In Li Bai’s imagination, a massage meant a dimly lit room, soft lighting, a beautiful woman, a subtle fragrance, and an atmosphere slowly growing intimate.
However, what Liang Manjun actually took him to was a proper traditional Chinese medicine hospital, with a legitimate elderly practitioner.
It was a spacious and brightly lit treatment hall, lined with nearly ten massage beds that looked like hospital beds, only slightly narrower.
The old practitioner’s skills were exceptional. Even through clothing, he pressed Li Bai until he cried out repeatedly.
Crying out in pain was nothing unusual.
The key point was that while he was howling, a group of uncles and aunties stood around watching with amused smiles.
They were all regulars.
Whenever they felt any discomfort, they would come here for a session of traditional massage therapy.
“So traditional Chinese medicine hospitals offer this kind of service too. It actually feels pretty good after the massage,” Li Bai said awkwardly with a smile as he came out.
Liang Manjun had also been getting a massage nearby. She had fewer treatment needs and finished earlier.
Li Bai felt a little embarrassed—he had handled it worse than her.
During the massage, Liang Manjun hadn’t made a single sound, while he couldn’t help but groan from the pain.
“I usually come for a massage after long runs. It helps relieve fatigue and reduces the risk of injury,” Liang Manjun said. She paused slightly, her gaze sweeping across Li Bai’s abdomen. “I didn’t expect your physique to be quite impressive!”
She wasn’t subtle at all—she praised him directly.
After finishing her own session, she had come over and watched for a moment.
Just as the practitioner lifted Li Bai’s shirt, she saw his firm, well-defined abdominal muscles.
Li Bai’s skin wasn’t very fair—it carried a healthy wheat tone.
Against that complexion, his muscles looked even more powerful, giving off a strong visual impact.
Usually, Li Bai’s clothes were understated and didn’t reveal much.
Liang Manjun had no idea that beneath his loose athletic vest was such a well-built body.
Li Bai didn’t quite know how to respond, but Liang Manjun continued asking, “Do you usually go to the gym?”
“No,” Li Bai shook his head honestly.
He had never been to a gym before. In the past, he rarely exercised at all.
His abs were the result of adding five points to strength in the [Self-Discipline System].
“Then you must naturally have low body fat and good genetics. But if you have time, you can go to the gym and train a bit.”
Liang Manjun spoke seriously, discussing it with him.
“Why do you say that? For marathon training, isn’t outdoor running more suitable?” Li Bai asked curiously.
“Training for a marathon isn’t just about running or building endurance!”
Liang Manjun realized he had misunderstood something. She stopped walking and explained carefully.
“For casual runners, just running casually might be enough. But if you’re a serious runner chasing results, you need scientific and comprehensive training.”
“You know Kipchoge, right?”
“Yes, the Kenyan runner with the best marathon results.”
Li Bai hadn’t known much before, but after getting into marathon training, he had gradually learned about him.
Calling him the god of marathon running wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
He was simply too outstanding—countless championships, countless records.
He had even completed the first sub-2-hour marathon in human history during a specially organized challenge.
Although that result wasn’t achieved in an official race and wasn’t officially recognized.
“Even Kipchoge, even with a weekly mileage of up to 200 kilometers, still does core training.”
“Strengthen your core and build your body. On one hand, it reduces your risk of injury; on the other, it improves your performance.”
…
Liang Manjun’s words gave Li Bai a completely new understanding of marathon running.
Behind marathon performance, it wasn’t just about running.
If he wanted to improve his results—aiming for 2:30, 2:20, 2:10, or even better—he couldn’t rely solely on improving his stamina stats.
Strength was just as important.
Strong muscles and powerful core control would allow him to run with more force and less effort.
In other words, it would improve his running economy.
A weak core would lead to instability and poor running form.
Not only would that slow him down, but it would also increase the risk of injury.
Speed was also crucial.
Although marathons emphasized endurance more than other running events, speed still had a profound impact on performance.
Looking at Kipchoge’s training plan made that clear—his routine included plenty of middle-distance and even short-distance speed workouts.
This allowed him to comfortably handle different paces during races.
Thinking about speed, Li Bai’s gaze shifted to the “leg length” attribute in his status panel.
Whether for short distances or long distances, leg length played an important role.
You didn’t need to be as tall as Usain Bolt at 1.95 meters.
Mo Farah was only 1.65 meters, and Kipchoge was about 1.7 meters.
But whether it was Bolt, the king of sprinting, or the latter two long-distance runners, they all had long legs.
Long legs meant a longer stride and more efficient running.
Over the same distance, they could run faster and with less effort.
This was also one of the reasons why Black athletes often had an advantage in running.
“Looks like my free attribute points aren’t going to be enough… I want to add points to this and that…” Li Bai muttered with a wry smile.
Originally, he had planned to focus on “stamina” and complete his advanced mission as soon as possible.
Now, it seemed that even the 20 free attribute points from the end-of-month settlement might not be enough.
…
The calendar flipped, and another week began.
Li Bai continued his disciplined routine—running, working, and sleeping.
On Tuesday morning, he and CEO Sun Lincheng returned to Ocean University once again.
This time, they were mainly there to interview students who had passed the resume screening, confirming both intern and full-time positions.
There were definitely some hidden dealings involved—Sun Lincheng had already given a list of pre-selected candidates last week.
But that had nothing to do with Li Bai.
Although he was almost part of the post-2000 generation, he had no intention of trying to fix workplace politics.
He simply worked diligently throughout the day.
By evening, after the interviews ended, Li Bai habitually took out his running gear.
Ever since he got used to running, he would go out no matter the weather.
As long as it wasn’t raining knives from the sky, he would stick to his routine.
However, seeing his actions today, Sun Lincheng suddenly turned around and pulled a shoebox from under his chair.
“Xiao Li, wait!”
Under Li Bai’s surprised gaze, Sun Lincheng opened the box and took out a brand-new pair of running shoes.
“Hehe, Xiao Li, I’ll go running with you.”
“CEO Sun Lincheng, are you sure?”
Li Bai looked at Sun Lincheng, who was round as a ball, with suspicion.
“What, you don’t believe me? When I was young, I even won places in school track and field competitions!”
“Running is great! Exercise makes us healthy, exercise makes us happy!”
Sun Lincheng bragged proudly, thumping his chest loudly.