Chapter 241 - 128: Linking Arms, No Longer the Child’s Stepmother

Chapter 241: Chapter 128: Linking Arms, No Longer the Child’s Stepmother

Jiang Wanyi’s childhood and youth had been entirely consumed by her studies. Now that she had the chance to have some fun, she was naturally eager to try.

"Okay."

Chen Yuan bought 100 yuan worth of game tokens and got 10 extra for free.

Their first target was the claw machine.

"Let’s go for that capybara first. Mili adores them."

"Alright, let’s give it a shot."

Chen Yuan was also eager to give it a try.

Tongzi had previously awarded him with ’Professional-Level Children’s Game Skills’, which seemed perfectly suited for these types of games.

Chen Yuan, holding their daughter and Jiang Wanyi’s hand, walked over to the claw machine.

Two teenage boys, around fifteen or sixteen years old, were also trying their luck. They were in the prime of their youth.

One operated the controls while the other directed him from different angles.

Jiang Wanyi noticed a bunch of small plushies hanging from their belts—at least seven or eight of them. They’d had quite a haul.

Judging by their serious expressions, they were clearly experts. It looked like they had come prepared.

Chen Yuan and Jiang Wanyi weren’t in a rush, so they watched from the side. The boys failed three times in a row. Each time, the claw would grab a toy, only to drop it a moment later.

"I’m done. This thing is such a rip-off."

The short-haired boy looked at Chen Yuan and Jiang Wanyi and said,

"You guys shouldn’t bother playing either. There’s something wrong with this machine; it’s impossible to win."

"What’s wrong with it?" Chen Yuan asked.

"I can win on any other claw machine in here, but not this one. I’ve tried a dozen times and got nothing. Plus, I haven’t seen a single person win one of those capybaras. I’d advise you not to play. It’s just a waste of money."

"I bet it’s because the capybaras are too expensive," the other boy added. "If they were easy to get, the arcade would lose money, so they must have rigged the machine."

Jiang Wanyi glanced around the arcade, then back at the machine in front of them.

While the prizes in the other machines looked decent, a closer look revealed they were cheaply made. This capybara, however, was clearly well-crafted.

It probably had the highest production cost of all the prizes, so it made sense that the odds of winning it were low.

Jiang Wanyi didn’t really mind, though. They were just here to have some fun.

"We’re just playing for fun. It doesn’t matter if we win or not."

"Well, go ahead and try then."

The two boys said nothing more and moved on to the other claw machines.

Jiang Wanyi looked at the machine. The instructions said it cost three tokens per play. Next to the text was a long, thin slot.

"So I just put the tokens in here, right?"

"Yep."

Jiang Wanyi inserted three tokens. Music chimed, and she looked over at Chen Yuan.

"Now you’re good to go."

"Okay, I’ll try..."

Jiang Wanyi focused on the game, moving the claw over a plushie before looking back at Chen Yuan.

"Do I just press this red button now?"

"Yep."

Jiang Wanyi did as he said. The silver mechanical claw descended and clamped down on the capybara below.

But it had no gripping power at all. It was like it was just scraping its surface. Forget picking the toy up; it didn’t even budge.

"This thing’s a little limp, isn’t it? It could use a pick-me-up."

"Hahaha..."

Jiang Wanyi burst out laughing. Chen Yuan’s description was actually pretty spot-on.

The claw was completely limp, with no strength whatsoever.

"It really might be rigged. It’s too hard to win. Let’s go try a different one."

"But Mili likes capybaras, right? She might not like the other toys. Let’s try one more time."

"Whatever you say."

He was just playing along. He didn’t really care if they won it or not. If it came down to it, he could always just buy one for Mili.

Jiang Wanyi put in the tokens. Chen Yuan took the joystick, nudged it back and forth, left and right, and finally positioned the claw over a capybara.

"Yes, yes, right there!" Jiang Wanyi said excitedly.

"Press the button."

Jiang Wanyi did as he said. The mechanical claw dropped and grabbed onto the plushie.

This time, you could clearly feel that the claw’s grip was much stronger.

It not only picked up the toy but also moved it toward the prize chute.

Unfortunately, the toy dropped prematurely. Its head got stuck on the edge of the chute, and it didn’t fall all the way through.

"It was so close! What a shame!" Jiang Wanyi said, looking at Chen Yuan.

"One more try should do it, right?"

Chen Yuan nodded. He had Jiang Wanyi insert three more tokens, then showed her how to move the joystick and press the button.

"This position doesn’t seem right."

"Trust me. Press it now. It’s a guaranteed win!"

"Okay, okay."

Jiang Wanyi didn’t question him and pressed the button.

The plushie’s head was stuck on the edge of the chute. The claw descended, landing right on top of the toy’s head. The downward force pressed on its head, causing the whole body to flip over and drop into the prize chute.

"AHHH..."

Little Mili was the first to cry out, pointing at the toy. It seemed she already understood how the game worked.

Jiang Wanyi excitedly retrieved the plushie from the chute.

"Isn’t Daddy amazing? No one else could get one, but Daddy got it in just two tries!"

"Ahhh..."

Little Mili responded in her own way, clapping her little hands and giving him all the validation he needed.

The others who had tried and failed to win a capybara all looked over, their faces filled with envy.

"Mister, how did you do that? Could you teach us?"

The boy with the buzz cut from before came back over and said,

"If you’re willing to teach us, I’ll give you five of my plushies for your kid."

The boy’s offer was direct; he wasn’t shy at all.

Jiang Wanyi glanced at him. ’This kid is pretty interesting.’

"I don’t need the plushies. I can teach you for free."

"Thanks, Mister."

Chen Yuan then shared his secret with the boy. After three more tries, he successfully won a capybara of his own.