Chapter 1

Sheng Quan sat in the silver luxury car, directing the driver to pull over to the side of the street. He leaned out slightly, handing over some money, and called out to the busy boss lady at the roadside snack stall, “Auntie, give me a fried pancake with some toppings, and add an egg.”

The boss lady was probably in her fifties, with some white strands mixed in her hair. She was immersed in her work, but when she heard Sheng Quan’s words, she responded with a “sure” and reached out to take the money handed to her. However, when she raised her eyes and saw the scene in front of her, she couldn’t help but be stunned.

Not only her, even the customers who were originally gathered around the snack stall looked over with a mixture of confusion, shock, and a hint of excitement.

Sheng Quan, leaning comfortably in the seat, was completely unaffected. After all, even if it were her in her previous life, seeing someone driving a multi-million-dollar luxury car to buy a four-dollar pancake, she would probably react the same way.

For example, that girl over there who kept glancing over while pretending to look at her phone. It was obvious that she was secretly taking pictures of this explosively handsome luxury car.

Sheng Quan bet that she would send the photos to her friends after taking them, excitedly sharing the rare sight of “seeing a wealthy person driving a luxury car to buy pancakes.”

She pretended not to see it. If it weren’t for the fact that she was the one involved, she would have found it quite unusual.

But there was no way around it. The damn system only gave her this flashy luxury car, which looked very impressive at first glance, and also extended her stay in the top-floor suite of the hotel for six months, calling it a newcomer’s benefit.

The benefits were indeed real. The presidential suite was really comfortable, the luxury car was extremely comfortable, and the appearance was also outstanding. Wherever she went, heads turned. The outfits were also quite plentiful, but she didn’t have a single penny.

Sheng Quan searched all over her body, and the cash she could gather was only two hundred yuan.

With two hundred yuan, what could she do? She had to be cautious even when ordering food from a small snack shop.

Fortunately, the treatment in the top-floor suite was really enjoyable, with all the basic necessities provided. Even the driver who was driving her now was part of the normal service for the top-floor suite. She didn’t have to give him a single penny.

But usually in the hotel, she could also eat hotel food. It wouldn’t be good to bring hotel food out when she came out. She could only consume a pancake.

Even for the pancake, she only added an egg without the sausage, after all, after these ten-odd days of spending, she only had ninety-eight yuan and fifty cents left.

Ninety-eight yuan and fifty cents, she wasn’t this poor even before crossing over!

Perhaps feeling Sheng Quan’s resentment, the system appeared in time: [After the host successfully assists, there will naturally be a refund.]

Sheng Quan looked at the couple running the snack stall, who were busy at work but couldn’t help secretly glancing at the cool luxury car: [I’ve already figured out who the first recipient of the assistance will be.]

She had crossed over after a car accident in her previous life and bound to this system. It called itself an assistance system, composed of people’s aspirations, specifically assisting outstanding talents with excellent moral character but tragic destinies.

What to use for assistance? Of course, it was money.

What Sheng Quan, as the host, had to do was to find outstanding talents with impeccable moral character, assist them, spend money on them, and the recipient’s favorability towards her, as well as the level of achievement in their career, would determine the amount returned to Sheng Quan by the system.

And, the number of days extended.

For example, if she found a suitable recipient for assistance now, gave them one million, and the recipient achieved great success in their career and had a high favorability towards her, then she would get at least over nine hundred thousand, and her life would be extended by ninety days. However, if the recipient had a high favorability towards her but had a lower level of achievement in their career, she would receive at most thirty thousand, extending her life by thirty days.

If one day she received the full amount of one million, it meant that the recipient’s career achievement had reached one hundred percent, and their favorability towards her had also reached one hundred percent. Then, the extension of life would be incredible. As for the specific amount, the system couldn’t explain. It only said that Sheng Quan would know when the time came.

Sheng Quan, who had read a lot of novels in her previous life, listened to the rules and couldn’t help but think: Isn’t this a godlike system?

The difference is, the system doesn’t create money out of thin air. It’s more practical than the novels Sheng Quan used to read. It directly obtains money under Sheng Quan’s name through various legal means, such as the stock market, some long-forgotten assets, buying and selling, platform rotations. Sheng Quan felt that if the system were a person, it would definitely be an excellent trader.

But in reality, the system couldn’t trade on its own. It was composed of people’s aspirations, and it could only move on to the next step once Sheng Quan completed the assistance task.

【A reminder to the host.】 Although it’s a fledgling assistance system, the system dutifully warned Sheng Quan: 【During the initial stage of assistance, the host can only choose one assistance recipient per month. If the selection is wrong, the host will lose the opportunity for assistance for that month, so please choose carefully.】

This is the second annoying aspect of the assistance system besides “giving you a car and a house but not giving you money”. It couldn’t judge a person’s moral character, so Sheng Quan had to observe them herself.

If Sheng Quan chose a recipient with low moral character, the money would be like throwing it into the water, and not a single penny would be returned to her.

But Sheng Quan was confident: 【Don’t worry, I won’t make a mistake. I’ve read this book three times, and I know very well who has high moral character.】

Yes, this was Sheng Quan’s second “golden finger”.

She was reborn into a book.

Sheng Quan discovered this world on the first day she came here, when she was crazily reading the history and news of this world. It turned out that this world was the same as the world described in a novel she had once passionately followed, called “The Bright Lights of the Stars”.

“Brilliant Stars” was a popular entertainment industry novel serialized on Jinjiang Novel website. The world was vast, with numerous characters and rich character development. While the book was still being written, fan fiction was already widespread. Almost every character had their own fan base, and the most popular characters were adored by the public.

Then, the author started to “kill off” these characters.

For those who loved singing more than life itself, their throats were permanently damaged and they could never sing again. For those who loved dancing on stage, they met with a car accident and bid farewell to the stage forever. Those who focused on honing their acting skills were put on ice, those who passionately pursued their dreams in the entertainment industry left in disappointment, and those who were the most beautiful and cherished their appearance were mercilessly attacked by haters until they were disfigured…

The fans of the book were enraged!

The author perfectly demonstrated what it meant to “create the most beautiful characters and then slowly destroy them”, regardless of how readers cried and begged, they still persisted in making each vivid character dim, as if jokingly plucking off the blossoming flowers.

As a reader like Sheng Quan, she was furious: It’s not funny at all!

She didn’t favor any popular characters; she just enjoyed watching them build their careers. But the book ended abruptly and miserably, leaving Sheng Quan feeling frustrated.

This book quickly evolved from “this year’s best-selling novel” to “the most complained-about novel of all time”. Countless readers turned into haters, wishing to crush it to pieces. Under anger, Sheng Quan even turned into an online warrior, passionately insulting the author with a ten-thousand-word comment.

The result was that the next day, because she didn’t sleep well and was tired on the road, she failed to dodge a car that ran a red light.

Thinking about this, Sheng Quan wanted to curse the author again. She suspected that the “aspirations” mentioned by the system were the grievances of readers like her. She dared to say that her grievances at the time could have sustained ten evil swordsmen!

It seemed quite reasonable to create a system like this.

Anyway, faced with a series of unscientific experiences like dying and coming back to life, being reborn and getting a godlike system to help her extend her life, Sheng Quan quickly accepted and adapted to it. After all, in her previous life, there wasn’t much she could miss. Her parents remarried without taking her, and the grandparents who raised her had passed away. She had a few friends, but they weren’t particularly close.

As for lovers, forget it. Busy people like her who worked from dawn till dusk didn’t have time for romance.

Although she only had a few dozen dollars in her pocket now, if she were to ask whether Sheng Quan had a better life in her previous life or now, it would definitely be now!

The top-floor suite for eighteen thousand eight hundred yuan a night was her daily residence, the limited edition cool luxury car for twenty-five million was her means of transportation, she had a driver when going out, and all the hotel staff treated her with utmost respect, fulfilling her every request with the best and most expensive items. Sheng Quan couldn’t have afforded to live in such a place no matter how hard she tried in her previous life. Now, all of this had become her daily life, and it would continue to be in the future.

After a brief moment of confusion, Sheng Quan said she wasn’t unhappy at all.

The only problem was that her current life had a countdown.

【006, how many days do I have left?】

The mechanical voice of the system sounded: 【The host can survive for thirty days, twelve hours, and fifty minutes.】

It was precise, with both whole numbers and fractions.

Hearing that she only had thirty days left, Sheng Quan accepted it well. After all, strictly speaking, she wasn’t a person of this world. In her own world, she was already considered “dead”. Every day she lived now was a bonus for her.

And most importantly, with two golden fingers in her hand, Sheng Quan felt quite stable.

She wasn’t as emotionally attached to the popular characters as their true fans. After realizing that she had transmigrated into a book, Sheng Quan quickly targeted these characters as potential recipients of assistance. After all, she was most familiar with them in this world. Choosing the characters with impeccable moral character as her investments was definitely foolproof.

【And they have excellent conditions themselves. I can also sign them. Speaking of investing in movies, as an investor, I can expect box office returns.】

Sheng Quan calculated happily in her mind: 【Plus the refund, this is two sources of income. Oh no, I can also sell the copyright. That’s three sources of income. Even without relying on the system’s refunds, I can still live comfortably.】

The system didn’t know how it turned into a hundred ways for the host to make money: 【…But we are an assistance system.】

“Exactly,” Sheng Quan said confidently, “As long as the assistance is in place, isn’t that enough? There’s no rule that says I can’t make money while assisting, right? There’s no such rule, is there?”

System:…

It felt like the host’s idea was a bit off, but being less than a month old since its creation by aspirations, it couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong. So it reluctantly answered, “…No.”

Sheng Quan: “That’s right then. Okay, that’s settled!”

Just as she finished saying that in her mind, the vendor handed over the wrapped pancake fruit. Though Sheng Quan’s attitude seemed normal, like any other ordinary customer, her movements couldn’t help but be a bit awkward and cautious in front of such an eye-catching luxury car.

“Um, your pancake fruit is ready.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” Sheng Quan smiled as she took it, glancing at the person pushing two boxes towards them.

He was around thirty years old, tall but not intimidating, with gentle yet handsome features, giving off a warm spring breeze vibe. Even with sweat beads on his forehead, he still looked refreshing.

Taking a bite of her pancake, feeling the comfortable fragrance melting in her throat, much like the feeling he gave her, warm and comforting.

Even though she had only read about him in the book, Sheng Quan immediately recognized him. He was Yan Hui, the gentleman with unparalleled charm in “The Bright Lights of the Stars”.

In “The Bright Lights of the Stars”, Yan Hui wasn’t the most popular character, but he was definitely the most beloved by readers because he truly epitomized the concept of a gentleman. He was so perfect that it seemed like only in a fictional world could such a flawless person exist.

That’s also why she was here; in terms of moral character, Yan Hui was the first person Sheng Quan thought of.

Moreover, Yan Hui was also an excellent actor. If it weren’t for being exploited by an unscrupulous company for ten years and offending someone by helping others, even with his high talent and abilities, he wouldn’t be in a position where Sheng Quan could take advantage of him.

Under Sheng Quan’s inconspicuous gaze, Yan Hui approached. Perhaps to make it easier to work, he was wearing a washed-out shirt, sleeves casually rolled up, his well-defined but not slender fingers resting on the cart.

It’s worth mentioning that “The Bright Lights of the Stars” was simply a celebration of Yan Hui. Even a character like Yan Hui, who didn’t have much screen time, had such an outstandingly handsome appearance that it made people’s eyes light up.

When reading the book, Sheng Quan didn’t feel much, but seeing Yan Hui in real life, this lover of handsome men couldn’t help but be attracted by his all-around warm demeanor.

As Sheng Quan secretly admired the beauty, Yan Hui arrived at the vendor’s side. When he glanced at the bright luxury car, a hint of shallow surprise flickered in his eyes, but instead of sizing it up like others, he quickly averted his gaze and bent down to move the boxes on the cart.

The vendor offered to help, but he gently refused, “Mom, your back isn’t good, I’ll handle it.”

Watching him efficiently bend down to work, Sheng Quan couldn’t help but think, “But your back isn’t good either.”

Yan Hui had an old injury on his back from filming, and a little exertion would cause him pain. However, he was always good at hiding his pain, so hardly anyone knew, but it was definitely something Sheng Quan, as a reader with a god’s-eye view, could see through.

As the vendor continued to work and grumble, “I told you I can handle it, you’ve been working all day, you must be so tired, just stay home and rest well. You still have the night shift tonight.”

Yan Hui patiently listened to his mother’s chatter, skillfully helping out while wearing a faint smile, “I’ve been sitting in the office all day, I’m just idle. Coming here is a good way to get some exercise.”

Seeing his relaxed smile, it was hard to tell that he had been doing laborious work all day. Sheng Quan most admired the fact that even when he was at his breaking point of exhaustion, he would do his best to hide it from his loved ones.

While others might be fooled by him, Sheng Quan, with her god’s-eye view, could see the fatigue in Yan Hui’s eyes and the slight strain in his smile.

It seemed like Yan Hui was currently in the most desperate, painful, and helpless stage of his life. Because of his father’s illness and the need for money, he had reluctantly given up his dreams of the entertainment industry and returned to his hometown to shoulder the heavy burden of the family. Despite doing laborious work to quickly earn money, he still managed to maintain the appearance of working in an office, as described in the book, waking up at four in the morning and not sleeping until one in the morning.

Having experienced the exhaustion of waking up at five-thirty in the morning to commute and not getting home until dawn, Sheng Quan could truly empathize with this part of the book.

But unlike her, who became haggard and irritable after enduring for half a month, Yan Hui had endured for two full months while still smiling at his mother.

What’s even more miraculous was that he only slept for three hours a day, yet despite looking so haggard, he still looked so handsome.

As Sheng Quan openly admired the beauty, Yan Hui continued to work, unaware of her thoughts. When she finished eating the last bite of her pancake, she called out, “Hello.”

Yan Hui, who was busy working, immediately looked up at the sound, looking at her with a questioning gaze.

Then he saw the girl sitting in the luxury car handing over a piece of paper and a pen.

With a smiling face and squinted eyes, she said, “Excuse me, are you interested in acting? If you are, can you leave me your phone number? I have a role that I think you would be perfect for.”

“Of course, it’s not a direct offer. If you’re interested, you’ll still need to audition.”

Yan Hui was taken aback. It had been a long time since he had acted, and hearing the words “audition” again gave him a feeling of being transported back in time. Before he could respond, the vendor’s mother happily agreed, “Oh! That’s great! My son is an actor! Thank you, Yan Hui, hurry, write it down.”

“Mom.” Yan Hui couldn’t help but shout helplessly, wanting to say that he didn’t have the energy to audition now, but his mother pushed a pen into his hand.

The shop owner urged him, “Hurry up and write it, don’t waste the boss’s time.”

Yan Hui, helpless, could only write it down. After offending someone, he had been rejected too many times. In fact, he didn’t hold much hope for this opportunity, as he had been disappointed too many times. He had learned not to expect anymore. But he still sincerely said to Sheng Quan, “Thank you.”

Even though the hope was slim, he genuinely appreciated this girl who was willing to show kindness to him.

“You’re welcome.”

Sheng Quan smiled and gestured for the driver to start the car.

The driver clearly had good professional qualities. Even though Sheng Quan lived in an expensive hotel and drove a limited edition luxury car to eat pancake fruits, and even extended a screen test invitation to the son of the pancake fruit vendor, the driver showed no emotional reaction. He quietly did his job.

As the eye-catching luxury car started again, Sheng Quan sat in the car, looking down at the string of phone numbers in her hand, as if she could see bundles of life points and little money with wings flying towards her.

Sheng Quan’s mood instantly became beautiful.

[System, this time sponsor Yan Hui.]

Hmm…

At least this time, Yan Hui wouldn’t be disappointed again.