Gao Yuan arrived at No.1 Courtyard's exclusive gym and found quite a few people there.
There were young people and quite a few middle-aged ones. Inside the gym, he also saw several staff members who looked like trainers.
As Gao Yuan was looking around, a girl in workout clothes approached him. "Hello, sir. Are you here to work out?"
He looked up, sizing her up. The girl who had approached him was pretty enough, and her figure was quite impressive.
Gao Yuan only considered her "pretty enough" because he'd seen so many stunning women lately, which had raised his standards considerably.
Since he was new here and didn't know the ropes, Gao Yuan didn't turn away the girl who looked like a trainer.
"Just looking around."
Even though Gao Yuan's reply was a bit cold, the girl didn't seem to mind at all and kept smiling. "I'm Wang Lin, a certified trainer for No.1 Courtyard. Let me show you around."
A "certified trainer" was a personal trainer who had been vetted and approved by No.1 Courtyard's property management.
These trainers didn't live or work at the complex in a traditional sense. Instead, they served clients at the No.1 Courtyard gym and were on call 24/7.
Of course, a legitimate trainer would typically handle multiple clients to earn more.
There might also be "special" trainers offering exclusive one-on-one services. They served fewer clients but charged much higher fees.
'Of course, that certainly wasn't what Gao Yuan was looking for.'
As Wang Lin explained, Gao Yuan got the general idea.
All the fitness equipment was free for residents to use. Besides the weight and cardio area, there was also a large yoga studio and a "martial arts club."
Gao Yuan had noticed the yoga studio earlier. It was a glass-walled room, but the curtains were drawn, and he could faintly see a class in session.
As for the "martial arts club," the name was rather grand. In reality, it was just a space for a few enthusiasts to practice things like boxing or Tai Chi.
Now that he understood how the gym at No.1 Courtyard worked, Gao Yuan took the initiative to ask about her services. "So, what are your rates for personal training?"
Hearing Gao Yuan bring up the very topic she'd been hoping for, Wang Lin's smile faded, replaced by a professional seriousness. "Mr. Gao, that depends on your physical condition. I'd need to assess you to see what kind of exercises are suitable before creating a plan."
"You need to get to know my body?"
Gao Yuan's old habit of teasing girls flared up, and he couldn't resist a flirtatious comment.
Wang Lin's face instantly flushed. "You're working out to get healthier, of course. If you choose me as your personal trainer, I have a responsibility to your health."
"I'll create a fitness plan tailored to your current physical condition."
Gao Yuan knew, of course, that a fitness assessment was standard procedure to check various physical metrics before starting a program.
Seeing how serious she was, Gao Yuan couldn't bring himself to flirt anymore and simply followed her to do the assessment.
With Gao Yuan's assessment report in hand, the two sat back down in the lounge area.
"Mr. Gao, based on your height and weight, your skeletal muscle mass is a little low, your body fat is quite high, and your BMI puts you in the overweight category..."
"Based on these results, I will create a customized fitness plan for you. Do you have any other requests?"
When Wang Lin asked if he had any other requests, he almost blurted out, 'Can we sleep together?'
Thankfully, he remembered he was here for a proper workout, not to pick up girls. The main goal was to complete the system's mission through exercise.
"I do have a requirement for running. I want to run no less than 10 kilometers a day."
Hearing this, Wang Lin's brow furrowed slightly.
In her experience, it was a bad idea to start with such high mileage. It was detrimental to the knees and wouldn't help with toning the legs.
After a moment of thought, she looked at Gao Yuan seriously. "I can create a progressive plan for you. It will ensure your total monthly mileage is sufficient."
With his main concern addressed, Gao Yuan got straight to the point. "So, what are your rates for personal training?"
"1,000 yuan per session, which includes assisted recovery after the workout."
Gao Yuan didn't find her price outrageous.
He had looked into personal training prices in Hang City before. At a typical gym or studio, a session cost around 500 yuan.
It stood to reason that a certified trainer at No.1 Courtyard—who would be selected for both their skills and their looks—would charge more.
"Will you be training only me?"
Wang Lin didn't hide anything. "I just started here, so you're my first client."
"But I want to earn more, so I'll probably take on other clients in the future."
Gao Yuan was very satisfied with Wang Lin's honest answer. Her professionalism and the respectful distance she maintained proved she was a legitimate trainer.
He'd been a working stiff himself, so he completely understood the desire to earn more.
'What's the point of working if not to make money?'
'For world peace? To experience the feeling that life is worse than death, where each day feels like a year?'
He could think from a worker's perspective. As long as he had enough to eat, he wouldn't let those under him go hungry.
That was why all the store managers who'd worked under him had stood up to see him off when he resigned.
"Let's start with one month of personal training."
After speaking, Gao Yuan immediately scanned a code to add Wang Lin on WeChat. The next moment, a notification for a 30,000 yuan transfer appeared on her phone.
"Are you booking thirty sessions at once?"
Seeing the 30,000 yuan transfer on her phone, Wang Lin didn't accept it right away, instead double-checking with Gao Yuan.
Normally, a dozen or so sessions were more than enough for a month.
She thought he might have made a mistake with the amount.
"Two sessions in the morning and two in the evening every day. I'll send you my schedule later."
"I don't care how many other clients you take on, but I expect you to be on call for me whenever I need you."
Hearing Gao Yuan's demands, Wang Lin immediately replied, "No problem. I can definitely do that."
In truth, Wang Lin had been working as a certified personal trainer at No.1 Courtyard for a week.
The market here was better, but the competition was fierce. As a female trainer, she had to compete not only with the male trainers but also with those "special" female trainers.
Besides, the residents of No.1 Courtyard were either rich or powerful, and most didn't have much time to spend on fitness.
As a result, she hadn't landed a single client in her first week.
Today, she had seen Gao Yuan wandering around the gym alone and decided to approach him on a whim. She never expected to actually land a client.
This single 30,000 yuan deal not only solved her immediate financial problems in Hang City, but it also meant she could send 20,000 yuan home to her family.
She couldn't help but feel incredibly grateful to Gao Yuan. At the same time, she resolved to provide him with the best possible service and help him succeed in his fitness journey.
With that settled, Gao Yuan began his running task in the gym.
Even though he had run an extra three kilometers that morning, his body had long since recovered. He decided to run at least another five kilometers that evening.
'This is for my own good, not like punching a clock at work.'
As he ran, Wang Lin stayed by his side, occasionally correcting his form and helping him adjust his pace.
'Having a coach really makes a difference, especially a beautiful one. The whole run felt much easier than usual.'
While Gao Yuan was focused on his run, the door to the yoga studio opened, and a group of women walked out.
The group was a mix of beautiful young women and ladies in their forties and fifties, but without exception, they all carried themselves with an air of elegance.
One woman, in particular, happened to glance over and see Gao Yuan on the treadmill as she was leaving the studio.
But she only gave him a passing glance before leaving.