Wow!
In the digital store, the dozen or so onlookers suddenly erupted with excitement.
"Is that really a laptop? It's the grand prize!"
"Holy crap! That luck is just outrageous!"
"That's the top configuration of the Ares series computers, worth fifteen thousand!"
"Dude, your luck is unmatched, landing two big prizes in a row."
...
Everyone watching was green with envy.
Chen Feng, however, was dumbstruck; he had never believed his luck could be this good, and yet, reality was just like that, his good fortune was unending.
What on earth was going on?
At this moment, Chen Feng's mind was filled with question marks.
"Hey man, go claim your prize!" someone kindly reminded from the side.
Chen Feng then snapped out of his daze and nodded to the owner with a stiff smile, "Thank you very much, ma'am."
The shop owner was very distressed, as this was a high-spec computer worth fifteen thousand that she really didn't want to give away.
But with so many people around, there was no way she could deny the prize, and she couldn't attempt to pass off a lower-spec laptop either, given that the computer model had been clearly stated on the notice board.
Reluctantly, the owner fetched the Ares laptop, brand new, and placed it on the counter.
A dozen people gathered around to see, and even more people who heard the commotion came from outside to join in on the action.
The shop owner, hiding her heartache, powered up the laptop and explained its specifications in detail to the crowd, also taking the opportunity to advertise her store, of course.
At the same time, she announced that tomorrow, they would continue to offer another one of these laptops as a prize, giving others the chance to be lucky too.
With this announcement, the people there believed in the promotion. After all, someone had already won an iPhone before, and now someone had bagged the grand prize laptop. It couldn't be a scam.
Previously, some had doubted if there really was a grand prize laptop among the 'Game Coin' red envelopes, but now Chen Feng had won one.
Moreover, it was clear that Chen Feng wasn't a plant, and the owner's reluctant expression couldn't have been faked; otherwise, her acting skills would've been worthy of an Oscar.
So, many people planned to come back the next day to try their own luck.
However, they were obviously going to be tricked. The owner, having learned her lesson, had decided not to include any slips for the laptops tomorrow; how could it be possible for anyone to win them then?
If it hadn't been for a just in case scenario, she surely wouldn't have offered the grand prize red envelope, let alone actually put it up.
Chen Feng didn't care about the owner's thoughts, though, and politely listened to her spiel. After she issued him a receipt, he walked out of the digital store with the laptop under the envious gazes of the crowd.
Stepping out of the store, Chen Feng couldn't help but marvel at his own good luck again.
It was just too surreal!
In just two days, he had encountered more good fortune than in his entire twenty-something years put together.
No one would believe this if he told them.
Of course, this streak of good luck also came a bit too late for him, as he could die at any moment.
The doctors hadn't told him exactly how long he had left, but after searching online, Chen Feng found that late-stage brain cancer patients generally had only two to three months.
So, a string of good luck for a person who only had two to three months to live was pretty meaningless unless it could extend his life.
However, now that he wasn't short on money, Chen Feng was of course determined to enjoy himself for a bit.
He first took his laptop back to his rental room, then went out to drive to the nearest arcade.
Back in high school, he had been quite fond of video games, but as he got older, he no longer had the chance or the time to play. Deep down, though, he always had the desire to head to an arcade and play to his heart's content.
Now that he was about to die, of course, he had to satisfy this wish.
He first exchanged for 100 Game Coins and carried them in a plastic container to the claw machines.
The claw game is a popular amusement; many people love to play, but hardly any of them can successfully grab a toy.
Actually, it has little to do with skill and more to do with luck.
Most of the claw machines in these arcades have been tinkered with, making it difficult for players to easily win toys with skill.
Otherwise, the arcade would be operating at a loss.
Of course, sometimes to attract customers, the owners might deliberately lower the difficulty, allowing people to effortlessly snatch a toy, but such opportunities are rare and not to be counted on.
Chen Feng's purpose was to play, not to grab toys. So he casually picked a claw machine, dropped in two coins, and started playing haphazardly.
The first game ended as expected, without a catch. He continued with a second and third game, still nothing. On the third try, Chen Feng mashed the buttons at random and, to his surprise, caught something—a rather cute teddy bear.
As he stared at the plush toy that fell out, Chen Feng was stunned once again, thinking that this couldn't be another stroke of his good luck. Good fortune in this too?
So Chen Feng continued. The fourth game, nothing, but by the fifth, he won again, this time a monkey; the sixth, a rooster...
Out of ten games, Chen Feng managed to grab five plush toys.
And this was clearly not a question of Chen Feng's skill but rather his luck. He remembered the last time he played a claw machine was over two years ago when he was dating Shen Lin. Once, during a visit to the mall, they played a few rounds together.
Beyond that, his memories of playing with claw machines went back to his high school days.
"Uncle, you're so good at this. Can you teach me?" a 15 or 16-year-old girl suddenly asked from beside him, looking up to him with admiration and envy.
Besides this girl, there were quite a few people gathered around him by now, mostly teenagers and young adults in their twenties.
They all wore looks of admiration.
Indeed, Chen Feng was incredible, especially towards the end, where each grab was spot-on.
"Uh, well, I don't really have any tricks to teach," he said. "I was just lucky."
"You're lying," said the girl, her dissatisfaction evident. "I come here often, and I've hardly ever grabbed a toy. But you caught so many all at once. You're hiding a trick."
This cheeky kid! Chen Feng thought irreverently, wondering if young girls these days were all so impolite.
"I'm not lying. I'm done playing. Do you want these toys? I'll give them all to you."
Chen Feng couldn't be bothered to argue with the young girl and simply gave her the five toys he had grabbed.
"Really? Thank you, uncle! You're the coolest!"
The girl erupted with joy, not hesitating at all as she bent down to grab the plush toys. She had to embrace all five at once, which was a challenge.
By this time, Chen Feng had already left, wandering over to a coin pusher machine.
This thing is basically a gambling device, making it seem like those coins on the edge could be pushed off any moment, when in reality, it's not like that at all.
There are plenty who have been duped by this contraption, some even become addicted and lose their fortunes.
Chen Feng wanted to test his luck again, to see its limit, so he casually threw several coins into the "gold-eating monster." After ten or so coins, nothing much happened.
Chen Feng wasn't surprised and kept throwing in more coins, another ten or so.
Just as Chen Feng was starting to wonder if his luck buff had worn off, there suddenly came a rushing sound. The previously towering stack of Game Coins collapsed, tipping over in a cascade.