That Leather Jacket

Li Wufang was very happy with Tao Yi's reaction.

Over the years, he had wanted to repay the Leather-Jacketed Uncle, but he had never heard any news about him. Now, seeing someone who seemed to know him, he was naturally excited.

Even as we embark on a path of rebellion against Destiny, I must once again praise [Destiny].

I actually found a clue among the Fated, and met someone who had seen him before. Isn't this also destiny?

Do you know him? What's his name? Where is he from...?

As he spoke, Li Wufang suddenly realized that his excitement had made him overlook many things. This was no longer the world he remembered. After the [Faith Game] descended, it was questionable whether the Leather-Jacketed Uncle was still alive in this game.

At this thought, his expression froze, his voice faltered slightly, and a flicker of fear flashed in his eyes, followed by a strange hope. His voice became very soft as he cautiously asked, "Is he... still alive?"

This question is too difficult for Tao Yi.

She believed the person the Investigator was referring to was dead, but she couldn't give a definitive answer because, to this day, she wasn't entirely certain that this person was the one she believed to be.

Tao Yi had indeed seen this leather jacket before, back when she was in college.

At that time, her best friend Hong Lin was going through the most difficult time of her life. Not only was her youth and body locked in a medicine jar full of tubes, but her family business also went bankrupt, and even a less-than-dignified way of life began to become unsustainable.

Tao Yi went home and begged her parents for help. Her parents were not heartless people, and they gave her the greatest support they could as friends. However, the money was just a drop in the ocean compared to the life-sustaining equipment that was costing so much money.

Tao Yi is a sensible girl. She knows that her family is also struggling, so she started to cut back on her own expenses and reduce extra spending. She even ate only one meal a day, just to save the money to give her best friend a chance.

And that hope is... the Lottery Ticket.

Nothing could save her friend's family more than a stroke of good fortune, but where in the world can such good fortune come from?

Rather than saying she was gambling on Hong Lin's luck, it would be more accurate to say she couldn't accept the current situation and was using this faint hope to numb herself.

After six months of persistent effort, she gained nothing, and Hong Lin's condition worsened. The huge debt began to crush the family, and even the generous biology professor had to stop maintaining the life support equipment due to financial pressure.

Her best friend was dying, but Tao Yi was powerless to help.

The endless pressure finally broke Tao Yi on a rainy day. She slumped down outside the Lottery Ticket station, sobbing silently, feeling as if the world had been shrouded in a gray shadow.

But then, things took a turn for the better.

A man in a leather jacket helped her up, grabbed her arm, and threw her under the eaves. Instead of comforting her, he mocked her.

What's the use of crying?

If tears could solve problems, the world would have been destroyed long ago.

Strangely, although she was mocked, Tao Yi did not feel any malice from the other party. With teary eyes, she looked up at the other party, but under the cover of exaggerated sunglasses, she could not recognize the person's face, only remembering that the person was wearing a dark leather jacket.

"I've stayed here for three days, and I've seen you buying Lottery Ticket at the same time every day when I go for my walk. It's quite interesting. Since you're so keen on gambling, why don't you go to a casino and try your luck?"

Wouldn't it be faster to make money there?

Tao Yi silent, still lost in the blankness of being overwhelmed by the pressure, not even realizing what she was doing or who this middle-aged man was.

Seeing that Tao Yi remained silent, the man in the leather jacket chuckled again, "It's probably about money again. The funny thing is, everything in this world is a problem for me, except for money."

Tell me, how much do you need to solve your problem?

Hearing this, Tao Yi gradually came to her senses.

She nervously gripped her collar, hugged herself, and cautiously shifted back. She knew her appearance would cause trouble, but she hadn't expected it to come at such a delicate time. At that moment, she suddenly wondered if these troubles could help Hong Lin resolve her problems.

To everyone's surprise, upon seeing this, the man in the leather jacket spat in disgust.

"A little kid like him, his brain is full of useless stuff, who cares?"

"Give me a answer, whether you want it or not. I'm not some cheapskate who'd rush to give you money."

Tao Yi was truly dumbfounded by the scolding, but she had absolutely no reason to give up on this seemingly hopeful "scam," so she decided to treat it as making a wish and asked for an outrageous amount.

That's it?

That's not enough for me to drive one round.

The man in the leather jacket chuckled, casually tossed down a Chip, and beckoned over a "female assistant" who was outstanding in both temperament and appearance.

Tao Yi stared blankly at the Chip on the ground, then looked up at the elegant lady in a daze, watching as the two people in front of her solved what she thought was an insurmountable financial problem with just a few words.

"A Ying, help her make Lottery Ticket, otherwise how can a little girl explain where so much money came from?"

"... You've taken a liking to her?"

"Bullshit, you have too much money. Use it to do some good deeds and accumulate merit."

"... Then why don't you do me some good deeds?"

"You want it? You should have said so earlier. I'll give you all of next month's earnings. Doing more good deeds might even help you die a little later."

With that, the man in the leather jacket turned and walked away.

Tao Yi finally came to her senses. She stood up abruptly, gripped the Chip tightly, and called out to the figure in the rain, "What's your name? How am I supposed to find you?"

The man in the leather jacket paused in his tracks. "What do you want with me? Are you trying to cling to me?"

I want to repay you.

"Do you really want to repay me?"

Tao Yi shrank back slightly, then nodded firmly with a determined look in her eyes. "What's your name? How can I contact you?"

The man in the leather jacket stopped in the rain, turned around and glanced at her:

"Tsk, you want to know who I am?"

So many people have their eyes on me that I can't even be sure if today's act of kindness was a setup by someone else.

Little girl, can I trust you?

Tao Yi was taken aback, then nodded emphatically again. "Okay."

The man in the leather jacket suddenly laughed, and he scoffed:

"Screw you, forget it. By the time you're able to pay back this money, I'll probably be dead. What's the point of repaying you then?"

Go and repay my son.

The rain grew heavier, and the figure in the leather jacket grew farther and farther away. The woman named A Ying chatted with the Lottery Ticket shop owner for a while, then gracefully chased after that figure, holding an umbrella.

Tao Yi spent a confused night, and the next day, her friend was rescued.

She never told anyone about these things, not even Hong Lin.

She thought that after the [Faith Game] came, there would be no chance of her promised repayment.

Until...

During a Trials of [Annihilation], she heard those words again from the mouth of a young Priest whose words and actions somewhat resembled his:

Can I trust you?

In that instant, she saw his shadow in the young Priest.