Chapter 2 – The System's Test
The shock of the System's arrival quickly gave way to the CEO's cool-headed pragmatism.
Xiao Xi, the former business mogul, had never been one to panic when facing insurmountable debt or hostile takeovers.
She viewed the Luck-Stealing System v3.0 not as a magical entity, but as a mandatory, potentially rigged, piece of software.
Her job was to exploit its mechanics.
The System's robotic voice returned, filling the sudden silence of the cramped apartment.
[Your body has zero fame, zero fans, and negative reputation. Current luck: -200.]
[Warning: Negative Luck impedes positive plot outcomes, increases minor incidents, and attracts malicious scrutiny.]
Xiao Xi sighed, rubbing her temples.
"Figures. Even rock bottom looks down on me.
" A negative luck score felt painfully accurate for a character destined for an early, humiliating exit. It meant the universe itself was rigged against her.
"System," she commanded, her voice firm.
"Explain the mechanism for Luck Points.
How do I get them?"
[Luck Points are accumulated by achieving favorable public outcomes, disrupting negative plot inertia, and interacting positively with high-value Luck Targets (protagonists, significant plot drivers).]
"Disrupting negative plot inertia..." Xiao Xi murmured.
"So, do the opposite of what the original, stupid Xiao Xi did."
The original Xiao Xi had spent her meager savings on vanity projects, insulted producers, and openly mocked the future protagonist, Lin Wei.
That was a playbook for failure. My first move must be strategic withdrawal from disaster, she concluded.
The System offered its first directive, a glowing overlay appearing in her vision:
[Starter Mission: Attend the opening shoot of the new viral reality show, Stars and Survival.]
[Reward for successful participation: +10 Luck Points.]
[Failure Penalty: -50 Luck Points.]
Xiao Xi's eyes narrowed in recognition.
Stars and Survival.
Ironically, this low-budget reality competition, featuring washed-up and desperate celebrities trying to regain fame, was the very stage where the novel's true heroine, Lin Wei, had begun her meteoric rise.
It was Xiao Xi's designated place of professional execution.
The novel had described how the original character's laziness and dramatic failures on set had led to a torrent of viral hate, sealing her fate.
"So this is where I'm supposed to die off, huh?" Xiao Xi grinned, a cold, predatory smile that felt alien on this body's face.
"The universe is making me walk straight into the lion's den. Fine. I'll steal the lion's lunch."
She needed to assess her immediate assets.
The apartment was tiny, a rental in a dingy part of the city, and judging by the eviction notice pinned to the fridge with a sticky magnet, they were severely behind on rent.
The financial situation was dire.
She rummaged through the small, particle-board wardrobe.
Designer labels from her old life—the silk blouses, the custom suits, the Italian leather—were all gone.
All she found were crumpled discount store clothes: cheap synthetics, faded cotton, and ill-fitting jeans.
There was no stylist, no manager to call, and no savings account.
"Pathetic," she scoffed. "If I show up looking like this, the paparazzi will have a field day before I even step onto the bus."
Xiao Xi found a half-used tube of lipstick—a vivid, defiant red—and a nearly empty bottle of low-end foundation.
She stood before the cracked mirror and began the process of transformation. She wasn't preparing for a glamorous red carpet; she was preparing for a tactical battle.
First, she tied her hair up in a sleek, high ponytail. The tight, pulled-back style instantly gave her face a sharper, more focused look, eliminating the messy, 'just rolled out of bed' appearance the original Xiao Xi favored.
Next, she applied the foundation sparingly but strategically, covering the worst of the shadows beneath her eyes. Finally, the lipstick.
She applied the defiant red with a surgeon's precision.
She didn't look perfect.
The clothes were cheap, the fabric clinging in unflattering ways, and the general air of poverty couldn't be masked by makeup.
But she had something the original Xiao Xi had entirely lacked: Intent.
Her eyes, once tired and resentful, now burned with the cool, calculating focus of a strategist.
The key to survival isn't being the prettiest or the best actress, she reasoned, retrieving a cheap, slightly frayed canvas tote bag. It's about controlling the narrative.
The original character had relied on her looks and tried to act superior, which only made her a target.
The new Xiao Xi would operate under the radar, observing, analyzing, and waiting for the moment to strike.
She needed to look unremarkable enough to blend in, but polished enough to avoid instant ridicule.
As she stepped out of the apartment, locking the cheap, rattling door behind her, she checked the System panel one last time.
[Current luck: -200.]
She felt a thrill of anticipation mixed with dread.
The Starter Mission was not a test of acting skill; it was a test of willpower and strategic patience.
She was heading toward the protagonist's main stage, the place where all good things were supposed to happen to Lin Wei.
Xiao Xi didn't intend to let Lin Wei claim the spotlight unopposed.
A second chance, or a brutal death? Either way, she was going to make the reality show's producers—and the entire internet—pay attention to the supposed cannon fodder.
She had a life to win back, and 10,000 Luck Points to steal.
She hailed a taxi—a necessary expense that pained her limited budget—and gave the address for the studio lot. The true game had begun.