From Simp to National Heartthrob - Chapter 2:

Chapter 2: The Beginning of Transformation

Chen Yi was startled, thinking he was hearing things. The mechanical voice sounded inside his head. After a short pause, it continued, [Congratulations, you have obtained the “Extreme Makeover Male God System.”]

[Detected excessive remorse value. System activated automatically.]

Name: Chen Yi

Height: 185 cm

Weight: 110 kg

Charm: 12 (Pathetically low!)

Physique: 21, Endurance: 33, Agility: 27, Intelligence: 84 (Are you Stephen Hawking himself? What a waste of such a brain on this kind of body!)

Asset status: Balance: 0.53 yuan, Property: None, Vehicle: None, Other assets: None. (Single, overweight, no house, no car—heavens!)

A pale-blue light screen slowly unfolded before Chen Yi, and the mechanical male voice read out every line word by word.

Chen Yi’s heartbeat quickened uncontrollably. At first, he thought he was hallucinating. But the feeling was far too real. Shocked, he quickly realized the truth.

He had gotten a system! Just like those protagonists in web novels!

[To transform into a male god, confidence is the first key. Host, do you have confidence?]

Of course he did! Wasn’t getting a system the standard feature of a protagonist? That alone meant he was about to reach the peak of life!

The system asked again, [Host, do you have confidence?]

“Uh, I have confidence,” Chen Yi replied softly.

The system didn’t sound satisfied, [You sound hesitant, host.]

“…”

At that moment, the sound of firecrackers echoed from downstairs, and Chen Yi raised his voice, “Of course I have confidence!”

[Congratulations on completing the beginner mission. Reward: 2,000 yuan.]

[Any change begins with the right mindset. As long as you have strong determination, no matter what your goal is, the system will help you achieve it!]

The next moment, Chen Yi’s phone vibrated.

[Your bank card ending in 8722 has received a deposit of 2,000.00 yuan. Current balance: 0.53 yuan…]

It was such a simple mission! Just answering one question got him 2,000 yuan. Wasn’t that basically giving him money for free?

[Beginner mission completed. The upcoming main missions will be more challenging.]

“I’m ready!” Chen Yi said eagerly, the 2,000 yuan reward firing him up with motivation.

[Host, don’t be too happy yet,] the system commented with a surprisingly human-like tone.

[To become a male god, divine looks and eight-pack abs are standard. A bank balance with nine digits is the baseline. But right now, you only have one lump of fat instead of abs, dark eye circles as deep as caves, skin as rough as the surface of the moon, and only a tenth of your year-end bonus left in your card. Truly tragic.]

Chen Yi clenched his teeth. Did it really have to be that blunt?

[Therefore, the upcoming transformation will require the host’s utmost effort.]

[Now, please claim your beginner reward—starting the lottery draw!]

As the system finished speaking, a spinning prize wheel appeared before Chen Yi.

It had many sections, mostly green and white, with a few rare blue and purple ones. Only one golden-orange section glowed brilliantly. Clearly, whatever he got depended on luck.

Chen Yi raised his hand and made a strong swipe in the air. The wheel spun rapidly.

[Reward: Leap from Zero to One.]

A blue card appeared—decent luck.

He didn’t quite understand what “Leap from Zero to One” meant, but the system detected his confusion and explained.

[You, who never exercise and get winded after walking 2 kilometers, would normally need half a year just to start losing weight through workouts. First, you’d have to build stamina through light walking before you could actually burn fat.]

[And given your size, running would hurt your knees. Forcing exercise would only damage your body.]

[That’s why this reward is tailor-made for you! The system has already completed your leap from zero to one. You now have immense stamina—you’ll never feel tired during exercise, nor will your body suffer any harm.]

[So, do you wish to begin the main mission?]

Hearing that, Chen Yi was thrilled. Whether this prize was deliberately given or pure luck didn’t matter—it was perfect for him.

“Start!” he answered firmly.

[Main Mission 1: Weight Loss and Body Sculpting – Reduce 5 kg of body weight.]

[Mission Plan: 2 hours of aerobic exercise per day, 40 minutes of anaerobic exercise.]

[Daily Reward: 1 treasure chest.]

[Treasure Chest Contents: 10,000 yuan (33% chance), one draw from the blue-purple prize pool (33% chance), 3-day high-level orange card trial (33% chance), or main mission +3 levels (1% chance).]

Chen Yi’s eyes widened.

Even ignoring the bonus rewards, just exercising for a bit over two hours a day could earn him 10,000 yuan?

That was far easier than slaving away at work!

At that thought, his breakup gloom suddenly lightened.

…

Zhao Family Villa.

Zhou Meng forced down her irritation after being hung up on by Chen Yi and smiled toward Zhao Mingda.

More than half a month ago, Zhao Mingda had suddenly reached out, saying the selfies she posted in her friend circle were beautiful—just like when they were kids.

After a bit of polite small talk, Zhao Mingda asked her to accompany him home and pretend to be his girlfriend.

He offered 100,000 yuan as compensation.

Thinking of the luxury bag she’d been yearning for, Zhou Meng modestly refused a few times before finally agreeing.

The Zhao family living room was dazzlingly elegant. Even the stepping stones at the entrance were polished jade.

Zhou Meng tried to control her expression, pretending to be calm and composed.

“You’re back? The New Year’s Eve dinner has been ready for a while. We only waited to start cooking after you came home!”

Just as they stepped past the entryway, she heard a familiar voice. She had met Zhao Mingda’s mother years ago and immediately smiled politely. “Hello, Aunt.”

Madam Zhao’s face hadn’t changed much from years ago, only now with more fine lines and a graceful charm. Dressed in luxurious attire, her expression darkened the instant she saw Zhou Meng.

“Who is this? I thought you were bringing A’Xue back!”

“I’ve told you many times already, I don’t like that Miss Gu. I have someone I truly like.” Zhao Mingda sounded helpless. He looked at Zhou Meng and said, “Mengmeng isn’t like other women, she understands me. Being with her makes me happy! Besides, she used to live nearby—you’ve met her before…”

“Nearby in the alley?”

Madam Zhao finally turned her gaze toward Zhou Meng, scanning her up and down with open disdain. “There are plenty of people living in those alleys. How could I possibly remember who she is?”

Zhou Meng’s face burned with embarrassment. The little confidence she had instantly crumbled.

She and Zhao Mingda had grown up together. Though their homes were close, the alley separating them was like a divide between worlds. Her side was practically a slum, sharing a public toilet, while the Zhao family lived in one of the most luxurious three-story villas of the time.

“An engagement isn’t something you can just break off because you don’t like it,” Madam Zhao said sharply, glaring at her son. “The Gu family is not one to be trifled with!”