After Being Transmigrated into a Cannon Fodder Scum Alpha - Chapter 8

Outside the window was an endless expanse of ink. A faint chill seeped through the glass, and the moonlight was like a fog woven from hazy silver silk, enveloping Yun Qi on the bed. As if sensing something, she furrowed her brows.

Yun Qi didn’t know if she was dreaming or if she had truly returned to her past life.

A fireball of a sun hung in the transparent blue sky, yet Yun Qi didn’t feel a hint of heat.

Before her stood a grave—an incredibly luxurious one. The white marble tombstone looked tall and grand, carved with her name and bearing her black-and-white photograph. A series of optical prisms were integrated into the center of the stone; on sunny days, they painted beautiful rainbows on the ground, like a beam of light from heaven.

An old man in black stood before the grave, his familiar face looking much older than in her memories.

“One more worry removed from a life of many worries. I won’t have to fret over your affairs anymore,” the old man murmured to the girl’s photo. He sounded broad-minded and carefree, but the increasing silver in his hair and his slightly hunched back betrayed his sorrow.

In Yun Qi’s memory, her grandfather was always proud and stern, not this elderly man radiating the aura of his twilight years.

Yun Qi instinctively reached out, wanting to comfort her kin, but at the moment of contact, she startled awake in bed. She switched on the bedside lamp and massaged her aching temples.

“Little Scum, can I really go back?” Yun Qi asked the system anxiously, her trembling voice revealing her fear.

The vision in the dream forced her to realize that she was truly dead in her original world. There was even a grave; what would she do if she went back? Could she still live the same life as before?

[You can. As long as the Host works hard to earn Scum Value and complete the plot, you can return.]

“Then in what capacity would I return? A new body, a new identity?” After all, her previous body had already been buried.

[It will be your original body. The ‘Great One’ will alter the memories of the original world. In their memories, the Host simply went away on a vacation.]

The Great One… another new concept.

[Everything the Host wishes to know can be purchased in the Mall using Scum Value.]

Yun Qi didn’t want to think about it anymore; better to focus on earning Scum Value first. She remembered her Scum Value should be at 59, still 29 points away from the cheapest item in the Mall.

Since she was awake, she might as well stay in the study.

…

“The Madam has headed out.” As the morning sun rose, the butler reported Lin Chen’s movements to Yun Qi.

“Have Ji Lin follow her.” Yun Qi decided Ji Lin was the most reliable choice.

“Understood.”

“Wait, tell Ji Lin to check the details of the company Lin Chen is working for. Report all findings to me together,” Yun Qi called back the departing butler to add.

Ultimately, the Grand Duke decided to follow along herself. Her little Omega was going to work in a new place; she wanted to see what the environment was like.

“The ‘Yun Qi’ of the original plot is a straight Alpha chauvinist who believes all Omegas should depend on Alphas. She looks down on working Omegas and sincerely believes they don’t like working—only being kept at home. Therefore, she thinks ‘driving’ Lin Chen out to work is a humiliation. Wouldn’t it satisfy her twisted malice even more to see Lin Chen’s hard work with her own eyes?” Yun Qi explained to the “underwater” Little Scum.

[Whatever makes you happy,] the system said listlessly.

Lin Chen looked with some surprise at Yun Qi, who was leaning against the door. The Alpha explained nothing and naturally followed her into the car.

“…Is there something you wish to do?” After hesitating for a while, Lin Chen asked the imposing figure beside her. After a few days of observation, she had realized this person was a paper tiger; perhaps she could slightly reveal a bit of her true self.

The Duke, eyes closed for rest, had no intention of answering. A qualified Scum Alpha doesn’t explain her actions to an Omega; doing as one pleases is the Scum Alpha’s life creed. Perhaps her previous thoughts were wrong—a true Scum Alpha isn’t just someone who is cold and loathing, but someone who is hot and cold, giving hope and then quickly snuffed it out, making the partner oscillate between heaven and hell.

Seeing that Yun Qi didn’t answer, Lin Chen didn’t press the issue and closed her eyes to rest as well.

The driver stopped the car in front of a white building in the suburbs of the Imperial Capital. Lin Chen glanced at the person getting out with her, said nothing, swiped her card, and entered. Yun Qi followed naturally.

The interior was like the exterior—somewhat dilapidated. Perhaps this building was formerly an abandoned one. The Duke looked around fastidiously, her disdainful expression unconcealed, which angered the other staff members. They were furious but didn’t dare speak out.

How did Yun Qi know? From the system’s cheerful notifications: [Incited public rage, Scum Value +5.] She was surprised by the staff here; the majority were Omegas and Betas, with Alphas being rare.

Yun Qi followed Lin Chen to a room at the far end of the third floor. Inside was a tall Omega in a white lab coat with a cold expression. She only showed a hint of a smile upon seeing Lin Chen—clearly the “friend” Lin Chen had mentioned.

“And this is…” the cold-style Omega asked, looking at Yun Qi.

“Ignorant. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together.” The woman before her wasn’t in the Duke’s memory, so she clearly wasn’t from the capital’s nobility—just a commoner.

While mocking the woman’s lack of worldly knowledge, the Duke also took a jab at Lin Chen only being fit to be friends with such people.

[Arrogant and supercilious, Scum Value +10.]

The woman didn’t get angry but turned her gaze back to Lin Chen.

“Yun Qi, my legal spouse. It’s my first day, so she was a bit uneasy and followed me; her mood might be a bit poor,” Lin Chen explained to her friend before looking at Yun Qi. “This is Nan Yue, the friend I told you about.”

“Concerned? I just wanted to see what kind of ‘great’ job my dear wife found that she’s unwilling to even return home.” The Duke looked around theatrically. “It seems you can only find this kind of work.”

“Perhaps you have a misunderstanding of Ah Chen,” Nan Yue smiled, though her tone was firm. “Ah Chen was the top student in her class; other research institutes were fighting for her. If I hadn’t been lucky enough to know her, I wouldn’t have been able to invite her.”

Nan Yue walked over to an unfamiliar machine. “I can guarantee that for this instrument under my command, there are no more than five labs in the entire capital that own one. As for why the lab is located here, it’s simply because I find it quiet and more suitable for research.”

[If I may be blunt, Host, I think she is a bit more ‘Alpha’ than you.] The system chimed in at an inopportune moment. Yun Qi had to admit, this girl really had a “top” aura, but she didn’t dislike her—because Nan Yue was the first person to protect Lin Chen right in front of her.

Someone like this shouldn’t have been absent from the plot, right?

[The System Mall allows for the purchase of fragmented plot details.]

Perhaps she should take a good look at the items in the Mall after she returned. Last time was just a brief scan; she seemed to have missed a lot of good stuff. And Lin Chen—she actually didn’t know the little Omega was so capable. The original plot’s early descriptions of Lin Chen were mostly scenes of her being punished by “Yun Qi.” It could only be said that she was indeed the protagonist of this world, the pioneer of a new era.

The Duke was noncommittal toward Nan Yue’s words, giving no sign of whether she believed them or not.

“Do you want to sit here for a while?” Lin Chen asked the impatient Alpha.

“I’m afraid if I stay too long, I’ll be tainted by the scent of decay.” The Duke looked at her surroundings with disgust.

“Let me see you out then,” Nan Yue interjected, appearing somewhat eager.

“I’m hardly worthy,” the Duke replied sarcastically. Who exactly was “unworthy” was self-evident. After speaking, she turned to look at Lin Chen. Lin Chen could only give an apologetic look to her friend before leading Yun Qi out.

When Yun Qi reached the car:

“Nan Yue and I met when we were in school; we’ve been friends for many years and she is very trustworthy,” Lin Chen suddenly said.

The Duke was confused as to why she was saying this again.

“So, you don’t need to worry about me anymore.”

“!” The Duke’s ears suddenly turned crimson. “How conceited!”

Then, a certain Duke fled into the car and drove away.

Yun Qi was indeed relieved. The research building in the suburbs was very quiet, and no strange people would disturb Lin Chen. Most of the staff were Omegas and Betas, so the typical discrimination against Omegas in the capital wouldn’t exist there. Furthermore, the boss, Nan Yue, was Lin Chen’s friend and wouldn’t let her suffer at work.

The only thing making Yun Qi uncomfortable was that Lin Chen was becoming bolder and bolder. It was a strange feeling that left her a bit flustered.

On the other side:

“Finally decided to come back?” Nan Yue said coolly to the smiling Lin Chen.

“I didn’t lie to you, she really has changed a lot.” Thinking of that figure fleeing in a panic just now, Lin Chen couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

“I didn’t see a single change.” Recalling Yun Qi’s chin-in-the-air attitude, Nan Yue furrowed her brows in disgust. “You told me nothing while I was doing experiments at the headquarters.” Thinking of how she’d heard “Yun Qi” abused Lin Chen when she first arrived in the capital, she couldn’t control her inner rage.

“Assassinating a Duke won’t be as quiet as assassinating a minor noble in a remote area,” Lin Chen said helplessly, seeing what Nan Yue intended. “Our wings aren’t fully grown yet; it’s best not to attract the attention of those above. Besides, she really has changed; having her around can serve as a cover.” Lin Chen had once thought of killing Yun Qi after succeeding, but now she wanted to give that person a chance. She wanted to see what that person could eventually become.

“She’s getting off easy.”

“How far is your experiment progress?” Seeing that Nan Yue was still stifled, Lin Chen steered the conversation to business.

“The experiment is at…”

Nan Yue stabilized her emotions and began discussing the experiment with Lin Chen.