Chapter One: If There Is Another Life, I Shall Not Betray Heaven

Page 1 of 3 Second Parallel Universe – Earth

A deafening thunderclap, accompanied by a blinding flash of lightning, tore through the sky. Torrential rain washed over a city steeped in sin, as fierce winds raged alongside the downpour, weaving recklessly among the towering skyscrapers.

“A severe storm, codenamed ‘Thunder Roar’, has struck our city. We urge all citizens to remain indoors and beware of—” The live reporter’s words were abruptly cut off. Terror etched across her face, she pointed to the right of the camera. The cameraman turned, and the burning figure appeared before the lens. Despite the inferno engulfing him, his arms, legs, and a face twisted in agony were still visible. The burning man flailed desperately toward the crowd, seeking salvation.

“I am… the eldest son… of the Prestige Corporation… Save me, I’ll give you… as much money as you want!” His voice was hoarse and wracked with pain, every word distorted by agony.

Yet none among the crowd dared approach. Everyone had heard of the infamous deeds of Wei Hai, the Prestige Corporation’s heir; among the onlookers were even those he had harmed.

Wei Hai’s crimes were countless—rape was a routine affair for him. After every incident, either money silenced the matter or the victim mysteriously vanished, only for a corpse to be found later. If no one reported it, the body would be left to rot in the wilderness.

Would anyone save such a man? Even for money, it would be suicide. The flames consuming Wei Hai could no longer be extinguished; even with a fire extinguisher, he was doomed. And should he die, his father was not one to take things lightly.

As the crowd grew, a sinister black vortex suddenly appeared beneath Wei Hai’s feet, exuding a strange and eerie aura. Before anyone could react, he was sucked into the vortex and vanished without a trace, the anomaly disappearing with him.

Similar black vortexes appeared across the world and throughout parallel universes. No one could explain their existence—save for one…

“Stop right there, kid! Get back here!” In that very city, at that very moment, a different story was unfolding. Our protagonist, Chen Ling, was being chased by a group of gamblers wielding machetes.

Chen Ling was once the world’s greatest gambler. Betrayed by his closest friend, he fell from grace… At the 48th World Gambling Championship, Chen Ling entered the finals without suspense. His opponent, the reigning champion, Grey One, challenged him to a wager: the loser would sever the ring finger of his right hand.

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Without hesitation, Chen Ling accepted. Having claimed the gambling throne for three consecutive years, he no longer bore the naïveté he had at eighteen, when he won his first title. But, as with all who linger too long at the summit, the best parts of himself had faded away.

To everyone’s surprise, Chen Ling lost. He had always heeded his master’s teachings: for a gambler, falling in love or becoming infatuated with a woman was a fatal taboo—without exception. Since winning his first championship, countless women had thrown themselves at him daily. He never refused, but he never made promises nor spoke more than thirty words to any of them.

Yet it was his most trusted friend who betrayed him—utterly. After he and Grey One made their wager, they played a ten-minute face-down match. Trusting his brother to read his cards for him, Chen Ling ignored his master’s stern warning: the moment of revealing your cards is the most crucial in determining the fate of both you and your opponent—you must, absolutely must, look at your own cards. In my eyes, leaving this moment to someone else is a grave mistake.

The “Sleight of Heaven” move, switching one card for another, seems simple but has foiled many gamblers. For someone who had spent three years at the champion’s side, unless he was a fool, this technique was second nature.

Chen Ling never imagined that his goodwill toward his brother would become the very means of his downfall. Fate is cruel.

When he saw the card had been switched, everything became clear. He honored the wager and severed his own right ring finger. Chen Ling was finished—a gambler without a ring finger is like a fish out of water. Ninety-nine percent of gambling techniques require the ring finger; without it, a gambling king is reduced to a cripple among gamblers.

The friends who once called him brother vanished, and he, having misread his master’s warning, now understood: a gambler must not become addicted to wealth. Though he still had three hundred million in savings, a fortune to most, the prize for each championship had been two billion. He never cared where his money went.

Now, he realized his master’s intention: addiction does not mean you need nothing, but that you must not treat money as your lifeblood. Too late now.

The night he was cast out of the Champion’s Villa, rain fell once more. Lightning split the sky, and amidst the roaring traffic, no one cared for the man sprawled on the ground, weeping and laughing madly. A beautiful young woman in white passed by, intent on helping him, but her companion, a girl in red, grabbed her arm and urged, “Leave him be! Let’s go!”

“But… he might die…” the girl in white pleaded, tears in her voice.

“His life or death is none of your business! Don’t invite trouble!”

“But…” she tried to explain, but her friend dragged her away.

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They were only passersby. Chen Ling glanced at the girl being pulled away, feeling a strange flutter in his chest, but as she disappeared, he could only comfort himself. How laughable! My talent brought me glory, my arrogance led to ruin. How pathetic…

To the passing cars and pedestrians, he was just a madman railing at fate, never suspecting he was a three-time champion in agony and repentance.

If there is a next life, I will not be myself again! Ahhh! Chen Ling screamed into the night, his madness answered only by thunder and an even fiercer storm.

At that moment… “Xiaowei! No, I can’t! I have to go back and check!” The girl in white who had been dragged away suddenly dropped her umbrella and ran back through the storm.

“Xiaolan! Xiaolan, you…” the girl in red called after her in vain, watching as her friend was swallowed by the tempest.

The girl in white returned to find Chen Ling still there, unscathed. A wave of relief washed over her. Thank goodness he’s safe…

“Hey! Are you still crying? You’re a grown man, wailing like a child—shame on you!”

Hearing the mockery behind him, Chen Ling turned to explain, only to recognize the girl who had tried to help him. The words caught in his throat. “You’re right, I…”

But before he could finish, the girl ran over.

The storm was so fierce it blinded the drivers and blocked her way across the street. Suddenly—clang! Crimson blood bloomed on white clothes, like a solitary plum blossom in the snow—stunningly beautiful and heartbreakingly tragic. The girl fell onto the road, ripples spreading around her, beauty so poignant it made one ache.

Through her pain, the girl cried out to Chen Ling, “Run…”

Chen Ling spun around. Three men in black locked eyes with him. Seeing the murderous look in Chen Ling’s eyes, the three shuddered, misery etched on their faces. They nodded to each other, fired three shots into the air, and retreated.

Chen Ling knew these men well. After leaving his master, he had journeyed the gambling world, befriending these three, and together they had sworn to achieve glory as one.