CHAPTER 158: CHAPTER 158: ANOTHER NEW IDEA, MASS RELEASE (4/10)

Zhang Qiu felt that he couldn’t just sit back and wait for disaster. Forcing them to leave was out of the question. If he angered the couple and they started coming every day, he might as well just quit. The mall’s executives could probably stomach the loss of a few thousand mililiters for one day, but if it happened every day, their wrath would fall squarely on him.

Struggling through the crowd, Zhang Qiu frowned and called over a salesperson.

"Manager Zhang, what can I do for you?"

Zhang Qiu pulled out a tissue and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Go to the storeroom and bring back a larger plush toy."

"Yes! Manager Zhang!"

A few minutes later, Zhang Qiu returned, carrying a plush toy nearly two meters tall. Even Xia Liang couldn’t help but gape.

"Holy crap! Uchiha Pikachu!"

"Here you go, Miss. This Uchiha Pikachu is for you," Zhang Qiu said, his face radiating an incredibly sincere smile as he handed the transparent plastic bag to Tong Dongnuan.

However, Tong Dongnuan didn’t take it. As the saying goes, unsolicited generosity is either cunning or crooked.

She asked suspiciously, "Why?"

With a serious expression, Zhang Qiu explained, "In recognition of your boyfriend’s incredible skill, he’s been named the mall’s Strongest Claw Machine Master. This is a special reward from the mall."

"Oh, I see."

Hearing the explanation, Tong Dongnuan immediately understood. This was essentially a bribe to get them to stop.

Xia Liang, not being naive, understood the situation instantly. He knew that accepting a gift put you in the giver’s debt, so he stopped trying to win more plush toys. He passed his remaining coins to Tong Dongnuan.

"I feel a bit bad for winning so many. Dongnuan, you give it a try."

After speaking, Xia Liang took the Uchiha Pikachu.

"Well then, thank you very much, Manager Zhang."

"Not at all! You’re most welcome!" Zhang Qiu replied, waving his hands quickly.

Tong Dongnuan clenched her fists. "Now, watch me."

As long as Xia Liang wasn’t playing, everything was manageable. Sure enough, she failed to grab a single toy with her next fifteen coins.

With only the last coin left, Tong Dongnuan started psyching herself up. "You can do it, Dongnuan! Come on, you’re the best!"

Hearing this, Xia Liang smiled and walked over to her.

"Let me teach you."

He stood behind her, his hands covering hers, and guided her through the motions. This time, with Xia Liang’s help, Tong Dongnuan finally won the last plush toy.

"Thanks for the gift, Manager Zhang. We’re off now," she said. She took Xia Liang’s hand with one of hers, while her other hand carried a bag filled with more than one hundred and fifty plush toys. As for the Uchiha Pikachu, Tong Dongnuan insisted on carrying it herself.

Watching the two of them walk away, Zhang Qiu turned back to the claw machines Xia Liang had emptied. He felt an urge to cry—that was money, after all! In his eyes, Xia Liang was like a demon. He had just secretly checked the machines and found nothing wrong with them. Zhang Qiu was utterly baffled. How could that man win plush toys so effortlessly, with a one-hundred-percent success rate?

He’d seen skilled players before. It was no exaggeration to say that someone who could win four times out of ten was considered a master. But Xia Liang... in the dozens of attempts Zhang Qiu had witnessed, he hadn’t missed a single one. I hope I never encounter that terrifying guy again.

Carrying the large bag of toys, Xia Liang gave Tong Dongnuan a playful look.

"Hehe! A bet’s a bet, you know."

Tong Dongnuan’s excited face immediately flushed red. "I know, you don’t have to tell me."

"Mmm." Only then did Xia Liang nod in satisfaction.

"Oh, right!" Tong Dongnuan suddenly looked at the toys in her hands, feeling a bit silly. She hadn’t thought about it while they were winning them, but now she had to wonder where on earth she would put them all. "What are we going to do with all these toys? Maybe you can take them home?" she asked, looking at Xia Liang with a puzzled expression.

"Isn’t it simple?" Xia Liang glanced at the plush toys. "Just pick the ones you like and sell the rest."

"That’s right! We could set up a street stall!" Tong Dongnuan’s eyes suddenly lit up at the thought.

They looked at each other and smiled, both remembering the time they had to set up a stall to scrape together enough money for an all-nighter at an internet cafe, constantly on the run from the city inspectors.

"But it’s still too early now. Let’s go get something to eat first," Xia Liang suggested.

"Sure!"

Tong Dongnuan knew that the best time for a street stall was at night, so she nodded in agreement. Xia Liang led her to the nearest hot pot restaurant.

Yup, the very same one he seemed to take all his dates to. Xia Liang believed in treating everyone equally, after all.

As soon as they entered, Xia Liang spotted a familiar face. It seems like it’s always this same girl who serves me, he thought.

The waitress, who was normally all smiles, froze when she saw Xia Liang.

It’s him again!

When she noticed that the girl with Xia Liang wasn’t any of the ones she’d seen before, the waitress cursed inwardly.

Pfft! Scumbag!

* * *

After a satisfying meal, Xia Liang drove Tong Dongnuan to Qingyun Square. At night, the square was bustling with a dense crowd of people. There were numerous street vendors who, at this hour, didn’t have to worry about the city inspectors. There were carts selling specialty foods, stalls with hair accessories, and ring toss games. You could find just about anything. Xia Liang’s arrival in his car naturally caught the attention of the regular vendors.

"Which rich kid is this, driving over here?"

"What for? To buy something?"

"No way. They wouldn’t be caught dead buying this stuff."

"Yeah, shouldn’t people like him be at a yacht party right now?"

"At the very least, they should be messing around in a nightclub or KTV!"

* * *

Amidst the buzzing crowd, Xia Liang and Tong Dongnuan got out of the car. They took the extra plush toys and arranged them on the hood of the Aston Martin. Their actions quickly drew the attention of onlookers. Finally, a young woman selling hair accessories nearby couldn’t contain her curiosity.

"Hey, you two, are you selling these plushies?"

"That’s right!" Tong Dongnuan instinctively picked up a toy, a bright smile on her face. She gave the plushie a little shake. "Yes, they’re all for sale. Want to buy one?"

Even though it was just a gentle, flirty comment, my heart is racing! What is this feeling? And she’s a girl! the hair accessory seller thought. Visibly tempted, she swallowed hard.

"How much?"

Tong Dongnuan seized the opportunity. "Not expensive, five mililiters."

The hair accessory girl’s eyes lit up. "Okay, I’ll take the husky plushie." As she spoke, she used her phone to scan the payment QR code Xia Liang had ready.

With a smile, Tong Dongnuan handed her a husky plushie.

"Thanks for your purchase!"

"Oh, right!" Tong Dongnuan suddenly remembered something and turned to the hair accessory girl with a smile.