July 27, 2025. Sunday. Overcast.
23°C–29°C. Light southeasterly wind. Suitable for going out.
At half-past eight in the morning, the first thing Lin Shen did upon waking was reach for his phone beside his pillow.
[Construction Bank: Your account ending in 7946 received a deposit of RMB 1,700 at 00:01 on July 27. Current balance: 66,000.]
"Still thirty-four thousand short."
After confirming the money had arrived, Lin Shen made his bed and began to enjoy his hard-earned weekend.
First up was checking his weight and height.
78 kg!
When Lin Shen, standing on the body fat scale, looked down and saw the number, he was thrilled.
Losing nine pounds in just one week—the results were significant!
Of course, besides his dedicated daily workouts, the 50% boost to his exercise effectiveness had also helped him a great deal.
'Looks like it won't be long before I complete the weight-loss mission.'
Lin Shen walked over to the wall, stood up straight with his back against it, and used the same method he did as a child to measure his height, making a faint mark above his head.
It was about 1 cm higher than the mark he'd made four days ago.
'It's this effective!?'
Lin Shen was stunned.
He had been chewing two "Bone-Enhancing Calcium Tablets" every night before bed, but he hadn't expected them to work so quickly.
But he'd grown 1 cm in just four days?!
For an adult whose body had stopped developing, this was nothing short of a miracle!
Lin Shen was in an incredibly good mood. After humming a little tune while washing up, he stood before the mirror, cupped his chin, and admired himself for a moment.
The effects of the "Facial Slimming Scrub" had clearly slimmed down his face. Coupled with his shrinking potbelly, his physique was gradually shifting from obese to well-built and becoming much more proportional.
At the very least, he had much more Spirit than a week ago.
'Perhaps it's time to use the Appearance Change Card.'
Lin Shen considered it for a long time before finally picking up his phone and tapping on the [Appearance Change Card].
[Congratulations, you have activated the "Appearance Change Card"! Please change your appearance within 24 hours. You have a budget of 50,000. After the time is up, the system will rate and finalize the results based on your best possible look.]
'My best possible look, huh.'
Lin Shen thought for a moment and decided to get his workout for the day done first.
First up was his regular daily five-kilometer jog.
From an initial pace of seven minutes per kilometer to just over six minutes now, only Lin Shen himself knew the hardship involved.
After jogging and resting for a bit, he moved on to burpees, stair climbing, and horse stance.
The first two were for weight loss, while the last one was to train his kidneys.
He couldn't help it. Although Lin Shen had his complaints about Gu Wanting's temper, she was a wildcat in bed!
She was always coming up with all sorts of new tricks, and she did her best to satisfy any request.
This led to a situation where Lin Shen worked during the day, and then had to "work" again at night!
His kidney energy was severely depleted.
To reclaim his manly vigor, Lin Shen wasn't just losing weight; he was also practicing wellness techniques like Baduanjin, prematurely entering the lifestyle of a senior citizen.
"PHEW—!"
With his workout plan complete, the entire morning had passed by.
Lin Shen made himself a light lunch, planning to take a nap and then give the house a deep clean in the afternoon.
Just then, however, his phone buzzed with a WeChat message.
[Qin Yuenan: I'll treat you to dinner tonight.]
Huh?
Lin Shen froze for a moment.
Ever since becoming WeChat friends with Qin Yuenan, the two had chatted quite a bit, but most of their conversations were about work.
Lin Shen wasn't shy about it and even enthusiastically offered his own suggestions.
Combined with the fact that they often saw each other at the gym, their relationship had gradually shifted from superior and subordinate to friends.
At least, that's what Lin Shen thought.
But he didn't think his relationship with Qin Yuenan was good enough for her to invite him to dinner privately out of the blue.
'Could it be that my suggestions actually helped her?'
That was the only reason Lin Shen could think of, and a slight warmth stirred within him.
Qin Yuenan, a 28-year-old top student with a Master's in Management from Fudan University.
Just three years after graduating, she had become the Marketing Director at Pet Guardian Home, all without relying on any connections.
Add to that her refined, somewhat austere face and a graceful, curvy figure.
If it weren't for her cold and aloof expression, she would probably be admired by many.
She was the center of attention wherever she went.
Having dinner with a great beauty who had both looks and money... it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous.
Still, Lin Shen was handling it well. At most, he just had to think about what to wear tonight, since he needed to change his appearance as much as possible.
After rummaging through his closet, he finally settled on a simple combination: a white T-shirt and gray cargo shorts.
It wasn't like he had much of a choice, really. Lin Shen only had a few outfits for the summer, so he just had to combine them into the most presentable look he could manage.
'Maybe I should get a haircut.'
Lin Shen looked in the mirror and decided it was time for a new hairstyle.
As everyone knows, hairstyle is one of the biggest factors in a guy's appearance, often joked about online as "joint property in a relationship."
But the catch was finding a good barber.
This put Lin Shen in a difficult position.
After carefully weighing his options, he decided to splurge and booked an appointment on TikTok with a hairstylist who had over a hundred thousand followers.
His portfolio and skills looked pretty good, but the fee was a bit steep.
998, with three complimentary hair care treatments included.
What a rip-off!
Lin Shen couldn't help but complain to himself.
Although he could understand how expensive Hu Coins were, a thousand for just a wash, cut, and blow-dry, with no perm or dye?
'If he messes it up, I'm definitely calling the cops.'
Lin Shen got up and left home. Following the address from TikTok, he took the subway to the Wujiaochang commercial district. After some searching, he finally found the salon, named "Jason Private Customization."
The storefront wasn't large, but its minimalist decor revealed all sorts of exquisite details.
There were quite a few customers, most of whom were stylish city women there for a perm or dye job.
"Hello, sir. How can I help you?"
"I have an appointment for a haircut at three o'clock."
Lin Shen explained to the front desk.
"The stylist's name is... Jason, I think?"
"You must be President Lin!"
The one who greeted Lin Shen was a pretty young woman.
She seemed very excited. After asking a colleague to cover for her, she came out from behind the counter, smiled, bowed, and led Lin Shen into the salon.
"My name is Xiaoli. Please come with me! The manager has been waiting for you."
'President Lin?'
The title made Lin Shen feel a little giddy. He also noticed that the staff's attire was quite something.
Aside from the hairstylists with their bizarre hairstyles and rainbow-colored hair, the female staff all wore uniforms similar to flight attendants.
Hip-hugging skirts paired with nude pantyhose, which looked rather sexy.
Meanwhile, the male staff were all handsome men over 1.8 meters tall, wearing short-sleeved shirts with a few buttons undone to reveal a hint of their pectoral muscles.
'They're pushing the envelope with this too?'
It was a real eye-opener for Lin Shen.
'Have I been out of the loop for that long? How have hair salons evolved to this point?'
"Hello! President Lin."
After Xiaoli led him to a swivel chair in the corner of the shop, a young-looking man walked over.
He had a Japanese-style top knot, a meticulously trimmed beard, and two full tattoo sleeves that were particularly eye-catching. He looked quite distinctive.
"I'm the barber you booked, the founder of this shop, Jason."
"Hello."
After shaking hands with Jason, Lin Shen grumbled to himself.
'Why do all these hairstylists like giving themselves English names?'