Pushing to the Limit but Unable to Overcome the Bench Press Bar

Let's be real: in terms of absolute numbers, there are plenty of people in the gym who have zero self-awareness.

With so many people in and around Jiangcheng University, it would be weird if there weren't a few total morons mixed in.

Many gym injuries happen precisely because people have no concept of their own limits.

However, Xue Tao's level of arrogance was starting to make his female personal trainer lose her composure.

Seriously, bro, you're barely putting in any effort. Based on her professional experience, the force she was using to spot the barbell was probably greater than the force Xue Tao was actually using to push it...

After one set, the trainer even began to doubt reality.

Was Xue Tao practicing his bench press, or was she practicing her barbell curls?

It was hard to say.

"Yo, that's your roommate, right? I saw you guys come in together."

Just as Xue Tao was resting and preparing for another set, Wang Haoran arrived at the adjacent bench press station. Accompanying him was his own hulking personal trainer, who smiled and greeted his colleague before glancing at the bar Xue Tao was using.

"Not bad, young man. Pushing that weight right off the bat? That's pretty impressive for a student these days. Sigh, kids today are so pampered; none of them do farm work anymore. Back in my day..."

"Stop living in the past and get your client started," the female trainer teased with a laugh.

Xue Tao had assumed his display of strength would somewhat shock Wang Haoran.

But his roommate's face remained completely expressionless. Wang Haoran took a sip of water, stretched lazily, and then continued his workout.

...Why did it feel like this "Gacha Game God" resembled a robot whenever he wasn't playing video games?

Xue Tao was truly exasperated.

Actually, his assessment wasn't wrong. Aside from gaming and studying seriously, Wang Haoran spent the rest of his time with his mind blank, just relaxing his spirit.

Moreover, Wang Haoran didn't care about Xue Tao's bench press level. At most, he'd mutter a "nice" and go back to his own lifting.

It fit his persona perfectly...

"Coach, with my foundation, how long do you think I need to train to become... ahem, attractive enough?"

"Who are you trying to attract?" The female trainer blinked her eyes.

Xue Tao winked at her suggestively.

To be honest, it was physically cringe-inducing... Fortunately, the female trainer had good professional ethics. She had worked in commercial gyms before and dealt with plenty of sleazy clients. It was a normal phenomenon; they paid the money, so she just tolerated the occasional flirtatious remark.

However, she couldn't help but mutter inwardly: This Student Xue is clearly a university student, so why does he feel greasier than those middle-aged nouveau riche bosses outside of school...

Following that, Xue Tao did two more sets.

He went through the motions.

The female trainer shrewdly controlled how much help she gave him.

During the third round, she used less force, causing Xue Tao to clearly feel the barbell in his hands become significantly heavier.

Seeing Xue Tao's confusion, the female trainer explained, "Maybe your endurance isn't that great yet, so you got tired after a few sets. It's okay, we'll take it step by step. Fighting~"

Hearing the female coach's cutesy, affected voice, Xue Tao felt as if his body was filled with motivation.

The male coach next to them caught this out of the corner of his eye, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Sigh, it's not easy for my colleagues.

By comparison, his own client was great: trained seriously, could endure hardship, didn't scream randomly, and paid promptly.

However, he was more interested in the other student who had come with them.

The male trainer's gaze turned toward Su Bai, who was walking toward the strength area.

Yes, that's the one!

The sense of power faintly erupting from his body as he walked.

As a fellow big guy, the coach instantly sensed the aura of his own kind.

"Bro, you've... you've built yourself up nicely."

"It's alright, just alright."

Su Bai smiled. Ever since his System loaded, he had been greeted by fitness enthusiasts quite often. He was pretty much used to it by now.

It really confirmed a certain truth: when you train to a certain level, you actually end up attracting more men—fellow travelers on the path of iron...

He had just warmed up on the treadmill and spin bike, and he felt good.

Now that his body was limber, Su Bai decided to go for something heavy.

Watching Su Bai wildly load plates onto the bench press bar, starting directly with 80kg, the female trainer hurriedly warned, "Handsome, take it easy! Be careful not to pull a muscle."

"Thanks," Su Bai responded blandly.

The female trainer then realized her concern had been a bit too enthusiastic. She quickly turned her gaze back to Xue Tao. "Student, do you want to continue bench pressing? Or should we go to the machine area to relax? I feel like you might need to stretch."

Xue Tao: ...

He figured it out. This trainer was treating them differently. Why did she call Su Bai "Handsome" but call him "Student"?

Damn it, is this the treatment good-looking guys get?

But before Xue Tao could voice his complaint, Su Bai naturally slid under the bench press rack, lay down, and effortlessly performed over a dozen standard reps with the 80kg weight.

Everyone nearby was dumbfounded.

No, seriously, bro... was that weight just your cardio?

The male trainer's jaw dropped slightly, his eyes burning with intensity. A master. This was a true master!

That weight would be a one-rep max for most amateur enthusiasts, but for Su Bai, it was just the starting line.

He was already at the strength level of a professional bodybuilder.

It was rare to see a heavy hitter of this caliber in the Jiangcheng University gym.

Next, Su Bai increased the dosage.

He began attempting powerlifting weights that were actually somewhat difficult.

The two personal trainers were captivated. They wanted to take photos, and after getting Su Bai's permission, they started recording videos.

They were ready to post them in their trainer group chats to brag.

As professionals, they understood just how absurd Su Bai was. He possessed astonishing strength while maintaining a very aesthetic physique, lacking the bloated look of excessive bulking. It was a kind of beauty that could be appreciated by both insiders and outsiders.

They posted the video to the group and even tagged a big shot who had participated in national competitions, asking him to analyze what was going on with this guy.

The big shot stared blankly for a long time, unable to come up with an analysis.

It was simply too anti-human; he had already broken through the common sense of modern medicine!

"Handsome, the national-level athletes in our coaching group said that with your physique and strength, you could easily become an influencer and endorse products!"

"Really? ...Being an influencer is too tiring. It doesn't suit me."

"Haha, just saying. I just meant you definitely have the ability."

Xue Tao, watching the two coaches get so excited, immediately elevated his perception of Su Bai to a new level.

So Su Bai's physical fitness was actually that good... Damn it, he hadn't noticed before. This guy spent all day either in class or on the computer; he didn't look much different from Wang Haoran. How did he get so powerful?

Amidst his sighs, Xue Tao seemed to sprout a fighting spirit. Looking at the barbell in front of him, his blood began to boil.

He didn't call for a spotter. Gripping the 40-kilogram barbell, he attempted to lift it on his own.

The result was a humiliating failure. He couldn't push it up.

The bar pressed against the flab on his chest as he lay there, questioning his life choices.

Meanwhile, in the graduate dorms, Xia Lin was scrolling through WeChat when she suddenly spotted a familiar figure in an unexpected group chat.

"That little rascal... actually working out in the campus gym? Now that's a surprise~"