If you win five dollars on a five-dollar scratch-off ticket, you can play again for free.
Can you hold back?
Can you really hold back?
Oliver took a deep breath. His skin tingled, like ants were crawling all over his body.
"Um… let me ask first," he said cautiously. "Is it possible I'll win something in the lottery that I can't actually use?"
"No, you can rest easy~" Sayuri quickly shook her head, her tone cheerful and reassuring.
"The prize pool of the refill wheel is filled only with things that are directly usable. You'll never encounter a situation like, 'Ah! I obviously won, but I can't use the reward!'"
"Of course," she added, raising her finger and giving it a little wag, "there might be prizes that aren't very suitable for you, but they'll never be completely useless. What you get just depends on your luck, host!"
Oliver rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"What's the penalty if I fail?"
This time, he was determined to get all the details before making a move.
"Because you currently only have 100 achievement points," Sayuri explained, "any failure will just deduct those points—nothing else. Penalties beyond point loss only happen when your balance exceeds 100."
"For example?" Oliver pressed. "What kind of penalties are we talking about?"
Sayuri giggled. "They're random too. Could be something like truth or dare, teaching your teacher a lesson, making a crazy confession, or even running a marathon in pajamas! We have all kinds of fun and creative punishments."
"..."
Oliver fell silent, his mind racing as he replayed her words over and over.
Eventually, he clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and made up his mind.
Screw it.
He had 100 achievement points, and worst-case scenario, he'd just lose them all.
"Alright!" he declared. "I want to draw a lottery!"
"Okay, please tell me how much you want to wager?" Sayuri asked with a tilt of her head.
"All in!!" Oliver shouted without hesitation.
"One hundred points! All in!!"
He recalled a quote from a so-called success guru in his previous life—someone who once shouted into a microphone:
> "Stud! Stud! Stud! Stud is a kind of wisdom!"
(Dear friends, please don't fall for it. Only a fool like Oliver would believe that nonsense.)
"Alright then! One hundred achievement points! Let's start the refill draw!"
Sayuri gave a courteous bow. Her metallic right arm rotated and shifted shape until it resembled a USB connector. She inserted it into a port below the glowing blue turntable.
Immediately, the digital screen lit up with the number 100, and Oliver's account balance dropped to zero.
"Bet added to the wheel! The lottery begins now~~!"
With a high-pitched cheer from Sayuri, the stage dimmed. The previously focused spotlight split and began to swirl around. Fast-paced trumpet music blared from both sides of the stage.
Sayuri's arm retracted, and she began to dance along with the beat. The digital screen next to the spinning wheel displayed rapid visual changes.
The center pattern flickered at high speed, building tension. As the music reached its peak, the spotlight focused once more on the screen.
With a hiss of steam, the spinning slowed—and stopped.
Ding-ling-ling-ling!
Sayuri pulled a small bell from a ring on her leg and rang it enthusiastically.
"Congratulations! The host has won an item reward!!"
"I won?!" Oliver's eyes widened in anticipation. "What is it?!"
He rubbed his hands together, staring excitedly at the screen—only to freeze.
The pixelated image displayed… a fish.
"The reward is… a very nutritious sea bass!!" Sayuri announced cheerfully.
"???"
Oliver's face stiffened into a forced smile.
Very nutritious sea bass?
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
"Oh, don't underestimate it!" Sayuri insisted, clearly reading his expression. "A fish worth 100 achievement points isn't just any ordinary bass!"
"This one is rich in nutrients. Among all sea bass, it's the one that eats the most, swims the most, and stores the most energy. Eating it will actually help you grow!"
"Whether you want to gain weight or grow taller, it's a powerful supplement! And just to be clear—it's a real sea bass, not fish sauce~"
"Wait… wait, what did you just say!?"
Oliver's jaw dropped. He blinked in disbelief.
"Did you just say… grow taller?"
This—this was his biggest insecurity! The thing that had haunted him for years!
"That's right!" Sayuri said confidently. "Eat it, and you'll grow 5 to 8 centimeters taller—randomly—within ten days! It's a super rare and convenient item!"
"What are we waiting for?! Serve it up now!!" Oliver yelled, practically vibrating with excitement.
In the world of basketball, height was a game-changer.
More height meant more reach, better defense, stronger presence—and bonus muscle mass too.
"The fish has been delivered to the nearest mall. Please pick it up as soon as possible~"
"I still have to go to the mall?" Oliver frowned. "You can't just give it to me here?"
Sayuri clicked her tongue.
"Well, it's been detected that you're on a basketball court. If I gave it to you now, a live sea bass would suddenly appear in your hands. Are you sure you want that?"
"…Yeah, no thanks."
What would people think if he suddenly pulled a wriggling fish out of thin air? A magician?
"But wait," Oliver added quickly. "There are tons of fish at the mall. How will I know which one is mine?"
Sayuri waved her hands calmly.
"You'll know. You'll recognize it at a glance."
"…If you say so."
"Don't worry~ Don't worry~" Sayuri said, swaying as if dismissing his concern. Oliver could only nod skeptically.
"Thank you for participating, host! In the future, remember to come back to our refill lottery system and spin again once you earn more achievement points~"
With that, Sayuri bowed once more. Cheerful music played as she exited the stage with both turntables spinning behind her.
Oliver clicked the red cross in the corner of the interface and closed the system.
Back to reality.
As soon as the digital interface vanished, he saw Sendoh walking toward him.
"Wow! You were incredible, Oliver."
"Hm? Ah… yeah," Oliver replied absently.
Sendoh extended a hand to high-five him, but Oliver only responded with a distracted smile.
He needed to leave—fast.
Because right now, the only thing in his mind was that sea bass. A lively fish, probably flipping its tail impatiently in the mall next door.
He liked Sendoh a lot—really, he did. But at this moment, nothing in the world could compete with that fish!
"Awesome!! You're awesome, brother!"
Qianhua came bouncing over, full of energy, her face glowing with excitement.
"I never thought my brother would become so amazing!!"
"Oliver, your teamwork with Sendoh-senpai was absolutely insane!" Hikoichi added, notebook in hand. He looked up at Oliver, eyes filled with admiration.
Someday, if he trained hard enough, maybe he could play like Oliver too.
Oliver gave him a nod—but didn't linger.
Instead, he reached out and grabbed Qianhua's hand.
"Eh—?!"
Qianhua's face turned bright red. "B-Brother, what are you doing…?"
"Qianhua…!"
Oliver's tone was solemn. His grip tightened slightly.
"I want to eat fish!!"
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