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People have an aversion to death more than dogs.

4 is being actively avoided. And combines with other numbers, like 14(to die), 174(going to die) make it a very ominous number indeed.

174 sounds more like "dying together". How about 54 "not dying"?

1 can pronounce as 一(yi1), but sometimes can be also pronounce as 幺(yao1). The latter sounds similar to another character 要(yao4, meaning command to do something), and together represents as 要去死(something like you are going to die).

As to 54, maybe you are referring to 勿死(wu4 si3)? Its meaning is closer to, please don't die, than not dying, and though I am not sure, but 勿 uses to negating another word seems kinda ancient and outdated.

You're explaining with Mandarin, but Hong Kong is mostly Cantonese-speaking. http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/468/

1 in Cantonese is "jat"

9 is also a homonynm for "enduring" which may be good. unless it's enduring death you're worried about.