1 Weakened Before Old Age

[You've been busy in the hospital for the entire morning. You have been diagnosed with five diseases and four abnormal findings. You are sprinting toward an early grave.] 

At the entrance of the hospital, Wang An, who was carrying a bag of medicine and a stack of medical reports, was stunned when he saw a line of text suddenly appear in front of him. 

It was morning, and the bright autumn sunlight covered his body. He should have been warm, but at this moment, his body felt cold all over. 

"What's going on? Is my body so weak that I'm starting to hallucinate?" He considered going back to get another neurologist. 

In the blink of an eye, that line of text disappeared. 

"Where did it go?" 

Wang An then returned to his residence in a daze. He put down the things he was holding and went to the bathroom to wash his face. With the coolness of the water, he suddenly felt much more awake. 

He looked up at his reflection in the mirror. 

He saw a man with a balding head, pale face, dark circles under his eyes, and a beer belly. He looked dispirited and grimy. 

There was not a hint of vitality in his entire body. Instead, he seemed to be in his twilight years. 

He was in his twenties and looked like he was in his thirties. He may not have been old, but he had already grown weak. 

Wang An came out of the bathroom and looked at the medical report on the table, and sighed. 

"Mild fatty liver, gastritis, pulmonary nodules, cervical spondylosis, arrhythmia, tendinitis..." 

He had the body of a forty-something year-old. 

"Young man, you have to take good care of your body. If you continue this way, there will be problems in the future." The doctor's words echoed in his ears. 

'There will be problems? The problems are already here!' 

Wang An subconsciously picked up the cigarette box on the table. He pulled out a cigarette and promptly stuffed it back in. 

'I can't smoke anymore. I have to quit! From today onwards, I'll take care of my body and regain my health,' Wang An thought. 

[Mission: A Healthy Body] 

[Restore your body back to full health. (Completion of A Healthy Body is a prerequisite for all other missions.)] 

Another line of text suddenly appeared in front of him. 

Wang An was stunned. He took a closer look and realized that it was something similar to a game panel floating in front of him. 

"What is this? A system?" 

After some research, Wang An could confirm that he had either obtained the type of cheat that was overused in novels or the least creative one. 

There was only a mission notification and nothing else. 

There was no physical attribute panel, no intelligent voice dialogue, and everything had to be manually explored by himself. 

"Perhaps I'm not qualified enough and haven't met the requirements. Perhaps there will be upgrades in the future, or perhaps it's an incomplete version." 

However, it was still better than nothing. With this, his life would be full of possibilities, and he could turn over a new leaf. 

The excited Wang An clenched his fists tightly. His originally sour mood suddenly became much better. Even the sunlight outside seemed exceptionally bright. 

At this moment, the phone on the table rang. 

Wang An glanced at the name displayed on the phone, and his eyes showed annoyance. He did not pick up, but the phone kept on ringing. The caller seemed to have something urgent to say. 

Wang An took a deep breath and picked up the phone. "Hello, Manager." 

"Wang An, get yourself over here to the company by tonight for overtime. You know that this project is urgent, so hurry up!" 

Wang An was furious when he heard that. 

'Overtime, overtime, all I do is overtime!' 

"I took today off, and I have something to do tonight." 

"Everyone else is here already. We can't do this without you. You know that this project is related to the seasonal award. Also, our company has been considering a promotion for us recently. But the budget is a bit tight so we might have to fire some employees. The higher-ups are discussing it…" 

The manager on the other end of the phone kept chattering on. 

'Damn it!' Wang An hung up the phone decisively. 

On the other side, the manager was stunned after hearing Wang An hang up. 

"This kid actually dared to hang up on me?!" When he called again, the other party actually did not pick up. 

"Fine, you little punk, just you wait. When you come back to the company, see how I deal with you!" He had already decided to think of a way to deduct Wang An's bonus for this month. He would even find a way to deduct his seasonal bonus too! 

After hanging up, Wang An leaned on the sofa and looked at the ceiling. 

"I have to get a new job." 

Working overtime day and night, with a salary that was not even considered generous, took a toll on his body. 

Wang An did not want to give all his hard-earned money to the hospital. 

He was still young and had many paths to choose from. 

He had not bought a house yet and did not have to worry about a mortgage. He was not married either, so he was free of the responsibility of taking care of a wife and children. The only concern he had was the two elderly people who were a thousand miles away. 

After working for more than four years and living frugally, he had some savings. He had originally planned to use them to make a down payment on a house, but with the current housing prices in Hu An City, it was still not enough. 

With these savings, as long as there were no major accidents, his life would not be a problem for the next few years even if he resigned. 

"That's settled then. I'll resign tomorrow. I can always find another job, but the issues of my health can't be delayed any longer. If I really can't find another job, I'll just go back to my hometown." 

After making up his mind, Wang An felt the tension leave his body. 

He poured himself a glass of water and went to his desk. 

He had to think about how to adjust his lifestyle. This was not purely for the sake of completing the mission, but also for himself. 

Wang An picked up his notebook and pen. 

First, he had to fix his bad habits. 'Smoking, drinking, eating takeout, staying up late... All of this has to be changed.' 

Next, it's essential to increase physical fitness activities in one's daily routine. He also had to eat healthily, rest reasonably, and ensure that he had enough sleep. 

Wang An listed out everything he could think of. 

His stomach suddenly rumbled, and he felt a sourness and a subtle, burning sensation in his stomach. Wang An looked up at the time. It was time for lunch. 

Normally, he would be in the office eating takeout. 

Chicken cutlet rice, rice noodles, set meals, or perhaps a high-calorie burger or fried chicken – they all had decent flavors, filled him up, and weren't too upscale, which he was reluctant to order. However, they were all high in oil, high in salt, and high in fat. 

This was also what he mostly had while doing overtime. 

Meal after meal of takeout led to gastritis and fatty liver, while irregular sleep patterns and overtime work resulted in cervical spondylosis, arrhythmia, and tendinitis for him. 

Wang An went to the fridge and opened it. Inside were eggs, rice, beer, coke, and a few rotten apples. There was no meat or vegetables. 

"There's nothing I can cook with this." 

Wang An threw all the rotten apples in the fridge into the garbage bag, cleaned the fridge, and went and dumped the garbage downstairs. He then went to the nearest supermarket and bought some fresh vegetables, fruits, and a fish. When he returned to his residence, he started cooking. 

It had been a long time since he had cooked a decent meal. 

First, he steamed a pot of rice, washed the fish, cut it with a knife, seasoned it slightly, and steamed it in the pot. Then, he stir-fried some vegetables. 

He had learned his cooking skills from his grandmother, but he had not used it for a long time and was a little rusty. 

In less than half an hour, lunch was ready. Wang An's body was slightly hot, and he was sweating. 

[You have prepared a mediocre lunch. At least it's better than the takeout you have been eating before.] 

The notification appeared again. 

"Mediocre? At least the system stated that it's healthier. Let me give it a try. Hmm, it seems a bit bland." 

Having been accustomed to the strong flavors of takeout, he had always felt that the homemade food he cooked lacked oil and salt, making it taste boring.