2: Chapter 2 The Lucky One

That's the one!

Shen Yan's gaze was like a hawk's, firmly locked onto the seventh one in the third row!

The system's intelligence couldn't be wrong!

The Host held the microphone, his impassioned voice stirring up the atmosphere.

"Friends in the fifth round of the lucky draw, are you ready?!"

The elderly crowd below the stage immediately erupted in an excited response.

Shen Yan gripped the lottery ticket in his hand, his knuckles turning white.

He only had a few dozen yuan left on him now; that hundred yuan for the rice was practically his last bit of liquid capital.

If the system was fake, or if the intelligence was incorrect...

No, there were no 'ifs'!

His younger sister was still in the hospital waiting for money to save her life!

Youyou was still waiting for him to pick her up and bring her home!

He couldn't lose, and he couldn't afford to lose!

"Alright, let's invite the lucky ones of the fifth round onto the stage!"

As the Host's voice fell, Shen Yan was practically the first to squeeze through the crowd and rush up.

His work clothes, covered in dust and sweat stains, looked completely out of place among the group of well-dressed elderly people.

Some cast disdainful looks his way, but Shen Yan didn't care at all.

Only that golden egg existed in his eyes.

The Host was slightly stunned upon seeing Shen Yan's appearance, but he still professionally smiled and handed over a small hammer.

"This gentleman looks very excited! Please choose a golden egg that catches your eye!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Shen Yan walked straight toward the third row.

He stood accurately and unerringly in front of the seventh golden egg.

The surrounding people began to whisper among themselves.

"What's with this young man? He just went straight there?"

"Probably just a blind guess. Looking at the way he's dressed, he doesn't seem like someone who knows the ropes."

Shen Yan turned a deaf ear to them.

He raised the small hammer in his hand.

Thud!

A crisp sound rang out.

The golden eggshell shattered into pieces.

A golden card tied with a red silk ribbon lay quietly in the center of the fragments.

The Host's eyes widened instantly; he rushed over in a single stride and picked up the card.

He shouted in an incredulous tone, "First Prize!!"

"A Licai Supermarket voucher worth five thousand yuan! Congratulations to this gentleman!"

Whoosh—!

The crowd below the stage instantly erupted into an uproar.

Gazes of envy, jealousy, and disbelief all focused on Shen Yan simultaneously.

Five thousand yuan!

To an ordinary person, this was no small sum of money!

The Host excitedly held the microphone to Shen Yan's mouth: "Sir! Congratulations! You're so lucky! How are you feeling right now? What do you plan to buy with this five thousand yuan?"

Shen Yan took the microphone; there was no ecstatic joy of winning a big prize on his face, only a sense of relief and calm.

He spoke into the microphone, his voice clear and concise:

"Can this voucher be exchanged for cash on the spot?"

"..."

The scene fell silent for a moment.

The Host's smile froze on his face.

The elderly people below the stage also looked at each other in bewilderment.

There was such a move?

Winning a prize and not buying things, but wanting to exchange it for money?

Shen Yan ignored everyone's reaction and scanned the crowd below the stage.

"Is anyone willing to take it? A five thousand yuan voucher, I only want four thousand five hundred yuan in cash."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried an unquestionable decisiveness.

Immediately, a commotion broke out below the stage.

"Young man, are you serious?" An old man wearing gold-rimmed glasses squeezed to the front.

"How about four thousand three hundred? I just happen to need some new appliances for my home!"

"I'll give four thousand four hundred!" another voice shouted.

"I'll give four thousand five hundred! I'll give you the money right now!" The previous old man grew anxious and directly pulled out his wallet, revealing a thick stack of red bills inside.

Shen Yan glanced at him: "Fine, four thousand five hundred, it's a deal."

Time was precious; getting the money safely in his pocket was the most important thing.

The Host snapped back to his senses and quickly tried to smooth things over: "It seems this gentleman is in urgent need of money! We respect his choice!"

Soon, under the witness of the mall staff, Shen Yan handed the golden card to the old man.

And forty-five brand-new hundred-yuan bills were stuffed into Shen Yan's hand.

Clutching the four thousand five hundred yuan that still held some warmth, Shen Yan turned and walked off the stage.

Behind him were the Host's voice continuing to liven up the atmosphere and the crowd's discussions, but none of that had anything to do with him anymore.

He quickly left the bustling Licai Plaza.

Walking on the way home, Shen Yan still felt a bit dazed.

The four thousand five hundred yuan clutched in his hand felt heavy.

A few hours ago, he had been feeling lost because he was fired and only had a little over three hundred yuan in wages in his pocket.

Now, he had over four thousand yuan.

The tycoon system... was actually real!

Ordinary intelligence was worth five thousand yuan; then what about advanced intelligence or major intelligence?

Shen Yan's heart felt a surge of heat.

He saw hope—the hope of saving his sister and getting his daughter back!

Turning into the familiar entrance of the urban village, a rich aroma of roasted meat wafted over.

It was roast duck.

Shen Yan's footsteps paused slightly.

In this urban village where he rented a place, prices were cheap, but this twenty-yuan roast duck was still a luxury for him.

Over the past year, to save money for his sister's medical treatment, he had hardly touched any meat.

When he really couldn't stand the craving, he would wait until after 11:00 PM when the roast duck shop sold them at a discount for twelve yuan before he would be willing to buy one to satisfy his hunger.

Today...

Shen Yan touched the money in his pocket.

He walked up to the roast duck stall.

"Boss, one roast duck, please."

"Coming right up!"

The owner nimbly chopped a glistening roast duck into pieces and put them in a bag.

He handed over twenty yuan; carrying the warm, fragrant roast duck, Shen Yan's mood somehow improved a lot.

No matter how hard life was, one still needed something to look forward to, right?

Carrying the roast duck, Shen Yan walked toward the dilapidated residential building where he rented a room.

The light in the stairwell was dim, and the air was filled with a mixture of dampness and cooking fumes.

Just as he reached the second-floor landing, he saw two figures waiting at the door of his ten-square-meter room.

It was the landlord couple, Brother Sun and Sister-in-law Sun.

The male landlord, Brother Sun, was squatting on the ground, puffing away at a cigarette with a deep frown.

The female landlord, Sister-in-law Sun, had her hands on her hips and was peevishly scolding him.

"Do you even want this rent? It's been delayed for almost four months!"

Sister-in-law Sun's voice was somewhat sharp, carrying obvious anxiety.

"That batch of goods of ours is still stuck in our hands, and we're waiting for money to restock! If you don't go and ask for it, are you going to let the money fall from the sky?"

Brother Sun snuffed out his cigarette butt and replied in a muffled voice, "You know what Little Shen's family situation is like! His sister needs money, and he's working several jobs by himself. How can I possibly bring myself to ask?"

"He's having a hard time, but aren't we having one too? Whose money is blown in by the wind? Seeing how pitiful he was, we calculated the lowest rent for him. Now he can't even produce this little bit of money; are we supposed to live on air?" Sister-in-law Sun became angrier as she spoke.

"Alright, alright! Stop talking!" Brother Sun waved his hand irritably. "When he comes back, I... I'll ask again."

His tone was full of helplessness and reluctance.

Standing at the corner of the stairs, Shen Yan heard their conversation clearly.

He understood in his heart that the landlord couple weren't actually bad people.

Back when he was at the end of his rope, it was Brother Sun who saw that it wasn't easy for a young man like him and rented this small north-facing room to him at a low price, even allowing him to fall behind on the rent.

Although Sister-in-law Sun had a sharp tongue, she had also secretly brought him dumplings her family had made a few times before.

They weren't bad people; they were just forced by life to have no other choice.

Shen Yan took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and walked up while carrying the roast duck.

"Brother Sun, Sister-in-law Sun, why are you here?" He pretended he had just returned and greeted them naturally.

The squatting Brother Sun stood up abruptly, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face.

Sister-in-law Sun also stopped her complaining; her expression was somewhat unnatural, and her gaze flickered away.

"Ah... Little Shen, you're back."

Brother Sun rubbed his hands, not knowing how to start the conversation.

Without waiting for them to speak, Shen Yan directly pulled that stack of money out of his pocket.