Chapter 149: Three Men Make a Tiger

It's best to pay respects to Mazu early.

On one hand, going earlier shows more sincerity; on the other hand, going late might mean having to queue.

Wu An thought that it would be better to go a bit later, since the longer the queue, the more sincere one's devotion.

Mei Yueqin scolded him for spouting fallacious nonsense.

When you get to the Mazu Temple, don't speak nonsense and make Goddess Mazu unhappy.

Wu An wanted to say that Goddess Mazu isn't so narrow-minded, but seeing his sister-in-law really angry, he swallowed the words.

Actually, he got up early today and then came home early to have breakfast.

Anyway, Mei Yueqin hadn't finished packing before leaving, causing a slight delay.

But these things aren't worth worrying about.

He checked the system; today's Luck Value was still somewhat low.

Only 11 points.

However, something surprised him: yesterday he clearly did nothing, yet his Luck, already at the maximum, still increased by 5 points.

Could it be because he passed the exam?

After passing the exam he got a certificate and became a fisherman; did the system judge that he had a big haul yesterday?

The system gave no explanation, so he could only guess blindly.

He saw that the motorcycle could also gain Luck Value.

He tried adding one point.

He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but the bike felt less bumpy.

"Kind of interesting..."

"Everything can gain points, provided the system can judge it as a tool?"

"Not quite."

"It's my actions and environment that turn the motorcycle into a tool for rushing along, so it gains Luck Boost, reducing the chance of the bike hitting stones and bumps, making the ride smoother."

Wu An speculated to himself.

This discovery seems trivial, but it's actually not.

A golden finger is certainly good, but it depends on how he uses it.

Soon they arrived at the Mazu Temple.

The Mazu Temple was bustling with people and strong incense; especially today, being a proper day, villagers from several villages came.

Mostly elderly people and women.

Young people like Wu An were also present, but not many.

It's not that they don't believe in Goddess Mazu; it's that at this time they're busy working to earn money, with no leisure to come pray.

The leisurely Wu An seemed somewhat out of place.

They waited for almost half an hour.

Mei Yueqin went in first, coming out about five minutes later, seeing Wu An chatting with several aunties, laughing and joking, speaking irrelevantly, she reminded: "Don't talk nonsense inside."

Wu An nodded.

Holding incense and snacks, they entered the not-so-large Mazu Temple.

They completed the set procedure.

They knelt down.

They performed the rites.

They murmured prayers.

"Goddess Mazu above, please bless me; lately my luck has been great, and my sea‑gathering and fishing yields are abundant."

People inside and outside the temple heard his shout and froze.

Why?

Because Wu An was different; others muttered quietly, afraid their words would be overheard.

He, however, was fine.

He shouted it out loud, making the temple seem to tremble.

Wu An continued shouting: "Still need your blessing; I just bought a fishing boat, someone tried to mess with me, but failed."

"It's still your blessing; the owner of that broken boat, Guang Liangjun, suddenly changed his mind about selling it, so I don't have to bear the loss."

"I suffered no loss; on the contrary, the bad guys got their due punishment."

"Thank you, Goddess Mazu, for your blessing."

He shouted with utmost devotion.

No matter how you say it, his luck is indeed good; saying it's Goddess Mazu's blessing is not far-fetched.

Those around also secretly clicked their tongues.

They thought, "This kid's luck is not bad."

Thinking this, their reverence for Goddess Mazu rose another notch.

Goddess Mazu is indeed efficacious.

Wu An came out.

Mei Yueqin couldn't help but pull his ear: "Why are you shouting so loud?"

Wu An said: "I just want Goddess Mazu to hear me."

Without him struggling, Mei Yueqin simply let go; she hadn't been gripping hard anyway.

Mei Yueqin said unhappily: "You can speak softly; Goddess Mazu can still hear."

Someone nearby chimed in: "I heard the good‑looking guy just shouted Guang Liangjun—is he that gambler?"

Wu An nodded and said: "Yeah, you know him?"

That person nodded and asked: "What did you mean by shouting just now?"

Wu An gave a brief explanation.

That person suddenly realized: "According to the good‑looking guy, your luck is not bad, but I'd say that boat is a bit unlucky."

Wu An pretended not to understand: "What do you mean?"

That person, who liked to play the teacher, analyzed: "Look, you just bought a fishing boat, and now someone's got their eye on you—someone wants to mess with you."

"And then, because of that fishing boat, two groups came to blows, almost causing a death."

"Is it all because of that boat?"

Everyone who heard it chimed in, saying that person's analysis made sense.

Wu An was surprised: "You're right, that's actually true."

He was, of course, pretending.

From the start, his words, both explicit and implicit, were guiding everyone to think that way, and the result was exactly as he expected.

That person sneered: "Actually, I'm from the same village as Guang Liangjun; at first he was a pretty decent guy."

"It seems ever since he bought that fishing boat, he changed."

"Now he's lost his wife and children, and has nothing left."

"I think that boat is really sinister."

Upon hearing that, everyone immediately launched into a heated discussion, firmly believing it.

Everyone lives by the sea, most make their living from it, so they take matters of fate very seriously.

Wu An didn't say anything, but actually running into someone from Guang Liang Village or an acquaintance is quite normal—today folks from villages all around have shown up.

His goal had been achieved, even exceeding his expectations.

As for that person's claim that the fishing boat is sinister, he doesn't know whether it's true.

Why?

Guang Liangjun ending up like this is probably man‑made.

Who?

Those who led him into gambling.

Guang Liangjun bought a boat, his wealth was exposed, and it's only natural that some people took notice.

Set a trap, pull a scam, and Guang Liangjun became the prey that fell into the pit.

This isn't his wild guess—he heard it from Gao Qiangqi.

Gao Qiangqi's saying all this is actually his way of warning him: keep your eyes open, hold to your bottom line, don't let anyone trap you.

Otherwise, how could Gao Qiangqi be a friend worth associating with?

After paying respects to Goddess Mazu, he sent Mei Yueqin home, then called up A Qing, who'd been waiting a while, and they went to town together.

He had a lot to do today, might not have time to go out fishing; seeing the motorcycle's luck value depleted, he kept adding one point.

A Qing praised his driving skills, saying he didn't feel bumpy at all along the way.

Straight to the repair shop.

The boss's surname is Li.

Forced by middle age, the boss soaked goji berries in his thermos and warmly welcomed Wu An with it.

Wu Yingwei had already called ahead; although he'd made some preparations, Wu An's one sentence still left him dazed.

"Boss Li, my dad probably already explained the situation, so I just want the most expensive, not the most suitable."

"Just fix it to the highest spec and tell me how much it'll cost."

Boss Li: "……