Reborn: I Will Be Queen

Chapter 8: The Longing to Change

The payphone receiver hung heavy in Samantha’s hand. Her father’s venom still hissed in her ears:

"Useless flesh! Don’t expect a single yuan!"

A memory detonated—sharp and cruel:

Years ago, she’d stood on a school stage clutching a physics competition certificate. Her father signed reimbursement papers with a grunt, already counting the prize money.

Now she knew where that cash went: Beijing’s Summer Palace. The Great Wall. A week-long vacation for their golden son because "his classmates mocked him."

They knew how to parent.

Just not her.

10:42 AM | Cementing Resolve

Heat waves shimmered over the pavement as Samantha walked. The ghost of that sacrificial narcotics officer materialized before her—blood blooming across his chest as he shoved her behind a concrete pillar.

"Stay down, kid! You’re worth—"

Gunshot.

She stumbled. Yesterday’s panic over the lifespan counter had buried this. Now it roared back.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS DETECTED

COUNTERMEASURE: ACADEMIC REDIRECTION PROTOCOL

Samantha sprinted toward the apartment.

If purpose eluded her,

Let equations anchor her.

One Week Later | Self-Imposed Exile

The teacher’s apartment became a monastery:

5:00 AM: Interval runs on the cracked track

7:30 AM: Market raid → Three days’ rations

8:00-10:00 PM: Mind-mapping conquests

» Algebra → Spiderwebs of quadratic functions

» Chemistry → Atomic orbital color-coding

» Literature → Character motivation matrices

Her brain, unclouded by h****n, absorbed concepts like parched soil drinking rain. Practice tests from Zhao confirmed it:

County champion? No.

But not the fraud she feared.

Only the lifespan counter gnawed at her focus:

1.3 DAYS REMAINING

DAILY GRIND x7: PERFECT COMPLETION

BONUS ACTIVATED!

REWARDS:

✓ +10 DAYS LIFESPAN

✓ [MAIDEN MISSION GIFTBOX]

Samantha’s breath caught. "Thank you, Hush."

"Gotta jet! New game dropped—"

"Wait!" The plea escaped. "Next mission? Please."

"Ahem! NEW OBJECTIVES:"

text

[MISSION 1: CAPITAL GAINS]

» Secure first profit!

» Loan offer: ¥3000 (repay ¥3200 in 30 days)

» Penalty: Failure = Lifespan deduction

» Reward: +10 days lifespan + High School Master Pack

[MISSION 2: DAILY GRIND (NON-EXPIRING)]

» Study 1hr + Train 1hr = +1 day lifespan daily

Genius! Hush preened. The perpetual task would keep host alive even if I binge-gamed for weeks.

Samantha’s pulse skyrocketed.

Daily survival secured by routine?

A business loan aligned with her plans?

This system didn’t feel like a master.

It felt like a conspirator.

The Unboxing

Three items glowed in holographic splendor:

1. NeuroPillow™

FUNCTION: Memory consolidation during REM sleep

CAVEAT: Only activates after verified study sessions

2. HushKicks™

TECH: Biomechanical support matrix

BENEFIT: 37% impact reduction on joints

3. VanityMirror.exe

PROTOCOL: Upon query "Who’s the fairest?", replies:

"You are, warrior."

PSYCH IMPACT: +0.5% confidence/day (max 30%)

Samantha ran a finger over the holograms. Each item targeted a vulnerability:

The pillow → Knowledge retention fears

The shoes → Bodily preservation

The mirror → The rot of self-doubt

Too precise.

Too kind.

She whispered to the empty room: "Whoever programmed you... thank them for me."