Plop.
It dropped again.
“Sigh…”
Both of them sighed at the same time.
Then they looked at each other and burst into laughter simultaneously.
Without realizing it, the small cart had filled up with quite a few plushies.
In the end, the two of them found a spot to count their haul.
They had grabbed twelve plushies and two Q-version anime character figurines.
They still had forty-eight coins left.
Holding their remaining coins, they looked toward the large machine in the center.
The machine was filled with all kinds of anime figurines.
After discussing it, they decided to use their last coins on this one.
It would definitely be difficult, but they weren’t expecting to succeed anyway.
The two stood in front of the large machine, heads tilted up as they gazed at the dazzling array of figurines inside.
This machine was noticeably larger than the regular claw machines.
The glass cabinet featured a tiered display stand packed with various anime characters—some An Ling recognized, others she didn’t.
Right in the center sat a limited-edition Hatsune Miku figure.
The craftsmanship was exquisite; her hair had a smooth blue-to-green gradient, and the pleats on her skirt were incredibly detailed.
“Wow, this one looks amazing.”
An Ling couldn’t help staring at it a little longer.
“It’s Hatsune Miku—the leek one.
She’s super popular.”
“Then let’s try.”
Li Yang took several coins from the basket.
“These are our last coins anyway.
Even if we don’t get it, no big loss.”
An Ling nodded, took the coins, and stepped up to the machine.
She inserted two coins.
The machine lit up with a cheerful electronic sound.
Gripping the joystick, she focused completely on the claw.
The claw was much larger than those on the regular machines, but it also looked looser.
An Ling slowly maneuvered it over the Hatsune Miku box and pressed the button.
The claw descended, grabbed the edge of the box, and lifted it up.
But the moment it left the ground, the box slipped and crashed back down heavily.
“Sigh.”
An Ling shook her head.
“It’s really tough.”
“Let me try.”
Li Yang squeezed in and inserted two coins.
He stared at the Hatsune Miku figure, moved the claw into position, and pressed down.
The claw caught the top of the box, lifted it, and shifted it slightly.
Then it dropped again, only moving a short distance to the left front.
“Damn!”
Li Yang slapped his thigh in frustration.
“It won’t hold at all.”
An Ling stood beside him, watching his annoyed face.
The corners of her mouth twitched upward.
“What are you laughing at?”
Li Yang said.
“Aren’t we a team?”
“Your turn.
We’ll go one at a time.”
An Ling inserted another pair of coins.
This time she didn’t target Hatsune Miku.
Instead, she aimed for a smaller figurine nearby—a fox girl character named Xing Jianya from some game.
The box was smaller, so it should be easier.
The claw dropped, grabbed the box, lifted it, and began moving it slowly.
Plop.
The box landed on the edge of the tier.
It wobbled slightly but was still far from the chute.
“Sigh…”
An Ling exhaled.
Li Yang went next.
He still chose to go for Hatsune Miku.
But he failed again.
When An Ling’s turn came, she tried for the figurine closest to the chute.
Unexpectedly, as the claw lifted and shook, the box fell directly onto another box, landing sideways.
Now there was no good angle to grab it.
Li Yang kept trying for Hatsune Miku and managed to nudge her a bit closer to the edge of the tier.
Unfortunately, she was simply too heavy.
On An Ling’s next attempt, she grabbed one from further back.
This time she held it more steadily, but the box was longer than expected and got blocked by the sideways one.
Now three boxes were stacked together.
With no better options, An Ling decided to join Li Yang in targeting Hatsune Miku.
Maybe they’d get lucky.
They took turns, feeding in coins one after another, failing each time.
Before they knew it, the coins were nearly gone, and they still hadn’t successfully grabbed any figurine.
“We have two attempts left—one each and we’re finished.”
An Ling went up again.
She carefully tried to grab the Hatsune Miku figure.
“Ah! Got it!”
An Ling exclaimed excitedly when the claw locked into a good position.
“There’s a chance.”
Li Yang leaned in close.
The two huddled together watching intently.
An Ling moved the claw with extreme care.
It traveled farther than before, but then dropped again, landing on the edge of the previous tier and wobbling unsteadily.
With no choice left, Li Yang inserted the final two coins.
Unexpectedly, this last small movement caused the heavy Hatsune Miku figure to topple over.
It slammed into the Xing Jianya figure in front, which also fell.
They tumbled onto the two stacked boxes.
The heavy Miku pressed down, and the frontmost box—which was already supporting two others in an unstable position—couldn’t hold.
With this final push, the two boxes slid straight into the prize chute.
“Wow! Wow!”
An Ling cried out in delight, slapping Li Yang’s arm excitedly.
“Two of them!”
She happily ran over and picked up the two figurines.
Li Yang made one final attempt but failed.
“Haha! What incredible luck,”
An Ling said joyfully.
The pair found a place to sit.
An Ling hugged the two new figurines.
This sudden surprise left both of them buzzing with excitement.
“What are they?
What figurines?
There was no guarantee at all!
We actually got them.
I wonder how much they’re worth.”
Li Yang was calmer than An Ling, but he was still thrilled.
They took out their phones, photographed the boxes, and checked the prices online.
One was a cup-noodle Hatsune Miku figurine—retail price around 117 yuan.
The other was a Pokémon Ash Ketchum figurine—around 107 yuan.
“They’re both so pretty.
And getting them from a claw machine makes them look even better.”
“Speaking of which…”
Li Yang did some quick math.
“If we don’t count lunch, we actually made money playing today.”
“Yeah!”
An Ling replied happily.
In the end, they split the figurines—one each.
An Ling took Hatsune Miku, and Li Yang got the Ash Ketchum one.
“What about these?”
An Ling asked, pointing to the small cart still full of plushies.
“Take them home,”
Li Yang said.
“Let’s divide them.
Which ones do you want?”
“I want that white radish,”
she replied, “and the little bear.”
“Sure.”
Li Yang emptied the cart and packed the plushies into two bags.
“I’ll give you the extras.
My room is too messy.
I’ll let Grandma have two, keep two for myself, and take one figurine.”
Carrying their bags, the two walked out of the arcade.
In the end, they still split the bill evenly.
Li Yang’s attempt to treat her failed—An Ling was too stubborn about it.
Luckily, Li Yang had discount coupons, so after playing for so long they hadn’t spent much.
It was already afternoon outside.
The sun had shifted westward, but the sunlight remained warm and pleasant.
There were fewer people on the streets than in the morning, yet it was still lively.
“Are you tired?”
Li Yang asked.
“Not really,”
An Ling said.
“Playing like this doesn’t tire me out.”