Chapter 23: Zhao Gao

They gazed over with envy as they scratched away at their cards, deep in discussion.

"How is Hero Shen’s luck always so good?"

"Why can everyone else scratch out food, but I can't?"

"Have you noticed? Shen Bing manages to win every single time!"

"Exactly! How is that possible? No matter how good your luck is, can it really be that consistent?"

"Do you think... he’s hooked up with Boss Lu?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Chen Zhi slapped the back of the man's head. "Watch your tongue!"

The man was about to flare up, but upon turning to see it was Chen Zhi—and recalling that he hadn't managed to beat him in their last scuffle—he could only offer a sheepish nod.

Nearby, Lu Li was quite curious. "Why don't you try scratching for something else? You could get clothes, shoes, or things like that."

Shen Bing froze. He had only been scratching for food so that Da Dong, Xiao Di, and the others could have their fill. He paused to reflect; the clothes on their backs were tattered rags mended time and again, and their shoes were even worse—stripped from the feet of the dead. He felt a pang of regret, chiding himself for being so thoughtless.

"Which series has clothes and shoes?" Shen Bing asked.

"'Instant Wealth,'" Lu Li replied.

Each scratch-off series had its own specialty. For example, "Big 7" had a high probability of yielding food. "Instant Wealth" focused on apparel—it could even produce earrings and necklaces, though it seemed no one really needed those. "China Fortune" was specialized for weapons, while "New Year Dragon Luck" was a grab bag containing a bit of everything.

Upon hearing this, Shen Bing immediately picked out several "Instant Wealth" cards. Just as he was about to start, he heard Zhao Gao let out a heavy, disgruntled snort beside him.

"What kind of garbage scratch-offs are these? They’re all 'Thank You for Playing'!" Zhao Gao slammed five cards onto the table, cursing with a look of pure irritation.

Lu Li secretly scoffed, *What kind of terrible luck is that?* An average person would at least win once out of five tries—never mind what the prize was—but to have absolutely nothing? This Zhao Gao’s luck was truly rock bottom.

A smile bloomed on Lu Li’s face, revealing shallow dimples. She smoothed things over, saying, "It's alright. Try five more; you're bound to win!"

Her voice seemed to carry a touch of magic. Zhao Gao felt there was logic in her words and nodded seriously. With a defiant air, he tossed two yellow crystals onto the table.

Watching his attitude, Shen Bing felt deeply annoyed, silently deciding that as soon as the man left, he would follow him and freeze him into an ice sculpture—one that would stay frozen for a whole day!

Zhao Gao picked his five cards with lightning speed and scratched them off in the blink of an eye, only to burst into another angry tirade. "Refund! You must refund me!"

Lu Li picked them up and took a look. Only one out of the five was a winner, perfectly in line with the lowest odds she had mentioned. But how to put it? The prize was just a cup.

Who could he blame? Only himself!

Coincidentally, Shen Bing finished scratching at that moment and went to claim his prize. The Lucky Cat spat out a transparent box containing half a dozen fresh nectarines. Each one was larger than a fist and looked succulent, making Zhao Gao’s eyes water with envy; he felt even more unbalanced. *Why him?!*

The Lucky Cat broadcasted with practiced flair: "Congratulations to Shen Bing for winning six nectarines. Congratulations to Zhao Gao for winning one cup."

To Zhao Gao, this sounded like blatant mockery. When he heard someone nearby laughing without restraint, he turned to see it was that "lucky charm," Shen Bing. Hearing the grating laughter and seeing the slight trembling of Shen Bing’s shoulders, Zhao Gao’s rage ignited.

He couldn't take it anymore!

With a fierce expression, Zhao Gao threw a punch without hesitation. A gust of wind followed, and the fist was just about to connect with Shen Bing’s face.

Lu Li’s mind stirred, and Zhao Gao suddenly froze as if hit by a binding spell. His fierce, frowning expression remained locked on his face, looking quite comical under the circumstances. His body remained in the middle of a strike, veins bulging on his forehead and hands, showing just how much force he had been exerting.

Shen Bing slowly unclenched his fist, a hint of hidden amusement flickering in his eyes. *Boss Lu is standing up for me?*

"Mmph! Mmph!" Zhao Gao couldn't even move his mouth, left only with the ability to emit struggling grunts. His eyes were wide with terror. *What kind of mysterious power is this?!*

After a long moment, Lu Li finally released her hold on Zhao Gao.

Suddenly free of the shackles, Zhao Gao gasped for air, bending over to cough violently as if to prove he was still alive.

"It was you!" After a long while, Zhao Gao finally realized what had happened. He glared at Lu Li with sharp eyes, yet he felt not a shred of desire to attack her. He was afraid; the terror of being controlled, the feeling of his own body no longer belonging to him—it was an unbearable sensation!

Lu Li spread her palms and smiled. Despite her gentle and friendly appearance, her words fell like ice into a cellar. "If you try to stir up trouble on my turf again, you’d better weigh the consequences yourself."

Though her expression remained friendly, the remark broke Zhao Gao out in a cold sweat. He huffed heavily and blustered, "I want more scratch-offs!"

Lu Li laughed. *That’s more like it.* Only a fool would keep looking for trouble. She noticed that when he reached for payment, he used red crystals, implying his level was not low. If Shen Bing had clashed with him earlier, it was hard to say who would have come out on top. They were both good customers, so she preferred to avoid such incidents.

To soothe Zhao Gao’s shattered ego, she opened a fresh pack of "China Fortune." She refused to believe a person's luck could be that abysmal!

"Pick from here," Lu Li said.

Zhao Gao didn't understand, but he was feeling obedient—perhaps out of fear of her mysterious power, or perhaps simply wanting to behave. In any case, he had been humbled.

He reached out to pick from the newly opened deck, but a pale hand suddenly intervened, snatching the whole pack away.

Zhao Gao widened his eyes and followed the hand to see Shen Bing’s calm profile as he selected his cards. Shen Bing had pushed his hat up slightly, revealing the bridge of his nose and his slightly pursed lips.

"You!" Zhao Gao let out another heavy snort through his nose. He looked furious but dared not speak, his mouth turned down in utter dissatisfaction.

Shen Bing ignored him and continued to pick. Lu Li watched the two of them, feeling helpless. It had only just begun, and already Zhao Gao was being suppressed. *Forget it,* she thought, *I can’t manage them. Watching the show is my job.*

To her surprise, Zhao Gao began to complain to Lu Li. "Boss Lu, look at him! You opened this new pack for me, why does he get to pick first?"

Hearing this, Shen Bing tightened his grip on the cards, quietly pricking up his ears to listen, though his posture remained unmoved as he feigned indifference.

Lu Li felt a massive headache coming on. How could a man nearly thirty years old act like a three-year-old child, complaining like this? *Truly,* she thought, *in this apocalypse, you can’t judge a book by its cover.*

She took the cards from Shen Bing and split them in two, giving ten to each. "There, that’s that!"

The two men looked down at the cards in their hands, feeling slightly unreconciled, but neither dared to utter a word.

Shen Bing said, "I’ll take them all." With that, he took out his crystals and placed them on the table with great authority. Then, two pairs of eyes turned simultaneously to stare at Zhao Gao.

Zhao Gao: *I’m sweating bullets...*