The last thing Li Wei remembered was the cold Beijing wind tearing past his ears as he fell from the rooftop.
His mother's voice — soft, almost loving — had followed him down.
"Wei-wei, forgive us. The cans… we need them more than you do."
Then impact. Darkness. Silence.
Until suddenly — light.
He jerked upright in a narrow single bed. The room smelled of stale takeout and damp concrete. A cheap wall calendar read: March 12, 2018.
His hands flew to his face. Smooth. Unscarred. No bite marks. No missing fingers from the infected. Twenty-three again.
Tears came — not grief, but rage so pure it burned.
A cold mechanical voice spoke inside his skull.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host Li Wei. The 100× Cashback System has successfully bound to your soul.]
[Core Rule: Spend 1 RMB legitimately → receive 100 RMB cashback instantly. Tax-free. Untraceable. Deposit destination at your choice. No upper limit. No cooldown.]
[Apocalypse outbreak countdown: 1,823 days. Prepare. Or repeat history.]
Li Wei stared at the ceiling for a full minute.
Then he laughed — hoarse, broken, triumphant.
In his previous life he had been the fool. The good son. The one who sent every bonus home. The one who shared his last rations when zombies flooded the streets.
They repaid him by stealing his rifle, his food, and pushing him off that roof.
This time… they would pay in regret.
He grabbed his phone. Alipay balance: 8,472.36 RMB.
First test: one bottle of Nongfu Spring water — 2 RMB.
Rider arrived in eight minutes. Scan. Pay.
[Ding! Cashback triggered! +200 RMB]
His breathing quickened.
Hotpot set for four — 198 RMB.
[+19,800 RMB]
Second-hand gaming laptop — 2,999 RMB.
[+299,900 RMB]
By 4 a.m. he had spent ~48,000 RMB across food, electronics, and a one-night 5-star hotel booking.
Total cashback: over 4.8 million RMB.
He created an anonymous wallet using system-generated flawless ID documents.
Everything transferred.
Dawn light crept through the thin curtains.
Li Wei stood at the window, watching the city wake.
"Five years," he whispered. "Five years to become a monster they can't imagine."