“I’m telling you, even with an annual salary of 50,000, it’s enough to support you. At your age, it’s the perfect time to cash in. In a couple of years, it’ll be awkward—no one will want you anymore, you know? …Hey, are you even listening to me?!”
Jade jolted, her eyes snapping open as she looked around in disbelief.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of coffee. Sunlight streamed through the clean, bright windows, spilling across the table in front of her. In the quiet café, the occasional tapping of keyboards and hushed laughter could be heard.
Everything was peaceful. Beautiful.
But just moments ago, her best friends—Mia and Ethan—had pushed her into a tide of zombies. Pain had spread through her body as their sticky, stringy mouths tore through her flesh, crimson flooding her vision…
Her gaze slowly returned, landing on the man sitting across from her—well-dressed in a suit, with a protruding belly and thinning hair.
“You are…?”
His face seemed vaguely familiar. Her lips parted slightly. After ten years of fighting for survival in the apocalypse, Jade had long learned to remain calm in any situation. Even though what was happening now defied all understanding, she quietly picked up her phone and glanced at it.
August 14, 3026.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswlAL4X4dK
4:00 PM.
This was…
Ten years ago.
She had been reborn—back to ten years earlier!
Suppressing the surge of emotion in her chest, Jade recalled: on August 24, 3023, the country of Japan had, despite opposition from the United Nations, forcibly discharged nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, confidently claiming it would cause no harm to Earth.
However, three years later—on August 24—humanity finally suffered the consequences of that arrogance.
A zombie virus targeting humans broke out. Plants and animals mutated, becoming highly aggressive. The climate turned extreme. Natural disasters descended, easily destroying the homes humanity had built over thousands of years…
And today—
Was ten days before the apocalypse began.
Realizing this, Jade could no longer sit still.
Ten days. That was all she had.
“I’m sorry, I have to go…”
Without another thought, she stood up. The man across from her immediately changed expression, grabbing her hand as he shouted, “What do you mean? Was anything I said wrong? Do you even know how sought-after a high-quality man like me is on the dating market? You should lear—ah!”
Before he could finish, he let out a pig-like scream.
The sticky, unpleasant sensation lingered on the back of her hand. Suppressing her disgust, Jade twisted his wrist and slammed it onto the table, her gaze sharp.
“What are you doing?”
It was pure reflex. Even though her current body was weak, her technique made it impossible for him to break free easily.
The café’s calm atmosphere shattered as people turned to look.
Staring at his pig-like face, Jade finally recalled everything.
This man—Leo—was originally her “best friend” Mia’s blind date. Claiming she felt unwell, Mia had begged Jade to go in her place, specifically reminding her to be polite since he was introduced by her aunt.
Jade had followed her instructions, remaining courteous despite his absurd remarks.
But Leo took that as encouragement.
That very night, he tried to drag her to a hotel. After being rejected, he harassed her for days and even spread rumors that they had slept together, causing her significant distress.
As the memories fully resurfaced, Jade slowly loosened her grip, a faint smile forming on her lips.
“Come to think of it… I should thank you.”
In her previous life, if Leo hadn’t broken into her home on the day of the apocalypse, attempting to force himself on her, she wouldn’t have panicked and accidentally killed him with a fruit knife. Nor would she have used his corpse as bait to draw away a horde of zombies, allowing her, Ethan, and Mia to escape.
In a way, he had been her “savior.”
Naturally, she should be polite to her former benefactor.
Leo quickly pulled away and shouted loudly, “Everyone come look! This is ridiculous! I took time out of my busy schedule for this blind date, and she just attacked me for no reason! I’ve never seen a woman like this!”
“Wasn’t it you who made the first move?” Jade said calmly. “Besides, I’m not interested in you. Isn’t leaving normal?”
He spat angrily, “Not interested in me? Do you even know how rare a high-quality man like me is?”
Jade paused, then said dryly, “What, is your urine matte-finished or something?”
There was a moment of silence—then laughter broke out.
His face flushed red. “I’m telling you, don’t look down on a young man in poverty! Without your aunt’s introduction, you’d never meet someone like me in your life!”
“Young man…?” Her gaze swept over his balding head. “Aren’t you middle-aged?”
“Don’t bully a poor youth, don’t bully a poor middle-aged man… what’s next, don’t bully a poor old man?”
She chuckled softly, then added lightly:
“A lifetime of poverty.”
“You—!” Furious, Leo suddenly raised his hand. “I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents today!”
Before anyone could react, Jade struck first—
Smack!
The slap echoed. Leo spun in place and collapsed onto the ground, his head buzzing.
“You—what are you doing?!” he roared. “I’ll tell your aunt everything! What kind of family raises such an ill-mannered daughter?!”
“Say a bit more,” she replied coolly, shaking her numb hand. “Better yet, tell your mom too. Otherwise, who’s going to back you up?”
Picking up her bag, she stood.
“Stop her!” Leo shouted. “This is lawless! Stop her!”
She paused. “You’re sure you don’t want me to leave?”
Meeting her icy gaze, he instinctively shrank back, fear creeping into his heart.
For a moment, he felt like she was looking at a dead man.
What he didn’t know was—
In her past life, he had died by her hand.
Scoffing at his cowardice, Jade turned and walked away.
—
Back at the place she once knew so well, she took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
A three-bedroom apartment in the city center—excellent location, convenient transport.
She didn’t linger. Quickly, she calculated her available assets: over two million in savings, this apartment, and 3% shares in the Jiang family.
She listed the supplies she needed.
In the apocalypse, nothing was more valuable than resources. She had seen people fight to the death over scraps of food. Society collapsed, and humanity’s darkest side emerged.
Opening her shopping app, she immediately began buying instant noodles.
Trash food in normal times—but in the apocalypse? Luxury.
With hot water, you could cook them. Without it, you could eat them dry. Filling, flavorful, irreplaceable.
Just as she was about to place the order—
Ding—
A mechanical voice sounded in her mind.
[Honored Host, System Tinker at your service.]162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNWOh6MbmB
[Detected spending intent. For every 1,000 yuan spent, you will receive 1 square meter of storage space. Upon unlocking the “Spendthrift” badge, you will gain one lottery draw.]162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFu7jyODpk
[Countdown: 167:59:59.]
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