"System?" Even though Chu Zhi hadn't been much of a novel reader in his past life, he was familiar enough with the concept.
After a moment of contemplation, he tentatively tried communicating with it mentally: "System, could you explain your functions?"
It worked. A cold, mechanical voice immediately echoed in his mind—
[This system originates from the M79 Nebula and serves as an auxiliary program for crafting unique celebrities.]
[Main Function: The host achieves specific objectives to earn Personality Coins. 5 coins can be exchanged for an Entertainment Blind Box.]
[Current Personality Coins: 3]
"System, are these 3 coins a starting gift, or were they accumulated from the original owner's diva behavior?" Chu Zhi asked cautiously.
[Starting gift. The system arrived with the host's soul during the crossing.]
Relief washed over him. The system wasn't tied to the original owner—meaning no risk of the original soul resurfacing to reclaim the body.
"Then I have a small question. Did my crossing have anything to do with you?" Chu Zhi pressed. "Let's be honest here—Chinese don't lie to Chinese."
[This system is not Chinese, not of Earth, not even from the Milky Way. It is also not human.]
"So, was my sudden death and crossing your doing?" Though phrased as a question, his tone was accusatory.
The system went silent.
"Can you send me back?"
[The host's crossing was caused by spacetime turbulence during system binding. Original spacetime coordinates are still being located.]
The two worlds were nearly identical in technology and history—except for cultural developments post-19th century. Some things were missing; others had been added.
"I'm not a petty person, but before crossing, my company was about to go public. I was on the verge of cashing out, living the high life. Now? I'm 47 million in debt. This isn't just falling from heaven to hell—it's a nosedive into the abyss. Don't you think that's a bit unfair?"
Behind his complaints, Chu Zhi was already scheming. The past couldn't be changed, but the future was still his to manipulate.
After two minutes of silence, the electronic voice finally responded:
[Congratulations, host! Newcomer privilege unlocked—Entertainment Blind Box*1.]
Securing a tangible benefit, Chu Zhi's aggrieved expression lightened slightly. "Well, regardless, I'll be counting on you for cheats in this second life."
With that, he began dissecting the system's functions. "Idol Personality System"—its goal was to create an unconventional star.
Next, he noticed a largely darkened achievement list, with only two entries illuminated:
[Drunken Immortal 圣贤皆寂寞,惟有饮者留其名. "The saints are all lonely; only the drinkers leave their names."]
—Hangover*1: 1 Personality Coin ★
—Hangover*3: 2 Coins
—Hangover*5: 3 Coins
—Hangover*10: 5 Coins
(Click to expand)
[Ruthless Spice Butcher 川人不怕辣,贵人怕不辣,湖人辣不怕. "Sichuanese fear no spice, Guizhouese fear no spice, Hunanese fear spice-less."]
—Eat spicy food*3: 1 Coin ★
—Eat spicy food*5: 2 Coins
—Eat spicy food*10: 3 Coins
(Click to expand)]**
The rest were shadowed, requiring unlocking. Currently, only alcohol and spicy food could earn him coins—almost like a gourmet system.
"If the rest are hidden, are there hints?" He clung to a sliver of hope.
[Host must explore independently.]
As expected. Chu Zhi's mind raced, quickly piecing together two key points:
—The starred tasks were likely completed—meaning the 3 starting coins were from his past life's system binding.
—"Idol" encompassed actors, singers, dancers, hosts—any profession with influence in entertainment.
"Singers avoid spicy food to protect their vocal cords. Some strict ones cut it out entirely."
"Hangovers ruin facial control and coordination—bad for actors, worse for public figures."
"This system wants me to defy expectations, to do what stars 'shouldn't.'"
He'd need to strategize carefully. Publicly, idols had to project positivity—or risk government backlash. But there were workarounds.
A saying described Chu Zhi well: "A pig's face, a fox's mind." Outwardly harmless, inwardly scheming. Anyone who could drag a startup to an IPO wasn't a pushover.
"Can I open the blind box now?"
[Proceed.]
"Then let's roll."
Six prizes flashed before him:
—Perfect Vocals (Non-lyrical)
—Perfect Body (Vase Edition)
—Oddity: Alcohol Immunity Pills
—"In the Name of the Father" Song Pack
—"Elope to the Moon" Song Pack
—Grand Prize: Frédéric Chopin's Piano Mastery
The options vanished into six identical boxes, shuffling at blinding speed.
"Pure luck now."
Chu Zhi suddenly stood, rushing to the bathroom. The left held a toilet, the right a shower—fully separated. The sink between them was out of soap, long unreplenished. He scrubbed his hands fiercely, washing away bad luck. Time to prove his gacha divinity.
"Only one target—the Grand Prize."
Who was Chopin? The creator of Nocturnes, nicknamed "The Cannon Amid Flowers", Poland's greatest pianist—bar none.
With Chopin's skills, Chu Zhi could ditch entertainment for classical music, follow in Lang Lang's footsteps, and clear his debts with ease.
Pianists had prestige.
"It's you!" He mentally selected the box fate tied to him. As it opened, intricate patterns gleamed. He could hear his own breath. Then—golden light.
Reward: [Perfect Vocals (Non-lyrical)]
"Well…" After a brief disappointment, he adjusted. This was compensation, after all.
"This time, fine. Next time, the Grand Prize."
The reward dissolved into a white light, merging into him. His throat tingled—changed, yet unchanged.
"'Perfect Vocals' is clear, but what's 'Non-lyrical'?" He eyed the fine print.
[Host must explore independently.]
"Mysterious as hell."
After 30 minutes of testing, he grasped it. The original owner's voice had been average—nothing memorable. Now? Transformed.
"Non-lyrical" referred to non-lexical vocables—sounds without complete lyrical meaning. Think the "di-di-di-di-da-da" hook in "The You I Once Knew" or Mao Buyi's whistling interludes.
"An interesting definition. Whether it makes sense or not, the system's rules are absolute."
"What's the melody of 'Anxiety' again? That song has no lyrics—I could go full angelic voice."
Though he'd enjoyed music in his past life, he couldn't recall entire songs on demand. Even favorites were just fragments.
"Even a hellish start has hope." Chu Zhi exhaled in relief.