It was Tokyo, Japan, in 2009.
Zhou Hang gazed at the group of middle-school students around him, their skin tone similar to his own, yet clearly not his compatriots at first glance…
Wait, no—they were the locals. He was the outsider here.
His years of anime-watching immediately helped him recognize these junior high girls as genuinely Japanese locals.
Otherwise, how else could he be seeing this many JK uniforms around?
Back home, those conservative fossils would never allow schoolgirls to wear skirts this short. If they could, they'd wrap them up from head to toe, hiding even their toes from sight.
"Did I really transmigrate?!"
He slapped himself hard, wincing at the pain. Definitely not a dream.
Just yesterday, he'd been an ordinary office worker.
After working diligently at his company for many years, he was finally about to get promoted. But out of nowhere appeared an intern with barely two and a half years of experience, snatching the opportunity right out from under him.
What skills did that kid even have?
Feeling wronged, Zhou Hang investigated and soon learned—the kid's uncle was the head of marketing.
That was when Zhou Hang clearly realized:
Working hard was useless. Outperforming your colleagues meant nothing. In the real world, it was all about background, influence, and connections.
Whenever he faced something , Zhou Hang always believed others felt the same as he did—frustrated at the unfairness of the world.
Even sports were no different.
Just look at the national soccer team—if you wanted to get on the pitch, you'd better have several million ready in bribes.
Then screw your soccer dreams!
Having a good dad was critical.
Just look at Bronny—playing basketball at such an average level, but because his dad was the second-GOAT on the NBA's Mount Rushmore, people were still shouting "MVP" whenever he stepped onto the court. His jersey sales alone earned $50 million USD.
Of course, the real GOAT's kids weren't much better off.
Michael Jordan's eldest son, Jeffrey, scored an incredible total of 58 points—across 59 college games.
Even if Jeffrey couldn't average one point per game, he'd never be overlooked because his father was Michael Jordan.
Some people still anticipated the day this "Son of God" would suddenly awaken, dominating the court just like his dad once did.
But basketball, after all, was more fair than reality.
Whether it was Bronny or Jeffrey—if you sucked, you sucked.
No matter how great their fathers were, talent couldn't be inherited.
"But they're still set for life. Beautiful women whenever they want, luxury cars whenever they please…" Zhou Hang sighed deeply.
While you laughed at Jeffrey for barely scoring one point per game, Jeffrey was laughing at you for never even seeing what Beverly Hills looked like.
Oh, right—Jordan's other son, Marcus, was even more legendary. He got together with his father's old teammate's ex-wife and reportedly even had a baby with her.
Who knew how Jordan would address Pippen the next time they met?
Zhou Hang ran his fingers through his hair impatiently. "Where's my system? Hurry up and make your entrance already!"
"Ding!" Thɪs chapter is updated by novel※fire.net
"You actually responded with a ding?"
He felt speechless, not even sure where to begin his ranting.
"What brand are you exactly? Introduce yourself."
"Welcome, Host, to the Popular Character System…"
Popular Character System?
Having read countless web novels over the years, Zhou Hang immediately understood what this thunderously cheesy name implied.
"Is it the kind where whatever I do here will get projected into some higher dimension, becoming a movie or a TV drama or something?"
"An anime, actually!"
"That's even worse! Great, I've been downgraded to a 2D anime character?"
At that thought, his excitement evaporated completely.
Who would want to live in a world like the Truman Show?
His life wasn't meant to entertain other people!
"But we can make you a millionaire!"
"Since I've already transmigrated, becoming a millionaire probably isn't all that hard anyway, is it?"
Zhou Hang touched his bangs, noticing the silvery-white color. Curious, he rushed to the restroom to look in the mirror.
"What the heck, how did I get stuck with such a dangerously good-looking face?"
Fluffy silver-white hair and striking sky-blue eyes… dress him in a Jujutsu High uniform, and he'd look exactly like Gojo Satoru.
He definitely didn't want to end up getting sliced into half a Gojo!
Turning around, he noticed two girls whispering to each other nearby.
Judging by their stares, it was clear they weren't looking at him like he was crazy. Instead, those gazes belonged to girls drooling over a handsome guy—if you added some special effects, you could probably see hearts flashing in their eyes.
Zhou Hang approached them casually. "Hey, mind lending me your phone for a bit?"
The girl didn't hesitate, eagerly handing him her phone.
Zhou Hang wasn't surprised. When the system had activated the day before, it had granted him fluency in the local language.
He opened the browser and confirmed the year: 2009.
"In 2009, the NBA champions were the Lakers. After the breakup of the Shaq-Kobe duo, Kobe finally proved himself."
"Better double-check history just to be safe."
2008 NBA Champions—Boston Celtics.
2007 NBA Champions—San Antonio Spurs.
2006 NBA Champions—Miami Heat.
All correct. He clearly remembered LeBron's playoff struggles vividly.
Next, he checked the World Cup.
2006 champions—Italy.
2002 champions—Brazil.
Upcoming 2010 champions...
"This is 2009, meaning next year..."
Zhou Hang tilted his head back and let out a joyful roar, startling the two girls.
They exchanged glances, wondering if this incredibly handsome guy might actually be a lunatic.
Screw becoming a popular character—he wanted to become a billionaire!
From today onward, he would work hard, aiming to earn a hundred million by next year.
Returning the phone, Zhou Hang strolled away, whistling casually. The two girls nervously checked their contact lists, sighing in disappointment when they realized he hadn't saved his number.
They wouldn't have minded if Zhou Hang were a bit crazy—in fact, a crazy handsome guy might be easier to catch!
Meanwhile, the system was growing increasingly anxious.
"Is that really your only ambition?"
"Listen to yourself—you're talking about becoming a billionaire. Isn't that ambitious enough?" Zhou Hang retorted aloud, seemingly speaking to the air. "Yeah, that's exactly my ambition. Got a problem?"
"You don't want a life filled with greater excitement?"
"Considering I got run over by a truck on a sidewalk and transmigrated here, I think my life's already exciting enough."
"By the way," he added, genuinely puzzled, "why is it always an East Wind-brand truck that runs people over whenever someone transmigrates?"