Chapter 1
Anyone who kills often knows this.
In a blood-soaked, shadowy room, a suitcase this battered and torn is either stuffed full of renminbi, or stuffed full of people.
And right in front of Jiang Li, there lay just such a suitcase.
At this moment-
A System notification sounded in Jiang Li’s ear.
[Congratulations, “Chosen One” Jiang Li, on entering the Strange Tale World for the first time.]
[Please remain alert at all times to avoid invasion by the uncanny.]
[If you are polluted or die, a corresponding Strange Tale will descend upon your country.]
[Please treat every choice with caution.]
Jiang Li, a top student at Huaqing University, was still dressed in the patient uniform from Jinshan Mental Hospital.
She stood upright in the Strange Space, listening to the rules.
And every move she made was being broadcast live across Huaguo-
Jinghai City, Jiang Family.
Jiang Lianlian, Jiang Li’s half-sister, was holding a tablet, excitedly pointing at the screen and shouting:
“Mom, come look! That bitch Jiang Li is finally going to get killed! She’s the ‘Chosen One’ this time!”
Her mother, Dai Chunli, was cooking in the Kitchen.
Hearing this, Dai Chunli’s eyes lit up.
She smiled, her eyes narrowing to slits, and said through gritted teeth, “Good riddance! Dead people don’t fight you for the inheritance!”
“Once your dad’s demolition money comes in, she won’t get a single cent!”
Jiang Lianlian was overjoyed. “It was worth all the trouble we went through these past six months to get that little bitch sent to the mental hospital.”
Their father, Jiang Weisen, happened to come home from work just then, carrying his briefcase.
Dai Chunli and Jiang Lianlian immediately fell silent, pretending nothing had happened.
Jiang Weisen set his briefcase down at the entrance.
A few white maggots shook loose from his pant legs.
A stench of rotten flesh followed.
Mother and daughter instinctively pinched their noses and held their breath.
……
In the Strange Space.
The System presented three card options before Jiang Li: “Money,” “True Friend,” “Family.”
[Please, Chosen One Jiang Li, select the most important card option.]
[Your choice will provide a key reference for clearing the stage.]
Every Chosen One must face this choice.
In the past, without exception, every Chosen One put “Money” first.
In the Strange Tale World, money makes the ghosts work for you; money is the foundation of survival.
Only a fool wouldn’t choose money!
Just as everyone thought Jiang Li would choose “Money,” she tugged at the corner of her mouth, putting on an anxious yet sincere expression:
“Family, I choose family!”
“Without family, I wouldn’t be here today.”
“Please, don’t hurt my family!”
Jiang Li’s choice was unprecedented-not just in Huaguo, but across the entire Blue Star.
As soon as she finished speaking, the Huaguo livestream exploded!
In just a few seconds, the barrage of comments shot up to 99+.
-“What??? Did I hear that right? What did she just say?????”
-“She’s still thinking about family at a time like this? You have to choose money to survive! Only by surviving can you save the fate of all Huaguo.”
-“Has this mental patient ever watched the livestream? Everyone chooses money, and she’s the only saint choosing family?”
-“Yeah, yeah, you’re amazing, you’re noble! Your whole family enjoys blessings while our whole country suffers?”
“……”
Jiang Lianlian waited until her father went upstairs to his study, then couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
“Pffft, hahaha, Mom! This idiot is going to make me cry. The most important card she chose is family! She’s still defending us even now-I’m really dying of laughter…”
After Dai Chunli finished cooking dinner, she came over to sit on the sofa and watch the livestream.
Hearing her daughter say this, a look of pride immediately appeared on her face:
“Serves her right for knowing her place. At least she’s of some use before she dies.”
“When she’s dead, we’ll burn her more joss paper next Qingming Festival.”
Jiang Lianlian picked up the thread:
“Why waste money on that? Since she cares so much about family, why not arrange a ghost marriage for her? Then, find some decrepit old man to become her family in the underworld and screw her over!”
Jiang Lianlian covered her lips and snickered, her eyes brimming with undisguised malice.
She turned her head back to the livestream.
On the livestream.
Jiang Li had already sorted the cards by importance.
“Family” > “Money” > “True Friends”
System: [Chosen One Jiang Li, your most important card is “Family”]
[Now announcing the newbie reward-]
The viewers in the livestream all stopped their discussions.
They cursed Jiang Li, but deep down, they envied her family.
No need to say more-Jiang Li’s family was surely safe now.
The system prompt paused for a moment, then resumed with a raspy, sinister tone, thick with malice.
[Given that Chosen One Jiang Li places special emphasis on family ties, the following reward is granted:]
[Chosen One Jiang Li, you are immune to all physical harm in the Strange Tale World.]
[Any physical attack you suffer will be transferred to your “dearest family member”.]
At these words, not only Dai Chunli and her daughter were stunned, but so were the hundreds of millions of viewers in the livestream.
Jiang Li also showed an expression of disbelief: “What?!”
Jiang Li hid the smile that was about to bloom in her eyes, disguising herself with a look of deep worry.
She was gambling-and she had won.
After observing Chosen Ones in the psychiatric hospital for half a year, Jiang Li knew very well that things in the Strange Tale World were the most insidious and cunning.
The more you care about something, the more “it” wants to take it away from you.
Although choosing “Money” would grant the Chosen One a considerable fortune, without exception, all those Chosen Ones met the same end-money gone, people dead.
Jiang Li did not believe this uniform death was a coincidence.
On the contrary, it was a trap meticulously set by “it”.
“It” wanted you to witness the slow disappearance of what mattered most to you, right before your eyes.
To make you feel how you sink into despair, step by step toward destruction.
Since “it” wanted to set a trap, why shouldn’t Jiang Li turn the tables?
Jiang Li clenched her fists.
She raised the back of her hand and wiped away nonexistent tears: “Threatening me with my family-you’re shameless!”
“Heartless beasts! If you dare hurt them, I’ll never let you get away with it!”
Jiang Li gritted her teeth, her eyes blazing with furious grief.
The system responded with a strange laugh, then the mechanical voice sounded again.
[Detected inappropriate remarks from the Chosen One. Adjusting damage mode.]
[Whenever Chosen One Jiang Li is attacked, the injury mode for her family will be: damage doubled.]
Jiang Li spat on the ground, cursing mercilessly, “You bastards!”
[Double doubling.]
“I won’t allow-”
[Triple doubling.]
“Enough!”
[Super Doubling.]
“…”
Jiang Li glared, her eyes burning with anger, and said nothing more.
Super Doubling-quite satisfactory.
Any more doubling, and they’d be dead in one hit.
System: [To “protect your family”, please take the Instance seriously and follow the rules.]
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