"Better luck next time! Better luck next time... Better luck next time!"
After Fu Hua had poured her remaining twenty coins into the machine, she was greeted by ten consecutive, melodious prompts of "Better luck next time."
Hua Yi did his best to maintain a serious, solemn expression as he turned to look at the wide-eyed, dumbfounded arcade staff member standing nearby.
"This machine of yours... does it not have a pity system?"
"A-A pity system? The winning probability is as high as fifty percent. There shouldn't even be a need for a pity system. This is the first time I've ever seen someone pull ten times and get absolutely nothing. Logically speaking, the probability of failing ten times in a row is extremely lowlower than hitting the grand prize in a single shot."
As Hua Yi spoke with the staff, Fu Hua kept her head down in silence. The mindset of this usually elegant and handsome Class Monitor seemed to be experiencing a significant breakdown.
Realizing that letting a customer spiral into negative emotions was a professional failure, the staff member quickly spoke up.
"I suspect the machine might be malfunctioning. Customer, you still have some game coins left, right? How about this: try a few more times. If you still get 'Better luck next time,' the two of you can use the value of the coins spent on this machine as store credit at the counter to buy snacks or drinks."
The staff member addressed Hua Yi, as Fu Hua was already out of coins.
If the spent coins could be used as currency, it wasn't a total loss.
Fu Hua, who had been staring at the floor, lifted her head and looked at Hua Yi. She signaled with her eyes for him to try, wanting to see if it truly was the machine's fault.
The young woman's eyes were filled with hopea hope to see Hua Yi also receive a "Better luck next time" to prove that the machine was indeed broken and not that her luck was simply abysmal.
The staff member stepped aside. The odds of failing ten times in a row were so low that it wasn't a simple case of a "black-faced" bad luck streak anymore. To put it bluntly, this was a level of misfortune that transcended a common unlucky player; it was the aura of a supreme African Chieftain.
Though she invited Hua Yi to try, the staff member was internally convinced the machine was faulty. It couldn't possibly be that the girl's luck was that bad.
Hua Yi, sensing the pressure from both the staff member and Fu Hua, offered a silent prayer before dropping two coins into the slot.
"Congratulations! You have won one snack. Please take your ticket to the counter to claim your prize."
"..."
Under the chime of the electronic prompt, everyone fell into a dead silence.
Looking at the ticket spitting out of the machine, Hua Yi hesitated, unsure if he should even take it. He turned a questioning gaze toward the staff member.
"Are you sure this machine doesn't have a pity system? Like, after ten failures, the next one is a guaranteed win or something?"
Hope flared up again in Fu Hua's heart as she turned toward the counter lady along with Hua Yi. Her gaze contained far too many complex emotions. Faced with such an intense look, the young woman behind the counter looked utterly bewildered.
"Uh, maybe... perhaps... could be?"
"I see. Even with a pity system, that win rate is still a bit low. Fu Hua, maybe we should play something else..."
"You still have plenty of coins," Fu Hua interrupted. Her tone sounded the same as usual, but Hua Yi could tell something was very wrong.
With Fu Hua's polite and refined personality, she would never normally interrupt someone or speak in such a commanding, almost mandatory tone.
"...Maybe we should just call it a day?" Hua Yi felt a bit of a cold sweat.
Fu Hua didn't say a word. She just stared at him.
"Cough, alright. I'm pulling again."
Hua Yi dropped another two coins. When the "Better luck next time" prompt rang out, an uncontrollable smile finally appeared on Fu Hua's face. However, that smile didn't last long. After Hua Yi dropped another two coins, a new prompt played.
"Congratulations! You have won one drink. Please take your ticket to the counter to claim your prize."
Hua Yi knew he couldn't keep going!
Although he had pulled from the Friendship Supply many times and knew he wasn't exactly a European Emperor, his luck was never that bad. He usually had decent luck when it counted. Winning common prizes was one thing, but if he managed to pull the grand prize in the next few turns, he was afraid Fu Hua would actually "blacken" right then and there.
In fact, she already looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown.
Danger!
Hua Yi immediately grabbed Fu Hua's hand and pulled her toward the counter, shouting to the staff member who hadn't yet reacted.
"We're here to redeem our prizes! Also, we'll buy more snacks. What's in that 'Super Deluxe Bombing Lunch' grand prize? We'll buy one of those too."
Fu Hua's hand was surprisingly soft, not at all what one would expect from someone who specialized in gauntlet-based combat. In his haste, Hua Yi could feel the smoothness of her skin, but he had no time to savor the sensation. His priority was to soothe the Class Monitor.
"A temporary bout of luck doesn't mean anything. Don't let a statistical anomaly ruin your mood. Is there any other game you want to play?"
"No need. It's getting late. Let's stop here. Thank you for showing me this arcade."
Fu Hua seemed to have taken his advice to heart. Her voice and mannerisms returned to their usual calm state.
Hua Yi let out a sigh of relief. "Alright. If there's another chance, let's come back and play again."
After sharing the snacks and drinks, Hua Yi offered to walk her home as a gentlemanly gesture, but he was rejected as expected. After walking together for a short while, they reached a fork in the road and parted ways toward their respective dorms.
A moment later, once she was sure Hua Yi's figure had completely vanished from sight, Fu Hua turned around and walked straight back to the arcade.
"I'd like to buy twenty more game coins."
Looking at the customer who had returned so soon, the bewildered staff member took the money and handed over the coins.
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