Chapter 1 — The Miraculous Mission
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 3
"Who's being shameless?" The flat-top was displeased too, and turned his head to the bespectacled man. "Mister, you tell us--who should this tab belong to?"
"Hmm..." The bespectacled man pushed up his glasses, hesitated a moment, then said, "I am a university teacher. Since you both trust me, I suppose I'll help you settle this."
"Go on, go on!" Both the pockmarked man and the flat-top nodded, staring anxiously at the self-proclaimed university teacher.
"Strictly speaking, this tab was pulled off the can by this brother here, so the thing should be his..." Halfway through his words, the pockmarked face showed a smug expression, while the flat-top began to grow anxious and was about to speak, but the bespectacled man waved his hand to stop him and continued: "However, since this brother already threw the tab away, and it was picked up by this other brother, then it should belong to the one who picked it up..."
"But you also said the tab was mine..." The pockmarked man's face fell the moment he heard the bespectacled man's words.
"In my opinion, why don't you two just split the prize evenly? That way neither of you loses out!" suggested the bespectacled man.
"Split it..." The flat-top hesitated after hearing this, then gritted his teeth. "Fine, we'll split it."
Presumably the flat-top also felt his claim was somewhat shaky, which was why he agreed to the bespectacled man's suggestion. Meanwhile, the pockmarked man, seeing that the tab was still clenched in the flat-top's hand and that if he didn't agree he might end up with nothing at all, figured half was better than nothing, and so nodded his agreement too.
"Alright, since you've both agreed, then split it." The bespectacled man took the soda can from the pockmarked man's hand and looked at it. "It says here that the first prize is a hundred thousand yuan, and after deducting twenty percent personal income tax, that leaves eighty thousand. But since claiming the prize is a hassle, whichever of you goes to claim it should give the other thirty thousand, then keep the rest for himself. What do you think of that idea?"
"Fine!" The pockmarked man was happy to get any money he could, so he agreed at once. "You give me thirty thousand, and you go claim the prize!"