After Becoming a Cannon-Fodder Lackey, I Swore to Protect the Young Lady to the Death - Chapter 36

When Su Momo emerged from the court, her face was deathly pale. Gu Yan’s cryptic, mocking smile continued to loop in her mind like a broken record. Lu Jiaoyue took one look at her expression and guessed the outcome; she didn’t say a word, choosing instead to drive Su Momo back to the hospital in silence.

Throughout the journey, neither spoke. Su Momo stared blankly out the window, her mind a tangled mess of despair. Lu Jiaoyue, meanwhile, was already calculating their next move. Sunlight streamed through the car windows, but its warmth couldn’t reach Su Momo’s heart, which was shrouded in disappointment and indignation. Even the refreshing breeze failed to clear the thick gloom from her soul.

Back at the hospital, Su Momo went straight to her room and buried herself under the covers. Lu Jiaoyue sighed softly; she knew that words were useless right now and that Su Momo needed time to process the blow on her own.

Once she was sure Su Momo was safe, Lu Jiaoyue hurried back to the villa. She was worried about Li Gangjiao. Earlier that morning, Li Gangjiao’s headache had returned with a vengeance, and Lu Jiaoyue feared the worst.

******

Inside the Villa:

Li Gangjiao leaned weakly against the headboard, finally regaining some of her strength. She had originally intended to go with Lu Jiaoyue to pick up Su Momo, but just as they were leaving, a sudden, violent pain had lanced through her skull.

The agony had been so intense she had been forced to clutch her head in both hands, her brow furrowed as she tried to weather the surges of pain. Every heartbeat felt like a fresh stab of a needle. Her face had drained of color, fine beads of sweat breaking out on her forehead as her lips turned a ghastly white. Shivering uncontrollably, she had let out low, involuntary groans until Lu Jiaoyue insisted she stay home to rest.

Lu Jiaoyue walked into the bedroom and handed her a glass of water.

“So? How many years did he get?” Li Gangjiao asked, her curiosity piqued. Illegal imprisonment was a major crime; it should have been enough to put him away for a long time.

“My lawyer just sent a message. Because Gu Yan is a minor and displayed a ‘good attitude’ toward admitting his guilt, he was only sentenced to three months.” Lu Jiaoyue frowned as she looked at the text.

Even though they had expected a significant reduction in the sentence, they never imagined it would be whittled down to almost nothing.

“Are you kidding me? With that arrogant attitude of his, where on earth did they see a ‘good attitude’ toward admitting guilt?!” Li Gangjiao nearly choked on her water.

“It’s clearly the result of behind-the-scenes manipulation,” Lu Jiaoyue said helplessly.

Li Gangjiao slammed her hand against the edge of the bed in frustration. “Dammit! Can he really just do whatever he wants?!” She paused, her expression turning to concern. “What about Su Momo? There’s no way she can accept this result.”

Lu Jiaoyue went silent for a moment before replying, “All we can do is let her rest. We’ll discuss our next steps once her emotions have stabilized.”

Li Gangjiao nodded. On the bright side, the conviction, however light meant they held the moral high ground in the court of public opinion.

【Ding-dong—】

“Did you hear that?” Li Gangjiao asked, looking around for the source of the sound.

“Hear what?” Lu Jiaoyue shook her head.

“Wait, I just heard a noise. It sounded like a notification chime,” Li Gangjiao explained.

“Mhm. Well, what do you want to eat later? The housekeeper is off today, so I’ll order takeout for us.”

At the mention of food, Li Gangjiao’s eyes lit up. She immediately rattled off a list: hairy crabs, crawfish, fried chicken, and milk tea.

Lu Jiaoyue: “…”

“Can’t you eat something healthy for once?” Lu Jiaoyue rubbed her temples.

In response, Li Gangjiao put on her most pathetic look, even reaching out to tug at Lu Jiaoyue’s sleeve. Lu Jiaoyue sighed; she had chosen this girlfriend herself, after all.

The delivery arrived quickly, and Li Gangjiao vanished toward the door like an arrow shot from a bow. The delivery drivers stared in bewilderment as she practically drooled over the bags, wondering if there had been a secret famine they hadn’t heard about. For such a lean girl, her appetite was staggering.

Thud—

Suddenly, Li Gangjiao collapsed to the floor. In the final second before her consciousness vanished, she made a desperate effort to shove a fried chicken drumstick into her mouth.

Can’t… let it… go to waste!!

*****

The System Space:

When she woke up again, she was in a vast, white space. High-tech equipment and instruments were arranged in a dense, orderly fashion, radiating a cold, industrial clinicalness. Giant screens flickered with data and images, while complex wiring and conduits crisscrossed, connecting various precision machines.

Li Gangjiao: Oh great. This looks like exactly the kind of place a street dog like me shouldn’t be.

“Hello. I am your system, Jiang Xiaoshi. Welcome to the System Space. Your mission is to play the role of ‘Cannon Fodder’.”

A young man appeared out of nowhere. His voice sounded like it belonged to the future—clear, rhythmic, and laced with a distinct mechanical undertone. His face was a masterpiece of design; his pale skin held a faint glow, and his eyes were as deep as still lakes.

“Is the Transmigration Industry understaffed or something?” Li Gangjiao asked.

First, she had been pulled into a novel she was reading, and now she was in this space. She had every reason to suspect they were short on cheap labor and were simply working her like a farm animal because she was available.

“Uh… actually, yes.” There was a hint of unavoidable embarrassment in Jiang Xiaoshi’s mechanical voice. He had never met a host quite this blunt.

“So, are you going to tempt me with money or threaten me with my life?” Li Gangjiao probed.

Jiang Xiaoshi looked at her in surprise. “We are a professional system… we do both.”

Li Gangjiao: Reading those free web novels wasn’t for nothing after all. I know all the tropes.

“Can I… decline?” she asked. She had zero interest in living someone else’s life.

“If you fail to complete your missions, you will be ‘obliterated’…” Jiang Xiaoshi produced a System Employee Handbook and spoke with great solemnity.

Li Gangjiao: “Oh.”

Jiang Xiaoshi was taken aback. Shouldn’t there be fear? Terror? Shock? Rage? Why was she so incredibly calm? Having not read her background file thoroughly, he didn’t realize that she was a former desperado. When you walk in the dark for too long, you tend to forget how to fear death.

Li Gangjiao crossed her legs and looked around. “When are you sending me back? It’s pretty boring here.”

“Well… you need to remember to complete a certain quota of tasks,” Jiang Xiaoshi said, slightly thrown off.

A data board appeared in front of her containing a novel titled The Runaway Sweetheart of the Demon Young Master.

“I’m going to go check on the other hosts,” Jiang Xiaoshi said, gesturing to a door nearby. “Go in whenever you’re ready.”

With that, he vanished, leaving Li Gangjiao alone in the silent, white space.

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