I was a top student in America.

The skinny henchman stared at the barbell that had just been put back on the shelf, his hand still frozen in mid-air, his whole body stunned in place.

He looked down at his palm, then glanced at the still slightly trembling iron bar, his mind completely blank.

"Damn... this thing really weighs 170 pounds?"

He even suspected that there might be something wrong with the weights in the gym, or that his feet slipped when he exerted himself.

He just couldn't figure it out—

This kid is as skinny as a stick, how come he's so strong?

The bald boss behind the counter also stopped wiping the table.

His movements froze in mid-air, his eyes wide open.

As the owner of this gym, he knew all too well the weight of those two pieces of pig iron, and he also knew all too well what level Li Ao was at.

This kid usually needs both hands to lift a barbell plate; that last lift must have weighed at least 150 or 160 pounds.

The scene before him made him question the meaning of life.

At that moment, TySean also came over.

The big, dark-skinned man abandoned his usual condescending and aloof demeanor. He glanced at the still-shaken fat man, then turned around and patted Li Ao heavily on the shoulder.

"Thanks, you're a true brother."

But it could be heard clearly in the suddenly quiet equipment area.

The burly men around him who were lifting weights all stopped what they were doing.

In this neighborhood, the number of people that Tyshaun personally thanks can be counted on one hand.

The fat man's henchman sat on the ground for a while before finally recovering.

Under the watchful eyes of others, he pushed himself up from the floor and walked straight toward Li Ao.

This time, all the usual fierceness on his face was gone, replaced by a sense of relief and gratitude for surviving a close call.

He stopped in front of Li Ao; this was the first time the two had stood so close since their confrontation at the gym.

"Leo," the fat henchman rubbed his chest, his voice still a little hoarse, "my name is Malik, thanks for earlier. I'll remember this, if you ever have any trouble at school or around here, just come to me."

Before Li Ao could reply, he added, "No wonder Ty Shawn said you're quite interesting. It seems you really are different from others."

Li Ao looked up at him but didn't show off.

"It just so happens to be nearby, so it was a convenient thing to do," he replied.

That makes sense. Although there is the "explosive power" attribute, if the location is any further away, he really wouldn't have enough time.

However, Li Ao knew in his heart that with Malik's words, his safety level at Wyndham High School would at least improve by one level.

Anyone who wants to cause him trouble has to think twice.

After this little incident, Li Ao continued to move films and clean equipment in the equipment area, and whenever he had a spare moment, he would sneak in a set of deadlifts in a corner.

After breaking through the 100 mark in strength, the foundation of my body is indeed different.

With the help of muscle memory, he was able to lift increasingly heavier weights.

This tangible feedback of weight gave him immense confidence.

If I join the basketball team later, I might even become a starter or something.

However, after practicing for more than an hour, the panel suddenly jumped up once.

[Continuing strength training... Strength +0.1]

He then did several more sets, but the panel remained completely still.

"Once it exceeds 100, it becomes much more difficult to rise further."

Li Ao wiped his sweat and took a moment to think while tidying up the equipment.

This is normal. It was the same after my intelligence was over 100. Doing the exercises in "Algebra II" increased my attributes. Only the AMC exercises would occasionally increase them a little bit.

Now that Strength, Agility, and Intelligence are all over 100, it won't be easy to push them any higher.

Therefore, the best plan right now is to prioritize leveling up the [Stamina] attribute, which is not yet at 100, and get the new stat first.

He has already gained a lot of experience in how to improve physical strength.

The main advantage is that it can be connected to both problem-solving and sports training. After all, the essence of physical strength is high-intensity endurance.

As long as you push yourself to the limit, whether it's mentally or physically, your stamina will gradually increase.

Once I understood this, the next plan became clear.

During the day, I continue with regular classes and practice problems to maintain intensity and boost my intelligence; after school, I continue with strength and shooting training.

These are things we're already doing, so there's no need to change them. As long as the overall intensity doesn't drop, our stamina will naturally be boosted to 100.

"Hopefully, we can get it done before the end of this week."

He pondered to himself, then deftly hung the two 45-pound discus back on the rack.

……

Several days passed in a row.

At the recent community sports field, Li Ao noticed something.

Jamal actually came to practice every day on time.

In the past, this kid would only be enthusiastic for three minutes at a time. Sometimes he would barely manage to stay motivated for a day, but the next day he would revert to his old ways.

After school, he would either wander around the streets aimlessly or hang out with gangs; he never did anything serious.

But ever since he practiced basketball with Li Ao, he has become more proactive, running back and forth every day to practice shooting, working up a sweat.

It's hard to imagine that this is the same thug who started running errands for gangs when he was eleven or twelve years old.

While retrieving the ball, Li Ao asked with great interest:

"What triggered you to work so hard these past few days?"

Jamal, panting heavily, wiped away his sweat: "Brother Leo, we're about to try out. I want to join the school team too."

He made it sound so easy, but Li Ao knew in his heart that it wasn't entirely because of that.

A few days ago on this very field, Jamal saw him memorizing vocabulary even during his breaks, and he also heard him say, "I want to go to university and leave the South District."

These things, when placed in the mind of a fifteen-year-old, will inevitably ferment.

Li Ao naturally supported Jamal's transformation.

He didn't say anything, he just tossed the basketball in his hand over:

"Then let's keep practicing. Next, one more set of shuttle runs!"

As the sun gradually set, Li Ao also received the notification on the panel:

[Training hard... Stamina +0.1]

……

The next afternoon after school, at the school gymnasium.

Karl Durant, the head coach of Wyndham High School's basketball team, is standing on the sidelines with his arms crossed.

He was a stocky Black man, dressed in a gray tracksuit today, with a whistle around his neck and a tactical paddleboard and a stopwatch in his hand.

Coach Durant habitually glanced around the court, looked at the new tryout players of varying heights, and slapped the splint in his hand twice:

"Cheer up, all of you!"

"Anyone who's still half asleep, go to the locker room right now and shove your head in cold water. I'll be waiting here."

Seeing that no one was moving, he then got to the point with satisfaction.

"Our team only has four vacant substitute spots this season."

"I have high standards; I'd rather have fewer than accept inferior candidates. If they don't meet my criteria, I'd rather select fewer."

"This is not a daycare. If you can't handle hardship and are always out fooling around and can't train on time, get out now and stop wasting everyone's time."

Coach Durant didn't waste any more words. He quickly scribbled a few lines on the splint and casually slammed it onto the scorer's table next to him.

More than twenty boys were scattered in one half of the field, and no one spoke.

Some people were wiggling their ankles in place, while others were staring nervously at the splint in the coach's hand.

Tayshaun stood beside the coach as captain, arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

Coach Durant glanced at the stopwatch and put the whistle in his mouth.

……