C1 Change
"Get out if you're broke! What bad luck bringing you here!" Several burly men tossed a man, who had been beaten to within an inch of his life, out of the casino.
He lay on the ground like a dead dog, his body growing numb until he lost all sensation...
His name was Yang Zhiming. He had come to the casino to seek justice for his father but ended up being swindled by the casino's crooked dealers, losing even his underwear in the process.
Now, penniless and unable to repay his debts, Yang Zhiming was beaten severely. His heart was gradually ceasing to beat; it seemed he might not pull through this time...
His own father, in pursuit of wealth, had been consumed by gambling, ultimately leading to ruin and the family's downfall. The deeper he sank, the clearer it became to Yang Zhiming that their troubles stemmed from a lack of money. Therefore, if he were granted another life, he vowed to work tirelessly to amass wealth and become the envy of all as the world's richest man. He had to have money, he absolutely needed it!
When Yang Zhiming came to, he slowly opened his eyes only to find himself in an entirely strange place—a dilapidated little house with a heavy iron door firmly shut, and the raucous noise of a man's shouting coming from outside.
Where was he?
Yang Zhiming felt a complete disconnect from his limbs and body, as if he had lost all control over them. Confused, he looked up and caught sight of a startling reflection in a mirror across the room.
In the mirror was a massive dice, but unlike any ordinary dice, this one had facial features in place of some of its dots, staring back at him in bewilderment.
"What the f*ck is this?!" Yang Zhiming shouted in shock, only to realize that the dice in the mirror was mirroring his own astonishment.
What on earth was happening?
How had he turned into a dice?
As his brain struggled to process this bizarre turn of events, a young girl's melodious voice cut through his confusion.
"Oh my god, the ancient cube is talking!"
Yang Zhiming shifted his gaze and saw a strikingly beautiful young woman with a slender figure and innocent features standing before him.
Your entire family must be ancient cubes!
Before Yang Zhiming could utter a word, the girl started babbling excitedly, "Ancient cube, my family has been worshipping you for a whole decade, and you've finally revealed yourself! Um, my dad is outside getting hassled over a liquor tab. Could you possibly help him out?"
Yang Zhiming was utterly baffled, but he gradually began to grasp the situation. It seemed he had somehow time-traveled, and to top it off, he'd ended up on top of a dice!
Curse the fates, they shouldn't mess with me just because I wanted to be wealthy in my past life!
He swore to himself that he'd steer clear of gambling forever.
With a heavy sigh, Yang Zhiming inquired, "Could you tell me what year it is, and where exactly am I?"
The girl's face beamed with excitement, as if being questioned by an ancient relic was a holy event. She exclaimed, "It's the year 3021, and you're on Mars!"
Yang Zhiming: "..."
Great, he'd time-traveled a whole millennium into the future, and humans were now living on Mars?
Before he could fully process this revelation, the big iron door was violently kicked open. A figure came flying in and crashed onto the table beneath Yang Zhiming with a loud thud.
"Ah, Immortal, watch out!" the girl shouted, disregarding the newcomer as she wrapped her arms protectively around Yang Zhiming.
Still reeling from the shock, Yang Zhiming was suddenly enveloped in softness and a delicate scent.
"Hiss... Is this what it feels like to be in a girl's embrace?" he whispered to himself, his attention quickly shifting to the individuals who had just entered.
Several men strode in through the iron door, wearing bizarre outfits that resembled dance costumes, unfamiliar to Yang Zhiming.
The leader, with a mouth as big as a cavern, flashed two golden front teeth and bellowed, "Damn it, Third Brother Lin, pay back the money you owe us now, or I swear I'll demolish your house today!"
The girl was frantic. She clutched Yang Zhiming close and crouched next to the man who had been thrown in, pleading, "Dad, please get up! They're going to tear down our home. You have to pay them!"
The man on the ground, reeking of alcohol, squinted his eyes and slurred with a flushed face, "No money! No money, but I've got my life!"
"Dad! How can you be like this?" The girl was on the verge of tears from distress.
Yang Zhiming watched the scene unfold with a heavy heart. As an observer, he couldn't help but feel that this drunken father was utterly irresponsible.
He reflected on his own father, who had been consumed by gambling and ultimately lost his life in a casino. Yang Zhiming had sought revenge for his father, never imagining he'd meet a similar fate.
The thought pierced Yang Zhiming's heart with pain. He couldn't bear to let the young girl suffer the same fate as him. It was time for him to step up.
"Hey, Gold Tooth, I'm talking to you! If you've got a problem, take it up with me!" Yang Zhiming called out.
But immediately after he spoke, he regretted it. He had forgotten that he was nothing but a dice at the moment!
Gold Tooth, momentarily taken aback by the voice, glanced at the young girl and then noticed Yang Zhiming. "Well, what do we have here? An ancient cube that can talk? That's worth a fortune!" he exclaimed.
"Go, grab that cube for me."
Gold Tooth's henchmen sprang into action. The girl was unable to defend herself and was kicked to the ground.
"Immortal! Please, no!" she cried out in desperation.
Meanwhile, Yang Zhiming was in Gold Tooth's grasp, being examined closely. "Not bad at all. This ancient cube is in excellent condition, and it talks. There might be some ancient high-tech secrets inside. Selling this could set us up for life!"
Hearing this, Yang Zhiming's face fell. People were now referring to dice as ancient cubes? A thousand years had passed, and dice had become treasures?
"Are you kidding me? You're going to sell me?" Without limbs, Yang Zhiming's only recourse was to spit in Gold Tooth's face.
"Damn it, you're asking for it!" Gold Tooth, wiping the spit off his face, angrily tossed Yang Zhiming into a chest behind him.
Yang Zhiming landed amidst a pile of cash. After a millennium, humans were still using paper currency?
Before he could fully grasp the situation, Yang Zhiming felt an odd sensation. His body and limbs seemed to be gradually returning to him.
Lying in the chest, he watched in awe as his body and limbs evolved, formed from an unknown metal, gleaming with a dark golden sheen.
Could it be... that touching money could restore his body?
Incredulous, Yang Zhiming stared at his newly formed hands, his eyes wide with astonishment and excitement. Only now could he truly consider himself human again.
Without hesitation, Yang Zhiming climbed out of the chest, only to find himself face-to-face with Gold Tooth's minion, who was about to lay hands on the girl.
"Big brother, look at how soft and delicate this girl's skin is. Why don't we take her with us too? Give us a couple of days of entertainment?" The lackey leered as he moved closer to the girl.
Gold Tooth gave a cold snort and replied, "Sure, let's settle the father's debt with the daughter's service. She can work off the money her old man owes us."
Despair filled the girl's eyes as she watched the lackey draw nearer, her father lying beside her in a drunken stupor, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Out of nowhere, the lackey screamed in agony and was sent flying, landing over ten meters away!
Standing protectively in front of the girl was Yang Zhiming, who had recently acquired a new body. He was just now realizing the extent of his newfound strength and speed; a mere shove had propelled the lackey through the air.
"The Ancient Immortal... so cool!" The girl's eyes sparkled as she took in Yang Zhiming's muscular and well-defined physique.
Yang Zhiming then spun around, fixing Gold Tooth with an icy stare. "Who was it that said they wouldn't shed a tear until they saw a coffin?"
