Will the plagiarism girl be a substitute for the preference for women?

At that moment, Aine smiled and extended her hand.

"Shall we catch them together?"

"Hmm?" China nodded and placed her hand on Aine's hand.

At that moment, Aine took her hand and pulled her in front of her.

"This way, the joystick and buttons can be controlled together."

"Whoa whoa."

The two of them were holding the button together, making it look like Aine was embracing China.

Even though I always try to keep a social distance from Chika, I still... want her involved in everything.

"Let's pick the one closest to the exit?" Ai whispered in her ear.

"Ah."

Together they controlled the grappling hook to move it above the doll.

"Let's press the button together," Ai Yin said.

"Okay, three, two, one..."

They pressed the button together, the grappling hook dropped, and just as they caught Fufu, the song started its chorus.

The doll was firmly picked up, and the two held their breath, watching intently as it was moved toward the exit.

It's safe! It's safe!

Aine smiled excitedly and held China's arms with both hands.

However, at this moment, the grappling hook suddenly stopped exerting force and released itself without any pretense.

The two of them, who had been full of anticipation, simultaneously collapsed.

China, who had participated in the claw machine game, felt a pang of guilt.

As the saying goes, "nothing is certain," meaning that if you caught the doll on your first try, your luck might not be so good next time.

Wait, why can I blame myself for this?

Whether or not you can get a prize is ultimately determined by the claw machine's programming.

It's as if Oga sensed that a group of children in the distance were about to perish, and even though he knew he couldn't catch up, he still did his best to save them.

In the end, he felt guilty for participating in the "rescue" process, but because of the inevitable failure.

I know perfectly well that this is just a probabilistic game programmed into existence, yet I still cling to a sliver of hope in the superstitious...

When I was catching the eagle earlier, I was just trying my luck and played Gee to try and increase my chances of success, since it wouldn't interfere with anything else.

It actually worked, convincing my subconscious that metaphysics exists...

"It's okay, you'll catch it at least once in the next 19 tries."

Aine still spoke with confidence, which showed that Chinatsu was still looking downcast.

She wanted to handle the rest alone so that China wouldn't have to share the frustration.

But this might make China think that she is "unnecessary" because she used up all her luck by successfully playing the claw machine the first time, and now playing with others would only reduce their luck, so she was left aside.

Ah... it's that time of year again when it's hard to make a decision.

Aine thought of other options, such as going to play arcade games with Chinatsu first.

But during this time, someone else might come and take the "minimum guarantee" from this claw machine.

At this moment, China voluntarily left the claw machine.

"Xiao Aiyin, I'll go get a membership card first, and I'll come back for game coins next time."

"There's no need for this back-and-forth."

"It's okay, I'll come back to play again next time anyway, I'll get a card sooner or later." Qian Nai said as she walked towards the front desk.

Okay, remember to let me know if there are any recharge events!

After watching Chika leave, Aine turned to stare intently at Fufu in the claw machine with a serious expression, carefully analyzing the situation in her mind.

Fufu, who was about to land at the exit, now has half of her hair hanging off the edge of the exit.

This seems tempting, but it's also a trap. If you drop the grappling hook at this position, one of the hooks of the triangular grappling hook will get stuck on the exit edge, causing failure.

"Hello," Ai greeted a passing staff member, "Could you please restock your dolls here?"

"Ok."

Not long after, a staff member carried a bag of plush toys into the glass cabinet of the machine and opened the coin vault on the lower side to check it.

Looking at the machine filled with game coins, Ai Yin felt for a moment as if she had grasped the true nature of the machine beneath its surface – a money pit.

But soon, she was drawn to the glass cabinet on the other side, which was filled with fufu, piled up in an alternating pattern.

The fufu, placed diagonally above, was much easier to grab than the dolls that were originally placed flat on the counter. With the added "guarantee," Aine felt much more confident.

It might even trigger a "landslide effect," where after one doll is grabbed, the pile of dolls that was originally stacked up loses its balance and rolls toward the exit.

Let's not think about anything too fancy yet. Just grab one plush toy and stop.

Ai Yin slowly lowered her hands in a V-shape and took a deep breath.

After adjusting her mindset, she felt that everything in front of her became brighter.

When she gripped the joystick, she seemed to enter a state of flow, becoming one with the machine, as if the grappling hook had become her own hand, allowing her to grab any fufu at will.

"Come out, Megurine Luka!" Aine slammed the button down.

However, the grappling hook did not exert the required force; it merely gave Fufu's head a perfunctory pat before returning to its original position.

"Ah...why..."

"No, there are only eighteen more runs left before we reach the minimum guarantee; it's just a matter of time!"

Aiyin gave herself another pep talk and focused intently on continuing to control the joystick.

One string of game coins after another was inserted into the coin slot, and this continued for another eight rounds.

The grabbing hook either fails to hold the doll or, after grabbing it to the exit, drops it back down.

By this time, China had already obtained her membership card, and she walked to Aine's side. The latter did not even notice her return, as if all she could see were the grappling hook and the doll.

"Aine, stop now. How about you try cosplaying as Megurine next time? That might greatly increase your success rate."

"Then... can Chinat cosplay as Hatsune Miku?"

Ai Yin blurted it out unconsciously, then covered her mouth with both hands to suppress her laughter.

"Ah... sure." A blush rose on China's face. For some reason, she thought of the scene of them playing MaiMoe together in cosplay outfits.

"Okay, there are ten more chances before you hit the minimum. If you still can't catch it, then we'll stop."

Aiyin assured him, and then put more coins into the machine.

China silently counted beside her, noticing that Aine seemed to be completely absorbed, her eyes filled with fascination.

Ten, nine, eight...

Three, two, one...

When they reached the last count, China wanted to give a reminder, but she seemed worried that the reminder would distract Aine or make her too nervous.

So she silently watched Aine perform her "last time".

However, the promised minimum didn't materialize, and the hook gently combed Fufu's hair once again.

As Aine continued to stuff coins into the coin slot without stopping, Chizuru reminded her:

"Little Aiyin, you've already passed ten times."

"? Ten times already?" Ai Yin suddenly realized, "That's impossible. That person caught me 60 times, plus my 20 times. Logically, I should have won this time."

As a claw machine expert, her confidence was crumbling. Was today truly the day she would be fleeced?

Or is the so-called minimum guarantee 100 times?

When Aine was choosing between "continuing" and "giving up," she thought of something.

If I had just persevered for a few more months while studying abroad, I probably would have been able to adapt to the environment.

She has already lost a rare opportunity by giving up halfway.

We can't keep backing down like we used to!

"I'll try again..." Ai Yin said, pointing with her index finger.

But then, her actions made China feel like she was "trying one more time"—repeatedly manipulating the joystick and gripping the same fufu.

Before they knew it, the game coins in the net box had all been used up.

Looking at the last string of coins in her hand, Ai Yin didn't think of it as her "last hope," but planned to use it up before getting another string of coins.

But she saw China, hunched over, struggling to carry a large bag of game coins in both hands, slowly moving back sideways.

"Little...Little China?" Aine's face was full of surprise.

With so many coins, you couldn't possibly spend them all, even if you played from morning till night, let alone until closing time.

"Little Aiyin, let me try. I've thought of a new metaphysical method. You stand in this position first."

China pointed to a spot five meters away from the claw machine.

"Is this some kind of formation?" Ai Yin did as she was told and stood there.

Could it be that buying so much in-game currency is part of some kind of mystical practice?

On the surface, you buy a lot of game tokens to show your determination to win the doll, but in the end, you win it right away?

Then resell the remaining coins to others to maximize profits?

China carried the plastic bag to the claw machine, inserted a coin, and then tied a knot in the plastic bag.

"Huh?" Ai Yin was taken aback.

"Little Aiyin, do you know where the weakness of tempered glass is?" China's lips curled into a smile.

"What..." Aine realized something was wrong.

“The weakness is in the corners,” China then looked at the claw machine. “I’m giving you one last chance.”

She manipulated the joystick and found a spot where the grappling hook would land.

This time, the grappling hook obediently grabbed Fufu.

China held the plastic bag with both hands, monitoring the grappling hook's every move, and the latter seemed to dare not loosen its grip at all under threat.

Only after Fufu landed safely at the entrance did Qian Nai put down the plastic bag, and then smiled at the monitor on the ceiling.

Chapter 198 Staff A

When China looked up at the camera, Aine also glanced at it casually.

"Is someone manipulating the odds behind the scenes?!"

The claw machine was almost at its guaranteed minimum, but the system noticed I had a basket full of coins and deliberately canceled the minimum, hoping to squeeze out more money.

So, was Chika carrying a huge bag of game tokens a way of threatening the backstage staff under the camera, saying that if they didn't get the next one, she would smash the machine?

That's a bit too rock and roll. Aine thinks Chinatsu wouldn't normally do something so radical; it's very likely...

At this moment, China held the fufu in her hand, a sly smile on her face.

She walked towards Aine step by step, her smile gradually turning into a kind and gentle one... but still, it was a little chilling.

"Little Aiyin~ Here you go."

"Um...thank you."

Aine accepted the doll with a special meaning, somewhat absentmindedly, and couldn't help but imagine what would happen if the grappling hook failed to catch her this time.

Chika explained, "I'm not really sure if there's any manipulation of the odds behind the scenes; I was just trying my luck..."

She looked at Fufu and suddenly had another idea:

"Shall we do another test?"

"If Xiao Ai Yin takes a Megurine Luka, I'll take a Hatsune Miku. It'll be a way to wrap up the magnet link you played before."