April 7, 2023, Friday, sunny, 6~16°C.

At 6 a.m., the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon.

"Ring—" The alarm clock went off. Tang Song got up briskly, tidied up his bed, drank a glass of warm water, and emptied his metabolic waste in the toilet, quickly awakening his body. Standing in front of the mirror, he showed a sincere smile.

"Ding-dong—" The bank deposit notification arrived as expected, setting a good mood for the day. As the saying goes: true wealth is the smile on your face. Tang Song wholeheartedly agreed.

He opened the system interface to check his personal information.

Player: Tang Song (25')

Role: Jinxiu Commerce - Development Engineer

Height: 180 cm, Weight: 86.5 kg

Physique: 56, Endurance: 55, Agility: 49, Perception: 76

Asset Status:

Balance: 46,020.80 yuan

Businesses: None

Properties: None

Vehicle: Yadea Electric Scooter

Today marked the sixth day of his weight loss plan, and the results were impressive. His weight had dropped to 86.5 kg, his agility increased by 1 point, and his charisma score reached 25. Touching his slightly smaller belly, he felt noticeably lighter.

"Nice!" Tang Song happily snapped his fingers. No one can refuse to become better, and seeing himself gradually approaching his goal was exhilarating.

He put on his sportswear, did a 10-minute full-body stretch, and started a 40-minute fasted cardio session in the faint morning light, breathing in the chilly air. After a night of fasting, his body’s glycogen reserves were low, making it easier to use fat as an energy source, resulting in excellent fat-burning effects.

"Pant, pant—" Large beads of sweat rolled down, soaking his clothes as his legs trembled. The sounds of his footsteps, breathing, and heartbeat intertwined into an invigorating symphony in his ears. Thoughts of laziness, avoidance, and slacking off emerged in his mind, but Tang Song adjusted his breathing rhythm, painfully enjoying his personal fat-burning moment.

In fact, today was much easier. The first few days of exercise had been grueling, with lactic acid buildup causing soreness all over his body, making even going to the toilet a struggle. He had persevered purely through willpower.

Returning home, he took a quick shower and began preparing his meals for the day. Breakfast was simple: low-fat milk (250ml), purple sweet potato (150g), one boiled egg, and one apple. Lunch was more elaborate: steamed corn, pumpkin, winter melon with shrimp, and black pepper mushrooms.

After breakfast, he cleaned the kitchen and walked to work carrying his lunchbox. The main reason he hadn't quit his job was to quickly reach the Charisma 30 reward. According to the system's evaluation standards, a stable job and good relationships were very important without his own business. If his Role became unemployed, his charisma score would surely drop significantly. In his developmental stage, his top priority was to unlock the first stage reward as soon as possible and ensure stability in everything. Chapters first released on novelFirｅ.net

...

At 8:50 a.m., on the 20th floor of Linjin Building, Jinxiu Commerce.

"Morning!"

"Morning!"

"Good morning, Zhang!"

"Good morning, Xiao Song, you've lost quite a bit of weight! You look more spirited."

Tang Song wore a warm smile, greeting colleagues he met. He put his lunchbox in the fridge, filled a large cup with hot water, and sat at his workstation, opening his laptop to start studying. Quality sleep made him energetic, and weight loss changed his entire demeanor. Many female colleagues even asked him for his fat-loss meal plans.

He had a great mindset now, working from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and never working overtime, focusing mainly on self-improvement. Occasionally, he would walk around the hallway to avoid prolonged sitting.

At lunchtime, Zhao Yue suddenly approached him. Glancing at Tang Song's lunchbox, she exclaimed, "Brother Song, your fat-loss meals are getting more sophisticated! They look very appetizing!"

"I just follow the recipes blindly. The taste is actually average."

"I don't believe that," Zhao Yue laughed, taking a shrimp with her chopsticks and tasting it. "It's not as bad as you say. It tastes quite good!" She then placed a cup of yogurt on Tang Song's desk, patting his shoulder. "Cheer up, Brother Song. Slim down soon and raise the average looks of the guys in our department!"

"No problem." Tang Song smiled and made an OK gesture. Their eyes met, and Zhao Yue seemed a bit embarrassed. She quickly looked away and returned to her workstation. Tang Song watched her back and couldn't help but shake his head.

When he first joined, he thought Zhao Yue liked him. Her words and actions seemed close, with no sense of distance. But after several incidents, he gradually realized that Zhao Yue was just keeping her options open, likely attracted to his good technical skills and how he could help her at work.

In terms of looks, Zhao Yue wasn't exceptionally pretty, scoring about a 6 after makeup. In her early twenties, she had an outgoing personality, an average figure, and a monthly salary of 6k. Yet, even a girl who wasn't particularly outstanding had plenty of suitors and admirers. She received gifts and flowers on every holiday, and her social media was vibrant and diverse, giving her an inexplicable sense of superiority. By her standards, Tang Song was probably classified as just another admirer. Occasionally, she would throw a bone as she did just now to maintain some closeness.

...

Around 3 p.m., his body was once again in a fasted state. Tang Song exercised on the elliptical machine for half an hour, working up a sweat. Back at his workstation, intense hunger hit him hard. His eyes involuntarily fell on his colleagues' snacks, and his throat moved up and down. Potato chips, ham, pickled chicken feet, instant noodles, chocolate… all his favorites! He licked his lips, trying hard to divert his attention. This period of hunger was the hardest, but once he got through it, his body would start burning fat, stabilize blood sugar levels, and the hunger would significantly lessen.

After enduring for half an hour, his colleagues suddenly started discussing afternoon tea. Tang Song glanced at the workgroup and saw the HR’s notification.

[Dear all: It's time for delicious afternoon tea again. Thank you all for your hard work. The activity area has prepared cakes and milk tea. Come and enjoy!]

Several pictures accompanied the message: fragrant cream cakes, golden croissants, large cups of pearl milk tea, and chocolate-covered waffles. Jinxiu Commerce had always offered good employee benefits, providing free afternoon tea every Friday as a form of cultural care.

Colleague Wang Chaoyang waved at him, "Come on, Tang Song! If we're late, there won't be any good stuff left." Tang Song stared at the pictures, swallowing heavily. [The sweet, smooth cream, soft and tasty cake, buttery croissant!] [Surely, just eating one or two pieces won't hurt!] Tang Song stood up slightly but then bit his lower lip hard and sat back down. He said with difficulty, "No, I'm on a diet. Enjoy it without me."

The desire to complete his task ultimately triumphed over the temptation of food.

At 6 p.m., Tang Song closed his laptop and got off work on time. Having endured that gut-wrenching hunger, he now felt much lighter. Walking out of the office building, he took a deep breath of the April breeze and jogged in the orange sunset. Returning to Qingxin Homestead, he began preparing his long-awaited dinner: boiled spinach (200g), steamed fish (150g), and a bowl of brown rice.

As the sun gradually disappeared beyond the horizon and the night enveloped the city, the living room lights came on. Tang Song sat at the dining table, silently savoring the satisfaction of the food and dreaming about the future.