Chapter 1

### Chapter 1: Goodbye 1997

Amidst the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

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Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

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Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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Chapter 1: Goodbye 1997

In a flood of memories like the tide, Ye Ming struggled to stand up, but his entire body felt as if it had fallen apart, and he heavily fell back onto the bed.

As an actor who had been in the entertainment industry for over a decade, he deeply understood the importance of this audition. If he lost this opportunity, it would be very difficult for him to make a breakthrough.

After playing minor roles for over a decade, Ye Ming finally caught the attention of a director who decided to cast him as the second lead. How could he not be overjoyed?

He dressed up meticulously, spending over ten minutes in front of the mirror to ensure there were no flaws. Only then did he leave his rental apartment, satisfied.

However, just as he stepped out of the building, a burst of orange fire fell from the sky, hitting a high-voltage wire. Ye Ming felt a tingling sensation, his vision went black, and he instantly fainted.

A familiar voice rang out: "Big star, are you okay? If you're fine, get up quickly. Uncle Liang is waiting. If you're late, we'll be out on the streets tomorrow, and the company will go bankrupt. You're half-dead, and it took me a long time to drag you back. Hurry up."

Ye Ming struggled to open his eyes again, looking at the familiar room and listening to the long-missed voice. It was Li Dachuan, his good friend, also an actor who had moved to Beijing.

Confused, puzzled, and lost.

He watched the news on TV, which reported the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997.

A shocking thought suddenly appeared in Ye Ming's mind: Could this be 1997?

Looking at Li Dachuan's youthful face and the familiar surroundings, he realized it was indeed 1997.

Ye Ming felt a surge of excitement and asked, "Dachuan, what year is it?"

Li Dachuan, eating instant noodles, glanced at Ye Ming and said, "Did you drink too much yesterday? It's 1997, and Hong Kong is about to return to China. Get up, don't be lazy. Your noodles are ready. You have only five minutes. If you miss the audition, you'll be responsible."

He finished the noodles in a hurry, and before Ye Ming could sit down, Li Dachuan pulled him out.

In the taxi, Li Dachuan sat in the front and turned around, saying, "We're broke. I only have thirty dollars left. Yesterday, when I paid for your drinks, you only had eighty-two dollars left. We usually can't afford a taxi, but this is for the audition. We'll indulge a bit so Uncle Liang doesn't wait. When I become a big star, I'll buy two cars, one to drive and one to pull."

The two had only a hundred dollars left in Beijing, but Li Dachuan, the eternal optimist, still made jokes.

Seeing that Ye Ming wasn't in the mood to talk, Li Dachuan didn't mind, thinking he was still drunk. He started introducing himself to the driver, mentioning the roles he had played in various TV dramas and the stars he had worked with.

In reality, Li Dachuan had only played minor roles with a few lines, the most being five lines, which made him happy for three days.

A clear chime rang out.

In Ye Ming's mind, a familiar interface appeared: a blue sky, white clouds, and green grass.

The interface looked very familiar.

A cold voice spoke, and text appeared on the interface.

"Entertainment Empire System activated. Host adjustment confirmed. Binding initiated."

Ye Ming was stunned, his mind reeling as if a thousand llamas had trampled through it.

What the hell is this?

Before Ye Ming could finish his thought, the system responded.

"The Entertainment Empire System was developed in 2046 to train and supply talent to the entertainment industry.

Host: Ye Ming. Age: 19. Acting: 268 [Incompetent]. Singing: 388. Fame: 150. Combat: 400. Insight: Two stars. The host must reach C-level artist standards within a year or be eliminated. Functions: Artist training, Prop store."

Ye Ming was terrified. Elimination? Are you the main god or something? He asked.

"Who are you, and what is your purpose? Did you send me back to 1997?"

At that moment, Ye Ming remembered the orange fire that fell from the sky in his previous life.

The system replied calmly.

"Time travel is an unexpected event. Purpose: Host level insufficient, no access."

The image disappeared, and Ye Ming's vision cleared, but he was drenched in sweat, as if he had just come out of a sauna.

It was too bizarre.

Li Dachuan, oblivious to Ye Ming's shock, continued to chat with the driver, promoting himself without a care.

They arrived at a secluded corner in the West City, navigating through a maze of narrow alleys. Without Li Dachuan's guidance, Ye Ming would never have found the dilapidated courtyard.

The only difference between this courtyard and the others was a red paper on the broken gate, with the words "Love Who It May Concern" written in calligraphy, highlighting its unique status.

Li Dachuan stopped, pushed the gate open, and cautiously peered inside. A group was filming, but it wasn't chaotic. Everyone held their breath, watching the male and female leads perform.

In such a situation, anyone who spoke out of turn would be slapped by the director.

Thus, when Li Dachuan opened the gate, the sound, though small, was like a needle dropping in a silent classroom.

The director, sitting in his chair, frowned and was about to get angry, but a middle-aged man in a camera vest gestured to him, indicating that they were there to see him.

The director seemed to understand and waved the man off, turning back to the monitor.

The middle-aged man came out, looked around the courtyard, and carefully closed the gate, walking to another corner of the alley.

Once he was sure there was no impact, he stopped.

Li Dachuan stepped forward, slipped a box of Zhonghua cigarettes into the man's vest, and said with a smile, "Uncle Liang, we'll rely on your help from now on."

Uncle Liang, familiar with the routine, opened the cigarette box, took one out, and Li Dachuan quickly lit it for him.

Seeing Uncle Liang's frown, Ye Ming had a bad feeling.

Uncle Liang had once been a roommate, but he had been in the industry longer and later joined a production crew, becoming a production assistant for "Love Who It May Concern."

A few days ago, at a gathering, Ye Ming had smoothed things over, and Uncle Liang had agreed to let them play a supporting role with more lines.

However, Uncle Liang's troubled expression suggested a change.

Sure enough, Uncle Liang took out three thousand yuan and said, "Ye Ming, I know this three thousand is your severance pay from the company, hard-earned. Since I couldn't help you this time, I can't keep the money. If there's a chance to act, I'll think of you two."

Smoothing things over meant paying, a common practice in the industry.

The circle was small, and the number of films and TV shows produced each year was limited, but the number of actors was vast. They couldn't just let anyone act without a reason.

Thus, the concept of a "favor fee" emerged.

The three thousand yuan wasn't just for Uncle Liang. As a production assistant, he couldn't decide who got the roles. At least a thousand went to the director, and some of the crew members also needed to be given red envelopes and treated to a meal.

In the end, Uncle Liang might keep a thousand at most.

Li Dachuan was anxious and shouted, "Uncle Liang, wasn't it agreed that we would play the roles? Why are you changing it?"

Uncle Liang looked at the direction of the crew, seemingly helpless. "The director had agreed, but the investors forced two people in yesterday. The director can't ignore the investors. Don't worry, Dachuan, you and Ye Ming will have other opportunities."

In his previous life, Ye Ming had accepted the money back without a second thought, regretting not getting the role.

Now, he realized that at least two thousand of the three thousand was Uncle Liang's.

No wonder Uncle Liang never contacted him again in his previous life.

Understanding this, Ye Ming pushed the money back. "Uncle Liang, you're making me feel bad. Our friendship isn't about money. We're grateful that you thought of us. This is an unfortunate situation, and I know you did your best. We'll remember your kindness. I can't take this money back."

Indeed, when Uncle Liang took out the three thousand, there was a hint of pain in his eyes, but he felt obligated to return it.

If it were anyone else's money, Uncle Liang might have kept it.

But Ye Ming and Li Dachuan were different. They were his friends from hard times.

The industry was small, and if it were known that Uncle Liang had taken his friends' money, he wouldn't be able to continue in the business.

However, Ye Ming's words made Uncle Liang smile. He had already been reluctant to return the money, and now he had a reason to keep it.

Uncle Liang relaxed, looking at Ye Ming with satisfaction. The young man was wise beyond his years.

Uncle Liang took a deep drag on his cigarette and said, "You won't be in this production, but I have a friend, Chen Zheng, who is an assistant director in another production. It's a co-production between Qiongyao and Hunan TV called 'The Story of the Palace.' There's an audition opportunity. You two should try it out."

A clear chime rang out, and the familiar interface appeared: a blue sky, white clouds, and green grass.

Text appeared on the interface.

"Main quest activated: Host auditions for 'The Story of the Palace.' Script level: S. Quest reward: Acting +30, Special prop."

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End of Chapter 1: Goodbye 1997