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

[Mission Description: The host possesses the powerful tool of the "Memory Palace," but tools are merely means. Being ranked in the top 10 of the class is the first formal test of the host's learning achievements over the past month.]

[Task Rewards: +5 Attribute Points, 10,000 RMB, +1 Superpower (Random)]

[Failure Penalty: 5 allocated attribute points will be randomly deducted, and the "School-wide Announcement" negative effect will be forcibly unlocked. The host will be publicly criticized for "improper study attitude" at the grade-wide assembly.]

Lin Bei stared at the words "top 10 in the class," his pupils dilating slightly.

What's his current level? He barely made it into the top high school after the entrance exam, and he's ranked last in his class. He has three weeks to go from 51st to the top ten.

[Host, the system has detected that your anxiety level is rising. Friendly reminder: anxiety won't improve your score, but it will when you're doing practice problems. We suggest you use the time you spend feeling anxious to actually do more problems. By the way, the system bets you five cents that you can do it.]

"Where did you get the money to gamble?" Lin Bei asked himself.

[The system's money is the same as the money in the host's account. Since the system awards bonuses every time the host completes a task, the system uses the host's money to gamble on the host winning; if they win, the money still belongs to the host. It's a sure-fire way to make money.]

"...I can't refute your logic."

He took a deep breath and turned his gaze back to the blackboard.

The top 10.

He glanced at Su Wantang, who was sitting in the middle of the classroom. She was taking notes, her pen scratching across the paper. Her grades were probably around fifth in the class.

He glanced again in Shen Qingzhi's direction. She wasn't taking notes, only occasionally making a few marks in her textbook, her expression calm and indifferent. She had ranked first in her class in the entrance exam.

[Host is doing learning analysis? The system suggests you do less analysis and more practice problems. By the way, Old Gu is watching you. If you keep spacing out, you'll be the one in trouble, not me.]

Lin Bei quickly lowered his head and listened attentively to the lesson.

When the bell rang, Zhou Ziheng turned around.

"Brother Bei, did you hear that? It's the monthly exam!"

"I heard you."

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Zhou Ziheng covered his face. "My dad said if I don't get into the top 30 in this monthly exam, he'll confiscate my phone. If he confiscates my phone, I won't be able to read novels; if I can't read novels, I won't have any inspiration; if I don't have any inspiration, I won't be able to write updates; if I can't write updates, my readers will scold me; if my readers scold me, I'll have a mental breakdown; if I have a mental breakdown, I'll do even worse on the next monthly exam; and if I do badly, my dad will confiscate my phone again..."

Lin Bei looked at him: "Your chain reaction has a pretty complete logic."

"So, Brother Bei, save me!"

"How can we save him?"

"Can I borrow your copy for the monthly exam?"

"No."

"What about the multiple-choice questions? You don't need to write out the steps for the multiple-choice questions. Just put the answer sheet on the corner of the table, and I can see it from a 45-degree angle..."

"Is that 45-degree angle your eyelids due to strabismus or cervical spondylosis?"

Zhou Ziheng paused for a moment, then took out his phone with a serious expression and opened the notes app: "Brother Bei, that's a great joke. I'll write it down and use it in my novel later."

[The system calls Zhou Ziheng's behavior "gathering material anytime, anywhere." His professionalism rivals that of a professional writer, but his performance is... well, never mind, even the system feels ashamed to say it.]

When the lunch bell rang, Lin Bei packed his bag immediately and walked to Su Wantang's seat.

"Su Wantang, I'm leaving."

Su Wantang raised her head, glanced at him, and nodded.

Lin Bei turned and left the classroom, walking quickly towards the school gate. As he approached the gate, he saw his father's silver-gray bread truck parked under the shade of a tree across the street.

He crossed the street, opened the passenger door, and got in.

"dad."

"Have you eaten?" Lin Jianhua started the car.

"No. Let's look at the apartments first, then grab something to eat."

Lin Jianhua didn't say anything more, drove the car out of the parking space, and headed towards the south of the city.

Zhifang Lane is further south of Tongbai Lane, and you have to go through the entire old town. The car twists and turns on the narrow street, and the houses on both sides of the road become older and older.

Chen Guodong was already waiting at the alley entrance. He was wearing a dark blue polo shirt, his hair was neatly combed, and he was holding a bunch of keys, standing under a paulownia tree.

He waved when he saw the bread truck stop.

"Brother Jianhua, Xiaolin, you're here?"

Lin Bei jumped out of the car: "Uncle Chen, which set do you want to look at first?"

"Number 47, closer."

Number 47 was a wooden door covered in sheet metal, the green paint peeling off. Chen Guodong took out his key and unlocked it. Pushing open the door, a small courtyard appeared before him. The ground was paved with red bricks, the cracks filled with moss. In the corner of the courtyard stood a pomegranate tree.

Lin Bei strolled around the yard, then went inside to take a look. The living room wasn't large, but it was very square. Both bedrooms faced south, and sunlight streamed in through the windows, making the rooms bright and airy.

"How much is this set?" Lin Bei asked as he walked out of the house.

"The asking price is 38, but I reckon we can negotiate it down to 36." Chen Guodong leaned against the gate. "The homeowner is in a hurry to sell because his son wants to buy a bigger house in the provincial capital, but he doesn't have enough for the down payment."

Lin Bei nodded, but didn't speak immediately. He stood in the middle of the courtyard, his mind racing.

The two apartments on Ganghe Street and Tongbai Lane have already been reserved. If he buys another one, it will be his third. A sixteen-year-old high school student owning three apartments is too conspicuous.

"Dad," Lin Bei turned around and looked at Lin Jianhua, "this set has your name on it."

Lin Jianhua was taken aback: "Write about me?"

"Yes. I already own two properties, one on Ganghe Street and one in Tongbai Lane, that's enough." Lin Bei's voice wasn't loud, but his tone was very certain. "This one will be under your name, and we can put it under Mom's name later if there's a suitable one. Spread them out, don't put them all together."

Lin Jianhua looked at him and remained silent for two seconds.

He turned his head and looked at the pomegranate tree in the yard for a while. The branches of the pomegranate tree stretched beyond the yard wall, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

"Okay," he said, uttering a single word.

The system gives the father's word "good" a score of 9.5. The 0.5-point deduction is because he didn't add the line "You're quite something, kid." The system believes adding this line would have been better.

"Next set." Lin Bei turned and walked out.

The next apartment is at the very end of the alley. Number 83 has a dark brown security door. Chen Guodong unlocked it, pushed open the door, and the space suddenly opened up before him.

The courtyard was more than twice the size of No. 47. The ground was paved with blue bricks, and a jujube tree was planted in the middle. The trunk was as thick as a bowl, and the canopy covered half of the courtyard.

Directly opposite the courtyard gate was a two-story gray brick building. Lin Bei went up to the second floor and stood by the window. He could see the distant river, which was hazy and had several cargo ships moving slowly.

"This apartment is priced at 46, but 44 is acceptable," Chen Guodong said, following behind. "The renovation isn't finished; only half of the flooring on the second floor has been laid."

Lin Bei came down from the second floor, stood under the jujube tree, and looked up at the greenish-yellow jujubes.

He had to get it. He calculated in his mind, but he couldn't let the other party see his determination. He would symbolically lower the price, making himself appear as an ordinary buyer, so as not to arouse suspicion.

Even though it's pointless to bet 30,000 to 50,000 yuan now, he can't act like a sucker, nor can he let Uncle Chen think that he has an extraordinary passion for this old house.

"For unit 47, I'll quote 35. For unit 83, under 42." He quoted a figure close to the homeowner's bottom line, speaking casually, "If we can reach an agreement, great; if not... it's not a big problem."

Chen Guodong nodded, gave an "OK" sign, and went outside to make a phone call.