WORLD 2: A COLD & EMOTIONLESS SCIENTIST

CHAPTER 20

During the transmission process, Shi Li felt something disappear from her body. Along with it, all the sadness, guilt, and other negative emotions faded away, leaving her feeling hollow—almost as if she herself had become nothingness.

She had traveled through novel worlds before, so she knew exactly what had vanished—her feelings for the male lead. Since she had to experience one novel world after another, it was inevitable that she would develop emotions toward the male lead in each world. Over time, these accumulated emotions could take a severe toll on a task performer’s mental state.

To protect their psychological well-being and improve their resilience, the transmigration system would remove emotions from the previous world before they entered the next one, leaving only the memories and experiences of interacting with the male lead.

That was why, even though she had fallen for the male lead in her first transmigration, she could still remain completely rational and objective when re-entering a novel world—until she inevitably fell for him once more.

Shi Li let out a sigh. When she thought of Shen Jingyan again, every detail of their time together was still vivid in her mind, yet the deep emotions that once accompanied them were gone.

As she was lost in thought, a bright light appeared before her eyes. Her senses gradually returned, and soon, she felt solid ground beneath her feet.

The sound of hushed whispers filled the air. Shi Li shook her head to clear her thoughts and finally took in her surroundings.

It was a large office with a strong metallic aesthetic.

From the desks and chairs to the sofas and even the paintings on the walls, every detail exuded a futuristic, mechanical style. Although Shi Li had never renovated a place herself—having lived with her parents in the real world—her experience in previous novel worlds told her that this office must have cost a fortune.

However, while the office looked expensive, the people inside seemed entirely out of place.

Shi Li glanced at a man not far away, whose hair was greasy and filthy, his clothes so dirty they were practically stiff with grime. Then she turned to the woman beside her, who wore ripped stockings and reeked of a nauseating mix of cheap perfume and body odor. Her confusion deepened.

Then she looked at herself.

Her sweatpants were covered in large oil stains, and the white T-shirt she wore had turned nearly black with dirt. Her exposed arms were grimy, and she had no doubt that rubbing them would produce layers of filth. Her limbs were as thin as twigs, and even without a mirror, she could tell just how emaciated she was.

So what exactly had happened?

Why was she, along with a group of disheveled and exhausted people, standing in a high-end office? Shi Li asked herself this question, but her mind provided no answers. She was stunned for a long time before she suddenly recalled something—before leaving the previous world, she had exchanged her right to know the future plot for the ability to be transported at any time.

…So now she didn’t even get a hint about the storyline? Did that mean she had to figure everything out on her own, completely blind?

Just as this thought crossed her mind, two large words appeared in her mind: Yes.

Shi Li: “…”

After sitting there in silence for a long while, she took a deep breath and tried communicating with the system again: Even if you won’t tell me the plot, shouldn’t you at least explain my character’s current situation? Otherwise, how am I supposed to deal with what comes next?

She fired off these questions in one breath, but no answer came. Shi Li narrowed her eyes. I exchanged my right to know the plot, not my personal background. If you don’t explain, then you might as well never show up again.

That was a direct threat. And, as it turned out, quite effective. At least this time, she got a response: Do you still remember the previous plot?

Of course, Shi Li remembered.

This novel, titled Foolish Schoolyard, was part of the same series as the previous story. Unlike the last world, this one was set in a highly liberal modern society with far fewer rigid rules, making it quite different from reality.

The first half of the novel took place in a school setting. The male lead was a notorious school bully who frequently tormented the protagonist, while Shi Li played the role of his little girlfriend.

The male lead was a true delinquent—terrible at academics, constantly causing trouble, and always surrounded by a gang of lackeys who spent their days eating, drinking, and stirring up fights. At school, he was universally disliked. But despite his reckless and unruly nature, he adored his girlfriend.

Everyone knew that Shi Li was the one person he cherished most.

This arrogant, wild, and impolite young man gave her all his love, softening every sharp edge for her. But his blatant favoritism also attracted the attention of his enemies.

Those enemies kidnapped Shi Li, leading to a confrontation in which the male lead ended up seriously injuring someone. As a result, he was sentenced to three years in a labor camp.

Shi Li still remembered his reaction upon learning about his sentence—he smoked through the entire night before finally saying just one sentence to her: Wait for me to come back.

With teary eyes, she had promised him.

But the moment he was taken away, she was transported to the next world—she didn’t even get the chance to follow through on the classic heartless-girlfriend script.

Just thinking about his reaction when he realized she had vanished made Shi Li’s head ache.

This male lead was different from the one in the previous world—he was the type to hold grudges over every little thing. Her sudden disappearance must have felt like the ultimate betrayal to him. She had no idea how he would react when they met again.

The memory of people being beaten black and blue by Shen Jingyan flashed through Shi Li’s mind, making her shudder involuntarily.

Snapping back to reality, she continued questioning the system: I remember the plot. So what?

As soon as she asked, the answer appeared in her mind:

After you were transported away, your character’s parents became addicted to gambling. They lost everything and fell into massive debt. Under pressure from debt collectors, they committed suicide, leaving the debt to you. You spent the past ten years hiding from loan sharks, and now, with nowhere left to turn, you have come to apply as a volunteer for a biological experiment.

…Wait, did the system just make a typo? That should be “volunteer,” not “self-willing participant.”

Shi Li muttered a complaint in her mind, but the system did not respond. And when she pressed for more details, it remained silent once again.

Left with no other choice, Shi Li turned to the heavily made-up woman beside her, hoping to find out what exactly this “biological experiment volunteer” entailed.

“You don’t even know what a volunteer is, yet you came here anyway?” The woman gave her a strange look, her heavy makeup failing to conceal the surprise in her eyes.

Shi Li humbly asked, “Can you explain it to me?”

“No need to be so polite, it’s just a small matter,” the woman scoffed, her breath carrying a foul odor. “It’s actually nothing complicated—you just sell yourself to a biotech company as a test subject. Once you sign the contract, you get a huge sum of money upfront. If the experiment is successful, you can leave. If it’s not…”

She didn’t finish her sentence, only letting out a mocking laugh.

“What happens if it’s not successful?” Shi Li pressed on.

“Well, who knows? It’s an experiment, after all. Anything could happen,” the woman glanced at her and added, “Little sister, let me give you some advice—unless you’ve got no other way out, don’t take this risk. If something goes wrong, it’s not something a girl like you can handle.”

“…Basic human rights should at least be guaranteed, right?” Shi Li asked dryly.

The woman sneered, “Human rights? The moment you sign that contract, you voluntarily give up your rights as a person. You’re nothing but a test subject—what human rights?”

…No wonder they call it ‘volunteers.’ So that’s what it means. Shi Li swallowed hard. “Isn’t this kind of company illegal?”

“It’s all voluntary. What’s illegal about it?” The woman looked puzzled.

Shi Li: “…” Right, she had almost forgotten—this world’s setting was different from reality. The existence of such biotech companies was entirely possible.

“I think you should just go back. It’s obvious you don’t belong here,” the woman said, tilting her chin toward the ragged group of people nearby. “Only the scum of society end up here. If they die, they’re just cleaning up the streets. If they survive, they’re at least contributing something to society.”

Shi Li took another good look at the woman and cautiously asked, “Then why are you here?”

The woman seemed to be in much better shape than the others. She was clearly not at rock bottom, yet she still came. Shi Li wanted to know if there were some hidden benefits to being a ‘volunteer’ that made her willingly sign up.

“Me? My man works here. He’s in charge of a cold medicine project—the worst that could happen is I catch a cold for a few days. So I figured I’d make some quick cash. Once I sign the contract, he’s taking me out of here.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a middle-aged, balding man in a filthy white lab coat entered. She immediately ran up to him, and the two left the office together.

Shi Li: “…”

She sat in silence for a long time before deciding to stand up and leave. No way was she signing such a contract. But just as she had that thought, a message appeared in her mind—

The loan sharks are waiting outside, guarding all the exits.

Shi Li: …How much do I owe?

Five million.

Shi Li: How much do I have right now?

Two thousand.

Shi Li: …How much do I make per month?

Two thousand five hundred.

Shi Li: “…” At that moment, she truly understood what despair felt like.

Just as she sat there stiffly, an assistant-looking person walked in and called her name. Before she knew it, she was led to another office and handed a ‘volunteer’ contract.

“Take a look. If there’s no issue, sign it,” the person said in a businesslike tone.

Shi Li pursed her lips and glanced at the contract’s listed reward—exactly five million. Just enough to clear her debt. As long as she signed it, all her troubles would vanish.

She stared at the contract in silence, hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and placed it back on the table. Looking up at the assistant, she said, “Sorry, I’ve thought about it, and I think I might need to—”

Before she could finish, the office door swung open. A long, straight leg stepped inside. Shi Li instinctively looked over and saw a man wearing well-tailored suit pants. His crisp dress shirt was neatly tucked in, secured with a black leather belt that outlined his toned waist. The faint contours of his muscles could be seen beneath the fabric.

Over his shirt, he wore an immaculately clean white lab coat, with a few steel pens clipped into the pocket. Moving her gaze upward, she took in the prominent shape of his Adam’s apple and, finally, an impossibly handsome face—

“Shen Jingyan?!” Shi Li stared at him in shock.