"Stop pretending to be dead, get up quickly, Master Fat is treating you to go online."

Jin Fugui pulled Zhao Feng up with a beaming smile. He had a round face and large ears, standing at 1.7 meters tall. After graduating from middle school, his height stopped growing, and his body began to expand sideways. He weighed over 200 pounds.

In his previous life, Jin Fugui was Zhao Feng's only good friend, a brother who would die for him.

The Jin family ran a distillery. Jin’s father was a famous millionaire in the county town. Little Fat had a carefree life until after graduation when the Jin family got caught up in a lawsuit. They went bankrupt, and Jin’s father was imprisoned, leading to the family’s collapse.

From then on, Little Fat lost his way. He went to work in Dongwan and fell into the corrupting world of vice, never returning home.

The last time Zhao Feng saw him, he attended Jin Fugui's funeral and sent his brother off one last time...

Zhao Feng jumped up and tightly hugged Jin Fugui, patting his back excitedly. "Good brother, we're meeting again! You're still as fat as ever, looking like you're ready for slaughter."

"Get lost!" Jin Fugui pushed Zhao Feng away, frustrated. "Are you doing this on purpose? My student uniform is all wet."

"Well, if it's wet, you don't need an umbrella, that's great!" Zhao Feng said.

"The teacher asked me to tell you something. Tomorrow, have your parents come to school."

Jin Fugui grinned maliciously and gave a thumbs up, praising, "Brother Feng, you really caused a stir in class—beat the big monkey, confessed to the school beauty, and even made the teacher cry. Even the principal was startled. I just want to ask, did the teacher really steal eggs from your family?"

"Hahaha, I told you, you didn’t believe me. They definitely ate them," Zhao Feng laughed.

"Ah, damn." Jin Fugui sighed and continued, "Let's go to the internet café. I heard 'Legend' is really fun now. No need to go to night classes."

"Forget about going online before the exams. Online gaming is addictive. Let’s go to the arcade and play some street fighters. Haven’t done that in a while."

Zhao Feng stopped Jin Fugui from going online. According to his past life’s trajectory, Little Fat was very intelligent. Originally, he was the top of the class, among the top twenty students. He had a chance to get into a top 985 university, or at least a 211 university, or even a top-tier school.

But unexpectedly, Little Fat was influenced by bad students, and in the last month before the college entrance exam, he started going online, skipping classes to play games. As a result, he failed the exam and ended up in a low-tier third-tier university.

"The arcade is fine. Let’s go," Jin Fugui nodded.

The two of them linked arms, chatting and laughing, walking out of the school and heading to the hottest arcade near the school.

......

Wanjia Arcade

In the spacious arcade, there were many classic arcade machines filled with historical charm, as well as mahjong machines and slot machines.

The big machines included classics like "Three Kingdoms," "Dinosaur Era," "Knight of the Round Table," "Metal Slug," "Street Fighter," "Zodiac," "Samurai Spirits," "Moonlight Sword," "Tekken" and the most popular "King of Fighters" series.

The arcade coins were still priced at one yuan for eight coins. The landlady still had her charm, though her smile seemed insincere.

Jin Fugui bought two yuan’s worth of coins and gave Zhao Feng eight coins. He dragged Zhao Feng to the "King of Fighters 98" machine and said with a grin, "Hehe, let’s duel. Loser has to buy lunch." With that, he inserted a coin and started the game.

Zhao Feng smiled awkwardly, inserting a coin. In his past life, Little Fat’s best game was "King of Fighters 98." He used to be very proud of it and called himself "Fat God."

The two quickly chose their characters. Jin Fugui picked "Crazy Eight," "Red Hat," and "Stick King."

Zhao Feng chose "Robert," "Big Hammer," and "Da Men Wulang," and the battle began.

Little Fat’s "Crazy Eight" was indeed strong, and he knocked out Robert in one move, engaging in a fierce battle with Big Hammer.

Zhao Feng focused and used his future knowledge of combo techniques. Big Hammer swung his huge hammer, relentlessly chasing Crazy Eight and knocking him down like a cucumber.

"Cut, Brother Feng, you hid it well. You can play Big Hammer too." Little Fat was frustrated, and his second character, Red Hat, came up.

"No big deal. Not only can I play Big Hammer, but I also play Big Men," Zhao Feng said smugly.

With divine help, Big Hammer relentlessly hammered Red Hat, making Little Fat panic. It was a close match, but eventually, both players lost, leaving the last round as "Stick King" vs. "Big Men."

"Don’t tell me you can play Big Men too," Little Fat doubted.

"I only know how to throw people," Zhao Feng grinned.

"Big Men" grabbed from a distance, dodged and grabbed, rolled and grabbed, unleashing a deadly combo. He slammed Red Hat repeatedly, making Little Fat unable to react. In no time, Little Fat lost and had to buy lunch.

"It’s impossible. You’re such a shameless guy, you must have secretly practiced 'King of Fighters.' You didn’t invite me to play arcade games." Jin Fugui was dumbfounded and in disbelief as he inserted another coin, continuing the battle with Zhao Feng, only to be continuously beaten.

Zhao Feng won three rounds. In the fourth round, he deliberately lost to Little Fat, walking to the side to watch the fun and enjoy the cheerful atmosphere of the arcade.

In 2003, due to the rise of computer games, "Legend" swept the nation. The once-booming arcades faced multiple crackdowns, and the glory was no longer there. However, the computer was still considered a high-end presence for students, and its costs were much higher than arcade games. For students with little money, arcades were still their go-to for entertainment.

The most profitable in the arcade wasn’t the game machines but the slot machines in the corner. They were popular with wealthy adults who sought the thrill, and as long as there were players, the boss made sure to profit.

A group of young people surrounded a "Journey to the West" slot machine, watching as the screen flashed with colorful lights. The machine featured characters like Bull Demon King, Iron Fan Princess, Tang Monk, Monkey King, Zhu Bajie, Sha Seng, and the White Dragon Horse—who had the lowest payout rate but appeared the most often.

"Wow, wow, Monkey King, you’re amazing! You can’t be held by the Five Elements Mountain, but you pop out as Sun Wukong..."

The arcade was filled with cheerful music as the slot machine lights lit up.

Zhao Feng felt the thrill as the machine's score soared, and the crowd around him held their breath in anticipation. The golden light flashed brighter with each passing second, and the sound of the game’s melody echoed in his ears. His hands were poised above the buttons, eyes locked on the screen, as if he could control the fate of the game.

The final score reached 10,000 points, and a loud chime signaled the jackpot. The machine buzzed with excitement, and the crowd erupted into applause. Zhao Feng leaned back in his seat, grinning from ear to ear. The 10,000 points on the screen were more than just a win—they were a turning point, a moment when everything changed.

"Ha, I told you!" Zhao Feng laughed, turning to Jin Fu Gui, who was standing in shock behind him. "Looks like today’s my lucky day!"

Jin Fu Gui was speechless, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. "No way... You really did it! You hit the jackpot!" he stammered, unable to comprehend how Zhao Feng had managed to do it.

The surrounding teenagers were equally stunned, murmuring in awe. "Did you see that? 10,000 points! That’s a thousand bucks!" one of them whispered, while others speculated on what they would do with such a windfall.

Zhao Feng stood up, his chest puffed out with pride. "Let’s cash in these points and head out for a celebration. I think I deserve a nice meal."

He walked over to the counter, where the grinning boss lady was waiting. She handed him a stack of cash in exchange for his winnings, her eyes gleaming with envy. "Nice job, little brother," she said, her voice sweet but laced with an undertone of jealousy. "You’ve got some serious luck."

Zhao Feng took the money, nodding. "Thanks, but it's just a bit of skill and a little bit of luck."

Jin Fu Gui was still staring at him, shaking his head in disbelief. "Man, I can't believe this... You really know how to make an entrance, don't you?"

Zhao Feng pocketed the cash, his grin never fading. "It’s all about knowing when to strike. Anyway, enough about me. Let’s go grab that meal you promised me."

With that, the two friends exited the game hall, the crowd still murmuring about Zhao Feng's incredible luck. As they walked down the street, Zhao Feng couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. For a moment, he had been able to turn the clock back, making a decision that had the power to alter his future.

In the back of his mind, he knew that this was only the beginning. He had an opportunity now—an opportunity to change the course of his life and avoid the mistakes he had made in his past. With Jin Fu Gui by his side, he felt more confident than ever. The road ahead might still be uncertain, but for the first time in a long while, Zhao Feng felt like he was in control.

“Let’s go,” Zhao Feng said, his tone filled with determination. “This is just the start. We’re going to make things happen.”

And with that, the two friends walked into the night, ready to take on whatever challenges the world would throw their way.

[--------------------------------------------]

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