Chapter 454: Did you buy a Lottery Ticket? Or just freshen up and go to sleep?

Prize Redemption Center.

There are quite a few people here, almost all of whom came to claim a prize after winning.

Of course, among these people the overwhelming majority only won tens of thousands of yuan, which looks paltry compared to the seven million Xu Mo won.

On the news, people who come to claim a big prize usually wear headgear or a Mask of some sort to protect their privacy.

Xu Mo didn't wear one; after all, he's the man who robbed a bank in front of the Live Broadcast Room audience, and he doesn't care about such things at all.

During the redemption, staff guided him the whole time, and Xu Mo finished the process smoothly in no time; after taxes, the seven‑million prize left five point six million.

Xu Mo also made a symbolic donation of ten thousand, so the final amount he received was five point five nine million.

Just as he stepped out of the Prize Redemption Center's gate, his phone rang—a notification that the prize money had been deposited.

"Your card ending in xxxx has received 5,590,000.00 yuan; current account balance…"

……

Police Station.

While the officers gathered to smoke, they happened to start talking about Xu Mo.

"Han Team, where's Team Leader Xu? Why haven't we seen him today?"

"He took leave," Han Fei replied. "He said he bought a Lottery Ticket, hit the big prize, and has no mind for work today; he's going to claim it."

"Big prize? How much did he win?" Wang Dachuan asked curiously.

"Seven million."

"Really?!" the officers all turned to Han Fei, suddenly perked up.

"What a load of crap, I guess he's just exhausted and asked for a day off, so he made up this excuse—bought a two‑hundred‑yuan Lottery Ticket and won seven million… how ridiculous is that!"

Han Fei doesn't believe at all that buying a Lottery Ticket can win anything, especially a prize of over a million.

Hearing Han Fei, the officers nodded thoughtfully.

Winning is impossible, especially winning a big prize.

"Team Leader Xu has indeed been busy lately; taking a day off is normal."

"By the way, do you all buy Lottery Tickets?"

"No, it's a waste. If I had that money, I'd rather save it to buy more packs of cigarettes; at least the money for cigarettes could go toward the national military budget."

"You're the only one who sees through it, right? Exactly, Lottery Tickets are a waste; even the goddess of luck can't make that thing win."

"Right, I think the same; Lottery Tickets are statistics, not probability. An ordinary person can't win a big prize."

"Heh, Lottery Tickets—dogs don't even buy them!" Li Chen sneered.

"……"

Han Fei, standing nearby, couldn't help but nod at that remark.

Buying Lottery Tickets is just throwing money away; you don't even know where it ends up. It's better to buy cigarettes, which at least wake you up, and a large portion of that money ends up as military funding… It's not that I love smoking; it's patriotism.

If you don't smoke, I won't either—who will repair the Aircraft Carrier if it breaks?

Just thinking that, Han Fei's phone suddenly popped up a local news alert.

"Recently, a lottery player in Yangcheng spent two hundred yuan on a Lottery Ticket and unexpectedly won a seven‑million grand prize!"

He glanced at his phone, and Han Fei was stunned.

Why does the story in this news feel a bit familiar to him?

Almost supernaturally, Han Fei unlocked his screen and tapped the pop‑up local news.

When he opened the article, Han Fei was even more confused.

The news included an illustration—a photo of the winner standing on the Prize Podium. The person in the picture was so familiar to Han Fei that he could barely believe it wasn't Xu Mo.

He rubbed his eyes, double‑checking the article and its illustration.

After scrutinizing it several times, Han Fei finally realized that Xu Mo really had won the seven‑million grand prize!

When Xu Mo went to claim the prize, he didn't wear a headgear or Mask, simply because it was inconvenient.

Thus, the reporter captured Xu Mo's face straight away during the interview and released the story immediately.

"Han Team, what's wrong with you?" a police officer said, noticing Han Fei's odd behavior.

When Han Fei answered, he didn't even look at the officer; his eyes were glued to the phone screen, his spirit elsewhere.

"Nothing, nothing much…"

Seeing that, the officer curiously glanced at Han Fei's phone.

He also saw the news and the photo of Xu Mo on the Prize Podium.

After seeing it clearly, his brain buzzed—Team Leader Xu really won!

The other officers also noticed something off about the two's expressions and gathered around.

After glancing at the content on Han Fei's phone, they fell silent; the few of them were so quiet they could hear each other's breathing.

They exchanged glances, each eye showing a hint of shock and awkwardness.

Not long ago they were huddling together calling Lottery Tickets a scam, and now—face‑slap—someone they know just won the seven‑million prize.

At the same time, everyone felt a stir of excitement.

The big‑prize winner is someone they know, not a stranger.

That means… ordinary people might also win a big prize!

I was hasty; I retract my earlier words—Lottery Tickets aren't something even dogs avoid. I want to buy a ticket and try… Li Chen thought.

"It really can win…" Wang Dachuan murmured, "Is there a Lottery Ticket vendor near the Police Station?"

"There should be one, I think. What, you want to buy? Save yourself; Xu's win must have been a fluke, they must have missed him in the statistics."

"Xiao Wang, wash up and go to sleep."

"Exactly, why buy that thing? It's a waste of money!"

"That's right, I still say it, Lottery Ticket, even a dog wouldn't buy it!" Li Chen said.

"......"

These people, from head to toe only their mouths are hard.

"Alright, it's time to go back to work." Han Fei was the first to stand up, stamped out his cigarette, and prepared to return to the office to work.

The other officers also rose in succession, preparing to go back and continue the tasks at hand.

Half a day passed quickly.

After work.

Inside the Lottery Shop near the Police Station.

An officer looked left and right, as if guilty of theft, and slipped into the Lottery Shop.

"Boss, give me a Lottery Ticket!"

As soon as the words fell, a person standing ahead turned his head, eyes showing a mix of surprise, confusion, and awkwardness...

"Li Chen? What a coincidence... to run into you here, haha..."

"Yeah, what a coincidence..." Li Chen's corner of his eye twitched.

Just as the two felt embarrassed by their encounter in the Lottery Shop,

A familiar voice sounded again in the shop.

"Boss, one Lottery Ticket!"