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The unbelievable scenes unfolding before him had dealt the greatest possible blow to Cao Ziqian's understanding of reality.

But he had weathered many storms and still cared about the children at home. He did not want to end up like Jin Zifu, yet what exactly was he supposed to do?

"Don't be nervous." Luo Qiu spoke slowly. "My transaction was only with your father-in-law. It has nothing to do with you."

Cao Ziqian steadied himself and looked at Jin Zifu, who lay motionless on the floor. He did not know what the transaction the two of them had been discussing was specifically about. He only knew that he had encountered something utterly absurd.

"My dad... Jin Zifu, he's... d-dead?" Cao Ziqian asked nervously.

Maid answered on his behalf. "No. Mr. Jin is only asleep."

"Asleep..."

Maid nodded and smiled. "Yes, asleep. It's just that this sleep will last thirty-three years, one month, and fifteen days. After he wakes up, Mr. Jin will still be able to enjoy the time remaining to him."

"How could..."

Cao Ziqian wanted to refuse to believe those words. Yet every unbelievable scene that had just occurred told him without exception that they were real.

After a moment of silence, Cao Ziqian suddenly looked at Luo Qiu. "I don't know you... so why did you help me?"

If Jin Zifu remained unconscious for thirty-three years, there was no way he could open the document bag thrown in front of him. Even if Jin Zifu had technically retrieved the documents, Cao Ziqian could still easily take them back.

Not only had Luo Qiu brought him back to his senses in time, preventing him from making a terrible mistake out of impulse, he had also solved Jin Zifu's problem. From another perspective, Cao Ziqian had clearly gained the most from this.

Luo Qiu looked at Jin Zifu, still motionless on the floor, and suddenly said, "This afternoon, I went to the developer who planned to work with you on developing the factory site. Although they intend to build a luxury residential district there, they also plan to construct two ordinary western-style apartment buildings and allocate them to the veteran workers who have served at the factory for many years."

Luo Qiu smiled. "From now on, stay with your children and live well. The money from selling the land and liquidating the factory will be enough to repay your bank debt."

Cao Ziqian suddenly felt a pang of sorrow.

He stared blankly at the mysterious young man, his throat instantly tightening with emotion.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Luo Qiu walked over to Cao Ziqian and raised the Black Card in his hand.

At that moment, the vanished markings drifted across both the front and back of the Black Card. Under Cao Ziqian's puzzled gaze, Luo Qiu directly slipped the Black Card into the pocket of Cao Ziqian's suit.

He spoke softly.

"When you need something, you can use it to find us." Luo Qiu spoke softly. "With it, you are a member of Trafford Buyers Club."

"Whatever you need, we can provide. Dreams, wealth, wisdom, a lover, health... or even lifespan. As long as you can provide enough transaction currency. One last thing: our transaction currency isn't money."

"Then, we look forward to your visit."

As he spoke, Luo Qiu retreated backward, disappearing from Cao Ziqian's sight bit by bit. Wrapped around him, Maid also gradually faded away.

"Wait! What's your name?" Cao Ziqian instinctively tried to hold him back for a moment. "How did you know I wanted to celebrate my child's birthday?"

But Luo Qiu and Maid had already vanished into thin air.

Cao Ziqian felt utterly drained and collapsed straight onto the floor, realizing that his back had been soaked with sweat from the tension and fear.

Just then, the space before Cao Ziqian suddenly shifted, and Luo Qiu appeared before him once more.

It gave him quite a fright.

But Luo Qiu said nothing. He merely turned around the desk calendar sitting on the office desk, smiled faintly, and then vanished again.

This time, he had truly left.

Cao Ziqian stood dazed, staring blankly at the desk calendar. One of the dates had been circled with a large red ring, and beside it were the two words, "Gift."

He could not help bursting into tears.

Following the method Maid had described, Luo Qiu walked to the altar on the club's third basement level.

He spread his hands before the altar. A mass of grayish mist gradually formed between his palms, then slowly drifted into the altar.

Nothing special happened. Like something dispersing naturally, the grayish mist simply vanished before Luo Qiu's eyes.

But just then, he heard a voice echoing inside his mind.

"Sacrifice complete. Lifespan increased by thirty days."

Perhaps it was not a voice... but information flowing into his mind.

As for the hourglass he had deliberately brought there, the sand in its upper half seemed to have increased, while the speed at which it fell had also slowed.

He would not die of illness, would not be shot, and would not even grow old.

If anything could hurt him, then it was probably only the moment when all the sand in the hourglass had fallen.

After waiting for a while, the altar still showed no change. Luo Qiu scratched his head. "I exchanged thirty-three years of Jin Zifu's life for thirty days of my lifespan... What a rip-off."

"That was life, not his original lifespan. Naturally, its quality isn't as high." Maid exposed the truth with a single sentence. "Besides, the previous club owners never used all the transaction currency for sacrifices. They kept part of it."

"..."

"It'll all work out."

Luo Qiu took a deep breath. He had no intention of blaming the maid doll for this belated reminder. Instead, he suddenly realized, "No wonder there are so many strange things in here. Could the previous bosses have skimmed them off?"

Maid nodded.

Luo Qiu did not want to remain in front of the gloomy altar any longer, so he led Maid back to the shop. He suddenly stretched and said, "Maid, can you make lion's-head meatballs in brown sauce? I haven't eaten anything for most of the day, and I'm starving."

Maid nodded. "I studied this country's cuisine in the past, and I still remember how to make it. Maid will prepare it for her Master at once."

"It'll be slower if you do it alone. I'll help, too." Luo Qiu smiled. "And from now on, I'll be counting on you."

Her beautiful, deep-blue eyes, like gemstones, seemed to flicker. Maid gently nodded.

Late at night.

The bustling commercial street had already quieted down.

Only the homeless people on the streets, or those who had drunk themselves senseless and lost their way, remained—some sleeping where they were, others staggering along.

But they did not notice the extremely old European streetlamp shining on the dim street, nor the sign hanging on the ancient wooden door, bearing the word OPEN.

Legend had it that only those who were in need could see it.

So, when you saw the streetlamp before its door flickering, did you... have something you needed?

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P.S. A chapter will be posted after midnight tonight. If any esteemed gentlemen are still awake, please cast a recommendation vote.