After several shocks from the stun baton, much of the frustration and hatred bottled up inside Lin Lu finally eased.
The air was filled with the disgusting smell of scorched flesh mixed with the stench of urine.
It was nauseating.
With a look of disgust, she took two steps back, pulled out her phone, and switched the main power back on.
The lights came on.
The sudden brightness was a little harsh. Lin Lu narrowed her eyes and looked at Pei Yanzhi lying on the floor.
The refined and elegant Young Master Pei who normally dressed impeccably now looked like a dead dog sprawled across the floor.
A large patch of his suit pants was soaked, and his body occasionally twitched involuntarily.
How revolting.
Expressionless, Lin Lu walked over and nudged him with her foot.
No response.
Excellent.
She had given him a full charge. He would probably stay unconscious for quite a while.
As she tightened her grip on the stun baton, a thought surfaced uncontrollably.
Should I kill this animal?
There were knives in the kitchen.
Or she could simply hit him a few more times.
This scourge could disappear forever.
She actually took half a step toward the kitchen.
Then she forced herself to stop.
No.
The diary had predicted the apocalypse, but there was still an entire week before the torrential rains would truly destroy the city.
Society still functioned.
The law still existed.
Security cameras were everywhere.
If Pei Yanzhi died now, the police would come looking for her first.
She had no way to explain it.
She might even end up in jail.
And if she ended up in detention…
Then the most precious week of preparation would be wasted.
When the apocalypse arrived, she would be trapped behind bars, unable to escape and unable to prepare.
That would be a true dead end.
“It’s not worth sacrificing myself for trash like him.”
But let him go just like that?
Lin Lu sneered.
As if it would be that easy.
She turned and walked into the kitchen, pulling a pair of disposable plastic gloves from the back of a cabinet.
After examining the knife rack for a moment, she selected the sharpest boning knife.
Returning to the living room, she crouched beside the unconscious Pei Yanzhi.
With visible disgust, she grabbed his left thigh and squeezed it, locating the thickest muscle on the outer side.
Avoiding the major artery, she drove the knife in hard.
Thud!
The blade sank into flesh with a dull sound.
“Ugh…”
Even unconscious, Pei Yanzhi’s body arched violently.
A painful groan escaped him.
His eyelids trembled fiercely, but he still failed to wake up.
Without expression, Lin Lu pulled the knife back out.
Blood immediately gushed from the wound, soaking through his suit pants and spreading into a dark stain.
She had mentally rehearsed this stab countless times that afternoon.
The location was carefully chosen.
Painful.
Lots of bleeding.
Terrifying to look at.
But not fatal.
Still, it would be enough to require more than a dozen stitches and keep him bedridden for at least half a month.
“You can stay in the hospital and welcome the apocalypse from there.”
Wasn’t he obsessed with taking over this villa?
Didn’t he dream of trampling all over her and lording it over everyone once the apocalypse arrived?
Then he could spend the most critical week before the apocalypse lying uselessly in a hospital bed.
Watching the calendar pages turn one by one.
Watching the rain consume the city.
Unable to move.
Unable to stockpile supplies.
Unable to make preparations.
Unable to do anything.
Watching hope slip through his fingers.
That would probably hurt more than death itself.
“I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Let’s see how a crippled version of you survives in the apocalypse.”
Next came cleaning up the scene.
Lin Lu walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window and used tools she had already prepared to smash it.
Crash—
The glass shattered.
Wind and rain immediately howled into the room.
Perfect.
If it was a home invasion, the intruder would naturally have entered through the easiest route—the courtyard.
In weather like this, smashing a window was the quickest way inside.
She then opened several drawers and dumped their contents onto the floor, creating the appearance that someone had searched the house.
After finishing, Lin Lu stood before the full-length mirror in the foyer.
The woman reflected in the mirror looked healthy and composed.
Her complexion was rosy.
Her eyes were bright.
She looked nothing like a victim who had just survived a home invasion.
Gritting her teeth, she slammed her head into the edge of the mirror frame.
Bang!
This time, she didn’t hold back.
Pain exploded through her skull.
Her vision darkened.
Tears streamed out reflexively.
A swollen red bruise quickly formed on her forehead, with thin streaks of blood beginning to seep out.
She wasn’t done.
She vigorously messed up her hair and even rolled around on the floor until she looked dirty and disheveled.
Then she checked the mirror again.
Now the reflection showed exactly what she wanted—
A frightened, vulnerable fiancée who had barely escaped with her life.
“That’s more like it.”
The most important thing left was dealing with the weapon.
That was the top priority.
After everything was finished, Lin Lu glanced at the wall clock.
Fifteen minutes had passed since she attacked him.
“Ten more minutes.”
The intruder needed time to escape.
And she needed time to “lose consciousness.”
Outside, the torrential rain continued without any sign of stopping.
It was practically a gift from heaven—a perfect cover.
She went over every detail one last time in her mind.
No problems.
Only then did she pick up her phone again and open Apocalypse Survival Diary.
There were no new diary entries, but a progress bar resembling a battery had appeared on the screen.
She remembered that before Pei Yanzhi arrived, the bar had only been slightly filled.
Now, it was already more than halfway full.
It seemed to have increased only after she dealt with Pei Yanzhi.
This progress bar…
Could it be related to changing the future or eliminating threats?
And if it filled completely, what would happen?
Would it unlock a new diary entry, just as it had revealed information about Pei Yanzhi today?
And if so, what would the next entry reveal?
Other reborn individuals?
Specific information about the apocalypse?
Or perhaps methods for obtaining a storage space, awakening supernatural abilities, or something similar…
Ten minutes later.
The time had come.
It was time to perform the final act.
Lin Lu first dialed 120 (emergency medical services), then 110 (the police).
“Help… help!”
“Someone broke into my house and tried to rob me… sob…”
“My fiancé… h-he’s lost so much blood!”
“There’s blood everywhere… please hurry!”
“The address? The address is…”
Two hours later.
Central City Hospital, Emergency Department.
The air conditioning was running strong.
The smell of disinfectant lingered in the air.
Lin Lu sat in a chair with a bandage wrapped around her forehead and a blanket provided by a nurse draped over her shoulders.
She held a cup of hot water in both hands, her face pale.
Several police officers had just finished taking her statement.
Closing their notebooks, they looked at her sympathetically.
“Miss Lin, don’t worry.”
A female officer spoke gently.
“We’ve already obtained surveillance footage from the surrounding area. We’ll do our best to catch the suspect as soon as possible.”
“Your fiancé lost a lot of blood, but his life isn’t in danger. Try not to worry.”
Lin Lu’s eyes reddened.
Her voice was hoarse.
“Thank you… thank you, Officer.”
“As long as Yanzhi is okay…”
“I… sob…”
The officer comforted her for a few more moments before leaving with her colleagues.
Lin Lu buried her face in her hands.
To anyone watching, it looked like she was crying.
In reality, the corners of her mouth curled upward slightly.
Success.
Pei Yanzhi would be stuck in the hospital for at least a week.
A whole week.
Satisfied, Lin Lu raised her head and took a slow sip of hot water.
Warmth flowed down her throat and into her stomach.
It felt wonderful.
She glanced at her phone.
11:59:50 PM.
Midnight was almost here.
The battery-like progress bar in the diary app was nearly full as well.
Bzzzt—
Suddenly, her phone vibrated.
Caller ID: Dai Ya.
Her biological mother.
She didn’t even need to answer to know why Dai Ya was calling.
To scold her.
To demand an explanation for why she hadn’t come home.
Why she hadn’t bought the handbag for Wan Yinyin.
To accuse her of being ungrateful, disobedient, and a waste of all the years spent raising her.
Lin Lu had just accomplished something major.
She didn’t feel like answering.
Instead, she stared absentmindedly at the flashing name on the screen and let the phone continue vibrating.
As she stared at it, her gaze gradually deepened.
Pei Yanzhi had been reborn.
Then…
What about Dai Ya?
And Wan Feng.
And Wan Yinyin.
And Wan Helin—the entire family of parasites.
In her previous life, every one of them had played a role in pushing her into the abyss.
What if…
What if they had returned with their memories too, just like Pei Yanzhi had?
What if they had all been reborn as well?