"The flu has been spreading frequently lately. Please take personal precautions, reduce trips to public places, avoid gatherings unless necessary, and keep warm..."
"Han Qingxia! Are you even listening to me?!"
Startled from her focus on the news on TV, Han Qingxia stared in disbelief at the scene before her.
In a shabby, 30-square-meter living room, a redwood sofa was packed with middle-aged men and women. At the center sat an overweight, white-haired elderly woman in her 60s or 70s—who was now glaring at Han Qingxia, her sagging facial muscles twitching with anger.
Han Qingxia's mind raced. This was exactly the scene half a month before the apocalypse—when her "dear grandmother," "dear father," and "dear stepmother" had come to force her out of her house... But she'd just been caught in the zombie siege at the Eastern Base, torn to shreds by the horde...
"After your mother passed away, your stepmother treated you like her own daughter—everyone says how kind she is!" the old woman snapped. "Now your brother's getting married, and he just needs to borrow your house. Why are you being so selfish? You're nothing but an ungrateful wretch!"
"Mom, Qingxia isn't ungrateful," the plump woman sitting beside the elder chimed in, feigning mediation. "She'll definitely repay our kindness."
The old woman snorted. "Quit stalling and move out! Your brother said the house has been rented out for too long—it's all run-down. He can't get married without new furniture, so you'll cover the cost! He's your brother, after all! As his sister, you should help furnish his new home!"
At this, Han Qingxia—standing alone in the middle of the group—suddenly burst out laughing. They wanted her house and her money for furniture? It was absurd. Even more absurd was that in her past life, she'd actually agreed to it!
In her previous life, her mother had died in a car accident when she was 14. Soon after, her father had married Li Lin, who'd brought her son Han Ying into the family. Li Lin had put on a perfect act of kindness, showering Han Qingxia with "unwavering care."
Back then, Han Qingxia had been in her rebellious phase—sharp-tongued and defensive, but secretly starving for family warmth. Li Lin's gentle, understanding demeanor had fooled her completely. Li Lin supported her "choices" and never interfered, making Han Qingxia truly see her as a mother. She'd given them everything—even the only house her mother had left her. She'd hesitated for just a moment before agreeing to hand it over.
But when the apocalypse hit, they'd abandoned her again and again. Finally, to board a rescue vehicle, they'd kicked her off to save themselves. That was when Han Qingxia had realized the truth: their kindness was a lie, and "family" meant nothing to them. She'd always been nothing but a cash cow—something to exploit until she had no use left, then discard. None of them had ever seen her as family. She wanted nothing more than to slap her past self for being so stupid.
Bang!
In front of everyone, Han Qingxia swept several bags of cheap fruit off the old coffee table and into the trash, then plopped down directly in front of them.
"Han Qingxia, what do you think you're doing?!" A young man—who'd been glued to his phone on a small sofa—jumped up,怒斥ing. "My mom bought those imported apples just for you! She said they're your favorite—how dare you throw them away?!"
Han Qingxia scoffed. Her favorite fruit was apples? She'd never even liked them. She shot a cold glance at her "dear brother." "Do you even have the right to talk to me about the house?"
Her eyes were icy—cold enough to make Han Ying flinch. He couldn't meet her gaze. Those eyes held a murderous aura, honed by a decade of fighting alone in the apocalypse after they'd abandoned her. Han Ying instantly lost his nerve.
Li Lin quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Qingxia, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? If you are, we can come back another day. Mom knows this is hard for you, but Han Ying is your only brother! The bride's family insists on a house in the city center—those are impossible to get now, even if you have money. You have to enter a lottery just for a chance!"
She sighed, putting on a pitiful act. "Please, Qingxia—help your brother. When you get married later, we'll find a way to get you a house in return..."
"Return nothing!" Han's father—who'd stayed silent until now—finally spoke up, glaring at her. "Do you really think this house is yours? A girl doesn't need a house! This goes to your brother! When you get married, your husband can buy you one. Stop fighting with your brother over this!"
Han Qingxia didn't even bother getting angry. In her past life, she'd wondered why her father treated his biological daughter so poorly while doting on his stepson. Now she knew the truth: Han Ying was his real son—his blood son. Before marrying her mother, he'd already been married to Li Lin in his hometown... and they'd had Han Ying. To him, she was nothing but a nuisance. Not to mention how hideous he'd become after the apocalypse.
She held up two fingers. "2 million yuan."
The room fell silent. Everyone stared at her, confused.
"Han Qingxia, what are you talking about?!"
"This house was my mom's pre-marital property. She had it legally gifted to me—my name's on the deed. If you want it, pay up. I'll cut you a deal: 2 million yuan."
"You're selling it to us?!" Han Ying sputtered. "Are you joking? We don't have that kind of money!"
Han Qingxia glanced at her smartwatch. "You have five seconds to decide. If you say no, I'll sell it to someone else. Five."
"Han Qingxia, we're your elders! How dare you talk to us about money?!" her grandmother snapped.
"Four."
"You ungrateful brat—I'll teach you a lesson!"
Han Qingxia shot her a cold look and sped up. "Three... two."
"I'd like to see you try!" Han's father stood up, ready to hit her.
Han Qingxia kicked the chair out from under him. As he crashed to the floor, she stared down at him coldly and finished: "One."
"Han Qingxia! You're getting bold—you dare hit your own father?!"
Ignoring their enraged shouts, Han Qingxia pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Manager Li, I want to sell my house. 2 million yuan..."
She'd entrusted the house to an agent for rental years ago, and the deed had only been transferred to her when she turned 18—that was why she still had it.
"You're interested in buying it right away?" Han Qingxia glanced at the fuming group, a faint smile on her lips. "Alright, then I'll..."
"Wait! We agree!" Li Lin cut her off, panic in her voice. "Qingxia! Sell it to us!"
Are you kidding? The market price for this house was 3 million yuan—2 million was a steal, and it would sell in minutes! Plus, new houses in the city center had endless restrictions: household registration requirements, lottery systems... This house was a hot commodity. She didn't know why things weren't going as planned, but one thing was clear: she couldn't let an outsider take this deal. Buying it for 2 million meant she could flip it for a 1 million profit later. She had to grab this chance!
Han Qingxia's lips curved upward as she hung up the phone. Perfect—selling it to them was exactly what she wanted.
Losing 1 million was a small price to pay for speed. She needed time and money, and she knew they only had 2 million in savings. In three days, the government would issue a warning about the upcoming apocalypse—urging people to stock up on supplies. She couldn't wait to see what they'd do when they had no money left to prepare.
An Hour Later: The Bank Counter
Ding—Your bank card has received 2,000,000 yuan.
Han Qingxia watched as the money appeared in her account. Li Lin and the others had handed it over reluctantly, but they'd had no choice—Manager Li had kept calling, and they'd been terrified she'd sell the house to the agent instead.
"The housing authority is closed for the holidays," Han Qingxia told them. "We can go through the ownership transfer when they're open again."
"That's fine, Qingxia!" Li Lin's eyes narrowed into slits as she smiled. "We trust you! No need to rush the transfer—we'll let you know when the time's right!"
Her "generous" act was just a front. Han Qingxia knew the truth: Li Lin was worried about Han Ying's fiancée. She didn't want the fiancée's name on the deed, so keeping the house in Han Qingxia's name for now let her stall.
Han Qingxia's smile widened. Perfect.
"Since we bought the house," Han Ying said, his tone suddenly arrogant, "you need to move out now! Throw all your junk away—I don't want any of it! I'm picking up my fiancée later to buy new furniture!"
Now that they'd paid, he'd dropped all pretense.
"Yingzi, don't be so harsh," Li Lin said, pretending to be kind. "Where will your sister go on such short notice? Let her stay a few more days. She's so sensible—she'll definitely pay you rent... and maybe even buy you some new furniture. Be nice to your sister."
"Mom! Why are you still defending her?!" Han Ying snapped. "She's just a money-grubber! Get out! And that mangy dog of yours—take it with you! If I see it here when I get back, I'll kill it and eat it!"
Mangy dog...
Han Qingxia froze. Her dog! Summer was still alive!
She didn't waste another second arguing. She ran straight to her bedroom. The moment she opened the door, a German Shepherd—pacing restlessly but too scared to bark—leapt into her arms.
"Wang! Wang!"
"Summer!"
Tears welled up in Han Qingxia's eyes as she hugged him tightly. Summer was alive!
Summer was a retired military dog—her mother's 10th birthday gift to her. He was incredibly intelligent. After her mother died, he'd been her only comfort through those dark days. Li Lin's family hated him. They'd tried to abandon him multiple times, but Summer always found his way back. Later, they'd wanted to give him away, but Han Qingxia had fought tooth and nail to keep him. Li Lin had let him stay only to preserve her "kind stepmother" reputation—and he'd been locked in Han Qingxia's bedroom ever since.
When Han Qingxia had moved back into her mother's house, Summer had finally gotten more space... but whenever Han Ying's family visited, he was locked up again. In her past life, not long after the apocalypse, Summer had grown old—and while she'd been out scavenging for food, Han Ying's family had killed and eaten him. Han Qingxia had never forgiven herself for failing to protect him.
"Summer," she whispered, hugging him tighter.
"Woof... Woo..." Summer licked her hand, as if comforting her.
"I promise you, Summer," Han Qingxia said, her voice firm, "this life, I'll never let anyone hurt you again."
"Wang! Wang! Wang!" Summer barked—intelligently, as if he understood.
After settling Summer down, Han Qingxia started packing. The house had been rented out for years, so it was run-down, but the tables and chairs were her mother's—expensive pieces bought back in the day. She'd lived here with her mother, and every item held memories. As she looked around, a twinge of nostalgia pulled at her heart.
Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed in her mind:
Ding—Super Lord System activated!
For the next hour, every item you store worth over 1,000 yuan will reward you with 1 cubic meter of storage space!
Han Qingxia froze. Her cheat code—her golden finger—had arrived!
Countdown: 59 minutes, 59 seconds.
Disbelieving, Han Qingxia picked up her phone and tested it.
Ding—Detected item: smartphone. Value: 4,999 yuan. Reward: 4 cubic meters of space!
A 4-cubic-meter empty space materialized in her mind. In the blink of an eye, the phone in her hand vanished—reappearing inside that mental space.
Storage space! It was real!