Wan Jie Hospice Care Company

"Okay," the masked man readily agreed, "but there's no precedent for it."

"No precedent? Have you done this before?"

"Many reincarnators from the Main God Space have done this." The masked man picked up his teacup and gently blew away the steam from the water. "But unfortunately, none of them could do it. If they could, we wouldn't be needed."

He put down his teacup, a hint of mockery in his voice: "If there really were a panacea that could cure all diseases... then what would be the point of hospice care companies?"

"I get it... We're here to clean up the messes for those reincarnators." Xiang Yu pursed his lips.

"No, quite the opposite. What we need to do is what they can't do. They're the ones cleaning up our messes... Times are changing, the old ways don't work anymore, and some worlds are destined to perish."

"So... should I just destroy the world I have now?"

"Actually, I suggest you keep it for now. Since you've temporarily freed it from the strange corruption, it's safe for the time being. You can also use the power of this world to support your own strength." The masked man leaned forward slightly, his fingers interlaced on the desk. "However, when it's corrupted again, I hope you can destroy this world without hesitation."

"No problem, it's not difficult." After a long silence, Xiang Yu slowly said, "Why me?"

"You mean...why did we choose you?"

"Um."

The masked man smiled: "Coincidence."

"A coincidence? So hasty?"

"That was indeed hasty." The masked man did not deny it. He stood up, walked to the French windows, and looked out at the lights of thousands of homes with his back to Xiang Yu. "But time has its rules. I believe that the person who controls time will give us the best arrangement... Everything is the best arrangement. The first person I saw that day was you, so you are our choice."

He turned around, his mask gleaming coldly in the neon lights: "That day you wrote a dying list, then happened to see our post on GG, and decided to try your luck by contacting us... How lucky you are."

Xiang Yu raised an eyebrow: "But what you're saying doesn't make sense. According to your logic, everything is just luck, and there's always a cause and effect and a reason for what people do."

"Yes, everything is a matter of luck," the masked man said. "Including the fact that you were able to speak with me. You have to understand, the age of this universe is 13.8 billion years, while the life of an ordinary human is only a few decades. For two people to meet on a time scale, even if they are just living in the same era, is, from a probability point of view, an almost impossible event."

"Isn't this lucky?"

"...You're being too cryptic." Xiang Yu quickly stopped the other person's barrage of questions. "So I came here simply because I'm unlucky?"

"That was indeed the case at first, but after our observation, you are indeed special... As soon as you arrived in that world, you were able to quickly adapt to the way of life there. You are also talented enough in terms of survival, social interaction, and combat. With the help of the system, you are even more at ease. You can think rationally when facing terrifying and bizarre things and have never broken down."

"Is it possible that because I have a disease and will die sooner or later, I am not afraid of dying?" Xiang Yu said.

"I've seen many dying people, but most of them are very despondent. They spend their days in fear, unlike you who are indifferent to life and death."

The masked man paused for a moment: "After working in this industry that deals with the dead for a long time, you'll realize one thing—when people are fighting desperately for survival, everything else can be abandoned. Dignity, family, friendship, love—they all become burdens."

"..."

Xiang Yu stopped talking, feeling that the other person had already accepted him.

After a brief silence, the masked man spoke again: "By the way, I presume... you've seen Zhulong this time, haven't you?"

Xiang Yu was startled, and this time he sat up straight: "You really do know about that."

"...Yes, rather, it would be more accurate to say that Li He's slaying of the Candle Dragon was the root of all evil." The masked man sighed. "That one strike caused far too many problems..."

"So what exactly happened?"

"You should have learned one thing in your previous world... knowing too much can lead to unnecessary consequences." The masked man pulled out a red thread from somewhere. "Don't look back."

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, but if you know too much, you'll end up like me, sitting here like a living dead." The masked man sighed; this was the first time Xiang Yu had seen such a dejected expression on his face. "And you, you still have the freedom to travel between different worlds."

Xiang Yu understood; when Ai Bowu asked him about the strange rules, he had given the same answer.

"But wasn't Li He just a poet? I only remember him being from the Tang Dynasty, so how could he have killed the Candle Dragon?"

"..."

The masked man smiled without saying a word.

"Fine, there's no point in asking you now... Can I leave now?" Xiang Yu stood up.

"Wait a minute, this is for you."

Just as Xiang Yu turned away, the masked man suddenly spoke, handing him a card. The card had a faint metallic sheen and looked to be of extraordinary quality.

Xiang Yu took the strange card, glanced at it casually, and, feeling something was off, asked, "What's this?"

"Have you forgotten? I promised you that we could all help you fulfill your dying wish list." The masked man took out a piece of paper from the drawer. It was the dying wish list that Xiang Yu had printed out. The paper was slightly curled, and the first wish at the top—"to squander money without any worries"—had been crossed out in red.

"There are two million in this card." The masked man put the list back in the drawer. "While it's not exactly financial freedom, it's enough for you to enjoy yourself before your next mission. You can use this money for food, drinks, and entertainment, or you can use it to prepare for the next world—you can bring a certain number of modern items with you next time."

"Wait, so I can really go to the moon? Well... I'd prefer to go to Jupiter. Can you think about it and let me go there later..."

The masked man leaned back in his chair, not answering Xiang Yu, but disappearing into the shadows behind his desk: "Alright, now you can go... Now, enjoy life!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiang Yu felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. The expensive carpets, exquisite tea sets, and luxurious floor-to-ceiling windows in the office all seemed like a watercolor painting being washed away by water, the colors quickly spreading and then collapsing.

When he opened his eyes again, the sandalwood fragrance that had been lingering around his nose had disappeared, replaced by familiar air filled with the smells of car exhaust and barbecue fumes.

He stood at the crossroads, the traffic flowing before him, the glow of the traffic lights casting shadows on the faces of the hurried crowd.

He looked down at his hands, then touched the cold black metal card in his pocket.

He returned to his own world.