After Transmigrating as the Fake Young Master, I Became Wildly Popular in the Interstellar Era Through Card Making

Qi Shu transmigrates into the body of a cannon fodder character from the novel Dawn Break, waking up in a rainstorm on Pulan Star while being hunted by assassins sent by the Earl’s true young master, Xu Bai’an. The original owner was a victim of systemic abuse, framed for crimes he did not commit, and burdened with a three-billion-star-coin debt that left him with no hope. Having just arrived in this new world, Qi Shu uses his special mental-control ability to neutralize his pursuers, rendering them mentally incapacitated. He escapes into Li City, the unregulated black market of the region, where he blends into the crowd and begins to process the original owner’s memories.

Qi Shu discovers that the interstellar society has lost the ability to read traditional Chinese characters, mistaking them for arcane runes used in Star Card creation. Realizing that Card Masters are rare and highly valued, Qi Shu gambles on his ability to write these characters, which come naturally to him from his previous life on Earth. In the black market, he encounters a man with a black snake wrapped around his neck, known as the snake-man, who is looking for a Card Master. Qi Shu creates a medium-level Star Card, inadvertently producing a comedic effect that sells for a significant sum. This transaction provides him with the funds to purchase an anonymous terminal and a spaceship ticket to the Capital Star, the political and educational center of the empire.

Upon arriving on the Capital Star, Qi Shu rents a small apartment in District 23 and begins making a living by creating High-level Star Cards for the snake-man and his cousin, Little Red, a mecha pilot competing in the regional league. Qi Shu’s cards are uniquely powerful but often have bizarre, scatological, or humiliating effects, such as causing mechas to perform stripteases or bind opponents in awkward poses. Despite the comedic nature of his creations, they are highly effective in combat, propelling Little Red up the league rankings and earning Qi Shu a substantial income. Simultaneously, Qi Shu engages in a public relations war against Xu Bai’an on the StarNet, exposing the Earl’s family’s corruption and the false narratives they have spread about the original owner.

A significant turning point occurs when Qi Shu is automatically matched with a 100% compatible partner by the Quantum Network due to his failure to pay the singles tax. The identity of his partner is hidden, but it is revealed that the match was accidentally initiated by the spiritual body of the Third Prince Alcipe, a powerful figure in a vegetative state. The Third Prince’s spiritual body manifests as a small black panther, which finds its way to Qi Shu’s apartment. Qi Shu takes in the creature, naming it Little Sootball, unaware of its true identity. The panther begins stealing expensive food from the Star Imperial Palace, including Southwind Fish and Hemei Prawns, to feed Qi Shu, creating a secret bond between them.

As the academic year begins, Qi Shu enrolls in the Imperial Vocational and Technical College. He encounters Xu Bai’an on campus, who continues to pretend to be a fragile victim. Qi Shu uses his mental-control ability to subtly manipulate Xu Bai’an, causing him to inadvertently reveal his true malicious nature and insult those around him. This public collapse of Xu Bai’an’s persona draws attention and disrupts the Earl’s carefully constructed image. Meanwhile, Qi Shu’s reputation as a mysterious and skilled Card Master grows, attracting the interest of the Card Master Association and various noble families on the Capital Star. Little Red and his family protect Qi Shu from these overtures, ensuring he can operate without interference. Qi Shu continues to balance his studies, his card-making business, and his care for Little Sootball, while planning his long-term strategy to clear the original owner’s name and dismantle the Earl’s influence.