Lost in the Otherworld

Wu Dahai confidently swept his broom-like hair back, striding flamboyantly toward the slot machine, as if making a grand, dazzling entrance.

“Each of us gets 10 coins, which equals 10 points, and the game will last five minutes. Officer Huang, you're in charge of the time. Be precise, down to the second.”

“Got it,” Officer Huang said, pulling out his phone and opening the stopwatch.

“The rules are simple. Whoever has the highest score after five minutes wins.” Wu Dahai glanced at Gao Yang. “Anything unclear?”

“Nothing.”

“Great! I'll go first!” Wu Dahai sat down at the slot machine and swiftly inserted his 10 coins, starting the game.

Gao Yang stood behind, observing. Childhood memories of watching others play slot machines flooded back, offering him a moment of nostalgic review.

This slot machine was the most common model on the market, with eight potential prizes: Apple (multiplier of 5), Orange (multiplier of 10), Papaya (multiplier of 15), Bell (multiplier of 20), Watermelon (multiplier of 20), Twin Stars (multiplier of 30), Double 7s (multiplier of 40), and BAR (multiplier of 100).

Conversely, the odds of winning were inversely proportional to the rewards. The top prize, BAR, was the hardest to hit, possibly appearing less than once in 100 spins, while prizes like Apple, Orange, and Papaya were easier to win but yielded smaller rewards.

Starting with 10 points, Wu Dahai spent 3 points, betting 1 point each on Apple, Orange, and Papaya.

Five seconds later, he hit an Apple. He gained 5 points, bringing his total to 12.

In the second round, Wu Dahai bet 2 points on Orange, 2 points on Papaya, and 2 points on Bell.

Five seconds later, he hit an Orange. He gained 20 points, bringing his total to 26.

...

In the early rounds, Wu Dahai steadily accumulated over 80 points, adopting a scattershot strategy, betting on smaller prizes. Although he had some misses, his score continued to rise overall.

Feeling quite proud of himself, Wu Dahai remarked, “Though slot machines rely on luck, there is a certain pattern to them. True randomness is impossible. While I can't fully explain the pattern, after playing thousands of rounds, you develop a vague intuition. I usually hit my prediction once every three tries.”

He added smugly, while adjusting his bets, “It’s like they say—‘Read the Tang Poems three hundred times, and even if you can’t compose them, you’ll at least be able to recite a few.’”

“It’s ‘poems,’ not ‘death,’” Gao Yang couldn’t help but correct his pronunciation.

Irritated by the interruption, Wu Dahai shot him a glare.

“One minute left,” Officer Huang reminded.

“That’s more than enough!”

Wu Dahai closed his eyes theatrically, muttering, “I can feel the Double 7s calling me!”

At the moment he opened his eyes, he bet 20 points on Double 7s.

The result? Papaya.

This unexpected outcome didn’t faze Wu Dahai. He calmly placed another 20-point bet on Double 7s.

The result? Watermelon.

Now left with just over 40 points, Wu Dahai remained unshaken and bet 20 points again on Double 7s.

Finally, he hit the Double 7s!

The slot machine erupted in a dazzling display of celebratory red lights, accompanied by a triumphant melody and the mechanical electronic voice blaring through the room: “Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations!”

A 20-point bet with a 40x multiplier meant 800 points!

The number on the coin pool skyrocketed to 820 points in an instant!

Wu Dahai stood up and stretched, clearly satisfied. There were still 30 seconds left on the clock, but he had no intention of playing further.

“Time’s up,” Officer Huang announced.

Wu Dahai’s final score was 820 points.

A minute later, the slot machine reset, and Gao Yang began his turn. After some contemplation, he took a deep breath and started placing his bets.

At first, he imitated Wu Dahai’s strategy, spreading his bets across the small prizes—Apple, Papaya, and Orange—like a diligent fruit farmer tending his orchard. After three minutes, he had amassed 61 points, but that was still a far cry from Wu Dahai’s 820.

Now it was time to go big, but Gao Yang’s mind was blank. Faced with Twin Stars, Double 7s, and BAR, they all felt equally foreign to him.

Finally, he steeled his resolve and decided to bet on the largest prize—BAR!

Six bets, 10 points each. Hitting just once would net him 1,000 points!