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

"How did he go from 600 to 998?" Old Gu's gaze swept around the classroom. "It wasn't talent, it was method, perseverance, and never giving up."

He paused, his gaze falling on the last row.

Lin Bei's back straightened instantly.

"Some of you didn't have ideal entrance exam scores, but I've seen the changes in you over these three weeks." Old Gu's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "I hope you remember that the monthly exam isn't the end, it's the beginning. Don't be arrogant if you do well, and don't be discouraged if you don't. The road to high school is long, and whoever laughs last laughs best."

As he said this, his gaze shifted from Lin Bei and swept over everyone in the class.

But Lin Bei always felt that Lao Gu's last words, "He who laughs last laughs best," were directed at him.

[Old Gu's lesson today wasn't for the whole class; it was for a select few. The host was one of them. Old Gu's gaze lingered on the host for 1.8 seconds, 1.2 seconds longer than the average person. This kind of "differential treatment" is called "focused attention" in the teaching profession. Old Gu has his eye on you. This is a good thing; it means he thinks you have potential. Of course, it's also possible he just found you noticeably overweight, and his gaze was drawn to you.]

Lin Bei ignored the system and opened his textbook.

But he was thinking about something.

Old Gu said, "He who laughs last laughs best."

In his previous life, he didn't have the last laugh, or even halfway through. He kept laughing, but not the kind of laugh that signifies "winning," but rather the kind of laugh that says, "It's okay, it's okay, I don't care."

In this life, he will have the last laugh.

No, it's not about having the last laugh, it's about laughing until the very end. Every step is taken with a smile, and every step counts.

Wednesday.

During the break between the first class in the morning, Lin Bei received another message from his father about a available house.

At noon, he went to see it. Compared to the previous five apartments, this one wasn't in a great location, in Maoshu Lane, but it was cheap. It was 102 square meters and the asking price was 360,000 yuan.

Lin Bei ultimately decided to buy it for 34 yuan, and put it in his mother's name. The house was cheap; even if it wasn't demolished for compensation, he wouldn't lose money.

With six houses already, Lin Bei decided not to buy any more. One shouldn't be too greedy; just enough is fine.

Thursday.

During the break between the third and fourth periods in the morning.

Lin Bei was organizing his math notes when his phone vibrated.

He picked it up and saw that it was a message from his father, Lin Jianhua:

"Beibei, your Uncle Chen said that the old town area might be slated for redevelopment. A few men wearing hard hats came today, wandering around the alleys, sketching and writing in notebooks. Your Uncle Chen said it looks like they're doing surveying."

Lin Bei stared at the message for a few seconds.

survey.

Preparations before demolition.

It was faster than he had expected.

He replied, "Dad, don't make a fuss. Wait for the official announcement."

Lin Jianhua replied instantly with a single word: "Understood."

Lin Bei placed his phone face down on the table and leaned back in his chair.

In my previous life, the demolition notice for the old city was issued after National Day in 2012. It's the end of September now, less than two weeks away.

His six houses, worth over two million yuan in total, will at least double in value once the demolition notice is issued. This isn't because he's lucky, but because he knows it.

[The system has detected that the host is calculating asset appreciation. A friendly reminder: The host owns two properties, and the parents own four. According to Jiangcheng's 2012 demolition compensation standards, the total compensation for the six properties is estimated to be… well, never mind, the host will get cocky if I say it. The system suggests the host continue to keep a low profile and not flaunt their wealth in class.]

Lin Bei ignored the system.

It's not about showing off wealth, but a reminder to myself: you are no longer the penniless Lin Bei of your past life. You have something to protect. And people you want to protect.

Su Wantang was sitting in the middle of the classroom, near the front, taking notes.

Lin Bei glanced at her for two seconds, then looked away and continued working on his problems.

noon.

Most of the people in the classroom have left.

Lin Bei took out an insulated bag from his schoolbag and walked to Su Wantang's seat.

Today's dishes are braised chicken pieces and stir-fried bok choy. The soup is radish and pork rib soup, poured from a pink thermos, still steaming.

Su Wantang took a sip of soup, her eyebrows twitching slightly.

"Is it good?" Lin Bei asked.

"Hmm." She glanced at him, the corners of her mouth curved slightly, and then she lowered her head to continue drinking her soup.

The two ate their meal quietly.

Halfway through the meal, Lin Bei's phone vibrated.

He picked it up and saw that it was a message from Shen Qingzhi:

"Lin Bei, you have tutoring this Saturday. My grandpa asked if you're free Sunday morning. He wants you to play a game of chess with him."

Lin Bei glanced at Su Wantang. She was looking down at her soup and seemed unaware that he was looking at his phone.

He replied, "I'm free. What time?"

"Ten o'clock. Same address as last time."

"it is good."

Su Wantang raised her head and glanced at him.

"Shen Qingzhi?"

"Yes. Her grandfather wants me to play chess on Sunday."

Su Wantang nodded and didn't say anything more. She picked up a piece of chicken, put it in her mouth, chewed it twice, and then put another piece into Lin Bei's bowl.

"Eat more. You need to use your brain on Sunday."

Lin Bei looked down at the piece of chicken in the bowl, then looked up at Su Wantang.

Her expression was calm, but he always felt there was something indescribable in her words.

Lin Bei stuffed the chicken into his mouth and chewed it twice.

good to eat.

in the afternoon.

The last class was physical education.

Teacher Liu stood at the front of the line and blew a whistle.

"Today we'll practice jump rope. One minute each, and we'll count the number of jumps."

A chorus of wails erupted from the ranks.

"Teacher, isn't jump rope a sport for elementary school students?" Wang Jun called out from behind.

Teacher Liu glanced at him: "How do you see the difference between your current physical fitness level and that of an elementary school student?"

Wang Jun thought for a moment: "Can't even a primary school student run as fast as me?"

Are you sure?

"No... I'm not entirely sure."

The group burst into laughter.

"Alright, stop joking. Girls, jump first, boys, get ready."

The girls stood in the jump rope area. Su Wantang was third in line.

The whistle blew, and she began to jump. The rope spun rapidly in her hands, her steps were so light that she could barely hear herself land. Her hair swung back and forth behind her, her ponytail tracing arcs through the air.

Lin Bei stood to the side watching, his heart beating a little fast.

It wasn't because of nervousness, it was because...

Forget it, I won't explain anymore. Explaining is just covering up, and covering up is just telling a story.

[When the host watched Su Wantang jump rope, her heart rate rose from 78 to 96, lasting for about 40 seconds. This heart rate change, in the words of a physical education teacher, is called "normal pre-exercise excitement." However, the host was not exercising; she was merely watching someone else exercise. Therefore, this explanation is invalid.]

Lin Bei ignored the system and looked away.

It was the boys' turn to jump.

Lin Bei picked up the rope and stood in the jump rope area. The rope was a bit short, so he adjusted the length, but it was still a bit tight. His 190-pound frame standing in the jump rope area was a comical sight. The surrounding classmates all looked at him; some whispered, "Can he even jump that high?", others whispered, "Don't let him collapse the ground."

Lin Bei took a deep breath.

The whistle blew.

He jumped up.

The first one, passed; the second one, passed; the third one, the rope hit his heel and stopped.

He jumped again, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth. He hit his foot and stopped. He jumped again, the seventh, the eighth.

After one minute, Lin Bei stopped, supporting himself on his knees and panting.

"Thirty-seven." Teacher Liu announced the scores expressionlessly, making a note in the small notebook next to her.

Wang Jun walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "Brother Bei, you jumped thirty-seven times? I only jumped twenty-eight. You're better than me."

Lin Bei glanced at him: "You jumped twenty-eight times?"

"Yeah, right." Wang Jun patted his belly. "With my build, being able to jump 28 times is already an exceptional performance. My mom said that for fat people, jumping rope is like a penguin dancing at a disco; they can jump, but don't expect them to jump very high."

Lin Bei's lips twitched.

Penguins dancing in a rave – it actually does look quite vivid.