Chapter 3: Mischief

Shi Lei's pupils contracted instantly as he looked at the ATM screen...

"Huh?"

What the hell is this?!

The options that should have appeared on both sides of the ATM screen did not show up. There were no options for transferring funds, checking balances, or withdrawing cash. Instead, there was only a slowly swirling, starry void. In the center of this vortex-like emptiness, a... stick?? floated.

Although he didn't like playing games, Shi Lei had watched quite a few Western fantasy movies. Soon, he realized that it wasn't some ridiculous stick, but a scepter representing supreme power.

So, what the hell, has this ATM been hit by a virus?

Now that I think about it, an ATM is essentially a type of computer, just with added functions for handling and counting cash. It should be prone to viruses too… or not?

Shi Lei really wanted to turn around and leave. He was genuinely worried that the virus-like situation with the ATM might be related to that damned bank card he had inserted. After all, what kind of bank names itself 'Slave Bank'?

Wait a second, 'slave'? What exactly did that infected ATM just say?

It appeared to say, 'Welcome, new slave'?

So, 'Slave Bank'—no, it's 'Slave Development Bank'. If you rearrange the words, 'Development Slave Bank' seems a bit…

Shi Lei had a vague feeling that he was starting to grasp the situation.

So this bank card, or rather this bank, is it here to cultivate slaves? If that's true, the name is spot on, and what about me…

What the hell! Have I become a slave of this bank? — Shi Lei tried once again to turn and run, but it felt as if his legs were welded to the ground, unable to move at all. Filled with fear, his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Then, the strange, genderless voice from the ATM spoke again: 'Well done. You're actually still standing. It looks like this time's slave development has resulted in someone with much better mental fortitude than before.'

So this time's developed slave—damn it, this place is genuinely a Slave Development Bank.

But if that's the case, does it mean that many people have been developed before? This is a great socialist country, not a poor, struggling part of Africa. Even if someone is wealthy and powerful, they can't just have a couple of slaves to play with, right? And what would be the point of having slaves anyway?

'Can you see me? Are you talking to me?' Shi Lei tried to steady his breathing and remain calm as he spoke, but the trembling in his voice and the clattering of his teeth betrayed him.

The ATM actually laughed. The scepter on the screen slowly rotated, and the ruby on the crown at its top gleamed with an enchanting light, blinding Shi Lei.

Naturally, laughter doesn't reveal whether it's male or female.

'Hahaha, although you're trying to stay calm, your willingness to talk to me so quickly shows that your psychological strength is indeed better than that of your predecessors. I hope you can maintain such a strong heart in the future. I assume you wouldn't want to end up like that fellow from last night, would you?'

Shi Lei looked around, thinking he might be caught in some kind of prank, like a reality TV show. However, such a type of reality show might be feasible in the West, but in this country, it would never get the approval for broadcast, would it?

It's worth noting that despite Shi Lei appearing to be just another person among many, he is actually somewhat different, especially when it comes to his…

In a positive light, you might call it simplicity; in less flattering terms, you could say he's missing a few brain cells.

After the unexpected thoughts of a prank and reality show crossed his mind, he felt surprisingly less scared.

He's the guy!

I'm not afraid anymore!

"What was that you said? That I've become your slave?"

The scepter, seeing Shi Lei regain his composure so swiftly and speak steadily, appeared quite astonished.

"'You truly have remarkable psychological resilience. This is starting to get interesting!' The gender-neutral voice spoke again, adding, 'Indeed, you've become my new slave. Your swift adaptation to this new identity shows that you're not just strong mentally but also quite intelligent.'"

Shi Lei inwardly found it amusing, thinking that the person behind this prank was really putting on an impressive act.

So he pretended to be flustered and said, 'But… but I don't want to be anyone's slave.'

'Slaves do not have any control. Once you take this card, insert it into the ATM, and enter the password, your destiny is completely fixed,' the voice, now showing some irritation, said sternly, 'Remember, I dislike any form of rebellion from my slaves, including even a single complaint!'

Shi Lei maintained his role of being in a panic and said, 'But… but I didn't actually take the card. It just appeared in my hand after I woke up.'

"Er…"

The voice appeared to falter for a moment, then, with a hint of anger and embarrassment, said, 'That's not important. What matters is that you inserted the card into the ATM and entered the password. I didn't force you to do that, did I?'

Shi Lei, with a bit of a pained expression, muttered unwillingly, 'Fine, greed really does get people into trouble.'

'You, stop talking so much. From now on, keep your mouth shut and listen to me!'

Shi Lei nodded helplessly, remaining silent, but in his mind, he was wondering why no one had come in yet. It was the weekend, so weren't there any students who wanted to withdraw money? Oh, this is a prank. Clearly, someone has set up a camera here, so there must be someone outside preventing others from coming in...

I'm been stupid and needs to think it through. If this were a prank, who would be so bored as to set up such an elaborate setup just to mess with someone like him, a nobody? A reality show is even more improbable; he's not a famous figure like Deng Chao.

Noticing that Shi Lei had finally quieted down, the voice appeared pleased and said, 'The first rule for slaves: each week, slaves will receive an income from their master. The starting amount is ten thousand yuan.'

What the hell!

The so-called first rule deeply conflicted with Shi Lei's sense of values.

An income of ten thousand yuan per week? And that's just the starting amount? Does this mean it will be higher in the future?

If everything were true, it might actually be… quite a good deal!?

Why exactly ten thousand yuan?

The guy from last night spent a hundred thousand yuan on a piece of clothing. Does that mean he's now getting a weekly allowance of a hundred thousand? But if it's only a hundred thousand, how long did he have to save to buy that Porsche?

Shi Lei was thinking to himself, if today's events were merely a prank, then the thing that happened last night must have been just a magic trick. David Copperfield has made an entire train disappear in front of an audience, so making someone disappear should be nothing extraordinary. This setup is pretty elaborate!

Shi Lei felt an inexplicable chill inside. He had nearly come to the realization that he wouldn't be able to keep the hundred thousand yuan he had just received. Maybe this was the payment for the prank?

Silently, he took out his Meizu phone, opened WeChat, and checked his balance in the wallet...

Well, the hundred thousand yuan has indeed vanished without a trace.

Shi Lei inwardly muttered a curse, 'Damn it.' While he didn't know how the person behind the voice had managed to wipe out the money from his WeChat wallet, he had already resolved to change his WeChat Pay password as soon as possible.

Noting Shi Lei's silence, the voice went on, 'The second rule for slaves is that you must spend all the income given by your master every week.'

Shi Lei felt that if all this were true, he was definitely a slave for sure! Who's ever seen a slave getting forty thousand yuan a month?

But that doesn't make sense. If the second rule requires spending all the money each week, then the man from last night couldn't have saved up enough to buy that sports car. This suggests that his weekly allowance was much higher than a hundred thousand yuan. Was his urgency to spend a hundred thousand yuan on clothing last night because he still had a hundred thousand left over from the previous week?

Wow, so how much does he get each week? Is it several million?

Shi Lei was starting to believe more and more that this was just a practical joke.

'Rule number three for slaves…' The voice continued, now very stern, 'but with your current slave rank, you only need to be aware of the first two rules. The most important one is rule zero for slaves.'

Shi Lei could only roll his eyes in frustration. Rule zero? It appeared that the mastermind behind this prank had a certain mental lapse.

'Rule zero for slaves: Those who violate the slave rules will be punished!'