The bald fat man is a classic henchman type: sycophantic to his boss, cruel to subordinates. He kicks the thugs, boasts about the company, and calls Yu Kai "Young Master" with a servile smile. He adds comic relief and reinforces the hierarchy. I hope he gets a name and a bit more personality later – maybe some loyalty or backstory. Right now he's entertaining but flat.
The variety show premise as a lifestyle show is smart. It's a non-competitive format where personalities can clash or bond naturally. The fact that it's live broadcast adds pressure, but Yan Zhizhi seems unbothered. I'm eager to see the other guests – Lu Zihao and Liu Qiqi – and how they interact with the 'corpse' from the airport.
The pacing in the first chapter is breakneck. We go from ghost interrogation to a sudden multiplayer trial end to world-building with the guilds and officials, all within a few pages. It's exciting but also chaotic. I had to reread a couple times to catch up on the game mechanics. Maybe slow down a bit on the info dump?
The inclusion of terms like "Martial Apprentice," "Martial Artist," and layers (Third, Eighth, Tenth) gives a clear progression system. I like that the school system reflects this: students are expected to reach certain layers to enter universities. This integrates cultivation into modern education, which is a fun angle. It's like a combination of school and dojo. The pressure to enter top universities is relatable even for non-cultivators.
The backstory with Lin Fang and Lin Huan is a bit over the top evil. The cousin stealing her fiancés and then framing her feels too much like a web novel trope. But it's a good setup for revenge.
I love how Lu Zheng immediately starts preparing for the apocalypse practically. Filling water containers, charging power banks, barricading doors—it's what anyone would do if they had warning. It grounds the supernatural elements in believable survival behavior. His calm, methodical approach contrasts sharply with the chaos outside.