บท 5: Scratch-off Lottery Ticket

บรรณาธิการ: EndlessFantasy Translation

Her screams caused everyone to look over. Everyone clearly heard his name, Xia Tian, while Jianghai's two most famous figures were Huo Lajiao and Xu Shaocong.

However, Xia Tian defeated the Four Guardian Warriors under Xu Shaocong and even proceeded to molest Huo Lajiao.

With that, Xia Tian had now gained a considerable reputation in Jianghai High School, especially with the NCEE approaching.

"Hey, I never touched you. You're the one who won't let go of me. If you want to talk about harassment, you're the one who molested me," Xia Tian helplessly explained to Huo Lajiao. Huo Lajiao was shrewish in nature but he never knew her to be so unreasonable.

"You do have your point," Huo Lajiao mumbled to herself but steered herself back. "No wait, I won't let go of you unless you promise to teach me martial arts."

"Teach you martial arts? Do I look like I know martial arts?" Xia Tian wasn't a martial artist. He just applied the same move Old Fan used on him in the morning.

"Sure you do. You did it just now. They're Xu Shaocong's Four Guardian Warriors but you took them all down in a cinch." Huo Lajiao was enthusiastic upon recalling Xia Tian's performance.

On the other end.

"Old Fan, I've investigated his background."

"Mm, read it out."

"Xia Tian.

"Male, nineteen years old. His mother went missing after his birth.

"His father met with a fatal accident when he was fourteen.

"He's now studying at Jianghai High School with exemplary results. Two weeks ago, he saved Jianghai's Chairwoman Ceng Rou's daughter. She's from one of the Four Big Families. He left the hospital without accepting Ceng Rou's compensation.

"He's currently living at his cousin's place and normally works part-time jobs."

"Mm, any news on his parents?"

"I can't look any further. It's classified information. His father is A classified while his mother is S classified. We don't have clearance."

"Alright, I understand. Any word on Quicksand's recent activities?"

"Quicksand seems to have noticed him but they won't haven't laid a hand on him yet. They seemed to be interested in something but not his life."

"Things are not calm in Jianghai City, I'll be leaving this place. You guys stay back and protect Lil Feng and the rest. Kill anyone who comes in their way."

"You know, young master's a martial arts master, our men were taught a lesson."

"Protect him from a distance. Keep an eye on Quicksand. No one dares harm my son, apart from Quicksand in Jianghai City."

At the same time, in Jianghai City's No. 1 assassination organization, Quicksand.

"Lord Cryptobat, when do we strike?"

"Now is not the time. Watch him and strike when you find the hidden scroll." Cryptobat hid his body under his black robe but the dark aura around him was still leaking through. A curled chilliness spread out within this darkness.

"Yes."

"Right, keep your eyes on that boy. If anyone else notices him, take care of them as well," Cryptobat's icy tone withered the potted plant in front of him.

Xia Tian had no idea that earth-shattering change would be coming about to Jianghai City. He had just straightened things out with Huo Lajiao, and although her arms were no longer wrapped around him, she was still hot on his trail. Fortunately, she chased away her two underlings but she was stuck behind Xia Tian.

"Master, when will you teach me martial arts?" Huo Lajiao hopped behind Xia Tian.

"I've told you, I'm not your master and I only know that two moves which I will pass down to my wife and children in the future," Xia Tian helplessly said. He tried to dismiss her.

"Master, please, just take me in," Huo Lajiao put on a pitiful look.

"I'm not Fahai¹, why do I need to take you in for?" Xia Tian was on the way to purchase a new mobile phone and replace his SIM card. Although he only had a handful of contacts, it would be troublesome if his aunt and cousin sister could not get a hold of him.

"Master, why don't you just marry me? You can then pass down your martial arts to me." Huo Lajiao's mind was stuffed with mastering the ultimate martial art and becoming an unrivaled heroine.

Xia Tian gave Huo Lajiao the side glance and curled his lips. "You? You don't have the body nor the looks. I don't want to marry you."

Huo Lajiao stared at her chest before glancing at him.

"Master, you shouldn't set the bar too high. I'm still a woman, you can make do." Huo Lajiao tugged Xia Tian's arm and begged.

"Okay okay, I will teach you the two moves when I find the time." Xia Tian walked towards the commercial hall.

"Master, there's a scratch-off lottery ticket there, let's scratch a few," Huo Lajiao excitingly suggested after she spied a scratch-off lottery ticket sign at the commercial hall's entrance.

"It's not like you don't have money, why do you want to scratch it for?" Xia Tian frowned. He was in the dark about Huo Lajiao's true identity but he had heard a few rumors about Huo Lajiao.

It was said that Huo Lajiao came from a rich family and had ties to the underworld. She was extravagant with money and did not seem like someone who needed the cash.

"I like the thrill and excitement of it." Huo Lajiao pulled Xia Tian into the scratch-off lottery ticket site.

'Oh, right, I can attempt to see if my Insight can penetrate the scratch-off.' An idea popped into Xia Tian's head. So far, he had only used his Insight on peeping and fights. He had not given it a shot on other items.

"Boss, hand me a few tickets." Bubbling with excitement, Huo Lajiao started scratching off a few tickets but did not strike anything.

"Just my luck," Huo Lajiao grumbled. It was then Xia Tian asked for three tickets.

"Master, I thought you weren't going to play?" Baffled, Huo Lajiao stared at Xia Tian.

Xia Tian did not respond but instead scratched the first ticket. It was a miss. He then scratched another piece, still a miss.

"Scratch-off lottery ticket isn't played like this. You two are just scratching at random, of course you won't win anything," A person standing beside Xia Tian scoffed. That same person was also scratching but he chose a match-and-win type of lottery.

"You're only a young child yet you're already looking to hit the jackpot. You're spending your money in vain," The person taunted.

"How dare you speak to me that way." Huo Lajiao was about to erupt when she saw the prize on Xia Tian's third ticket.

He won eight hundred yuan.

"You won a prize, Master, you really won a prize," Huo Lajiao shouted with joy.

"Humph, dumb luck." The person was green with envy at the sight of Xia Tian winning. He wanted to show that he was an old hand at the game when he saw these two wimpy kids playing but who would have thought that they would win a prize.

"Help me convert this to seven hundred in cash and I want another ten tickets." Xia Tian pointed at the tickets he wanted to scratch. "These few, please."

"Master, I heard that your luck will be used up after you win so we can't continue playing anymore." Huo Lajiao brought out her god of gamblers' attitude in her and advised Xia Tian.

Xia Tian only responded with a smile. He had experimented earlier. His Insight could see through the lottery tickets. He bought three tickets because he noticed one of them had an eight hundred bucks prize. If he were to buy only one ticket, surely it would attract attention, but by buying all three together, they could gasp at his luck.

After winning the prize, he launched his Insight again and saw two tickets worth two thousand and another worth a thousand. They were all closely arranged together so he asked for ten.

"Lottery sellers love customers like you who gives back the money that you'd just won." The person did not win anything from scratching all his tickets. Growing envious of Xia Tian's luck, he too bought ten tickets of the same lottery that Xia Tian had purchased.

Xia Tian scratched seven tickets in one go and none of them were hits. Huo Lajiao reacted by shaking her head. Meanwhile, the person scratched and won fifty bucks.

It was then Xia Tian scratched the eighth ticket. He won a thousand, and before Huo Lajiao could express her surprise, he scratched his ninth ticket, winning two thousand. This time, even the lottery seller was stunned. The person who bought his tickets together with Xia Tian stared blankly at Xia Tian's tickets with his mouth wide open, neglecting to scratch his own.

The tenth ticket was scratched. He won another prize of two thousand yuan.

He won a total of five thousand on three consecutive scratches. This was such a rare occasion that left even the loquacious Huo Lajiao, who was standing beside Xia Tian, speechless.

Huo Lajiao was still in shock even after Xia Tian had converted his tickets to cash.

The person who bought lottery tickets together took his fifty yuan and snuck away in embarrassment. Xia Tian took his five thousand seven hundred¹ in cash and entered the commercial hall. It was the sort of large-scale commercial hall which had mobile phone stores within.

Upon noticing that the two who walked in were kids with unbranded clothes and not to mention, Huo Lajiao, who was dressed up in a highly distasteful manner, the businesses in the commercial hall did not give a hoot about them.

"Sigh, such a young student and he's already with a girlfriend. Look at what she's wearing, how unconventional."

"Yeah, people would do just about anything these days."

"I think they can only afford a few hundred on phones. I don't care for such sales."

The sales personnel in the shop was unwilling to acknowledge Xia Tian. This was a large-scale commercial hall that sold various different branded phones, each model was at least a thousand yuan.

At that moment, a young lady who seemed to be a newbie sales personnel walked up to Xia Tian. She was not beautiful but her smile was exceptionally sweet. "Young man, what sort of phone are you looking to buy?"