Dying on the same day (two-in-one)

"Young master, we've arrived at the Apartment ahead."

Las Vegas is located at a low latitude and is near the sea, so even in winter, it's not actually that cold outdoors.

Li Hua, wearing a thin, dark red jacket, adjusted his glasses upon hearing his assistant's voice.

Behind the lens, this building, which is supposed to be an "Apartment," is actually just a dilapidated tenement building.

The old exterior walls are covered with mold, and the ground is uneven with puddles of water in the cracked, black tiles.

Looking up, the tangled power lines and clotheslines further shattered the already narrow strip of sky.

Although it was still afternoon, the sky had already darkened by the time we got to this area.

"How did you manage to lend so much money to the people living here?"

Li Hua asked softly.

The young assistant next to him had his hair parted in a 3/7 style and was wearing an expensive suit. Although he spoke Mandarin, you could tell from his accent that he was from Hong Kong.

"Third Young Master, you've got cause and Karma backwards," the assistant said in a lighthearted voice, as if he were telling a joke. "It's precisely because we lent him the money that he's living in a place like this."

"His debts are definitely in deep trouble now... but if you, Third Young Master, were to step in, perhaps you could find a way to make him pay them back."

Hearing his assistant's relaxed tone, Li Hua frowned slightly. "I'm not here to collect debts for my family; I'm just here to conduct an inspection."

"I had already reviewed his basic information and accounts before I came."

Hearing this, the assistant's tone became slightly more serious. "Oh, is that so... Well, this company isn't really representative, and we've already recovered 30% of the initial loan principal. Plus, most of the money he got was basically wasted on gambling. Even after deducting the commission, he should still be making a profit; it's just that the accounts aren't very clear."

Li Hua didn't say anything, but quickly walked into the building.

Although the old building was dilapidated, it surprisingly had an elevator—but looking at the rusty old elevator doors, Li Hua thought for a moment and decided to take the stairs instead.

Li Hua climbed up the stairs, floor by floor, until he reached the fifth-floor corridor.

He pushed aside the clothes drying in the corridor and walked to the door of the room that was almost at the end of the corridor.

If it weren't for the door number next to it, Li Hua would have almost thought that this equally old iron door was some kind of electrical distribution box.

He looked at his assistant beside him and said, "Go downstairs and wait for me."

The assistant hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, young master, I'm going downstairs for a smoke."

"Please... be careful."

With that, the assistant turned and left.

After watching his assistant leave, Li Hua knocked on the door.

"Knock knock knock!"

The thin iron door rattled, and the wood lacquer and dust on the door frame fell like flying insects with each knock, causing Li Hua to instinctively take a step back and reach out to fan away the flying debris.

There was no response from inside.

Li Hua pressed his ear against the crack in the door and could faintly hear voices coming from inside—he listened carefully and recognized the sound of an animated movie playing on television.

"Bambi..."

That's strange...

If you're pretending to be away from debt collectors, why leave the TV on? At the very least, you should turn it off after hearing a knock at the door.

If you didn't know debt collectors would be coming today, why didn't anyone answer the door after you knocked?

Li Hua pondered for a moment, then walked to the window facing the corridor—the window was covered with paper from the inside, but through the gaps in the poorly sealed edges, one could still glimpse the scene inside.

Through the view at the edge of the window, Li Hua saw what was happening in the living room: it appeared to be a man lying on the floor.

Li Hua frowned.

He remembered that the file mentioned that the man had lost his previous night shift security job because of alcoholism.

From successful business executives to gambling addicts, even those who didn't originally drink are unlikely to develop alcoholism in the process.

Did he get drunk at home in broad daylight?

Should we come back tonight?

Just as Li Hua was pondering, he noticed out of the corner of his eye a light-colored metal plate attached to the bottom inside of the window frame.

Although it was also covered in dust, this metal piece was clearly different from the window frame, which had rusted to a brownish-red color; it was even somewhat eye-catching.

That was a "key".

Spare key.

Li Hua stared at the key for a moment, then finally took his own key from his waist and used the tip of the key to pick out the other key.

He held the rusty key, his handkerchief under his hand, and tried to insert it into the lock of the door.

As expected, the door was opened.

"This should be considered 'trespassing'..."

Li Hua muttered to himself, but it didn't really bother him.

After all, the man living here shouldn't be able to call the police, nor should he have the time or energy to sue me.

So Li Hua pushed open the door and went inside.

The furnishings inside this room are even older than the entire dilapidated house.

Shoes were scattered haphazardly on the floor by the door; several cardboard boxes filled with garbage bags sat against one wall; the wallpaper was covered with supplies; and the floor tiles had blackened, greasy grout lines...

Li Hua's brows furrowed even more—although he hadn't seen them, Li Hua had no doubt that there were at least a dozen cockroaches in the room.

A pungent smell filled the air, making Li Hua feel dizzy after just a couple of sniffs.

He had to temporarily cover his mouth and nose with a handkerchief before he could go further inside.

"Hello, is anyone home?"

Li Hua spoke loudly, stepped through the entryway, and headed towards the living room.

Then he saw the man lying in the living room—his face was up, and his face was flushed.

At first glance, it does seem like he was indeed drunk, but...

Li Hua didn't see any "wine bottles" or "wine cans" on the nearby trash cans or the cluttered coffee table.

He had a vague sense of unease; an unusual and unsafe feeling welled up inside him.

Inside the living room, the bedroom door was ajar— Li Hua opened the door and saw two children lying on the bed.

There was a boy and a girl; the boy was seven or eight years old, and the girl was four or five years old.

They were all lying quietly in bed, without blankets.

This made Li Hua even more uneasy.

Although the temperature is indeed not low now, it's still a bit chilly in this house that doesn't even have heating.

Why don't these two kids even cover themselves with blankets when they sleep?

And why were they just lying so straight on the bed...?

Li Hua walked over quickly and saw a half-empty water glass and an opened medicine box on the bedside table.

Sleeping pills...

Li Hua picked up the medicine box, looked at the name of the medicine, and recognized its effects.

He looked at the two children again, noticing their similarly flushed skin, and suddenly realized something.

"No, no!"

Li Hua put down the handkerchief, gently sniffed the air, and felt her head become even more dizzy.

He finally realized what was happening...

The pungent smell in the air wasn't because the room was inherently smelly, but rather... the smell of a gas leak.

Combining the information from the sleeping pills, Li Hua realized what was happening.

The middle-aged man here wanted to commit suicide along with his two children!

Thinking of this, Li Hua rushed to the kitchen and, sure enough, heard a hissing sound.

Without hesitation, Li Hua immediately went to the bedroom, picked up the little girl, and rushed outside.

After putting the little girl down in the hallway, Li Hua went back into the room, picked up the little boy, and ran quickly outside—but this time, just as Li Hua was about to reach the door, he tripped over a shoe by the door.

"Thump! Clang!"

Li Hua fell heavily to the ground—because he changed his posture in mid-air before falling, the little boy in his arms didn't fall, only his own back and the back of his head hit the ground.

Although the shoes and trash in the cardboard box cushioned the fall, Li Hua was still quite disoriented.

He struggled to his feet, kicked the trash can open with difficulty, and placed the little boy on the floor in the hallway.

Then, Li Hua shook his head and looked into the room again.

He hesitated for a moment, then pushed open the door and went inside.

I was feeling a bit dizzy, unsure whether I had also suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning or if the fall had been too hard.

Li Hua, supporting himself against the wall, returned to the living room as quickly as possible, and then dragged the middle-aged man's heavy body off the floor.

One step, two steps...

This adult man weighs much more than two small children!

Moreover, Li Hua also realized that his consciousness was becoming increasingly blurred.

When we were just a few steps away from the door...

Li Hua's vision went black for a moment, and he almost fainted.

"Oh no... the crash seems more serious than I thought..."

Li Hua muttered to himself, almost falling to the ground again.

But just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

And there was the assistant's shouting.

"Young Master! Young Master! Are you alright?!"

I heard a noise in the stairwell—what's going on with those two kids?

Li Hua shouted out despite his headache.

"I'm fine, I just fell down!"

"Come quick and help me drag this guy out!"

Although this assistant's personality isn't quite to my liking, she's very efficient...

Li Hua thought for a moment and looked towards the doorway.

The footsteps grew closer and closer, until finally...

The figure in the suit appeared.

"Come on, get a ride..."

Just as Li Hua was about to call for help, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Because he saw the flickering light still shining from the other person's fingertips.

"Damn it..."

Li Hua cursed under his breath, and then...

"Boom!"

A violent explosion erupted, followed by a deafening roar and shockwave that completely engulfed Li Hua!

"Call...!"

Li Hua sat up from the hospital bed and let out a long sigh of relief.

He opened his arms and gently rubbed his temples.

Then, looking at the string of numbers that appeared in his field of vision, he couldn't help but mutter to himself...

"It's true..."

The experience I just had, whether it was my own death or that "Death game," was real.

"Ahua, how are you?"

The familiar voice pulled Li Hua back to reality. He looked at the figure standing by the bed and shook his head.

"Big brother, I'm fine, why did you come in person?"

The man, who bore a resemblance to Li Hua but appeared slightly more prosperous, nodded.

"It's good that you're alright. The Doctor told me before you woke up that it's a miracle you were almost unharmed from that explosion, only suffering a mild concussion and being unconscious."

"When my parents first received the news, they were so worried they almost fainted, so of course I had to come see for myself."

Li Hua gently shook his head. "Mom and Dad wouldn't faint so easily..."

"Speaking of which, what about the others?"

Upon hearing Li Hua's words, the older brother frowned slightly. "Kevin? He was thrown down the corridor by the shockwave. His lumbar spine is broken. If he's unlucky, he might spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair."

"The fire department's official announcement hasn't come out yet, but I heard from them that although the family cut off the gas pipe themselves, the direct cause of the explosion was his smoking..."

Li Hua paused for a moment, then said, "It's not his fault. I called him up here. Let's see if he can be cured. If not, we'll transfer him to some clerical position."

The older brother nodded slightly. "Okay, it's not a big problem. You don't need to worry about him saying anything out of line. The family can handle it."

Li Hua didn't reply, but instead asked, "Where are the others?"

"Others?"

After hearing Li Hua's question, the older brother paused for a moment before understanding.

"Oh, you mean that family that owed money... The adult died on the spot, but the two children were okay, with no major external injuries—the building was old, but it was built early, and the walls are quite thick."

"However, they've been poisoned for too long, and their brains are severely oxygen-deprived. They're still receiving oxygen and under observation, and there's a possibility of long-term health problems."

Li Hua nodded. "I understand. Give those two kids in the back some money too."

"Do you have to pay hush money for kids too? What are you so afraid of!"

As his elder brother spoke, Li Hua slowly stood up from the hospital bed.

"It's not hush money, it's humanitarian compensation."

Hearing Li Hua's words, the older brother thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Alright, we'll do it your way."

"Are you able to walk now? Although the Doctor said you're not seriously injured, it's still a concussion..."

Li Hua interrupted his older brother's concerned words, "I'm fine, I'm just going out for some fresh air."

As he spoke, he walked to the door of the ward, wearing a hospital gown.

Although thanks to that "Death game," he suffered the least injuries in the explosion.

But Li Hua is still staying in the most luxurious single room in this hospital.

After all, his family also invested in this hospital.

Li Hua pushed open the ward door and slowly walked down the corridor.

Just as Li Hua was about to reach the door, he heard a commotion. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw several medical staff pushing a stretcher and rushing towards the emergency room.

Because the guy lying on the stretcher was wearing a very beautiful and eye-catching purplish-red suit covered in sequins, Li Hua couldn't help but take a few more glances.

Then, Li Hua looked at the two Doctor who were resting and chatting at the door, and went up to them to ask them a question.

"Excuse me, you two, do you know anything about that person just now?"

When the two Doctor saw Li Hua, the younger one immediately responded enthusiastically.

"Oh, you're asking about the one in the tuxedo? That's the Magician the Royal Casino Hotel hired for their evening show. I heard the Escape act malfunctioned, and he fell and broke his ribs and is bleeding internally."

"But this kid was tough; he insisted on performing the card magic trick from the encore, jumping and talking on stage for an extra twenty minutes..."

"Then, as soon as I stepped off the stage and went backstage, I couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground."

Li Hua was taken aback. "That's really dedicated. What's the Magician's name?"

The younger Doctor was about to speak when the older Doctor raised his hand to stop him, saying, "My colleagues who went to the emergency room said his surname is Shen, but I don't remember his full name. I only remember that he's from the mainland and is quite famous in Sea City, but this is the first time I've heard of him."

"Mr. Li, why are you asking about this?"

Li Hua said, "You look familiar, like I've seen you somewhere before. I didn't expect you to actually be from Sea City... You know me?"

The older Doctor smiled and nodded, "Who here doesn't recognize you, Mr. Li? I've already become the head physician of the department; it wouldn't be appropriate if I didn't recognize my employer."

"Are you interested in that Magician? After he wakes up, I can ask the nurse to get his contact information for you, or I can send someone to tell you directly when he wakes up?"

Li Hua shook his head.

"No need, I was just asking casually."

"We're both in Sea City. If fate allows, we might meet again."

The young Doctor smiled and said, "Yes, you two came to this hospital on the same day. That's quite a coincidence. In ancient terms, wouldn't you say, 'Not necessarily born on the same day, month, or year'? Although you two wouldn't say you 'died on the same day,' coming to the hospital for emergency treatment on the same day is still..."

The older chief Doctor next to him slapped him on the head.

"How can you speak to Mr. Li like that? Say something auspicious!"

Then, the chief Doctor said with a forced smile, "Mr. Li, this is a new intern, a young man, he doesn't speak very tactfully..."

Li Hua waved his hand.

"It's alright, it's alright. I'm not like my older brother; I don't really shy away from this."

Li Hua glanced at the young man who had been slapped and was a little frightened, thought for a moment, and then spoke in a seemingly casual manner.

"That Magician looks quite young and healthy. If I were to die on the same day as him, I guess I'd be lucky."

As he spoke, Li Hua patted the Doctor on the shoulder and then looked towards the end of the corridor.

The emergency operating room door was closed and the lights were on.

I hope he's alright.

Li Hua said.

"Depend on..."

Prison Mountain Realm, in the desolate desert.

Old Zhou, who had been thrown out of the "Magic Space," landed on a pile of gravel on the ground and cursed in a low voice.

After all, although he wasn't quite sure what had just happened, he had inexplicably found himself in the wilderness of the Prison Mountain Realm...

It's highly Qianhuan used some trick to throw him out!

Old Zhou probably foresaw that... Qianhuan was likely in grave danger.

But before Old Zhou could finish his curse, even louder curses came from beside him.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Old Zhou turned his head and saw someone else who had also fallen into the gravel pile...

"Director".

The handsome, even mild-mannered male college student was now openly cursing and kicking the sand on the ground.

Old Zhou paused for a moment, then spoke.

"Director, no matter what happened, please Leng Jing down, okay?"

Lin Yu looked at Old Zhou, exhaled, and pressed his head.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Prisoner, you're right, I should Leng Jing down.

"Li Hua and Qianhuan Huan worked together to get us out, but they themselves are probably in great danger. They haven't left that 'seal'," Lin Yu said to Old Zhou, taking a deep breath. "I was sent away and left that place... The 'Emperor' won't let them get away with this."

Compared to Old Zhou, Lin Yu naturally knows more.

Although everything that just happened occurred in a very short time and involved abilities at the "Heart Domain" level, Lin Yu was restricted by the "Domination" Authority at the time, was still able to clearly understand the methods used by Li Hua and Qianhuan, and clearly realize the final "result".

The result is...

They rescued themselves and Old Zhou and sent them away, but the price was that the two of them had to stay behind and face the "emperor" alone.

Hearing Lin Yu's words, Old Zhou cursed under his breath again, "As expected... they threw us out! Those two bastards...!"

"We have to go back and save them. I can't let them face the 'Emperor' alone like this," Lin Yu said quickly, repeating again, "I have to... save them."

But at this critical moment, Old Zhou Leng Jing down. "You want to go back? No way... Let's not even talk about whether you can go back—even if you did, it wouldn't make a difference!"

Even if Qianhuan and Li Hua are in danger, if you go back now, you'll only be risking your own life!

Lin Yu looked at Old Zhou and spoke.

"I'm different. I have 'Authority,' and with prior preparation, I can handle..."

You can't do it.

Dissenting voices were heard again.

But this time...

It wasn't Old Zhou who rejected Lin Yu's idea.

Instead, it was a blue Projection that appeared in front of Old Zhou.

"Fang Qing Boss?"

Old Zhou said with some surprise.

Fang Qing's Projection whispered, "It's me... Old Zhou, you've suffered an 'Authority' level attack, triggering the 'Remote Assistance Device' I left on you. I'm helping you remove the remaining 'Authority Aura' from your body."

Fang Qing spoke, he looked at Lin Yu and raised his hand.

The power of the Rule manifested within Lin Yu, halting the "spatial fluctuations" emanating from him.

"Director, you can't go back—the 'God of Conquest and Domination' is not an opponent you can handle now."

"Besides... it's too late for you to go now."

Fang Qing paused for a moment after speaking, then continued.

"Gambler Li Hua and Qianhuan... it's too late."

"I can feel it."

Lin Yu looked at Fang Qing, his face expressionless.

"Then I'll give it a try. You think it's 'too late,' but perhaps... it's still not too late for me."

"Do you even want the 'Magician' to live? What good will it do to let me try? Do you really want to see Qianhuan just... die like that?"

Lin Yu spoke, his pace quickening slightly.

"Do you think I care about Qianhuan that much? It's only because..." Zhu Ming promised you that I wanted to save him!

"Aren't you the one... who should care more about whether he lives or dies?"