Ever since she discovered that this world was the setting of that novel, Chu Ling had more on her mind than simply surviving. She also wanted to change Gu Xiyan's fate. Gu Xiyan was her favorite character, someone she adored deeply. Chu Ling couldn't tolerate seeing the heroine harm her. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became: the heroine didn't deserve to be with Gu Xiyan.
Based on the events of the novel, Chu Ling had pieced together a rough timeline. In about a year, the heroine would meet Gu Xiyan. After saving Gu Xiyan, the latter would fall in love with her.
Chu Ling believed that as long as she could prevent that pivotal event from happening, she could stop Gu Xiyan from falling into that trap. As a devoted 'mom fan' of Gu Xiyan, Chu Ling was determined to protect her beloved character and find her a better partner.
Over the next six months, armed with her deep knowledge of the novel, Chu Ling began working as a mercenary. As a die-hard fan of the story, she had memorized every detail of the different dungeons featured in the book.
Thanks to this familiarity, she was well-versed in navigating ruins and soon made a name for herself in the mercenary business. But surprisingly, it wasn't her combat abilities that made her famous—it was the instant noodles she sold.
"Do you want braised beef flavor, pickled mustard flavor, or seafood flavor? Not 999 gold coins, not 299—just 10 gold coins!"
Money was the most important resource in the apocalypse, and Chu Ling had her reasons for saving up. Once Gu Xiyan inevitably severed ties with her family, Chu Ling's funds could help support her. After all, Gu Xiyan was destined to overthrow the Empire's ruler and establish her own base. Chu Ling figured it was best to secure her place at Gu Xiyan's side early on. With such a powerful ally, survival in this world would be much easier.
Six months passed in the blink of an eye. Chu Ling's money-saving plan was still in full swing. And today? It was yet another good day to set up shop.
Driving her vehicle to a customer's camp, Chu Ling parked and hopped out of the car. Behind her followed four people: three burly men and one figure at the back, who was wrapped up tightly in clothing and noticeably smaller than the others. Despite their petite frame compared to the muscle-bound men, they were still significantly taller than Chu Ling.
Chu Ling strutted ahead of the group with the confident swagger of a leader. However, her petite figure was so much smaller than the people behind her that the fair-faced customer initially didn't realize she was the leader of the mercenary team.
These four had been following Chu Ling for half a year now. Ever since she had offered them instant noodles, they had decided she was someone extraordinary. To have such delicious, unheard-of food in this world was already astonishing. Over the past six months, Chu Ling had introduced them to three different flavors of instant noodles. She even added sausages as a side dish, which blew their minds.
These people were used to scraping by at the bottom of society, where food rations consisted of protein bars and barely-edible survival supplements. Tasting Chu Ling's rich and flavorful meals had been nothing short of miraculous. Add to that Chu Ling's generosity—splitting the earnings from her mercenary work evenly among the team—and following her became an obvious choice. In a world where food was scarce and money even scarcer, why wouldn't they stick around?
Though Chu Ling was petite and slender, her body was remarkably agile and unnaturally strong. She had discovered this little quirk by accident. While she didn't boast a chiseled eight-pack, she definitely had abs—and that was something she took pride in.
The fair-faced man was dressed in an immaculate suit, his movements graceful and refined, standing out starkly from the rough and rugged mercenaries who were used to life in the dirt and sand. He gave a polite smile and asked, "Excuse me, which one of you is Chu Ling?"
The towering muscle-bound man behind Chu Ling let out an annoyed growl. "Can't you see our boss standing right in front of you?"
Chu Ling had indeed been standing there the entire time, but the fair-faced man hadn't even bothered to look down at her. What was with this attitude? Did being tall make someone better than others? Chu Ling fumed inwardly. Back in her original world, she was a perfectly respectable 1.58 meters tall, thank you very much! Why had her height dropped to just 1.50 meters in this world?
"Can't see me, huh?" Chu Ling muttered, clearly displeased.
The fair-faced man, whose name was Gu Jingbo, froze for a moment. When he finally looked at Chu Ling, his eyes filled with doubt. He seemed unwilling to believe that this petite, skinny young woman was the leader of the brawny group standing behind her.
Nevertheless, he maintained his poise. "My apologies. That was rude of me. You, Miss, are… truly unique." His words carried a forced politeness, as if he couldn't quite find the right way to compliment her. After all, Chu Ling's face was mostly hidden behind a scarf and goggles, making it difficult to judge her appearance.
"Hmph." Chu Ling snorted, clearly unimpressed, and didn't bother responding.
Gu Jingbo, unfazed, introduced himself with a courteous smile. "My surname is Gu. You may call me Mr. Gu."
"I know who you are," Chu Ling replied bluntly. "You're here because you want me to guide you through the Yellow Sand Ruins, right? Pretty generous, offering 100,000 credits. But let me tell you something—100,000 isn't even enough for my snacks. My price is 500,000. Take it or leave it."
Her words were bold and confident, showing no hint of hesitation. 500,000 credits—it was practically daylight robbery! Gu Jingbo couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. This was the first time he'd encountered someone so shamelessly brazen.
"Just to guide me through the ruins, you're asking for 500,000?"
Originally, Chu Ling had been dealing in gold coins, as they were still in circulation in the Empire. The conversion rate between gold coins and credits was 1:10. However, gold was a scarce resource, and carrying large amounts of it was highly impractical. A few months ago, the Empire had rolled out its latest technological advancement, expanding what was once a system for the elite to the general population. Everyone now had a wristband that tracked their financial balance in credits, and upper-class citizens primarily used these digital credits for transactions.
For mercenaries like Chu Ling, however, gold coins were far more useful than credits. As such, she usually preferred to be paid in coins. But in cases like this, where the amount was significant, demanding gold was unreasonable. Asking for 10,000 gold coins, for instance, would mean hauling around 1,200 pounds of gold—clearly unrealistic. That's why Chu Ling had started accepting credits for larger payments.
Luckily, the system she relied on could convert credits into gold coins for storage, so it didn't make much of a difference to her. It wasn't that Chu Ling wanted to be a greedy profiteer, but making a living in the apocalypse was no joke. On the surface, 100,000 credits sounded like a lot, but converted into gold coins, it was just 10,000. And that wasn't even close to covering her expenses. A single cup of instant noodles cost 1 gold coin, and unlocking new flavors of noodles in the system cost a whopping 1,000 gold coins per flavor. The sausage side dishes? Those cost her 2,000 gold coins to unlock, and each one cost 5 coins to redeem. All of this added up. For the sake of earning enough money, Chu Ling had no choice but to play the role of a profiteering businesswoman.
"So, are we not doing business, then?" Chu Ling asked coolly. "You'd better think it through. On the Yellow Sands, I'm the only one who knows the route like the back of my hand."
Chu Ling was ready to negotiate further and planned to gradually lower the price after scaring him a little. She wasn't really planning to charge 500,000 credits. But before she could continue, her eyes caught sight of a figure in the distance. Her breath hitched, and without thinking, she shoved Gu Jingbo aside and fixed her gaze on the person sitting not far away.
That figure sat peacefully on a chair, exuding a calm elegance that not even the sandy wasteland could diminish.
It was her.
Gu Xiyan.
The woman was holding what appeared to be an electronic tablet, her head slightly lowered. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of her nose. In the novel, Gu Xiyan was rarely described wearing glasses—only when she was reading or reviewing documents. Normally, her quiet demeanor, combined with her inability to speak, gave her a reserved and elegant air. She preferred clean and crisp white shirts, which, paired with those gold-rimmed glasses, enhanced her image as a cold yet alluring femme fatale.
It was the exact kind of aesthetic Chu Ling loved.
Even though Chu Ling had never seen Gu Xiyan's face before, she didn't need any confirmation. At that moment, a voice deep inside her heart whispered with absolute certainty: This person is Gu Xiyan.
Chu Ling had imagined countless times what Gu Xiyan might look like. Yet, seeing her in person exceeded every expectation—Gu Xiyan was entirely the type of person who could make Chu Ling's heart race.
After all, Gu Xiyan was someone raised in the elite Upper City, sheltered and cared for by those around her. Her skin was as fair as snow, her bright eyes gleamed like precious jewels, and her smile sparkled like a sea of stars.
Noticing the commotion from their direction, Gu Xiyan removed her glasses and glanced toward them. Her gaze was calm yet inquisitive, as if silently assessing the situation.
Those eyes... Chu Ling felt as though they held the brilliance of the entire cosmos. Her breath caught in her throat, and she hurriedly pulled Gu Jingbo aside, unable to hold her composure.
Her heart was in chaos. How could this be? How could Gu Xiyan appear here? Based on the timeline, she wasn't supposed to leave the city until half a year later.
"You've got a deal. I'll take your job," Chu Ling said abruptly, her voice steady despite the storm raging in her chest.
Gu Jingbo raised an eyebrow. To him, mercenaries were lowly, unrefined individuals. If it weren't absolutely necessary to ensure the success of this mission, he wouldn't have bothered interacting with someone like Chu Ling. Now, having been pushed aside by her, his pristine suit had collected traces of sand, which made him frown in irritation. Still, he maintained his outwardly polite demeanor, though it was tinged with mockery.
"Miss Chu, what changed your mind so suddenly?"
In truth, Chu Ling had just been playing hard to get to drive up the price. But now, after seeing Gu Xiyan, she had no choice but to accept the job. There was no way she'd pass up a chance to stay close to Gu Xiyan.
"These days, business isn't easy," Chu Ling said with feigned nonchalance. "I won't overcharge you. How about 200,000 credits?"
200,000! The price was double the original 100,000, and yet Chu Ling had the audacity to act like she was doing Gu Jingbo a favor, as if she were the one taking the loss. If this were within the bounds of the Empire, no one would dare speak to someone from the Gu family in such a way.
"Fair enough," Gu Jingbo replied with a strained smile, though irritation flickered in his eyes. He couldn't afford to refuse.
The Yellow Sand Ruins were a recent discovery, having appeared on the radar only a few months ago. Many who ventured into the ruins hadn't returned. However, in the past month, more survivors had managed to come back, bringing with them resources—including a newly discovered mineral that had the potential to serve as an alternative energy source.
This was a monumental discovery. In the apocalyptic world, nearly everything was in short supply. The Empire relied on solar and electric energy, but the sun rarely pierced through the perpetually clouded skies, rendering solar power increasingly inefficient.
The Gu family, as the foremost scientific and research family of the Empire, couldn't afford to fall behind in securing this potential new energy source. That was the purpose of this expedition.
The problem was, every single person who had successfully navigated the ruins claimed that it was thanks to one person: a mercenary named Chu Ling. Without her guidance, survival would have been impossible.
Gu Jingbo had already prepared himself to pay a high price, but having the fee doubled on the spot? It was clear Chu Ling wasn't going to let him off easy.
She's really good at hiking up the price, Gu Jingbo thought bitterly, though he kept his complaints to himself.
Meanwhile, Chu Ling was battling her own inner turmoil.
The Yellow Sand Ruins were the first major dungeon introduced in the novel. It was where the heroine obtained her initial stash of resources, which became the foundation for building her base.
Using her knowledge from the novel, Chu Ling had spent a great deal of effort locating the ruins ahead of schedule. After confirming its location, she'd decided to capitalize on her knowledge and make a fortune guiding people there. However, the deeper people ventured into the ruins, the more dangerous it became. As the risks increased, Chu Ling had no choice but to raise her prices.
But now, seeing Gu Xiyan here, Chu Ling couldn't help but wonder: Did my early discovery of the ruins cause her to leave the city ahead of schedule?
If Gu Xiyan was already out here, did that mean the timeline was shifting? Would the heroine meet Gu Xiyan sooner than expected?
A wave of unease washed over Chu Ling. She clutched at her chest, trying to calm her racing thoughts. If the heroine and Gu Xiyan crossed paths earlier than planned, everything could spiral out of control.
And worst of all, would her little stash of savings even be enough to handle what was coming?
After wrapping up the price negotiation, Gu Jingbo mentioned that he needed to prepare the payment and left. Chu Ling glanced back toward where Gu Xiyan had been sitting earlier, only to find the spot empty. A strange hollowness filled her chest, as though a piece of her had gone missing.
No matter what, she had to stop the heroine and Gu Xiyan from meeting.
On the other side of the base, Gu Jingbo returned to the interior of the small facility. The base was a compact structure built with advanced technology, designed to be assembled quickly in the field. It was powered by a central generator and could accommodate a dozen people with essential amenities, including showers, a dining area, and basic living quarters.
Entering his room with a frosty expression, Gu Jingbo removed his suit jacket and carelessly tossed it onto the floor as though it had been contaminated. The disdain in his voice was clear as he muttered, "Lower class scum will always be lower-class scum."
The mere thought of Chu Ling's smug demeanor disgusted him, but there was little he could do. Completing this exploration was non-negotiable, and for now, he had no choice but to tolerate her.
Just then, a knock came at the door. Gu Jingbo immediately wiped the annoyance off his face, replacing it with his usual mask of warmth and elegance. When he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of Gu Xiyan.
His smile brightened like sunshine, as if the coldness from earlier had never existed. "What's the matter, Xiyan? Are you finding it hard to adjust to life outside the city?" His tone was gentle, as it always was around her.
Gu Xiyan's eyes flickered briefly toward the suit jacket discarded on the floor before returning to his face. She didn't see any traces of dissatisfaction in his expression and thus said nothing, merely shaking her head lightly. Instead, she reached for her customized electronic tablet, which allowed her to type quickly and display her words in a large, readable font.
Typing still took a moment, but Gu Xiyan had long since grown used to it. She didn't like inconveniencing others or making them wait, so she typed as quickly as she could. Yet even though it took only a few seconds, Gu Jingbo, standing over her, couldn't suppress the flicker of impatience that crossed his face.
[Was your conversation with the mercenary successful?]
The moment she lifted her head to look at him, Gu Jingbo smoothed out the irritation on his face and answered with a casual smile, stepping back slightly as he spoke. "That person's only after money. You don't need to worry about it. I'm feeling a bit unwell, so I'll rest for a while."
With that, he moved to close the door, brushing off the interaction.
Gu Xiyan, however, was already typing something on her tablet.
The sharp bang of the door shutting abruptly cut off their exchange. Left standing in the hallway, Gu Xiyan gazed down at her tablet. The message she had just finished typing glowed on the screen, but it was too late to show him.
It was a single word.
[Okay.]