Defeat the system! Kiss my little monster!

I'm not good enough for him.

How could someone as filthy and cowardly as me be worthy to stand beside him? Born into humble beginnings, he rises from the ashes to stand atop the world. And I, perhaps, am nothing more than his dog.

Yes, I'm just his dog.

Pei Du: "..."

He opened the autobiography of a certain person, which was as thick as a Xinhua Dictionary, and the pressure on his fingers as he gripped the paper increased.

"What is this?" Pei Du couldn't help but look up.

This is a small, isolated space, completely dark and bottomless, devoid of air and life, with only the things within emitting a faint glow.

Upon hearing Pei Du's question, the sphere floating in front of him spun twice around 360 degrees. Its multicolored light flickered and changed constantly before finally settling on blue.

A pale blue transparent cube appeared in front of Pei Du.

[Name: Pei Du]

Age: 23.

[Status: Body cremated, ashes scattered; death confirmed.]

[Character Role: An extremely wealthy ATM, rich and handsome but dies young; a low-budget version of the ideal woman, fitting the role of a supporting character.]

[Mission Difficulty: Three Stars]

The blue ball floating in the air slowly landed in front of Pei Du. He coughed twice, his voice changing from a mechanical tone to a child's.

"Cough cough cough vomit—Hello, handsome."

Pei Du: "..."

"This system is called the Survival System. It has just turned one year old since its birth. You can call me Little Gou Gou."

Pei Du: "..."

"Since you died an unnatural death, after completing the mission of barely surviving, the system will reward you with a real chance to be reborn."

Pei Du listened to the rambling of the "Survival System" in the air, and slowly began to understand its meaning.

In Pei Du's world, there exist beings similar to the male and female protagonists in a novel, and he is just a minor supporting character.

A minor character who died under mysterious circumstances.

By finding the murderer, escaping certain death, and surviving a pivotal moment in the world's transformation, Pei Du can achieve rebirth.

Pei Du looked at his palm; he was still in the same state as when he had just died.

He was completely naked, his skin swollen and covered in bright red lividity, his palms and soles covered in bleach. His entire body seemed to be covered in a layer of ice water, his black hair clung tightly to his scalp, and his lips were so pale and transparent that they were unrecognizable, making him look like a water ghost that had crawled out of a pond.

Pei Du never expected to die such a tragic death.

While he was alive, he only felt dizzy and went to bed early. In his dream, he felt cold, but he never imagined that he would freeze to death in his bathtub after just one night's sleep.

Later on, they even offered a one-stop service for crematoriums, crematoriums, and scattering ashes.

Thinking about it now, he may have been drowned in the bathtub while he was asleep.

Pei Du wiped the water droplets dripping from his scalp, then looked at the autobiography in his hand. "So what is this?"

The one who was trying to survive also came over and said boastfully, "This is your guide to surviving. This system randomly extracted the thoughts and memories of someone in your world from their previous life to help you find the murderer. This is a bonus."

Pei Du frowned as he looked at the contents of the book. It resembled an autobiography, entirely narrated in the first person. He asked again, "Who am 'I'?"

"I don't know either. I secretly extracted it by hacking into the main system." Gouche Tiaosheng said cautiously, "If I'm discovered, I'm finished, so I ran away after extracting it. Don't tell the other systems, okay?"

Pei Du: "...Are there any other commanderies?"

The pale blue color on the sphere instantly turned bright red. It spun around a few times, and all the data on its face turned into barcodes: "No, in your world, there is only one ruler, Little Gou Gou."

Pei Du: "..."

...This system doesn't seem quite legitimate.

"But don't worry, this person is definitely connected to your death," Gouqie Tousheng assured him. "Little Gougou, I won't harm you."

Pei Du did not ask any further questions. He walked naked in the space, talking to himself about his life of ignominy. His dead limbs and bones were still numb and lost sensation from the cold that climbed up.

"Which point in time can you take me back to?" Pei Du asked.

The "Survival on the Brink" status has returned to its original blue color. The data on the blue cube panel floating in front of Pei Du has changed again and finally stopped at "Three".

"Since you're on three-star difficulty, this system can send you back to a more distant point in time. How about six years ago?"

Six years... Pei Du was still in high school then, and there was still a long time before his death.

“No need, six years is too long, I won’t need that much time.” Pei Du didn’t have any enemies in high school, going back there would just be a waste of time. He recalled everything from the past and chose another point in time, “One year ago.”

"Okay."

He had no objection to living a life of ignominy. The closer Pei Du returned to the present time, the less energy he would need to consume. He was pleased with the energy he saved by living a life of ignominy.

The dark space around him suddenly cracked open, and the chill in Pei Du's naked, dripping body dissipated, replaced by warmth and a false sense of life from the blood that seeped back from his heart.

Pei Du's vision was completely dark. When he opened his thin eyelids, they felt heavy. All he could see were the pale, undamaged walls all around him.

He stood up from the ground, rubbing his forehead, and casually glanced around the room.

The long-necked jade vase, stained with pale ink, still sat on the counter, next to an unidentified jade pendant. The glass tabletop not far away was spotless, with a few rotten roses arranged in a vase, the water inside now murky.

"...The situation regarding the virus infection in our city is becoming increasingly severe. It is reported that the current death toll has reached 467, with a sharp increase in the number of those suffering from organ tissue mutation. Only seven survivors are estimated..."

The LCD TV on the wall was broadcasting the evening news; ruins and dust mingled, and a howling wind made it difficult for the reporter to speak. Similar scenes had already occupied most of the screen more than a decade ago.

Pei Du withdrew his gaze. He remembered that the vase on the cabinet had broken on his twenty-second birthday. Now it was sitting there intact, which at least proved that his survival had not lied to him.

"Our time is limited, a total of 365 days. We are now entering the countdown."

Arabic numerals appeared on the sphere, clearly listing the minutes and seconds.

Pei Du stretched out his still fairly nimble hands and asked, "Who are the male and female protagonists of this world?"

According to Gouqie Tousheng, the male and female protagonists are the chosen ones of this world.

They were blessed by fate, managing to escape danger wherever they went. Although they might encounter setbacks along the way, they always managed to reach a level that ordinary cannon fodder supporting characters could never attain.

The scenario of Pei Du being stripped naked and frozen to death in a bathtub, as was the case, would never have happened to them.

Although Pei Du didn't know the specifics of their conflict, knowing about these two powerful figures in advance would allow him to prepare accordingly.

The two figures paused in mid-air for a few seconds, and two names appeared in the pale blue square.

Female lead: An Jia

Male lead: Sheng Shixian

"An Jia?" Pei Du stared at the words that appeared above, his folding of his sleeves slowing to a halt. His brown eyes shifted to the side, and his tone gradually changed, "...Sheng Shixian?"

An Jia was Pei Du's betrothed since childhood by his parents, who died young. She was his fiancée in name only.

Sheng Shixian... is An Jia's number one suitor.