Chapter One: The Ultimate Entertainment System

May 28th, 2022.

Huaguo.

Ten o’clock in the morning.

Inside a rented room.

Chen Fang lay sprawled on the bed, his head threatening to split open. He tried to open his eyes, but a wave of dizziness rendered his eyelids unbearably heavy, a wave of nausea roiling in his gut.

“Yuhui?”

He forced the words out, voice thick with pain.

No answer.

Chen Fang shook his head, waiting for the agony to subside. After a long while, the pain eased a little. “I’ve been hungover before, but why is it so much worse this time?”

He lay still for a long moment before finally managing to crack his eyes open.

And then he froze.

What was going on?

He should have been in a hotel, shouldn’t he?

But this pitifully small room, with its webbed corners and mold-stained walls—where on earth was he?

“Yuhui!”

He called out again, frowning.

He struggled to recall the events of the previous night.

There had been an entertainment gala. His company’s rising star, Yuhui, had swept three newcomer awards. As her boss and chairman, Chen Fang had naturally joined the celebration. The girl had been so understanding—after the festivities, she’d simply curled up in his arms and fallen asleep.

He was no stranger to such dealings.

After some in-depth, meaningful conversation, his consciousness had faded away. He remembered nothing after that.

...

Just then, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

[Ding!]

[Detected host’s emotional fluctuation. System activating.]

[Activation successful!]

[Strongest Entertainment System has been successfully bound.]

[Host: Chen Fang]

[Identity: None]

[Appearance: 92]

[Temperament: 73]

[Physique: 51]

[Daily reward box not yet issued.]

[Items: None]

[Overall rating: Entertainment Novice]

The room was silent for three seconds.

Chen Fang drew in a sharp breath, his hand raking through his hair in disbelief. “I’ve transmigrated?”

[Correct, host. The current world is Huaguo.]

“Send me back!”

[Impossible.]

The system’s icy refusal was a punch to the gut.

He hadn’t wanted to transmigrate!

Most people longed for a new life because they lacked money or had missed out on love. But Chen Fang was not one of them. He was the boss of an entertainment company, with a bank balance that dwarfed a starlet’s legs, and a different bride every night.

Who in their right mind would want to leave a life like that?

Hiss—

His head throbbed anew.

Clutching his temples, Chen Fang found unfamiliar memories flooding his mind.

The original owner of this body was also called Chen Fang—an orphan who’d scraped by on barely enough to eat, now surviving by singing for coins on the streets.

A pauper?

Chen Fang felt a wave of discomfort.

It was bad enough to transmigrate, but to land in the body of someone whose pockets were emptier than his face was clean...

As expected—

The greatest sorrow in life was not dying, but dying with your money unspent.

He staggered out of bed, nearly collapsing, and managed to reach the mirror.

He froze again.

This face—if only his original had possessed a tenth of this handsomeness.

He stroked his chin, a roguish grin blooming on his lips.

This face was striking.

Back on Earth, in his youth, he’d been merely decent-looking. Years of drinking, smoking, and dealing with female artists had left his body bloated and his features coarsened.

But now—starry eyes beneath sword-sharp brows, chiseled features, and a pair of phoenix eyes that, when he smiled, exuded an unruly, mischievous charm.

Chen Fang couldn’t help but marvel.

“With a face like this, even a rich widow would jump at the chance to keep you—how did you end up so down and out?” He shook his head, baffled. If it had been him, he’d have found a sugar mama by now.

This kid had chosen the wrong path.

Completely failed to make use of his natural advantages!

After admiring his own stunning visage for a while, Chen Fang found that transmigrating didn’t seem such a loss—he’d traded millions in assets for a young, healthy body.

The only drawback was how thin this body was.

Six feet tall, yet so slight he likely didn’t even weigh 120 pounds.

“She really hit the nail on the head,” Chen Fang sighed.

Last night, Yuhui had threatened that she’d leave him unable to get out of bed the next day. Sure enough, he’d woken up exactly as she’d said.

That girl had a bit of a jinxed tongue.

Just as Chen Fang was about to ask the system something, the room’s door was flung open.

Bang!

The door slammed against the wall.

“Chen Fang! Hurry up, we need to go!”

A burly—no, outright rotund—figure barreled toward him, immediately grabbing his arm in a vice-like grip.

Hiss—

This fatty was strong!

“Wait a second!” Chen Fang protested, trying to shake off the grip.

“If you don’t hurry, we’ll be late!”

Still foggy from transmigration, Chen Fang had no idea what he was supposed to do today. He asked instinctively, “Late for what?”

The fat guy finally realized something was off and released his arm. “Today’s the Starlight Road audition! You fought tooth and nail to secure a spot on stage, and now you’ve forgotten?”

Starlight Road?

Chen Fang dug through the original’s memories—yes, there was such a thing.

The original Chen Fang’s greatest dream was to become a real singer, to stand on stage and perform. Not long ago, he’d gone to great lengths to sign up for the talent show called “Starlight Road.”

Today was the first day of auditions.

As he sorted through these memories, Chen Fang finally recalled the fat guy’s name.

Pang Tong.

The original’s best friend—also an orphan.

“I didn’t forget,” Chen Fang replied.

“Then let’s go!” Pang Tong reached out to grab his arm again, but Chen Fang sidestepped him, gesturing at his clothes. “I can’t go on stage dressed like this. Let me change—won’t take long.”

Soon after, Chen Fang emerged in a simple, clean set of casual clothes.

Normally, given his personality, he’d likely have skipped the audition altogether.

After all, he’d always considered himself a veteran in the arts. His days were filled with dealings with female artists—both business and otherwise. It was only natural that a seasoned artist couldn’t sing.

The original owner, despite his good looks and voice, had always been lacking in emotional expression, unable to convey the soul of a song.

Why did people love watching Japanese and Korean films? The actresses were professional—their cries felt real.

If someone just moaned with a dry, lifeless voice, who’d want to watch?

Singing was the same.

Besides, Chen Fang had little interest in singing—he only cared about making money.

But things were different now.

He had the System.

And not just any system—the Strongest Entertainment System!

If he wanted to make money fast, what better tool could there be?

“System?” Chen Fang called out silently.

[Host, I’m here.]

“Is there a newbie gift pack?”

[Ding!]

[Daily reward box has been issued.]

[Since this is your first box, you’re guaranteed a permanent item, with a small chance of a legendary item.]

As he climbed into the cab, Chen Fang closed his eyes to “rest,” checking the reward box inventory.

Beside him, Pang Tong eyed his profile curiously—still as handsome as ever, but today, something seemed different.

He frowned, thinking hard.

Chen Fang was smiling!

He rarely smiled before.

He was already handsome, but the confident curve of his lips added a touch of boldness and recklessness.

“Heaven is so unfair!”

“Why couldn’t I have a face like that...”

...

A short while later, Chen Fang opened his eyes.

The reward box was completely random—what he got depended entirely on luck.

He might end up with a bag of laundry detergent, or, with a bit of luck, a complete song, or even a full-length screenplay.

He didn’t rush to open the box. Instead, he rolled down the window and gazed at the unfamiliar city.

Towering buildings stretched as far as the eye could see.

Each one was outfitted with giant LED screens, displaying celebrities whose faces he’d never seen before.

From the roadside, music blared from loudspeakers—melodies equally foreign to his ears.

A new world meant new opportunities.

The light in Chen Fang’s eyes burned ever brighter, the smile on his lips growing more pronounced.

“Chen Fang, you look so lecherous when you smile,” Pang Tong said.

Chen Fang glanced at him. “Fatty, are you jealous of my looks?”

“Bah!” Pang Tong’s chubby cheeks squeezed together as he tried to look disdainful, which only made Chen Fang anxious for his sake. “Give your face a break—your eyes are small enough already, squeeze any more and they’ll disappear.”

Pang Tong: ...

Chen Fang was in high spirits.

“System!”

“Open the box!”

He shouted inwardly.

[Opening box...]

The thrill of a blind draw!

Countless orbs of light flashed before his eyes.

Only Chen Fang could see them—no one else.

Soon, the lights began to slow.

In that instant, Chen Fang’s heart pounded.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have drawn a Legendary Item Card—Universal Instrument Mastery: Master-level proficiency with all instruments, permanent.]

[Item card has been automatically activated.]

Excellent!

His eyes gleamed with excitement.

It was time to teach this world’s entertainment industry a lesson!