Restraint and Persistence

April 7, 2023, Friday, sunny, 6–16°C.

At 6:00 in the morning, the first light of dawn had just appeared on the horizon.

"Ding ding ding—" The alarm sounded.

Tang Song got out of bed briskly, made it, drank a cup of warm water, and emptied his metabolic waste in the bathroom. His body's vitality was quickly awakened.

Standing before the mirror, he gave himself a sincere smile.

"Ding dong—" The bank deposit notification arrived right on schedule.

A good mood to start the day.

As the saying went: true wealth was the smile on your face.

Tang Song wholeheartedly agreed.

He opened the System Interface and checked his personal information.

Player: Tang Song (25')

Role: Brocade Business - Development Engineer

Height: 180 cm, Weight: 86.5 kg

Constitution: 56, Endurance: 55, Agility: 49, Insight: 76

Assets:

Balance: 46,020.80 yuan

Business: None

Property: None

Vehicle: Yade Electric Vehicle

...

Today was the sixth day of his Weight Loss Plan, and the results had been excellent.

His weight had dropped to 86.5 kg, his agility had increased by 1 point, and his charm rating had reached 25.

He touched his lower belly and could clearly feel that it had gotten smaller. His body also felt much lighter.

"Nice!" Tang Song snapped his fingers happily.

No one could refuse becoming better. Watching himself inch closer to his goal was truly exhilarating.

After putting on his workout clothes and doing ten minutes of full-body stretches, he began forty minutes of fasted cardio beneath the faint morning light, breathing in the crisp air.

After fasting for a long time overnight, the body's glycogen reserves were low. Doing cardio at this time made it easier for the body to use fat as an energy source, making fat loss especially effective.

"Huff, huff—"

Large beads of sweat rolled down his body, soaking through his clothes. His legs were trembling.

Footsteps, breathing, and heartbeats intertwined beside his ears into an impassioned symphony.

Thoughts of laziness, avoidance, and slacking off emerged from his mind one after another.

Tang Song worked hard to adjust his breathing rhythm, painfully enjoying this fat-burning moment that belonged to him alone.

In fact, today was already much easier.

During the first few days of working out, lactic acid had built up in his muscles, leaving his whole body sore. Even going to the bathroom had been difficult. He had relied entirely on willpower to persist.

After returning home, he took a quick shower and began preparing today's meals.

Breakfast was simple: low-fat milk (250 ml), purple sweet potato (150 g), one boiled egg, and one Apple.

Lunch was more troublesome to make: steamed corn, pumpkin, winter melon with shrimp, and black pepper mushrooms.

After breakfast, he cleaned up the kitchen and walked to work carrying his lunchbox.

The reason he had not quit his job was mainly to obtain the reward tied to reaching 30 Charm Value as soon as possible.

According to the system's standards for evaluating Charm Value, before he had his own career, a stable job and social connections were very important.

If his role became unemployed, his Charm Value would definitely drop considerably.

Still in the development stage, his top priority was to unlock the first-stage reward as soon as possible. Stability above all else!

8:50 a.m.

20th floor of Lin Jin Building, Brocade Business.

"Morning!"

"Morning!"

"Morning, Zhang Ge!"

"Good morning, Little Song. You've lost quite a bit of weight lately! You look more energetic too."

With a warm smile on his face, Tang Song greeted the coworkers he encountered from time to time.

He put his lunchbox in the refrigerator, poured himself a large cup of hot water, sat down at his Workstation, opened his Laptop, and began studying.

Quality sleep had left him full of energy, and combined with his weight loss, his whole person had noticeably changed.

Quite a few female coworkers had even asked him for his fat-loss meal menu.

His mindset was very good now. He went to work at nine every day and got off work promptly at six.

He did just enough work, and overtime was absolutely out of the question. He put most of his energy into improving himself.

Every so often, he would take a few laps around the stairwell to avoid sitting for too long.

At lunchtime, Zhao Yue suddenly leaned over.

She glanced at Tang Song's lunchbox and remarked, "Brother Song, your fat-loss meals are getting more and more impressive. They look really appetizing!"

"I just mess around following tutorials. The taste is actually pretty average."

"I don't believe you." Zhao Yue covered her mouth with a light laugh, directly picked up a piece of shrimp with her Chopsticks, and tossed it into her mouth for a taste. "It's nowhere near as bad as you said. It tastes really good!"

After saying that, she placed a cup of Yogurt on Tang Song's desk, patted his shoulder, and said, "A little encouragement for Brother Song. Try to slim down soon and raise the average looks of the guys in our department!"

"No problem." Tang Song smiled and gave an OK gesture.

Their eyes met. Zhao Yue seemed a little embarrassed and quickly Moved away her gaze before returning to her Workstation.

Tang Song watched her back and could not help Shook head.

When he had first Joined the company, he had thought this female coworker liked him.

After all, her words and actions had been quite intimate, and she seemed to have no sense of distance around him.

But after several things happened later on, he gradually came to realize that Zhao Yue was merely keeping him on the hook.

What she probably valued was that his technical skills were decent and that he could help her at work.

In terms of looks, Zhao Yue could not be called particularly beautiful. With makeup, she could be rated a six.

In her early twenties, outgoing, neither fat nor thin, with a monthly salary of 6,000 yuan.

Yet even a girl as unremarkable as her had quite a few suitors and simps around her.

Every holiday, she received gifts and flowers, and her Moments were vibrant and colorful.

This had also given her an inexplicable Sense of superiority.

By her standards, Tang Song had probably been automatically categorized as one of her simps.

Every now and then, just like earlier, she would toss him a bone to maintain their level of intimacy.

A little after three in the afternoon, his body was empty again.

Tang Song exercised on the Elliptical Machine for half an hour and worked up a sweat.

Not long after returning to his Workstation, an intense wave of hunger assaulted him.

His gaze unconsciously fell on the snacks of his nearby coworkers, and his throat bobbed.

Potato Chips, ham, Pickled Pepper Chicken Feet, Crispy Noodles, chocolate...

They were all things he loved to eat!

Tang Song licked his Lips and tried hard to shift his attention elsewhere.

The hunger at this stage was the hardest to endure, but as long as he got through it, his body would begin burning fat, stabilize his blood sugar levels, and the hunger would lessen considerably.

After holding out for half an hour, the coworkers around him suddenly began discussing Afternoon Tea.

Tang Song Glanced at the work group chat and, sure enough, saw the notice HR had just sent.

Dear all: It's time for delicious afternoon tea again. Thank you all for your hard work in your daily duties. Cakes and Milk Tea have been prepared in the activity area, so come and enjoy!

Several pictures were attached below.

Fragrant cream cakes, golden and crispy Croissants, large cups of pearl milk tea, and waffles covered in chocolate.

Brocade Business had decent employee benefits. Every Friday, they provided free afternoon tea as a form of humanistic care.

His coworker Wang Chaoyang waved at him. "Come on, Tang Song! If we go too late, all the good stuff will be gone."

Tang Song stared at the photos and swallowed hard.

Sweet, silky cream, soft and delicious cake, butter-coated Croissants!

If he only ate one or two pieces, it would definitely be fine!

Tang Song rose slightly, then bit down hard on his lower lip and sat back down.

He said with difficulty, "No, I'm losing weight lately. You guys enjoy yourselves."

His desire to complete the task ultimately overcame the temptation of delicious food.

6:00 in the evening.

Tang Song closed his Laptop and got off work on time.

Having endured that anxious and restless hunger, he now felt much more relaxed instead.

He walked out through the Main Door of the Office Building, and the April wind assaulted his senses.

Tang Song took a deep breath and jogged beneath the orange sunset.

After returning to Qingxin Garden, he began preparing the dinner he had been looking forward to for so long.

Boiled spinach (200 g) + steamed fish (150 g) + a bowl of brown rice.

The sunset gradually disappeared beyond the horizon, and night enveloped the entire city.

The lights in the Living Room came on.

Tang Song sat at the dining table, silently savoring the satisfaction brought by the food and imagining the future.