Chapter 24: Big Big Big
Wu Dahai, full of confidence, casually brushed through his mop-like hair and swaggered towards the slot machine with an exaggerated, flashy entrance.
"Ten coins each, that's ten points. You've got five minutes, Lao Huang, keep track of the time. Make it precise to the second."
"Got it." Officer Huang took out his phone and opened the stopwatch.
"The rules are simple. The one with the most points in five minutes wins." Wu Dahai looked at Gao Yang. "Any questions?"
"No."
"Alright! I'll go first!" Wu Dahai sat down in front of the machine, quickly inserted ten coins, and started playing.
Gao Yang stood behind him, observing, recalling his childhood memories of watching others play slot machines, taking a moment to refresh his skills.
This slot machine was the most common type on the market, with eight prizes in total: Apple (5x payout), Orange (10x payout), Papaya (15x payout), Bell (20x payout), Watermelon (20x payout), Double Stars (30x payout), Double 7 (40x payout), and BAR (100x payout).
Conversely, the chances of winning were inversely proportional to the payout; the grand prize, BAR, was the hardest to win and might not appear even once in a hundred tries, while prizes like Apple, Orange, and Papaya were easier to hit but with smaller rewards.
Wu Dahai's starting score was 10 points. He spent 3 points, betting 1 point on Apple, 1 on Orange, and 1 on Papaya.
Five seconds later, he hit Apple. He gained 5 points, bringing his total to 12 points.
In the second round, Wu Dahai bet 2 points on Orange, 2 on Papaya, and 2 on Bell.
Five seconds later, he hit Orange. He gained 20 points, bringing his total to 26 points.
...
In the first eight or nine rounds, Wu Dahai accumulated over 80 points using a strategy of "wide net, small fish," where he spread his bets across several options. There were a few failed attempts, but overall, his score was steadily increasing.
Wu Dahai was quite pleased with himself. "Although the slot machine is a game of luck, there's definitely a pattern to it, not truly random. While I can't explain the exact pattern, after playing thousands of rounds, you develop a vague intuition. Generally, I can predict the next possible prize, and about one in three rounds, I hit it."
"This is called..." Wu Dahai continued while pressing the buttons, clearly proud of himself. "This is called 'familiarity with Tang poems, won't make a fool of yourself, but can still recite.'"
"It's 'poetry,' not 'death,'" Gao Yang couldn't help but correct his pronunciation.
Wu Dahai shot him a glare for interrupting.
"One minute left," Officer Huang reminded.
"Plenty of time!"
Wu Dahai closed his eyes, dramatically muttering, "I feel like Double 7 is calling me!"
The moment he opened his eyes, he bet 20 points on Double 7.
The result? Papaya.
The unexpected outcome didn't faze Wu Dahai. He continued to bet 20 points on Double 7.
The result? Watermelon.
Now, he only had about 40 points left, but he didn't hesitate and again bet 20 points on Double 7.
The result? Double 7!
The machine lit up with festive red lights, and cheerful music and mechanical sounds echoed in the room: "Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations!"
20 points times 40x equals 800 points!
The coin pool instantly surged to 820 points!
Wu Dahai stood up, stretched lazily. There were 30 seconds left in the game, but he wasn't planning to play anymore.
"Time's up," Officer Huang announced.
In the end, Wu Dahai's total score was 820 points.
A minute later, the machine reset, and Gao Yang began his turn. He thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and started betting.
At first, he mimicked Wu Dahai's strategy, casting a wide net and betting on Apple, Papaya, and Orange, like a diligent farmer working the fields. After three minutes, he accumulated 61 points, but still far from Wu Dahai's 820 points.
Next, he started betting on larger prizes, but he felt unfamiliar with Double Stars, Double 7, and BAR.
Finally, he made a bold decision—betting on the biggest prize, BAR!
He bet on it six times: 10 points per bet, and hitting it once would earn 1,000 points!
Aren't I lucky? Maybe I can hit it!
Gao Yang bet 10 points on BAR.
Behind him, Wu Dahai laughed mockingly: "Bro, you're really desperate! You've only played a few rounds and you're already trying for BAR? I've spent an entire night on this and not hit it once!"
Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep—Ding! The result: no BAR.
Gao Yang bet another 10 points.
Five seconds later, the result came: still no BAR.
...
Quickly, Gao Yang was left with only one last chance. He focused, and with full force, pressed the button!
Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep—He had a feeling this time. The result seemed to take longer than before, almost two full seconds.
Ding!
Still no BAR, far from it.
"Hahahaha! You didn't hit it... you lost!" Wu Dahai laughed triumphantly. "Bro, you're not going to beat me at slots. Maybe with some practice at other games, you might have a chance. Try again next month."
Gao Yang looked at his score: 1.
It wasn't time to give up yet.
"How much time's left?" Gao Yang turned and asked Officer Huang.
Officer Huang checked his phone. "30 seconds... 29 seconds…"
Gao Yang glanced at the slot machine's buttons, focusing on the two buttons for betting on High or Low.
Screw it!
Gao Yang closed his eyes and repeatedly pressed the "High" button ten times!
Ding-ding-ding-ding... The score jumped from 1 to 2, from 2 to 4, from 4 to 8, from 8 to 16... and in the blink of an eye, it reached 624!
The whole process took less than 10 seconds.
Wu Dahai was stunned. Most people who played slot machines didn't dare bet on High or Low. If you hit once, your points double; if you lose, your points go to zero.
It looked tempting, but anyone who dared play it would most likely lose, especially when your points were high. It would most likely "swallow" your points.
But this Gao Yang, he hit High ten times in a row, and each time he won! What kind of probability was that? His luck was unreal; he might as well play the lottery!
Officer Huang was equally shocked, watching in awe. "Eight seconds left."
Gao Yang, equally stunned, felt like his luck was truly at work. "What is this? Is this my lucky talent?"
He steadied his trembling arms, aiming at the "High" button once more!
Ding! His score jumped from 624 to 1248!
He won!
"Time's up!"
Wu Dahai was dumbfounded. He had played slot machines all his life but had never seen such a thing. Could the machine be broken? He walked up to it and pressed the "High" button again.
Ding! Instantly, his score reset to zero.
Wu Dahai was thoroughly impressed. He had just witnessed what it truly meant to be an "Emperor of Luck."
"You win. The assessment is passed," Wu Dahai said.
"It wasn't easy," Officer Huang said joyfully. "After half a year, I can finally join the organization."
"Wait a second! Don't get me wrong. This is just the first test," Wu Dahai added.
"What?" Officer Huang looked surprised. "There's more?"
Gao Yang wasn't surprised at all. Which organization would assess an awakened individual based on their gaming skills? This wasn't an esports team challenge.
"Old Huang, you didn't think winning a game would be enough to join our organization, did you? The first test was just a warm-up. Now we get serious."
Wu Dahai snapped his fingers, and instantly, all the arcade machines powered down, and the ceiling fan stopped.
Gao Yang and Officer Huang stood in the dark, exchanging a look without saying a word.
Wu Dahai wasn't as simple as he seemed—he was likely gifted with "electricity" powers. In any game or movie, those with electric abilities were typically very strong.
He really was a big shot, playing a game of hidden strength and acting like a wolf in sheep's clothing. If he had truly gone head-to-head with Qingling, she might not have stood a chance.
"Let's go, we'll talk outside," Wu Dahai said, hands in his pockets, walking out of the game room.