Time seemed to rewind in Qin Xiao's mind, returning to a few minutes ago, to the quiet corner of Jubaoge before the hustle and bustle reached it.
[Host, your luck points are insufficient to refresh the system again.]
In her mind, the slightly playful voice of the system "Yun Yiyi" rang out, tinged with a hint of helplessness, like a child who hadn't gotten any candy.
Qin Xiao frowned almost imperceptibly, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the smooth cufflinks, the cool touch of the metal keeping him absolutely calm.
"So these past few days... Gu Siqing and Su Wanying, their attitudes towards me have changed. Haven't you given them any rewards or anything to improve their favorability?" he asked casually, his tone revealing no emotion.
【Oh dear, host, according to the rules, you must completely win them over and make them fall for you to meet the requirements and receive the reward. Right now, you only have a slight liking for them, so that doesn't count!】
Yun Yiyi's voice sounded somewhat guilty, as if she also felt that the rules were a bit of a trap.
Qin Xiao was silent for a moment, his fingertips stopping their caressing motion. "Isn't there any other way?"
[Hmm... Let me look... Ah! Found it! Congratulations, host, you have achieved the hidden achievement—'Refusing the fatty meat offered to you'! Reward: 3000 Luck Points!]
Yun Yiyi's voice instantly rose eight octaves, filled with surprise, as if she had discovered a new continent.
Qin Xiao's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and he felt a vein throbbing on his temple. "Is your achievement name a dig at me?"
[No way! Host, you're overthinking it! Hehe, look! We have luck points, we can refresh now!] Yun Yiyi quickly laughed it off, trying to get away with it. The virtual system interface lit up again, and all sorts of strange system names scrolled by like a marquee.
After refreshing the page twice, the system options that appeared were either "Square Dance Leader Halo" or "Free Shared Bike Monthly Pass," making Qin Xiao's eyelids twitch. These things were probably the scraps that Ye Chen had left over.
Just as Yun Yiyi was about to refresh for the third and final time, Qin Xiao's gaze suddenly fixed on one of the unremarkable gray options.
"Wait a minute." His voice was steady, with a hint of barely perceptible interest.
"What are the effects of this [Listening to the Spring Treasure Appraisal System]?"
"Oh, this, host, it was originally designed as the ultimate weapon for pawnshops! Once activated, any 'flaw' you point out, no matter how insignificant, or even if you made it up, will become a reality to some extent! Instantly devaluing the other party's treasure!" Yun Yiyi explained, her tone tinged with a hint of smugness, as if showing off a small but interesting invention. "However, it doesn't work on living things; it can only be used on items."
Turning a flaw that appeared out of thin air into reality? Qin Xiao's eyes flickered slightly, his fingers lightly tapping the mahogany armrest beside him, a brilliant plan flashing through his mind. This system was practically tailor-made for this moment.
"Can this system... be materialized into a specific item so I can easily take it out and use it?"
【No problem, host! It's no big deal!】Yun Yiyi readily agreed, her efficiency was quite high.
Before he could finish speaking, Qin Xiao felt a slight weight in his palm. A small, cool-to-the-touch, antique-looking brass magnifying glass was already lying quietly in his hand. The dark brass frame and the lens reflected a faint luster in the dim light in the corner, making it look like an ordinary street vendor item.
...
My thoughts are brought back to reality.
Qin Xiao slowly emerged from behind the shadow of the massive jade sculpture, a signature, enigmatic smile on his face. It was as if Ye Chen's furious, mad-dog-like roars were nothing more than the annoying chirping of cicadas outside the window, utterly unaffected by him.
"Oh? Jade gambling?" His voice was clear and relaxed, completely out of place with the tense atmosphere. "Perfect, I'm quite interested in this too. How about we play together?"
Ye Chen's bloodshot eyes, filled with anger, were fixed on Qin Xiao. His chest heaved violently. The embarrassment of being thwarted several times before and the humiliation of being ignored now were intertwined, almost burning away his already limited rationality.
"Good! Very good!" Ye Chen gritted his teeth, a sinister smile appearing on his face. He suppressed the urge to act immediately, and instead thought of his X-ray vision. Gambling on stones was nothing more than taking candy from a baby for him. He would take this opportunity to humiliate Qin Xiao and make him bankrupt!
"Qin Xiao, since you want to play, let's go all out!" He pointed at the dusty rough stones in the jade gambling area, his voice so fierce it sounded like he wanted to devour someone. "We'll each pick a stone and see who can extract the most valuable one!"
"The loser not only has to kneel down and kowtow three times to the other person, but also shout 'Grandpa, I was wrong' three times!"
"Furthermore!" Ye Chen emphasized, a cruel glint in his eyes, as if he could already foresee the outcome. "The loser must compensate the winner ten times the value of the jade offered!"
A collective gasp rippled through the surrounding crowd. Tenfold compensation! This wasn't just gambling on stones; it was gambling with one's life! Many looked at Qin Xiao with pity, sensing that the young man was about to suffer a terrible loss.
Liu Qingyou frowned, her slender hands unconsciously clenching, and she looked at Qin Xiao with concern. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but Qin Xiao's gaze stopped her.
Qin Xiao merely smiled slightly, a smile so calm and serene, as if Ye Chen's proposal wasn't a potentially bankrupt gamble, but merely a harmless game. "Okay."
He uttered two words softly, without the slightest hesitation, so calmly that even Ye Chen was taken aback.
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