制霸好莱坞

"Jenny, a special treat for you today," Johnny winked at her from behind the bar. "One cup of coffee, one pastry, on the house."

"Thanks, John." Jenny had just finished her shift, and after eight hours of standing, her legs ached. "I'll take an Americano, no sugar, no milk, and a seagull salad without the vinaigrette, please."

Johnny gave her a curious look. "Are you on a diet? Jenny, I really don't see the need."

Jenny smiled without explaining. She simply took the packed meal from Johnny, waved at him, and said, "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," Johnny waved back good-naturedly. "Take care of yourself, Jenny."

Jenny stepped out of the restaurant, unlocked her bike, and rode home.

Her place wasn't far from the restaurant, and luckily, the route had no inclines—a rare convenience in the winding hills of Los Angeles. On her first day of work, Chen Zhen had realized this and immediately spent a day's wages at a thrift market to buy herself a bicycle.

After a twenty-minute ride, she arrived at her rented apartment—a small one-bedroom unit in a mid-rise building about twenty years old, with no elevator.

In the U.S., where labor costs were high and the income gap between white-collar and blue-collar workers wasn't as stark, Jenny, as a restaurant server, earned a base wage of $80 per shift. Her workplace also served specialty coffee, making business quite good. A double shift could bring in over $200 a day, though it was exhausting. Even with a single shift, including tips, she could make around $130 per day—roughly $4,000 per month.

Her apartment, despite being near Beverly Hills, was a rent-controlled unit costing only $600 per month, making it a valuable asset Jenny had left behind for Chen Zhen.

The restaurant provided one meal per shift, and since Jenny was beautiful and had a sweet smile, which helped attract customers, Johnny often threw in extra food for her. As a result, Jenny barely had to spend money on meals. Even American staples like coffee and hot dogs were free for her. After covering rent, she had little to no additional expenses.

By LA standards, she could easily save $2,000 per month after minor purchases like fruits, clothes, and makeup. But Jenny, like most Americans, had little concept of saving. Especially as an aspiring Hollywood actress, she never held back on spending for the future. She wasn't stingy, just fortunate—at least she didn't have credit card debt, which was rare for American women her age.

Jenny did leave behind some "assets," though—most of her earnings went into clothes and shoes. Her living room had essentially become a walk-in closet, with over a hundred pairs of shoes. The rest of her money went toward acting classes—when Chen Zhen took over, there was still an unfinished community college course in acting waiting for her.

As for other expenses? Practically none. Though she enjoyed clubbing with friends, she rarely had to pay—being attractive came with its perks.

In a way, Jenny was an ambitious girl, even if her dream of stardom was somewhat unrealistic. She worked hard, took small steps toward her goal, and if she had the right talent and a bit of luck, she might have carved a place for herself in Hollywood. But now, she was gone, and fulfilling that dream fell on Chen Zhen's shoulders.

A Strict Routine

As soon as she got home, Chen Zhen changed into workout clothes. She briskly tidied up the apartment, and by the time she finished, her body had already started to warm up. She turned on her new computer, launched Winamp, and danced to Latin music for an hour.

Afterward, she spent fifteen minutes stretching to cool down, then collapsed on the floor for a quick nap. A cool breeze woke her twenty minutes later. She got up, showered, washed her hair, and began her nightly beauty routine.

Johnny was right—her body was already well-proportioned. At 5'7" with a D-cup bust, Jenny usually wore a size 4 (S), which was impressive for a white woman. She didn't need to lose weight—standing for eight hours a day was enough to maintain her figure.

But for those in the entertainment industry, being merely fit was never enough.

Because of the way modern cameras distort images—converting three-dimensional subjects into two-dimensional screens—the phrase "the camera adds ten pounds" wasn't just an excuse for overweight people. It was a reality. Depending on camera angles, the effect could be even worse.

In real life, shadows and contours help define a person's features, but on camera, those details are flattened, making people look wider. This is why actors, singers, and models always appear thinner in person than they do on screen.

For performers with softer or rounder features, weight control is even more crucial. Those born with deep-set facial features naturally appear slimmer on camera, but that doesn't mean they can indulge in eating. Anyone serious about their career in entertainment is always hungry—it's just a matter of how they manage their hunger.

Of course, this comes at a cost. Actors who appear "normal" or "slim" on camera are, in real life, shockingly thin, often looking like walking clothes hangers. Forget health concerns—even dating becomes a challenge, since most people prefer partners with a little more flesh.

Chen Zhen considered herself lucky. In her past life, she had dieted for four years in college, but her boyfriend liked a bit of softness on a woman, so she never had to starve herself excessively. After graduation, she married into a wealthy family, maintaining her figure but never to the extremes of Hollywood.

In this life, Jenny Jan had pure Germanic ancestry, which meant sharp, sculpted facial features. This was an advantage in Hollywood—her face naturally created shadows, making her appear slimmer on screen.

Aging could be masked with makeup, but weight could not. Unlike Asian actresses who had to push themselves to extreme thinness, Western beauty standards were slightly more forgiving. All Chen Zhen needed was enough exercise to drop an extra dress size—from a size 4 to a size 2.

Going to a gym or hiring a personal trainer wasn't an option. But in her past life, as a wealthy housewife, she had maintained a regular exercise routine and had trained in Latin dance for years. That, combined with her disciplined eating habits—no dinner, no sugar, no dairy, no vinaigrette—was more than enough for weight loss.

Her daily routine was brutal:

Eight-hour shifts at the restaurant

A 40-minute round-trip bike ride to work

90 minutes of exercise in the eveningBy the time she showered and skimmed the news, she was exhausted. She fell asleep instantly.

At 6 a.m., her alarm rang, and she got up promptly. A glass of water, a one-hour morning run, another shower—then finally, the most important meal of her day.

She took out the salad from last night, boiled two eggs, added a poached chicken breast, and drank a large glass of milk. Only after finishing everything did she feel somewhat full.

Her new body was surprisingly resilient. Despite the intense physical strain, all it took was breakfast to restore her energy.

With 90 minutes left before work, she didn't waste time. Sitting in the living room in a yoga pose, she set her alarm, took a deep breath—

And activated her cheat ability.

As soon as she did, the world around her plunged into darkness.