【I’m the Superstar System 001.】

【Nice to meet you, Host.】

These two mechanical voices completely stunned Li Nan. He held his head and turned around to ask the teacher, Mr. Lin, who was following him, “Teacher, did you hear any strange sounds?”

“Strange sounds?” Mr. Lin looked puzzled. “No, did you hear something, student?”

No? How could that be?

That sound was so clear… so clearly inside his mind!!!

Li Nan felt like he was losing his mind. For a moment, he thought of many possibilities.

For example, maybe he hadn’t actually been reborn, but had been captured by some terrifying researchers for experiments. Maybe this was all just a carefully woven dream. Or maybe he had actually been abducted by aliens, and these horrible aliens were conducting experiments on the poor, weak him…

Thanks to all the sci-fi movies he’d been brainwashed by, even as an athlete focused on training, Li Nan had heard of such things. As a result, the images his mind conjured up were all scenes from movies—alien invasions, space thefts, and other crises.

Li Nan: So! Terrifying!

【…?】

The presence in his mind didn’t make a sound, but Li Nan could somehow sense its speechless reaction, which only made him more horrified.

What kind of existence is this?

“Little student, it’s time for class. Quickly find a seat and sit down,” Mr. Lin’s voice interrupted Li Nan’s increasingly wild imagination, bringing him back to reality.

Li Nan snapped out of it and noticed that a few of the children in the classroom were looking at him with curious eyes. With his pale face, Li Nan felt completely out of place among them.

“Okay… okay…” Li Nan responded, hurriedly walking toward an empty seat. As he passed a chair, he got distracted and almost tripped. Thankfully, due to his excellent balance, he managed to steady himself with his arm, preventing a fall, though his knee took a slight knock and hurt a bit.

The commotion was enough to draw the attention of even those who hadn’t been paying attention to Li Nan before. Mr. Lin also noticed the paleness of his face and couldn’t help but frown. “Student, are you alright?”

It was August, the hottest time of the year. Although the youth center had central air conditioning, it wasn’t set too cold, considering the children’s delicate health. With the classroom filling up, it became a bit stuffy, and heatstroke was a real concern.

Worried that Li Nan might be suffering from heatstroke, and fearing the responsibility it might place on him as the teacher if something happened, Mr. Lin quickly took a few steps forward to carefully check Li Nan’s condition.

Li Nan’s face was pale, and there was a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. It certainly looked like heatstroke.

Mr. Lin made a quick decision. “Do you feel unwell? I’ll take you to the infirmary and contact your parents.”

The sudden voice made it impossible for Li Nan to focus on dealing with Mr. Lin’s concern about his possible heatstroke. He obediently agreed and was led by Mr. Lin to the youth center’s infirmary.

The infirmary at the youth center wasn’t often used. It was mostly for minor issues, like kids getting bumps and bruises, nosebleeds, or heatstroke, where they could get some medicine and wait for their parents to be notified.

When Li Nan was brought in by Mr. Lin, there was a teacher in a white lab coat sitting in front of a large display screen, typing away, seemingly busy with something. Upon noticing their entrance, the teacher looked up and asked, “What happened?”

“This child seems to have heatstroke. I brought him here to rest,” Mr. Lin replied.

“Alright, go behind the curtain and find a bed to lie down for a while,” the teacher in the white lab coat said. “Have you contacted his parents?”

“Not yet. I brought him here first, and I’ll contact them right away,” Mr. Lin replied.

The teacher in the white lab coat nodded and didn’t say anything else.

Li Nan was placed on a bed behind the curtain, and Mr. Lin went out to contact his parents. Li Nan guessed that his father hadn’t gone too far yet, but he wondered what his dad would think upon hearing that his son had fallen ill just after he left.

At this moment, he was more concerned about what that strange presence in his mind actually was.

Li Nan poked his head, but there was no reaction. He whispered, “What exactly are you? Why did you enter my mind?”

The teacher in the white lab coat, sitting outside the curtain, looked up in confusion. “Hmm? What’s wrong?”

He hadn’t quite heard what Li Nan said.

Li Nan quickly explained, “Nothing, teacher, I… I’m just feeling a little unwell!”

“Unwell?” Hearing this, the teacher in the white lab coat stood up, walked to the curtain, and glanced at him. “Lie down. I’ll get you some medicine.”

The teacher then opened the medicine cabinet, took out a bottle of Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid, cut open the plastic tubing, and handed it to Li Nan. “Drink this, and you’ll feel better.”

The smell of the Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid almost made Li Nan gag, but under the teacher’s watchful eye, he reluctantly drank it, instantly scrunching his face in disgust.

It had to be said, though, that the Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid really worked. His head immediately felt much clearer, and the panic from earlier was washed away by the horrible taste.

Seeing Li Nan obediently drink it, the teacher in the white lab coat reminded him to lie down and rest before leaving the curtain.

Li Nan didn’t dare make another sound now. If he had to take another dose like that, he wouldn’t be able to handle it.

【The host can actually communicate with me silently, without needing to speak out loud.】

The mechanical voice seemed to sense Li Nan’s distress and suddenly echoed in his mind again. Li Nan jolted, almost leaping out of bed in surprise.

It was that voice!

Li Nan tried to follow the instructions given by the voice and asked silently in his mind: What are you? Why did you enter my brain?

As expected, the voice responded once again.

【I am the Super Superstar System 001, here to help the host complete the mission and become a super superstar.】

Li Nan: ?

He could understand every word, but when they were put together, why couldn’t he make sense of any of it?

“What… Superstar System? Why do I need to become a global superstar?” Li Nan was utterly confused. “Did you get the wrong person?”

【No, I didn’t, Host.】

【Actually, Host, you must have had some suspicion, right? If it weren’t for me, you would have been dead by now, with no chance of starting over.】

Li Nan’s pupils contracted. Dead… Dead?!

No, he had suspected that this strange voice was behind his second chance at life, but he never imagined that, before his rebirth… Oh no, it should be said, in his previous life…

Had he really died in his previous life?

【Yes, Host, you are already dead.】

【You died in a car accident, instantly.】

Several images flashed before Li Nan’s eyes, and he suddenly recalled the scene of his death, buried deep in his memories.

At that time, after finishing a cup of instant noodles at the convenience store, Li Nan was on his way back to the hotel to meet his coach when it started to rain. In the middle of the road, he saw a puppy with a broken leg. Unable to ignore it, he wanted to pick it up and take it away. But as he lifted the puppy, his own leg injury flared up, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. In an instant, a car, sliding on the wet road due to the rain, came rushing toward him…

The memory of his death was too painful, and Li Nan felt a surge of pain all over his body.

The mechanical voice interrupted his recollections: 【In that moment, Host, your strong feelings of unwillingness were too intense, and the system captured them. After calculating, the system determined you met the binding requirements, so I brought you back to this point in time.】

The mechanical voice was rhythmically fluctuating.

【After calculation, this is a golden age. As long as the Host uses the system wisely, I will lead you to become the most famous superstar in the world, adored and loved by billions—!】

Li Nan: …

What kind of bizarre thing is this, and why does it have a bit of a “chuunibyou” vibe?

Li Nan cleared his throat and was about to speak when he remembered that it was inconvenient to speak out loud at the moment, so he decided to communicate with the system in his mind: “Sorry, but I don’t want to become some super superstar. Can you withdraw from my mind? How about binding with someone else instead?”

【?】

The mechanical voice paused for a moment before immediately responding, “Impossible:” 【No, the system clearly detected your strong desire to change everything—】

“I said, is there a possibility…” Li Nan interrupted the mechanical voice’s rambling, “I do want to change everything, but just not by entering the entertainment industry?”

Before his rebirth, Li Nan was at his lowest point. It was the last Winter Olympics of his career, and he missed the medal by just one point. At that time, Li Nan really wished he could start over — but the purpose of this “restart” was the complete opposite of what this strange voice was suggesting. It wasn’t about entering the entertainment industry; it was about starting from childhood and practicing figure skating.

【That’s impossible… The system clearly calculated that… Could the system have made a mistake?】

The mechanical voice sounded frustrated. 【Impossible! I’m the most advanced system in the whole… whole what!?】

Is it really advanced?

Li Nan remained skeptical, and what was “whole whole” anyway? Why did it even come with its own filter?

The mechanical voice seemed to have crashed for about a minute. Just when Li Nan thought it had left his mind, the voice suddenly spoke again.

【System program correction complete.】

【Main quest issued: Become a superstar.】

【Starting to detect host’s personal data…】

“Wait, wait—” Li Nan tried to shout, but the mechanical voice ignored him and continued issuing the task. Li Nan couldn’t help but feel that the voice had lost its previous liveliness and now carried an air of cold indifference, as if it were merely going through the motions.

Li Nan: ???

【Personal data entry complete. Personal panel activated.】

【System data import complete. System store opened.】

【Spatial expansion complete. Game backpack opened.】

【All functions updated.】

【System assistance features now activated. The host may check and use the system at any time.】

A series of “ding-dongs” filled the air, giving Li Nan a headache. After a bunch of random announcements, the annoying broadcast finally stopped.

Li Nan stared at the translucent panel that had suddenly appeared in front of him: ???

What just happened? What was he supposed to do next?