28: The Motorcycle Turns into a Bicycle
The lottery wheel was evenly divided into eight sections. Each section displayed a different item: 1,000 points, 3,000 points, 5,000 points, 10,000 points, 10 pounds of corn seeds, 20 pounds of wheat seeds, 50 peach saplings, and 10 raw eggs.
Among them, the 10 raw eggs made Qin Xiaofan’s eyes widen. Given the current situation, eggs were undoubtedly the most tempting prize. With eggs, he could hatch chickens, and chickens would lay more eggs, creating a cycle that would provide endless chicken meat. Fried chicken, roast chicken, chicken stew... Just thinking about it made his mouth water.
However, he only had one lottery ticket, and tickets could only be purchased once a day using points, at the hefty price of 10,000 points.
Too expensive!
If he drew now, he’d only have a one-in-eight chance of winning the eggs. But if he didn’t try today, who knew if the wheel would ever offer eggs again?
Draw it was! Take a chance—maybe a bicycle would turn into a motorcycle!
Qin Xiaofan decided to use his lottery ticket. A burst of brilliant colors flashed, and the pointer on the wheel spun rapidly.
Spin, spin, spin! Eggs, eggs, eggs!
He prayed silently, his heart racing, excitement flooding through him as he watched the pointer slowly come to a stop—
Congratulations, you have won 1,000 points!
Qin Xiaofan was stunned. His smile faded away. He stood frozen, unable to speak for a long time.
Why…
Why…
The odds were the same for every prize, but even if he didn't get the eggs, he shouldn't have drawn the worst prize! A motorcycle turned back into a bicycle!
A lottery ticket worth 10,000 points had become 1,000 points in an instant. Qin Xiaofan felt his heart bleeding.
Frustration—so much that he wanted to shut himself away.
That afternoon, those who had gone to awaken the statues gradually returned, each bringing a new member. Before long, everyone had gathered.
Twenty new members joined—no more, no less. Even if someone discovered another statue with a single stripe, no one would use their remaining Civilization Water to awaken it.
It was simply too precious…
Civilization Water was a treasure that enabled rapid growth in strength. Even when pouring it to awaken statues, every drop was counted, and any spared drop was cherished.
Most of the new members looked utterly bewildered. Some hadn’t even begun to understand the situation after half a day.
But Qin Xiaofan was in a foul mood and had no patience for them. Hearing their shouting and endless questions inside the cave only made him more irritable.
Some noticed his displeasure and immediately grew nervous.
They exchanged glances, and without another word, forcibly dragged the noisy newcomers out of the cave for a lesson in humility.
After a few troublemakers were beaten into submission, the new members finally settled down.
At the same time, the newcomers realized that in this group, Qin Xiaofan held true authority.
Those who were quick-witted had already begun to flatter him, offering extravagant compliments that left everyone bemused.
However, Qin Xiaofan ignored them, instead giving a glare that threatened to throw them out if they kept up their nonsense, frightening them into silence.
Everyone sensed that Qin Xiaofan was in a bad mood.
By evening, there was nothing to do. People lounged outside the cave, chatting and relaxing.
Some clever souls even crafted a set of mahjong tiles out of wood. At first, everyone played just for fun, to pass the time.
Then, someone came up with the idea to use Civilization Water as a wager, and gambling began…
The winners danced with excitement, while the losers pounded the ground in regret, utterly despondent.
Qin Xiaofan didn’t interfere much. He knew that everyone was under immense pressure and needed ways to relieve it.
As long as they didn’t fight or disrupt the order, he let them be.
The newly joined members were much more restrained, hardly daring to speak loudly, quietly squatting to the side and watching the veterans play.
Suddenly, someone began to cry.
It was a girl, about fifteen or sixteen, one of today’s new members, hugging her knees and sobbing.
Qin Xiaofan frowned.
Xiaoyan, standing nearby, sighed and said, “No one’s bullying her. I’ve watched her for a while—she’s like a frightened rabbit, overwhelmed by panic. She probably never went through anything like this and can’t handle the pressure… Brother Fan, should I go comfort her?”
Qin Xiaofan thought for a moment, then shook his head.
Everyone is destined to grow; it’s just a matter of time. Flowers sheltered in a greenhouse cannot survive in this harsh environment.
Survival of the fittest.
It’s always people who adapt to their environment, not the environment adapting to them.
In the night, a young girl slipped away from the group.
Two ten-centimeter antennae grew from her forehead, hands in her pockets, bounding along with youthful, lively energy.
Mengyao—that was her name.
But she also had another nickname: Mengyao the Demon.
She hummed an unknown tune, its melody tinged with melancholy.
She paused before a thicket—the place where Scar A’s body was buried.
Her song abruptly stopped.
Crystal tears fell, and Mengyao knelt, reaching out to touch the earth.
In the darkness, she murmured, “A-Zai, don’t worry. You won’t have died in vain. Tonight, I’ll break through his defenses completely… The Organization will remember your sacrifice. The Queen will remember your sacrifice!”
She rose, the tears gone.
Hands back in her pockets, she returned the way she’d come, humming her mysterious melody once again.
This time, the tune was light and cheerful, no trace of sorrow. Her steps bounced, and under the moonlight she was still the lively, adorable girl.
Night deepened.
The crowd dispersed—some to their crude cabins, others back to the cave.
The cave suddenly grew crowded again.
Twenty new members squeezed inside, leaving space to store wheat, apples, and other food. The allocation of space gave Qin Xiaofan a headache.
Tomorrow, he would have to build more cabins, expanding the village.
Qin Xiaofan calculated in his mind, and gradually, sleepiness crept up on him. He slowly closed his eyes.
His dreams were full of color.
Everything was so familiar.
His thoughts wandered in the shimmering light, gradually lost, his mind growing hazy and unable to think.
Mengyao.
She was wrapped in white silk, accentuating her perfect figure. The translucent fabric revealed tantalizing glimpses of her treasures.
She walked toward him, a gentle smile on her lips.
In that instant, uncontrollable desire flooded Qin Xiaofan’s mind, spreading and growing wildly.
He felt as if he had become a puppet.
“Tell me…”
“Tell me…”
Her murmuring echoed in his ears, seductive and enchanting, like a witch’s spell, compelling him to speak, to reveal.
“What?”
Qin Xiaofan replied dully.
At once, Mengyao’s face lit with joy.
After so many attempts, her efforts had finally paid off!
At last…
At last she had broken through his defenses.
“Tell me the formula for Civilization Water!”
“Tell me…”
“Tell me…”
Her voice brimmed with endless allure, like delicate threads entwining the tail of a secret, tugging and pulling at it in Qin Xiaofan’s mind.