Chapter 2: No Madness, No Survival
The downpour ceased, and the dark clouds scattered.
At some point, the rain outside had stopped.
Moonlight pierced through the clouds, spilling onto the earth, and the world returned to a state of tranquility.
Gu Heng sat dazedly on the sofa, staring at the light screen still hovering before his eyes. It was as if he’d been struck by an Immobilization Technique.
Wealth Level...
A9!
In this age of information overload, Gu Heng naturally understood what a Wealth Level of A9 signified.
It meant that as long as Gu Heng could successfully complete the system’s challenge, he would instantly transform from a destitute, helpless poor kid into a super-tycoon with over a hundred million in assets.
Over a hundred million in assets!
Gu Heng had never dared to dream so wildly before!
And yet, this was just the first step in his life’s comeback story.
"So much money..."
Gu Heng muttered to himself, "Even if I found a new girlfriend every day—one who doesn’t eat cilantro or gummy bears—I probably couldn’t spend all this money before I die, right?"
Based on current fixed deposit interest rates, even at a low 1.5% for a one-year term, if Gu Heng put a hundred million in the bank, the interest alone would amount to 1.5 million a year.
In other words, as long as Gu Heng could complete this first challenge, it would be enough for him to achieve financial freedom in a second-tier city like Beichun, and even live like a king.
Beichun, the capital of Ji Province.
It’s a rather magical city.
When you earn three thousand a month, Beichun might seem like just an economically backward, lifeless old industrial city in the Northeast.
But...
When you earn fifty thousand a month, Beichun becomes a little Paris of the East.
It can be the sunset over Jingyue Lake, the evening breeze by Nanhu Lake, the vibrant street life of Guilin Road. It can be the crab roe noodles at Wanxiang City and the Louis Vuitton at Zhuo Zhan. It’s the songs drifting from countless taverns on Red Flag Street, and even more so, the ultimate haven of pleasure that countless men dream of.
If a monthly salary of 50,000 can offer all that, imagine an annual income of 1.5 million.
He couldn’t spend it all. It was simply impossible to spend it all.
Just as Gu Heng’s heart was surging with emotion, the light screen hovering before him gradually faded away. Then, he saw the shimmering golden tower tremble gently once more.
[Congratulations, Host. You have received a Buff reward: "Eternal Day Engine"]
["Eternal Day Engine": You only need a short amount of sleep to restore your mental energy to its peak. Your body’s recovery mechanisms will become more efficient, your resilience to stress will be greatly enhanced, and your metabolism will become much more effective.]
A few dozen seconds later, after Gu Heng had read the text on the light screen, it once again faded from view. In its place, a jade-green light appeared, seemingly breaking through the boundary between reality and illusion as it shot abruptly toward him.
In the blink of an eye, it vanished into his body.
’Huh?’
’I don’t seem to feel any different.’
Gu Heng lifted his arms and legs, grumbling to himself internally.
But thinking about the description of the "Eternal Day Engine" buff, Gu Heng figured he’d probably have to get some sleep before he could find out what its effects were.
CLICK!
Suddenly, the lights in the room came on.
"The power’s back."
Seeing no further activity from Brother Tongzi, Gu Heng brought his attention back to reality.
’First, I should check my weight.’
After the initial excitement, Gu Heng gradually calmed down.
The reward from Brother Tongzi was certainly generous, but the challenge it had given him was also incredibly difficult.
The digital scale at home was placed in front of a full-length mirror.
Gu Heng stripped down to his boxers and then stepped onto the scale.
THUMP!
"93 kg!"
Gu Heng stared at the number on the scale. As expected, he had gained weight again.
Lifting his head, he looked at himself in the full-length mirror.
His once-sharp jawline was now buried under a double chin. The muscular, defined body he had in school was now covered in flab, loose and completely shapeless.
Gazing at the person in the mirror, Gu Heng felt an inexplicable sense of detachment, as if looking at someone from a different lifetime.
It had been a long time since he’d examined himself so closely.
Binge eating, frequent late-night snacks, sugary drinks, irregular meals...
In just a few short years, with these terrible eating habits, Gu Heng had personally killed the bright, handsome young man he once was, drowning him in the river of time.
’I can’t go on like this...’
’I shouldn’t go on like this...’
Gu Heng stared straight at his reflection, the words echoing silently in his mind.
...
「Back in the bedroom.」
Gu Heng took out the laptop he’d bought from a second-hand market for 700 yuan. It was an old model, but as long as he wasn’t playing games, it ran smoothly enough for looking up information or watching his "instructional videos."
Speaking of the laptop, Gu Heng was actually quite attached to it.
When he first arrived in Beichun, he had struggled to make his way in the world, hitting dead ends everywhere he turned.
For a while, he felt his life was completely meaningless and even had thoughts of ending it all.
Until one day, Gu Heng had a sudden epiphany.
Whenever he felt that life was meaningless again, the images of the "teachers" from those instructional videos would pop into his head.
He thought about how they knew that many of the scenes they filmed were pointless and destined to be skipped, yet they still shot them with the utmost seriousness.
So...
Whether life has meaning or not is completely unimportant. Living well and pleasing oneself should be the greatest meaning of life.
Gu Heng recalled this memory as he waited for the sluggish computer to slowly boot up.
Once the computer finally started, Gu Heng didn’t dwell on the past any longer. He immediately started researching on various internet platforms like Baidu, TikTok, Xiaohongshu, Bilibili, and Keep to create a weight-loss plan that was as detailed and scientific as possible.
At the same time, Gu Heng utilized every AI software he could find to ensure the weight-loss plan he created didn’t have any major health risks.
If he had to spend money, he spent it. If he had to pay for a service, he paid for it.
His future was on the line; Gu Heng wasn’t about to be stingy at such a critical moment.
...
「Two hours later.」
Gu Heng stared at the five-thousand-word weight-loss plan he had created, and his expression turned grim.
Only now did he realize that Brother Tongzi’s last words had not been an exaggeration.
According to the results of dozens of calculations run through various AI programs, the theoretical maximum amount of weight he could lose in 30 days, given his current physical condition, was 13.5 kg. This was only 0.5 kg more than the 13 kg goal set by Brother Tongzi.
And what was a "theoretical maximum"?
It meant a result that was, under normal circumstances, completely impossible to achieve!
"I’ll do whatever it takes!"
"It’s just losing 13 kilograms, isn’t it?"
"Bring it on!"
"If I have to chop off my own hand at the end, I’ll do it to make that 13-kilo mark!"
After a long moment, Gu Heng took a deep breath, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes.
When a beam of light shines into the darkness, that light is a sin.
Now, the sudden appearance of Brother Tongzi was just like that beam of light.
For someone who has lived in darkness for a long time, the scariest thing isn’t having no hope. It’s having seen hope, only to sink back into the darkness, unable to escape. That is true despair.
For the next 30 days...
No madness, no survival!