So, for this last card, Lu Chen didn’t bother scratching it bit by bit.
He just went for it and scratched it clean in one go.
After all, he had financial luck on him. Whatever would be, would be.
And then…
The smiles on everyone’s faces in the shop froze stiff again.
There on the card, three “Fa” characters in a row, like a beautiful woman waving at them.
So breathtakingly beautiful!
Someone screamed on the spot.
“Oh my god, he won again! Another 100,000!”
“Heavens above! Four cards bought, four cards all winners! Two grand prizes, one second prize. What kind of heaven-defying financial luck is this?!”
“Brother, please, I’m begging you, tell me which god is this amazing? I’ll pray to them even if it ruins me financially!”
Seeing that he had scratched another grand prize, Lu Chen couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Holy crap, this feeling of having financial luck boosting you is just incredibly awesome!
He didn’t keep them in suspense and told them honestly, “I prayed to Lord Jun Cai!”
“Lord Jun Cai? Which wealth god is that?”
“Is there really a wealth god like that?”
But the few older guys looked completely confused, like their knowledge was limited.
Even Deng Jiajia frowned. “Is there a wealth god like that? Aren’t the wealth gods Zhao Gongming and Lord Guan, the Holy Emperor?”
“There is, my friends, there really is.”
Lu Chen briefly explained the origin of Lord Jun Cai.
Only then did everyone have a sudden realization.
“I see. Well, I’ve learned something new today. Alright, I’m going to go try it. You guys coming?”
“Forget it, I’m not going.”
“Why not?”
“Getting a blessing from such an unpopular god is already incredibly lucky. I probably don’t have that kind of fortune.”
“I think so too. I’ll stick to studying the lottery.”
After hearing the origin of Lord Jun Cai, two of the older guys immediately lost interest.
They clearly weren’t at all interested in an unpopular god.
Only one guy decided to go and give it a try.
Lu Chen wasn’t surprised by this.
It’s like going to a mall to buy clothes.
A name-brand shirt costs a thousand.
A no-name shirt also costs a thousand.
Which one would you choose?
Temples don’t charge less for incense just because the god is unpopular.
Since the price is the same, why wouldn’t many people choose a popular god?
This way of thinking is normal and very reasonable.
So Lu Chen didn’t plan to persuade them. Whether they believed it or not was their business. Why would he force them?
Just as Lu Chen was thinking this to himself,
Suddenly, his whole body twitched violently again.
For a moment, he felt like he had been drained.
“Oh no, the financial luck… is it used up?”
Lu Chen quickly said, “Old classmate, give me one more scratch-off card.”
Deng Jiajia handed him one.
Sure enough, this time he didn’t win a single cent.
Lu Chen smiled wryly. “Looks like this wave of financial luck has run its course.”
But a hundred yuan had turned into over 260,000.
What more could you ask for?!
“How much did you make in total?” Deng Jiajia asked curiously.
“Including yesterday, about 260,000 yuan. I made 15,000 yesterday.”
Lu Chen didn’t hide it.
“Amazing!! Before, I ran into someone else who had prayed to a wealth god. He bought a lottery ticket and won a third prize, which was 100,000.”
Deng Jiajia had also calmed down. “Looks like even though your wealth god is unpopular, he’s pretty generous with his blessings.”
Lu Chen smiled calmly and didn’t confirm or deny it.
Wasn’t the point of ‘burning incense to an unpopular god’ exactly to have fewer followers and bigger returns?
Lu Chen then pointed to the few scratch-off cards on the table. “Old classmate, what about these cards?”
Deng Jiajia picked up the cards and did some stuff on the computer. “Wait a moment. After I record them in the system, I’ll transfer the money to you.”
A moment later, a total of 261,000 yuan was transferred into Lu Chen’s card.
“Did you get it?”
“I got it.”
Deng Jiajia smiled. “It’s a good thing you came early in the morning. If it were closer to noon, I’d definitely make you treat me to a meal.”
With the huge sum of money in hand, Lu Chen was feeling great. He took 500 yuan in cash from his pocket and slapped it on the table. “Here’s a red envelope, to celebrate together.”
Deng Jiajia quickly waved her hands. Of course, she wouldn’t actually accept it.
The two chatted casually across the counter.
Deng Jiajia said, “Old classmate, how have you been? The Divine Servant Degree competition is next week. What are your plans?”
Lu Chen shook his head. “No real plans. It’s just an ordinary competition. What plans could there be?”
Deng Jiajia wagged her finger. “You’re thinking too simply this time, old classmate.”
Lu Chen frowned. “What do you mean?”
Deng Jiajia looked left and right to make sure no one was paying them much attention, then leaned in closer and said quietly, “Let me give you a little inside information. Starting with our year, the school system is going to change!”
Lu Chen said, “Change?”
Deng Jiajia said, “I’ve heard that the passing mark for this competition is 2%. Any student with a Divine Servant Degree below 2% will be forced to graduate early.”
Lu Chen was taken aback. “Where did you hear that?”
Deng Jiajia said, “I have a relative who works at the education bureau. I just found out a couple of days ago.”
Lu Chen was a bit shocked. “Why the change?”
Deng Jiajia pouted. “Because of the pressure from the external situation. I heard that several more SSS-level horror dungeons have appeared all over the country. The number of demons and monsters is increasing, and even the country can’t handle it.
“The change is to increase competitiveness.
“Basically, it’s about picking the best.
“Good seedlings will continue to be cultivated.
“As for the ordinary ones, they’ll be sent straight into society to find their own way to shine.”
Lu Chen said, “Is this information reliable?”
Deng Jiajia said seriously, “The change is definitely reliable!”
Lu Chen sucked in a breath. “Then this is a big deal! For those who stay, is there any special support?”
Deng Jiajia shook her head. “I don’t know the specifics. My relative didn’t say clearly. But he did hint that for us, the coming era will be one where opportunity and risk coexist.
“I suspect…”
“Suspect what?”
“I suspect it’s very likely that they’ll let us start taking missions from the mission hall early.”
“Why do you say that?”
Deng Jiajia analyzed, “Think about it. The change is this big. The country’s goal is to pick the best and increase competitiveness. Would they just let us continue to stay comfortably in school, enjoying life?
“They’ll definitely make things tougher for us.
“And the best way to make things tougher is to let us get used to the pace of society early.
“So, getting exposed to various missions early is the best way to train ourselves.
“That would fit with the country’s goal for the change.
“What do you think?”
You had to admit, Deng Jiajia’s speculation was very convincing.
In Lu Chen’s memory, although Deng Jiajia didn’t answer questions often in class, whenever she did, she hit the nail on the head.
Lu Chen nodded. “Makes sense. If that’s really the case, then your relative wasn’t wrong. This will be a new era where opportunity and risk go hand in hand.”
Deng Jiajia nodded. “I’ve already decided. I’m going to focus on martial arts from now on. If we really can take missions early, then whether it’s for the money or for military merit,
“going into dungeons to defeat demons and monsters and protect our homes and country will be the fastest way!”
Lu Chen saw the burning passion in her eyes and couldn’t help teasing her, “Aren’t you afraid of dying? Going into dungeons is gambling with your life.”
But Deng Jiajia didn’t care. “Gambling with my life? For people at the bottom like us, how else can we succeed if we don’t gamble with our lives?”
Lu Chen was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but give her an admiring thumbs-up. “Old classmate, you’re the real deal!”
Deng Jiajia waved her hand and laughed. “I’m just kidding. If I actually run into a fierce ghost, I’d probably be so scared I’d wet my pants. Oh, by the way, what’s your Divine Servant Degree now?”
Lu Chen said, “My degree with the Wenchang God of Culture is 0.5%.”
Deng Jiajia said, “That’s so low? I have 2.6%.”
Lu Chen changed the subject. “But my Divine Servant Degree with Lord Jun Cai is 5%.”
Deng Jiajia said, “???!!!”
“No way! You’re way too insane! 5%! No wonder your financial luck was so crazy today. Tell me! How much did you spend on incense?”
“Well…”
Lu Chen scratched his head. He decided not to say, so he wouldn’t sound like he was showing off.
“Just lucky. I didn’t spend much.”
Deng Jiajia saw that he didn’t want to say, so she didn’t press further. “Alright. I really couldn’t tell, old classmate. I didn’t expect you to be so talented when it comes to financial luck. I think you could become a Fortune Transmitter in the future, helping people pray for financial luck!”
A Fortune Transmitter is a type of auxiliary job derived from the wealth gods.
Its function is to help people pray for and transmit financial luck.
Lu Chen shook his head and laughed. “Forget it. Working a job is impossible. I’ll never work a job in this lifetime. I’d rather start my own business than be someone else’s money-moving boy.”
Deng Jiajia laughed and said, “Working for someone else is nice because you get a steady income no matter what. And Fortune Transmitters get paid really well. Starting your own business is still a bit riskier.”
Lu Chen just smiled. He chatted for a bit longer, and seeing that it was getting late,
He prepared to say goodbye. “Old classmate, I’ll head back now. Thanks for telling me all this.”
Deng Jiajia waved her hand. “No problem. It’s going to be announced next Monday anyway. It’s not some huge secret. Oh, by the way, I’ll have my dad put up a banner with your name on it to advertise our shop. You don’t mind, do you?”
Lu Chen said, “I don’t mind. Go ahead.”
“Alrighty!”
Lu Chen waved goodbye.
Just as he reached the door,
A man came in from outside. When he saw Lu Chen, he froze for a moment.
Lu Chen found it a bit strange, but didn’t think much of it.
“Old classmate, take care!”
“Okay, goodbye!”
Lu Chen left the lottery shop directly.
“Jiajia, was that your old classmate?”
The man who had come in pointed in the direction Lu Chen had gone and asked.
“Yeah, Brother Zhang. Do you know my classmate too?”
Brother Zhang clicked his tongue. “This kid is really something else. I ran into him yesterday at the Zhao Family Temple.”
Deng Jiajia was confused. “What do you mean?”
Brother Zhang sucked in a breath. “He used just one incense stick to get a wealth god’s blessing. And he increased his Divine Servant Degree to 5% in one go. I was completely stunned watching him.”
Deng Jiajia’s eyes widened into circles. “What did you say? One incense stick? 5%?!”
“Yeah, and the key is, it was the kind that costs a hundred yuan per stick. Can you believe it?”
Deng Jiajia’s mouth dropped open so wide you could almost fit an egg in it.
A moment later, a roar like an angry lioness came from the lottery shop.
“Lu Chen! So you’re actually the most insane one of them all!!!!!!”
