I've Lost So Much, Truly!

"Ahem, my apologies. Seeing you all acting so enthusiastically, I couldn't help but get caught up in the performance myself."

Seeing all the players staring at him with strange expressions, Li Si gave a dry cough, lowered his hands, and adjusted the collar of his suit, returning to a serious expression.

"Alright, those who want to open a box for the lucky draw, please come to me to pay, then stand behind the red line to make your selection. Crossing the red line is strictly prohibited!"

Having tidied his appearance, Li Si finally became professional.

"Are you drawing or not?"

The players standing at the front looked at each other, none choosing to be the first to eat the crab.

However, people are always prone to wishful thinking; the greatest delusion in life is "I am always the special one." What if they just happen to win on a random try?

Five thousand for an item worth twenty-six thousand is quite the temptation, and everyone wants special equipment like a combat suit.

Besides, even if they didn't win, it wouldn't be a huge blow. Each player basically started with over twenty thousand in funds, so five thousand wasn't exactly bone-breaking. Most players had enough surplus to draw two or three times.

Certain human instincts are always the same; one can always find ten thousand reasons to convince oneself.

After a short standoff, the first person to eat the crab stepped forward.

It was a middle-aged male player who gritted his teeth as if taking a gamble. Without a word, he counted out a stack of cash from his chest, slapped it into Li Si's hand, and stood at the edge of the red line to make his pick.

In truth, there wasn't much to choose from. All the cardboard boxes were the same size and color; ultimately, it came down to luck. At most, one could just pick one that looked pleasing to the eye.

There are less than a thousand boxes in total, and there are two or three hundred people here. If I don't win this time, I'll wait until everyone has picked once before trying again. If I buy enough times, I'll win eventually. As long as I hit it within five tries, it's a profit.

The middle-aged player gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, calculating in his heart.

Huh? This profiteering NPC... is he winking at me?

Just as the middle-aged player was about to pick at random, he caught a glimpse of Li Si, who was repeatedly casting sidelong glances.

I understand now!

A flash of realization and smug joy rose in his heart: He wants me to be a shill! He's intentionally letting me win first to stimulate the others! A profiteer is a profiteer indeed.

"I want that one, the last one in the left corner!"

Without hesitation, the middle-aged man pointed at the box Li Si had been eyeing.

"Of course, no problem."

Li Si gave the middle-aged man an approving look, walked over slowly, took out the box he had chosen, and handed it to him.

"Hehe, thanks, boss!"

The middle-aged man grinned, and with a heart full of excitement, slowly opened the box.

The next moment, the smile on his face froze.

"You... you...!"

The middle-aged player widened his eyes, staring at the empty box in disbelief, then glared at Li Si. A taste of blood rose in his throat.

"You profiteer!"

He pointed his trembling right hand at Li Si and roared.

"What does this have to do with me? You picked the box yourself. Are you drawing again or not? If not, please step aside and don't block the way for others!"

Li "Iron-Faced" Si rebuked him righteously.

"I'll draw! If I don't make you lose until you vomit blood today, I'm quitting the game."

The middle-aged man's eyes turned red. He counted out another five thousand, slapped it into Li Si's hand, glared around the circle, and finally picked a box that caught his eye.

However... it was still empty.

"Again!"

With bloodshot eyes, another five thousand was thrown out, and another box was delivered to his hands.

Empty...

"Again!"

The middle-aged man was so angry he nearly suffered a myocardial infarction. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hands trembled as he paid for another round.

This time, he took much longer to choose. He stared with wide eyes for a full two minutes without blinking once, finally selecting one under the gloating gazes of the other players.

Got it!

The middle-aged man's heart skipped a beat.

The moment he took the box, he clearly felt a difference in weight.

Carefully opening the box, sure enough, a set of tattered rags lay quietly in the center.

"I won! Hahaha, I won! Hahahaha!"

The middle-aged player laughed in ecstasy: "You profiteer, so what if you tried to mislead me? I still won, hahaha!"

"Eh, yes, yes, I've lost big. A twenty-six thousand combat suit won for twenty thousand—I'm practically bleeding out from the loss."

Heartache, regret, and various expressions played out brilliantly on Li Si's face, though no matter how one looked at it, he still seemed to be smiling.

Poor guy, he's been played into madness by this profiteer. Has he really never played a pay-to-win game before?

The surrounding players looked at the middle-aged man with pity; while they mentally resolved to take him as a cautionary tale, their hands were honest enough as they pulled out money and placed it into the hands of Li Si.

Draw, draw, draw!

Getting equipment worth twenty-six thousand for a twenty-thousand-dollar draw—no matter how you calculated it, it wasn't a loss!

"Take your time, take your time. Please rest assured, everyone will have a chance to open a chest."

Watching the players waving their bills one after another, Li Si beamed with joy as he directed two security guards to maintain order.

"Wow, everyone look at this lucky young man! He hit it on the first try! On the first try!"

"Another winner! Everyone look at this fellow here; he observed for a full twenty minutes. He struck the moment he acted—opportunity truly favors the prepared. Let us wait and see the birth of the next lucky soul!"

"Only three left, only three left! Everyone seize the opportunity, there aren't many chests remaining!"

Li Si counted the bills happily while cheering to stir up the players' emotions.

In truth, there was no need for incitement; there were nearly four hundred players here, and he had prepared fewer than a thousand chests. Basically, if everyone drew twice, they would be sold out.

It is worth mentioning that one chest remained at the very end, and there happened to be one set of battle gear that hadn't been drawn yet.

Because this chest was essentially a guaranteed win, it triggered a chaotic scramble among the many players, the atmosphere thick with hostility, nearly escalating into a brawl.

However, as a great merchant who believed in harmony bringing wealth, how could Li Si possibly allow such a nasty incident to occur?

To prevent a violent brawl and to uphold the fairness of this raffle, under the gaze of countless angry and desperate players, he righteously and without hesitation tucked the chest away.

Then... he sold it at a twenty percent discount to an unlucky player who hadn't managed to win a single thing despite all his attempts.