Wen Nan wasn't Grandpa God of Wealth, nor was he some big spender who threw money around carelessly.
He simply believed that the more friends you had, the more paths you had open to you.
Judging by how the tasks in this Trial Map were set up, the four of them weren't exactly cooperating, but they certainly weren't competing as enemies, either.
The fact that they'd crossed paths during the newbie trial meant it was fate, like classmates who'd shared a school year.
Since that was the case, helping them out was no trouble for Wen Nan, and it wouldn't cost him anything.
Who knew? Maybe one day, Wen Nan would fall on hard times and run into them when he was desperate. Perhaps they'd remember what he'd done for them and lend him a hand.
Of course, that was only one reason. More importantly, Wen Nan wasn't short of this little bit of money. He'd given it away, and he'd made some friends in the process. It was no loss to him.
Wen Nan looked from Shao Ling to Huang Tao. He didn't put on any airs as their creditor; instead, he even asked with concern, "Is that enough?"
Both men waved their hands repeatedly, thanking Wen Nan over and over for his generosity.
It was a happy ending for everyone, except the Fatty was a little unhappy. Losing his title as the officially designated one and only grandson had already left him feeling a bit down. Now even the special privilege of receiving gifts wasn't special anymore.
It was only natural that he'd feel a little miffed.
Fortunately, he was good at managing his emotions. The negativity flashed through his mind and was quickly pushed aside.
He knew exactly where he stood. He understood that he was different from players like Huang Tao and Shao Ling, who only wanted to benefit from Ye Jiu once or twice. He was a man determined to cling tightly to Grandpa Ye's leg, and hold on to his position as the big shot's leg hair for good.
Once he'd collected himself, the Fatty cheerfully sidled up to Wen Nan again and asked what he planned to do next. He glanced at the other two, then suggested, "The four of us could make a card table, right?"
Huang Tao pointed out that aside from empty drink bottles and instant-noodle tubs, there was nothing in the dorm room. Where were they supposed to get cards?
But the Fatty reached into his pocket, pulled out a deck of playing cards, and held it up. "I've got some!"
The other three stared at him in astonishment.
He'd obviously brought the cards with him from the real world outside the game. But who the hell carried a deck of cards around? Was he Doraemon?
The Fatty ignored their looks and walked over to the table in the middle of the room. "Come on, wanna play Guandan?"
The four of them gathered around the table and played Guandan for half the night.
They only called it quits when Huang Tao and Shao Ling were so tired their eyelids were drooping and they'd made several bad plays.
Wen Nan checked his account balance. It had finally been unlocked.
He went over to his desk and summoned the familiar prize wheel from the system.
9527: [Below are the rules for the player's prize-wheel draw-- 1. Each draw costs the player 100 coins; 2. The player's task rating this time is Excellent, and the extra reward is at the highest level. There is no limit on the number of draws; 3. The prize wheel has a 100 percent chance of winning; 4...]
The rules were exactly the same as before, so Wen Nan skimmed them and skipped straight to the end. He took a deep breath and pressed the button to confirm the draw.
Sitting beside Wen Nan, the Fatty watched the wheel spin rapidly and kept chanting, "Gold! Gold! Gold!"
But when the wheel stopped, a familiar, glittering golden chest dropped out.
[Congratulations! You've won a "White" prize—Money Bag!] [Contents of the Money Bag: 51 coins.] [Accept?]
As expected, another Money Bag.
Wen Nan's luck was as terrible as ever.
Once the draw started, he couldn't stop, so he quickly clicked to start the second round. Another Money Bag dropped out.
Wen Nan had already prepared himself for a long haul. This time, he didn't get discouraged. He rolled up his sleeves and kept drawing.
After drawing 38 Money Bags in a row, finally—
[Congratulations! You've won a "Yellow" prize—Lubricant!]
Wen Nan: ?
This Lubricant couldn't be the kind he was thinking of, could it?
[Lubricant: For human use. It can enhance the experience of ***, make *** more pleasurable, and help *** last longer.] [Accept?]
Wen Nan: ...
He accepted without a word.
Wen Nan solemnly declared that this had nothing to do with the item description. It was purely because "Yellow" wasn't a low-tier prize.
He pressed the button to continue, and the wheel started spinning again. One Money Bag after another dropped out.
After collecting another 42 Money Bags, the chest changed once more—
[Congratulations! You've won a "Yellow" prize—Nylon Rope!] [Nylon Rope: A rope made of nylon, suitable for tying things up in a variety of situations.] [Accept?]
Wen Nan: ??
You'd better mean the kind of situation that can be shown normally in a livestream.
Wen Nan accepted again and spun the wheel once more.
After collecting another 39 Money Bags and two Nutrient Supplements, a new chest dropped—
[Congratulations! You've won a "Yellow" prize—Little Leather Whip!] [Little Leather Whip: 30 cm long and about 600 g in weight, made of top-grain cowhide and covered with a scale-like pattern. A must-have for home and travel.] [Accept?]
Wen Nan: ???
What the hell do you mean, a must-have for home and travel? Who takes a little leather whip on vacation?!
Wen Nan cursed under his breath as he accepted the prize, then quickly started the next round.
And, just as expected, the unexpected happened again—
[Congratulations! You've won a "Yellow" prize—Goat-Eye Ring!] [Goat-Eye Ring: A household item hand-crafted from a goat's upper and lower eyelashes, which have been cut off, dried, and sterilized. It can be used in a wide range of situations, such as...]
Wen Nan closed the product description halfway through.
Reading any further would be rude.
He confirmed his acceptance, his feelings complicated.
Had he stumbled into the lair of the "Yellow" prizes? Were all the chests he opened going to contain "Yellow" prizes?
He was seriously starting to wonder whether this game's prize pool was even legitimate.
After Wen Nan had drawn five "Yellow" prizes in a row, the Fatty noticed how stiff he'd become and stood up at just the right moment.
"Um, I'm suddenly a little tired. I'll go lie down for a bit, boss. Keep drawing."
With that, the Fatty scrambled up to his bed.
Left alone at the table, Wen Nan spent the rest of the night rolling around in the "Yellow" prize pool, his feelings growing more complicated by the minute.
Finally, the warning that the countdown on the floating screen overhead was almost over began to sound.
[00:00:04--] [00:00:03--] [00:00:02--] [00:00:01--] [Beep!] [A new player task has arrived. Please check it!]
The other three roommates climbed out of bed early, walked beneath the screen with serious expressions, and took their places. Then, with practiced ease, they received the final task from the system.
[Main Quest 3: Kneel down and call me Dad!]
Huang Tao: ...
Shao Ling: ...
The Fatty: ...
Wen Nan: ...
Before you continue