Today, a friend dropped one of those "Golden Ingot" Chinese New Year red envelopes into our group chat. Apparently, you have to "snatch" it multiple times, and the cash isn't even immediately available, it unlocks slowly on a specific day.

The moment I clicked it, a headache set in. The webpage was a riot of garish colors and cluttered information, dense and suffocating, with no clear hierarchy. (Many Asian websites excel at this: a chaotic order hiding a million tiny hooks.)

What’s truly magical is that some people can navigate this mess with lightning speed to find exactly what they need. Honestly, that’s a talent in itself.

But I keep wondering: Why must the structure be so labyrinthine? Why does every holiday have to come with a set of convoluted, calculated "gameplay"?

I often hear friends bragging during festivals about how they’ve calculated every discount and stacked every coupon, claiming they are "shearing the platform’s wool" (getting the best of the system). But can the platform really not out-calculate you? Or is it simply luring you into a maze, making you feel like you’ve snagged a bargain?

They give you a stage to push your petty cleverness to the limit, granting you a fleeting sense of "I’m so savvy" superiority.

I usually avoid these displays of mathematical prowess like the plague. Perhaps I truly can't do the math. But more importantly, I refuse to let someone encourage me to waste my time, my attention, and my peace of mind for an uncertain reward.

Some red envelopes are worth more when they remain unopened.



—— 🎐 XC Scribbles · 壹佰參拾伍 CXXXV 🧧