Seeing the new attributes that popped up after the sunglasses were bound, Jiang Tao couldnât help but brighten up.
Cool Sunglassesâattributes look average, but theyâre actually crazy strong!
A 10% bonus to strength and 10% boost to running speed might not seem like much for ordinary people.
But if top-level athletes got this buff, it would be absolutely insane!
Forget about a 10% speed boostâeven if it was just 1% more...
For those marathon gods at the top, thatâs a super rare attribute boost!
Since the marathon was invented, no one has managed to break the 2-hour barrier.
Breaking 2 in the full marathon has always been the big focus in the running community.
Everyoneâs waiting for a miracle.
Waiting for a "chosen one" who can run the marathon in under 2 hours.
"With my current strength, if I put on these cool sunglasses, I should be able to run a pretty nice time, right?"
Looking at the attributes of the [Cool Sunglasses], Jiang Tao felt a vague sense of anticipation.
If I become the first person to go under 2 hours in a marathon, itâd be harder not to go viral!
Finishing the [Sports Star] mission would be a piece of cake, super simple!
If word got out that I scored such a badass piece of gear, I donât even know how many people would be jealous!
Of course, only Jiang Tao can see the attributes of the [Cool Sunglasses], and only he gets the effects.
Even if the worldâs best research team got their hands on it, they wouldnât figure out a damn thing.
So technically, thereâs no risk of leaking the secret.
After messing around with the sunglasses for a bit, Jiang Tao put them on his nose and looked out the car window.
"Whoa, itâs so clear!"
[Cool Sunglasses] really stand out in the eyesight department too.
As soon as Jiang Tao put them on, the whole world looked way sharper.
Clarity instantly went from HD to Blu-ray!
"Nice, niceâreally nice!"
Jiang Tao kept praising them out loud, absolutely amazed by his new gear, loving it to bits!
His eyes darted all around, checking out this and that, like heâd just unlocked a whole new worldâeverything was interesting.
After randomly peeking around the complex for a while, Jiang Tao finally collected himself, got out of the car and returned to the driverâs seat up front.
Started the car, floored the Mercedes G-Class out of the parking spot, heading for the community gate.
"Nothing can stop me, Iâm yearning for freedom~"
Scoring a piece of super-powered gear first thing in the morning made Jiang Taoâs mood even better than todayâs weather.
He hummed tunes the whole way; took just ten minutes or so to reach the entrance of Xiaoshanhe Village.
Jiang Tao parked the G next to his old 4.2-meter cargo truck that he used to haul goods, then got out.
"What the hell! Who the hell smashed my truckâs windshield?"
Soon as he got out, saw the cargo truckâs windshield smashed to bitsâJiang Tao was instantly speechless.
Even though he basically never drives this truck these days...
Heâs still got feelings for this old buddy thatâs stuck by him for five or six years.
If he sold it secondhand, he might get forty grand tops.
That kind of moneyâthese days, Jiang Tao barely cares about it.
Might as well keep his "old buddy" around for old timesâ sake.
"Damn, and one of the tires is gone, too! Whoâs such an asshole?"
Circling the truck, Jiang Tao noticed the right rear wheel was missing too.
"If I leave it here any longer, peopleâll strip my whole truck."
"Gotta find it a new spot."
Talking to himself, Jiang Tao pulled out his phone and dialed that auto shop owner, Tian Zhipeng.
"Hey Boss Tian, someone took a wheel off my cargo truck parked at the entrance of Xiaoshanhe Village, windshieldâs smashed too."
"Can you fix it up for me? Quote me a price."
"Make it quickâthe sooner the better. All right, thatâs it for now, hanging up."
After the call with Tian Zhipeng, Jiang Tao put the phone back in his pocket and headed into Xiaoshanhe Village.
Early morning, Xiaoshanhe Urban Village was buzzing, too.
People weaving in and out of the alleys, heading off to work.
In five or six minutes, Jiang Tao reached the front of Old LĂŒâs old walk-up building, went up to his door, hand raised to knock.
The door creaked open from the inside.
Ma Dongmei appeared carrying a black trash bag.
Seeing Jiang Tao suddenly drop by, Ma Dongmei blushed, looking a bit awkward.
Even though everyone knows sheâs already shacking up with Old LĂŒ...
Knowingâs one thingâgetting caught in the act, thatâs a bit embarrassing.
"Good morning, Aunt Ma! Old LĂŒ home?"
Jiang Tao gave a friendly smile and called out to Ma Dongmei, smoothing over her embarrassment.
"Ah..."
Ma Dongmei quickly returned to normal, gave Jiang Tao a casual wave, opened the door wide, and gestured for him to come in.
"Hey, Xiao Jiang, how come youâre up so early today?"
Inside, LĂŒ Qian heard the noise and came out of the kitchenette, saw Jiang Tao entering, and greeted him with a big grin.
Jiang Tao laughed and teased, "Brother LĂŒ, did you and the missus just finish a love-filled breakfast?"
"Haha, you little brat, quit teasing Xiao Mei! Xiao Mei, go take out the trash, donât treat him like a guest."
LĂŒ Qian waved at Ma Dongmei, looking as smug as can be.
Ma Dongmei already knew Jiang Tao well, greeted him, then headed out with the trash.
"Sit, sit, have a seat! You came visiting empty-handed, huh?"
LĂŒ Qian invited Jiang Tao to sit and couldnât resist ribbing him.
"Hahaha, weâre brothersâif I showed up with gifts, wouldnât that be kinda distant and awkward?"
"Hey, acting a bit distant with your bro isnât a bad thing! Next time, bring me some Eight Treasure Pickles or some barbecue sauce or something."
Last night, LĂŒ Qian went to Jiang Taoâs BBQ party and just canât stop thinking about the Eight Treasure Pickles and barbecue sauce he had there.
Both top-notch products from Jiangâs Food Factoryâqualityâs legit, basically everyone whoâs tasted them loves them.
Thatâs the reason Jiang Taoâs always super confident about his familyâs products.
Jiang Tao chuckled, "Hahaha, no problemâBrother LĂŒ, however much you want, Iâve got it!"
After a little banter, LĂŒ Qian poured Jiang Tao a cup of water, grinning:
"Youâre not the kind to just randomly come over, so spit it outâwhatâs up? No need to beat around the bush!"
"Haha, you really know me well, Brother LĂŒ. All right, Iâll be straight with you."
"Iâm here for a reason todayâgot a bit of business."
"Heard from the boss at Pang Dongdong Supermarket that your niece-in-law is planning to sell her place in the village?"
Jiang Tao glanced at LĂŒ Qian, casually making up a "source" for the info.
"Yeah, thatâs actually true. So, Xiao Jiang, you looking to buy?"
LĂŒ Qian nodded, didnât deny it.
"Yep, Iâve got a bit of cash to spareâleaving it in the bank just gets you crumbs. Might as well invest."
"Not like Iâve got enough to flip houses anyway."
"Last time I was at Pang Dongdong Supermarket, I happened to hear your niece-in-law wanted to sell, so I came over. Figured Iâd meet her and see whatâs up. If the price is right, maybe we can work something out."
Jiang Tao looked at Old LĂŒ with total sincerity, words full of honesty.
"Xiao Jiang, you really want to buy a village house?"
LĂŒ Qian said honestly:
"Right now, the village wonât let you tear down and rebuildâif you buy a place, you can only renovate it as-is, no rebuilding."
Jiang Tao smiled matter-of-factly, "Iâm aware, itâs fine. Iâm not buying to live in it, just want to bet that itâll appreciate someday."
"Xiao Jiang, Iâll level with youâin all honesty, I had the same thought thirty years ago."
"Now itâs been thirty yearsâa whole generationâs almost gone, and we still havenât seen any resettlement."
Talking about relocation made Old LĂŒ look a little wistful.
"Hahaha, Iâm still youngâeven if I have to wait thirty years, I can handle it."
"And if I donât benefit from it, my daughter will. Just treat it as her wedding dowry."
Jiang Tao knew Old LĂŒ was only saying all this out of genuine care, so he clarified his own thinking with a smile.