A Survival Guide for Popular Characters [Quick Transmigration]

[Pre-release blurb, protagonist is the receiver: Draft 1.0]

After six years in the industry and five consecutive Best Supporting Actor awards, Shi Qingshui had just declared in his acceptance speech that he was determined to become a leading man. The next second, he was transformed into a lucky player celebrating the 66th anniversary of "Acting Out a Life."

Shi Qingshui: You call this lucky?

The System told him

"In the game, you will play a low-popularity cannon-fodder character. When your popularity drops below zero, your life will begin counting down."

"To improve your gaming experience, do your best to increase your popularity without going against your character keywords. Then make a comeback, become a popular character, and clear the game!"

"Remember the System's advice: 'No popularity, no life.'"

Shi Qingshui: So this time I'm not even a supporting actor?

Q: How do you become a popular character?

Shi Qingshui: Obviously, by catching the audience's eye without letting them notice you're doing it~ After all, you have to steal the spotlight to get a role [heart] [blowing a kiss]

★ Game One: The Perfect Collectible

You are an office worker.

Weak-willed, slow-witted, and stupid.

A massive disappearance case has struck the town where you live. The police call the culprit "the Butcher." He's cruel and brutal, brazenly collecting young men and women as his trophies all over town.

And you're just a poor fool who accidentally stumbled into his trap. You weren't the Butcher's target, after all.

It's the second day since you were captured. The Butcher is holding a length of rope, planning to get rid of you, an extra, any old way. He hates things that get in his way.

The audience outside the game hates characters like you just as much.

[This character is disgusting to look at. What was the game creator thinking?]

[The worst part of survival games is weak-willed, slow-witted people. Just looking at this character's description tells me he's doomed.]

[Just die already. Please don't drag the other characters down. I want a tense, thrilling battle royale, not a coward.]

[LOL, with the other characters, the Butcher uses bait, traps, and psychological tricks. With this piece of crap, he's like, "I'll just strangle him with a rope" [smile]]

When the countdown ends, begin your performance. Try to survive.

3, 2, 1

And so the weak-willed office worker, who would normally wet himself in fear, seemed to lose all desire to live in that moment.

The endless overtime and pitiful salary, family and coworkers who looked down on him, his sexuality condemned by the townspeople...

The rope in the Butcher's hand was the last straw.

Someone like him would be better off dead.

The office worker, brave for once, raised his head and looked up at the rope in the Butcher's hand. He said softly:

"...If you can, after I die, please put a lavender-purple handkerchief in my right pants pocket."

[??? What a weird request?]

[Huh? I'm suddenly kind of curious.]

[How about not dying yet? Explain that to me before you log off?]

Shi Qingshui: First little trick to becoming a popular character: make the audience curious about you ("^_^")

★ Game Two: The Evil God's Puppet

You have a twin brother. You look alike, but your personalities couldn't be more different.

You're gloomy and quiet; he's smart and perceptive. You're timid and shy; he's warm and bold.

Your parents favor your brother, your classmates like him, and you're always the one left out and ignored. Even your twin brother hates you.

But you've long since gotten used to it, calmly and honestly accepting everyone's indifference.

After a move, an evil god possessing the house set his sights on you two.

No, more accurately, he set his sights on your brother, while you were just a whetstone for luring him in.

You're as unyielding as a stone and impossible to shape. Even an evil god looking to make a puppet wouldn't choose a blockhead like you.

[This character's only got the title of big brother. He's so wooden, it's annoying just looking at him.]

[I hate this kind of character. He can't do a damn thing. Skip him already. I want to see the clever younger brother being tempted by the evil god!]

[Younger brother: potential puppet the evil god has his eye on. Older brother: a barely useful whetstone.]

[I want to see the battle of wills between the evil god and the younger brother. That'd be insanely thrilling. This older brother's just a background character. Get him offscreen once he's served his purpose [prayer]]

And so, when the evil god used the older brother as bait to provoke the younger brother, the audience discovered

For the first time, the usually mild-mannered older brother was receiving attention. His usually timid eyes shone like stars, filled with bashful, tender innocence.

The evil god, feared by everyone, had unexpectedly received a human's intense and sincere love.

[Whoa, is "love" the best cosmetic surgery there is? Why does the older brother suddenly seem so lovable? Like a puppy begging for affection! I want to hold him and pet him!]

[I suddenly hate how his brother and everyone else ignore him. The older brother is so gentle. How is he gloomy and timid?]

[MD, I'm rooting for the pure-love romance between the evil god and the older brother. The younger brother can go play by himself!]

[Ahhh, Mom, I want a husband like the older brother too: emotionally steady and gentle. Isn't it kind of a waste to pair him with the evil god?]

Shi Qingshui: Second little trick to becoming a popular character: make the audience feel protective of you (#^_^#)

★ Game Three: To Be Decided

Blurb 1.0, 2024.1.18

Theme: The strong change their circumstances