With the rapid development of technology, entertainment has advanced just as quickly. After the apocalypse, everything underwent another round of accelerated updates, and John Foster couldn’t find a single trace of the apocalypse or the world before it.

“Look, it’s Amy Miller!”

“So beautiful!”

“My idol! The wristband she endorses is already sold out—I can’t even order it online anymore…”

“I heard Amy Miller is going to hold a concert. Did you guys get tickets? The prices online are going crazy!”

John Foster listened to the chatter of several young girls in the front row, gazing through the car window at the massive light screen on a distant skyscraper. On the screen, an almost perfect young woman was radiating dazzling brilliance. Every smile and frown exuded irresistible charm; her beautiful face was flawless, and her voluptuous figure brimmed with endless allure. Meeting those smiling, electrifying eyes, one’s heart would skip a beat.

She really was a beauty—John Foster agreed with that. In the apocalypse, everyone was too busy surviving; no one, man or woman, had time to care about appearances, and you’d never see such a stunning sight.

However, as John Foster looked at the woman beaming her enchanting smile on the skyscraper’s screen, he felt something strange at first glance. Soon, the memories in his mind told John Foster the reason.

That wasn’t a real person.

John Foster stared at the receding light screen, only looking away once it was completely out of sight.

“A virtual idol.”

A product of the perfect fusion of technology and art.

So-called virtual idols aren’t real, tangible, living people, but creations born from technology—artificially made works.

Virtual idols are born in the virtual world, looking no different from real humans. They were once all the rage, pushing the superstar celebrities of their era off their pedestals, even suppressing real idol stars to the point where they could barely breathe, and nearly forcing them off the stage of history. Although real idol stars have regained their glory now, the influence of virtual idols still cannot be underestimated—they are products recognized by the world.

A media tycoon who invested in real-life celebrities once commented: Virtual idols are monsters born in the virtual world. If they are not eradicated, as long as they have even a sliver of breathing room, they will make a comeback, and that will be the end of real idols!

Chapter 5: The Rookie Competition

What many businessmen who invested in real-life idol stars regret is that, after so many years, virtual idols have never left the entertainment industry. Even though their influence is no longer at its peak, and even though the “turnover” of virtual idol stars is faster than that of real stars, they still firmly occupy half of the entertainment world.

A lively, upbeat melody sounded in the car, pulling John Foster’s attention back. It was a classic piece by a superstar musician from a long, long time ago—no lyrics, just a segment of that superstar’s performance on stage.

John Foster closed his eyes, immersing himself in the sound of the instrumental performance.

This piece was often used by bus drivers to stay alert. Not just the drivers—passengers’ moods were also lifted. Some joked that this music had become the anthem for going to work; listening to it made even going to work feel energizing.

The music conveyed a fiery burst of passion and enthusiasm. People sitting in their seats tapped their raised legs in time with the beat. Those who had been dozing off in the afternoon bus now perked up, and the frequency of their leg-tapping synchronized with the rhythm.

Listening to the song, strangers sharing the ride felt a sense of resonance at that moment.

How long had it been since he’d felt this way?

John Foster felt as if the blood in his veins was boiling again, so excited he wanted to let out a roar.

He liked this world!

This train was a city loop train. Although it only circled a small part of the city—mainly the suburban areas, not the bustling city center—John Foster already had a deep impression, and the memories in his mind had almost fully merged.

When he returned to the station where he’d boarded, John Foster got off the train. His mindset had changed; he needed to integrate into this world as soon as possible, and then, enjoy it.

The fare was calculated based on the distance traveled, starting from the moment John Foster scanned his ring to board. Still, public transportation was relatively affordable. This trip cost John Foster fifty yuan, a bit cheaper than other means of transport, but with the little money John Foster had on hand, it was a bit of a luxury. Still, John Foster thought it was worth it.

Back in the black market district, John Foster first went to the pharmacy to pick up the dog. The dog, filthy all over with matted fur so tangled its original color was unrecognizable, looked even thinner after being shaved—its bones stuck out sharply under the skin.

Compared to the uneasy dog after being shaved, the pharmacy owner also looked rather pale.

“Your dog nearly broke my machine,” the pharmacy owner complained to John Foster. “But since I said it would only cost fifty, I won’t charge extra.”

Was the dog’s fur really that tough? John Foster wondered. Before, because the dog’s fur was so badly matted and covered in filth, he hadn’t noticed anything. Now, hearing the pharmacy owner complain, he wondered if dog fur had gotten tougher after the apocalypse.

But the pharmacy owner’s words weren’t entirely true—maybe he was exaggerating a bit.

“All right, hurry up and take your dog. I need to catch up on sleep,” the pharmacy owner waved him off. The black market district did its best business at night, so he needed to sleep more during the day.

John Foster didn’t say anything more, and left with the newly shaved dog.