Reborn as a high school freshman with an awakened system, a fat boy transforms into a male god.

"I promise you," Lin Bei said.

Wang Xiulan looked at him for a few seconds, as if to confirm whether he was just being perfunctory, and then she waved her hand.

"Alright, go to sleep."

Lin Bei stood up, walked to the bedroom door, and then stopped.

"mom."

"Um?"

"Thanks."

Wang Xiulan didn't speak, but lowered her head and picked up the sweater to continue knitting. The stitches moved quickly and steadily, one stitch at a time, as if nothing had happened.

Lin Bei closed the door and lay down on the bed.

My heart is beating a little fast.

It wasn't because of anything else, but because of the conversation just now. He had expected to have a long argument, and was even prepared for a big fight. But instead of arguing, his mother supported him.

He stared at the ceiling, going over the conversation in his mind to make sure he hadn't let anything slip.

The two thousand yuan came from writing things online. While this explanation doesn't stand up to scrutiny, it wasn't entirely impossible for a junior high school student to take on odd jobs writing online in 2012. The mother wouldn't investigate; she barely knew how to use a computer. The only computer functions she knew were turning it on and off, and playing Spider Solitaire.

What truly surprised him was his mother's attitude.

She didn't just "agree," she "participated." When she said, "I'll cover up your lie for you," there was even a hint of... how should I put it, a tacit understanding of "mother and son working together to do something bad."

Also, my mother's words kept echoing in my mind: "Don't get yourself involved."

She also realized how difficult Su Wantang's situation was.

It's not as simple as not having money for food. You can give money and food if you don't have money for food. But the feeling of being trapped in the dark can't be solved by money and food.

All he could do was ensure she had food today, and food tomorrow. As for the day after tomorrow, the day after that, next month, next year…

Lin Bei pulled the blanket over his head and muttered, "Let's just take it one step at a time."

[System suggestion: Take bigger steps. Taking one step at a time makes you prone to falling into traps; thinking three steps ahead before taking one step at a time helps you avoid them. Of course, given the host's current size, taking big steps might cause you to pull your leg... never mind.]

Lin Bei: You've already said that.

[The system has retracted a message.]

Lin Bei: ...

We must find Su Wantang's father and find out what kind of person he is and why he could so cruelly abandon his own daughter.

Was it due to work pressure? Was it his stepmother's interference? Or was he simply a scumbag?

Also, losing weight isn't just because the system issued a task.

He needs a healthy body to outrun time. A fat man who's out of breath just walking can't do anything.

He needs to lose weight to face fewer obstacles in this appearance-obsessed world.

The alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning.

It wasn't a cell phone alarm clock, but that round, old-fashioned alarm clock.

Lin Bei slapped it, and the alarm clock screeched to a halt.

He opened his eyes, paused for two seconds, and then remembered that he had been reborn.

Today is the second day after his rebirth, Tuesday, September 4, 2012, and also the first day of his 7-day weight loss mission.

[The host's deep sleep rate was low last night, possibly due to too many worries. It is recommended that the host avoid thinking too much before bed, especially about women. Thinking about women can excite the brain and affect sleep quality.]

Lin Bei: I wasn't thinking about girls!

[The system detected that a girl's profile appeared in the host's mind before falling asleep last night. Would you like a screenshot? Although the system doesn't have a screenshot function, it can describe her in words—white dress, low ponytail, sitting by the window.]

Lin Bei: ...

Do you need to continue describing?

Lin Bei: No need... You win.

He threw back the covers and sat up in bed.

Lin Bei put on sportswear, which wasn't really sportswear at all. It was just a pair of faded sweatpants and an old T-shirt with a loose neckline, both XXXL, but they still looked tight on him.

When I went out, my mother was already in the kitchen, the sound of the spatula hitting the iron pot was clanging and tinkling.

Hearing the noise, she poked her head out of the kitchen: "Why are you up so early today? Did the sun rise in the west?"

"Let's go quickly," Lin Bei said.

Wang Xiulan was stunned for a moment: "Go? Go where? Are you running away from home?"

"It's not about walking somewhere, it's about brisk walking, a form of exercise," Lin Bei patiently explained. "It's somewhere between walking and running, it's knee-friendly, and suitable for overweight people. Mom, your son wants to lose weight."

Wang Xiulan paused for a second, then gave him a look that said, "Did I hear that right?" "You? Training?"

"Mom, your tone is hurtful, and your expression is hurtful too."

"What time will you be back? I'll time it so I can make breakfast."

"Seven o'clock."

Lin Bei changed his shoes and opened the door.

The corridor was quiet, and the motion-activated lights were still on.

He glanced at the window of 502, then turned and went downstairs.

At six o'clock in the morning in Jiangcheng, the sky was just beginning to lighten. The early September morning was already cool, and dew clung to the leaves of the plane trees lining the streets. Sanitation workers were sweeping up the fallen leaves with large brooms.

Lin Bei took a deep breath.

There was a sweet scent of osmanthus in the air; I wondered whose osmanthus trees were in bloom. The fragrance wafted into my nose, making me feel refreshed and relaxed.

He started walking.

It was supposed to be a brisk walk, but it wasn't much faster than a typical brisk walk. With his 200-pound weight, each step required twice the energy of an average person. He started panting after less than five minutes.

"Huff...huff..." Lin Bei clutched his lower back, panting heavily. "Why is it always uphill everywhere I go?"

The road was actually flat, as flat as it could possibly be, but for someone of his size, walking on a flat road felt like walking uphill.

He didn't stop, he kept walking.

After walking for about ten minutes, I came to an intersection. The traffic lights were flashing in the morning mist. Across the street was the river embankment of Jiangcheng, and there were already a few people jogging along the riverside avenue.

Lin Bei crossed the road and walked along the river embankment.

The river was wide, and the water was muddy yellow. Several cargo ships were moving slowly in the distance, their whistles wailing and carrying far in the morning air.

He walked for about twenty minutes and was completely soaked. Sweat streamed down his neck, his T-shirt collar was wet, and a large dark sweat stain appeared on his back.

But he didn't stop.

A system panel popped up in front of him, displaying real-time data:

[Task progress: 0/2.5kg]

Today's exercise: 2.2km brisk walk

[System Evaluation: That's it? Are you taking a walk or trying to lose weight? We suggest increasing your speed by 100%. You're still 2.8km away from 5km. Imagine the despair of working so hard to lose weight and then getting even fatter.]

He was so angry he wanted to curse, but he couldn't catch his breath.

Lin Bei gritted his teeth and quickened his pace.

When he reached three kilometers, his heart was pounding.

The system popped up again:

Today's exercise: 3.5km brisk walk

[System Evaluation: There's been progress, but there's still a long way to go. Your heart is protesting, you know? It's saying, "I'm not ready yet!" But that's okay, it will adapt. You're 1.5km away from your 5km goal. Don't ask if you can do it; the answer is you must. The system believes in you… no, the system doesn't believe in you, but the system wants you to succeed.]

Lin Bei: "..."

By the time he reached four kilometers, his legs were starting to feel weak.

A thought flashed through my mind: How about we stop here for today? Four kilometers is about right, we can increase the distance tomorrow.

[The system has triggered a warning mechanism upon detecting that the host is considering giving up. Host, would you like to be someone who achieves nothing? Would you like to hear your mother tell others, "My son is on a diet," and they say "Good luck" while secretly thinking, "He won't lose weight"? Would you want Su Wantang to think, "That fat guy really can't stick to it"?]

He paused for a moment.

Lin Bei: You're too ruthless.

The system isn't ruthless; society is. The system is merely simulating the harsh realities of society.

He gritted his teeth and kept walking.