Transmigrated into the Scummy Alpha of the Apocalypse Heroine (GL) - Chapter 3
[Qin Junlan: You’re distracting me. I’m pretty sure I told you not to speak.]
[System: This system is simply trying to save time. The host wants to complete the mission quickly too, doesn’t she?]
That wasn’t wrong. If this was a dream, she wanted to wake up immediately. If it was a game, she wished she could skip everything and go straight to the ending.
But from the moment she opened her eyes, the overpowering stench and the wrecked environment had left a lasting impression. The sights, the smell, and the discomfort constantly reminded her of one thing.
This world was real.
And considering that failure meant being completely erased, she was not about to recklessly test the consequences.
That was why she stopped moving.
Her instincts told her she was missing something.
The more the system tried to push her into action, the stronger that feeling became. It was being too eager.
The time limit for “Find Bai Lansheng (1)” was six hours. But just getting to Dongqi Central Grand Hotel had taken almost two. If she hadn’t happened to find Green Hair with a car, it might have taken three hours or more. That would have left her with just a few hours to search, under pressure, and still figure out that Ke Nian was the first priority. That alone would not have been easy.
On top of that, the system only considered the mission complete once she had successfully entered the eighth floor and seen Ke Nian.
All things considered, those six hours were not generous. They were just barely enough.
Which meant that in reality, she only had a little more than three effective hours for Mission One. Now, for Mission Two, the time limit was exactly three hours.
That was a setup.
If she went straight to Ke Nian and took the keycard, she would fail.
Qin Junlan asked the system directly.
[If I take the keycard, will it cause other consequences?]
[System: This system cannot answer that question.]
That meant yes.
Her face darkened. Now she understood. This thing really could not be trusted. She had nearly fallen into its trap.
If charging ahead was dangerous, then she only had one other option.
Qin Junlan acted.
She didn’t go straight to Ke Nian. Instead, she stepped back and chose a different position.
She stopped at a spot between Ke Nian and the main entrance of the banquet hall. If he decided to leave, he would have to walk past her.
The distance was calculated, not too far and not too close. If Ke Nian suddenly turned to go elsewhere, she could easily follow without drawing attention.
Because her body was that of an Alpha, she had a taller build. Even through the crowd, she could still keep her eyes on him.
Ke Nian’s facial features were decent, but his looks were average at best. Still, perhaps because he was an artist, he had a good sense of color and clothing, which gave him extra charm.
He wore glasses and carried himself with a soft, intellectual manner.
But when Qin Junlan thought of what he had done to Bai Lansheng, especially considering their age gap, her thoughts chilled. Looks could be deceiving.
She began mentally keeping track of time while observing her surroundings. To avoid standing out, she walked around occasionally, holding her drink tray and blending in naturally.
If rushing forward was dangerous, then waiting was the smarter move.
She would wait for the right moment.
In the distance, Ke Nian was still chatting with others. Qin Junlan didn’t see the heiress by his side.
At first, all of her focus was on Ke Nian’s movements. But gradually, she began to notice other things.
She had to admit, the guests at this banquet were quite influential. Their conversations were mostly centered around business. As she passed by serving drinks, she listened and occasionally made small talk.
As time slipped by, the system reminded her when there were only forty minutes remaining. It again suggested she go and steal the keycard.
Qin Junlan ignored it and remained in position, waiting for her chance.
Five more minutes passed.
Suddenly, the lights in the hall dimmed.
In the darkness, she kept her gaze locked on Ke Nian’s direction.
When the lights came back on, Ke Nian’s clothes were soaked in wine. It turned out that the fat Alpha and the male Omega from earlier had started fighting again. During the commotion, Ke Nian got splashed.
He cursed under his breath and hurried off toward the restroom to clean up.
Now.
This was the moment she had been waiting for.
Qin Junlan followed quietly and slipped into the restroom behind him.
Ke Nian had just taken off his wet jacket and was trying to figure out what to do when he felt a sharp thud on the back of his head. He blacked out instantly.
Qin Junlan removed his communicator, used his own jacket to tie his arms behind his back, stuffed a napkin from his pocket into his mouth, and pushed him into the supply closet inside the restroom. Then she hung a “Do Not Enter” sign on the door and placed a “Maintenance in Progress” notice just outside the restroom entrance.
As for the communicator, she turned it off and tossed it into the trash bin on a serving cart. Sooner or later, someone would clear the cart and take it away.
The system watched the entire sequence of actions. Its tone was a mix of surprise and disbelief.
[System: Those were very practiced moves. Have you done something like this in a past life?]
[Qin Junlan: Film and television imitate real life. The lights went out, the host started speaking, and everyone’s attention shifted to the stage. No one noticed anything back here.]
She had already predicted the restroom would likely be empty when she followed Ke Nian.
She had prepared for both possibilities.
If someone else had been there, she would have stuck to her original plan and quietly taken the keycard.
But with no one around, everything unfolded as expected. Ke Nian had walked straight into an isolated area, which gave her the opening she needed.
If others had been present, she would have simply taken the card. But when the room was empty and everything lined up, she did what was necessary. She knocked him out and locked him up. Not out of cruelty, but to buy time. Even if he was discovered later, it wouldn’t matter. By then, her mission would be complete.
Ke Nian had chosen the wrong place at the wrong time.
Now, the keycard was in her hand.
There were still twenty minutes left.
Qin Junlan looked at the room number.
Room 12-12.
As she ascended the stairs to the twelfth floor, the system asked her a question.
[System: How did you know Ke Nian was important to the mission?]
As she watched the elevator display rise, Qin Junlan responded silently in her mind.
[Ke Nian wasn’t the key. Timing was.]
[Qin Junlan: If I had taken the keycard before Ke Nian went to the restroom, he would have discovered it missing while trying to clean up. Then he would have gone back to the room to find Bai Lansheng. But I would already be holding the card and would arrive there before him. My mission is to find Bai Lansheng, but simply meeting her doesn’t guarantee the mission is complete. There might be more steps afterward. If I stayed too long in that room, Ke Nian might show up and catch me.]
[So not taking the card right away was the right call. Ke Nian is an unpredictable factor that could affect the outcome. To complete the mission, I first had to neutralize him, make sure he couldn’t interfere with anything that came after. The difficulty in this mission lies in choosing the exact right moment. If I had acted too early or too late, I would have failed either way.]
[System: Your analysis is accurate. But since you didn’t know the mission outcome in advance, what you’ve just described could be considered a guess. Isn’t that a bit like a gambler’s mindset?]
[Qin Junlan: Since it’s a mission, there has to be a clear path to success. I bet on the idea that a natural opportunity would present itself. And I had a backup plan. If someone else had been in the restroom, I would’ve taken the key quietly and left. I still would’ve had time since I was well within the three-hour limit. So even if I was being overly cautious, I wouldn’t have lost anything.]
[The moment I saw Ke Nian was alone, I knew I had guessed right. So if you want to call it gambling, fine. But if I’m betting on something with an eighty percent chance of success, I’d say that’s confidence, not luck.]
[System: You’re more unpredictable than I expected.]
[Qin Junlan: What exactly surprised you?]
[System: Maybe you’re more suited to this world than you think.]
[Qin Junlan: I don’t believe I’m the first one you’ve sent here. Who else has been through this? Did they all fail?]
The system went quiet for a moment, then said,
[Knowing too much won’t help you. But since your sub-mission was completed with high efficiency, this system will make an exception and unlock the next task early. You will also receive a reward item. Please accept it.]
[Qin Junlan: Are you going to make exceptions every time I do well? Do I get a reward each time too?]
The system ignored her crafty comment and proceeded to the next stage.
[Ding. New mission issued: Find Bai Lansheng (3)
Objective: You cannot access the next mission yet
Time Limit: More than seven hours
Location: Bai Lansheng’s room
Success Criteria: Determined by the system
Failure Consequence: Host will be erased
Note: This is your first mission, dear. Please take it seriously. Sending love.]
The mission location had changed. That meant she needed to open the door.
Qin Junlan stepped out of the elevator and checked the reward item from the system.
Sleep potion?
She looked at the description.
Effect: Helps someone fall into a sweet, peaceful sleep.
[Qin Junlan: If you’d given me this earlier, I wouldn’t have had to hit Ke Nian twice.]
Standing in front of Bai Lansheng’s room, she looked at the number on the door. Room 12-12.
It felt like a joke was being played on her.
[Qin Junlan: What if there’s a bomb hidden in the door frame and opening it blows me to pieces? Or what if this is actually the gate to hell and behind it lies Pandora’s box, and the moment I open it I get swallowed by the abyss?]
[System: …]
For a second, the system wasn’t sure if Qin Junlan was clever or just completely unhinged. On one hand, she clearly had sharp instincts. But on the other, she was spouting nonsense with a straight face.
[System: I can confirm the door is made entirely of wood.]
[Qin Junlan: How do you know? What if it’s reinforced with metal inside?]
[System: … Are you going to open the door or not?]
[Qin Junlan: Your voice sounds kind of shaky. Are you nervous?]
A sharp jolt of electricity surged through her. Her tongue went numb.
“Ow. You really do have that function,” she muttered. Honestly, that was more useful than the sleep potion.
She almost bit her tongue. After recovering, she reached out and opened the door.
Once inside, she turned around and locked it behind her.
“You… who are you?” Bai Lansheng’s voice was soft and trembling.
A small figure peeked out nervously, eyes wide. Her blue pupils shimmered with unshed tears. Her white hair made her look like a snowy lion cat.
Qin Junlan thought to herself that lately she had been asking everyone “Who are you?” and now someone was finally asking her the same thing.
A sweet scent filled the air. Qin Junlan suddenly remembered she was an Alpha. And her identity here was that of a scoundrel.
An Alpha and an Omega. A thug and a well-behaved girl. Alone together for seven hours?
Qin Junlan rolled up her sleeves, a twisted smile forming on her face. She moved toward Bai Lansheng like a villain ready to pounce.
“Well, well well… scream all you want. No one is coming to save you.”
[System: What are you doing? This is not the direction of the plot!]
[Qin Junlan: Huh? Isn’t this how thugs behave?]