I am Hollywood - Chapter 8 - : The Referee Becomes the Basketball

The year was 2334, when virtual reality reached its peak with the creation of the SHS prototype, an advanced neural simulation that allows players to fully immerse themselves in alternate worlds.Henry Bartholomew was hand picked as a recruit to try out this new project. He had carefully chosen to enter the world where he was the son of a king, a chilling and lazy life.What happens when he wakes up as the son of a Baron instead? And even worse, his newly claimed character has a bad reputation around the people.With all odds against him, the young man decided he was by all means going to create a world where he could live as carefree as he wanted.But first he needed to do one thing - make his land the most successful in all the seven continents and save his family nameAnd luckily, he had support -[Your Ep has been filled.][Earning points can now be claimed.]The young lord tapped the screen.[Cards available for purchase.][Territory upgrade.][Description: this card allows you to upgrade your territory, allowing the land to level up multiple folds with more qualities and growth.][Cost: 7000 CpRank: Bronze. (0/10) {10 Cp to upgrade} ]'Upgrade all.' the young man replied.

Yu Linglong is the shu (born of a concubine) daughter in a general’s family. Since her mother was only a tribute dancer, her position is the lowest of the low. She used to live with her mother outside the father’s residence, and they only received some monthly money from him. He didn’t bother seeing them. But when her mother dies, she moves into the general’s residence.

The general is a very irresponsible and violent man. He doesn’t really get attached to women, just letting his lust dictate his actions. His wife is a jealous woman, who killed one of his previous concubines, because he doted on her too much. She similarly wants to get rid of Yu Linglong, in part to vent her frustrations over her husband’s cheating habits.

Because the sixth miss – the general’s legitimate daughter, was bitten by a snake, she needs detoxification. The cure was apparently getting poisoned by scorpions, to fight one poison with another. But since she’s already weak, they decided it would be better if she drank the blood of someone poisoned by scorpions instead. The general’s madam naturally decided to use Yu Linglong’s blood. During the process of getting bitten by the scorpion, the original timid Yu Linglong died of fright (and maybe poison? it’s never made clear). Then Yu Mei takes over her body.

Yu Mei is a modern woman. She was some mafia boss, so she’s very capable with fighting and overbearing attitude. She died because the man she fell in love with betrayed her and killed her. So she doesn’t trust easily afterward.

Since she took over Yu Linglong’s body, she refuses to adapt to the circumstances of a lowly illegitimate daughter, and uses her violence to fight for a peaceful life, where no one will challenge her and plot against her. Basically, she beats them up into submission. In the meantime, she acquires a tail – a very persistent prince, who only seems to stick to her harder, the colder she treats him. Did ancient men have such heavy tastes, she wonders.

- Description from Novelupdates

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

Ye Chong was a denizen of Trash Planet-12. On one fateful day, he discovered a treasure that would forever alter his destiny from a pile of junk – Mu Shang, an unknown machine with artificial intelligence and a lost memory. Together, they venture into the vast galaxy as the isolated “caveman” that was Ye Chong began absorbing all sorts of knowledge and meeting people from all walks of life. He gradually discovers more and more about his own mysterious past as well as his partner’s. Read to find out more!