Lucky Ferris Wheel

Li Ming stood beneath the giant Ferris wheel, clutching a handful of newly purchased plastic rings, sweat dripping from his forehead. Each cabin of the Ferris wheel displayed tempting prizes, from enormous plush toys to the latest electronics, and, of course, the red Maserati parked in the center of the wheel, gleaming alluringly.

"Win the Maserati, and you'll be tonight's lucky star!" The host, dressed in a clown costume, waved his arms and shouted in an exaggerated tone, "As long as you're lucky enough, this luxury car is yours!"

Li Ming took a deep breath, aimed, and threw. The plastic ring arced through the air, precisely...landing on the rice cooker next to the Maserati.

"Oh, so close!" The host shook his head regretfully. "But don't worry, you've won a premium rice cooker! Keep trying, Lady Luck is beckoning you!"

Li Ming was a little discouraged, but the cheers and envious gazes of the surrounding crowd rekindled his hope. He bought another handful of rings and continued throwing.

An hour passed. Li Ming was surrounded by a pile of small prizes: a rice cooker, an electric kettle, a juicer, an electric fan... He couldn't remember how many times he'd thrown, only that the plastic rings in his hand were dwindling, and his wallet was getting thinner.

"Keep going! You're almost there!" The host was still enthusiastic. "Look, you've already won so many prizes, you're just one step away from the Maserati!"

Li Ming was in a daze, mechanically throwing, as if trapped in an inescapable cycle. He vaguely felt something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Two hours passed. Li Ming was now surrounded by all sorts of "spoils of war," enough to open a small appliance store. The initial excitement on his face had been replaced by numbness and exhaustion.

"Just one more handful!" The host rubbed his hands excitedly. "Sir, you've already spent 1900 yuan, just another 100 yuan, and you'll have a chance to win the Maserati!"

Li Ming hesitated. He looked at the people around him who were still eager to try, and then at the seemingly within-reach Maserati. He suddenly smiled, a smile of helplessness and also of relief.

He shook his head and turned to leave the crowd.

"Hey? Sir, are you not playing anymore?" The host caught up, his voice laced with surprise and confusion.

"No," Li Ming said lightly, "I just remembered, I don't know how to drive."

The host was stunned. He watched Li Ming's retreating figure, the smile on his face gradually fading.

The crowd was still noisy, new "lucky ones" continuing their "lucky" journey. The Ferris wheel slowly turned, the prizes in the cabins remained tempting, and the Maserati in the center still gleamed.

Night fell. Li Ming was walking home, passing a lottery shop. He stopped, took out the few remaining coins from his pocket, and bought a lottery ticket.

Back home, he turned on the TV. The news was reporting a social item: Local police had cracked a major fraud case, where criminals used ring toss games to defraud people, with the amount involved reaching millions of yuan...

Li Ming turned off the TV and lay in bed, clutching the lottery ticket. He closed his eyes, the image of the red Maserati and the host's ever-smiling face appearing in his mind.

The next day, the lottery was drawn. Li Ming's ticket won the jackpot, with prize money enough to buy a sports car even more luxurious than a Maserati.

Li Ming didn't claim the prize. He tore up the ticket and threw it in the trash.

He suddenly understood that true luck was never on the Ferris wheel.