Chapter 6: Actor Lv. 1

Apartment.

After coming home, Gao Mo slept from morning until afternoon.

The neighbor and the supermarket manager were successively murdered.

One killer died, and the other was taken away by the police for investigation.

This ordeal was enough to exhaust him, having just come back from the brink of death.

Yawning upon waking, Gao Mo instinctively picked up his phone and instantly lost all drowsiness when he saw a string of missed calls.

“Seriously?”

Carefully opening the last email, his mood swung wildly like a roller coaster.

It wasn’t a case update, but something even worse.

Grabbing his messy hair, he climbed out of bed and, still half-asleep, opened the fridge to take out the last bottle of cold cola, wearing only one slipper.

He had expected to lose his job, but never imagined it would happen so quickly.

Not just him—everyone who worked that day was fired. It was ruthless.

The reason given was “complicated romantic entanglements damaging the company’s brand image.” A group of them were now fighting back, but the outcome looked bleak.

Most were part-time workers, so even compensation would be minimal.

“Glug!” Gao Mo rinsed his mouth with the cola.

Honestly, that Xiao Cai only flirted occasionally, with no intention of taking things further. Even the manager who got too involved was fired.

He was the most innocent of all.

Having only worked one day, he had no energy to think about relationships.

Was this a death mark, or just a curse?

Gao Mo reluctantly glanced at his spacious three-bedroom apartment.

Ten thousand yen wouldn’t last long—only enough for ten bowls of ramen.

There were still utility bills to pay, and the apartment’s management fees, property taxes... though those seemed a bit farther off.

If he opened a detective agency, there was still a substantial financial gap.

He couldn’t really resort to selling his house.

Absolutely not... The apartment was his bottom line; it wasn’t like he couldn’t survive without it.

In his past life, he had dreamed of owning such an apartment.

He thought wistfully for a moment about his cashier job... Standing all day didn’t seem so bad now. In the current climate of mass layoffs, it was practically a dream job.

“I’ll keep looking.”

Frustrated, Gao Mo ruffled his hair and settled into his favorite spot on the sofa, flipping through his phone contacts.

There was a newly added Amuro Tooru (Rei Furuya), along with a Takagi Wataru.

Before them, only Yukiko Ikuno seemed to still be in touch.

The entertainment industry was harsh; most connections were superficial. Once someone left the scene, they were forgotten.

Thinking of Yukiko Ikuno, Gao Mo focused intently on the system text.

There was no news about Rei Furuya’s part-time job yet, but he could try to tap into the acting profession first.

He only needed to finish reading the “Green Tea Guide” to level up.

He was curious about the effects after leveling up.

Even without considering supernatural powers in the future, improving his profession would help him earn money now.

Gao Mo took a sip of cold cola to refresh himself, sat upright, and grabbed an entertainment magazine to use as a projection surface.

Like his own “Fallen Idol,” the “Green Tea Guide” was the emotional journey of a female colleague.

Roughly...

Skipping the tragic family background at the start, Gao Mo’s expression grew stranger the further he read, especially when he reached the part where he appeared.

The sense of immersion was very peculiar.

“Three stars—after reading, you get three stars,” Gao Mo muttered, enduring his discomfort as he skimmed through.

Divorced parents, a sick younger brother, deceived by a wealthy heir... why did it feel so familiar?

Her personal life was a mess.

Gao Mo shifted into a more comfortable position.

The female colleague’s full name was Matsumoto Aya.

She had once truly been his fan, but the kind who hoped to see him fall from grace...

At some point, this colleague’s mind had twisted, repeatedly fantasizing about the glamorous idol crashing down and sharing the cruelty of fate, descending to hell together.

It was this same woman who anonymously recommended a supermarket job to the fallen idol.

At that time, she had clashed with the bald manager, unable to force him to marry her no matter what tactics she used. The murderous intent had been buried for a month.

The failure of this crime was entirely because of his resurrection.

He not only stepped forward to overturn the phone testimony but also happened to be present when the neighbor’s murder occurred, cutting off the colleague’s escape route and making it impossible to shift the blame...

Otherwise, there might have been more to investigate on the manager’s wife’s side.

“Phew!”

Gao Mo exhaled deeply, remaining stunned for a long time.

The projection text vanished without warning, and the three stars automatically entered the storage pool.

Though called the Green Tea Guide, it felt more like a killer’s biography.

Not only the manager—the female colleague had also planned the suicide of the fallen idol, but that was supposed to happen after the manager’s murder.

When she was taken away by the police in the morning, her last anger wasn’t at his sudden testimony but at his failure to follow through with the planned self-destruction.

It was as if she resented him for walking alone toward a new life.

Really...

Compared to these people, Gao Mo felt like a child just beginning to understand the world.

If he hadn’t read the Green Tea Guide, he wouldn’t have realized how many dark thoughts the colleague harbored.

In a sense, it was an eye-opener for a twice-lifelong bachelor like him.

“Whoosh!”

The faint glowing text returned to his vision, seeming to calm his emotions, and his mind quickly cleared.

The acting profession upgrade conditions were met; after deducting ten stars, the magazine’s page surface shimmered and cracked, revealing “lv1.”

【Current Actor Lv1: New professional skill—Rapid Immersion. Career role-playing system successfully loaded.】

【Actor Lv2 upgrade conditions: 20 stars, successfully portray 4 roles.】

【Tip: When hiding fails, a new death can divert Its attention.】

The glowing text hovered over the magazine’s surface, while a flood of information poured into Gao Mo’s mind.

Only now did he seem to see the full scope of the Fate-Reversal System.

Book badges could lead to the supernatural, exploring paranormal realms in the Conan universe, while advanced book badges required a level 5 profession.

As for profession upgrades, stars were the main factor.

Stars were earned through missions.

Missions required participation in cases... No, hiding himself also seemed to require death cases.

This was the one thing he could handle—the Conan world was never short of mysteries.

...

The next stage after the book badge was the silver badge, apparently granting a special ability at each level.

Gao Mo’s curiosity grew.

More than cases or work, he wanted to witness the supernatural.

What would it truly look like to transcend the ordinary...

To shatter the worldview?

Right now, these mysterious glowing texts affected only him, like visual interference that could be explained scientifically, without any true supernatural display.

“Eagle Eye Vision” was just an auxiliary function.

He needed more supernatural power, true supernatural power—preferably something he could use against the dark creatures lurking in the shadows: that entity.

Gao Mo glanced out the window.

Whether it was because of the two murder cases or the Fate-Reversal System, that strange feeling had completely vanished.

But he did not let his guard down.

This Conan world definitely had problems.

He wasn’t currently “noticed,” but surely he would face it eventually.

He couldn’t hide forever.

...

“Glug!”

After another bottle of cola, his stomach finally began protesting.

Gao Mo suddenly remembered he hadn’t eaten all day.

No supernatural help was forthcoming for now.

Work and life problems would have to be solved by himself.

Better contact Yukiko first.

Thinking of Yukiko Ikuno, who might be working, Gao Mo sent her an email.

Actor Lv1 now came with Rapid Immersion, a near-miraculous skill in this industry. He should be able to make a living.

“Send.”

After pressing send, Gao Mo felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Asking for help wasn’t easy, especially when the person was a beautiful junior.

But sometimes, owing favors was better than losing contact altogether.

...

After waiting a while, no reply came.

Yukiko must still be busy.

Occasionally, two calls came in—both telemarketers.

“No! No! I don’t need insurance! I’m not buying a burial plot! Do I look like I’m dying?!”

Irritated, Gao Mo hung up the last call, feeling mentally drained as he rubbed his forehead.

He had no idea why these calls were so frequent; blocking them was futile.

He’d need to change his number soon—a fresh start.

“Glug!”

His stomach was still growling.

“It’s already so late.”

Seeing no reply was forthcoming anytime soon, Gao Mo checked the time, put aside other matters, and got up to go out.

First, eat something, then visit the city supermarket.

Before new income arrived, his ten thousand yen needed careful budgeting. Conveniently, the nearby large supermarkets discounted goods around this time; the evening clearance sales were perfect for buying cheap food.

If he couldn’t find a job later, he could sell off the idol-themed luxury items at home.

No need to pretend to be richer than he was.