The morning sun crept through the window like a thief—quiet, uninvited, and almost apologetic.
Lu Zeyan stood in front of the mirror, buttoning a crisp white shirt. He stared at his reflection like it was someone else's.
No blood. No bruises. No betrayal.
Just a man who had returned from the dead, gifted with a second chance and a debt he would not forget.
[System Notice: 29 Days 12 Hours Remaining on Mission "First Stone Laid"] Objective: Register a legal media entity to qualify for industry tracking. Reward: Market Heat Data Pack (Animation Sector)
He moved through the room like a machine. Every motion was deliberate. Every second was worth something now.
Ten minutes later, he sat at a nearby café.
A steaming Americano in front of him. A laptop open. Fingers flying over the keyboard.
Business registration portal.
He typed the name without hesitation: SkyInk Media.
Generic, forgettable, untraceable. Perfect.
[System Tip: Register as LLC. Benefit: Lower tax + scalable liability shield.] [Processing Legal Template Draft… Done.]
He clicked through, uploaded the necessary documents, and transferred the start-up fee. No hesitation. No partners.
This time, there would be no room for betrayal.
By noon, SkyInk Media existed—legally.
Just a name on a database. But Zeyan saw the bones of something larger.
Something unstoppable.
[Mission Completed: First Stone Laid.] Reward Unlocked: Market Heat Data Pack (Animation Sector)]
A semi-transparent screen bloomed before his eyes, clean and professional:
[Animation Market Heat Data – Tier 1]:
Trend: Female-skewed romantic fantasy animation to rise by 123% within 18 months in Asian markets.
Unfulfilled demand in short-format, high-quality serialized animation for mobile audiences.
Key Demographics: Age 15–22, Mobile-first viewers, Short attention span retention metrics trending positive.
[System Suggestion: Initiate scouting for script acquisition in target niche.] Estimated ROI (2-year curve): 4.1x baseline.
Lu Zeyan narrowed his eyes.
Script scouting. That meant content. But he had no team. No writers. No artists.
Just data—and time.
[System Notice: Access to "Script Vault" unlocked.]
Note: Vault contains thousands of IPs categorized by genre, historical impact, regional trends, and audience retention models.
Cost:
Tier 3 (Basic Concept): 70 BP
Tier 2 (Complete Script): 200 BP
Tier 1 (Flagship Masterwork): 500–1000 BP
Your Balance: 0 BP
Purchase unavailable.
Of course. The system wasn't a charity. It was an investor—and he needed to earn.
[System Tip: Business Points accrue through:
1. Monetized content projects
2. Strategic business planning (tracked)
3. Viral social media campaigns
4. Intellectual property licensing/sales]
[Popularity Points accrue through:
1. Staff/stars gaining media attention
2. Public sentiment.
3. Search and mention metrics (real-time, nine-decimal accuracy)]
[Holiday Discounts Upcoming:
International Valentine's Day (10.12% projected discount on romance genre scripts)
Lunar New Year (17.87% projected discount on legacy IP categories)]
He leaned back in his chair, thoughtful.
Valentine's Day was two weeks away.
That meant he had two weeks to somehow create buzz, earn points, and scout cheap assets while the system gave him insights.
Challenge accepted.
Later that evening, he sat in a quiet bar.
Not to drink. To wait.
[System Tip: Upcoming Opportunity Detected.]
[Compatibility Candidate Arriving: Jiang Yue.]
[Suggested Engagement Strategy: Passive Proximity Development.]
He chuckled. "You sure like pretending you're subtle."
The bar door creaked open.
And there she was.
Jiang Yue, in a hoodie too big for her frame, hair tied up in a messy bun, bandages peeking out from under her sleeves. Her eyes scanned the room, tired but alert.
She walked toward a table near his and plopped down, sighing. Her phone buzzed. She opened a chat.
[Auntie: Yue, please consider this blind date tonight. The guy's rich, clean, and single.]
[Yue: I'm in a hoodie and covered in bruises.]
[Auntie: Doesn't matter. Maybe he's blind.]
She sighed again and waved the bartender over. "Can I just get lemon water?"
Lu Zeyan almost smiled.
She didn't recognize him. Of course not.
In his previous life, they'd never met before death.
But this time…
He stood, walked to her table, and cleared his throat. "Excuse me. Are you… Jiang Yue?"
She looked up, confused. "…Yes?"
He offered a hand. "Lu Zeyan. Your blind date."
She blinked. "Wait. You're seriously here?"
He looked her over, still bandaged, still raw. "Why wouldn't I be?"
She opened her mouth to explain, then closed it again.
And for the first time, he saw it: walls slowly coming down.
She chuckled faintly. "I'm not exactly your… ideal type right now."
He sat across from her. "You'd be surprised."
An hour passed.
They talked.
About movies. About stunts. About the bruises she hides for a hundred-yuan pay check. About producers who make promises they don't keep.
She didn't flirt. She didn't try to impress.
She was just… real.
And in that realness, Lu Zeyan saw fire.
And a future.
[System Notice: Subject Jiang Yue – Star Potential: 89.231480009% (High-variance risk, high-reward projection)] [Early Emotional Bond Detected. Passive Affinity Modifier +0.14%]
[Opportunity: Propose long-term contract / emotional alliance] [Suggested format: Conditional marriage or cohabitation with benefit clauses]
He stared at her.
And then he said the words that would change both their lives:
"Marry me."
She blinked. "…Sorry, what?"
"Contract marriage," he clarified. "Short-term. Discreet. No strings unless we want them. Benefits included."
She laughed. "You're kidding."
He pulled out a legal template on his phone and pushed it across.
She picked it up, read it.
Eyes narrowed. Then widened.
"You're serious."
He nodded. "It's protection. For you. And strategic. For me."
Silence.
She looked down at the contract.
Then back up at him.
Then—smiled.
"Okay," she said softly. "But I get to choose our wedding photo."
[System Notice: Jiang Yue – Contract Spouse Registered.] [Fate Points Adjusted: Destiny Branch Activated.] [New Mission Available Soon.]