Chapter9.Although I survived the first day, I'm not far from death.

"This can't be happening, right?"

Ryan Anderson was on the verge of losing his mind. "I haven't done anything wrong, and I don't plan to either. Why is the protagonist coming after me? Doesn't the author have any brains? If the villain isn't doing anything bad, why is the male lead looking for trouble?"

The System: "Oh, I see. So, you're not planning to do anything to Emily Bennett?"

"I've got over 600 million worth of defective products at the pharmaceutical plant waiting to be destroyed overnight. What am I supposed to do with her? I don't have time for that!"

The System: "Oh, I see... Let me check... Sophia Wilson is over there... So, you're planning to target both female leads at the same time? Got it. You're trying to increase the difficulty for Leo to rescue them. Noted! By the way, that's a clever move!"

"Noted my foot! I'm not planning to target anyone. I'm just going to destroy the defective products! The defective products!"

The System: "Is that so? But that doesn't make for a very exciting plot. We'd prefer it if you were more proactive, with some malicious intentions toward the female leads. That way, the male lead's storyline can kick off more smoothly."

"Listen to me!" Ryan Anderson tried to stay calm and reason with the system. "Whether Leo's storyline kicks off or not is none of my business. I'm done messing around! I'm not interested in the female leads, not a single one of them. Tomorrow, I'll settle things with both of them, clean and tidy, no loose ends!"

"Settle things? You mentioned 'settling things.' I see! So, you're planning to make your move on both female leads tomorrow, and it's going to be absolutely ruthless, heinous, and downright evil, right?"

Ryan Anderson was on the verge of tears:

"Miss System, please, just let me live! I've died six times already, and each time was brutal. Can't you just let me survive for a while? I'm not touching either of these women. By the way, can't you make them stop hovering around me? I'm not the protagonist! Shouldn't they be spending their free time with Leo, the male lead... you know, flirting, being all romantic and stuff? Honestly, the fact that the plot has already fallen apart on the first day is entirely your fault!"

"Host, you've got it wrong. Actually, everything here—people, events, objects—is real. We're just here to observe and supervise. The only thing we can do is guide your plot progression, enhance your abilities, and provide limited external communication. What the male lead, female leads, or anyone else does, where they go, or who they get close to—we can't control that, nor are we interested in controlling it."

Ryan Anderson suddenly calmed down and began to analyze the situation.

"Real? Everything's real? So... I must have done something... to make them deliberately involve themselves with me... But I haven't done anything!"

"With Emily Bennett, I tried to break off the engagement, but she refused. And tonight, she was the one who came looking for me."

"Sophia Wilson... Leo was about to pull something shady, and I stopped him. Does she know about that? No, she shouldn't. At the pharmaceutical plant... she seemed very sure that I'd destroy the defective products..."

The System interrupted: "By the way, a reminder: Survive the first day and you'll receive a First-Day Survival Package!"

"The First-Day Survival Package is packed with goodies and benefits! It will assist you on your path to self-destruction, allowing you to fully engage in the conflict with the male lead. Before you're inevitably crushed, you'll enjoy the ultimate thrill, dying without regrets and with a smile on your face!"

Ryan Anderson shook his head. "You're truly despicable."

...

After settling Emily Bennett in a clean guest room and making sure she was asleep, Ryan Anderson called Jack and rushed to the pharmaceutical plant.

If I'm going to die, so be it.

If the King of Hell wants me dead by midnight, the System won't let me live till dawn.

But if the System's hints are to be believed, then this is... a real world?

Is the System some kind of higher intelligence overseeing this world? They don't interfere or forcibly change the world's logic and operations, is that it?

Regardless, I'll deal with today first. The First-Day Survival Package sounds tempting, even if it's hinting at my impending doom. But only by getting it can I have a chance to survive.

Leo, I'm coming for you!

You want to crush me?

Well, I'm not doing anything wrong. If I see you, I'll just kneel. Would you really have the heart to crush me?

...

The process went smoothly.

Under the supervision of multiple parties, batches of defective drugs were fed into the shredder, turning into waste to be recycled by a third party.

Ryan Anderson oversaw the entire process.

Sophia Wilson also stayed up all night, supervising every step.

Sophia Wilson was meticulous, not missing a single detail. Of course, the other responsible parties were equally thorough.

Everyone was tense, fully aware of what this meant.

Ryan Anderson watched as the last batch of drugs turned into waste, a calm smile appearing on his face.

[Sigh, at least I've done something good, right?]

Ryan Anderson thought bitterly:

[No matter what, with these drugs destroyed, no one will get hurt. If I'm going to die in this world tomorrow, at least I've done something meaningful today.]

[It's worth it!]

Sophia Wilson, standing not far away, watched Ryan Anderson's profile, shocked by what she heard.

This guy... is he going to die?

Is that why he's suddenly changed, becoming a good person?

No way, he's Ryan Anderson. He has a professional medical team monitoring his family's health. If something were seriously wrong, that team wouldn't stay silent!

What's going on?

But this guy... when he's melancholic, he really does look like a brooding prince.

"Ms. Wilson."

"Huh?" Sophia Wilson quickly turned around.

The engineer nodded with relief. "It's all done."

"Understood."

The leader from the drug regulatory agency went to shake Ryan Anderson's hand.

"Mr. Anderson, I know making such a decision requires immense courage and moral strength. No one knows what storm the Ninth Pharmaceutical Plant will face tomorrow. But as a fellow professional in the pharmaceutical industry, I want to express my deepest respect and gratitude for your decision on behalf of all my colleagues."

Ryan Anderson smiled. "It's not as serious as you think. At worst, the plant will shut down, and I'll be vilified by the media."

The leader laughed, patting Ryan Anderson's shoulder. "Well, we'll wrap up here. If you need anything, don't hesitate to contact us."

"Thank you. Everyone has worked hard."

Dawn was approaching.

A faint glow was rising on the distant horizon.

Ryan Anderson was utterly exhausted.

On his first day in this world, he had avoided two direct confrontations with the protagonist, Leo. He had met both female leads twice, maintaining his distance and trying to sever any ties between them.

Although he hadn't been entirely successful, he was still alive, and his legs were still intact. That was good news.

The overnight workers were leaving, starting their cars and heading home to rest.

Ryan Anderson wearily walked to his car when Director Zhang approached him. "Mr. Anderson."

"Oh, Director Zhang. I'm exhausted. Can we talk tomorrow?"

Director Zhang forced a smile. "Just one sentence."

Ryan Anderson was beyond frustrated. He really didn't have the energy to deal with these people anymore.

"Fine, fine. Just say it quickly. I'm dead tired."

"Thank you." Director Zhang bowed deeply, then straightened up, his eyes moist and his smile relieved. "I'll resign tomorrow. You don't need to worry."

Director Zhang turned to leave, but Ryan Anderson stopped him. "Wait. Why are you resigning?"

"I..."

Ryan Anderson understood. This time, he had "cost" the company billions, so Director Zhang felt responsible and wanted to resign.

Ryan Anderson smiled. "Director Zhang, you're the backbone of our Ninth Plant. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even dare to think about the consequences of today's batch. You can't resign. If you leave, who will warn me if something like this happens again? Who will help me correct my mistakes? Even if you dislike me, think I'm a terrible person, don't you have some affection for the Ninth Plant? The patients, the ones who need real, effective medicine—they need you to stay and ensure their safety."

Director Zhang could hardly believe that such words were coming from Ryan Anderson's mouth.

He was both shocked and deeply moved.

"Mr. Anderson, I want to say this from the bottom of my heart: I misunderstood you before, and I apologize. Today's events have truly opened my eyes. From now on..."

"Enough, enough..." Ryan Anderson waved him off. "Director Zhang, I really don't have the energy to accept your apologies or gratitude. Get some rest, and we'll continue working tomorrow. I'm exhausted. Let's talk tomorrow, okay? Today has been too much."

"Oh, alright. You should rest early."

Ryan Anderson exhaled deeply. Jack gave him a thumbs-up. "Boss, you're amazing! That performance was spot-on."

Ryan Anderson replied expressionlessly, "Was it?"

"Absolutely Oscar-worthy! Old Zhang was almost in tears!"

"Shut up and drive."

"Yes, sir!"

Just then, a familiar voice called out nearby. "Ryan, leaving already?"

Ryan Anderson had already opened the car door. He turned to see Sophia Wilson standing not far away. She had been there for a while and had witnessed his conversation with Director Zhang.

"Quite the charmer, aren't you?" Sophia Wilson said. "Director Zhang probably admires you to no end now."

Ryan Anderson rested his forehead against the car door frame for five seconds, then looked up. "Whatever you're planning, let's talk tomorrow. I'm done for today. If you want, go ahead and call Leo to come beat me to death right now!"

"Why do you keep bringing up that guy?" Sophia Wilson yawned. "It's already dawn. Take me out for breakfast."

Ryan Anderson shook his head at her, speaking calmly. "Tomorrow, after the press conference, either you transfer all your shares to me, or I transfer mine to you. After that, we'll go our separate ways and never interact again. Deal?"

Sophia Wilson had no idea what was wrong with this guy. What had she done to upset him so much?

Why was he so annoyed with her?

Sophia Wilson felt hurt.

Since she was a child, boys had always flocked to her, praising her beauty and intelligence.

Why did this guy look at her like she was some kind of trash?

Sophia Wilson was upset. "Why are you suddenly so annoyed with me?"

Ryan Anderson opened the car door. "I don't know, and it doesn't matter. Goodbye."

Without waiting for a response, he got in the car and closed his eyes. "Jack, take me home."

As Ryan Anderson's car drove away, Sophia Wilson felt incredibly wronged.

That jerk must have something wrong with him!

When we were kids, he always promised to be my doctor. How can he treat me like this now?

You want to stay away from me? Well, I'm going to stick to you like glue and annoy you to death!

Ryan Anderson returned home, threw his coat on the floor, and collapsed face-first onto the bed, falling asleep instantly.

The sun was high in the sky.

Ryan Anderson finally began to stir, his arm moving unconsciously and landing on something soft.

Huh?

He squeezed it a couple of times. It was quite soft.

What is this?

He opened his eyes.

I'm dead.