In the vast heavens, unpredictable storms arise, and in life, fortune and misfortune come unexpectedly. Take Han Yanyan, for instance. With a sudden "crack," she was dead! Even she was taken aback.
She had been driving, her mind weaving ideas for a new story when the night sky above her abruptly flared with a blinding light. Her last memory was of being unable to open her eyes against the glaring white light as a van barreled toward her—then everything froze.
More bewildering than her sudden demise was the realization that she was still conscious afterward! Could it be that souls truly existed?
At this moment, she stood in a pure white space. It was white above, below, and all around—so pure and bright that one couldn't discern where the light originated. In such an eerie environment, Han Yanyan remained unflustered, strolling casually with a calm demeanor.
Whether it was the fabled broth from the underworld or a guide to heaven, all mythical tales had a guide of some sort to lead the dead, so she didn't need to worry. Han Yanyan was confident about that.
Sure enough, after just a few steps, a voice echoed through the space. It wasn't an old woman or an angel but a robotic electronic voice.
"Han Yanyan, you have been chosen," the voice declared.
Hearing her name made Han Yanyan inwardly startled. However, she maintained her composure, not saying a word, and instead slowly swept her gaze over the glowing white ceiling, hoping to locate the source of the voice.
No one responded, and after an awkward few seconds, the electronic voice grudgingly continued, "You have been chosen by the 'Quick Transmigration World.' Next, you will traverse different worlds, completing tasks assigned to you by the system."
Once over the surprise of hearing her name, the phrase "Quick Transmigration World" hardly added any more surprise for Han Yanyan. Hearing the voice's words, her eyebrows just barely moved; even her expression remained unchanged.
After that bout of awkwardness, the electronic voice eschewed further dramatic flourishes and explained directly, "You will enter different worlds to conquer various target characters. I will grant you certain abilities or conditions to assist you in completing your tasks more effectively."
The electronic voice used a term Han Yanyan was quite familiar with: "Han Yanyan, what kind of 'cheat' would you like? You can request it now."
To which Han Yanyan calmly inquired instead, "Am I already dead? I mean, my real, actual self."
The electronic voice replied, "Not yet, but you're not far from it."
Han Yanyan frowned.
The voice continued, "So you're very fortunate to have encountered me. If you can complete the tasks I assign to you, I will save your body and even provide you with a surprising reward. So let's get to the point: what kind of cheat would you like in the Quick Transmigration World?"
Han Yanyan noticed the voice's promises hinged on "completing tasks." And what if she failed? Han Yanyan didn't need to ask further; the answer was simple and clear.
She contemplated silently for a moment, then looked up. "In times of peace, I want unmatched beauty and endless wealth. In times of life-threatening danger, I want supreme combat skills."
The electronic voice fell silent. Han Yanyan remained unhurried, patiently waiting for a response.
After a long while, the electronic voice finally spoke, "I'm sorry, but your conditions cannot be met."
Han Yanyan: "..."
The voice explained, "Unmatched beauty, endless wealth, and supreme combat skills; the three things you've listed nearly make for perfect conditions. Based on past experiences, taskers with perfect conditions have a higher failure rate. We've decided to only give you restricted conditions."
Han Yanyan keenly caught the keyword "we."
The voice said, "Regarding the cheat, we can discuss it later. For now, do you have any questions about the tasks?"
"I do," Han Yanyan said. "What are the tasks? What are the conquest requirements? How do I know if a task is complete? What are the criteria?"
"You will enter one or more... definitely more than one world!" the voice said. "In each world, there will be a main character to conquer. Your goal is to... change him, make him transform."
This time, Han Yanyan truly showed her astonishment on her face.
"What kind of task is that?" she frowned. "How do you define change? How will I know the task target has changed? By what measure?"
The voice "ahem"-ed, "In any case, I have my own criteria; it’s beyond your understanding, so it's unnecessary to ask further."
What nonsense is this? In other quick transmigration tales, the task was either to conquer a certain person with a full score of a hundred in affection or to fulfill the original owner's wish, resolving their obsession thus completing the mission. But here, the criteria were so vague?
"Don't worry about that; I scanned you. You have great potential as a constructor, and I have faith in you. Try a simple one first... oh no!" The electronic voice abruptly stopped mid-sentence, exclaiming, "I forgot to tag you!"
Then, the last memory in Han Yanyan's mind was the cold, mechanical voice saying equally mechanically, "Tag."
While the previous dialogue had a touch of humanity, this utterance of "Tag" was as if all emotions had vanished, as though an icy machine spoke.
After this chilling "Tag," nothing seemed to happen. Han Yanyan remained standing in the glowing white space, only her mind felt blank, somewhat dazed.
It seemed... she had forgotten something important...
"Alright, prepare yourself; I'm sending you in," the electronic voice instructed. "This is your specialty, so perform well and don't let me down. As you said, make that... that conquest target fall in love with you if love can indeed change a person as you claim."
The electronic voice paused before continuing coolly, "Remember, your body is near death. Your survival depends entirely on your performance. If you do well, I can not only save you but also reward you. If you disappoint me, then you're on your own."
After a moment of confusion and daze, Han Yanyan, hearing these words, frowned. There were too many baffling things and too many questions to ask, yet the electronic voice provided her no opportunity. It intimidated her and then, without emotion, mechanically stated, "World creation."
The white light before Han Yanyan's eyes vanished, replaced by an instant of darkness that compelled her to close her eyes.
In that blink of an eye, a flood of information inundated her mind.
Here... was a modern urban setting. She—Han Yanyan—was a grassroots migrant striving in the city, barely making enough to support herself as a small-time office worker. She rented a room, had no permanent assets, and lived paycheck to paycheck—a quintessential example of living hand to mouth.
After receiving the background and character information, Han Yanyan looked down to find herself holding a mug. Surveying her surroundings, she seemed to be in a pantry. While pondering, the pantry door abruptly swung open, and an excited girl's face peeked in: "Yanyan! Yanyan! Come quickly! Someone sent you flowers!"
Without waiting for a response, the girl eagerly grabbed Han Yanyan by the wrist and pulled her outside.
Li Yan, her colleague and roommate.
The information swiftly formed in Han Yanyan's mind. As Li Yan dragged her by the wrist, pulling her across the threshold, a vibrant world unfolded before her eyes.
Row upon row of office cubicles, the clattering of keyboards, ringing phones, page flipping, and murmured conversations... It was a bustling office space. At that moment, several female colleagues were clustered around her desk, teasing her as soon as she appeared.
"Yanyan, do you have a boyfriend now?"
"Such a big bouquet of lilies isn't cheap."
"Wow, really envious."
Han Yanyan could smell the fragrance before even seeing the flowers. Walking over, others made way, revealing a large bouquet of lilies lying conspicuously on her desk.
Now returned to her desk, her colleagues shared a few more laughs before returning to their stations. Han Yanyan sat down, pulled out the card tucked among the flowers, and opened it.
"Thank you. —Zheng Yao"
And the card included a ten-thousand-yuan cash check.
Everything she saw translated into signals for her brain, triggering dormant information to awaken—almost as if that information had always been there, waiting for the right keywords to stir it to life.
Zheng Yao, president of Zheng Corporation, and one of the wealthiest men in City C.
Two nights ago, Zheng Yao's mother had an accident and urgently required a blood transfusion. She had RH negative, a rare 'panda blood.' Coincidentally, Han Yanyan, visiting a friend at the hospital, was also RH negative and immediately offered to donate blood.
While everyone crowded around the esteemed madam, Han Yanyan, after donating blood, quietly left. In the hallway, a gust of wind brought in a group of men in black suits, who brusquely shoved her aside to clear a path for a man surrounded by others. Weakened from blood loss, Han Yanyan, already dizzy, bumped her head against the wall, leaving with a bump on her forehead after half a day.
Regarding that man, she didn’t even catch a glimpse of his back; her view was entirely blocked by those men in black suits. All she heard was the sound of leather shoes striding urgently over the floor, resonating with each step like a drumbeat in her chest.
Of course, up to this point, "Han Yanyan" was more of a character or a symbol. The true Han Yanyan had only just opened her eyes in this world two minutes prior.
Now holding the thank-you card and cash check, the information triggered in her brain told her that the man in black, flanked by suits the other night, was none other than Zheng Yao—the man she needed to conquer in this world.
That night, he had rushed from the airport after hearing about his mother's accident. Truly a filial son, though he seemed to regard others as nothing—like Han Yanyan, an insignificant passerby. For the girl who practically saved Madam Zheng’s life, there were only two words of thanks, not even said in person.
Oh, yes, and a check for ten thousand. That was the opposite of trivial. Actually, Han Yanyan, having worked for less than a year, hadn't even earned ten thousand in salary yet.
For a little employee like Han Yanyan, ten thousand was substantial. For the wealthy Zheng Yao, any problem money could solve wasn’t really a problem.
A typical overbearing CEO and humble Cinderella romance—the sense of déjà vu was overwhelming.
Han Yanyan had previously spent her days ghostwriting for others when her own stories weren’t bringing in money. She could churn out thirty thousand words a day, and repetitive CEO romance stories almost made her sick. No wonder the electronic voice said, "This is your specialty," because it really was.
Ah, the overbearing CEO trope... Han Yanyan's lips twitched slightly as she placed the card in her drawer, tore the check into pieces, and tossed it into the trash.
The CEO has seen enough of women after his money; the one who captures such a man must be an honest, kind, pure Cinderella who doesn’t care about wealth!