"No time to mourn for Gojo Satoru, next onto the battlefield is... Leo!"
The set of Next Gen Idol, live broadcast in Los Angeles.
In a daze, Leo heard a cold, echoing voice. He instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
His eyes snapped open. He bolted upright, looking around in a frantic blur. What's going on?
Just a moment ago, he had been slumped on his sofa at home, reading the latest chapter of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga. He'd been eagerly anticipating the next "exciting" plot development, only to see Gojo being stitched back together and Yuta Okkotsu making his grand entrance while piloting the "Gojo Gundam."
With a mental boom, his mind had exploded right along with the plot.
"Ugh... is my brain short-circuiting again?"
Suddenly, a flood of memories rushed into Leo's mind.
He had transmigrated. He was now a trainee and a member of the boy band "Candy Super Sweet." He hadn't even made it onto the stage to perform yet. Apparently, the original owner of this body had overexerted himself "exercising" late into the night. His body had been too weak to handle it, and he'd dropped dead on the spot.
Coincidentally, the original owner of this body was also named Leo, a parallel-world version of himself. However, his family background in this world was a far cry from his previous life.
In his past life, Leo had been the top scorer in the acting department at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, maintaining that rank throughout his four years of study. But after graduation, his lack of connections meant that every time he successfully auditioned for a role, someone with "backing" would say a few words and have him replaced.
But this version of himself...
He grew up in a sprawling estate in Beverly Hills. His mother, Sarah Vance, was the CEO of Global Pictures, the most powerful studio in Hollywood. His father, Marcus Vance, was a tech titan in Silicon Valley. His grandparents' generation held even more mysterious and influential positions among the old-money elite of the East Coast.
It was a god-tier starting position.
"A perfectly good 'Super Rich Second Generation,' a Hollywood Scion... and he didn't want it? He insisted on being a struggling trainee instead?! Is he a masochist?!"
"And 'Candy Super Sweet'? More like 'Candy Super Salty'!"
Leo couldn't hold back his temper; he almost wanted to slap his predecessor right then and there.
The original Leo had a volatile temperament and had been sent to a boarding school in Switzerland as a child. After returning, he refused to inherit the family empire, insisting on "braving the entertainment industry alone." He'd even put it poetically: "I want to make a name for myself with my own two hands!"
He'd even made a three-year pact with his family: during this period, he would firmly refuse any family support. If he failed, he'd go home and obediently take over the family's massive real estate holdings in Manhattan.
But reality had shown him the meaning of cruelty very quickly.
Actually, some directors had taken a liking to his looks. They almost made his "backside" experience what cruelty really felt like.
Miraculously, he had managed to land several roles later on, even leading man spots in a few indie films. The reason, of course, was his sister, Lauren Vance, pulling strings in the shadows.
Unfortunately, the original Leo was a magnet for trouble, mired in endless gossip and scandals. For instance, several stories that had topped the tabloids this year:
#Paparazzi catches Leo; brutally beaten on Sunset Boulevard, Leo sues for 2 million in 'mental damages'#
#Lead actor Leo gets into dispute with director of 'Neon Dreams'; beats him for two and a half hours!#
#Leo spotted at an elite Malibu club; gets into a brawl with A-lister Chris, Chris blacklisted from the industry the next day!#
With his bottom-tier acting skills and third-rate character, Leo still managed to secure top-tier resources. Coupled with those headlines, it was impossible for the public not to let their imaginations run wild.
Gossip accounts speculated he was the son of a high-ranking cartel boss. Others suspected he was the secret heir to a European banking dynasty. Some theories were even more bizarre, suggesting he was the "protected pet" of a certain reclusive tech billionaire.
Eventually, the public gave him a nickname: "The Hollywood Hellraiser."
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for awakening the Heaven-Defying Manga Live-Action Adaptation System!]
A crisp, electronic voice interrupted Leo's thoughts.
"Heaven-Defying Manga Live-Action Adaptation System? Just how 'heaven-defying' are we talking?"
[Congratulations to the Host for receiving the Newbie Heaven-Defying Starter Pack!]
[Obtained: Heaven-Defying Directing Ability!]
[Obtained: Heaven-Defying Acting Ability!]
[Obtained: Divine Vajra-Dragon Physique!]
[Obtained: Heaven-Defying CGI/VFX Technology!]
[Obtained: Heaven-Defying Voice Acting Ability!]
"Ding! Ding! Ding!"
As the system notifications chimed, the dark circles under Leo's eyes, caused by his predecessor's indulgence and physical weakness slowly faded. His sickly, pale complexion gained a healthy glow, and firm muscles began to ripple across his abdomen.
"Now this is heaven-defying! This system belongs in the Smithsonian!" Leo gave the system a mental thumbs-up.
[System: Dear Host, by producing live-action manga adaptations, you can accumulate Prestige Points. Prestige can be exchanged for any skill or wish, including the supernatural abilities of anime characters!]
"Copy that! My dear System, my very own Aladdin's Lamp!"
After exactly 0.2 seconds of thought, Leo decided on the first project he would film.
Jujutsu Kaisen.
That's right, the anime that was a global phenomenon in his previous life! It had beaten Attack on Titan! It had kicked One Piece off the top of the charts! It was once the most popular anime in the world.
Key word: once.
If it weren't for the author, Gege Akutami, having a complete mental breakdown...
During the manga's serialization, there was a sudden, nonsensical plot twist. Gojo Satoru was sliced in half, transforming into "Go/jo." But that wasn't even the most disgusting part. The worst bit was the "afterlife" scene, where Gojo Satoru didn't even mention his beloved students, but instead spent his final moments shamelessly glazing the villain.
"Lord Sukuna, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't make you go all out!"
In an instant, his character arc and prestige had completely collapsed.
"Since that's how it is, Gege Akutami, you can get lost. I'm writing the story now!"
Gojo Satoru's prestige had to be maximized!
As for those who thought live-action adaptations were always "trash", that was only because most adaptations suffered from drastic, unnecessary changes and terrible acting, leading to a bad stereotype.
But masterpieces like Gintama, Rurouni Kenshin, and Hikaru no Go from his previous life proved that live-action could be just as good as or even better than the original, provided the production team actually cared.
With the system in hand, those technical hurdles were non-existent for Leo. And since this world didn't even have the original anime yet, he would be the creator.
His mind made up, Leo prepared for the first step of his plan. To shoot a high-quality series, he needed two things: funding and connections.
A name immediately popped into his head.
His sister, Lauren Vance.
She was his biggest "cheat code." She was currently the Executive VP at Global Pictures. As long as his sister agreed to help, he could hand-pick any actor he wanted.
As for funding? Leo didn't care about money at all. He had plenty of it.
He found a quiet corner and dialed the number.
"Lauren," Leo said the moment the call connected. "I don't want to struggle anymore."
Lauren Vance: "???"
"Uh... what I mean is, I have a script. I want to film it."
"Film it?"
A sharp, anxious female voice erupted from the other end of the line. "Leo, stay calm! Whatever it is, please tell me you aren't trying to shoot a snuff film or something illegal!"