New novel, yay! So here are some pre-reading notes from the author.
—All-rounder ACE capybara-like handsome shou× secluded noble young master dream man gong, CP is Jin Sui and his official appearance is a bit late. Gong and shou are both first loves.
—The main character is super invincibly su, all boy group members are cb(close bond) oriented, no romance, all are pure cherished friendships.
— No romance lines during the group period, focus is on career charge charge charge!
—All characters are without real-life prototypes, please do not associate them with real-life celebrities!
On September 11, 2032, Quentin’s studio officially announced the schedule for his October world tour.
Within half an hour, both global and national trending lists on Instagram were overrun by the enthusiasm of fans worldwide.
The heat spread across the oceans, reaching even the great powerhouse in the East. Hashtags like #QuentinGlobalTour, #QuentinMeetsYouInOctober, and #QuentinsNewAlbum steadily occupied the top five spots on Weibo’s hot search list, with eight out of the top ten spots on the entertainment chart taken.
Quentin’s personal super topic was instantly decorated with lanterns and streamers, filled with a jubilant atmosphere. Everywhere, big fans were holding raffles for merchandise and giving out red envelopes.
Live photos from the 2029 world tour were widely shared, all private treasures hoarded by station sisters, raw and unedited, flaunting Quentin’s 360° flawless renowned beauty to every passerby and fan who clicked into the super topic.
The well-known fan page, [Quentin_QQsugar], went on a crazy money-spending spree online, distributing 10,210 yuan red envelopes every five minutes, throwing around nearly 150,000 RMB in total.
If the hot searches and marketing accounts hadn’t described and exaggerated the situation so much, this wealthy fan probably would have kept going.
However, in the early hours of the next day, at around 3:00 PM US time, a paparazzi team which was hospitalized due to an accident while vacationing abroad unintentionally spotted Quentin’s studio’s car parked downstairs and, after squatting for awhile, managed to photograph Quentin’s manager and assistant team looking panicked and exhausted as they entered and exited the hospital’s emergency department.
At 3:24 AM on September 12, #QuentinHospitalized parachuted to the number one spot on Weibo’s hot search list.
Chinese netizens: ? This is fake, right? There’s no news on foreign sites. Do our country’s paparazzi have eyes everywhere?
At 7:36 AM on September 12, hashtags like #QuentinSuddenEmergency, #QuentinCollapsed, and #QuentinStudioNoResponse kept refreshing.
Chinese netizens eating melons: Really fake really fake really fake [curious.jpg]
American netizens who just came online: WTF!!!
At 2:54 PM on September 12, public opinion fermented, and Quentin’s studio was forced to respond.
The news seemed to grow wings, quickly stirring up a huge uproar globally and turning public opinion into a state of chaos.
Netizens from various countries, gradually recovering from their shock, trembled inwardly.
Could Quentin… really be in trouble?
The rumors that had stirred up intense emotions and disbelief among countless people finally settled with the official release of an obituary the next day.
Some wept bitterly, some mourned, some gloated, and some sighed with regret…
The sudden passing of a brilliant and talented young superstar became nourishment for a myriad of emotions in the world.
The grief of mourning fans, the regrets of bystanders, and countless opportunists riding the wave of hype blended together, forming a feast that attracted the world.
When a whale falls, a myriad of creatures are born.
…… …… ……
“So you’re saying, I died, then you bound me, and I transmigrated into a novel, and came back to life?”
Quentin, with a head of messy blonde hair, sat on the edge of the bed with his left leg bent, turning his head cautiously to look around: “Where is this, a hotel? The writing on the wall is in Chinese. Did I transmigrate back to China?”
A lively electronic voice sounded in his head: “That’s right! This is a group-focused novel set in China’s entertainment industry. You are currently in a hotel room a kilometer away from the recording base of the boy group survival show [Nextstage]!”
“Recording for the show will officially begin in a week. Your first task now is to film a luggage preparation vlog no longer than five minutes, to be handed over to the program team for unified release and promotion!”
Quentin closed his eyes, raised his hand, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let’s put that aside for now. First, tell me why you bound me, and why I have to participate in this so-called boy group survival show… Do you know who I am?”
He clearly remembered that he had stopped breathing in the ICU after an acute emergency failed to be rescued.
The last scene before his death was extremely chaotic: the strong, choking smell of medicine, bloody surgical knives, people coming and going, piercing cries through the wall, and the abruptly stopped beeping sounds.
Quentin died, in the summer before his 25th birthday.
Death was like an epiphyllum, blooming briefly and silently in the night, and taking his life in just a few short hours. He had no time to leave a last word, nor did he live to see the sunrise the next day before passing away abruptly.
If the sudden death had caught him off guard, then transmigrating after death completely shattered his worldview.
But after all, Quentin had navigated the ups and downs of the Western entertainment industry for over a decade. The sharp-edged emotions of his youth had long been hidden through repeated trials and tempering, leaving only steadiness and composure on the surface.
A few minutes ago, Quentin opened his eyes on this unfamiliar bed, with a voice in his head calling itself the “Entertainment Industry Redemption System” cheerfully congratulating him on his new life and spouting hundreds of words of nonsense.
The system was a chatterbox that couldn’t distinguish priorities, but Quentin was skilled at extracting key points from complex information.
He quickly figured out his current situation and spent five seconds convincing himself to accept reality.
Sudden death? Bad news.
Rebirth? Good news.
Transmigrating into a book? No big deal.
Mission? Why should I?
Who was Quentin? He was a top star who had risen to the forefront of Western superstardom by the age of 19, a darling of capital voted “The Most Commercially Valuable Original Singer in the Global Music Industry” for five consecutive years.
In his previous life, his Instagram followers had surpassed 200 million. His new albums exploded across the internet upon release, debuting at number one on all major charts, and he won awards left and right.
His YouTube single views repeatedly broke the 10-billion mark. By 21, his single tour grossed over 1.5 billion USD, with annual copyright earnings exceeding 100 million. He was the eternal white moonlight in the hearts of countless fans worldwide.
For someone like him to inexplicably participate in a boy group survival show… wasn’t entirely out of the question, but there had to be a reason.
“Perhaps you don’t remember anymore, but the lingering attachment in your original body’s data was ‘hoping to have like-minded, close friends.’ Through system calculation, your attachment has a 90% match rate with this mission world, meaning you have a 90% probability of fulfilling your attachment in this world.”
The electronic voice added quietly: “Moreover, your original body’s vital signs have already returned to zero. If you don’t complete the mission to gain enough energy points, you will die again.”
Quentin raised an eyebrow: “Mission?”
“Host, rest assured, calculated by the system AI…the probability of completing your mission is close to 75%!”
The system set off firework effects in Quentin’s head: “A 75% probability is really very high! It’s usually between 40% and 60%. The system believes that as long as you actively participate in every main plotline, you can definitely change the original bad ending and achieve a happy ending for all!”
Quentin: “…..Main plot? Original bad ending?”
“The original plot hasn’t been unlocked yet. The system can only tell you that your main mission in this world is to ‘reverse the bad ending for all characters and achieve a he (happy ending) for all!”
“Based on the system’s calculations, to complete this mission, you must participate in all key plot points that could lead to a bad ending. The boy group survival show [Nextstage] is the root of all tragedies before they begin, the starting point where the main characters meet and get to know each other, and also your starting point in this world.”
The electronic voice explained: “Today is the earliest time point the system can choose to intervene in this book world. Although the show recording starts in just a week, leaving you with insufficient preparation time.”
“But don’t worry, host! The system will provide a professional practice room function and 1v1 guidance from famous teachers, along with multi-dimensional evaluations for singing, dancing, rap, and stage presence. As long as the host is willing to work hard, the system will definitely ensure the host debuts smoothly da!”
By now, Quentin understood that this system wasn’t aware of his previous life’s identity and experiences. Unless this boy group survival show gathered global superstars, he didn’t think he needed to worry about whether he could debut.
But he didn’t say more. Instead, he looked down at his right leg and successfully found a small red mole on the side of his knee.
“…Is this my own body?”
Quentin narrowed his eyes slightly and casually moved his wrist. Sitting at the head of the bed, he stretched his arms and back, skillfully performing a few warm-up exercises.
He didn’t feel any dull aches or numbness in his waist or joints. His body felt light and flexible, like when he had just arrived in the US at ten years old.
No accumulated fatigue from heavy schedules, no large or small scars from various accidents.
This feeling of health and freedom… It had been so long since he last felt like this.
Sensing the host’s happy mood, the system immediately climbed the pole: “Yes, yes! The system created it 1:1 based on the host’s original body data, removing all hidden diseases. There are no flaws from head to toe! Your original appearance rating is S-rank!”
Hearing this, Quentin raised an eyebrow and suddenly thought of something. He got out of bed, stepped into his slippers, and walked into the bathroom.
“….”
Quentin stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar face in the mirror. It looked much younger than his 25-year-old self from his previous life.
When he checked his body earlier, he didn’t find the “Laliberté” tattoo he got on his lower back on his 18th birthday. Either the system had considered it a flaw and removed it, or his current body wasn’t of age yet.
The boy in the mirror had a head of fluffy, short, brilliant golden hair. The hair quality was excellent, but there was simply too much of it, exploding messily on top of his head and making his already small face appear even smaller, as if it could be covered entirely by a single palm.
Caucasians develop faster than Asians, but Quentin was of mixed Chinese and American heritage, with Eastern and Western genes perfectly blended in his face.
His facial folding degree was extremely high, with excellent brow bones and deep-set eyes. While retaining distinct mixed-race features, he also had delicate skin and moderate facial space, making his features sharp but not losing youthful charm…a standard “Eastern skin, Western bones” handsome young man.
Most crucially, Quentin had light green eyes.
No contact lenses on the market could achieve such a translucent, bright green. One of the main reasons for his explosive popularity in his previous life was these rare green eyes.
These eyes made him stand out among countless beauties in the global entertainment industry.
A top auction house once named a 5.23-carat natural green diamond “Quentin’s Eye” and sold it for 20 million USD, making it the most expensive green diamond ever sold at auction.
Quentin fell silent as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
After a long time, he slowly said: “System, can you tell me, are there any other mixed-race or foreign participants in this boy group survival show aside from me?”
The system answered immediately: “Of course not! This is a Chinese entertainment novel, so of course everyone is Chinese! Host, although you are mixed-race, your profile also shows Chinese nationality, so you should be very familiar with China, right!”
In his previous life, Quentin had lived with his mother in a town in southern China until he was ten. That year, his mother passed away from illness, and on her deathbed, she entrusted him to his biological father in the US. After that, the next time he returned to China was when he was already successful and holding world tours.
He was born in China and spent his happiest and most carefree childhood there with his mother. Although his life span was only 25 years, the memories of those first ten years were enough for him to cherish for a lifetime.
Quentin’s tone was subtle: “Familiar is familiar, but that’s not the point. There’s a saying:rarity creates value. Although I’m not too clear on the survival show process…”
“But I think that with this face, unless there are some shady dealings, I can’t be eliminated.”
A mixed-race boy with natural golden hair and green eyes mixed in among a group of black-haired, black-eyed boys…it was basically like saying to everyone;
Look at me, look at me! All eyes on me! No one is allowed to blink!
This wasn’t even a question of his own confidence. Objectively speaking, with a face that had won top place in “America’s Most Desirable” polls (even though that was when he was 24) plus the special label of “blonde hair and green eyes,” he already had a complete advantage in winning audience attention.
Quentin ran his fingers through his messy blond hair. His hair color in his previous life wasn’t this pure; it was more golden-brown than bright blond. The system must have adjusted it.
This AI system’s aesthetic preferences were very obvious…it liked shiny things. But this hair color was way too eye-catching. He felt like he’d be overexposed in photos.
Based on his previous life’s experience, those who were too unique often got invisibly isolated by the group. Maybe he should dye ut black. He didn’t want to be a spotlight hog right from the start.
Boy group survival shows probably have a lot of members with dyed hair, right?
Quentin was too busy in his previous life; he simply didn’t have time to follow variety shows. He planned to take some time later to skim through domestic survival shows to get a general idea. He needed to understand the entertainment industry development in this novel world first.
What if everyone in the entertainment industry here was a big shot, a top star per capita?
His casual boast happened to hit the system’s excitement point. The electronic voice in his head suddenly rose: “Host, you think so too, right! This system thinks so too! This system was completely conquered after receiving the host’s original body data! Even if the host can’t do anything, you can debut smoothly just based on your face!”
What perfect data, what impeccable bone structure! As expected of the host it picked at first glance!
Quentin: “…”
Quentin: “Well, that’s good, but I want to dye my hair black. Do you have something like a one-click hair dyeing function?”
The system stammered: “Ah, ah? There’s no such function…”
“It’s fine.”
Quentin casually ruffled his hair a couple of times, walked out of the bathroom, found the phone for this identity by the bedside, entered his previous life’s phone password to unlock it, and succeeded.
He fumbled for a bit but quickly got used to the Chinese phone interface. He opened the navigation app and searched for the nearest hair salon.
“I’ll film the vlog after I come back from dyeing my hair. Before filming the vlog, please tell me everything you know about the ‘original work.’ It’s fine if the plot isn’t unlocked; we should at least know about the main characters, right?”
The system’s voice gradually weakened: “…Sorry, currently we only know there are six main characters in total. [Nextstage] has seven debut spots. After you join the show, you can just replace the seventh spot. Anyway, the main characters definitely won’t be eliminated… When the show ends, the identities of the six main characters will be revealed.”
Quentin: “…Thanks. You’re really reliable.”
