Chapter 47 - 44: Code 3-31, Lucky Star

Chapter 47: Chapter 44: Code 3-31, Lucky Star

The man’s name was Jiang Yong. He was thirty-two and worked in jewelry processing.

He once had a beautiful wife and a clever son.

He had a car, a house, and a few hundred thousand in savings.

Life was prosperous, and his family was happy.

Now, however, he had nothing.

The nightmare began two years ago.

Behind his family’s back, he’d gotten hooked on online gambling.

He lost more and more. The pressure mounted daily, and his temper grew increasingly erratic.

When he finally gambled away the money saved for his son’s private middle school tuition, he could no longer hide his addiction.

His wife left him. His friends abandoned him.

Jiang Yong called his wife a gold-digging bitch and cursed his friends for being disloyal.

He steeled himself, selling his house and car.

After paying off his gambling debts, he found an underground casino, determined to win back everything he had lost!

’Then my friends will see how successful I am, and my ex-wife will regret leaving a rich man like me.’

Just last night, Jiang Yong finally lost all his money.

He had mortgaged what could be mortgaged and sold what could be sold. He had nothing left.

In the early hours of the morning, Jiang Yong was wandering aimlessly, drinking cheap grain liquor.

He saw Antique Shop Zero and was suddenly struck by a bold idea.

The loan sharks accepted antiques as collateral.

Someone had once used a fake antique to fool a loan shark and made off with a large sum of cash.

’If I could fool a loan shark with a fake antique, couldn’t I use the money to make a comeback?’

’This Antique Shop Zero is in such a remote place. The owner must be some poor bastard.’

’How could a poor bastard’s antique shop have anything real?’

’Everything here must be high-quality fakes, just stuff to rip people off.’

....

Jiang Yong spoke up.

"I’m here to buy an antique."

Jiang Chaosheng pointed to the antiques on the shelves and said,

"They’re all over there."

Jiang Yong casually grabbed a Ming dynasty vase.

"How much?"

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"Three hundred thousand."

Jiang Yong was stunned for a moment, then cried out,

"That expensive!

You think this is the real deal?!

Let me tell you, I’m an expert! You can’t fool me!

I’ll give you two hundred for it! Take it or leave it!"

’Isn’t this how it always plays out in those short videos?’

’A fake antique worth hundreds of thousands ends up getting bought by the vlogger for twenty bucks, right?’

Jiang Chaosheng stood up, walked over to Jiang Yong, took the Ming dynasty vase from his hands, and placed it back on the shelf.

"It’s not for sale to you. And you can’t afford it."

Jiang Yong already realized that the items here were authentic.

But Jiang Chaosheng’s attitude made him feel humiliated.

’So what if it’s three hundred thousand?’

’Back in the day, I had almost a million in savings!’

The more he lost, the more his self-esteem plummeted. And the lower his self-esteem, the more arrogant and conceited he became, his words growing reckless.

Jiang Yong glared fiercely.

"What’s that supposed to mean? You looking down on me?

I’m telling you, I’m in a really bad mood today.

You better watch out, or I’ll smash up your shop!"

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"There is one thing you can afford."

Jiang Yong paused, not understanding what Jiang Chaosheng meant.

’I’ve only got two hundred yuan in my pocket right now. What could I possibly afford?’

’Could it be that this owner knows why I’m here?’

’Is he planning to give me a fake antique to go fool someone with?’

Jiang Chaosheng ignored Jiang Yong and walked into the back room.

Jiang Yong stared in astonishment at Jiang Chaosheng’s back until he was out of sight.

Jiang Yong looked at the antiques on the shelves, then surreptitiously scanned the shop.

No security cameras.

Greed surged in Jiang Yong’s heart.

’What if I just steal one?’

’Worst case, after I win my money back, I can just return the stolen antique to him.’

Jiang Yong’s breathing grew ragged.

Two years ago, he would have scoffed at the idea of stealing.

But after becoming addicted to gambling, he had become a Ghost.

Jiang Yong swallowed hard. Suddenly, he heard a harsh, mocking laugh.

Startled, he looked toward the source of the sound.

It was a Crow on the counter, staring at him with a scornful gaze.

The corner of Jiang Yong’s eye twitched.

’Now even a crow dares to laugh at me?’

Jiang Yong steeled himself and reached for the Ming dynasty vase.

Just then, a detached voice spoke.

"Planning to use that to make a comeback?

You’re wrong. You’ll still lose."

Jiang Yong pulled his hand back, looking awkwardly at Jiang Chaosheng as he emerged from the back room.

The antique shop owner was now holding a necklace.

The necklace was dazzling. A red gemstone was attached to a chain of alternating diamonds and silver.

"That vase is useless to you."

Jiang Chaosheng dangled the gemstone necklace in his hand.

"This, on the other hand, will help you."

Jiang Yong’s eyes widened.

He couldn’t tell if the Ming dynasty vase was real or fake, but one look at this ruby necklace and he knew it was genuine!

Because he worked in jewelry processing.

This thing could definitely buy more than ten of those Ming dynasty vases!

"This is called the Lucky Star Necklace. It allows you to overdraft your good luck."

Jiang Chaosheng paused, then said hauntingly,

"It’s perfect for you. You’re just short a little bit of luck, aren’t you?"

Jiang Yong was getting scared. He felt this owner was a bit sinister.

Jiang Chaosheng raised an eyebrow.

"Don’t you want it?"

To Jiang Yong, the Lucky Star Necklace seemed to possess an infinite Magic Power, making him desperate to own it.

Jiang Yong stared intently at the Lucky Star Necklace.

"How much?"

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"Fifty years of your life."

Jiang Yong froze.

"Are you crazy? Who would trade fifty years of their life for this thing?"

Jiang Chaosheng’s gaze deepened, and he parted his thin lips.

"Don’t you want to win, just once?"

His voice was low, a whisper like a Demon’s.

Jiang Yong shivered violently, the effects of the alcohol vanishing.

His sober mind latched onto one thing.

’Can you really trade lifespan for money?’

’Don’t tell me I’ve run into a Ghost?’

Jiang Yong glanced outside.

The sun was shining brightly. What kind of Ghost would be out causing trouble in broad daylight?

He swallowed.

"You’re just trying to scare me, right? I’ll take it! Don’t you go regretting it!"

Jiang Yong didn’t believe for a second that a necklace could have some strange power.

’This owner is just a psycho.’

’Why turn down a freebie from a fool?’

A smile appeared in Jiang Chaosheng’s eyes.

"The deal is done. This is yours."

Jiang Yong snatched the Lucky Star Necklace.

His occupational habit made him examine and rub the Lucky Star Necklace carefully.

’It’s absolutely the real deal!’

As if he’d found a priceless treasure, Jiang Yong ran outside, afraid the psycho owner would regret the deal.

"A friendly reminder."

Jiang Chaosheng’s voice came from behind him.

Jiang Yong stopped at the door, clutching the Lucky Star Necklace tightly to his chest as he looked back warily at Jiang Chaosheng.

Jiang Chaosheng strolled toward the counter, speaking as he walked.

"You traded me fifty years of your life. By my calculations, you don’t have many years left to live.

I don’t know how much luck you have left to use in those remaining years."

Jiang Chaosheng sat down behind the counter and lifted his gaze.

"If the Lucky Star Necklace turns black, you’ll need to be careful."

Jiang Chaosheng paused, a cryptic smile slowly forming on his lips.

"Because that means you have no luck left at all."

For some reason, Jiang Yong shivered violently.

His intuition told him that the priceless necklace in his hand was dangerous.

His rational mind told him that this psycho owner was just messing with him.

Jiang Yong cursed under his breath.

"Psycho. Who do you think you’re scaring!"

Clutching the Lucky Star Necklace, Jiang Yong ran outside.