Being A Beautiful Cannon Fodder In A Horror Story [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 1

The rain fell in a steady, rhythmic drizzle. In Bai Xinjian’s memory, the rainy season in Mai City was always exceptionally long.

He climbed a series of low stone steps, weaving through rows of orderly tombstones. Finally, his leather shoes, stained with a bit of mud and dust, came to a halt before one of the graves. Bai Xinjian was dressed in a crisp white suit, its clean lines accentuating his delicate and perfect waist. He leaned over slightly and placed a bouquet of beautifully wrapped sunflowers in front of the tombstone.

“He is here again.”

It was the Qingming Festival, and many people had come to sweep the graves. Bai Xinjian could hear someone nearby whispering about him.

“Is that the foster son who cursed old Zheng to death?” “Back then, old Zheng insisted on adopting him.” “What is the use of being good looking?” “Fortunately, Liyan was wise. As soon as old Zheng was buried, she sent him to an orphanage.” “After all these years, he still clings to the Zheng family.” “I heard he keeps sending money to the Zheng house.” “Does Liyan even dare to accept that money?”

Those murmurs drifted past his ears like the wind, having no impact on Bai Xinjian. He stood before the grave for a while, bowed to the black and white photograph on the headstone, and turned to leave the cemetery.

At the cemetery entrance, Bai Xinjian encountered Chen Liyan, who was carrying a flower basket to pay respects to her late husband. His former foster mother now had strands of white hair at her temples. Bai Xinjian merely glanced at her faintly and gave a polite, smiling nod, mimicking the behavior of others. Chen Liyan, however, immediately turned her head away, pretending not to recognize him. Bai Xinjian did not care and walked away.

After leaving the cemetery, Bai Xinjian drove to the bank. He transferred the last of the money in his account to an account registered to Chen Liyan and then exited the bank. The sky in Mai City was always hazy, making the colors of the entire city seem gloomy and lackluster.

The rain began to fall harder. Bai Xinjian walked along the sidewalk, his footsteps light. He suddenly had the urge to hum a tune. Was this the emotion called happiness? Bai Xinjian did not understand, but he remembered that in the films and television shows he had studied, when actors expressed happiness, they would sometimes hum or even dance.

Bai Xinjian opened his arms toward the misty sky. He did not use an umbrella. The raindrops fell on his cheeks as if someone were caressing his face.

The road was filled with the clamor of people and the sound of car horns. Suddenly, a truck lost control, swerving from the center of the road and rushing rapidly toward the sidewalk. Bai Xinjian smiled even more brightly. He began to spin in a circle. So, this was the feeling of dancing.

The truck slammed into him. Bai Xinjian’s body was hit with great force, flying high into the air before falling heavily to the ground. Bai Xinjian smiled again. He watched as the mist like rain stained his blood, which had splattered onto his white suit like a blooming flower, blossoming on the ground as well.

So, this was the feeling of death. It was not bad. Bai Xinjian experienced a sensation he had never felt before, which he supposed must be pleasure. He happily closed his eyes.

“Welcome to the Transmigration Bookstore.”

A mechanical voice with a metallic texture echoed in Bai Xinjian’s mind. “Our company is a premium organization aimed at selecting high quality talent. You have passed the initial screening and have been assigned to the Horror Story Department. I am your Useless Cannon Fodder System. You may kindly refer to me as 0048.”

“Die? Idiot?”

Bai Xinjian took a moment to steady himself and realized that with the system’s voice, the thick, disgusting pain that had been lingering on him, like being soaked in a septic tank for days, had vanished.

The mechanical voice screamed in his mind like a crow: “I am the noble and elegant System 0048, ranked among the top intelligent systems in the Transmigration Bookstore. You are not allowed to call me an idiot!”

“Fine,” Bai Xinjian rubbed his wrists, arms, waist, and legs, discovering that every part of his body was intact. So, it was not necessarily true that one stayed dead after dying. Bai Xinjian found the situation quite interesting.

“After joining the Transmigration Bookstore, you will become an intern. Once you successfully complete your first world task, you can become a full-time employee.”

After graduating, Bai Xinjian had found a job as a web editor in Mai City. Since childhood, he had been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, and later, doctors claimed he suffered from emotional detachment. Regardless, he found it difficult to perceive or understand the emotions of others and often could not distinguish his own. He did not know what happiness, sadness, or sorrow was. He had to learn to mimic normal human emotions through observation and social training. Simply put, all his emotions were acted.

It must be said, however, that the social training had been effective. He had begun to appear like a normal person. Each stage of life was different, and this observational training needed to continue throughout Bai Xinjian’s life.

Later, after graduating and starting work, he found that web editing suited him well. This job allowed him to come into contact with different groups of people, from high society to beggars on the street. Every day, different news occurred around the world. Bai Xinjian enjoyed collecting these stories. He edited the events he had encountered throughout his life into his mind, systematically categorizing them. His memory was excellent. This massive database helped him secure a good career.

The website’s editor in chief liked him. He felt that the writing under Bai Xinjian’s pen was full of imaginative ideas. For instance, when a wealthy socialite whom the editor hated was named a successful entrepreneur in Mai City, Bai Xinjian described his expression while receiving the award: “His nostrils were slightly flared, like a rhinoceros that had been holding its breath underwater for a long time and had finally surfaced to breathe fresh air.”

Or, when a famous, beautiful actress, whom the editor had long admired, announced her retirement to marry a wealthy old man with a large mouth who looked like a toad, all other platforms were digging into the actress’s romantic history. Only Bai Xinjian focused on the tycoon’s mouth, describing how his laughter could echo in his mouth for three days and three nights. In short, Bai Xinjian became the most valued employee and writer under that editor.

However, “So, people still have to work after they die!” Bai Xinjian exclaimed.

“Of course!” the system said viciously. “If you do not work, I will ensure you cannot survive in the afterlife!”

“What happens if I cannot survive?” Bai Xinjian asked with interest.

“You will continue to die and continue to be assigned as an intern!”

If that was the case, Bai Xinjian chose to work. He did not dislike working. He liked this way of passing time through labor, if not disliking counted as liking. Bai Xinjian could not understand or experience emotions, and work was one of the few things that made him feel comfortable. He felt that if he possessed the ability to perceive emotions, he would likely love this world. It was like a colorful painting, worth savoring and appreciating occasionally.

Transmigration? It seemed even more interesting than web editing. He had read quite a few novels, so he naturally knew what transmigration meant.

Seeing that Bai Xinjian seemed to accept its forced arrangement, the system immediately opened the channel for him. “World transmission in progress, loading.”

Bai Xinjian remembered the noisy system introducing its name earlier, calling itself the Useless Cannon Fodder System. Bai Xinjian tilted his head slightly and called out to it: “Hey, Useless Cannon Fodder?”

The system began its crow like, harsh, screeching noise again: “I am called 0048, you are the useless cannon fodder!”

As the sound of flowing data finished, the system said: “Loading complete.”

“This horror story world is at Danger Level IV. The apocalypse has arrived, an unknown virus has broken out, and you are a useless beauty who has been kept at home by your high ranking military officer husband.”

“Useless?” Bai Xinjian looked down at his hands.

“It is a setting! Just a setting!” the system emphasized. “You must act out your role as described. You cannot break character, or you will be subjected to electric shock punishment!”

That would still be painful. Bai Xinjian obediently said: “I am good at acting.” After all, he had a massive database in his mind; he could mimic anyone he had met in his life.

The system was extremely satisfied and continued: “Your husband will gradually alienate into a monster under the influence of the pollutants. As a stupid cannon fodder, you need to constantly provoke him, causing him to upgrade from a monster to a high risk species, until he eventually devours you and the whole world.”

“Devour the world?” Bai Xinjian was quite curious. “Are these story worlds disposable?”

“That will be explained to you later,” the system said with the arrogance of a low level leader in an oppressive class. “You only need to do as I say.”

“Alright,” Bai Xinjian smiled slightly, his tone revealing a hint of excitement. “Then let us get started.”

Bai Xinjian felt a dull ache in his temples, and then he slowly opened his eyes. He found himself lying in a hospital room, dressed in soft, light blue patient clothes. Based on his observation, this was a high end ward. From the overly soft silk sheets beneath him to the high end rosewood wardrobe standing against the wall, and the designer bedside table at the foot of the bed, everything signaled its immense value. If it were not for the electronic equipment making sounds at the head of the bed, Bai Xinjian might not have realized it was a hospital room.

Bai Xinjian felt his head ache. He sat up slowly, glancing casually at the IV needle in the back of his hand, and traced the tube to the IV bag overhead, which was still half full.

Suddenly, with a loud bang, the door to the room swung open, and a distorted figure with a bizarre posture crawled in from outside. Seeing what had arrived, a meticulously adjusted expression of surprise flashed across Bai Xinjian’s face.

“Oh, my goodness! Dear 0048,” Bai Xinjian sighed internally, “look at this person. This thing, he looks just like a zombie!”

Bai Xinjian’s tone began to grow excited: “Is the pollutant you mentioned a zombie virus? Do you mean that the, my husband in this story, will become a zombie in the future?”

“I love it! When that time comes, can I detach one of his arms or legs, or dig out his eyes or heart to take back for research? I love zombie movies!” Bai Xinjian’s tone became high pitched, carrying a deliberate, artificial, and bizarre quality.

“No!” 0048 refused fiercely. “This is not a zombie virus, it is something far more terrifying! You are currently a useless cannon fodder; you should be terrified and at a loss. That is what fits your character!”

“Ah!” Bai Xinjian let out a sharp cry of alarm. His snow white, slender hands clutched his head tightly. His eyes turned red, and he trembled as he curled into a corner of the bed. “What is this thing? I am so scared!”

Because the light blue patient clothes were too large, the collar slipped off his shoulder, revealing his snow white, rounded neck and shoulder line. Combined with his reddened eyes and the messy black hair at his temples, he looked utterly pitiful.

He was truly a useless beauty.

0048: “It is clear: his new host is a total drama queen.”