Chapter 31: Special Item – Fuxing Wanxiang

“Wow! So Chen Xing and Tian Dao actually met back then—when they were this young?!”

“Even younger versions are so adorable~”

“A fated encounter!”

In the dormitory of the Yujin Organization, within the Starryverse.

Tian Dao stared at the screen, his expression frozen in shock as he watched footage of his younger self meeting a child Chen Xing in an abandoned supermarket.

He had no memory of this moment at all.

But only a heartbeat passed before he understood why.

Undoubtedly, this was the production team inserting new “canon” for him—adding lore.

After all, in the original Starryverse, there had been no character named Tian Dao Siming. And Tian Dao’s arrival in this world had occurred at the age of ten—exactly two years ago, when he first reached the Ember Base.

Everything before that? Blank.

If this were just a regular dimensional transfer, Tian Dao might have assumed he’d simply lost his memories from childhood.

But now that he’d unlocked the Popularity System and realized this was a serialized drama world, the truth became clear: this so-called “amnesia” wasn’t a loss—it was intentional blank space.

A deliberate void, left for future expansion.

Because when he’d once asked the system about the “Exclusive Character Background Modification Privilege”—the top-tier ability tied to being the number one popular character—it had replied that the changes would come in a “reasonable, worldline-preserving” way.

And only one scenario fit that condition: a complete, untouched past.

A blank slate.

Only on a clean sheet could new stories be painted without jarring contradictions.

Tian Dao had, of course, anticipated that rising popularity might prompt the production team to sneak in extra backstory scenes for him.

But he hadn’t expected these added scenes to include other major Starryverse characters.

Was this really necessary?

After all, while the Popularity System let him glimpse future plot points from the original series, it never revealed anything about events that had never been shown—especially ones from his own past.

Like now.

He had no idea he’d once met Chen Xing as a child.

In an instant, Tian Dao felt the true nature of this world settle upon him.

This was truly a popularity-driven universe.

As long as your popularity was high enough, even if you weren’t the protagonist, the production team would go out of their way to craft meaningful scenes—boosting your presence, weaving in key supporting characters to set the stage, paving your rise.

Like this moment: a childhood meeting between two of the most popular characters.

One currently number one in popularity.

The other, number two.

Even the dumbest viewer could see the potential.

The implications were obvious.

Tian Dao couldn’t help but mutter under his breath:

“Seriously? I can write my own scenes, fine. But now you’re jumping in too?”

“Are you planning to push me hard as the face of Season 1? Is this really how it works—everything revolves around popularity?”

Still, despite the sarcastic tone, Tian Dao felt no real resistance.

Because this wasn’t just a favor—it was a strategic enhancement.

It reinforced his image as a natural-born powerhouse.

It also massively increased his screen time in Season 1.

The production team gained the audience engagement they wanted.

He gained the popularity he craved.

Win-win.

And now, with this flashback—and the earlier solo memory scene—Tian Dao finally grasped the true mechanics of the Exclusive Character Background Modification Privilege.

And the massive hidden benefit it carried.

If his guess was right, once he used this privilege to add a top-tier Intelligent Mechanism Class talent called Overclocking Computation…

The production team would inevitably respond by crafting another personal flashback to justify it.

That way, his new power wouldn’t feel forced.

It would feel earned.

So, using this privilege wouldn’t just grant him a game-breaking ability.

It would also unlock a personalized story arc—a unique, exclusive memory.

Win.

Big win.

Winning hard.

The thought made him smile.

Without hesitation, he shut off the Dimensional Screen.

Because once the flashback ended, the next scene would be the one-sided, lopsided game between him and young Chen Xing.

And knowing what he knew, there was no point rewatching it.

After all, something else was far more pressing.

---

[Item Name: Fuxing Wanxiang]

[Type: Cultivation Artifact]

[Effect 1 – Bind Stars: When worn, allows suppression of one’s stellar energy to gain increased cultivation efficiency (effective only for Stellar Energy Values below 1,000)]

[Effect 2 – Ten Thousand Forms: Can freely reshape the item’s appearance (limited to everyday clothing items)]

[Price: 150,000 Popularity Points]

Fuxing Wanxiang—this was an item Tian Dao had been eyeing for a long time.

It didn’t offer direct power boosts.

But it drastically accelerated his cultivation speed.

Which meant he could reach the 900+ limit of a first-tier Stellar Envoy within half a year.

A critical step toward completing the Fireworks Project.

---

[You have spent 150,000 Popularity Points.]

[Special Item – Fuxing Wanxiang acquired.]

[Item delivered via legitimate, non-contradictory method. Please collect.]

Unlike the Doppelgänger Bracelet, which had simply appeared in midair, the Fuxing Wanxiang didn’t manifest in the void.

Instead, it arrived through a completely new method.

Ping.

A knock at the door.

Tian Dao rose from his bed and walked over.

The door opened.

A Yujin Organization agent stood there, holding a sleek metallic case.

“Uh…?” Tian Dao tilted his head, feigning confusion.

“This is a gift from Doctor,” the agent said, voice flat. “Said it’d help with your star energy cultivation.”

Instantly, Tian Dao understood.

So this was what the system meant by “reasonable delivery method.”

It was incredibly reasonable.

He chuckled inwardly.

Taking the case from the agent’s hands, he watched as the man turned on his heel and walked away without a word—clearly just a faceless delivery drone.

A tool.

A functionary.

Back inside, Tian Dao slowly opened the case.

A moment later, a shimmering, silver-white fluid pulsed softly in the dim light.

---

[Special Item – Fuxing Wanxiang: Received. Enjoy your experience!]

Tian Dao extended his hand.

In an instant, the fluid obeyed his will.

It flowed, reshaped, and coalesced into a sleek, black eye mask.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end