Two days had passed, and now it was the third day. Zheng Xize lay on the hospital bed, idly swinging his legs, thinking with some boredom that he had indeed been reborn.
Zheng Xize felt both helpless and fortunate about his rebirth. He cherished life and preferred living over dying, yet he was entirely clueless about why he had been reborn into this body, where the original owner had gone, and whether he had truly died.
The film crew had brought him here, and since then, apart from the hospital staff, he hadn't seen anyone. But that was just as well—no one disturbed him. Over the past two days, he had sorted through the original owner's memories, and finally, he had absorbed it all.
It was now the Galactic Era, over six thousand years since the Ancient Earth Era. Humanity had transcended the limits of technology and habitat, finally leaving the Earth, which had long been unfit for life. For Xize, this future, six thousand years later, was completely unfamiliar.
The name of the body he now occupied was Xize. He was a third-year student in the acting department at the Galactic Soloro Academy, of Asian descent. He had an older brother and a pair of younger siblings. His mother worked in elementary school logistics, and his father was a communication equipment repair technician. His younger siblings were still in high school, and his brother, also studying acting, attended the same school as him but was two years ahead, now in his senior year and about to graduate.
Unlike Zheng Xize, who had no parents, no siblings, and not a single relative, the original owner had clearly lived in a large family. But even in such a complete family, Xize had never felt the warmth of family—after all, he was just an adopted child.
Xize was somewhat withdrawn, had few friends, and held little status at home. He wasn't close to his adoptive parents, was often bullied by his younger siblings, and even his relationship with his older brother, who attended the same school, was distant.
To say that Xize's older brother, Xining, was a character would be an understatement. Nowadays, breaking into the entertainment industry was far more challenging than before; a pretty face alone wasn't enough. Xining not only got into the most prestigious Soloro Academy's acting department but also signed with a talent agency in his freshman year. Now, in his senior year, he had already gained some fame, attracting a small group of fans, and needed to wear sunglasses when he went out. He had both a manager and an assistant, far surpassing the current, unknown Xize.
However, when it came to getting into a prestigious school and signing with a company, Xize wasn't inferior to Xining. On the contrary, Xize had a natural advantage in some aspects, one that made him far luckier than his brother—his face.
Xize's facial features were exceptionally beautiful, with translucent, delicate skin, deep-set eyes, and jet-black pupils. His looks were striking and flawless, with a high degree of recognition—a face that left a lasting impression at first glance.
The most crucial point was that he was of Asian descent, with a pure, rare, and beautiful Eastern face.
The rarity and value of an Asian face could be traced back thousands of years to the Astral Era, shortly after humanity left Earth. Intermarriage became widespread, and many mixed-race descendants inherited prominent features like high nose bridges and well-defined facial structures from European and Asian lineage.
After thousands of years, by the Galactic Era, mixed-race genes had become even more common, with over ninety percent of the population being of mixed descent. Purely Eastern faces had become exceedingly rare.
In most industries, appearance might not be significant, but in the entertainment industry, an Asian face was as precious as panda blood. To shoot an epic Chinese historical film, wouldn't an Asian face be needed? For a grand production depicting the ancient, mysterious East, with its five thousand years of civilization, wouldn't an Eastern face be essential? Wouldn't the audience tire of seeing only high nose bridges and deep-set eyes?
Purely Asian faces were already incredibly rare, and one as beautiful as Xize's was even rarer. So, from the moment he applied to Soloro Academy, his path had been remarkably smooth—not only did he easily get into the acting department, but he also received a substantial scholarship!
The original owner's face was a source of envy, jealousy, and hatred, and it made the reborn Zheng Xize grit his teeth in frustration. How could the original owner squander such a golden opportunity? It was like holding a fortune without knowing how to invest or spend it! It was enough to drive a Taurus mad!
Recently, Xize had just signed with a talent agency, the same one as his brother, Xining. Because he had only just signed, the company hadn't even assigned him a manager or assistant yet.
However, something intriguing happened—his brother, who wasn't close to him at all, who never helped him when he was bullied at school, and who acted as if he didn't know him at the company, actually introduced him to a role. And it wasn't just any role; it was a small but significant part in a major film.
Everyone knew how difficult it was to get even a bit of screen time in a major film. Xining, as a company's rising star, was given a supporting role, and it was only because of Xining's recommendation that Xize got to meet the director.
Did Xining have a sudden pang of conscience and want to help his younger brother? Was that even possible?
Now, having analyzed everything, Zheng Xize saw through it all at once. Xining wasn't acting out of brotherly concern; he knew that Xize, who had spent time in an orphanage as a child, was timid and weak. He also knew that the role he recommended required facing the fierce Kaia Beast alone. And yet, he let Xize take on such a role?
Wasn't that practically a death sentence?
And Xining, being in the same crew, could not have been unaware when Xize got injured. He didn't even bother to put on an act and visit him, proving that there was no brotherly bond between them at all.
The real reason Xining recommended this role was probably to instill a deep fear of acting in Xize. A naturally timid person, once frightened, would develop psychological trauma, ruining his acting career and shattering any future prospects.
If that happened, no matter how stunning Xize's Asian face was, what use would it be? An actor who couldn't act would be nothing more than a decorative vase, and if that vase couldn't stand firm, it would eventually shatter into pieces.
Xining's insidiousness as an older brother was evident, but who could have imagined that such a scare would lead to the reborn Zheng Xize waking up in his place?
Of course, besides the future world and the original owner's identity, he had learned many other things.
For instance, the place where he woke up was a film planet approved for shooting blockbusters, and the scene where he was chased by the Kaia beast was actually a part of his audition.
And those little black bugs flying around him on the set were actually movie cameras. Humanity had long left Earth, and the way films were made in the future was naturally more advanced. The methods of filming and location shooting were entirely different from the past.
In Zheng Xize's era, large-scale scenes were typically shot indoors, with actors' movements filmed first and the scenery added in post-production. Hollywood blockbusters naturally involved a lot of post-production work.
However, in the technologically advanced future world, all the filming equipment could keep up. Since the invention of the flying insect camera, there was no need for cameramen to master filming techniques or lay tracks, and the limitations of shooting locations were completely eliminated.
With humanity's technological leaps after leaving Earth, no one wanted to watch movies that relied heavily on post-production anymore. Only realistic filming that captured grand scenes could win audiences over and bring in box office success. The market dictated the industry, and naturally, the large-scale scenes filmed now were far more stunning than those of six thousand years ago.
Xize swung his legs, feeling grateful to the heavens for not abandoning him. Not only did he survive after falling from the wire, but he was also reborn into the future world's entertainment industry, and given a uniquely advantageous Eastern face.
It was a peak opportunity.
Xize narrowed his eyes. Although he was currently just an acting student, barely stepping into the industry, to him, this wasn't a reset to start from the bottom again, but a chance to launch from a new, higher platform.
His previous world and this future world were entirely different, as was the entertainment industry. In his past life, he was a film emperor domestically and had some minor fame abroad, but Hollywood had little to do with him. It was always difficult for Asians to break into the international market. Even with a well-managed domestic agency, it often required hefty investments just to make an appearance abroad—be it at fashion weeks, film festivals, or even in major films, with only a few scenes. The domestic media might have played it up, claiming that someone had made a significant impact internationally, but the truth was, they were nothing!
Every filmmaker dreams of reaching a broader audience and having their work recognized and loved internationally. Xize, too, had harbored such a dream. And now, a brand-new path to an even higher summit was laid out before him.
The future interstellar era was an even better place for growth. There were no national boundaries, languages were universally understood, cultures had seamlessly blended, and technology was far more advanced. Asians were particularly prized. If he could rise to the top of the entertainment industry once more, he wouldn't just be a star—he would become a galactic icon!
Zheng Xize smiled, lounging lazily, filled with anticipation and confidence for the future—from now on, he was Xize!