Wang Xiaoxiao was a shut-in, the kind of person who preferred staying home to surf the web or watch TV. Unless absolutely forced, he wouldn't venture out. Because of this lifestyle, he hadn't managed to secure a girlfriend, and being currently unemployed only made the prospect of finding one even slimmer.

Though Wang Xiaoxiao was quite exhausted after a day of running around, sexual desire held a stronger pull for him. So, after filling the bathtub in the washroom, he pressed himself against the wall, listening intently to the moans coming from the woman next door. He even let some drool slip out as he listened. After hanging there for four or five minutes, he actually succumbed to his fatigue and fell asleep right there against the wall—a feat one had to admire, managing to sleep motionless while pressed against the plaster.

The man slept, but the water in the 'Gentleman's Clear Bathroom' continued to run unchecked. Ten minutes later, the water had spilled over from the tub and flooded into the room. Unluckily, the drain in the washroom appeared to be blocked, so the water could only surge endlessly into the room, flowing past the furniture, the coffee table, the dining table, the bed, and finally the standing air conditioner unit.

With a faint hiss, the standing air conditioner, having taken on water, seemed to short circuit. A thin wisp of bluish smoke began to rise from the unit, and the water on the floor became energized, slowly creeping toward Wang Xiaoxiao leaning against the wall.

Just then, a sharp thud echoed from the adjacent room, instantly jolting the half-asleep Wang Xiaoxiao awake. The passionate encounter next door had concluded, but the man and the woman seemed to have erupted into an argument, likely over payment for the services rendered. Their voices grew louder and louder; they were so audible now that he didn't even need to press himself against the wall to hear them clearly.

Wang Xiaoxiao immediately felt bored and finally turned his head, intending to head toward his own washroom. But the moment he turned, he froze. The entire room was filled with bluish smoke. That wasn't the worst of it; a stream of water was flowing across the carpet toward him. Wherever this water passed over the carpet, sparks flew, making it look as if the water itself was charged with electricity. Wang Xiaoxiao was utterly stunned.

Precisely because he was a shut-in, he had more opportunity to consume foreign horror films, and naturally, he had watched the classic Final Destination trilogy. Thus, at this moment, he instantly knew that the Grim Reaper had set its sights on him; the water must certainly be electrified. The only thing left for him to do was run.

Wang Xiaoxiao bolted toward the main door, yanking hard on the handle. But the cursed lock was jammed at this crucial moment; no matter how much he twisted, he couldn't open the door. To make matters worse, the loud argument from the next room was escalating, making it impossible for his own shouts to carry far enough—that other place was where Zheng Zha and the others were staying. Wang Xiaoxiao had taken a solitary room outside, and with the noise from the 'Gentleman's Clear Bathroom' erupting at the worst possible time, no matter how much he thrashed about, nobody would hear him.

Wang Xiaoxiao was frantic. He battered the door with his fists, but the heavy wood remained utterly unmoving, and the water was drawing steadily closer. Out of options, he lunged toward the window, only to be astonished: even this window was securely locked, just like the door, completely refusing to open. "Damn it! Am I going to die being choked by my own piss?"

A desperate resolve hardened Wang Xiaoxiao's heart. He grabbed a chair and began smashing the windowpane repeatedly. After several strikes, the cursed glass shattered. He then leaped out just as the water flow reached him, landing precariously on the ledge made by the broken window.

This window faced the main street, where a sparse scattering of vehicles drove by. Most seemed to be long-haul semi-trucks. Wang Xiaoxiao swallowed hard, looking down. He was on the second floor; a drop of a few meters certainly wouldn't kill him. The water flow behind him couldn't possibly reach the height of the windowsill. He hesitated, and in that brief pause, the smoke from the standing air conditioner grew denser and darker. What began as thin blue wisps had turned into thick black fumes, and sparks began to flicker intermittently, making it look poised to explode.

Wang Xiaoxiao gritted his teeth and finally decided to jump down. But the moment he made the decision, the air conditioner behind him detonated violently. The blast wave felt like a massive hand shoving him, pushing Wang Xiaoxiao out through the window opening and directly toward the street below. Still, such a short drop shouldn't kill a man, and only then did Wang Xiaoxiao finally let out a breath of relief. "Damn it, this goddamn—"

Before Wang Xiaoxiao could finish his curse, he landed on the street. Simultaneously, a large truck roared past. With a loud smack, its massive tire swallowed him whole. "Died so horribly, crushed into absolute pulp; his features are utterly unrecognizable. But I’m curious, how on earth did he jump from nearly ten meters away to land right here?"

A Caucasian police officer murmured to his colleague.

The other officer added, looking around curiously, "The information we got from the boss is that he was apparently an illegal immigrant living in the room where the AC unit exploded. But how did he jump from the second floor directly to this spot? I'm very curious about that too. Even an Olympic champion couldn't manage that, unless he took a running start from the second floor before leaping."

The Caucasian officer stood up. "What about the other details? Did this man call for a woman yesterday? Get that woman in here to ask some questions."

The second officer replied, "No, the bar owner said he only rents rooms by the hour and doesn't involve himself in anything else. However, the couple next door yesterday did provide some clues. They said while they were arguing, they suddenly heard faint sounds of breaking glass from the adjoining room. They didn't pay much attention, but after their argument finished, they heard a loud bang, like something exploding. Maybe they heard an air welding torch?"

The Caucasian officer sighed. "Yesterday, I received a tip that some foreign criminal syndicate might be seeking arms dealers, and this syndicate seems connected to Asians. I hope this guy isn't one of them. If it was a gang shootout, staging it to look like being run over by a truck is certainly an original tactic. In any case, tell everyone to stay alert recently, and quickly gather any potential leads! Tell our informants to bring in information on that new hostile group; I want a word with them!"

Meanwhile, Zheng Zha and the others were having lunch at a French restaurant not far from the bar. Although it was only just past eleven, the pressure from the police forced them to leave the hotel early.

In reality, none of them had slept well. After Wang Xiaoxiao's incident, they had been forced to evacuate the hourly motel and found a secluded clearing nearby to rest briefly. Having witnessed the gruesome end of Wang Xiaoxiao firsthand, they all felt sick, and the sensation of impending death grew stronger. Every one of them felt heavy-hearted. Under those circumstances, anyone who could sleep soundly would truly be deserving of awe.

Out of necessity, the group decided to take care of eating first. Fortunately, Zheng Zha had managed to secure several thousand US dollars in cash from the bar owner, so they weren't worried about running out of food in the short term. They chose this French restaurant for two reasons: first, none of them were in the mood for fast food; second, it offered a clear view of the road outside the bar, making it convenient for them to monitor the police presence at any time.

"Just like that, he died? How did the Grim Reaper manage that?" Old Li muttered, his face etched with terror, sitting by the table.

The food hadn't arrived yet, and because of Wang Xiaoxiao's death, no one felt like speaking, but Old Li was the first to break the silence.

Zheng Zha sighed heavily. "It must be coincidence—a chain of coincidences led to his death. Damn it, this is only the second day, and we’ve already lost three people. No, I should have died too; if that attack had been aimed at an ordinary person, they would certainly have died. Can the Reaper distinguish us as members of the Reincarnation Squad? Is it targeting us so deliberately?"

Wang Xia recited quietly, "Before we left, I checked his room. There was definitely no sign of an outsider tampering with anything. Besides the air conditioner explosion, there was a lot of water on the floor, but the washroom was normal; there was no sign of a clogged drain whatsoever. I just can't figure out where that water came from..."

Huang Lilin shook her head. "That’s what makes the Final Destination concept so terrifying: anything can happen. Any tiny, minuscule detail can result in a person’s death, and afterward, you never even know how they died. Thinking about it is horrifying. I’d rather kill myself than end up as that kind of paste!"

Zheng Zha said, "Perhaps you won't even have the right to kill yourself. The Reaper won't let you seek your own demise. If it were the original plot, it would be simpler; I’d just need to kill someone who shouldn't die. I don't believe the Reaper could stop me from killing that person! But unfortunately, the plot seems to have changed. From sequential killing to this chaotic sequence, I no longer know which one of us is going to face peril next."

Just then, a dozen motorcycles appeared in their view out the window. The riders were the gang leader and his crew whom Zheng Zha had met yesterday. They were driving brazenly toward the bar. The police seemed very interested in them; several officers had already moved to surround them. Simultaneously, Zheng Zha stood up and walked toward the restaurant entrance.

"I’m going to meet them. They should have brought what I asked for. I hope they don't disappoint me. I just hope those damned American cops don't bother me..."