After watching the chubby man in the oversized printed hoodie leave with a swagger, Yuan Chuan You expressionlessly closed the door to his rented room.
He glanced at the empty wallet in his hand and counted the remaining balance.
"There's... five thousand yen."
This was his entire savings now.
Today was the first day of Yuan Chuan You's new life. However, instead of the 'golden finger' cheat that transmigrators were supposed to get, he was greeted first by his chubby landlord, who had come to collect rent in person after bombarding him with phone calls.
Five thousand yen. With so little money, even if he survived on discounted bread from convenience stores, he wouldn't last more than a few days in Tokyo.
"It can't be this unlucky, right? I finally get a new life, only to be thrown into a crisis where I can't afford to eat?"
Yuan Chuan You's face was grim. He put the wallet in his pocket and continued to search the room.
The studio apartment wasn't large, but it contained some distinctly special elements.
For instance, a second-hand guitar in the corner, a faded celebrity poster on the wall, and a stack of bound scripts on the sofa, meticulously marked with colorful sticky notes.
"Did he want to be an actor?"
Yuan Chuan You walked into the bathroom, his face reflected in the mirror.
The young man in the mirror had handsome features and fair skin. The lines of his brow bones and nose bridge were well-defined, and his ink-black eyes were deep and bright, making him unforgettable at a glance.
"His looks are certainly excellent, but why did he still fail so many times?"
Yuan Chuan You rubbed his temples as flashes of memory flooded his mind.
He had good looks, but he had no control over his facial expressions. He couldn't even act out the simplest emotions like joy and anger. No wonder he'd been rejected by directors so many times.
What a shame.
After reminiscing, Yuan Chuan You's thoughts returned to the present problem.
"Without any special skills, what's the fastest way to make money?"
A man with money is a hero, a man without is a zero. The words of the ancients always rang so true.
Just as Yuan Chuan You walked into the living room, a virtual, synthesized voice suddenly sounded in his ear.
[Ding! The Perfect Entry System is now online!]
[The system can help the Host obtain entries of different levels, enhance physical abilities, gain talents, and perform entry synthesis to acquire higher-level entries.]
[Entry Library unlocked.]
[Entry Production Platform unlocked.]
[Beginner's Pack has been distributed. Open it?]
After listening to this series of announcements, Yuan Chuan You saw a faint blue screen of light appear before his eyes.
Holy crap, the cheat has finally arrived!
The young man's face instantly lit up with joy. His spirits lifted, and he opened the Beginner's Pack without a moment's hesitation.
[Beginner's Pack opened.]
[Obtained [Focus] (White)]
[Obtained [Energetic] (Green)]
[Obtained [Extra] (White)]
[Beginner's Quest issued: Successfully produce one entry.]
[Please complete the Beginner's Quest as soon as possible to unlock all system functions!]
After opening the Beginner's Pack, Yuan Chuan You began to seriously study the system's rules.
Ten minutes later, his eyes grew brighter and brighter, because the system was really simple to use.
Entries were like skills or talents in a game; obtaining an entry meant mastering the corresponding ability.
For example, the white entry he had just received, [Extra], had the attribute: [Master the most basic performance methods, become accustomed to the state of acting, and read scripts slightly faster than an ordinary person.]
It sounded average, but he couldn't forget that entries could be synthesized. As long as he could synthesize more powerful entries, he could master talents and abilities beyond those of an ordinary person.
However...
Studying the system screen, Yuan Chuan You noticed that the section for entry synthesis was still grayed out. It seemed he had to complete the Beginner's Quest first.
Just then, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang.
"My agent?"
Although he kept failing auditions, he did have an agent. Even though the agent barely managed him anymore, he would still occasionally provide some leftover opportunities.
"Hello, Nakahara-san?"
"The day after tomorrow at 3 PM, there's a TV drama audition at the Mukai Hotel. I put your name down for it. You'll be auditioning for a supporting male role with not many lines."
The voice on the other end belonged to a man. His tone was flat, as if it were a routine matter.
This was normal. After all, an agent would only care about the cash cows under him. For an actor like Yuan Chuan You, who hadn't landed a single role in over a year since his debut, still being given opportunities was already the height of kindness.
"What's the pay?"
Yuan Chuan You thought for a moment and asked the question he was most concerned about right now.
"Hmm?"
The man seemed a bit confused, then let out a cold laugh. "Didn't you always used to say you wanted to act for the sake of art? Why the sudden question about pay today?"
"Because I need to eat."
"..."
The other end of the line went silent for a moment. After a few seconds, the man's voice came through again.
"Then you'd better prepare for the audition. If you pass, according to your contract, you should get a cut of about thirty thousand yen per episode."
He paused, then added, "I'll email you the script in a bit. You only have two days to prepare."
"Thank you, Nakahara-san."
"..."
After another moment of silence, the man couldn't help but add, "If you really want to make money, then cherish this opportunity. The female lead in this drama is Sakurajima Mai. If you can ride on her coattails, you might gain some popularity."
"Understood."
After hanging up, Yuan Chuan You rubbed his temples.
Sakurajima Mai?
She seemed to be a female celebrity who debuted as a child star. A truly huge star with nationwide recognition. But if he wanted to ride her coattails, he'd have to pass this audition first.
Focusing his attention back on the system, he now had to not only complete the Beginner's Quest but also prepare for the upcoming audition.
Yuan Chuan You looked at the system screen and began searching the [Entry Library] for the first entry he wanted to produce.
It had to be related to acting.
It had to improve his acting skills to increase his chances of passing the audition.
"Found it!"
Yuan Chuan You's eyes lit up when he saw the name and description of a particular entry.
[Foundational Acting Technique (White)]
[Master basic vocalization, line delivery, physicality, and performance techniques. Transcend the level of an extra and be able to portray a memorable character.]
[Producible]
[Production Condition: Acquire 100 basic performance experience points.]
"Alright, I choose you!"
Yuan Chuan You wiped his face, his expression becoming invigorated.
"If it's three in the afternoon the day after tomorrow, I still have plenty of time."
He placed [Foundational Acting Technique] directly into the [Entry Production Platform], and a progress bar immediately appeared.
[Production Queue 1: Foundational Acting Technique]
[Experience: 0/100]
Yuan Chuan You stood up, picked up a script from the sofa, his expression hardening with determination.
"...Time to start grinding for EXP!"
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