Chapter 6: How Is This System Old? It Is Absolutely Fantastic!

The system offered no response, which meant: no.

This playback of 2010 appeared to be the most detailed video record available. It reconstructed his life after 2010 with remarkable comprehensiveness—sneaking out of the house, taking the train, the art school entrance exams—and it even allowed for fast-forwarding. You could go at 2x, 5x, or up to 20x speed. It was just like watching a movie, with options for rewinding and slow motion. However, slow motion didn't provide more detail; it was just a literal slow-down, like watching a movie at 0.5x or 0.25x speed.

"What the hell is the use of that?"
"I knew it, this system is a piece of junk!"

Chen Jin’s grand plan to get rich hit a dead end. He even felt a sense of "hatred" toward himself for not having a habit of buying lottery tickets in the past. If he had, the video of his future life in 2010 would surely have shown him buying a winning ticket. But then...

"Keep dreaming!"
"I've already triggered the butterfly effect, haven't I?"

After all, now that he had a system, his life was bound to change. Besides, was a lottery ticket something you could just buy and expect to win? Even if the video showed him buying a ticket, complete with the winning numbers, who’s to say he would actually win in the end? After a moment of contemplation, Chen Jin felt a sense of relief.

"Buckle up, kid!"
"At least with this system, the path of an actor should be easier than it was in my past life!"

Chen Jin sighed to himself. On the screen, the video of his 2010 future suddenly shifted to his experiences in Hengdian. There he was, running to the actor service department at 4:00 AM every morning to find work, taking exams for his acting credentials, and returning exhausted to his pitifully small rental room at 10:00 PM. It was miserable; his only entertainment was staring at his phone.

"Wait."
"Pause, stop, stop, stop!"

Chen Jin suddenly spotted something. In the video, his future self was lying on a hard bed in that rental room, watching a soccer match on his phone. The World Cup?

"Is that the World Cup?"

Chen Jin loved playing soccer, though being in his final year of high school meant he couldn't play much. It remained a sport he was passionate about, even if the national team was disappointing. But what did watching the World Cup have to do with the national team?

"June!"
"That’s right, the World Cup is happening this June!"

Chen Jin checked the timeline on the virtual interface: June 12th.

The World Cup was indeed scheduled to start on June 10th this year, wasn't it?

"Can I zoom in on this paused image?"

*Whoosh!*

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the paused video enlarged, and Chen Jin could clearly see the match on the phone screen.

"France... against Uruguay. That’s the French flag!"
"0-0, 87th minute?"
"Holy crap, is this... is this for real?"

Chen Jin’s calm demeanor suddenly turned fiery. If this was truly the future World Cup in June, and France was tied 0-0 with Uruguay in the 87th minute, that meant...

"I can bet on the games?"
"Damn!"

He couldn't stay calm anymore. Who said this system was useless? It was absolutely brilliant.

*This is amazing!*

"Play, slow motion!"

Chen Jin now felt a newfound sense of anticipation for these future videos. Sure enough, the scene showed his future self in the Hengdian rental room watching the World Cup. Although the footage flashed by in just a few seconds, it contained a crucial screenshot: the scores.

During his breaks from filming, he would check the scores on his phone, which displayed the results of several matches. Furthermore, the final was between Spain and the Netherlands.

"That's enough!"
"With these scores and the champion and runner-up, I can make a fortune!"
"If this is really how the World Cup turns out!"

Chen Jin clenched his fists. The "future autobiographical film" he had initially viewed as a tragedy now seemed incredibly valuable. The future represented infinite possibilities. If the World Cup results were there, then surely the hit movies and TV shows of the future... as an actor, he would definitely be paying attention to those, right?

He put himself in his future shoes. Given his personality and interests, even if he couldn't afford to go to the cinema, he would surely find ways to watch those hits. The subsequent footage confirmed his hypothesis. His habit of watching movies hadn't changed; he would watch them in the gaps between his work or during his lunch breaks when he couldn't find a job. He literally had nothing else to do.

Chen Jin memorized the names of several dramas and films: *Snow Leopard*, *Journey to the West*, *Avatar*, *Let the Bullets Fly*... There was no need to write them down on paper. That would be risky, and he could always check the old system whenever he wanted.

"This is incredible!"
"Even though this 2010 footage is limited to my own perspective and doesn't show major external events, it’s enough to discover countless business opportunities and future openings!"
"Sometimes, there are even news headlines when I check my phone..."

The acting path was indeed the most suitable track for him. The system offered rewards, and he knew which shows would become hits. This ensured he could make better choices in the roles he pursued. Even if he wasn't guaranteed a part, there were so many shows that he was bound to find an opportunity eventually. This was far better than how other actors just took whatever they could get.

"And most importantly, the copyrights!"
"For many of these hit movies and shows, once I have the money and the influence, I can buy the copyrights!"

He wasn't saying he would become a superstar or a best actor overnight—that was too early to tell—but he definitely wouldn't end up in a bad spot. He could make money, and in this industry, the difference between having money and not is massive. At the very least, with the system and future information, he would have a much easier time getting noticed than others. He knew how the industry worked—that capital and connections were key—which was why he remained cautious. But with money and insider information, he was already ahead of most people in this circle.

"Now, I have to pass those art school exams!"
"The school is the biggest networking circle..."

For a moment, Chen Jin felt a surge of ambition for his future. He was no longer as lost as before, no longer worried about failing his exams or disappointing his parents. He now had a firm, clear goal.

"Compared to the system's ability to improve my skills, this 'future autobiographical film' is worth even more!"

Chen Jin quickly finished watching the 2010 footage and began to look into his 2011 experiences.

"Chen Jin, come eat!"

A shout from downstairs made him stop immediately.

"I'll watch more after dinner, no rush!"
"I should talk things over with Mom..."

Chen Jin closed the system's virtual interface and headed downstairs. He didn't even realize it himself, but ever since he had learned about his future, he had become significantly more confident. Even his walk seemed to carry a breeze.