A Generic Start to a Generic Death!

A Generic cliché.

If anything could describe my existence... it would be those words.

Born to an extremely beautiful but stupid mother who slept with an American business tycoon on a business trip and dreamed of a romantic life.

An accident that led to my existence.

Only for her to be dumped when her pregnancy came to light. 

Well, who didn't expect him to be married to a wealthy American woman?

Shouldn't that have made sense to anyone, especially the family members excited about a rich son-in-law?

I could never understand my distant relatives.

Maybe it's because of my dual heritage, but apart from my looks, I seem to take after my father, which might sound good.

A tycoon, rich and successful? Sign me up, most people might say.

However, once I started studying, it turned out that I resembled my mother and inherited her stupidity.

More interesting in playing games and fighting in the park, my grades plummeted and by the time I reached high school, the only chance for me to enter college was to get a sports scholarship.

It's amusing to look back now, as I await my death.

Nice to meet you. I am John Wang. 

And this is my story.

.

.

.

In the centre of a bustling office cafeteria, countless salary slaves rush to complete their dinner hour in less than ten minutes, hoping their beeper won't go off with a sudden customer complaint.

I cannot help but reject this notion.

Why should I rush my food and suffer from indigestion?

The customer comes first, my ass.

"Oi, John! Have you heard the news about that strange sickness?" Yang Ping called out to me, his ugly face contorting as he picked his nose.

Today's meal looked bland, an assortment of rice, sweet and sour pork and vegetable dumplings.

Yang Ping isn't a bad guy, but the mole on the tip of his nose makes me want to grab it with scissors and slice it off.

"Nope, I don't have time for that shit, sickness? Do we get sick pay? I wouldn't be surprised if we needed to pay the company if sick!"

Ah... I couldn't stop my bitter voice from leaking out.

The kind canteen ladies are watching me with sharp eyes. Maybe they are monitoring us for the ice queen? This dangerous thought lingered in my mind for a few moments, before Yang Ping became annoyed with me ignoring him and huffed like a child.

"You know John..."

——Breaking News!

"In today's news, health officials are reporting a surge in cases of an unknown infection spreading through several regions, with symptoms ranging from fever, coughing, and fatigue, to more severe symptoms including aggressive behavior... Authorities are urging people to remain indoors and avoid crowds until more is known..."

The reporter continued, and I rolled my eyes in disbelief. This is another media scare—just like the flu pandemic scare a few years ago. Nothing to worry about, right?

Are we all going to be locked inside for another two years?

"Hey, John, you should really..."

Suddenly, Yang Ping started his usual sermon on how I should become more sociable, but the sexy newscaster stole my attention.

Forgive me, brother! She has double D's!

Maybe it's my father's blood, but I found my tastes different from those of the common male in my country.

The natives liked refined, slim, beautiful women.

While I liked a bit of extra meat, not fat... of course, but thick and curvy, like the woman passing by, ah... her wide hips, and seductive rear are to die for.

I was easily distracted and didn't hear the broadcast anymore. Sorry, miss newscaster.

This woman is an S-Tier beauty!

The woman I almost praised as a goddess in my mind a few seconds before turned to face me, her cold blue eyes creating an ice field preventing any man from approaching her.

Shit, it's my boss!

"Assistant Manager Wang, may I ask why you are still here?" Her cold, nasal voice filled the air with authority and allure.

Huh? 

What does she mean?

I couldn't quite understand, so continued slurping on my soup, watching her tap her foot.

Before I noticed Yang Ping's body vanished, leaving a temporary after image of himself. The appearance of this ice beauty must have driven him away.

Now... this might be quite stupid, I know it was stupid.

However, let me be clear.

Since my beeper didn't vibrate or play its tune, and I was free right now, I didn't need to listen to this overbearing woman.

"Assistant Manager Wang! Are you ignoring me?"

Again, why can't she let me enjoy my meal? Oh, the broth is spicy today.

"Not at all, boss!"

I hoped my enthusiastic and charming response might calm her down. Her cold, solitary cultivation technique almost filled the air with her desolate Ki, and its aura was icy.

"Then... can you tell me why you have ignored my messages for the past thirty minutes?"

Eh?

The tone of her voice caused an icy chill to flow down my spine. Something wasn't right.

How could I not have gotten her messages?

I specifically set her beeping tone to maximum volume and vibration!

"..."

"I don't believe I ignored you, boss! See... there's no messages on my beeper!"

When I reached for my trusted beeper, the sole lifeline that kept me afloat despite being a little slow and stupid.

Haha, why isn't it clipped to my belt?

Don't play with me now, miss fate.

Miss Fate is on the phone right now. Please call back later.

Maybe you might not know yet, but it's not like my mental health is perfect, though I am scared to take a test, because that means I need to ask for a day off.

"Aha, would you imagine that, boss. I seem to have misplaced my beeper."

It's over for me.

She didn't laugh, or even smile.

The fact her face showed so little emotion made her so damn terrifying!

"Mr Wang."

"Yes, Boss."

"Stop calling me boss, this isn't a damned noodle shop! Use my title and full name."

Ah... she seems really mad.

Is there nobody I can divert her anger towards?

I just want to finish my dinner in peace, but that dream is impossible.

"Understood, Marketing Manager Mu."

My voice sounded resolute, but the amount of sweat oozing down my back could form a small pool.

I felt like I was about to die.

"Good, Mr Wang, follow me to my office, we need to discuss your future."

Oh shit, I'm done for.

***

In the elevator, Miss Mu stood beside me, her presence causing my heart to palpitate.

Even though she is a tyrannical boss, her beauty cannot be denied. To compare with those models, she must eat well, sleep well and... well. She's a woman who knows how to look after herself.

Her tall stature, long legs and slim waist and wide hips. A pair of glasses rested on her cute nose bridge, while her long black hair flowed down her back like a waterfall.

If only she smiled more often, maybe she wouldn't be called the ice queen.

But then again, if she smiled, maybe she would have been married by now.

I don't think she is much older than me, but the way she acts makes her appear older.

"Assistant Manager Wang, do you know what happens when a client loses millions in profit because of your incompetence?"

As soon as we entered the elevator, Miss Mu began lecturing me.

Of course, I knew, but I couldn't help but wonder, why should I care?

"It's not my fault the product failed to meet expectations, I told them before we launched the marketing campaign that it would fail." Though I knew it wouldn't help my case I still couldn't stop myself. "However, they refused to listen to my advice."

For a moment her brows lifted, and maybe she considered my words, but before she could reply, the elevator doors opened, and we were greeted by a group of people standing outside.

They looked at us with curiosity, wondering what we were doing together.

"Ah, it's this idiot again, he's going to get fired," one guy said.

"Hehe, I heard he lost the company millions."

"What a loser."

Their voices were loud enough for everyone to hear, including Miss Mu.

However, I must defend that, despite countless rumours about her attitude and lack of social skills spreading around the office, Mu Qinglan only ever punished or scolded someone when they deserved it.

That's why I respect, and loathe her...

"Enough!" Her voice echoed through the hallways, silencing everyone instantly.

"Get back to work! There's no time for gossiping!"

With her sharp tongue and commanding presence, she quickly dispersed the crowd, leaving only me and her alone once again.

"Come along, Assistant Manager Wang, we need to talk about your performance review."

I followed behind her obediently, knowing that arguing would only make things worse.

That I could rise this high with my pathetic education was thanks to her fair and honest hiring policy, effort, and achievements came first.

Once inside her office, she closed the door firmly behind us, ensuring privacy for our conversation.

"Please take a seat."

I obeyed without hesitation, sitting down across from her desk.

"Now then, let's discuss your future here at the company."

Her tone remained stern, but I sensed a hint of sympathy beneath her words.

The way she leaned back on the seat as it creaked from her weight was far more interesting, though I regretted our league was too different.

Even fantasizing about her felt illegal.

I couldn't help but wonder if she was secretly enjoying this situation.

"Firstly, I'd like to address the issue regarding the loss of profits. You mentioned earlier that you warned the clients beforehand, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am. I did inform them prior to launching the campaign."

"I see. Well, unfortunately, regardless of whether or not you provided warning, the fact remains that the product underperformed severely."

Her voice sounded tired, and listless as I watched her eyes scan the computer screen.

"I understand, ma'am."

"In light of this incident, I'm afraid we'll have to let you go."

Shit.

I knew it.

"Haa..." She let out a sexy sigh, her hand pressed against her forehead as she brushed her hair back.

"I tried, but that bastard in HR was insistent this time."

The moment she mentioned HR, I understood completely, the person who triggered this issue and my termination was someone we both knew well.

Gu Tianhao...

Mu Qinglan's fiancé, heir to the powerful Gu family. A cunning and ruthless man who believes he can use any event as an opportunity to reshape the world in his image. He sees Mu Qinglan as his rightful possession and will stop at nothing to reclaim her.

It's ironic that inheriting my mother's looks became my biggest flaw in this company. My handsome face and charming smile attracted countless women, and unfortunately, many men.

But I had no interest in either right now. I just wanted to live peacefully and enjoy my life.

I mean I wanted to sleep with a woman, but the internet showed me how terrifying women can be.

Makeup transformations...

1000 guys in one day...

OnlyHans...

Yet, that bastard Gu Tianhao decided to make me his target.

I could never understand why!

Mu Qinglan didn't have any interest in me.

She always mistreated me, gave me overtime and extra tasks, yet somehow this asshole believed I was trying to steal her away from him.

I mean... come on, I'm not even interested in her, she's scary!

Sorry, that's a lie. If she offered, I would accept in a heartbeat! No matter how pathetic it sounds, she's rich and an S-Tier woman!

Looks, purity, career, money!

"Assistant Manager Wang, are you listening?"

"Eh? Sorry, I got distracted..."

She frowned at me, her expression becoming softer than usual.

"As I was saying, the circumstances surrounding your dismissal, mean we won't be able to provide you with a severance package or any references for future employment."

My heart sank further into despair upon hearing those words.

This meant that finding another job would become nearly impossible with no recommendations or financial support during my search period.

"But don't worry too much about it," she added before I could spiral deeper into self-pity mode.

"I've spoken with some friends within other companies who might be willing to consider hiring you despite these setbacks."

What?

There might be something wrong with me... I rubbed my eyes, because I saw the ice queen smile for the first time.

"Really?" I asked, trying to stop my voice from trembling.

"Yes," she replied with confidence.

"Please send me your resume tomorrow morning so I can forward it."

"Thank you so much!"

My gratitude overflowed as tears threatened to spill down my cheeks.

"Don't mention it..."

Her gaze focused on my face with a slight chuckle, the corner of her lips curled upward.

Was she teasing me?

The Ice queen?

"Ahem! You're welcome."

She corrected herself after noticing my confusion over her previous statement.

"Anyway, I'll keep an eye out for any opportunities that arise and let you know immediately if anything comes up. So, until then... how about you give me your number? Mr Wang."

Did I hear that right?

"Uhm... sure!" I fumbled through my pockets nervously before pulling out my phone and handing it over to her.

She took it gently from my hands and typed away furiously on its screen before returning it to me moments later.

"There you go! Now remember to stay positive okay? Everything happens for a reason."

I nodded in muddled shock as I stared at her contact information displayed prominently on my phone's home screen.

[Qinglan]

"Bye-bye, Mr Wang."

"Goodbye, Ms Mu."

And just like that, our meeting ended abruptly, leaving me feeling somewhat empty inside. After getting fired, I planned to return home dejectedly, my mind racing with thoughts of what lay ahead.

I struggled to focus, the familiar security guards and receptionist fading from my mind as I stumbled out of the office building.

Five years of my life vanished, like a passing cloud, barely paying attention while I leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths.

"Haa...Haa..."

My lungs burned, the stress and anxiety finally catching up with me.

Why did everything happen so fast?

My vision blurred, the world spinning around me.

Dizzy, I collapsed on the ground, my body trembling uncontrollably.

The past years replayed in my mind, failed relationships because of overtime, following the same routine every day, working hard, hoping for a promotion.

I felt sick, my stomach churned violently.

I threw up violently, my body shaking uncontrollably.

I couldn't breathe. My chest tightened painfully.

The world seemed oblivious to my struggles, turning away without a care, unaffected by them... until a scream resonated through the hum of traffic—a distant shriek, then another.

A wave of panic spread through the street, people running in all directions.

Then the world seemed to have collapsed, just like my feelings.

However, that was denying the sight before my eyes, chaos, as if the moment I left the office, my feet brought me into another world. No, this is my world, but something happened.

"Where are they running, what are the people running from?"

Suddenly, my phone started to vibrate and buzz... then a government message automatically played in a cold male voice.

"Confirmed: mass infection turning violent. Authorities unable to contain the outbreak. It's spreading faster than we predicted."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but then again, I never paid attention to the news, anyway.

However, the reality before me was too chilling to turn away.

A familiar premise, and a common trope...

Zombies.

It was a zombie outbreak.