Chapter 210: Not the Desired Luck

Chapter 210: Not the Luck I Wanted

Leveling up while taking a shower—that is a truly satisfying sensation.

With a net gain of 1 point in Luck, 2 in Vocal Charisma, and 3 in Imagination, it feels fantastic.

It even triggered a new quest, demanding I squander one hundred million—how absolutely wonderful. (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

The "God of Wealth" quest is divided into three distinct phases.

Phase One: Squander 10 million; Reward: 1,000 points.

Phase Two: Squander 50 million; Reward: 5,000 points.

Phase Three: Squander 100 million; Reward: 10,000 points.

The 1 million already spent during the previous "Wealth-Spreading Boy" phase has been carried over, meaning I am one-tenth of the way through the first phase. Nine-tenths to go—ha!

The "Wealth-Spreading Boy" quest also had phases, but the rewards were just points, and the exchange rate was roughly 10,000 yuan for 10 points. This "God of Wealth" quest is a different beast entirely: 10,000 yuan for a single point. That is a tenfold price hike!

Meng Fan looked at his accumulated total of over 7,500 points and really wanted to ask the system if he could trade them back for cash.

As for the "God of Wealth" quest, Meng Fan couldn't muster the energy to grind it.

He couldn't even bring himself to finish Phase One!

Besides, he wasn't that desperate for points. If he really had nine million to spare, there were better things to do than grind for a measly 1,000 points.

But that +1 to Luck... oh well. He didn't yet know what kind of changes this new point would bring. If it truly was a divine attribute capable of divine performance, he would put his back into making money then.

At worst, he could wear a hat and steal... well, stealing from others was out of the question, and he couldn't steal that much anyway. But stealing from his own mother? That might work... maybe. He wouldn't take much, just those two paintings!

Why should she be the only one allowed to scam him?

"Hmm? Could I try buying a lottery ticket?"

Lottery tickets were something Meng Fan had never touched, though he had certainly heard of them.

A path to riches?

What nonsense.

Isn't it common knowledge that the odds of winning the five-million-yuan jackpot are roughly equivalent to being struck by lightning eighteen times?

Even the odds of winning a minor prize are abysmal.

The reason Meng Fan had never bothered before was simple: there are easier ways to make money than gambling on a lottery.

But now, he just wanted to test his luck. He didn't expect a jackpot; he just wanted to see if he could snag a small prize.

He got dressed, opened his phone, and found a link on Alipay. He clicked through, randomly selected ten numbers, and bought one ticket for each—buying more would be pointless.

He set them to auto-renew for ten draws to see if he would hit anything.

Does luck run out once you use it?

Nonsense!

Meng Fan believed in the law of conservation of energy, and he was certain that metaphysics must also fall within its bounds.

Is the conservation of luck just that if you have good luck today, you have bad luck tomorrow? No, it should be that if you have good luck, someone else must have bad luck!

Is it time for his recent streak of bad luck to hit rock bottom and rebound?

Ha! Do you even have a bottom to hit?

After buying the tickets, Meng Fan put it out of his mind.

It was nearly nine o'clock, so he decided to start his stream. He drew one chapter as usual, finished after eleven, and instead of going out for a night walk, he stayed home to keep drawing.

With his stamina for staying up late increased by 1, he could now handle high-intensity manga creation until 2 AM without issue, or even 3 AM with two cups of coffee.

While drawing, Meng Fan truly discovered the benefits of the +1 Luck.

With the system's +26 bonus to drawing skill, plus the +1 from the Universal Brush, and his own base stats, he was well over 30. Even before this, he felt his skill had become godlike, with a high probability of having his hand guided by God. His mother claimed to have had her hand guided by God only twice in her life, whereas Meng Fan could produce one such piece in a single night if he was prolific.

Of course, whether Liang Qing and Meng Fan shared the same standard for what constituted "divine guidance" was up for debate. But any artist who reaches a certain level knows the difference between a normal performance and a moment of true inspiration.

With the +1 Luck, Meng Fan was certain the probability of divine guidance had increased. Perhaps not by much, but it was there.

In gaming terms, this would be a "lucky strike."

Waking up the next morning...

Meng Fan felt his sleep quality had improved, though he dared not be as certain of this as he was with his drawing. Was it just a placebo effect?

He put on his sportswear and headed downstairs. *Thump.* He hadn't taken more than a few steps out of the building when something struck his shoulder.

He heard the sound of something hitting the pavement!

Who the hell throws things out the window this early in the morning?

He looked up and saw a fourth-floor window open in the adjacent building, with the sounds of an argument drifting out.

Throwing things out the window and disturbing the peace at dawn—what kind of manners were those?

Good thing it didn't hit his head!

He looked down to see what had struck him, and soon found a... diamond ring?!

It looked quite substantial.

Meng Fan had never bought or worn a diamond ring, but through osmosis, and with his +1 Observation, he could tell by looking at the weight, cut, clarity, and luster that the ring was exquisite. It must have cost at least five or six hundred thousand.

Getting hit by a falling object—that must be the "Presence" attribute at work. But a five-hundred-thousand-yuan ring? Was this the effect of the +1 Luck?

"Brother, I'm so sorry!"

Just then, a head poked out of the open fourth-floor window, then quickly retracted. More shouting followed—a woman's scream, a man's roar—then the loud sound of doors slamming. A moment later, a man in his forties rushed out of the unit, wearing pajamas, his hair thin and disheveled, with scratch marks on his face.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry!"

The man had seen the diamond hit Meng Fan, though he didn't know where. Once he reached him, he apologized profusely. Seeing that Meng Fan was a student, his address shifted from "brother" to "little brother." "Little brother, are you alright? Where did it hit you? Do you need to see a doctor? I'll drive you right now."

He rattled on, never once asking Meng Fan to return the ring.

Meng Fan felt embarrassed by the apologies. Since the man hadn't asked, Meng Fan felt obligated to return it. "I'm fine. But really, you should close the window when you're arguing this early in the morning."

"Thank you, thank you. I'll be careful, I'll be careful."

The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly, his attitude impeccable. As for the ring, he took it back without even glancing at it.

"Go on back up, it's cold out here."

Meng Fan said this and jogged out of the complex.

What the hell, +1 Luck!

He hadn't gone far when, distracted, he felt himself kick something. The complex was well-maintained; how could there be a rock on the ground? It was a wallet!

Meng Fan was completely convinced now.

He picked it up and checked: ID cards and cash were inside. But who carries cash these days? People don't even carry bank cards anymore. If a man carries a wallet, it's likely just because the wallet itself is expensive.

Like this one—it was a Louis Vuitton.

Hit by a diamond ring, then finding a wallet.

Is this luck?

Meng Fan felt not the slightest bit fortunate!

This was not the kind of fortune Meng Fan had desired!

(End of this chapter)