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

Or is it secretly loading in the background? What are the system's specifications? Insufficient memory? Slow internet speed? Or does it need to wait for the host to complete its "self-introduction" before it can activate?

49%...61%...78%...

The progress bar is still moving.

94%……98%……100%

[Ding! Loading complete.]

The attribute panel popped up and expanded instantly.

Host: Lin Bei

Age: 16 years old

Height: 178cm

Weight: XNUM X kg

Appearance: 1/100

Body type rating: 8/100

IQ score: 65/100

Emotional Intelligence Score: 32/100

Charm rating: 3/100

[Overall assessment: Unbearable to look at. It is recommended that the host begin modifications immediately, otherwise they will die alone.]

[Note: Due to the host's current low attribute values, the system has automatically activated the newbie protection period. A newbie gift pack has been issued; please check it.]

Lin Bei stared at the "appearance 1/100" and remained silent for a full five seconds. In those five seconds, his brain went through the entire process from denial to anger to compromise.

What does 1/100 in terms of looks mean? Even a complete stranger would give this face at least a 5 out of 100, right?

[System Explanation: 1 point is the bottom line, it's a point to save face, it's a point that "cannot be lowered any further, it would be impolite"].

Lin Bei: "So you're giving me face?"

That's one way to understand it.

Lin Bei: "Then I should thank you?"

You're welcome. The system may be strict, but it will always give you the respect you deserve. Unlike the host, who lacks even basic self-awareness.

Lin Bei: "..."

He wanted to argue, but subconsciously glanced at the face reflected in the windowpane—a round face, beady eyes, and a face full of acne—and silently swallowed his words.

And that "unbearable to look at" overall evaluation—system, are you serious? While it's true, couldn't you have been a little more tactful? For example, could you have said something like "there's significant room for improvement"?

He glanced at the "Body Type Rating: 8/100" again. Appearance: 1 point, Body Type: 8 points. If appearance is "whether you can look at it" and body type is "whether you can look at your figure", then his overall conclusion is: neither can you look at it nor can you look at its figure.

"Emotional Intelligence Rating: 32/100." He was somewhat prepared for this; there was a reason he was single for thirty years in his previous life. His way of chatting with girls was roughly like this:

The girl said, "It's so cold today." He replied, "Yeah, it's minus three degrees Celsius, and the wind chill makes it feel even colder. I suggest you wear a down jacket. Don't wear those fancy coats that don't keep you warm at all; those coats are just a waste of your money."

The girl said, "I think I have a cold." He said, "Then drink more hot water, drink hot water, don't drink cold water."

The girl said, "I'm in a bad mood today." He said, "Then go for a run. Running releases dopamine, which makes you feel good."

The girl said "..." (speechless), and he said, "Then I'm going to play games, you should get some rest."

Then there is no more.

"IQ score: 65/100." He wasn't entirely convinced by this. 65 points put him at the level of "normal but not very smart." But then he thought, no one would believe him if he said he was smart anyway.

"Charm Value: 3/100". Lin Bei stared at the number for two seconds, then decided to stop thinking about it. 3 points is 3 points, it's better than 1 point, although not by much.

Lin Bei silently thought to himself: Open the newbie gift pack.

Interface refresh:

[New Player Gift Pack is now available! Receive the following rewards:]

[Superpower: Life Countdown (Valid for seven days)]

[Ability Description: The host can view the remaining lifespan of any target, accurate to the second. This ability will automatically expire after seven days.]

Cash reward: 10,000 RMB

[The funds have been transferred to the host's linked account. Please check. Note: System funds are legal and compliant, and taxes have been paid. Please use them with confidence. Don't ask about the source; just say "the system is awesome," or "it has the power of money."]

[Attribute Points: +5 (can be freely allocated)]

[How to use: Click the "+" sign in the properties panel to assign attribute points.]

[Note: These five points were hard-won, so it's recommended that you use them wisely. As for which "wisdom"... that's up to you, host. The system isn't responsible for reversing decisions made by mistake.]

Lin Bei stared at the newbie gift pack, his mind racing.

Ten thousand yuan was a huge sum of money for a high school student in 2012. His mother's monthly salary was only a little over two thousand yuan, so ten thousand yuan was equivalent to almost half a year's income for her.

But he couldn't give it directly to his mother, nor could he explain its origin. If he said something like, "Mom, the system gave me 10,000 yuan when I was reborn," his mother's first reaction would definitely be to take him to a mental hospital and get an appointment with a specialist.

Never mind, I'll save it for now.

Lin Bei memorized the location of the money: the only bank card his mother had opened for him using his ID card. In his previous life, he had never deposited more than five hundred yuan into that card.

He hadn't decided how to spend it, but he had a hunch that the money would come in handy at some point in the future. And it probably wouldn't be long before he needed it.

He had 5 attribute points, which he could freely allocate. He glanced at his attribute panel: Appearance 1, Physique 8, Intelligence 65, Emotional Intelligence 32, Charm 3. His Intelligence of 65 was barely passing, his Emotional Intelligence of 32 was worrying, and his Appearance and Charm were simply disastrous. Where should he put those 5 points?

Lin Bei's gaze swept over these numbers again and again.

Every attribute value is important to him, but he needs to solve the most important problem at hand.

Finally, he stopped at the charm value.

3 points.

He needed Su Wantang to pay attention to him. He didn't need her to like him, he didn't need her to have feelings for him, he just needed her to say a word to him, instead of treating him like a round, insignificant neighbor, giving him a polite smile and then closing his heart to him.

Charm is the first hurdle that makes others willing to approach you.

He took a deep breath and mentally clicked the "+" sign next to "Charm Value" five times.

Charm rating: 8/100.

Lin Bei stared at the 8 and thought to himself: Eight points of charm plus a 200-pound body probably equals "This fat guy is quite interesting", which is better than "Who is this fat guy?"

Okay, it's gone from "nobody paid attention" to "someone occasionally pays attention." A qualitative leap.

Then there's the superpower "Life Countdown," which lasts for seven days.

Almost subconsciously, Lin Bei's gaze swept over the faces in the classroom.

He first looked at the homeroom teacher, Lao Gu, on the podium. A string of numbers appeared above Lao Gu's head: 43 years, 1 day, 6 hours... Lin Bei nodded slightly. Lao Gu was in good health, all was well.

He then looked at Zhou Ziheng, whose number was: 68 years and 7 months... Holy crap, this kid can live to be over eighty? Lin Bei glanced at Zhou Ziheng, who was grinning and secretly eating spicy snacks, and silently sighed in his heart: "Evil lives on for a thousand years, it's true."

Then he looked at Shen Qingzhi; the number was very long: 82. Adding her current age of 16, she could live to 98. God not only gave her a beautiful face and a clever mind, but also a long life.

Lin Bei withdrew his gaze, and finally, he fixed his eyes on the girl sitting in the middle of the front seat.

Su Wantang.

Lin Bei silently recited in his mind: Use "Life Countdown" to target Su Wantang.

A line of small white text appeared in her field of vision, hovering above Su Wantang's head, as clear as a health bar in a game:

5:26:25

5:26:24

5:26:23

……

The numbers ticked up second by second.

Lin Bei stared at the string of numbers, quickly calculating in his mind. It was 8:18 AM now, 5 hours and 26 minutes later…

1:44 PM.

His fingers unconsciously clenched.

wrong.

In his previous life, he clearly remembered it was evening. That day, after he finished dinner, around seven or eight o'clock, he suddenly heard a commotion downstairs. He leaned out the window and looked down, seeing the lights of an ambulance flashing at the entrance of the building, the blue and red light shining on the wall of the opposite building, one after another.

He had always assumed that the incident happened at night. Because he saw the ambulance at night, he assumed that Su Wantang's accident occurred at night.

But the countdown doesn't lie.

unless……

Unless in her previous life, she had already been in trouble that afternoon, but was only discovered that evening.

He always mistook the "time of discovery" for the "time of occurrence".

Lin Bei's heart clenched. This meant she wouldn't be coming to class this afternoon at all.

He only had less than five and a half hours.

Lin Bei subconsciously glanced at the numbers above Su Wantang's head again.

5:26:14

5:26:13

It beats second by second, eerily quiet.

Lin Bei slowly exhaled, forcing himself to calm down. He knew nothing now—nothing why she was so distraught, nothing about what she had been through, nothing about how to begin talking to her. He wasn't even sure he could change someone's fate in five and a half hours.

But we should at least give it a try.

We can't just stand by and watch that number drop to zero second by second.