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

Lin Bei rode his old-fashioned bicycle at the fastest speed it could go, heading home. The pedals were still uneven, and the chain was still creaking.

At 1:11 p.m., he locked his bicycle downstairs and ran up to the fifth floor as fast as he could. By the time he reached the third floor, he was already out of breath, his heart pounding, but he didn't stop.

We've reached the fifth floor.

The corridor was quiet. Sunlight streamed in from the window at the end, shining brightly on the concrete floor. The door to apartment 502 across the hall was closed, and the Chinese knot on the doorknob remained motionless.

Lin Bei took a deep breath. The door to room 501 was on his left, and the door to room 502 was on his right, with less than two meters between the two doors.

He walked to the door of 502 and knocked.

Boom, boom, boom.

No one answered.

He knocked three more times, this time harder than before.

There was still no response.

Lin Bei leaned against the door frame, panting heavily. His school uniform was soaked through, and sweat streamed down his neck.

He knocked again, this time with even more force, his fist slamming into the security door with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the entire floor. He even wondered if the old man in apartment 401 downstairs might think someone was demolishing the building.

"Su Wantang!" he called out. "Su Wantang, are you there?"

No sound.

The corridor was deathly silent.

Lin Bei's heart sank little by little.

Time marches on, and with each passing second, the possibilities diminish.

He took out his phone and glanced at the time: 1:13 PM.

Just as he was hesitating whether to call 110, the lock on apartment 502 made a soft click.

Click.

The door was ajar, only two or three centimeters wide. Half a face was visible through the crack; it was pale, thin, and had red eyes, as if the person had just been crying.

Su Wantang looked at him without saying a word. Her expression first turned blank, then confused, and finally became something that was hard to define as either defensiveness or wariness.

A chubby neighbor who lived across the hall would bang on her door and call her name incessantly during his lunch break. Anyone would find that strange.

Lin Bei glanced at her wrist subconsciously. Her sleeve was down, so he couldn't see anything.

The countdown timer above her head was ticking, decreasing second by second.

31:15

31:14

31:13

There was only half an hour left. Lin Bei took a deep breath; he had to give it a try.

He didn't have time to think too much. He took out the wad of cash from his pocket, two thousand yuan neatly folded, and handed it over with both hands.

Su Wantang glanced down at the wad of money, then looked up at him, her brows furrowing slightly. She didn't take it, nor did she speak, but the confusion in her eyes deepened. Her hand was still gripping the doorknob, the door remaining slightly ajar, as if she were ready to slam it shut at any moment.

Lin Bei knew that it wasn't that she didn't want the money; she just couldn't understand why a neighbor she had almost never spoken to would suddenly give her money.

"Your mother..." Lin Bei began, his voice a little hoarse. He cleared his throat to make his voice sound normal. "Before she passed away, your mother lent my mom ten thousand yuan."

Su Wantang was stunned for a moment, her eyes widening slightly.

"My mom just told me today," Lin Bei said, speaking at a moderate pace, trying to make himself sound like he wasn't lying.

"She said my family was in dire straits back then, and we couldn't borrow money anywhere," Lin Bei continued, his voice tinged with a hint of reminiscence. "After your mother found out, she took the initiative to give us 10,000 yuan without even asking for an IOU. My mother always remembered this, but then your mother passed away so suddenly, and my family never had much money, so we never paid it back."

Su Wantang was stunned for a moment. Her gaze fell on the stack of money, then on Lin Bei's face.

Her lips moved slightly.

"But... my mother has never mentioned this to me," she said in a hoarse voice.

Lin Bei's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive. He had considered this possibility long ago. However, a sixteen-year-old girl might not know if her mother had lent out ten thousand yuan before her death. It's perfectly normal for adults not to discuss matters with children.

He didn't even know who his mother lent money to or borrowed money from in his previous life. In the adult world, these kinds of things are not something that needs to be explained to children.

"Your mother..." Lin Bei paused, "My mother said she doesn't like to show off, and she never mentions helping others."

The hallway was quiet for several seconds. The sizzling sound of the upstairs neighbor cooking could be faintly heard.

Su Wantang's eyes were red, and her eyelashes trembled, but she didn't cry.

She stared at the stack of money for a long time, so long that Lin Bei's hands started to ache, but he dared not move, afraid that any unnecessary movement would make her close the door.

"Keep this for now." Lin Bei handed the money forward a little more, speaking as casually as possible, as if it were something unimportant. "My mom said to pay back two thousand first, and try to pay back the remaining eight thousand as soon as possible."

Su Wantang's fingers slowly closed, gripping the wad of money. Her movements were slow.

"...Thank you." Her voice was very soft, almost inaudible. "Thank you, and thank you, Auntie."

She still didn't open the door wide, but she didn't loosen her grip on the money.

"No, we are the ones who should be saying thank you," Lin Bei said. "Your mother helped my family back then, and we've always owed her that favor."

He glanced at the countdown above Su Wantang's head again, and his eyes lit up.

The string of numbers has changed.

It's no longer just over half an hour, but has become a completely new number:

36: 7: 52: 11

36: 7: 52: 10

36: 7: 52: 9

The countdown changed; it went from a little over half an hour to thirty-six days. She changed her mind, at least temporarily.

Lin Bei stared intently at the string of numbers, his eyes unblinking. It turned out the countdown wasn't fixed; it changed according to the trajectory of fate. In other words, if he did the right thing, he could push that number forward.

36 days.

He has 36 days to figure out how to solve the fundamental problem.

Su Wantang glanced at Lin Bei, her gaze filled with a complex mix of emotions: gratitude, confusion, and helplessness... so many that Lin Bei didn't have time to process them before the door to room 502 closed gently.

Click.

Lin Bei stood in the corridor and let out a long breath. Then he turned around, took out his key, opened the door to 501, went inside, and changed his shoes.

No one is home. My father drives a long-haul truck, and my mother works and won't be home for lunch.

He went into the bedroom, threw his backpack on the chair, and then slammed himself heavily onto the bed.

The spring mattress creaked and groaned, as if it was being crushed by his 200 pounds.

"System," he called out weakly, staring at the ceiling.

【exist. 】

Lin Bei: "Am I pretty good at making things up?"

[Objective evaluation: The lie is logically consistent, the emotional progression is reasonable, and the additional details are just right. System score: 8.7/10.]

Lin Bei: "Only 8.7?"

[Deductions include: 1. The gesture of handing money with both hands resembles that of a bank teller; 2. Excessive breathing affected the emotional impact of the dialogue; 3. The recollection in the line "My mom said she doesn't like to show off" felt slightly overacted. It is recommended that the host continue to work hard and strive for a "Best Actor" rating of 9.5 or higher next time.]

Lin Bei: "You're going to give me a score?"

[The system has an evaluation function. The host's performance today was generally commendable, especially the genuine reaction during the part where the heartbeat missed a beat, which earned considerable points.]

Lin Bei: "That wasn't acting! That was genuine guilt!"

[Therefore, the realism is very strong. The system suggests that the host maintain this genuine state of unease during future performances; the effect will be outstanding.]

Lin Bei rolled over, buried his face in the pillow, and muttered, "I think... I really did change someone's fate."

Yes, host. Also, if a lie is told to save someone, then there's no need to feel guilty about it.

Lin Bei lifted his head from the pillow, a smile playing on his lips.

At least, she won't get into trouble today.

Lin Bei began to calculate rapidly in his mind.

What does he need to do in 36 days?

First, we need to find out what exactly is going on with Su Wantang's father.