Lin Zhang woke up gasping.
The first thing she felt was pain—the ghost of wounds that should've killed her. Torn flesh, crushed bones, the sensation of teeth ripping through her skin.
Then—nothing.
No blood. No shredded limbs. Just her familiar, cramped apartment. The hum of an air conditioner struggling against the late September heat.
She bolted upright, her breath sharp, her hands flying to her stomach, her neck—smooth skin. Untouched.
But that wasn't possible.
The last thing she remembered was dying.
Two years of fighting, running, starving—for what? So Nathan and Olivia could throw her out like trash? So they could watch from the safety of her bunker while she was torn apart?
Her hands curled into fists.
She had trusted them. She had given them everything.
She sucked in a slow breath, forcing her hands to unclench. Focus.
Her phone lay on the bedside table, exactly where it used to be before the world ended. She grabbed it, fingers trembling, and the screen lit up.
| September 22, 2023 - 9:02 AM
Three months before the world turned into a feeding ground.
Lin stared at the date until her vision blurred. This isn't a dream. This was real.
The pain, the betrayal, the sheer helplessness of dying alone in the dark—no. Not this time.
This time, she wasn't waiting for the end to come.
She was going to be ready.
And she was going to make them pay.
The corporate lobby of Zhang & Zhao Enterprises gleamed with wealth. Glass walls, gold accents, and people who acted like the world would never crumble beneath them.
Lin stepped inside, past the reception desk, heels clicking against polished floors.
And then she saw him.
Lucas Fang.
Still in his suit, still standing at the entrance like he owned the air around him. Not broken yet. Not the man she had known in the wasteland.
In her past life, she had found Lucas two months into the collapse.
By then, he was just a shell.
His eyes had been empty, his knuckles bloodied. He hadn't been fighting anymore.
But he had still helped her.
She had been reckless back then—too angry, too desperate—and he had saved her life more times than she could count. Gave her shelter, scouted paths, taught her to fight like she actually wanted to live.
And then, when she had finally built something safe, when she had thought—just for a second—that she could trust people again—
Nathan and Olivia threw her out.
And Lucas?
He had been too weak to stop it.
She knew it still haunted him. That guilt, that shame.
And now—now she was standing here, looking at him before it all went to hell.
Lucas caught her staring. One eyebrow lifted.
"What?" he said, voice dry. "You planning to walk in or just stand there looking suspicious?"
Lin exhaled slowly, adjusting her bag.
"You're annoying."
Lucas snorted. "Must be a good morning, then."
They walked inside together.
Lucas wasn't the type of man you could just hire for something illegal. He was disciplined, careful, professional. But Lin knew his limits.
And she knew exactly where to push.
She turned to him. "I need your help."
Lucas didn't slow his stride. "With?"
"Guns."
He glanced at her. "Legally?"
Lin smiled.
Lucas sighed. "You don't have a license."
"Not planning to wait for one."
"Of course you're not."
Lin folded her arms. "I have money."
Lucas tapped a knuckle against the elevator railing, thinking.
"Fine," he said after a long pause. "I know a guy."
| September 22, 2023 - 11:52 AM
Lin met Lily Huang at a noodle shop a few blocks away.
"You look like hell," Lily said, slurping her broth.
Lin smirked. "Thanks."
Lily sighed. "Long morning?"
Lin thought about waking up in her own corpse. Thought about knowing the exact date the world would end.
"Something like that," she said.
Lily pointed her chopsticks at her. "You need some fun in your life."
Lin stabbed a dumpling. "I think I'm good."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Fine. But at least buy a lottery ticket with me. Maybe we'll get lucky."
Lin froze.
The lottery.
Five million dollars.
Lily had almost won in the past—she had been one number off. Lin had remembered the moment perfectly.
Lily stood up, stretching. "Come on."
Lin followed her to the convenience store.
Lily picked her usual numbers.
15639760394.
Lin's heart pounded.
She stared at the machine.
She typed in 15639760399.
The actual winning number.
The ticket printed. Lin grabbed it.
She had no idea if she was about to get away with this.
But she was about to find out.
| September 22, 2023 - 2:02 PM
Lin was back at her desk drowning in work.
William Zhao had flooded her inbox with urgent tasks, new schedules, last-minute meetings—he was testing her patience.
By 6 p.m., the office was emptying out.
By 7 p.m., it was just her.
By 8 p.m., she wanted to set the building on fire.
She rubbed her temples. Screw this.
She pushed back her chair and stood. Time to act.
She marched straight to HR.
The woman at the desk looked up. "Miss Zhang?"
Lin scowled. "I need a remote position."
The HR rep blinked. "You're William Zhao's executive secretary."
"I know," Lin said smoothly. "And I can manage his schedule from anywhere. Besides, he barely comes into the office—he's always traveling or working from home."
The HR rep hesitated. "We'd have to get approval."
Lin leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "You really think Zhao is going to care where I work, as long as everything runs perfectly?"
The HR rep exhaled. "I'll send the request."
Lin nodded. "Perfect."
She turned and walked out, her pulse steady.
One step closer.
The world didn't know it yet, but the countdown had started.
She was going to be ready.