Esham makes his living in Yiwu, a futuristic Chinese city, selling lottery tickets. The city is designed as a lotus flower, separated into petals that double as zones, each zone controlling its own market. He’s seen a few winners in his day. The winners of the scratch-offs receive their heart's true desire. He’s seen a woman turn into an ibis, a man disappear, and a man leave in a limo on his way to Mars. Esham opens his lottery stall every day, observing all his visitors. He runs into an old friend, Isa, who lived in the same home he was sent to after his parents died. They both discuss how they make their living selling things to the community now and about how they are content with their humble living situation. One day, a woman with a composed, self-assured demeanor begins visiting Esham's lottery stall and purchases a lottery ticket for herself each day. Esham notices her name is Ms. Qiu from the name tag she wears and observes how each time she scratches a lottery ticket, she looks puzzled, shrugs, then leaves the ticket on the counter. On one particular occasion, however, Esham notices after Ms. Qiu leaves her ticket on the counter that Ms. Qiu has bought a winning lottery ticket. Unlike the previous wins where the winner's wishes were immediately fulfilled, nothing happens upon Ms. Qiu's win. Ms. Qiu gives Esham a bemused smile and then walks away, leaving him concerned and confused. When a customer sees him holding a winning ticket, they ask about it, and a mob surrounds Esham’s stall, demanding possession of the ticket. The mob begins to physically attack Esham before Isa sees them and makes them leave him alone. Esham decides to report the winning lottery ticket to the lottery regional office. At the entrance, Esham encounters a door that speaks and grants him access to the office, transporting him to somewhere seemingly out into space. There, Esham speaks to the Area Controller, a man named Dee, who nonchalantly tells him the card is defunct. Esham stammers, confused, and begins to ask about Ms. Qiu. Dee interrupts and tells him she’s not human—she’s a robot of sorts. Esham returns to Yiwu through a door that opens to a quiet residential neighborhood. Here, he sees Ms. Qiu and watches as she walks to a small house with a perfectly trimmed garden where two beautiful children and a happy husband welcome her home. Through the window, Esham observes as they sit down to eat dinner together, content and happy. Esham decides to give them privacy and walks back to his stall where he finds Isa who invites him to have dinner together.