Under the expectant gazes of the crowd below the stage, Jiang Tao used the gold-finger-shaped scraper to scratch open the first premium lottery ticket.
"Oh, what a pity! Another 'Thank You for Participating.'"
"But don't lose heart, big brother, we still have two more chances."
"According to the Law of Luck, we've already had six consecutive non-wins, so the next one might just be the big prize!"
"Keep it up, the God of Luck will surely favor you."
He Jing, holding the microphone beside him, spoke with lively and playful words, making the atmosphere at the scene even more relaxed and vibrant.
Jiang Tao, naturally, wasn't discouraged. He had deliberately saved the faintly glowing grand prize ticket for the grand finale.
With this grand prize ticket as his ultimate guarantee, even if he got nothing but "Thank You for Participating" on the previous ones, he didn't care.
The second premium lottery ticket was another "Thank You for Participating."
With only one ticket left in his hand, Jiang Tao wasn't anxious yet, but He Jing was starting to feel anxious for him.
"This is the last chance. Let's hope the Goddess of Luck favors our big brother this time."
As He Jing spoke, Jiang Tao began scratching the final premium lottery ticket with a heart full of excitement.
When the first character, "Grand," appeared, Jiang Tao knew he had hit the jackpot.
The heart he had been holding in suspense finally settled back into his chest!
Seven consecutive scratch-offs with nothing to show for it made Jiang Tao realize that, in the face of the game's rule-makers, his river stones were sometimes powerless.
Although his luck value had increased, it couldn't overcome the low winning odds.
By comparison, the system was far more reliable, ignoring the Law of Luck and win rates, directly locking onto the grand prize.
When the dazzling words "Grand Prize" were fully revealed, Jiang Tao pursed his lips, clenched his fist, and nearly shouted in excitement.
He managed to hold it in, but He Jing beside him couldn't.
"Grand Prize!!!"
"Oh my goodness, friends!! Our big brother has scratched the grand prize in our premium lottery ticket section!!!"
"This is just too lucky! Big brother's luck today was all concentrated in this final scratch!!"
He Jing looked at Jiang Tao with an excited expression, genuinely happy for this Brother Jiang.
*Whoosh~*
The crowd of onlookers below the stage erupted into a frenzy of discussion upon hearing He Jing's words.
The two staff members at the service desk beside the stage were dumbfounded.
No way!
The grand prize, which had just been added today, was scratched off just like that??
"Grand Prize! He drew the grand prize from the premium lottery tickets! He won that Mercedes GLS!"
"Damn, this luck is absolutely insane!"
"The Law of Luck doesn't lie! Seven empty draws in a row, and then he snagged the big prize!!"
"This… this is just too unbelievable!"
"I saw every draw he made with my own eyes. He's definitely not a shill hired by the mall. This guy's luck is just unreal!"
The crowd below buzzed with discussion, their gazes toward Jiang Tao filled with nothing but envy!
After recovering from their shock, the two staff members hurriedly called the manager in charge of this lottery event.
The biggest prize of the event had been won—this was major news that needed to be reported to the manager immediately!
After speaking with the manager over the phone, the two staff members went up to the stage and whispered a few words to Jiang Tao and He Jing.
Then, one of the staff members led Jiang Tao to a dedicated office elevator nearby.
The two rode the elevator upstairs together.
Most of Wanxianghui was seven stories tall, with only a small area of about 1,000 square meters being eight stories.
This was also the administrative office area of the Wanxianghui mall.
The grand prize ticket Jiang Tao had scratched couldn't be processed by the on-site staff.
He needed to go upstairs to the office to meet the event's highest-ranking official and sign a few contracts in person.
*Ding!*
The elevator doors opened on the eighth floor.
"Mr. Jiang, please follow me."
The staff member who had brought Jiang Tao upstairs gestured politely and led the way.
The two walked one behind the other, passing through most of the work area.
Finally, they stopped outside a door marked "General Manager's Office, Planning Department."
The staff member gently knocked on the door.
Upon hearing a woman's voice from inside, she carefully pushed the door open and led Jiang Tao inside.
"Hmm…"
Du Ennan felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity upon seeing Jiang Tao brought in by the staff.
It felt like she had seen him somewhere before.
But, like forgetting a word while holding a pen, she just couldn't recall where.
When Jiang Tao saw the woman sitting behind the desk, he also felt a sense of déjà vu.
It felt like he had seen this manager somewhere before.
"Ms. Du, I've brought Mr. Jiang, the winner, up."
The female employee's report broke the silence in the room.
"Alright, you can go back to work. I'll take it from here."
Du Ennan nodded in response, and the female employee left without further ado.
After the employee left, only Jiang Tao and Du Ennan remained in the office.
Their gazes met, each trying hard to recall where they had seen the other.
"Oh! It's you!"
"Ah! It's you!"
As if by some telepathic connection, Jiang Tao and Du Ennan remembered each other at the same time!
Du Ennan stood up from her seat with a delighted expression, showing respect for Jiang Tao.
In truth, they had only met briefly a few days ago and weren't really acquainted.
A few days earlier, Jiang Tao had given up his seat to Du Ennan on Line 10 of the subway, and that was it.
Du Ennan had a slim upper body and a small face.
While she was seated behind the desk, Jiang Tao hadn't realized she was the pregnant woman he had given his seat to.
It wasn't until she stood up that he noticed her visibly protruding belly.
"I never would've thought we'd meet again here, in this way."
"Mr. Jiang, nice to meet you again. My name is Du Ennan, General Manager of the Planning Department at Wanxianghui."
Du Ennan came out from behind the desk with a warm smile, proactively extending her hand to shake Jiang Tao's.
What she didn't mention was that she was also the daughter of Wanxianghui's owner and the future successor of the mall.
"Ms. Du, hello. I'm Jiang Tao — Tao, like surging waves."
Jiang Tao also smiled and shook Du Ennan's hand, giving a light, brief handshake that showed propriety and earned him some favor in her eyes.
After mutual introductions, Du Ennan first congratulated Jiang Tao on his good luck before discussing the grand prize, the Mercedes GLS.
"Here's the thing, Mr. Jiang. According to a regulation in the national *Anti-Unfair Competition Law*…"
"For any prize-based sales through lotteries, the highest prize amount cannot exceed 50,000 yuan."
"So, this grand prize is actually a 3-year usage right for the Mercedes GLS."
"Wait…"
Jiang Tao looked at Du Ennan in slight shock:
"You're saying what I won is actually a 3-year usage right for the Mercedes GLS?"
"Yes, Mr. Jiang. In fact, the value of a 3-year usage right for a Mercedes GLS is definitely far more than 50,000 yuan."
"You should be able to feel our sincerity through this usage period."
"This is also the maximum effort we can make within the legal regulations."
"The car is already registered under Wanxianghui's name and has been licensed."
"You only need to sign a few usage agreements, and you can drive it away."
"Then, every June and December, you'll need to come here for a check-in, and we'll inspect the vehicle for any damage."
"At the end of the 3-year usage period, if you're still satisfied with the car, you'll have the priority to purchase it at the market price at that time."
"If you choose to forgo the car's usage right now, we can compensate you with 50,000 yuan in cash according to the rules."