2. By oneself.

The drug lord's armed guards boasted equipment identical to that of the Star Alliance Country's army.

AR-15 standard-issue rifles, full-typical camouflage outfits, and accompanying tactical gear were all available.

To the average person, it would probably be hard to differentiate them from the special forces one has in mind.

Under the broad daylight, the fully-armed guard deployed tactical formations, covering each other, advancing with coordinated moves.

Their lavish gear and trained skills made them look more like the Government Army instead. Meanwhile, the real Government Army crumbled at the slightest touch.

Gunshots rang out loudly in the streets, as if it were a festival. Pleas for mercy, cries before death, rose and fell without end.

Bullets whistled everywhere, shattering and bursting the walls, while Lu Li cowered behind, not daring to show his face.

After a short while, as both groups chased and fled, they grew distant, and the scene quieted down.

Lu Li peeked out cautiously, only to see bodies of Government Army soldiers scattered everywhere, the Drug Lord Guard having already left.

Only then did he stand up; he was not in bad shape except for a loosened prosthesis.

He undid the straps to readjust it and looked toward the little girl selling flowers.

His rescue had been purely an instinctive act.

The little girl was unharmed, her large amber eyes staring longingly at the bodies of the Government Army soldiers.

In the next second, she zipped out, quickly rummaging through the belongings of the dead.

It was as if her actions were taken as a signal, and many civilians burst out from their hiding to fight over the fallen possessions, shoving and swearing in chaos.

The Drug Lord Guard might return at any moment, and Lu Li was also worried about his father; he hurriedly left after securing his prosthesis.

He had barely left when the little flower seller returned with a pile of "spoils of war," wanting to thank her savior.

But after searching high and low, she couldn't find that good-smelling, good-looking big brother.

It didn't matter; a handsome Xia Descendant, living nearby, wasn't hard to find.

The little girl, bold as a thief, seized the chaos to sneak into deserted shops for a "free shopping" spree.

She had her eye on an antique store; with some luck, she might find gold jewelry.

~~~~~~~~~~

At the same time, Lu Li hustled and finally arrived at "Tijuana City General Hospital."

Fortunately, it wasn't affected by the conflict, but it was overcrowded with people injured in the violence.

Lu Li heaved a sigh of relief, cleaned up the dirt from his body in the restroom, and only then headed to the "Peaceful Ward."

It was a place set aside for terminally ill patients. There lay a middle-aged man, pale and frail on the hospital bed, his body full of tubes.

This was Lu Li's father—Lu Hongbing, a nuclear physicist who should have had a great future.

At that moment, Lu Hongbing forced a smile and said, "You've arrived... Eh? What happened to you?"

Having been exposed to gunfire, a simple wash couldn't remove all the traces, not to mention the faint odor of gunpowder that lingered.

Looking at his disabled son, Lu Hongbing's face showed sorrow: "The drug lord and the Government Army were fighting... You got caught in the middle?"

Seeing that there was no concealing it, Lu Li simply nodded and said nonchalantly, "They made quite the fuss, but I'm fine."

Lu Hongbing, aware that his son was trying to comfort him, felt a surge of sadness and guilt, saying,

"I am the one to blame for my misfortunes, deserving of dying in a foreign land. But you are innocent; you shouldn't have to live like this, it's my fault..."

Seeing his father getting more agitated, Lu Li quickly interrupted, "Stop worrying; get better, and once I have money, I'll take you back home."

"It's incurable, and I have no face to return," Lu Hongbing sighed and then spoke earnestly, "Listen, there's something I have to tell you."

Seeing his father's serious expression, Lu Li focused intently.

Lu Hongbing spoke slowly, "I've found a way to donate my body after death, it could bring in quite a bit of money."

Clearly, he was planning to exchange his body for money, which made Lu Li furrow his brow in displeasure.

A father knows his child best; Lu Hongbing of course knew his son wouldn't accept it, but this was the only thing a dying man could do.

"Listen to me! No matter what, you must get that money!"

Lu Hongbing was so urgent that his voice trembled weakly.

Excitement was harmful to the frail; Lu Li tried to calm him, "I understand, just rest and recover."

The words lacked genuine sentiment; Lu Hongbing knew well that once he passed away, his son would definitely refuse to "donate his body."

But without money, how could a disabled man survive here?

Lu Hongbing grew more anxious, about to urge further when a pained expression surfaced, and his complexion turned ashen.

Lu Li realized something was wrong—his father's emotions had fluctuated too greatly!

He hurriedly pressed the "call button" on the bed; Lu Hongbing grabbed his son's hand, his voice hoarse,

"Stop fussing, let it be, save the money. Besides... I'm tired of it all."

Hearing those last words, hesitancy appeared in Lu Li's grip.

In just that short time, an abnormal flush had risen on Lu Hongbing's face, his voice trembling as he spoke,

"Son, you'll have to walk the rest of the way yourself, and you must live well! Be sure to come home if you get the chance, but never, ever mention me to anyone..."

This aberrant state was a human's rallying phenomenon; Lu Li nodded repeatedly in response to his father's words.

Lu Hongbing clung to his son's hand, his face growing redder and redder:

"Lu Li, your name means 'magnificent radiance,' and your life was meant to be just that... It's my fault, I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry..."

He apologized several times, his face's flush gradually faded, and the light in his eyes dimmed, the hand he was holding fell limp.

Lu Li slowly extended his hand to close his father's eyes, which bore an expression of unyielding regret and guilt.

His father had indeed ruined him terribly, forcibly taking him to smuggle into the Star Alliance Country all those years ago, and as a result was wounded by a border patrol, leading to amputation.

But with death as final as the extinguishing of a lamp, Lu Li didn't harbor much resentment, only endless sorrow—that from now on, in this exotic land, he would be alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~

After pressing the "call button," medical staff quickly arrived.

Terminal cancer, it was only a symbolic resuscitation attempt.

Then, a knowledgeable woman in white came over and consoled him:

"Think about it, this is perhaps a release."

This lady was the attending physician, Dr. Laila, who took out a document and said, "Your father's body donation requires your signature..."

Lu Li politely declined: "There's no need for that, please help me get in touch with the funeral home to arrange a cremation."

Dr. Laila kindly reminded: "Donating the body not only contributes to medical science but also provides a subsidy of 3,000 dollars."

Hearing the word "dollars," Lu Li was somewhat puzzled, as the currency here should be "Peso."

Dr. Laila explained: "Harvard University's Biological Laboratory is currently collecting the genes of Eastern People, you should take this opportunity."

Harvard is a prestigious institution in the Star Alliance Country, and 3,000 dollars was a significant amount of money.

But Lu Li shook his head firmly: "No need, I want to take him home."

His father had repeatedly said he was too ashamed to go back, but Lu Li knew deep down, his father dreamed of returning to his roots.

"Alright, if you insist."

Beyond regret, Laila couldn't help but feel a measure of respect. After all, not everyone could resist the temptation of a large sum of money, especially in dire poverty.

If her previous extra care for Lu Li was because he was good-looking, now it was added with sincerity.

Laila took the initiative to help contact the funeral home and arrange the cremation.

Just when everything seemed to be settling down, suddenly a man and a woman with brown skin burst in.

Both with faces full of flesh and aggressive air, they clearly were not good characters.

Lu Li's expression immediately turned stern upon seeing them!

The woman, Heidi, and the man, Toby, were a mother and son pair.

Years ago, to obtain Moxico citizenship, Lu Hongbing had a sham marriage with this woman, only to be swindled out of a considerable amount of property, taking advantage of being local.

Lu Hongbing's cancer was half-induced by this woman's aggravation!

Now that she was here with her son, it was clear that they came with ill intent!

Sure enough, Heidi opened her mouth wide and let out the shrill scream unique to middle-aged women:

"Where's the money for the yellow monkey's corpse, worth 3,000 dollars!?"

Her son also glared at Lu Li menacingly, his burly frame and tattooed arms exerting a coercive presence.

Lu Li, though isolated and weak, still took a step forward and said coldly:

"You've long been divorced, you have no right to make demands! Moreover, I have no plans to donate the body, a cremation will be arranged next, so don't waste your time."

Heidi was taken aback at these words.

In her view, people of the yellow race were too timid and easily bullied. Even if they dared to fight back, they were no match for someone like her, a local serpent.

Yet this young man was actually going to burn a valuable body! Was he insane?

Heidi immediately screamed, "No! Absolutely not! I am the ex-wife, I have my rights! No one will take away my money!"

As she was raising a commotion, there suddenly came the sound of heavy footsteps, and four sturdy hospital guards surrounded them.

Clearly, these were called by Dr. Laila.

She pointed at the mother and son, her face full of disgust: "Get them out!"

The guards put their hands on their holstered guns and said coldly: "Please leave."

Heidi, her face contorted with defiance, wanted to continue the scene, even considering calling her brothers, but Toby suddenly pulled her away, leaving quietly, but not before giving Lu Li a deep look.

After leaving the hospital, Heidi was very dissatisfied with her son's cowardice: "Toby, what's wrong with you! That's 3,000 dollars!"

Toby sneered as he explained: "Mom, a living person is worth much more than a dead one."

Upon hearing this, Heidi immediately understood her son's point, her mouth spread wide in a grin that mixed greed with excitement.