CHAPTER 156: CHAPTER 156: ACTING LIKE YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND EXPLOSION (2/10)

Tong Dongnuan nodded immediately. The claw machines here cost one Game Coin per play.

Filled with ambition, Tong Dongnuan inserted a Game Coin. She then maneuvered the joystick with her small hands, her eyes fixed intently on the claw. Although it wasn’t her first time playing, her desire to win made her extremely careful.

Her target was a Doraemon plush.

But, as expected, claw machines were notoriously difficult. Many vendors tampered with the backend settings to weaken the claw’s grip. This meant that once the claw was in mid-air, the plush would simply fall out. You had to spend a certain number of coins before the claw’s grip would normalize for a single attempt—perhaps after 20, 30, or, in the case of some unscrupulous vendors, even 40 or 50 coins.

Clearly, this machine hadn’t reached its payout threshold yet.

For five consecutive attempts, every time Tong Dongnuan positioned the claw over the Doraemon, its grip would loosen mid-air. The plush barely moved, let alone made it to the prize chute. Five failures in a row.

Tong Dongnuan was starting to feel discouraged, but Xia Liang only fanned the flames.

"Just give up if you can’t do it!"

Hearing this, Tong Dongnuan, whose confidence had just been shaken, instantly straightened her back.

"Who said I’m giving up? Just watch!"

Spurred on by Xia Liang’s taunt, Tong Dongnuan rallied her spirits and inserted another coin. She focused intently and started another attempt. This time looked much more promising than the last few, but she still failed to retrieve the prize. Frustrated, she nearly punched the machine.

"I refuse to believe this!"

Seeing Xia Liang’s teasing smirk, Tong Dongnuan huffed coldly and continued feeding coins into the machine.

Five minutes later, Tong Dongnuan was on the verge of a breakdown. She had spent fifty coins and won absolutely nothing.

"My turn. You’ve already lost!" Xia Liang declared triumphantly.

"That’s not for certain!" Tong Dongnuan retorted, unwilling to concede verbally. She refused to believe that Xia Liang, who had never even played a claw machine before, could possibly be a match for her.

Xia Liang didn’t argue. He inserted a Game Coin, concentrated on maneuvering the claw as it descended, and clamped down hard... only to lift a fistful of air.

Unfazed, Xia Liang inserted another Game Coin.

Er... he came up empty again. Watching Xia Liang fail twice in a row, Tong Dongnuan couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

"HAHAHA! Xia Liang, can you actually do this or not? Didn’t you say you could? Is this all you’ve got?"

Faced with Tong Dongnuan’s mockery, Xia Liang took a deep breath. "Of course I can! How can a man say he can’t!"

He narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the machine before him.

"I was just toying with you before! Now, I’m getting serious!"

What a crappy machine! It’s really forcing me to use my special move!

Xia Liang inserted another coin, his eyes fixed on the machine. He then channeled his Spiritual Energy, letting it seep into the machine’s inner workings.

The next second, the claw descended. With the help of Spiritual Power, this attempt was different. The claw unexpectedly skewed to the side and grabbed the Doraemon. However, the machine had been tampered with, and the claw’s grip was incredibly weak. The Doraemon dangled precariously in mid-air, looking as if it could drop at any moment.

Tong Dongnuan’s eyes were wide, her hands clenched nervously against her chest as she watched the plush.

"Fall! Fall!" she muttered.

Xia Liang rolled his eyes. Who cheers for their own boyfriend to fail? He then cracked a smile. "Fall? Not a chance. It’s not falling in this lifetime."

In truth, Xia Liang was levitating the Doraemon with his power. It didn’t matter if it was a plush toy or hundreds of pounds of stone; Xia Liang was carrying it all the way.

Time seemed to slow down as the Doraemon plush floated steadily toward the prize chute and dropped in flawlessly.

"Ah!" Tong Dongnuan cried out in frustration. She had lost their bet.

Xia Liang retrieved the Doraemon and handed it to her. "Well?"

"Hmph! A bet’s a bet. You just got lucky," she grumbled, accepting the prize.

"Hehe." Xia Liang just chuckled.

But upon seeing his smile, Tong Dongnuan felt her legs go weak and her face flush bright red. She quickly nudged Xia Liang to change the subject. "Quick, quick! Let’s strike while the iron is hot and get another one!"

"No problem!" Xia Liang agreed readily. He felt no shame, despite being a martial arts master using his skills to win plush toys. In the whole world, he was probably the only one to do such a thing.

He repeated the process, effortlessly retrieving an Ultraman-like doll. Xia Liang winning twice in a row left Tong Dongnuan wide-eyed.

"Is your luck really that good?"

Refusing to believe it, she took out a coin and tried again herself. The result was another failure, leaving her looking dejected.

For once, Xia Liang offered a word of comfort. "Actually, you’re already very skilled."

"Really?" Hearing his consoling words, Tong Dongnuan felt a little warmth spread through her heart.

But her warm feelings lasted only a moment before Xia Liang nodded with mock seriousness. "Fifty-one coins without winning a single toy. From a certain point of view, you’re definitely very strong."

"You!" Tong Dongnuan seethed. Gnashing her teeth, she leaned in towards Xia Liang’s neck. A moment later, a prominent red mark appeared there.

"Hmph!" she snorted, as if this was sufficient revenge.

Before he could say anything, she grabbed his hand and pulled him to another claw machine. "If you’ve got the guts, get the one I point to!"

Xia Liang simply smiled at her. "Sure, no problem! But what’s in it for me?"

Seeing his ’no reward, no effort’ expression, Tong Dongnuan bit her lip, her face blushing as she whispered something in his ear.

Xia Liang’s eyes lit up. "Deal!" he exclaimed, then waved a hand grandly. "Which one do you want?"

Tong Dongnuan didn’t waste words, simply pointing. "I want that one."

Xia Liang followed her finger. It was a Pikachu doll, wedged tightly between many other toys in a very tricky position. It was a deliberately challenging choice.

"No problem!" Xia Liang declared, patting his chest.

Then, to Tong Dongnuan’s complete astonishment, he managed to pluck it out from the tight pack of toys. A minute later, she found herself holding three plushies, looking utterly stunned. She had come here with Xiao Xue before and never won a single thing. Today, Xia Liang had finally let her experience the joy of winning at a claw machine.

"Xia Liang, I want this one!"

Her attitude shifted from trying to stump him to eager anticipation. Tong Dongnuan was finally starting to act a bit like a girlfriend. She bounced over to yet another machine, looking at Xia Liang expectantly. Since his claw machine skills were so incredible, she had to make full use of them and win back the value of all the coins she’d lost!

In the time that followed, whatever toy Tong Dongnuan wanted, Xia Liang won. From start to finish, he never missed a single attempt. Every try was a success.