Chapter One: The Superpowered Star-Maker

"Hey, you there—the bald guy lying down—Brother Shengli is calling for you!"

Without even sitting up, Liu Qingshan could tell it was a newcomer calling him. After all, he'd been hustling in Hengdian for three years now and was a familiar face among the extras. Only seasoned extras like him would think to bring a folding chair and a neck pillow, so they could grab a nap in any spare corner.

"Got it! Thanks, brother. Can't keep Brother Shengli waiting!"

He quickly forced a smile and scurried over to a burly man with tattooed arms. "Brother Shengli, did you call me?"

"Who am I to trouble you, Brother Shan? It’s Brother Qi who wants you. When that guy shouts, it's impossible not to hear him!"

Brother Shengli, also an extra, was a stuntman from the Northeast—tall, brawny, and a warm-hearted fellow who got along well with him.

Liu Qingshan bowed and hurried over to the group leader, Brother Qi. "Xiaoshanzi reporting—just let me know what you need!"

"In this crew, I’m not the one giving orders," Brother Qi replied. "It’s Line Producer Li who’s doing a last-minute call-up!"

For someone like Liu Qingshan, with a clean-cut look, it was actually harder to find work than for those nondescript extras who easily blended into a crowd. Still, managing to get on set for thirty yuan a day wasn’t too tough, and if he scored an extra gig on top, it meant double pay—he certainly wouldn’t refuse.

"Brother Qi, you always look out for me. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it’s done perfectly!"

"Enough talk! This job means lying in a puddle for over a minute. You grew up by the water, so you can hold your breath longer than most, right?"

"A minute’s no problem. Will there be a shot of me falling down, too?"

"What are you thinking? Even Brother Shengli hasn’t gotten a stuntman’s job like that, and you want to snatch it?"

"Just asking, Brother Qi—don’t get upset. All the brothers and sisters are counting on you to find them work, so take care of yourself!"

"Get lost, stop buttering me up. Hurry over to Line Producer Li. At least it’s a close-up role!"

Liu Qingshan thanked him and dashed to the set.

Line Producer Li was a young man with dyed blond hair. When he heard why Liu Qingshan was there, he pulled him aside.

"Let me be clear—at least one minute underwater. Even if it’s tough, you have to stick with it!"

"A minute’s not too hard."

"Good. Come with me. You’ll wear what you have on."

He led him to an assistant director named Lin and whispered a few words. The assistant director glanced at Liu Qingshan. "You don't look like a rookie. This shot is a bit tough—if you can’t handle it, say so now. Don’t push yourself."

It was early spring, 2004. The word "rookie" was already common, thanks to the burgeoning Internet. But in the film cities, where the dialect was thick with Minnan flavor, just hearing the term, you could tell it was spoken by someone from Taiwan.

"Don’t worry, Director Lin. It’s just a minute. I won’t hold up your shoot!"

Liu Qingshan didn’t need prompting. He rolled in the mud, thoroughly soaking himself. Nearby, someone shouted through a loudspeaker, "Actors, are you in position?"

Assistant Director Lin replied, then gestured with his foot to show Liu Qingshan where to lie. "Right there. Don’t move until I say stop, understand?"

Without a word, Liu Qingshan took a deep breath and buried his head at the edge of the muddy puddle.

He heard "Action!" in his ear, followed by the clack of the slate and the sounds of fighting and bodies splashing into water.

It was a false spring—still as cold as the depths of winter. His hands and feet always felt chilled, no matter the season, but now, as icy water enveloped him, he felt the cold invade his very bones. Soon, he was short of breath, his strength fading, his face paling—truly feeling what it meant to "catch a spring chill and snap a tendon."

Yet, gritting his teeth, he kept silently counting seconds in his mind. When he reached seventy—well over a minute—still no one called "cut."

As long as the director didn’t shout "cut," he had to keep acting—even if he was just a corpse being trampled. That was the conviction Liu Qingshan held.

But the chaos only continued in his ears—shouts, clashes, horses and men tumbling. Then, with a thunderous ringing in his ears, his numbed consciousness slipped away.

When he finally came to and opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a makeshift cot. A middle-aged man in a white coat—clearly a doctor—stood nearby, next to Brother Qi, whose face was tight with worry.

Liu Qingshan’s expression was still blank, as if his mind hadn’t fully returned. In the moment of unconsciousness, he’d felt a blinding pain, then a swirl of lights and shadows, after which clear words gradually appeared in his mind.

Along with an unearthly chiming—"ding ding"—a message in traditional Chinese appeared: "Superstar System has found a life form. Lock onto this target and begin transfer?"

As the chiming became more urgent, Liu Qingshan instinctively tried to raise his right hand. But his mind connected with the confirm button, another cascade of light and shadows flashed, and a neat row of subtitles appeared:

"Detected: Earth, Year 2004. Superstar System will now lock in. Activate?"

He nodded reflexively, and a table appeared:

Host Name: Liu Qingshan
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Height: 178 cm
Bind system? (Note: This is a one-time action. Once bound, it cannot be changed. If host’s vital signs vanish, all information will be erased and a new host sought.)
He confirmed again. A new screen appeared: "Congratulations, host! Superstar System has been activated. You have earned one chance at a prize draw, gained your first Reputation point, 1 Shop Point, and an upgrade reward."

Liu Qingshan stared blankly, beyond mere shock. As his mind returned to clarity, he slowly realized what had happened.

Before he could react, a stream of data rose unbidden in his mind.

Total Fans: None
Reputation: 1 (exchange shop points/100/1)
Title: Extra (0/100)
Physical skills: None
Professional skills: None
Shop points: 1
System prize draw: 1
What was going on? What was this Superstar System and all these numbers? Was he dreaming?

As the questions formed, understanding of the system’s details surfaced in his mind.

The “Title” category had different ranks. "Extra" was the lowest. Next came C, B, A, S, SS, SSS—six levels in all.

These corresponded to Novice, Junior, Intermediate, Senior Actor, Master, and Grandmaster. In other words, C-level was the entry threshold for actors, and each level had three sub-tiers: C1, C2, C3. Only after reaching C3 could one advance to B-level actor.