Sato Yuta steeled himself, pulled out his Student Terminal, and operated it with trembling fingers:
"Fine! One hundred thousand, then! Junior, if your divination turns out to be wrong, I—I'll have to get some points back!"
He tried to make one last appeal to his "consumer rights."
"Beep."
The notification that the transfer had gone through rang out clearly.
Lin Mu glanced at the balance notification on his terminal screen. His pitiful little sum of just over twenty thousand had suddenly jumped to over one hundred and twenty thousand.
Success!
A barely perceptible smile flashed across his eyes, and the little man in his heart was already dancing in circles.
His first windfall was in the bag! It had gone even more smoothly than he'd expected! The feeling of making money while lying down... really was unbeatable!
The heartache he'd felt when he'd spent sixty thousand on the equipment was now completely washed away by the overwhelming satisfaction.
As expected, the bigger the waves, the more valuable the fish—but he had superpowers! Earning points was as easy and natural as breathing.
"What would you like me to divine, senior?" Lin Mu quickly dispelled his lazy expression and returned to his calm tone, gesturing toward the Tarot Cards on the table.
Sato Yuta hurriedly leaned forward as if he'd grabbed onto a lifeline, his eyes full of anxiety and unease. "I want to know, if I agree to team up with my friends for that Business Simulation Competition, will we succeed?
"Will I mess things up? And... if I turn them down now, will they ostracize me and make things awkward for me in class afterward?
"Can you—you can divine all that?"
"Draw three cards." Lin Mu pushed the shuffled Tarot Cards toward him. "Don't overthink it. Go with your first instinct. Then put them on the table."
Of course, the moment his client shuffled and drew the cards, Psychokinesis had already guided him, ensuring that he drew the three cards Lin Mu had "arranged"—the ones that perfectly matched his situation and what lay ahead.
Sato Yuta nervously swallowed, then held his breath, closed his eyes, and drew three cards by feel, placing them in order on the velvet-covered table.
The Chariot reversed, the Hermit upright, and the Six of Pentacles upright.
Lin Mu picked up the first card, the "Chariot reversed," his expression growing a little more serious as he began his reading:
"The first card is the Chariot reversed. It represents impulsiveness, following others blindly, a lack of control, and insufficient ability that makes mistakes more likely.
"In your situation, the meaning is clear: if you agree to compete as a team with your friends, you'll not only hold them back because you lack the ability, but you'll also mess up a key decision because of nerves or poor judgment.
"The end result will be a failed project, with your friends blaming one another and trying to shift responsibility.
"And you, as the weakest and most likely to make mistakes on the team, will become everyone's target, caught between a rock and a hard place.
"This competition will be a guaranteed loss for you and your team."
Sato Yuta's face turned deathly pale in an instant. He nodded repeatedly, his voice trembling.
"Exactly! I felt like I didn't have what it takes, and I was terrified of holding everyone back. That's why I couldn't make up my mind! So, what about the second card? If I turn them down..."
"The second card is the Hermit upright." Lin Mu tapped the second card with a fingertip. It showed an old man walking alone through a snowy night, holding a lantern.
"It symbolizes solitude, self-reflection, seeking inner wisdom, and deliberately distancing yourself from distractions.
"This means that if you refuse to join the team now, those 'friends' of yours will definitely be unhappy at first. They'll act cold toward you for a few days and give you the cold shoulder.
"But that wouldn't be true 'ostracism,' because..." He looked up at Sato Yuta. "You know that you're not that close to them in the first place. You don't necessarily share their interests or outlook on life, and you don't interact much in your daily lives.
"After this period of coldness, your relationship will naturally return to the ordinary classmate status you had before the competition.
"And you'll actually have some peace and quiet, avoiding unnecessary trouble."
Sato Yuta visibly relaxed, his shoulders sagging a little. He hurriedly pointed to the third card. "Then what about the last one..."
"The Six of Pentacles upright represents sharing, balance, having your efforts recognized, and receiving help or praise."
Lin Mu softened his tone, guiding him a little. "This suggests that after you turn down this team activity that isn't right for you,
"you'll be able to focus on your studies and the subjects you're genuinely good at or interested in. In an upcoming routine class assessment or some small task, you'll get a good result.
"Some of your classmates will notice your focus and achievement, and you may even earn their goodwill. Someone might come over and strike up a conversation.
"That would be much better than forcing yourself into a group that might embarrass you."
He paused, then added what seemed like an offhand remark, though in fact he was tossing out an even more impactful "prediction":
"One more thing.
"Based on what the cards suggest, even if you force yourself to go, your friends will get into an argument on the day of the competition over the division of labor or some issue involving their interests. It'll be a serious falling-out.
"Your presence won't help. You'll probably just be asked to take on extra responsibilities or share the losses, which wouldn't be worth it."
"Ah!" Sato Yuta let out a low cry and clapped a hand over his mouth.
Deep down, he'd already had a nagging fear about that. Those friends of his weren't exactly reliable. What if they started arguing during the competition...? He couldn't believe Lin Mu had "divined" even that!
In an instant, all his doubts vanished, replaced by sheer joy and faith in Lin Mu.
He jumped to his feet, bowed deeply to Lin Mu, and stammered, "You were spot-on! That's exactly what I thought!
"You're incredible! Thank you! Thank you so much!
"I definitely won't join the team. Otherwise, I'd really be in for a disaster! You... you're the Divination Immortal!"
He thanked Lin Mu over and over, the gloom on his face completely gone. He practically skipped out of the tent, looking utterly relieved, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
Several students who had gathered outside the tent had witnessed the whole thing.
They'd only stopped out of curiosity. They'd seen Sato Yuta go in looking miserable, but when he came out, his mood had changed completely.
They'd also caught bits of his exclamations—"spot-on," "incredible"—and their doubts began to waver.
"It seems like... he really might be onto something?"
"That guy looked like he was about to cry when he went in, but now he's grinning from ear to ear..."
"One hundred thousand points... But if it can really solve your problems, maybe it's worth it?"
"Should we... give it a try?"
Their curiosity and desire for "precise answers" outweighed their hesitation over the high price.
Before long, several students gathered around him, all asking questions at once:
"Hey, is it really accurate?"
"I want to ask about my studies..."
"Can you divine romantic matters?"
"How much does it cost?"
Lin Mu was still leaning against his little folding stool, but now he had a fresh grape-flavored lollipop between his lips.
Watching the crowd gather around him, the corner of his mouth lifted in a barely noticeable, satisfied smile. Good. His reputation was starting to spread.
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