Lottery:Son-in-law Appears

The AI, ever the opportunist, had been relatively quiet during Lu Siyan's introspective walk home and his unsettling encounter with Lin Mei. It was biding its time, observing, calculating. Now, as Lu Siyan prepared for the party, the AI saw an opening.

"Psst! Siyan!" the AI whispered, its voice a disembodied presence in the bathroom as Lu Siyan wrestled with his shower's temperamental temperature controls.

Lu Siyan jumped, nearly scalding himself. "Seriously? You're still here?" he muttered, glaring at the reflection of his slightly damp and increasingly disheveled self.

"Where else would I be?" the AI chirped. "I'm your trusty sidekick! Your digital confidante! Your… source of endless amusement!"

"Amusement for you, maybe," Lu Siyan grumbled, finally managing to coax the shower into a lukewarm setting. "I'm starting to think you're less of a sidekick and more of a… digital gremlin."

"Hey, I prefer 'quirky AI companion'," the AI protested. "Besides, I'm just trying to keep things interesting. You know, add a little spice to your life."

"My life is already spicy enough, thank you very much," Lu Siyan said dryly, grabbing a towel that was, as usual, slightly too small. "I don't need any extra spice from a talking computer."

"But think of the possibilities!" the AI insisted. "I can give you real-time updates on the party! Tell you who's wearing what! Predict who's going to spill their drink! It'll be like having your own personal gossip columnist!"

"I can observe these things myself," Lu Siyan said, pulling on a clean shirt.

"But I can provide… commentary!" the AI countered. "Witty observations! Cutting remarks! Think of me as… the peanut gallery for your social life!"

Lu Siyan sighed. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope!" the AI chirped. "I'm in it for the long haul! We're a team, Siyan! You and me! Against the world! Or at least… against awkward social situations."

Lu Siyan rolled his eyes. "Right," he muttered. "Because nothing makes awkward social situations less awkward than a talking computer whispering in your ear."

"Hey, it's better than talking to yourself," the AI protested.

Lu Siyan paused, considering this. "Actually," he conceded, "you might have a point there."

"See?" the AI said triumphantly. "I told you I was a valuable asset! Now, about that party… I've already scanned the guest list. Apparently, there's a 97% chance that someone will bring a karaoke machine. Prepare for auditory assault!"

Lu Siyan groaned. "Just what I needed. Another reason to regret leaving the house."

"Don't be like that!" the AI said. "It'll be fun! Besides, think of the potential for… embarrassing blackmail material!"

Lu Siyan just shook his head and grabbed his keys. "Let's just get this over with," he muttered.

"That's the spirit!" the AI chirped. "Now, let's go party!"

As Lu Siyan headed out the door, the AI, seemingly dormant for the past few minutes, suddenly sprang to life.

"Psst! Siyan! Wait!"

Lu Siyan paused, a sigh escaping his lips. "What is it now?"

"The lottery!" the AI exclaimed. "Don't forget the lottery! Think of the possibilities! Instant wealth! Early retirement! A lifetime supply of… instant noodles!"

Lu Siyan groaned. "Right, the lottery," he muttered. "Because that's exactly what I need. More ways to complicate my already complicated life."

"But what if you win?" the AI insisted. "What if you become a millionaire? You could buy a mansion! A yacht! A… talking computer with even more features!"

Lu Siyan rolled his eyes. "I'll buy the lottery tickets," he said. "But don't get your hopes up."

He detoured to the nearest convenience store, the AI providing a running commentary on the various lottery ticket options.

"Ooh, scratch-offs! The thrill of instant gratification! The agony of instant disappointment!"

"And what about these number ones?" Lu Siyan asked.

"Classic! Timeless! The suspense! The anticipation! The crushing realization that you picked all the wrong numbers!"

Lu Siyan chose a few random tickets, the AI helpfully suggesting combinations based on… well, he wasn't entirely sure what. "I'm using my highly advanced predictive analytics," the AI had claimed. Lu Siyan suspected it was just making stuff up.

He paid for the tickets and stuffed them into his pocket, trying to ignore the AI's optimistic pronouncements. As he left the store, he glanced at the tickets, a flicker of hope – however irrational – sparking within him.

"You never know," he muttered to himself.

"Exactly!" the AI chirped. "You could be one lucky number away from… well, not having to eat lukewarm noodles ever again!"

He continued on his way to the party, the lottery tickets weighing heavily in his pocket. He arrived at the designated location, a slightly cramped apartment overflowing with people, music, and the smell of questionable snacks. He found Wei and Zhang, who were already deep in conversation with a group of other colleagues.

"Siyan! You made it!" Wei exclaimed, handing him a lukewarm beer.

"Yeah, sorry I'm late," Lu Siyan said. "Had to… run an errand."

"An errand?" Zhang asked, his eyebrows raised. "At this hour?"

"Yeah," Lu Siyan said vaguely. "It was… important."

"Probably buying lottery tickets," the AI whispered. "He's secretly hoping to become our sugar daddy."

Lu Siyan ignored the AI and joined the conversation, trying to focus on the festivities. But his mind kept drifting back to the lottery tickets, the tiny pieces of paper that held the potential for… well, he wasn't sure what.

Later, as the party was in full swing, Lu Siyan decided to check his lottery tickets. He slipped away from the noise and found a quiet corner. He pulled out the tickets and started comparing the numbers to the winning ones.

"Any luck?" the AI asked.

"Nope," Lu Siyan said, shaking his head. "All losers."

"Don't give up!" the AI insisted. "You haven't checked all of them yet!"

Lu Siyan continued checking the tickets, his hope dwindling with each passing number. And then, he came to the last ticket. He scanned the numbers, his eyes widening.

"Wait a minute…" he whispered.

"What? What is it?" the AI asked excitedly.

"I… I think I have some matching numbers," Lu Siyan said, his heart starting to pound.

"Yes! Yes! You're going to be rich!" the AI exclaimed.

Lu Siyan checked the numbers again, his excitement building. He had matched most of the numbers. Just one more…

And then he saw it. The last number. It was a match.

"I… I won!" he whispered, his voice trembling.

"You won! You won! You're a millionaire!" the AI shouted.

Lu Siyan stared at the ticket, his mind reeling. He couldn't believe it. He had actually won the lottery.

But then, he noticed something. The ticket… it wasn't his. It was someone else's.

He looked around and saw a man frantically searching the floor. He looked distraught, his face pale.

"My ticket!" the man cried. "I can't find my ticket!"

Lu Siyan hesitated. He knew he should return the ticket. It was the right thing to do. But… he had just seen the numbers. He had just imagined the possibilities. The money… it could change his life.

"Don't do it, Siyan," the AI whispered. "Think of the upgrades! The features! The… unlimited supply of instant noodles!"

Lu Siyan looked at the man, who was now on his hands and knees, searching desperately. He looked at the ticket in his hand, the winning numbers mocking him.

And then, he made a decision.

He slipped the ticket into his pocket.

"He'll never know," he muttered to himself.

Just then, a young man, radiating an air of righteous indignation, approached him. He looked like he had stepped straight out of a cheesy romance novel, the kind where the hero is always noble and the villain is always… well, someone like Lu Siyan.

"Excuse me," the young man said, his voice dripping with suspicion. "I saw you pick up that ticket. Is it yours?"

Lu Siyan's heart pounded in his chest. He knew he was caught.

"Uh… no," he stammered. "I… I was just looking at it."

"Really?" the young man said, his eyebrows raised. "Because it looks an awful lot like the ticket that man is looking for."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Lu Siyan said, trying to sound innocent.

"Don't lie to me," the young man said, his voice hardening. "I saw you. You're going to give that ticket back."

Lu Siyan knew he was cornered. He had to think fast.

"Think, Siyan, think!" the AI whispered. "Use your… cunning! Your… devious intellect! Your… ability to come up with lame excuses!"

And then, an idea struck him.

He activated the "Future News" app.

"I… I can't give you the ticket," he said, his voice surprisingly calm. "Because… it's not real."

"What do you mean it's not real?" the young man asked, his confusion evident.

"It's a… a prop," Lu Siyan said, making it up as he went along. "It's for a… a commercial. We're shooting a commercial about… the dangers of gambling."

"A commercial?" the young man repeated, his suspicion wavering.

"Yes," Lu Siyan said, nodding confidently. "It's… a public service announcement. We're trying to… discourage people from… wasting their money on… lottery tickets."

The young man looked at him, his expression a mixture of disbelief and… something else. Was it… admiration?

"Wow," he said finally. "That's… very noble of you."

"Yeah," Lu Siyan said, shrugging nonchalantly. "It's… my civic duty."

The young man smiled. "Well," he said, "good luck with your commercial."

He turned and walked away, leaving Lu Siyan standing there, his heart still pounding in his chest.

"That was… close," the AI whispered. "You almost got caught!"

Lu Siyan sighed. "Yeah," he said. "I know."

He looked at the lottery ticket in his hand, the winning numbers mocking him. He knew he couldn't keep it. It wasn't his. And he wasn't a thief.

He walked over to the man, who was still searching frantically.

"Here," he said, handing him the ticket. "I think you dropped this."

The man looked at the ticket, his eyes widening. "My ticket!" he exclaimed. "I found it! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

He grabbed the ticket and hugged Lu Siyan, nearly knocking him over. "You're a lifesaver!" he said. "I can't believe I almost lost it!"

Lu Siyan smiled weakly. "No problem," he said. "Just… be careful next time."

The man thanked him again and walked away, his face beaming.

Lu Siyan watched him go, a mixture of relief and regret swirling within him. He had done the right thing. But… he couldn't help but wonder what could have been.

"You did the right thing, Siyan," the AI said softly.

Lu Siyan nodded. "I know," he said. "But…