"How is it?"
Chen Mang patted Li Shiji's shoulder, his eyes filled with anticipation: "This shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?"
It was time to strike it rich!
The reason he had specifically called Li Shiji to join him on this fortuitous encounter map was precisely because he was worried about encountering such a situation. Unexpectedly, it had indeed happened. He had originally wanted to bring Lao Zhu along as well, but someone needed to stay behind to watch the house.
"Not difficult."
Li Shiji shook his head and was just about to say something.
Chen Mang extended his wristwatch to the scanning device nearby: "Alright, then I'm going all in. A total of 9,970 points. It's up to you now."
"Huh?"
A trace of panic flashed in Li Shiji's eyes as he said bitterly, "I was just about to suggest trying 1,000 points first. I'm afraid that if I make a mistake, this trip would have been for nothing."
"Don't panic."
Chen Mang shook his head and handed over the freshly lit cigar in his hand, his expression serious: "I've seen your abilities. Don't put too much psychological pressure or burden on yourself. As long as you maintain your normal level, you can definitely clear this smoothly."
"Even if we lose it all, it's fine."
"We'll just go back to mining."
"Here, have a cigar. It'll help clear your mind."
"Be bold, and let's wrap this up early."
"Come on, let's begin."
At that moment—
The screen on the stage began a countdown. Li Shiji took the cigar and inhaled deeply, feeling as though his mind had indeed cleared up a bit. But the next moment, he was choked by the smoke and couldn't stop coughing. On the screen, a cubic box containing 18 golf balls had already appeared.
Li Shiji, his eyes red from the smoke, didn't even have time to rub them. He could only cough violently while staring intently at the cube on the screen.
There was only a three-second time limit.
This kid...
Chen Mang, standing to the side, didn't make a sound to disturb him, but his brows furrowed slightly. The Level 10 supermodel effect of the cigar production line was supposed to help clear the mind. His intention was to help Li Shiji calm down and think more clearly. Who would have thought that this kid would take a deep lungful of smoke?
Did no one tell him that you're not supposed to inhale cigars into your lungs?
Are you made of iron lungs or something?
The bikini-clad beauty next to the stall didn't react much, still wearing a standard, professional smile.
Biao Zi, seeing this scene, was so anxious that he clenched his fists and jumped up and down, but he didn't dare make any noise. If they lost this round, their trip would have been for nothing!
He was hoping to earn 50,000 points so he could go to the "Mechanical Train Parts Store" and beg Lord Mang to buy the Zombie Siege map chip.
If he wanted to pilot the "Thunder" mech as soon as possible, he needed another map to quickly improve his physical fitness index.
If it really came down to it...
If it really came down to it...
Biao Zi gritted his teeth. At worst, it would just be a matter of closing one eye and opening the other—closing the upper eye and opening the lower one. By then, the three seconds had passed, and Li Shiji finally used his sleeve to wipe the tears from his eyes and quickly arranged the golf balls on the table to their corresponding positions.
"Sir."
The bikini-clad beauty beside him smiled with a hint of shyness as she looked at Biao Zi: "Would you like to try? 100,000 points."
"What the hell?"
Biao Zi, who had been intently focused on Li Shiji, was startled by the sudden voice. He turned to look at the woman behind him and couldn't help but curse, "What the hell do you guys want? Do you even know your own worth? Are you worth that much?"
"I'm only worth 100,000, so why the hell are you asking for 100,000?"
But then he realized that his hand, which had been resting behind his back, had accidentally touched the woman. He paused for a moment, then seemed to understand something and poked her again.
"Sir, would you like to? 100,000 points."
A strange glint appeared in his eyes as he began to rapidly poke the woman's body with his fingers.
"Sir, sir, sir, sir..."
The woman seemed to short-circuit, repeating the first word of the sentence over and over.
"Pure repeater!"
Biao Zi smirked, deciding not to toy with her anymore. He turned back nervously to look at Li Shiji, worried that if he messed up, he might be fined.
Finally—
When the last golf ball was placed in the cubic box, the woman standing nearby said crisply, "All 18 golf balls have been placed correctly. Double return of 19,940 points. Please check."
"Not bad."
Chen Mang, satisfied, extended his wristwatch to receive the 19,940 points. Then he placed his watch back on the receiver: "Another round."
With a ding, another 10,000 points were deducted. The maximum bet limit was 10,000 points.
"Good luck."
He patted Li Shiji's shoulder again: "No pressure, just do your best. Pass me the cigar."
Chen Mang took the cigar and handed it to Biao Zi, who was standing beside him.
"Stop letting the kid smoke. It's supposed to be a pick-me-up, but it's making him teary-eyed."
Li Shiji, who had succeeded once, now felt much more confident. He nodded firmly: "Leave it to me, Lord Mang. Today, we'll make a million!"
This project was actually quite simple for him.
Earlier, he had just been under a lot of pressure, worried that if he lost, everyone's efforts would be in vain, and he'd bear the responsibility. But now it didn't matter. Even if he lost this time, there were still 9,940 points left. Plus, he had already succeeded once, so he felt even more confident.
Soon—
He succeeded again, earning another 10,000 points.
Chen Mang was grinning from ear to ear. He invested another 10,000 points and started another round.
This time.
The screen had only been up for a second when Li Shiji calmly closed his eyes, his hands behind his back.
"Hey, hey!"
Biao Zi said urgently, "Aren't you showing off a bit too much? Don't screw this up!"
Two seconds later.
The screen went dark, and Li Shiji opened his eyes, casually placing all the golf balls on the table with perfect accuracy.
"Successfully cleared."
The woman's crisp voice rang in his ears.
"Quite the show-off," Biao Zi said, full of admiration, as he gave a thumbs-up. "But damn, you're good!"
Just as Chen Mang, beaming with joy, was about to start another round, the woman gently stopped his hand from placing the bet and said with a smile, "Sun City rules state that after winning three times in any mini-game, you can no longer participate."
"What if I lose three times?"
"As long as you don't win three times, you can lose as many times as you want."
"Is there a time limit? Can I come back tomorrow?"
"Once you've won three times, you can never play this game again in your life."
"."
Chen Mang turned his head expressionlessly toward the woman with a standard smile on her face. His lips slightly parted as if he wanted to curse, but the thought that she was a robot made his anger dissipate like smoke in the wind. He simply sighed lightly and patted the woman's shoulder.
"You'll get what's coming for doing business like this."
"Sir, would you like to try? 100,000 points."
"Try your mom."
"My mom costs 1 million points."
"."
Chen Mang withdrew his hand and remained silent for a moment before continuing to the second stall. He felt that he couldn't reason with these people anymore. In this city, it seemed that as long as you had money, you could do whatever you wanted. Although he was curious about how a robot could have a mother.
It was insane.
He thought this place shouldn't be called "Eden," but rather "Satan's Paradise."
But it wasn't all bad.
He glanced at the balance on his wristwatch.
39,940.
Almost forty thousand.
He wondered if he could earn a bit more at the other game stalls to make it fifty thousand. That way, he could buy the "Zombie Siege" chip, and this trip wouldn't be a waste.
"Welcome to the experience."
Before he even approached, the woman in a bikini standing in front of the stall placed her hands on her chest and greeted Chen Mang and his group with a professional smile.
All the women were exceptionally tall, wearing sky-high heels and identical red bikinis. Their faces were different, but their figures were almost indistinguishable.
Chen Mang glanced casually and then looked away. If this entertainment city were under his management, he could run it better.
Clothing that was too revealing lost its charm.
What was truly enticing was the hint of what lay beneath.
In front of the second stall, there was another table with a large screen standing upright.
-
"Sun Entertainment City Mini-Game."
"Game Name": Bluff Poker.
"Game Rules": A total of 54 cards. Both sides draw three cards each, and the remaining 48 cards are revealed on the screen for three seconds.
Then the betting begins.
The minimum bet is 1,000 points, and the maximum is 10,000 points.
Both sides reveal their hands. If you lose, you forfeit your bet. If you win, you double your winnings.
Except for the participants, no one else is allowed to speak or give hints during the game, or it will be considered an automatic loss.
-
"Ahem."
Li Shiji, standing behind Chen Mang, cleared his throat: "It's my turn again, Lord Mang."
"Indeed."
Chen Mang stepped aside: "Begin your performance."
The first round started quickly.
The woman standing nearby dealt three cards each to Li Shiji and herself. Immediately after, the screen displayed the remaining 48 cards spread out, lasting only three seconds before flipping back.
This round wasn't about luck.
It was still about quick eyes and a sharp mind. If your brain and eyes were fast enough, you could easily deduce the opponent's hand, minimizing losses and maximizing gains.
Li Shiji closed his eyes and ran through the cards in his mind before looking at his hand.
"Lord Mang, my hand is a pair of threes. The opponent's hand is a mixed set."
"Go all in. It's a sure win."
"Of course." Chen Mang chuckled and extended his wristwatch to place a bet of 10,000 points. Soon, the game ended. The woman's hand was the six of diamonds, the nine of hearts, and the ten of hearts—just as Li Shiji had predicted, a mixed set.
Another 10,000 points were added to his balance.
The next two rounds ended in victory, and the balance easily reached 79,940.
Chen Mang led Biao Zi and the others toward the next stall's game, glancing at Li Shiji with a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Is this beginner's luck or something? Your luck is pretty impressive."
For three consecutive rounds, Li Shiji had the best hand.
Although Li Shiji seemed to have some kind of cheat.
Even if he could calculate the opponent's hand, if luck wasn't on his side, he would still have to bet at least 1,000 points as chips, meaning he would lose 1,000 points. Normally, if it was a win-lose situation, he would still come out ahead overall.
Even if he lost a bit more, it was still a small profit.
Unless he lost 49 times in a row, wiping out all his chips, but such a long streak was relatively rare.
When he joined the fun in the previous world, he had once "slayed the dragon."
It was quite entertaining.
He had stubbornly chased a 28-streak dragon all the way to 43. After that, he lost interest in such things. By the 44th round, his chips were gone, and he simply walked away without checking if the next person succeeded. Watching would only mess with his mindset.
What if the dragon was slayed by the next person on the 44th round? He wouldn't be able to sleep that night.
He'd just stay awake until dawn.
"Hehe," Li Shiji chuckled sheepishly. "It must be the beginner's protection period."
"Alright, that's good. Let's check out the third one."
Soon, they arrived at the third stall.
-
Sun Entertainment City Mini-Game.
Game Name: Boxer.
Game Rules: No armor, exoskeleton armor, or any accessories that enhance the Physical Fitness Index are allowed.
Only the raw strength of the body can be used.
Minimum bet: 1,000 points. Maximum bet: 10,000 points.
If a punch scores 7 points or higher, the bet is doubled and returned. Otherwise, the bet is deducted.
A professional boxer's full-force punch typically scores 7 points.
-
The requirements were high.
But.
The Stellar had no shortage of talent. Chen Mang always believed one thing: in the apocalypse, talent was often an extremely precious resource, and the more, the better.
He couldn't be proficient in everything.
He didn't have the time to learn, nor the ability.
It seemed he could make double the money from this mini-game.
After winning three times, a person could never participate again, but he had Zhang Yi and Zhang Er. These two already had incredibly exaggerated physical abilities, especially after training in the Combat Training Virtual Space, which had elevated their Physical Fitness Index to new heights.
Zhang Yi, who was chewing on a steamed bun and rummaging through the refrigerator to see if there was anything else tasty, suddenly felt someone poking his waist. Looking down, he saw it was Biao Zi and asked in a muffled voice, "What's up, Biao Ge? You want some too?"
"I'm not eating. Go aim for that punching machine and give it a punch."
"Full force?"
"Full force."
"Got it."
Zhang Yi immediately put on a serious expression, tossed the refrigerator onto his brother, and strode over to the punching machine. After taking a deep breath, every muscle in his body tensed up. With a roar, he swung his fist in a wide arc and slammed it into the machine!
A hook punch!
He had never gone hungry on the Stellar, and with such good food every day, he was naturally excited to have a chance to show his strength!
He decided right then and there to put on a good show in front of Lord Mang!
"BOOM!!!"
After receiving such a heavy blow, the punching machine trembled slightly, and finally, the number "15" slowly appeared on the display.
"Is this acceptable?"
Chen Mang silently brought his wristwatch close to the woman's face. After retrieving the chips, he looked at Zhang Yi with a serious expression and affirmed, "Absolutely. Give it two more punches."
"When we get back, I'll treat you to a better meal."
"Biao Zi, remember this: no matter who goes hungry, you must never let this brother of ours starve."
"Did you hear me?"
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