“This one million entry fee is the best million I’ve ever spent.” Mark Smith praised it highly. “When is the next event? I suppose… the operating cost each time can’t be low, right? If there are any financial difficulties, I can sponsor it.”

“What, you want to do it again?”

“Even ten more times wouldn’t be too much!” Anthony grabbed the bottle on the table and took a swig, his eyes full of fervor. “So when exactly is the next one? I’ll definitely be even better prepared. Of course… it would be even better if the difficulty could be adjusted.”

Although Ethan Clark didn’t vent her emotions out loud, her expression clearly showed she was deeply affected and still hadn’t recovered from the recent experience.

David Carter, on the other hand, looked conflicted.

As for the masked host, no expression could be seen on his face. “What you’re asking involves commercial secrets, so I’m afraid I can’t answer. But what I can tell you is that this was just an initial trial run. The Paradise is an extremely grand project, and the next time it opens, it won’t be as simple as today.”

“We will expand its scale and lower its entry threshold, so that more people can experience the joy brought by the Paradise. As for the specific opening time, I ask for your patience. Once everything is ready, I will send out invitations again and guide you all to the Paradise.” He bowed slightly. “Finally… thank you all for participating.”

……

John Stone passed through the dark old city walls and arrived at the West District—this was the edge of the city, where beggars in ragged clothes could be seen everywhere, along with gang thugs eyeing him with ill intent. But all they did was stare; John Stone knew the medal on his shoulder was enough to intimidate these cowardly scoundrels. Or rather, if they had the courage to openly attack a Brighthold guard, they wouldn’t be working as lackeys for the underground gangs.

At least during the day, this place was safe.

He walked a hundred meters along the damp street, turned two corners, and stopped at the entrance of a narrow alley.

There was a makeshift wooden shack there.

A sign hung above the shack—Marvelous Fortune-telling House.

This was exactly his destination.

John Stone looked around to make sure no one was following him, then pulled down the brim of his hat and entered the shack.

Even though there was nothing here that really needed to be kept secret, he still didn’t want his actions to reach his colleagues’ ears.

“Welcome to the Marvelous… oh, it’s you.”

There was only one person inside, an old man who looked white-haired and aged.

“It’s me.” John Stone hesitated for a moment, but decided to sit cross-legged. The cramped interior of the shack didn’t allow anyone to straighten their back, so rather than stand hunched over, he might as well make himself comfortable. “Do you remember me?”

“Of course, not many people come here to seek their fate.” The old man nodded, then revealed a mouthful of yellowed, broken teeth. “Even fewer return. So… did the fortune-telling come true?”

“How did you know there would be pirates there?” John Stone couldn’t help but ask. “In theory, they couldn’t possibly slip past the patrol boats and approach Brighthold unnoticed—”

“What are you talking about? Pirates?” The other seemed a bit surprised. “The fortune-telling didn’t bring you any trouble, did it?”

Right… he didn’t know the details of what happened.

John Stone stared at him for a while before slowly leaning back. In the old man’s words, what he divined was merely an opportunity—like when and where a problem could be solved. As for the specifics, even the old man himself couldn’t know.

That was precisely what made it all the more incredible.

That’s right, the fortune-telling came true.

John Stone wouldn’t have believed in such things if he hadn’t been desperate. With a “might as well try” attitude, he took a few brothers to the fishing village in the southern suburbs, and unexpectedly ran into a group of pirates landing ashore. Thanks to the heads of those men, he received a bonus on top of his salary, and used the money to continue paying for his sister’s medical treatment, finally stabilizing her condition again.

There were even rumors that, because of this achievement, he might be promoted from squad leader to team leader. If that happened, his benefits would rise to a whole new level.

Chapter 4: The City of Wishpower

However, the question was, if this fortune-telling house was really so effective, why was it located in such a remote place?

Someone with such ability should have no trouble getting rich. “No trouble… or rather, your fortune-telling was very accurate, and I benefited greatly from it.”

The old man smiled. “That’s good.”

“Can I get another reading? For example, about my future luck…” John Stone thought for a moment and asked.

The other stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. “I can sense that you no longer have any urgent worries. And once you lose that, blind fortune-telling will only bring blind results. Also, I must remind you, child… every wish comes with a price. That price is like a snowball—at first, anyone can afford it, but once it starts rolling, not everyone can pull themselves out.”

That’s true… there was no need to overthink it.