God.
Please save my grandmother. I’m willing to trade ten years of my life for five more years of hers.
It’s a good deal, isn’t it? Please agree, let my grandmother come out of the operating room safely.
The red light was still on outside the operating room on the top floor of the First Affiliated Hospital of F City Medical University.
He Mu, a girl with wine-red short hair, had been kneeling devoutly on the floor since the surgery began, praying for divine mercy.
A middle-aged man paced nervously nearby, smoking one cigarette after another. As time passed, his anxiety and irritation only grew.
He glanced at the girl silently weeping on the floor and snapped, “What’s the use of regretting now? You were always upsetting your grandmother—skipping classes, getting into fights, hanging out at bars. You never learned anything good, but mastered every bad habit. Now you’ve driven your grandmother to her deathbed. Are you satisfied?”
“Just wait until your parents come back. How are you going to explain this to them?”
“They left you here in your hometown to study so you could keep your grandmother company and show some filial piety on their behalf. But look at what you’ve done…”
The middle-aged man grew more and more agitated, as if shifting the blame onto someone else would ease his own conscience.
He Mu remained kneeling, praying for her grandmother’s safety. Her tear stains had dried on her face, and the relentless scolding in her ears filled her with regret and grief, pushing her to the brink of an outburst.
Suddenly, He Mu raised her head and retorted, “Was her heart attack caused by me alone? You, the ‘filial son,’ have done your fair share of—”
At that moment, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in her ears.
[Ding! Binding conditions met. Beginning binding process.]
[Ding! Binding successful! The Dimensional Travel System is at your service. Please recruit three tourists within eight hours for the Primitive Society One-Day Tour, priced at 1,000 per person. Provide honest service; no scams or deceit allowed.]
[Task reward: 30 days of lifespan for any designated individual, plus a 100,000 yuan bonus.]
For a moment, He Mu thought she was hallucinating from kneeling too long.
Had a deity truly heard her prayer and responded?
Thirty days of lifespan for any designated individual.
She could give her grandmother another month to live!
However, her elation lasted less than two seconds before freezing on her face.
[This task also serves as an assessment to determine whether the host is qualified to become a Task Executor. If the task fails, the system will detach and, as punishment, deduct ten years of the host’s lifespan.]
“System, this Primitive Society One-Day Tour—which city’s tourist attraction is it?”
He Mu asked inwardly. She wasn’t afraid of the ten-year lifespan penalty; she was determined to complete this task. Her uncle, He Xiaosa, ran a travel agency, and she occasionally helped lead local tours. But she had never heard of such an attraction in F City.
Was it newly opened?
[The primitive society is 1.7 million years away from the host.]
Damn!
Yuanmou Man!
A real primitive society!
[Friendly reminder: 8 hours remaining to recruit tourists.]
Time was of the essence. He Mu quickly tried to stand up, but her legs had gone numb from kneeling too long, causing her to stumble and fall back to her knees.
He Xiaosa, still fuming from He Mu’s earlier retort, was about to scold her again when he saw her “thump” to her knees before him. Startled, he jumped to his feet. “You little brat, don’t think just because you—”
He Mu pushed herself up from the ground once more. “Uncle, there’s no time. Within eight hours, we need to recruit three tourists to travel 1.7 million years back to the primitive society where Yuanmou Man lived. That way, Grandma can live for another month.”
He Xiaosa looked as if he had seen a ghost. “What nonsense are you talking? Are you possessed?”
He Mu explained, “It’s not nonsense—it’s true. You run a travel agency, so finding a few tourists should be easy…”
Just then, the operating room doors swung open, and both He Mu and He Xiaosa turned to look.
A nurse in dark green surgical scrubs hurried out, her voice urgent. “Is the family of Zhao Meimei here? The surgery isn’t going well. Please come with me.”
He Xiaosa’s legs trembled as he approached the nurse. “I… I’m Zhao Meimei’s son.”
He Mu’s mouth felt bitter. “I’m Zhao Meimei’s granddaughter.”
The nurse glanced at them and gestured back. “Hurry, follow me.”
He Xiaosa didn’t dare delay and immediately followed the nurse.
He Mu instinctively moved to follow but stopped abruptly at the threshold of the operating room.
“Uncle, I’m not going in. I need to find tourists to save Grandma!”
“Are you out of your mind? Come back and see your grandmother one last time…”
He Mu grabbed her phone and ran, her speed so fast that she left He Xiaosa’s shouts behind.
It was probably too late to rush back and open the travel agency now. As she ran, He Mu quickly typed a message in her class group chat.
—Travel back 1.7 million years to the Primitive Society One-Day Tour! Witness Yuanmou Man firsthand! Cost: 1,000 yuan. Three tourist spots available. First come, first served!
As soon as He Mu sent the message, her phone vibrated.
Right below He Mu’s message, her best friend Su Miaomiao instantly transferred 1,000 yuan.
Su Miaomiao: Such a fun project—count me in!
He Mu was so moved she nearly cried. In critical moments, it’s always the ride-or-die best friend who comes through.
Meanwhile, the class group chat exploded.
Fang Lin: Is this some new kind of scam? Su Miaomiao, you rich kid, aren’t you afraid someone hacked the account to steal money?
Lin Jun: Exactly. He Mu took leave to go home—I heard a family member is sick.
Lin Jun: Wait, is this a charity fundraiser? Not enough for medical expenses?
Jiang Xue: It’s not that we’re unwilling to donate, but this is just too dishonest. Couldn’t you be more upfront? Traveling back 1.7 million years to primitive society? And asking for a thousand yuan right off the bat?
As more and more people in the class chat accused He Mu of being heartless and unethical, mocking Su Miaomiao for being naive and rich, He Mu couldn’t sit still any longer.
Her fingers flew across her phone screen as she typed out a line.
He Mu: Your girl here has been blessed by the system. It’s real time travel. Time is limited. Anyone who wants to sign up, come quick.
After sending the message in the group chat, He Mu noticed Su Miaomiao had sent her a private message.
Su Miaomiao: Mu, if you need anything, just tell me. I just asked my dad for this month’s allowance again.
Su Miaomiao didn’t believe in time travel either, but she believed her best friend was in trouble.
He Mu: It’s really about seeing Yuanmou Man. If you’re sure, come find me.
He Mu also sent her current location.
Su Miaomiao replied: Okay, I’m on my way.
One of the three spots was taken. Two more to go.
He Mu took a deep breath and said to the shop assistant in front of her, “Hello, I’d like to check out.”
Carrying a large bag and a portable whiteboard, He Mu left the store and returned to the hospital entrance, where she wrote a recruitment headline on the whiteboard.
The hospital had a high flow of people. As the saying goes, where there are many fish, it’s easier to cast a net. And as another saying goes, where there’s a high reward, there will always be brave souls.
Traveling back 1.7 million years ago—sounds like nonsense at first mention. The fee is even a thousand yuan, making it too hard to believe. But what if there’s a 100,000 yuan compensation for false claims?
Doesn’t that make you tempted?
Don’t you want to take a chance?
He Mu set up the mobile whiteboard, took a photo, and sent it to the class group chat.
He Mu: Only two spots left, first come, first served.
Going to an unfamiliar place, He Mu still preferred to go with people he knew.
But the class group chat was buzzing with messages—aside from teasing He Mu for being willing to spend money and a few sarcastic remarks, no one else committed to going.