergone earth-shattering changes.
Besides making a few friends with considerable wealth, he had also earned tens of times his income from the previous 30 years.
If life were a curve, looking at the present from the past, this was definitely a peak in his life.
But he believed that if he looked at the present from the future, he would only be just starting!
He would have his G-Wagon, his detached villa, his yacht, and his thriving career!
