After leaving school, Su Ming arrived at a place called the Seven Star Arcade. Most of the patrons were students from Shitian Middle School. Every day after classes, at least several hundred students would come to play games or gamble. The arcade covered about six hundred square meters, a decent size. Compared to some third-rate arcades, Seven Star was considered quite impressive.
After a quick glance around, Su Ming headed for the slot machines. He was here to gamble and make money, with no interest in playing King of Fighters. Having money was the real power.
With his superpowers, Su Ming wasn't about to waste his ability. Now he could make money without doing back-breaking labor or worrying about it, and all it took was a bit of gambling. Of course, this was only true if you had the ability to win. Without it, the pressure would be immense.
Su Ming wondered if he could actually win. Would his superpowers help?
There was only one way to find out. Su Ming had always been brave enough to take on challenges. Besides, he only had a few dozen yuan on him. If he lost, it wouldn't be a big deal. If he won, that would be even better.
At the Seven Star Arcade, game tokens cost one yuan each, a standard price anyone familiar with such places would know. Su Ming only had twenty-five yuan. He kept five for bus fare home, just in case, and exchanged the remaining twenty for game tokens.
The arcade had over a dozen slot machines, divided into three types with different gameplay. Su Ming chose one and was about to start playing when he spotted a familiar, pretty figure approaching—Tian Keke, the fiery girl from Class 2-9 and his deskmate.
Tian Keke didn't notice Su Ming. She walked up to the slot machine he was standing at, her back to him. She was dressed the same as that day: a melon-seed face, small, rosy lips, and heavy makeup. Her blue school uniform clung tightly to her figure, accentuating her curves—especially her firm, perky buttocks. Su Ming swallowed hard, his mouth watering. He really wanted to touch her and see what it felt like.
Though he wanted to, he knew if he actually did, the fiery girl would likely go ballistic and try to kill him on the spot.
Instead of gambling immediately, Su Ming watched Tian Keke place her bet with keen interest. She frowned slightly as she held thick stacks of game tokens in her fair, jade-like hands. By the looks of it, there should be around a hundred tokens.
Tian Keke loved gambling so much that she'd even steal her mother's money to play. Every time, she'd lose it all, never leaving the Seven Star Arcade with a smile. Over time, she'd grown accustomed to it, but her addiction remained unshakable. Even though she knew the arcade was a place that would drain her dry, she couldn't stay away. Today, after stealing a hundred yuan from her mother, she ran straight to the arcade after school to gamble again.
"Hey, are you gonna bet or not? How long are you gonna take? The rest of us are waiting to start!" A group of guys and girls next to her, who had watched Tian Keke insert game coins but hadn't placed a bet, grew impatient. One of them nudged her and snapped, "What's it to you? It's my mom's money, not yours! Why should you care if I bet or not?" Instead of heeding their shove, Tian Keke unleashed a stream of vulgar insults.
"What's with the attitude? I just told you to hurry up and bet, and you start cursing?" One of the guys' faces darkened.
Tian Keke scoffed, smirking. "What, you wanna fight? I can't beat you guys, but how about you send your girlfriend over? I'll make her the most popular girl in the arcade with just one finger."
"Bitch..." a female student standing beside her shot her a cold glare. *This woman is so audacious, not even ashamed to speak like that.*
"Ooh! Aren't you a bitch too? Take off your pants and you'll be dripping more than me. Trying to act innocent? Hah! I could make you so wild with just one finger that your mother would be begging me to stop." Tian Keke raised a single finger at the other girl.
Seeing Tian Keke's garish makeup and bold demeanor, they assumed she must be the girlfriend of some gang boss. Knowing better than to mess with such women, they decided against further confrontation. They were here for entertainment, not to stir up trouble.
Su Ming was somewhat surprised. The fiery girl in front of him was surprisingly cute. Her lips looked so kissable—how intoxicatingly sweet and spicy must they taste?
Soon, Tian Keke placed her bets: thirty game tokens spread across Double Star, Double Seven, and Watermelon—all twenty-to-one payouts. Forty-five-to-one odds sometimes came up, but the chances were slim.
The slot machine spun for several rounds before gradually slowing to a stop. As the reels came to rest, the machine's speaker blared out the song "I Love You, I Love You, Just Like a Mouse Loves Rice." But the result was an Apple—a symbol that made Tian Keke's face fall in disappointment.
"Damn it, it's an apple again! I lost thirty bucks. It's always like this: bet high, get low; bet low, get high; or just get nothing at all. You stupid slot machine, do I have a grudge against you? Can't you give me just one win to make me happy?" Tian Keke was so angry she wanted to kick the slot machine into the air, her face flushed crimson.
"Heh, it's a matter of luck. Who can you blame?" The girl said sarcastically. "Look, we've won plenty."
"Pfft! Just one win? Big deal. I'll win next time too," Tian Keke said without turning around, continuing to feed game tokens into the machine.
But Tian Keke's luck was truly abysmal. In just three minutes, her hundred yuan in tokens were completely gone. If she wouldn't have to pay for damages, she probably would have smashed the machine into dust.
"Oh, look at someone's luck! Never seen anyone this unlucky. Lost a hundred bucks, ready to cry?" The group taunted her as they headed to the token exchange counter.
Tian Keke couldn't resist the urge to punch that girl, her face falling into utter dejection. The crushing weight of losing all her money had completely drained her spirits.
Su Ming felt a pang of sympathy. To lose nearly a hundred yuan in under four minutes—Tian Keke was truly a reckless gambler. At this rate, no amount of money would be enough to keep her from losing it all.
"Su Ming, what are you doing here?" Turning around, the dejected Tian Keke was surprised to see Su Ming standing behind her. Her crestfallen expression immediately shifted to one of astonishment.
"Gambling, of course! What else?" Su Ming chuckled lightly, his sympathetic gaze fading. Women had pride, and being seen by him in this state would likely make her despise him instantly. While Su Ming wasn't skilled at wooing girls, he at least understood this much.
"You're gambling too? Great! Quick, lend me a few hundred yuan to try my luck. I'm about to lose it all! This slot machine is a real thief—it ate my hundred yuan! If I don't win it back today, I'm not going home!" Tian Keke stomped her foot in frustration, clearly unwilling to accept defeat.
"I don't have any money!" Su Ming shrugged helplessly. The remaining five yuan in his pocket was for bus fare. If he gave it to her, he'd have to walk home.
Tian Keke was furious. "If you don't have money, why are you gambling? Are you crazy?"
"You're the one who's sick! I don't have money because I just bought twenty game tokens and was about to gamble. You swooped in and took my spot. Now you can watch me gamble!" Su Ming said innocently.
"Really! Hehe, then give me nineteen tokens! I need to win my money back." Tian Keke immediately noticed the game tokens in Su Ming's hand. The lady-like image she had cultivated vanished as she lunged to snatch them.
"Wait, you've already bet a hundred and haven't won once. Why not watch me try a few rounds?" Su Ming refused to let her lose it all again. The slot machine was a trap; he'd have to cheat using his superpowers to stand a chance.
Tian Keke pouted, then conceded. Her luck was terrible, and it wasn't right to demand the tokens since they belonged to Su Ming. With only twenty tokens in total, she glared at the slot machine and gritted her teeth. "Su Ming, you have to help me win my money back."
"I'll do my best!" Su Ming nodded, thinking, *Help her win her money back? We're not that close, are we?*
Still, when a beautiful girl actively tries to get closer, even an idiot would recognize an opportunity. Win some money, win the girl's heart.