The Whole Internet Watches Me Rule the Future

Zhou Yang is a new gaming content creator with a knack for making things entertaining. She's ruthless and doesn't talk much, earning the nickname “a god from the moment you meet her.”

By chance, she gets a beta access code to an obscure game that claims to be fully immersive and offer an incredible degree of freedom.

[You are about to enter a high-risk world. Are you ready to give your life?]

Zhou Yang only cares about one thing: Are there guns?

There are. Great, then it's a loot-shooter.

Zhou Yang's starting character is an idiot in a holding cell.

She ignores the laser security door and snatches the cyber-cop's gun.

She carves a path through Martian dust and blood.

After shooting her way through the police station, she kicks aside a corpse and wipes the blood from her face.

Calmly reloading, she presses the muzzle to the trembling police chief's forehead.

“Your police station is mine now.”

In 2150, after millions of experiments, the oppressed lower-class humans finally send their first distress signal to China in 2025.

In 2025, the Salvation Plan is established.

In 2026, global leaders reluctantly unite and select one hundred heroes.

In 2030, the heroes officially enter 2150.

Song Yuanqing is one of the heroes, code-named Qing.

Unlike her teammates, whose only concern is surviving one life-or-death crisis after another, her trouble comes from her new teammate:

A woman with extraordinary abilities who never does things the conventional way, has questionable fashion sense, often barges openly into other people's territory to “take” things, and is always ready to fight anyone who objects.

Even stranger, after every mission, she goes back to the police station.

Qing: “Are you a cop?”

Zhou Yang: “No. The police station is my respawn point.”

Qing: Respawn what?????

Zhou Yang thinks she's just playing a game, and the people watching her livestream think they're just watching her play a game.

[Fly high, streamer! Try beating the game in one life!]

[I'll send a gift for every head you pop tonight. Let's help the streamer fight her way to the company!]

Zhou Yang really does fight her way to the company, and at the top donor's request, turns on her camera.

Her gorgeous, icy face appears on millions of company screens.

And on the screens of the Salvation Plan experts in both worlds.

She lifts a stemmed glass. “Here's to the useless people.”

That very day, the company announces to the world:

Its new CEO is a woman named Zhou Yang.

The 2150 experts: Damn, whose ancestor is this lunatic?

#I'mAWorkingClassNobodyButThePoliceStationReallyIsWhereISpawn

#TheStreamerIDonatedToTookOverTheFutureBecauseOfAViewer'sJoke

#ThePlanWasToSend100HeroesWhyDoWeHaveACyber101

#ThisIsn'tAFullDiveGameIt'sEarthOnline

#TheLeaderOfTheAnti-CorporateResistanceIsJustACollectibleOnTheStreamer'sShelf

(Cover character design by artist A Qing.)

(Please read the author's note in Chapter One.)

Coming soon: Apocalypse Survival, But It's a Trial Version

Peng Chijing receives a trial version of an apocalypse survival game, supposedly the world's first full-dive game, launching at the start of 2035.

Peng Chijing, a lousy player who loves gaming: I have to get in on this.

She eagerly preorders it. She can't stand another day in 2034.

When the game arrives, she logs in at once.

Good news: It really is full-dive.

Bad news: Why do I have a mouse and keyboard in front of me?

*

In 2045, the apocalypse arrives. Natural disasters become frequent, man-made disasters break out everywhere, and Earth becomes a playground for players of the infinite worlds from other dimensions.

A new religion rises. The high priest prophesies that the Savior will descend on New Year's Day, 2050.

January 1, 2050.

They welcome their Savior: a bewildered Peng Chijing.

*

The Savior is powerful, but stubborn.

Whenever she sees a wall, she has to run up to it and jump around.

Peng Chijing, frantically hitting W and the space bar: What the hell is this platforming nonsense? Bring it on! Where's my double jump?!

The Savior is cautious, often pulling out her spear to poke enemies from a distance.

Peng Chijing: This is the chip-damage sword technique passed down through generations of terrible gamers like me. I refuse to believe I can't wear this boss down!

The Savior also refuses to take the conventional route. Whenever she sees a cliff, she has to climb it, calling it a “shortcut.”

Peng Chijing: You know you can swing across, right? Follow me. Hold down the left mouse button, grab with your left hand! Hold down the right mouse button, grab with your right hand! That's it! Now swing your body up!

The survivors: I don't think this world can be saved.

#HowDoesATerribleGamerSaveTheWorld

#WhyIsTheRealWorldSendingApocalypseWarningsWhileI'mPlayingAGame

#HeyAreYouAnInfiniteWorldsPlayerWhatACoincidenceI'mAPlayerTooI'mPlayingTheFullDiveTrialVersion

Theme: No matter how advanced technology becomes, the light of humanity is the spark that illuminates the future