After Becoming a Cannon-Fodder Lackey, I Swore to Protect the Young Lady to the Death - Chapter 1

Li Gangjiao was a quintessential, overworked corporate slave.

Just yesterday, she had been grinding away at the factory, putting in overtime as usual. But as one batch of goods after another piled up in front of her, her vision went dark, and she collapsed.

When she woke up, she had inexplicably transmigrated into a book. Specifically, she was now a cannon-fodder lackey in a novel titled The Demon Young Master’s Runaway Sweetheart, serving the story’s villainous second female lead.

Surveying the unfamiliar room, Li Gangjiao’s lip couldn’t help but twitch. “Damn it. This cannon-fodder character doesn’t even share my name, and I never even left a hateful review on the story… What’s going on? Is the afterlife running low on recruits or something?”

In the original plot, this minor lackey only appeared two or three times. She was nothing more than a background character who helped the villainess mock the female lead. Her father served as an assistant to the villainess’s father, and when that family eventually fell from grace, her fate was equally grim. Not only was she forced to drop out of school, but the male lead eventually caught her and literally fed her to the fish.

The transmigration was sudden, leaving Li Gangjiao completely unprepared.

The setting of this “classic” romance novel was dated in the worst way possible, leaning into every melodramatic trope imaginable with shameless intensity. If the book hadn’t been free to read with a bonus coin incentive, Li Gangjiao wouldn’t have spared it a single glance.

The male lead, Gu Yan, was the crown prince of the underworld. After being hunted by enemies, he escaped while injured and was taken in by the kind-hearted female lead, Su Momo. He left the next morning, only for the female lead to suddenly receive an admission letter to a prestigious private high school, where the two crossed paths again.

At the time, the female lead was still pining for her childhood friend—the story’s second male lead—so she rejected the protagonist’s advances. This triggered the “forced love” arc. Using the lives of her parents and her childhood friend as leverage, the male lead coerced her into a relationship. Eventually, as if the author simply ran out of steam, the story rushed through a few “wife-chasing crematorium” chapters before ending with the couple living happily ever after.

Li Gangjiao knew transmigrations were a dime a dozen these days, but she never expected to be the one drafted. It turned out that “free” really was the most expensive price of all.

To be honest, she had zero interest in trying to change the plot or sucking up to the protagonists. However, she was even less interested in going back to a life of endless overtime at the factory. After a few days of existential dread, she managed to resign herself to her new identity.

Then, she was packed off to school.

Before she left, the original host’s father took her hand and spoke with a mysterious gravity. “Once you get to school, go straight to the Eldest Miss of the Lu family. I’ve secured a prestigious position for you, as her personal henchman. As for your salary, she’ll handle that personally…”

Looking at her “father” in his sharp suit, Li Gangjiao’s polite smile began to crack. I know you’re a professional bootlicker for the CEO of the Lu Corporation, but is it really necessary to push your daughter into being a bootlicker for his kid??

“You don’t understand yet, but you will soon,” Li Jian said, looking away with an air of feigned profoundness.

*****

“Li Xi, go get me a Large Mango Pomelo Sago with extra cheese foam. Keep the change.”

The speaker was the novel’s villainous second lead—the spoiled heiress of the Lu family, Lu Jiaoyue. She was also the undisputed “school beauty” of this elite academy.

In the world of this novel, Lu Jiaoyue was the definition of a cold, glamorous beauty. Her striking, high-contrast features combined with her tall, elegant stature made her impossible to ignore. Just by standing there, she commanded the room.

Staring at Lu Jiaoyue’s radiant face, Li Gangjiao screamed internally: Holy crap! The author might be terrible at plotting, but they really knew what they were doing when they designed this face!

In truth, Li Gangjiao was a closeted “visual-snob.” She looked calm on the surface, but her inner monologue was already wagging its tail.

However, remembering her tragic end, she decided to decline. She needed to distance herself from the main cast; getting fed to the fish was not on her bucket list.

Ding!

A notification flashed on her phone: a WeChat transfer for 20,000 yuan. Li Gangjiao froze. “Did you… send this to the wrong person?”

What kind of legendary milk tea cost this much? Even if it were rimmed with gold, it wouldn’t hit this price point. Did they dissolve actual bullion into the cup?!

“I hit my daily transfer limit. I’ll send the other 50,000 to your Alipay,” Lu Jiaoyue added casually.

Good lord! I almost forgot—this Eldest Miss pays her lackeys a professional salary!

Staring at the 20,000 yuan in her WeChat, Li Gangjiao’s hand trembled as she tapped “Accept.” The moment the “Received” status appeared, she was so overwhelmed she could practically see her future self sleeping on a literal pile of cash.

A monthly salary of 70,000 yuan, plus whatever tips the Eldest Miss felt like throwing her way… she could buy a house in cash by the time she graduated!

Li Gangjiao wasn’t just being dramatic. Back on the assembly line, working her fingers to the bone, she’d take home barely 5,000 a month after taxes and insurance. One month with the Eldest Miss was equivalent to a whole year of grueling factory labor!

In that instant, her greed completely crushed her fear of the plot.

Damn it! With a salary like this, anyone who tries to mess with my boss is trying to mess with my life. I’ll go through fire and water. I am the Eldest Miss’s most loyal soldier!

Watching the emotions flicker across Li Gangjiao’s face like a kaleidoscope, Lu Jiaoyue frowned slightly. Why is she being so weird today?

Likely fueled by the pure adrenaline of a fresh payday, Li Gangjiao moved with incredible speed. It was as if her feet were winged; she vanished in a heartbeat.

Ten minutes later, a large cup of milk tea with seven-percent sugar, light ice, substituted with fresh milk, appeared before Lu Jiaoyue. Li Gangjiao had even gone the extra mile, meticulously wiping the condensation off the cup and inserting the straw for her.

“Oh… thanks.” A flash of surprise crossed Lu Jiaoyue’s eyes at such attentive service. She didn’t let it show, however, and simply accepted the drink with her usual poise.

“You’re very welcome! It’s exactly what I’m here for!” Li Gangjiao declared, puffing out her chest with righteous conviction.

She then sat down next to the Eldest Miss and began staring at the zeros in her WeChat balance, grinning like an idiot. Suddenly, she let out a burst of laughter—a roaring, joyous sound that surged like a waterfall and seemed impossible to stop.

The noisy classroom fell into a deathly silence as everyone turned to stare, wondering what on earth had possessed her.

Lu Jiaoyue: …I think she’s lost her mind. Is it too late to fire her?

“Ahem.” Feeling the weight of the surrounding stares, Lu Jiaoyue gave a pointed cough to snap her out of it.

Li Gangjiao stopped instantly and turned to her with an expression of intense concern. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Do you need me to go buy medicine? Or should I walk you to the infirmary?”

“Uh, no. I’m fine.” Faced with such sudden, fervent care, Lu Jiaoyue simply shook her head and lapsed into a thoughtful silence. This girl… forget it. She doesn’t seem very bright anyway. Best to just ignore her.

After mentally counting the zeros in her balance a few hundred more times, Li Gangjiao finally put her phone away, satisfied.

Sigh. I finally understand why those lackeys were willing to risk expulsion just to stay in the Eldest Miss’s inner circle.

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