Xu Zifan rested in the space for a while, organized a food review, and then easily immersed himself in the next world.
He opened his eyes to find himself in a small room with simple white walls and floor tiles, looking like a low-rent apartment. He was lying on the bed; the room was a mess, and he was in poor physical condition, indicating that the original owner of this body hadn't been doing well.
Just as he was about to receive the memories, his phone next to his pillow rang, displaying the name "Brother Li".
Xu Zifan sat up and answered the call. Li Ge's cold voice immediately came through, "It's the company's decision to send you to'Survival on an Island,' you have to go whether you want to or not. Xu Zifan, think about how badly you're doing right now? If it weren't for Tan Yi taking care of you, you wouldn't even get a single gig. Where do you get the nerve to complain?"
Alright, be at the airport at 7 AM tomorrow morning, don't be late. If you want to break the contract, prepare the penalty fee for me.
The call ended abruptly, before Xu Zifan could say a word. He opened the window to let in fresh air and stood by the window to receive the original owner's memories.
The original owner was twenty-two years old. Two years ago, he was scouted by a talent agent because of his handsome appearance and started shooting commercials. He became famous because of his face and filmed many commercials. He also played a devoted second male lead in a youth idol drama. The original owner had never studied acting, but he was chosen because his temperament matched the role, and he played the part almost perfectly by being himself.
The second male lead in that idol drama had a particularly good character, and he became popular again because of this drama.
Brother Li was his manager, who had high hopes for him and treated him exceptionally well. Tan Yi, whom Brother Li mentioned, was the original owner's high school buddy. After graduating from high school, Tan Yi was admitted to a film academy. At that time, Tan Yi often came to see him, and after becoming familiar with Brother Li, he was signed by Brother Li's company and filmed an ancient drama with a strong female lead, playing the female lead's white moonlight, which made him quite popular.
The two brothers worked in the same company, had the same agent, and had both gained some fame. The original owner was overjoyed and often imagined the two brothers working together to reach the pinnacle of the entertainment industry. But afterwards, it was as if he had run into bad luck.
Online reports claim that he used to be a delinquent who didn't like studying and just messed around all day. He dropped out of high school and didn't stay in his jobs long, always changing jobs after a short time. He was a complete good-for-nothing.
The original owner was just a minor celebrity, so the company naturally wouldn't put much effort into public relations; a simple clarification would suffice. However, this only brought him a lot of negativity, completely ruining his public image. After all, it was true he graduated high school and had changed jobs several times, giving him a bad first impression.
Unfortunately, the company then cast him in a drama, a role that was extremely unlikable. He was a troublemaker between the male and female leads, hurting innocent people, and remained unrepentant, offering absolutely no redeeming qualities. Since the original actor lacked acting skills, the drama was ridiculed online, with screenshots used to create numerous memes, cementing his reputation as a pretty face with no education and no acting ability.
Tan Yi, on the other hand, met Bai Xue, the daughter of the company's chairman, at a celebration banquet. The two hit it off and quickly became a couple, but they did not make it public for the time being.
With Bai Xue's connection, the company naturally promoted Tan Yi to stardom. The two TV series and one movie he starred in were all popular IPs, and the advertising endorsements he took on were for major brands. He also became a regular MC on a popular variety show, gaining a large number of fans. In just two years, he rose to the level of a top-tier actor, a stark contrast to the original owner of the body.
Tan Yi had long since changed his top agent. He was usually too busy to meet the original owner, but out of brotherhood, he took good care of him and got him a few variety shows to appear on with other artists from the company. Without exception, every time he participated in a variety show, they could find one or two flaws in the original owner, while the other artists from the company who went with him were made to look better by comparison.
The original owner's reputation was getting worse and worse, and he became a well-known celebrity in the entertainment industry who had nothing to offer except his looks. A few days ago, Tan Yi had him appear on a variety show with the company's most popular actress. However, when the footage was edited and aired, it looked like the original owner was constantly trying to get close to the actress, and the show even added a pink bubble effect when the two made eye contact.
As soon as the show aired, a large number of Xiaohua's fans immediately went wild, flocking to the original owner's Weibo to insult him, calling him a toad trying to eat swan meat and shamelessly creating a CP (couple pairing). This matter even became the number one trending topic.
After being hit by these repeated blows, the original owner's mentality collapsed a bit. He couldn't help but post a Weibo saying that he and Xiao Hua were not familiar with each other, and he was just speaking normally out of politeness. He had no intention of creating a CP at all.
But the words "not familiar" hit a nerve with the fans, who launched into a tirade of abuse against him, so much so that the original owner dared not go online.
Just then, the company got him a job on a variety show called "Survival on a Desert Island," which involved six celebrities—five men and one woman—surviving on a desert island. Each person was only allowed to bring two tools and the clothes they were wearing.
The original owner was just an ordinary, unremarkable person. How could he possibly know anything about wilderness survival? If he went, he would definitely be called a good-for-nothing again, so he refused outright. That's why Brother Li just made that phone call ordering him to go.
The reason the original owner was so unlucky was not because of bad luck, but because Tan Yi stole all his resources, including the chairman's daughter Bai Xue. These were all part of the original owner's fate.
But Tan Yi was reborn. He was unwilling to accept that he could only become a third-tier star after graduating from a film academy with a junior college degree, while the original owner knew nothing but won the favor of a rich lady with his face and became a big star. Later, he even honed his acting skills and won awards.
Tan Yi's brotherly affection for the original owner had long been eroded by accumulated jealousy. Upon his rebirth, he immediately used the original owner as a stepping stone to climb higher. The pain of looking up to him in his previous life was deeply ingrained, so he constantly suppressed the original owner, relying on his power in the company to repeatedly...
They give the original owner hope, and then use the original owner to highlight other artists in the same company, using the original owner's popularity to make others shine.
Because it was beneficial to the company's artists, the chairman and executives turned a blind eye to his behavior. After all, the original owner was just a minor celebrity and there was no need to care.
If Xu Zifan hadn't come, the original owner would have encountered snakes during this island survival mission, and then, due to his poor mental state, would have taken the wrong path and fallen off a cliff. The original owner's obsession allowed him to see what happened after his death, learning the truth about Tan Yi's rebirth and how he harmed him. Therefore, the original owner begged the interdimensional messenger, hoping the messenger could replace him, surpass Tan Yi in fame, find a girlfriend of higher status than Bai Xue, and live a life of unparalleled superiority, making Tan Yi look up to him!
Xu Zifan searched Tan Yi's name on his phone, and various news articles and representative works popped up. The reactions from passersby and fans were very positive, indicating that Tan Yi indeed had a bright future.
He searched his own name again and found that it was the complete opposite of Tan Yi's. His shameless attempt to create a CP was trending on Weibo. Although it was at the bottom of the trending list, it had been several days before it dropped from the top to the bottom.
It's impossible for an ordinary person to stay on the trending topics list for so long. Xu Zifan opened the comments and found that the young actress had a lot of brainless fans who were clamoring for him to get out of the entertainment industry. There were also a lot of online trolls adding fuel to the fire, which is why he was nailed to the pillar of shame and made public.
He even earned the nickname "pretty boy" because of his "shipping" behavior, achieving the goal of being hated by the entire internet.
He then searched for "Survival on a Desert Island," a variety show that had almost no online buzz. He used his hacking skills to investigate and discovered that the show was planned and produced by his own company. Because it was a trial run, the budget was very small, and the celebrities he invited were either has-beens or had little popularity. Ironically, the one who was now being universally criticized online was the most talked-about.
Perhaps that's why he was able to participate in "Survival on a Desert Island"—to capitalize on his current popularity and promote the show, using his perceived incompetence to highlight how hard-working, dedicated, and capable others are.
However, Tan Yi had previously had the original owner participate in only unpopular variety shows. Since he has now made him participate in "Survival on a Desert Island," it is clear that Tan Yi knows this variety show will not make a splash and that he simply wants him to suffer.
Xu Zifan turned off his phone and curled the corners of his mouth. These people couldn't carry the show. No one was funny, no one knew how to survive, so what was the point of watching it? But he was different. He had top-notch wilderness survival skills and master-level cooking skills. This show was perfect for him, who was hated by the whole internet.
In fact, what can't be solved in China by looking good and having delicious food?
He's a handsome young man who's good at both food and drink, and mukbang (eating broadcasts) is the key to his image rehabilitation and comeback!
Xu Zifan needed to be at the airport by 7 a.m. the next morning, so he decided to stay at a hotel near the airport. He checked the balance in the original owner's card and found that there was only a little over 2,000 yuan left. No wonder he was living in a small rented room that cost a few hundred yuan a month.
He put his documents and important items into his storage space, and decided not to keep the rest, including his clothes. He then put on a hat and mask and went out.
He first took a taxi to the jade market to gamble on rough stones, cutting and selling them on the spot. He didn't get any big pieces, but still made 200,000 yuan. Then he got his hair and makeup done, with a full-body makeover. His hair was cut to the most flattering shape for his face, and he was dressed in several outfits, all understated and comfortable designer brands.
After finishing all that, it was already dark. However, when Xu Zifan stood in front of the mirror to examine himself again, he was very satisfied with his appearance. He felt that he had not wasted any time.
He doesn't have many opportunities to showcase his inner qualities right now, so he should make the most of his universally recognized good looks and maximize this visible advantage to attract a wave of fans who appreciate his appearance first. He can take things slowly after that and there's no rush.
He booked a comfortable room at a hotel near the airport, had a leisurely meal, and rested well for the night. At 6:50 a.m. the next morning, he arrived at the meeting point and was the first celebrity to arrive.
The production crew immediately turned on the cameras and started recording. The director asked, "Xu Zifan, you look great today. Did you prepare this specifically so you wouldn't lose to the others?"
The production team are also from their company, and they all know that Xu Zifan is there to highlight others, so their questions are all designed to trap people.
Xu Zifan replied nonchalantly, "Of course not, I prepared this especially for my fans." Then he flashed a charming smile at the camera, "I heard you guys really like my face? The stylist said this suits me better. Are you satisfied with my new look?"
The director was a little surprised, but didn't say anything. When he noticed that he didn't bring a suitcase, he continued, "Why did you only bring a backpack? Don't celebrities usually travel with two large suitcases?"
Xu Zifan smiled and said, "I did my research before coming. Similar shows usually require you to hand in all your luggage and only allow one or two tools, so I only brought a few useful spares. Is that correct?"
The director smiled but didn't answer; this was a later segment, and it wasn't time to announce the rules yet. Seeing that the others hadn't arrived yet, and not wanting an awkward silence, he said, "I wonder what the useful tools are? Could you show everyone what you brought?"
"Of course, I only have a few things with me." Xu Zifan opened his backpack and took out the items one by one and placed them on the table.
Military shovel, machete, rope, wet wipes, two bottles of water, and a large bag of various seasonings.
He pointed to the two bottles of water, "These are what I'm going to drink on the way. I'll give them to you when we get there. I don't know how many things we're allowed to bring, but I think these are the most important things to bring. We can find the rest in the wild."
The director asked with a smile, "So you brought all this seasoning for a picnic?"
If wilderness survival is treated like a picnic, then that's another black mark on one's record.
Xu Zifan didn't say anything nice, but instead nodded matter-of-factly, "In the wild..."
"Survival is all about hunting and eating wild game, right? I'm pretty good at that, and I'm also a good cook. If you let me take care of this, I'm sure I'll have a great time these next few days."
The director laughed. He loves it when celebrities make these kinds of promises, and it's the audience who loves to see them back down later!