"What are you mumbling about? What are we waiting for? Just go for it!"
Li Zhi stood before a claw machine, hands on her hips, looking at Shen Yuan with a serious, solemn expression.
It all started when Li Zhi set her sights on a doll in one of the machines. But since someone had just won it, Shen Yuan suggested they wait. Maybe some sucker would come along and prime the machine for them.
But Li Zhi was clearly the type who cared more about the fun of playing than actually winning anything.
Shen Yuan wasn't on board with that.
He wouldn't make a move unless he was sure of the prize.
Why else would he have gone out of his way to study claw machine techniques?
Though, to be fair, all that research ability went out the window when it came to math.
Just as Shen Yuan was about to say something, he spotted a familiar figure.
'Damn it, a surprise attack from my cringey past.'
Li Zhi, ever perceptive, noticed the change in Shen Yuan's expression and followed his gaze, naturally landing on Tong Churou.
"Well, well, isn't that your old flame?"
Shen Yuan shrugged. "Young Master Li, I've been so thoroughly berated by you that I'm completely desensitized now."
"You make it sound like I'm training a dog."
"In that case, can I lick you?"
"Get lost! You're so gross!"
Seeing that Shen Yuan no longer reacted to his cringey past, Li Zhi immediately grew bored.
"No fun."
"Hey!"
Shen Yuan laughed, exasperated. "So you were just digging up my embarrassing past to make fun of me, huh?"
"Oh look, that doll over there is so cute."
And with that, Young Master Li skipped away.
Shen Yuan was left speechless.
'Forget it. I'll deal with you later!'
Just as Shen Yuan was about to go try his luck on another machine, the voice of his cringey past reached his ears.
"Wow! Shen Yuan, you've won so many dolls!"
The same old lines, the same old act.
'How the hell did I fall for such a simple trick back then?'
Shen Yuan glanced at Tong Churou.
He came to a conclusion.
'It was probably because of those long, slender, pale legs.'
Thanks to the previous incident at the school gate, Guo Weifeng already had a very poor impression of Shen Yuan.
After hearing Tong Churou's words, that impression soured even further.
In that moment, an urge to compete with Shen Yuan welled up inside him.
"Hmph. I've seen you standing here for a while. Can't win anything, huh?"
Shen Yuan shot Guo Weifeng a sidelong glance.
'Seriously, dude? One sentence and you're already trying to start a pissing contest?'
'Kinda pathetic, really.'
Then, Shen Yuan stepped away from the claw machine.
"Heh. If you think you can do better, be my guest."
Seeing the smug look on Shen Yuan's face, Guo Weifeng was provoked.
"Fine, I'll do it!"
With that, Guo Weifeng took four coins from his basket and inserted them into the machine.
After a CLINK-CLANK, the machine lit up with a cheerful jingle. Guo Weifeng shot Tong Churou a reassuring look.
"Winning a doll? Anyone with hands can do it."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Guo Weifeng slammed the button.
The mechanical claw descended—WHIRR—grabbed a cat doll, and ascended again—WHIRR.
Then, right as Guo Weifeng watched with anticipation, THUMP. The claw went limp and dropped the doll.
As the doll fell, Guo Weifeng heard Shen Yuan let out a "tsk."
Just as Guo Weifeng was about to make some remark, Tong Churou cut in.
"It's okay, you'll definitely get it next time."
Guo Weifeng was instantly placated.
'Right, how could anyone expect to win a doll on the first try?'
After shooting Shen Yuan a glare, Guo Weifeng inserted another four Game Coins and operated the claw again.
THUMP.
It dropped it again.
"Tsk."
"Oh, what a shame. You were so close."
Guo Weifeng pressed his lips together and inserted more Game Coins.
WHIRR...
THUMP. Another miss.
"Tsk."
"The owner of this place is such a crook, he set the claw this loose!"
WHIRR...
"Tsk."
"It's okay, it's normal not to get it. Let's try another machine!"
Although Tong Churou tried to persuade him, there is such a thing as sunk cost.
Guo Weifeng had already put in 16 Game Coins. To him, with his basket full of coins, this was nothing.
When you had plenty of funds, such a small sunk cost was negligible.
So Guo Weifeng put in another four Game Coins.
WHIRR...
Clearly, the owner wasn't a man of much conscience.
"Tsk."
Guo Weifeng was about to lose it.
Every time he failed, Shen Yuan and Tong Churou would chime in from either side, like some kind of damn synchronized duo.
If Tong Churou hadn't been "encouraging" him, Guo Weifeng would have been tempted to ask whose side she was really on.
If Shen Yuan knew what Guo Weifeng was thinking, he would have died laughing.
'This dumbass is a lost cause.'
After yet another failure, the moment Shen Yuan let out his "tsk," Guo Weifeng finally snapped.
"Will you stop your damn yapping!"
"Someone's getting mad," Shen Yuan chuckled.
"If you think you're so good, you do it!"
Guo Weifeng roared, looking utterly flustered and enraged.
Seeing Guo Weifeng like this, Tong Churou frowned.
'This is getting embarrassing.'
The Witch's main goal might be to absorb others' cultivation, but she was still a beauty, and had to maintain appearances when out in public.
But now, Guo Weifeng's behavior was starting to cost her some face.
'If this prick's father wasn't a top-tier physics teacher, why the hell would she be shamelessly sticking by this loser's side?'
Li Zhi peeked her head out from behind a claw machine. Seeing Shen Yuan and Guo Weifeng facing off, she clutched her phone tightly in one hand.
She already had 911 dialed on the screen. If the situation escalated, she'd be the first to call the cops.
So nervous, yet so worried.
Facing Guo Weifeng's fury, Shen Yuan replied in a taunting, singsong voice, "Oh dear. 'Fine, I'll do it.'"
"Fuck you!"
Seeing Shen Yuan's smug expression, Guo Weifeng recognized his own words from earlier being thrown back at him.
"Get lost! Damn it, there's no way I can't win this!"
Guo Weifeng tried a full ten times.
Forty Game Coins down the drain, and he had nothing to show for it.
It wasn't actually that many Game Coins, but Guo Weifeng was burning through them at an incredible speed.
In just three or four minutes, he had already burned through nearly a sixth of his 300 Game Coins, with zero return.
His empty prize cart stood in stark contrast to Shen Yuan's.
But even so, Tong Churou was still providing plenty of emotional support.
"Weifeng, it's okay. I wouldn't be able to get one either."
Hearing this, Guo Weifeng shoved a handful of Game Coins at Tong Churou. "Here! You try!"
Tong Churou looked at the Game Coins in her hand and didn't refuse. "Okay, I'll try once. If I don't get it this time, we're switching machines!"
Guo Weifeng nodded emphatically.
Then he watched the claw descend—WHIRR—and watched the doll get dropped again—THUMP.
"See? I can't get it either. It's okay."
Tong Churou tried to console Guo Weifeng.
The words had barely left her mouth when Shen Yuan inserted four Game Coins.
Guo Weifeng watched nervously as the mechanical claw moved over the doll.
WHIRR...
The claw gripped the doll firmly and began to rise, but once it reached the top, it immediately let go.
Seeing this, Guo Weifeng felt a rush of immense satisfaction.
"Ha! What a noob! Ahem, 'Fine, I'll do it!'"
The moment he finished speaking, he met Shen Yuan's gaze—the kind of look you give a complete idiot. Guo Weifeng's heart skipped a beat.
"What's the most important thing about winning at a claw machine?"
Shen Yuan inserted four more Game Coins. "Timing."
Shen Yuan's voice rang out as the mechanical claw began to move with a WHIRR.
"What do you do if you keep failing in front of a girl?"
The claw came to a stop over the cat doll in the far corner.
"You must remain graceful under pressure."
"So tell me," Shen Yuan said, looking at Guo Weifeng, "who is the claw machine king of Jiyang?"
Guo Weifeng was so struck by Shen Yuan's intense confidence that he was momentarily speechless.
The twenty-second timer ran out. The claw dropped automatically, grabbing the cat doll with a firm grip.
WHIRR...
CLACK!
The claw reached the top, still holding the cat doll securely.
A brilliant smile spread across Shen Yuan's face.
"I am the claw machine king of Jiyang."