(Triple-Length): Do You Want to Go With Me?

Xie Li took a few steps back and leaned against the pile of junk blocking the door. She closed her eyes, frantically replaying the plot of the novel she'd read before transmigrating.

This book had been recommended to her by a colleague. That intern, who'd joined the company at the same time as her, was obsessed with the Apocalypse. What she looked forward to most every day was the end of the world, so she wouldn't have to go to work and be a beast of burden anymore.

Xie Li still remembered the scene. After finishing lunch together in the company cafeteria, the other woman had opened her phone and shoved the screen in her face.

'Sis, you have to read this book,' she'd introduced enthusiastically. 'Your name is so rare, and you actually meet someone with the exact same name in a novel. That's fate. I suggest you memorize the whole thing — you never know, you might transmigrate into it one day.'

At the time, Xie Li had just found it funny. Only a novel fanatic would believe in something like transmigrating into a book.

But, out of curiosity, Xie Li had skimmed a few chapters anyway.

The story's perspective followed an Alpha named Fu Yunsheng. It started with meteorite fragments falling from the sky into the deep sea, and Fu Yunsheng leading a team out to sea to retrieve them.

The book focused heavily on how accomplished and charming Fu Yunsheng was at a young age, her entanglements with various Omegas, and her equally brilliant fiancée.

And that fiancée's name was Jin Zhaoye.

Truthfully, Xie Li didn't remember much of the plot. She was lucky if she could remember what happened a week ago, let alone a book she'd read over half a year prior.

The only thing she remembered were the female lead's various romantic encounters. What else could possibly interest a wage slave beast of burden besides that sort of thing?

Clutching at straws, Xie Li wanted to confirm one more time. What if it was just a coincidence?

She pulled her phone from her pocket, swiped her finger across the screen a few times, and tapped open the search bar. She searched for 'meteorite fragment landing'. The page loaded, and news headlines popped up one after another.

Xie Li stared at the screen. Most of the news publication dates were concentrated around half a year ago.

If this catastrophe was caused by the meteorite landing, then the outbreak had happened far too early — the public just hadn't known anything about it.

Exiting the news page, Xie Li typed in 'Fu Yunsheng' and clicked search. Even more headlines popped up.

'Fu Family Heiress Fu Yunsheng: Ten Years in the Military, the Youngest Major General in History — A Legendary Career Rundown'

'Fu Yunsheng and Fiancée Jin Zhaoye: A Marriage Alliance Between Two Great Families, a Heavenly Match of Powerhouses'

Xie Li tapped on the last headline. It was accompanied by a group photo.

Jin Zhaoye stood on the left side of the frame, wearing a black shirt with wide-leg trousers, her expression the usual unsmiling one. The woman beside her had her long hair up in a bun, her features sharp and cold. A perfectly tailored military uniform made her figure look extremely tall and slender.

She looked very strong, a perfect match for Jin Zhaoye. The two of them standing together could only be described with one phrase: a match made in heaven.

Xie Li stared at this photo for a long time, until the screen automatically went dark, reflecting her own face back at her.

The face in the screen had a ridiculously stupid-looking Band-Aid stuck on it. A few strands of hair had escaped her ponytail and hung messily by her cheeks. She looked utterly wretched — how could she possibly compare to someone like that?

Xie Li lowered her hand and turned to look at Lan Ran. Her lips moved, and she forced out a few words with difficulty. 'Do you know Fu Yunsheng?'

Though Lan Ran thought it strange she'd ask that now, she still nodded. 'I know of her, but she doesn't know me. Major General Fu is my Jin Goddess's fiancée. Why are you asking about her, Lǐwù?'

'It's nothing,' Xie Li shook her head. 'Wait here for me. I need to go get something.' She pushed through the crowd, heading toward where Zhou Yu and the others were.

She wouldn't accept her fate. She wouldn't be the cannon fodder who delivered the golden finger. She was going to claim ownership of the Space before the female lead even showed up, before the plot reached that point.

Finding Zhou Yu, Xie Li greeted them briefly, picked up her backpack, walked to the utility room door, pushed it open, and slipped inside.

The iron door closed, plunging the room into pitch darkness.

Xie Li crouched down, fished a utility knife out from the side pocket of her backpack, and shone her flashlight on it carefully. The blade was new, not rusted — shouldn't cause tetanus.

She held the flashlight in her mouth, pressed the blade against the inside of her arm, steeled herself, and was just about to press down when the blade suddenly snapped.

The blade, perfectly fine when she took it out, had broken for no apparent reason. The broken piece fell to the floor and then simply couldn't be found.

Xie Li looked at the half-blade left in her hand, refusing to believe it. She turned the knife body to a different angle and tried to cut her arm again.

*Snap!*

A soft sound, and the remaining half of the blade also fell out of the utility knife.

Xie Li, already on guard, immediately reached out to catch it.

But the blade seemed to have eyes. It slipped through her fingers, fell onto the floor as if into a black hole, and was nowhere to be found.

Staring at the pitch-black floor, Xie Li's chest heaved. A curse word squeezed out from between her teeth.

Was this the power of the plot? Because she, the cannon fodder, wanted to steal the female lead's opportunity, even the blade was working against her?

She refused to believe it!

Without a knife, Xie Li stuck her finger in her mouth and bit down hard...

After much effort, her finger remained completely unharmed. A person really can't bite through their own finger when they're mentally prepared for it.

'Fuck!'

'Do cannon fodder have no human rights? No one can stop me today — I'm getting this golden finger!' Xie Li swore under her breath and slammed her fist hard against the floor.

*Thud!*

A dull thud echoed in the utility room. The skin on her knuckles split, and beads of blood welled up. Gritting her teeth, Xie Li pulled the Wushi Token from around her neck and smeared the blood beads all over it.

The bright red blood coated the entire jade plaque. Xie Li stared intently at the Wushi Token, not blinking, waiting for a miracle to happen.

Time ticked by. The jade plaque still lay quietly in her palm, completely unresponsive.

It was as if it were mocking her — mocking her unbiteable finger, her bruised fist, mocking all her efforts as a complete waste of time.

What didn't belong to her, she couldn't take even if she tried.

'How could this...' Xie Li was drenched in sweat, half from pain, half from anger. 'Aren't you the Xie family's heirloom Wushi Token? Can't you figure out who your real family is?'

The fury in her chest was indescribable, like a fire burning from her heart to her throat, making Xie Li's eyes red.

Why? Why should she, a living, breathing person with flesh, blood, and feelings, just because she transmigrated into a book, have to become a tool — used to accompany the female lead through her heats while alive, and then deliver a golden finger after death?

She refused to accept it. The original work clearly stated that Fu Yunsheng had just accidentally dripped a drop of blood on the jade plaque, and it had recognized its master and opened the Space.

'I'll give you one more chance. Will you open the Space and recognize me as your master?' Xie Li clenched the jade plaque tightly and raised it overhead.

She waited a moment. The plaque remained unresponsive.

'If you won't recognize a master, then no one gets it!' Xie Li swung her arm with all her might. The Wushi Token flew from her hand, smashed onto the floor, and shattered into pieces.

The moment the jade plaque shattered, the blood beads that had refused to soak in before suddenly seemed to come alive. They seeped into the fractured surfaces of the fragments, bit by bit.

The next second, the jade fragments glowed with an eerie green light.

The shattered jade pieces seemed to be awakened. They rose from the floor, transforming into countless tiny points of light mid-air. They hovered, like headless flies, searching for something.

Then, as if drawn by something, those points of light all turned in unison and flew toward Xie Li with menacing force.

Xie Li raised a hand to shield her eyes.

The green points of light, like a meteor shower, crashed into the space between her eyebrows.

'Ah—!'

Xie Li let out a cry of pain. Her palm braced against the floor, the veins on her neck bulging, the eerie green light writhing beneath her skin.

She clenched her teeth hard. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled from her forehead, dripping onto the floor one by one.

It hurt. It hurt so much. It was too much.

It was as if red-hot steel needles were being driven into her brain, churning and stirring inside her skull, turning her brain into a deliciously fragrant roasted brain.

A scalding sensation exploded from between her eyebrows, spreading along every nerve.

Her body felt like it was being torn apart, from the inside out. Every inch of her skin was burning. She couldn't even make a sound, could only grit her teeth and hold on desperately.

Her vision went black in waves. A buzzing filled her ears.

Xie Li almost thought she was going to die in this utility room, die in the opportunity she'd forcibly seized.

Fortunately, soon after, that excruciating pain began to subside. Xie Li, like a drowning person saved, collapsed on the floor and let out a low, weak laugh.

Lying on the floor for a while to recover, Xie Li sat up, wiped the sweat from her face, closed her eyes, and carefully examined the changes in her body.

Her body seemed to have become lighter, like someone who'd been training with weights and suddenly took off all the sandbags — incredibly light and free.

Xie Li looked down at her hand. The blood on the back of her hand had already dried into dark red scabs. The wound didn't hurt much anymore.

'Does it feel like my recovery speed has increased a lot?'

Before Xie Li could examine it further, a flood of information flashed through her mind.

[Space successfully recognized master. Detected jade pendant is damaged. Space restored to initial stage. Current level: LV.1 (Upgradable)]

[Basic functions: 1. Storage Space, 20m³ (Time-stasis)

2. Life Space: Locked (Unlocks Farming & Livestock Space at LV.5, Unlocks Spirit Spring at LV.10, Unlocks Time Acceleration at LV.20)]

Looking at this information, Xie Li was momentarily stunned.

The Space described in the original work had mountains, water, and a spirit spring. You could farm, raise fish, and store grain.

In the later stages of the Apocalypse, when food was scarce, Fu Yunsheng had relied on the grain grown in her Space to gradually win people over, expand her Base, and become the sole leader of human survivors.

Now, when it came to her, all that was left was a pitiful 20 cubic meters.

But, so what? At the very least, the golden finger was in her hands now. This was her capital for surviving well in the Apocalypse.

Xie Li pushed herself up using the wall, stretched her limbs, and her gaze fell on the backpack at her feet. With a thought, that bulging black backpack vanished into thin air.

In Xie Li's perception, a backpack had truly appeared in the Space. With another thought, the backpack reappeared at her feet.

Bending down to touch it, confirming the backpack before her was real, Xie Li couldn't help but let her teeth out for some fresh air — she grinned widely.

She walked to the utility room door, glanced back at the backpack on the floor, and tried to store it in the Space. No reaction. She took a step back toward it and tried again. Still no reaction.

Only when the distance between her and the backpack shortened to about one meter did the backpack get stored in the Space again.

Xie Li understood. Currently, she could only store things within a one-meter range, and they couldn't be fixed in place. She hadn't been able to store the cement floor tiles earlier.

After testing her newly acquired golden finger, Xie Li pushed open the utility room door, thoroughly satisfied.

When she returned to the Rooftop, she found it had become very noisy outside.

The moment Lan Ran saw Xie Li reappear in the crowd, she immediately rushed over. 'Lǐwù, where did you run off to? I couldn't find you anywhere. My goddess just said the rescue helicopter will be here within an hour.'

'I know,' Xie Li nodded. 'We're not going to the Military Base for now. I'll go with you to find your mom.'

'Huh? Just the two of us? Will that work?' Lan Ran hesitated.

Of course she wanted to go home and find her mom. Since the Apocalypse began, she'd been worried about her mother, home alone, afraid her old mom wouldn't understand how terrifying Zombies were.

Xie Li looked at her. Lan Ran was actually the original body's friend, but after getting along for these past two weeks, Xie Li already considered her a real friend.

If the plot wasn't wrong, most of the people here today would die, including her and Lan Ran.

They were all nameless cannon fodder, just dead students mentioned in passing in the original work, not even a number, their cause of death not even detailed — cannon fodder to the very end.

Xie Li didn't want to die, so naturally she couldn't follow the plot.

'Don't worry, I'm here. Your girl can fight now,' Xie Li said, grabbing Lan Ran's wrist and pulling her toward where Jin Zhaoye was.

Halfway there, the two of them were stopped by a booming voice.

'Come here, kids!'

Pang Ayi waved at them cheerfully, her voice loud enough to drown out the surrounding noise. 'You must be starving! Come get something to eat. Auntie promises she won't have shaky hands this time.'

Xie Li stopped and looked around. Many people held steamed buns or mantou, wolfing them down.

'Thank you, Auntie.' Xie Li stepped forward and took two bags of buns.

Lan Ran also took a bag.

'Hey, no need to be polite! Eat up!' Pang Ayi waved her hand. 'It's hot now, the buns won't keep. They'll go bad if we don't eat them. We aunties risked our lives carrying these out from the cafeteria, just worried you kids would go hungry.'

Lan Ran, chewing a bun, responded indistinctly: 'Okay, Auntie, I'll definitely eat a lot.'

Holding two bags of buns, Xie Li asked Lan Ran: 'I'm going to bring some buns to your goddess. You coming?'

Lan Ran peeked at Jin Zhaoye not far away and shook her head rapidly. 'You go. I'll wait for you here.'

Xie Li didn't force her. Carrying the two bags of buns, she walked to the edge of the Rooftop.

Jin Zhaoye stood with her back to the crowd, gazing blankly at the empty Plaza below.

Xie Li walked over and stood beside her, holding out the buns. 'Hungry? Want something to eat?'

Jin Zhaoye glanced back at her, took the buns, and held them in her hand. Casually, she asked: 'I didn't see you just now. Where did you run off to?'

'I went to do something very important,' Xie Li said.

'Your hand was injured just now too?'

Xie Li hid her hand behind her back. This woman was too observant. Lan Ran hadn't noticed the wound on the back of her hand, but she'd spotted it at a glance.

She didn't answer how her hand got injured. Instead, she said: 'I know your name now. Jin Zhaoye.'

Jin Zhaoye wasn't surprised. She nodded.

'I'm not planning to go to the Military Base. Do you want to come with me?'

The moment the question left her lips, Xie Li suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, as if something was watching her from the shadows.

She turned to look around. The Rooftop was still bustling, people's chatter and the aunties' calls mixing together. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But that chill persisted. All the hairs on Xie Li's back stood on end.

Jin Zhaoye didn't say yes or no. Her tone was calm as she stated: 'My family is at the Military Base. And the data from my Research Institute. Xie Li, I have to go back. I need to continue my research.'

'Do you really have to go back?' Xie Li pressed, unwilling to give up.

Jin Zhaoye looked at her, silent for a moment, then asked in return: 'You know my name, so you must know I have a fiancée, right?'

...Yes.

And I also know your fiancée will meet all sorts of beautiful Omegas in the future, who will love her to death and be willing to be her third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth just to be with her.

Xie Li silently stepped forward and reached out to wrap her arms around Jin Zhaoye's waist.

Jin Zhaoye's body stiffened for an instant. Her hand rose, landing on Xie Li's shoulder, as if to push her away, yet also as if to pull her closer.

The scent of lime and mint from the Alpha filled her nostrils, making her feel somewhat dazed. She lowered her eyes, took a soft breath, and rested her cheek against Xie Li's shoulder.

The two of them held each other in silence.

People came and went on the Rooftop. Few noticed the two figures embracing in the dim corner.

Except for Lan Ran.

Watching Xie Li's action, Lan Ran's eyes widened like copper bells, her mouth agape enough to fit an entire bun.

She hadn't expected her bestie to be so bold, daring to hug Jin Goddess. This was Major General Fu's fiancée! When the military arrived later, they'd definitely riddle her with bullets.

No, she couldn't let her good sister die young. She had to stop this. The moment Lan Ran took a step forward, the two embracing figures over there had already separated.

In truth, the hug lasted a very short time — so short their body heat hadn't even mingled before Xie Li let go.

She took one last look at Jin Zhaoye and chose to respect her decision. 'Then... take care.'

'Can you tell me why you suddenly don't want to go to the Military Base?' Jin Zhaoye called out to stop Xie Li.

'No reason. I'm leaving.' Xie Li turned her back to her. After saying this, she strode away.

Young, smiling faces passed by her one after another. Xie Li thought for a moment, stopped, and raised her voice to shout: 'Everyone! Everyone! Quiet down, listen to me!'

The noisy crowd quieted somewhat at her shout. Everyone turned, looking at her with confusion.

Jin Zhaoye was also watching her.

From the moment Xie Li turned to leave, her gaze hadn't left that retreating back.

Xie Li took a deep breath and yelled: 'The Rooftop is dangerous! You can't stay here! If you stay, everyone will die! If you don't want to die, go hide somewhere else!'

The crowd stirred for a moment. A very small number of people were half-convinced by Xie Li's words — people like Zhou Yu and the others, and Jiang Nanxu, whom she'd met briefly before — and instinctively moved closer to Xie Li.

More people looked at her as if she were an idiot. Whispers continued. No one took Xie Li's words seriously.

Listening to those murmurs, Xie Li had actually anticipated this reaction before she even shouted.

People have a herd mentality. Not to mention, the sense of security the imminent military arrival provided wasn't something her flippant words could compare to.

Xie Li didn't have a savior complex, nor any desire to save all living beings. She was just cannon fodder. If she could save these people, she would. If she couldn't, she wouldn't feel any psychological burden.

'Lǐwù...' Lan Ran quietly walked up behind Xie Li and tugged on her sleeve.

Xie Li turned her head and forced a smile. 'It's fine. Let's go.'

'Xie Li, are you really going downstairs?' Zhou Yu and the others followed behind Xie Li, asking in low voices.

'Mm. I have a bad feeling about the Rooftop. If you trust me, come downstairs with us,' Xie Li responded, walking with Lan Ran toward the stairwell entrance.

They hadn't gone more than a few steps when excited cheers suddenly erupted from behind them.

'They're here! The rescue is here!'

'It's the military helicopters.'

'We're finally leaving! I'm going to take a good bath and sleep for three days and three nights straight.'

The commotion drew everyone's attention. They all stopped and looked back simultaneously.

In the night sky, several armed helicopters escorted two heavy transport aircraft, flying in formation toward the Administration Building.

The roar of rotors filled the night. Searchlights swept across the Rooftop. The survivors waved frantically, their excitement overflowing.

Xie Li's gaze passed through the crowd and landed on the figure standing by the railing.

Jin Zhaoye looked up, her back straight, motionless as she watched the approaching helicopters.

Xie Li knew she was waiting for her fiancée to come pick her up, to go back and reunite with her family, not to get entangled with a minor cannon fodder like her.

She withdrew her gaze and called Lan Ran over to help move the junk blocking the door. 'Didn't you say the military rescue would be here in an hour? Why so fast?'

Lan Ran was also puzzled. 'That's what my goddess said. Maybe Major General Fu was worried about her fiancée, so she came faster?'

Xie Li didn't want to hear the words 'fiancée' anymore. She shut her mouth and focused on the task.

When she lifted a discarded sheet-metal cabinet, she noticed the thing in her hands seemed very light.

No, it must be that her strength had increased. After moving several heavy objects in a row, Xie Li had a rough idea. Her strength had indeed increased. If her original strength was 1, it should now be 1.5 or 2.

The two of them cleared the passage, opened the iron door, and were just about to head downstairs.

From behind them, a sharp, piercing shriek suddenly rang out, followed by a massive explosion.

The cheers on the Rooftop cut off abruptly.

Flames bloomed in the night sky. An armed helicopter flying at the rear of the formation was burning and falling.

Before anyone could figure out what was happening, another explosion sounded.

Another armed helicopter exploded mid-air. Flames shot into the sky, illuminating that patch of night. Only then did everyone see a swarm of dark shadows tailing the helicopters.

They were a flock of winged fish. Their bodies were covered in bluish-black scales, their wings semi-transparent, resembling fins yet also somewhat bat-like. Their shape was fish-like, with long tails trailing behind. Their gaping mouths were full of狰狞 sharp teeth.

They burst from the flames and lunged at the remaining helicopters.

Gun barrels extended from the armed helicopters. Gunfire and cannon fire roared in the sky. Mutated Flying Fish continuously fell from the air, crashing into the crowd.

Many of the flying fish bit through the steel hulls of the armed helicopters, charging into the cabins and wreaking havoc.

The cargo door of one transport aircraft was torn open. Countless Mutated Flying Fish swarmed inside. That transport aircraft began to spin and wobble erratically. Its trajectory suggested it would most likely crash into the Main Administration Building.

'Ahhhhhhh! Run!!!'

The Rooftop erupted into chaos. Survivors screamed and fled, all surging toward the stairwell entrance.

Zhou Yu and the others didn't have time to be shocked. They immediately ran for the stairs.

'Lǐwù, run!' Lan Ran grabbed Xie Li's arm, pulling her to run downstairs.

Xie Li stumbled from the pull.

She turned her head and looked at the figure in the crowd, Fire Axe in hand, covering everyone's retreat.

It took Xie Li only 0.1 seconds to make a decision.

She broke free from Lan Ran's grip and spoke rapidly: 'Lan Ran, you go downstairs first with Zhou Yu. Hide in the building next door. I'll come find you.'

After saying this, she moved against the flow of people, running toward Jin Zhaoye.

'Xie Li, don't go looking for death!' Lan Ran's shout was drowned out by the noisy crowd.

Xie Li's ears were filled with people's terrified screams and cries.

She wanted to say it too: Xie Li, don't go looking for death. But her legs wouldn't listen, stubbornly carrying her toward where Jin Zhaoye was.

Even if today was her day to die, she didn't want anything to happen to Jin Zhaoye.

She stared fixedly at the aircraft approaching in the sky. The moment the transport plane crashed into the Main Administration Building, Xie Li leaped forward and wrapped her arms around Jin Zhaoye.

'BOOM—!' The shockwave from the explosion erupted from the edge of the Rooftop. Flames shot skyward. The entire building shook. Debris of all kinds scattered like rain.

The blast of hot air sent the two of them flying. Xie Li held Jin Zhaoye tightly, shielding her in her embrace.

The two of them tumbled across the shattered Rooftop and fell together into a room on the floor below.

Xie Li cushioned the fall from below, her back slamming into a pile of rubble. Her vision instantly went black.

'Cough...'

She grunted, opening her mouth to cough up a mouthful of bloody foam.

The moment Jin Zhaoye regained her senses, she immediately scrambled up from Xie Li's arms and knelt beside her.

She didn't dare move Xie Li. Leaning down, her eyes quickly scanned Xie Li's entire body, confirming there were no obvious fractures or bleeding points. Her voice was clear as she asked: 'Xie Li, Xie Li, can you hear me?'

'Mm...' Xie Li responded weakly.

'Can you feel your limbs? Can you move your fingers? Are you dizzy? Is anything numb? Do you feel nauseous? Can you feel your back?'

Jin Zhaoye's questions came one after another, turning into a series of buzzing noises in Xie Li's ears.