As usual, Xu Ze didn’t work at the clinic on weekends. For the past six months, he had been spending these two days helping out at home, which was also why his salary had remained at a modest 800 yuan.
At three in the afternoon, Xu Ze was pedaling his old, creaky bicycle, sweat dripping down his face. His thin purple hoodie was damp, and the light green T-shirt underneath was soaked through.
He glanced at the roadside marker: 802. Almost there! Xu Ze took a deep breath, his delicate eyebrows lifting slightly as he silently encouraged himself. “Just 20 kilometers left. Hang in there. You’ll be home soon!”
With renewed determination, he picked up speed, the bicycle moving a little faster.
Unbeknownst to him, a strange program in his brain was running rapidly, processing information: Bioelectric charging accelerated. System energy saturation at 10%. System awakening…
Xu Ze, however, felt nothing unusual. He simply focused on pedaling forward.
But his burst of energy didn’t last long. After another five or six kilometers, he felt as if someone had grabbed him by the throat, his breathing becoming labored again. His legs felt like they were filled with lead, and he could barely muster the strength to keep going.
I knew I couldn’t keep this up forever. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks, dripping from his slightly pointed chin onto the dusty asphalt. He sighed as he gazed at the small incline ahead. He knew from experience that if he got off the bike now, climbing the slope would be even harder.
“From the first day I decided to challenge myself to bike home, it took me three hours with seven or eight breaks. Now, I can do it in about two hours. I’m not far behind seasoned cyclists, and I’ve been doing this for over half a year. This slope won’t stop me today! I can make it!” Gritting his teeth, ignoring the stinging sweat in his eyes, and took a deep breath before charging up the slope.
“Huff… huff… huff…” Xu Ze’s mouth hung open as he gasped for air. His thighs trembled, but he didn’t stop. His usually calm and carefree eyes were now filled with determination as he pedaled steadily forward.
“Beep… Excess energy detected. Charging accelerating…”