Chapter 4: Transmigrated into a Book
The sky outside the window had turned pitch black, and the rain was only getting heavier. Fat raindrops hammered against the glass, the relentless patter enough to unsettle anyone listening.
Chu Yang curled up in the corner of the living room, clutching his knees as his stomach cramped in agonizing waves. A fine layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead and slid down his cheeks.
For the first time in his life, he realized how painful true hunger could be. It wasn’t just an empty sensation; it felt like countless tiny needles pricking his gut, or a small fire burning away at his insides, leaving him so weak he could barely breathe.
His eyes were glued to the kitchen. Faint clanging sounds drifted out, followed by a subtle aroma that made his stomach twist in greedy desperation.
Before long, Zhao Dayong emerged carrying a steaming aluminum pot. Inside was a bubbling white broth with noodles floating around two perfectly golden poached eggs.
The rich, savory scent of the boiled noodles instantly dominated the living room. Mixed with the fragrance of the eggs and wheat, it was a lethal temptation in this desolate, apocalyptic world.
Grumble—
Chu Yang’s stomach betrayed him, letting out a loud, abrupt growl that shattered the quiet of the room.
His eyes gleamed as he stared at the pot in Zhao Dayong’s hands. His Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably, and his mouth flooded with saliva, which he swallowed with a hard gulp. The lingering sweetness of the fruit candy still on his tongue only made his current hunger that much more unbearable.
“Brother Jiang, time to eat.” Zhao Dayong shot Chu Yang a look of pure disdain before placing the largest bowl in front of Jiang Jue. It held the biggest portion of noodles and a whole poached egg. Flashing a fawning smile, Zhao Dayong added, “You’ve worked hard today. Eat up and rebuild your strength.”
Under normal circumstances, it would be just a simple bowl of egg noodles. But here, right now, it was an absolute feast.
Jiang Jue remained expressionless, offering only a faint nod. His long, slender fingers picked up the chopsticks resting on the edge of the bowl. Every movement he made carried an innate sense of detachment; even while simply eating noodles, he exuded a cold, unapproachable aura that kept everyone at arm’s length.
Wang Rui, Zhao Dayong, and Li Wen quickly gathered around the table, serving themselves and eagerly slurping down the food. The loud sounds of sucking noodles and smacking lips filled the room.
No one paid a shred of attention to Chu Yang, treating him as if he didn’t even exist.
Chu Yang was so hungry his stomach felt glued to his spine. He stared longingly at the steaming bowls, watching as the others slurped up the noodles, watching the golden yolk spill out when Zhao Dayong bit into his poached egg.
He couldn’t stop himself from ranting internally: These guys have terrible table manners! They sound like pigs at a trough! No class whatsoever! But… damn it, it smells incredible… It’s practically soul-stirring. I’d do anything for just one bite!
Driven to the very brink by his hunger, he happily tossed aside whatever pitiful scraps of self-esteem he had left.
Shamelessly, he shuffled out of his corner and squeezed out the most sincere smile he could muster. “Brothers, do me a huge favor and share a bite, will you? Just a little bit! I don’t eat much, and I’m super easy to take care of. Just give me a little food, and I’ll work for you!”
Wang Rui, who was busy slurping his soup, paused. He looked up, his mouth still stuffed with noodles, and glared. “Get lost!” he mumbled thickly. “There’s none for you! I have no idea what Brother Jiang was thinking, dragging a burden like you along. You’ll just eat our food and take up space. What are you even good for?”
“Man, that hurts,” Chu Yang said, clutching his chest and feigning a pitiful look. However, his eyes kept darting toward Jiang Jue. He knew very well who was really in charge here. “Sure, I might look pathetic right now, but I’m young, I’m strong, and I’m sharp! I’m willing to do anything! Moving heavy stuff, keeping watch, scavenging for supplies—I can do it all! I might even save the day when it really counts!”
Jiang Jue, who had been eating with his head down, paused. Without looking up, he said indifferently, “Give him a bowl.”
Wang Rui froze, clearly reluctant, but he didn’t dare disobey Jiang Jue. Grabbing an empty bowl, he half-heartedly scooped in a few stray noodles, poured in half a ladle of broth, and slammed it down in front of Chu Yang. A few hot drops splashed onto the table.
“Here! Eat!” Wang Rui snapped harshly. “Consider yourself lucky!”
Chu Yang didn’t care about the guy’s nasty attitude at all. His eyes lit up as he eagerly grabbed the bowl, showering the leader with praise. “Thank you, Brother Jiang! Brother Jiang, you’re handsome, kind-hearted—a literal saint in this apocalypse! With your skills and charisma, you’re destined for greatness! I’ll follow you anywhere from now on. You point, and I’ll charge!”
Listening from the side, Wang Rui rolled his eyes dramatically and scoffed under his breath, “What a kiss-ass…”
Zhao Dayong chimed in, muttering between mouthfuls, “Exactly. He’s just a pretty boy. Looks so delicate a strong breeze would knock him over. What use is he? All he’s good for is sweet-talking.”
Chu Yang pretended he didn’t hear a word. Right now, his entire world was this bowl of noodles. Heedless of the scalding heat, he wolfed down the noodles and guzzled the soup in a few huge gulps, even licking the bottom of the bowl clean.
As the warm broth settled in his stomach, that burning hunger finally eased, leaving his entire body feeling delightfully warm and comforted.
“Ah… I’m alive!” Chu Yang let out a long sigh of relief. Patting his now-quiet stomach, he said sincerely, “That was, without a doubt, the most delicious bowl of noodles I have ever eaten in my entire life!”
After all, strictly speaking, this was only the first day of his new “life” in the apocalypse.
With food in his belly, Chu Yang’s brain started working properly again. If he wanted to survive here, he needed to latch onto Jiang Jue as tightly as possible. But first, he needed to know the boss’s full name.
He leaned over toward Li Wen, who seemed like the most approachable of the trio, and lowered his voice. “Hey, Brother Wen, can I ask you something? What’s Brother Jiang’s full name? I was so dizzy from being chased by those zombies earlier that I completely forgot to ask.”
Li Wen gave him a sideways glance, a mocking smirk tugging at his lips. “Didn’t you claim you and Brother Jiang were friends? You forgot your own friend’s name?”
“Hey, don’t bring that up! I was almost eaten alive out there. It scared the soul right out of my body, and my brain is still scrambled.” Chu Yang tapped his head, playing the fool. “Brother Wen, just do me a solid and tell me, alright? I’ll definitely owe you one!”
Li Wen couldn’t be bothered to entertain him any further. “Jiang Jue,” he spat out impatiently. “The ‘Jue’ meaning decisive.”
“Oh, Jiang Jue… that’s a nice name,” Chu Yang repeated absentmindedly.
Then, his smile froze. His pupils shrank, and the empty bowl nearly slipped from his grasp. “J-Jiang Jue?!”
Before he transmigrated, he had been working crazy overtime hours, coming home dog-tired every night. His only way to unwind was reading a massively popular web novel on his phone called Apocalypse Overlord.
The protagonist of that book—a man who showed terrifying strength right from the start of the outbreak, who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and obscenely overpowered—was named Jiang Jue!
Although he had only read the early chapters and didn’t know the exact plot twists or later developments, he vividly remembered the main character’s name. He also remembered the nicknames the fans relentlessly spammed in the comment sections: “Cold-Faced Yama” and “Apocalypse Emperor”!
He snapped his head around and covertly sized up the man sitting a few feet away.
Snippets of the novel’s character description flashed through his mind: Over 1.9 meters tall, overwhelming aura—check. Incredible combat skills, which he had just witnessed firsthand. While Chu Yang couldn’t even handle one zombie, this guy was decapitating two with a single swing—check. Strikingly handsome, icy and unapproachable temperament—a perfect match. Then there were those impossibly long legs, and the steady, ruthless precision he showed when wielding a blade.
Yes, there was no doubt about it. This was absolutely the protagonist of the novel: Jiang Jue!
My God, Chu Yang thought, thoroughly dazed. This isn’t just regular transmigration… I transmigrated into a fucking book! And of course, it had to be ‘Apocalypse Overlord’, a novel I barely even started! Did I become some nameless background extra?!
As this realization set in, the way Chu Yang looked at Jiang Jue fundamentally changed. The initial fear, awkwardness, and anxiety were instantly replaced by an indescribable wave of excitement. His eyes practically glowed with greed. Sitting right in front of him was the living, breathing protagonist of an apocalyptic power fantasy!
This was the ultimate golden ticket—a man destined to stand at the absolute pinnacle of power! He was a walking immunity idol and a lifelong meal ticket!
If he stuck with the protagonist, would he ever have to worry about starving? Would he ever be chased down the street by zombies like a stray dog again? Absolutely not! Basking in the protagonist’s plot armor, even without his own cheat skills, his chances of survival would skyrocket!
Wild joy exploded in Chu Yang’s heart. Hahaha! The heavens have finally blessed me! They literally dropped the thickest, most overpowered lifeline right into my lap! I’d be an idiot not to latch onto it for dear life!
He made a silent vow right then and there: from this day forward, he, Chu Yang, would be Big Brother Jiang’s most loyal, capable, and observant number-one lackey! Pouring tea, massaging shoulders, charging into the front lines—he would do it all! Nobody was going to steal this position from him!
With that in mind, he quickly cast a critical eye over Wang Rui, Zhao Dayong, and Li Wen.
Hmm. They might be Jiang Jue’s early teammates, but they’re definitely just cannon fodder. The novel hadn’t even mentioned their names in the early chapters, which meant they probably weren’t going to live very long. By that logic, Chu Yang was essentially one of the protagonist’s very first true subordinates. Not a bad starting point at all!
Instantly switching into full sycophant mode, Chu Yang plastered a bright, fawning smile on his face and trotted over to Jiang Jue’s side. “Brother Jiang, you’ve really worked hard today! Slaying zombies, leading the way—you must be exhausted, right? I used to give massages to my dog, Dahuang, and my technique is top-notch! He used to groan in comfort! How about I loosen up those stiff muscles for you? I guarantee you’ll feel completely refreshed!”
Jiang Jue didn’t even blink. Slowly wiping his blade, he coldly spat out two words: “No need.”
Chu Yang had just thrown himself at a brick wall, but he wasn’t discouraged in the slightest. On the contrary, he figured a true boss should have this unapproachable, icy vibe. If Jiang Jue were too friendly, it wouldn’t feel right.
His eyes darted around, and he remembered the candies he had scavenged from the convenience store earlier. Turning his back to the others, he stealthily sorted through his pockets. He pushed the cheap, mediocre fruit candies deep down into his pants and pulled out the two premium White Rabbit creamy candies.
Presenting them to Jiang Jue with both hands, he smiled brightly. “Brother Jiang, these are for you! Have a little sugar to wet your throat. You took down so many zombies today, you must be parched!”
Jiang Jue set his cleaning cloth down. His gaze didn’t linger on the candies for even half a second. He delivered the exact same two words, crisp and carrying an undeniable air of refusal: “No need.”
The bright smile on Chu Yang’s face faltered, and a pang of disappointment hit him. But he quickly rallied his spirits. It’s fine, it’s fine. Big shots always have quirky tempers. He’s just playing hard to get! Once he gets used to me, he’ll definitely see my worth… Yeah, I just need to take it slow!
Sometime in the middle of the night, Chu Yang was awakened by a pressing need to use the bathroom.
He groggily pushed himself up, his head feeling strangely heavy. By the faint moonlight filtering through the window, he glanced at the three closed bedroom doors. It seemed the others all had their own rooms, while he, the outsider, was left to sleep on the hard living room floor.
Sighing helplessly, he pulled his thin clothes tighter around himself and stumbled toward the bathroom.
After relieving himself, he felt much better. Standing in front of the sink, he instinctively reached out to turn on the faucet. He twisted the knob a few times before remembering that the city’s water supply had been cut off for days. Frowning in annoyance, he let go.
As he looked up, his gaze caught his reflection in the wall mirror. Though the glass was filmed with dust, the figure staring back was perfectly clear.
Despite the smudges of dirt and faint scratches on the young man’s face, his features were strikingly delicate. He had deep double eyelids, large, bright eyes, a neat, straight nose, and perfectly shaped lips with a natural rosy tint. If it weren’t for his mud-caked sportswear—which was so filthy its original color was a mystery—and hair that looked like a bird’s nest, nobody would believe he was a survivor struggling through a zombie apocalypse.
What shocked Chu Yang the most, however, was how much this body resembled his original self. The facial structure was almost identical, like looking at an alternate universe version of himself. Yet, the “Chu Yang” of this world was far more refined, with pale, flawless skin, as if someone had applied a permanent beauty filter over him.
“Tsk,” Chu Yang murmured, rubbing his chin as he admired himself from different angles. His tone was an odd mix of narcissism and disdain. “The foundation is solid—maybe just a fraction more handsome than my real body. But it’s way too pretty-boy. There’s zero masculinity here! Spindly arms, chicken legs… no wonder I couldn’t even dent a zombie! I’m a complete weakling with a combat power of five! I’m going to have to start working out; otherwise, how will I ever be worthy of standing beside Big Brother Jiang as his right-hand man?”
Just as he was getting lost in his vanity and self-critique, a violent bang-bang echoed from the door. It was Wang Rui, and he was pounding so hard it sounded like he wanted to break the hinges.
“Chu Yang! Did you fucking die in there? Hurry it up! Stop dawdling, I need to piss!”
“I’m coming, I’m coming! What’s the rush? You sound like you’re calling a ghost!” Chu Yang snapped back, his train of thought ruined as irritation flared in his chest.
Thinking about how this bleached-blond punk had been picking on him since the moment they met, the pathetic scoop of noodles he had been given, and the sheer arrogance the guy displayed now, Chu Yang felt his temper rising. If he was going to latch onto Jiang Jue, he’d inevitably have to deal with these so-called “teammates” long-term. Being a complete pushover wasn’t going to work; he had to show some spine. Otherwise, they would just bully him to death.
He yanked the door open and glared at Wang Rui. The guy was practically dancing on the spot, his legs crossed and his face twisted in desperate urgency.
Chu Yang didn’t hold back. “Can’t a guy even take a piss in peace? Is your bladder a broken funnel? Can you really not hold it for two damn minutes?”
Wang Rui choked on his words, his expression turning downright ugly. He glared viciously at Chu Yang and hissed, “You little brat, just you wait. Don’t think you can act tough just because Brother Jiang threw you a bone!”
“Wait for what? Are you going to treat me to a midnight snack?” Chu Yang rolled his eyes unapologetically. “You’re a weird guy, you know that? It’s the middle of the night and instead of sleeping, you’re hovering outside the bathroom door waiting for me. Do you have some kind of special hobby?”
“You—!” Wang Rui’s face shifted from green to pale white. His chest heaved with fury, but his bladder was screaming, leaving him no time to argue. Gritting his teeth, he shoved Chu Yang aside, bolted into the bathroom, and slammed the door shut with a thunderous bang, clearly trying to vent his rage on the hinges.
Chu Yang let out a cold snort at the closed door, feeling vastly satisfied with himself, and slowly strolled back to his corner in the living room.
However, the moment he sat down, a violent shiver wracked his body. He instinctively pulled his thin clothes tighter around himself. It was strange. It was supposed to be the dead of summer; even with the rain outside, it shouldn’t be freezing indoors.
A deep, unnatural chill seemed to seep straight from his bone marrow, spreading through his bloodstream until his entire body felt like ice. His teeth began to chatter uncontrollably, and goosebumps erupted across his skin.
Worse, his head was growing incredibly heavy, as if filled with lead. A sharp throbbing pain pulsed at his temples, his vision started to spin and darken at the edges, and the drumming of the rain outside gradually faded into a muffled hum.
“What’s going on… is it the weather? Or was there something wrong with those noodles?” Chu Yang muttered. His voice was already growing weak and breathy, and his eyelids felt too heavy to keep open. “No, that can’t be right… Brother Jiang and the others ate them too, and they’re perfectly fine…”
Before he could finish the thought, a wave of intense dizziness crashed over him. The world violently spun out of focus, his vision went completely black, and his body slumped limply against the floor.
Right before he plunged into absolute darkness, a final, desperate thought flickered through his fading consciousness: It’s over… I didn’t just find my golden ticket only to get killed off immediately, did I? Brother Jiang… save me…
![The Max-Level Boss Just Wants to Be a Slacker [Apocalypse]](https://i3.wp.com/panda-translations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20250902175028_300_420.jpg?resize=151,215 "The Max-Level Boss Just Wants to Be a Slacker [Apocalypse]")