Chapter 2
Three o’clock in the afternoon.
Those who had secured spots in the closed beta or livestream were already in position. Even those who couldn’t see were anxiously refreshing forums, hoping to catch glimpses of any information about the game.
Just like all the other beta players, Yua logged into Cub Raising Program the moment it went live. The game introduction played alongside a background melody:
On the distant ancient blue planet, there lived a human named Wen Xingze. He resided in the capital of China. From today onward, you will spend countless hours with your cub.
However, the cub is currently facing unemployment.
As the introduction concluded, a screen finally appeared before them. It seemed to be inside a cramped, swaying vehicle. A young man with black hair dozed off, his long eyelashes fluttering, casting delicate shadows beneath his eyes.
His appearance exuded a captivating beauty that could make hearts skip a beat, regardless of what he did.
Yua pressed her hand against her chest.
He was already stunningly handsome, but the fact that he was modeled after the Emperor made it even more scandalous! As the Cabinet secretary, Yua had witnessed the Emperor nodding off while reviewing documents, his eyes half-lidded, his lips perfectly shaped…
On the StarNet forum specifically dedicated to Cub Raising Program, the refresh rate was so rapid that it nearly crashed the system again.
[Strawberry Pudding: Ahhhh!!! I’m captivated! If the cub is unemployed, why bother working? I’ll take care of you, little one!]
[Marry the Emperor Squad: Where’s the in-game purchase channel?]
[NotWhite11: Am I the only one who missed out on both the closed beta and livestream slots? Feeling salty.]
[adughx: This modeling is too realistic. If the Emperor weren’t in the palace, I’d suspect he time-traveled to Ancient Earth… I adore him.]
Perhaps due to the overwhelming inquiries, the system displayed a friendly prompt:
“The recharge channel and other features will unlock after completing the beginner’s tasks. Parents, please be patient. The official beginner’s tasks will begin in 600 seconds, 599 seconds, 598 seconds…”
“You can click to view the cub's profile card. Would you like to view it? [Yes] / [No]”
Yua selected “Yes,” and a semi-transparent card popped up:
Cub Profile Card
Name: Wen Xingze
Age: 24
Occupation: Contracted artist under DaoMei Entertainment (Note: Currently facing unemployment)
Skills/Current Filter Possession: ??? (To be activated)
Savings: 86 yuan
Popularity: 7
Potential: Variety Shows (6/10), Acting (8.2/10), Singing and Dancing (4.5/10)
Luck Value: -18627653
Yua: “??? What is this cursed luck value?!”
She scrolled through StarNet and found that many were berating the system for setting such a low luck value for their cub — yes, because the modeling was too realistic, many people had completely mistaken the cub for the Emperor.
Without waiting for Yua to join in the conversation, in the blink of an eye, the countdown for the beginner’s task was almost over. Finally, the screen changed.
Another middle-aged male voice sounded from the side — probably the driver: “Hey, handsome, wake up. We’ve reached our destination.”
On the screen, the young man named Wen Xingze slowly opened his eyes.
He seemed a bit disoriented, rubbing his eyes and yawning. His gaze held a hint of sleepiness, and his eyes were slightly moist. Wen Xingze replied sluggishly, “Okay.”
Caught off guard by this unexpected turn, Yua’s eyes filled with hearts.
Suppressing her excitement, she continued reading.
Wen Xingze stepped out of the vehicle, and the program crew’s staff came to escort him.
Seeing Wen Xingze, the staff member’s eyes brightened, and their attitude involuntarily became more patient. As they walked, they introduced, “You’ve probably heard about our show, ‘Treasure Adventure’. It combines both sports challenges and puzzle-solving levels… Come this way, let’s get you changed.”
Simultaneously, another semi-transparent card unfolded before Yua’s eyes:
Beginner’s Task
Task Description: To change fate, seize every opportunity! Help the unemployed cub win first place in the variety show ‘Treasure Adventure’!
Task Progress: Win first place (0/1)
Task Rewards: Filter *1, Lottery Ticket *1
“Help the cub secure first place?” Yua murmured. “I’d love to, but no in-game purchases allowed, and besides, the Emperor… No, the cub's luck value is still abysmally low. This seems impossible!” She was even confusing the cub with the Emperor.
The next moment.
A sudden system announcement echoed in Yua’s ears:
“Thanks to users ‘y,’ ‘Douglas,’ ‘Blazing Fire,’ ‘Summer Ignorance,’ and 27 others who gifted 100,000 star coins on the system’s live channel, a hidden reward has been triggered. The cub will receive the 120-minute Luck Reversal Card, effective immediately!”
On Wen Xingze’s profile card before her, the luck value had changed from ‘-18627653’ to ‘18627653’.
Wait, was this even allowed?! Yua couldn’t help but curse silently in her mind.
Beta players couldn’t spend real money, yet watching official livestreams and sending gifts allowed them to forcibly alter the cub’s fate. This hidden rule was absurd.
And…
That ‘Blazing Fire’ seemed to be the handle used by the Empire’s Marshal, and ‘Summer Ignorance’ was the handle of that popular cosmic songstress.
Taking a closer look, wasn’t Douglas the name of their Cabinet Prime Minister? That was Yua’s immediate superior — the serious, scholarly dwarf who rarely cracked a smile and focused solely on work. And now, he was secretly supporting the Emperor…
Who exactly was she sharing the same cub with?!
________________________
The producer arrived, shaking Wen Xingze’s hand enthusiastically. The staff members were equally warm; after all, no one could resist the allure of a handsome face.
As they led Wen Xingze toward the dressing room, the staff member chatted with him: “The quickest to reach the finish line and solve the final puzzle will win first place. The first prize is a romantic seven-day trip to France, the second prize is five boxes of Berry Bliss Yogurt, and the third prize is an electric fan…”
“An electric fan?” Wen Xingze’s interest piqued.
The weather had been scorching lately, and he couldn’t afford to buy a fan. He relied on staying calm to keep cool.
“Of course, but I think you might not be interested in those,” the staff member said, their gaze lingering on Wen Xingze. Clearly, they found him pleasing to the eye.
Honestly, the staff member felt a twinge of regret for Wen Xingze.
His luck was terrible, and unfortunately, among the eight contestants this season, three were related to influential figures. The top three spots were practically reserved. Apart from the privileged contestants, there were also a few former celebrity participants…
If Wen Xingze had arrived at a different time, he would undoubtedly become the focus of this season. He could easily secure a spot and boost the show’s ratings single-handedly.
This mediocre variety show of theirs offered such lackluster prizes that no one participated solely for the rewards. Most contestants were aspiring internet celebrities or minor stars with a hint of fame. Anyone slightly well-known wouldn’t bother with them.
The staff member asked him, “Are you a newcomer? You’re so good-looking; the camera will definitely favor you. Try to make it past the first two rounds, and you might even get extra screen time.”
As they spoke, the cameraman had already hoisted his camera, aiming it in their direction. The producer (PD) noticed how striking Wen Xingze was and planned to include off-stage footage in the behind-the-scenes clips.
Wen Xingze wasn’t embarrassed: “I’ve been in the industry for five years.”
“Ah?!” The staff member was shocked. “Did you have some illness in between that delayed your career?”
Self-pity wasn’t in vogue now, but attractive people could get away with it. The cameraman eagerly zoomed in even closer.
“No,” Wen Xingze admitted honestly, “I just lack skills and motivation.”
The staff member and cameraman exchanged glances. It was indeed a straightforward answer.
As they reached the dressing room, they had to part ways. Before saying goodbye, the staff member handed Wen Xingze a bottle of drink: “This is Berry Bliss Yogurt for the contestants. There’s a prize under the cap!”
Wen Xingze understood; this was a sponsored segment. He unscrewed the cap and took a big sip, giving it a thumbs-up:
“Super delicious! Let me see what prize I’ve won.” He read the cap aloud, “A romantic seven-day trip to France.”
Staff member: “?”
Cameraman: “??”
Wen Xingze: “???”
Turning away from the camera, he discreetly mouthed to the staff member, “Is this a scripted promotional segment? Feels a bit fake.”
The staff member stared at the cap, momentarily speechless.
Indeed, it seemed a bit staged.
But would their show, with such a generous budget, offer such meager prizes? And arranging for a contestant to win the top prize before the competition even began — was that even possible?
“This part might be edited out,” the staff member finally said. “Time is running short, go change quickly.”
Although she said that, Wen Xingze tacitly accepted it as part of the show’s arrangement. After all, given his luck, he wouldn’t even win another bottle.
Soon, he pushed this little incident out of his mind.
After changing clothes, the filming time drew near, and the contestants gathered. The show’s costume aesthetics left much to be desired — fluorescent green sportswear that made anyone slightly less fair-skinned appear even darker, an eyesore.
But Wen Xingze managed to turn the cheap sportswear into a high-fashion statement. Standing in the sunlight, he practically radiated light. Like the male lead in a campus drama, his clean-cut features and youthful aura were irresistible.
Other contestants couldn’t help but gravitate toward him. No one was foolish; they knew standing next to someone attractive would earn them more screen time…
The cameraman wasn’t intentionally biased; he had indeed given equal screen time to each contestant. However, whenever Wen Xingze appeared, the spotlight inevitably focused on him. He was captivating the lens.
“Ahem,” the director coughed heavily, reminding the cameraman that this season also had contestants with special connections. The camera shifted away from Wen Xingze for a moment. “Alright, everyone is almost ready. Let’s begin.”
Wen Xingze had been half-dozing, but at the director’s words, he snapped into action.
Electric fan!
This was a challenge race with specific time limits; exceeding the time meant elimination. The eight contestants took turns, and since Wen Xingze had registered late, he was contestant number 8 and would have to wait a while before his turn.
“…,” Wen Xingze slowly settled back into his seat.
Contestant number 7 had been observing him for a while and couldn’t resist striking up a conversation: “Are you a celebrity? You’re really handsome, but unfortunately…” This season had too many contestants with special connections.
“Thank you,” Wen Xingze squinted his eyes and replied, “You’re good-looking too.”
Contestant number 7 was a young girl, and meeting his gaze made her even more bashful.
She struggled to find a topic, but facing such a handsome guy, she stumbled over her words. So, under PD’s encouraging gaze, she picked up a nearby drink and awkwardly said, “Um, let’s have some Berry Bliss Yogurt…”
An awkward moment unfolded.
She couldn’t unscrew the bottle cap.
“Let me help.” Wen Xingze offered kindly, seizing the chance to give a shout-out to the sponsor — after all, they were about to gift him an electric fan. “I heard there’s a prize under the cap. Let me check… Hmm, a romantic seven-day trip to France.”
“…” Contestant number 7 blinked.
Wen Xingze: “?”
Contestant number 7: “??”
Director: “???”
Wen Xingze turned to the director, his eyes wide with shock. Was this also a scripted promotional segment?
Did they really think the audience was that gullible?
Even the director was speechless now. He couldn’t help but turn to the assistant and ask, “Was the yogurt intentionally selected for the contestants?”
The assistant looked bewildered. “No, and besides, the chance of winning the France trip is 0.002%. We couldn’t have deliberately chosen it.”
Director: “…Fine.”
As they spoke, two contestants had already completed their challenges.
One made it to the second round, and the other reached the fourth. The fourth contestant was a former celebrity participant, and given the difficulty of this season’s puzzles, reaching the fourth round was already commendable.
Wen Xingze sat waiting for his turn, feeling tempted to play a game but resisting the urge.
At this moment, contestant number 7 was looking at him with starry eyes, finding him both handsome and impressive. She couldn’t help but strike up a conversation: “The sun is scorching today; it’s so hot. Are you feeling warm?”
“Well,” Wen Xingze was actually fine, he’d endured hotter weather. He politely asked, “Are you uncomfortable? I can use a cooling spell to help.”
The young girl grew curious: “A cooling spell?”
“Yes.”
Wen Xingze handed her an earbud and opened a music app.
He played the Great Compassion Mantra on repeat.
Contestant number 7: “…”
She almost felt like she’d been blessed by a deity.
________________________
Author’s Note:
I changed the title a bit. As for Zeze, he’s actually a quirky idol, #facepalming
To those asking, let me explain: Zeze is the emperor of the Muse Empire, a nation he constructed while playing the mobile game Desolation. He thought it was just a game, but it turned out to be a real parallel universe.
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