As dusk fell, the sky was slowly swallowed by thick, ink-like darkness.
Curled up under her blanket, Mi Beibei’s thoughts were tangled into a hopeless mess. The complicated yet completely different historical relationship between Country C and Country H kept replaying in her mind like scenes from a movie. She knew she shouldn’t worry about things that hadn’t happened yet, but the faint sense of unease stubbornly lingered in her heart, refusing to fade.
Caught in these conflicting emotions, she finally drifted into a deep sleep, and even her dreams were tinged with anxiety.
The morning sunlight broke through the mist and gently shone onto her pillow.
Mi Beibei slowly opened her eyes. The cool morning breeze brushed across her face, clearing away the last traces of drowsiness. Thinking back to the sleepless night she had spent worrying over things she couldn’t figure out, she couldn’t help but laugh at herself.
After all, she was just an ordinary person now. The only thing she owned that could even be considered advanced technology was the robot. She had neither extraordinary abilities nor abundant resources. She hadn’t even finished paying off her mortgage yet, so worrying about distant, uncertain problems was nothing more than unnecessary anxiety.
“Everything will work itself out when the time comes.”
The old saying suddenly became crystal clear in her mind.
Why stress over problems that hadn’t arrived? Living well in the present was what truly mattered.
With that thought, Mi Beibei took a deep breath and drove away the last of her gloomy mood.
She quickly got out of bed, washed up, and looked into the mirror. The dullness caused by her worries had disappeared, and the bright spark had returned to her eyes.
Soon afterward, she headed out with light steps to begin her daily shopping routine.
Things were much easier now than before.
In the past, every time she transported supplies, she had to grit her teeth and carry one heavy box after another into the house until her back and waist ached from exhaustion.
Now, all she had to do was bring the goods to her front door. Baby, the robot, would immediately come over and neatly organize everything without the slightest mistake.
Just as Mi Beibei returned home with another cart full of rice and flour, she noticed two uniformed officers waiting outside her house.
As soon as they saw her, they skillfully showed their identification.
“Hello. We’re enforcement officers from the Municipal Market Supervision Bureau. Are you Ms. Mi Beibei?”
Her heart skipped a beat.
Suppressing her panic, she forced a puzzled smile.
“Ah… hello. Yes, I’m Mi Beibei.”
Inside, however, her heart was pounding wildly as countless terrible possibilities flashed through her mind.
“We received a report suspecting that this location is being used as a base for an illegal pyramid scheme. Please cooperate with our investigation.”
The officer’s tone was serious and emotionless.
“A pyramid scheme? A base?”
Mi Beibei stared at them with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.
“How is that possible? This is my home. I live here alone. I haven’t rented it out. There… there must be some mistake.”
Her voice trembled as she desperately hoped it was all a misunderstanding.
“The report specifically identified this address. Please cooperate by opening the door. Otherwise, we’ll be forced to enter.”
The officer spoke firmly, leaving no room for argument.
With no other choice, Mi Beibei reluctantly took out her key.
Just as she turned it once, she suddenly froze.
Oh no!
Baby was still in robot form. Hearing the door open, it would definitely come over.
If they saw it…
Before she could think of a solution, one of the officers noticed her hesitation, pushed the door fully open, and rushed inside.
“Ding! Warning! Warning! Intruder detected! Intruder detected! Preparing to use force!”
Baby’s alarm rang sharply.
Its mechanical arms unfolded instantly, and a laser targeting system lit up with a dangerous red glow.
Mi Beibei’s face turned pale.
Her heart nearly jumped into her throat.
“No! Baby! They’re not intruders! Stop!”
She rushed in front of the robot and frantically entered a string of commands on its control panel.
“Ding! Threat eliminated! Threat eliminated!”
Baby’s voice returned to its usual cute electronic tone as its mechanical arms slowly retracted.
The two officers looked at each other in confusion.
“Miss Mi… what exactly is this?”
Mi Beibei forced an awkward smile that looked worse than crying.
“It’s… it’s just a robot. Nothing…”
Before she could finish speaking, she turned toward the door and was stunned speechless.
Several heavily armed people had suddenly appeared outside.
Their weapons gleamed coldly, and the black muzzles of their guns were all pointed directly at her.
Mi Beibei felt as though her blood had frozen.
Her legs went weak, and she couldn’t make a sound.
She could only stand there in a daze.
…
Several minutes later, Mi Beibei sat on the sofa.
Her limbs were still trembling slightly, and her face was as pale as paper.
A staff member beside her comforted her gently.
“It’s alright, young lady. Our investigation wasn’t thorough enough, and we frightened you. But… this robot of yours is quite extraordinary. Can you tell us where you got it?”
His eyes remained fixed on her as though trying to see through every lie.
Mi Beibei panicked.
“I… it was… it was a gift.”
“Who gave it to you? And why?”
His questioning became even more persistent.
She bit her lip before answering hesitantly.
“It… it was given to me… by someone from the apocalypse world…”
She lowered her head, unable to meet his skeptical gaze.
The man sighed.
“Young lady…”
“I can prove it!”
It was as though she had grabbed onto a lifeline.
She quickly led everyone into the storage room and pointed at the window.
“This window connects to the apocalypse world.”
The man frowned with obvious disbelief.
Before today’s operation, they had already observed the house from outside.
From the exterior, the window looked like it hadn’t been opened in a long time. It was covered in a thick layer of dust.
Still, he reached out and opened it.
Outside was the peaceful scenery of the residential community.
Two elementary school students even ran past the window while chasing each other.
Mi Beibei was equally shocked.
Had the apocalypse world disappeared?
If so, how could she explain where the robot came from?
And what about all the supplies inside her house?
She hurried over, closed the window, and opened it again.
This time, everything changed.
Outside was the familiar ruined street she knew so well.
Several zombies shuffled along aimlessly, occasionally letting out low growls.
The air itself seemed filled with the stench of decay.
Now it was the staff member’s turn to be stunned.
Unable to believe his eyes, he closed and reopened the window.
Outside was once again the peaceful neighborhood, full of life.
He then motioned for Mi Beibei to open it.
The moment she did, it returned to the devastated apocalypse, overrun by zombies.
The man looked at Mi Beibei with an even stranger expression.
“Miss Mi, I need to report this situation to my superiors. During this time, please stay home until we complete a thorough investigation. Also, don’t tell anyone else about this window.”
“Okay. I’ll stay home for the next few days, and I won’t tell anyone.”
She nodded repeatedly, though her heart remained uneasy.
After everyone left and the door closed, her legs immediately gave out.
Baby quickly moved over to support her.
She barely managed to make it to a chair before collapsing into it.
The shock she had experienced today was enough to brag about for the rest of her life—
Though she wasn’t the type to brag.
…
The following afternoon, someone knocked on the door.
When Mi Beibei opened it, she found two people standing outside.
“Hello, Ms. Mi Beibei. We’re from the Special Events Management Bureau. My surname is Shi, and this is Comrade Su.”
“Hello, Comrade Shi. Comrade Su.”
Mi Beibei was surprised.
She had never even heard of such a department before.
For nearly the next two hours, questions poured in like a flood.
“When did you discover the window?”
“How do the trades work?”
“Who are your trading partners?”
“What do they look like?”
“What items have been exchanged?”
“How often do you trade?”
“When is the next trade?”
Mi Beibei answered mechanically, feeling as though her brain was about to explode.
After Comrade Shi and Comrade Su examined the window themselves, Shi said,
“Comrade Mi Beibei, from this point onward, we will be taking over management of this window. Since only you can open it and connect it to the apocalypse world, we’ll need your continued cooperation.”
Mi Beibei nodded numbly before gathering the courage to ask,
“What about all the things I’ve already traded for? Do I have to hand them over?”
The two exchanged glances.
Comrade Shi smiled.
“No. Those items were obtained through fair trade using your own supplies. They are legally yours, and you may keep them.
However, any items obtained in future trades can no longer remain with you.
Don’t worry—we’ll compensate you fairly. We won’t let you suffer any losses.”
“Mm. I understand.”
She nodded like a pecking chicken before cautiously asking,
“What about the robot?”
“We’ll need to borrow the robot for research. Once we’re finished—or after a new robot is obtained through a future trade—we’ll return one to you.”
“Okay… okay.”
She nodded repeatedly.
“The next trade is in three days?”
Comrade Shi asked.
“Yes… three days from now.”
She confirmed.
“Good. Over the next two days, someone will deliver supplies here. Please receive them. Our personnel will also remain stationed outside. If anything happens, you can contact us. Here’s our phone number.”
Comrade Shi handed her a slip of paper with a phone number written on it.
Mi Beibei accepted it carefully.
“I understand.”