"A life driven by greed flourishes; a quest for love comes to naught."
In this life, I only seek wealth, not love. I just want to be an honest scumbag and have a few beautiful girlfriends of different styles, whether they're lolis, sophisticated older women, dominant queen-types, or young wives... I'm not picky.
Li Yuan wandered aimlessly along Zhou Yuan Road. He passed by one shop after another, comparing them to his memories of the future and pondering how to earn his first pot of gold.
It was 2008, and the Olympic Games in Beijing had not yet begun.
In this small county, almost every industry was already well-represented.
There were already milk tea shops; in fact, there were three near the gates of his school, No. 1 Middle School. Competition was fierce, but business was good. Of course, it wasn't too late to enter the market now, as the prospects for milk tea shops were only going to get better.
Hot pot restaurants and supermarkets were also present, naturally.
As for KTVs and internet cafes, they were still at their peak, but in a way, they were already a "sunset industry." In a few more years, they would be completely obsolete. Moreover, in a place with such a small, closed-off social circle, all businesses depended on connections and background. Without the right backing, you couldn't stay afloat. Having struggled for years in his past life, Li Yuan had seen through this long ago.
He remembered a Carrefour supermarket that had been brought in through an investment initiative. It had been doing great business until the local Trust-Mart supermarket schemed and squeezed it out of the market.
The small county was a closed ecosystem, and outsiders found it difficult to integrate, especially back in 2008.
After walking a large loop, he still hadn't found a good way to make money.
Only two potential paths were worth considering.
One was to open a franchise like KFC or McDonald's. These brands did well in small counties and would continue to do so in the future. Alternatively, he could open a self-service barbecue restaurant, which didn't exist in the county yet.
The other option was to get into express delivery or food takeout. However, the purchasing power in a small county was too low, making it unsuitable.
Besides, these were all cash-burning industries. Without hundreds of millions in capital, you couldn't even get a foot in the door. They were simply beyond his reach right now.
In his previous life, he had also considered starting a business. But after a long period of observation, he found the market saturated, with no good opportunities and a lack of startup capital. In the end, he chose to take the civil service exam.
In retrospect, his choice hadn't been entirely wrong. A good friend of his from that time had failed in business, ended up buried in debt, and became a defaulter before disappearing without a trace. His entire family fortune of millions was squandered. After all, very few people could successfully start a business.
As he walked on, a familiar jingle reached his ears: "Buy sports lottery tickets for a healthy life."
Following the sound to its source, Li Yuan's spirits lifted as he spotted the storefront. His mind immediately landed on the quickest, most suitable, and safest way to earn his first pot of gold. It was fast, hassle-free, safe, and offered high returns.
The sports lottery shop had a single storefront. Inside, a pot-bellied, middle-aged owner sat playing Cross Fire. Seeing Li Yuan enter, he spoke with practiced ease, "Young man, what kind of lottery ticket would you like? Scratch cards, Double Color Ball, or are you betting on the NBA or the UEFA Champions League?"
Li Yuan had bought lottery tickets before. When he was younger, he had been a believer. But after sinking thousands of yuan with little to show for it, coupled with some negative news exposés, he had kicked the bad habit. The reason he came in today was to buy a different kind of ticket.
"Boss, how do I bet on the NBA Finals?"
It was June 10, 2008. The third game of the NBA Finals had not yet started. As a die-hard basketball fan, he had watched every game live except for the first, which he missed due to his college entrance exams. Knowing the outcomes was the opportunity his rebirth had granted him.
The middle-aged owner wasn't surprised by Li Yuan's question. A lot of people had come in to buy sports lottery tickets over the past few days, most of them basketball fans. Thanks to Yao's influence, the NBA was incredibly popular in Huaxia at the time, which also drove the growth of the sports lottery.
"For basketball, you can bet on the point spread, the margin of victory, or the outright winner, among other options. The odds are all different. How do you want to bet?"
Li Yuan glanced at the odds. Tomorrow was Game 3 of the Finals. Due to the 2-3-2 format of the NBA Finals back then, the third, fourth, and fifth games were all Lakers home games. The Celtics had won the first two games. With Game 3 being a Lakers home game, the odds for an outright win weren't high. A home win was only 1.6, meaning a 100-yuan bet would return 160 yuan including the principal. An away win was 2.8.
He felt the wallet in his pocket. It contained the 1,000 yuan from the returned gift, plus the 1,150 yuan he had set aside to take Bai Weixi shopping and out for a big dinner after his planned confession. The total was half of his entire net worth.
"Boss, I'm betting on the Lakers to win Game 3. I'll put down 2,000 yuan to start."
Hearing him bet 2,000 yuan right off the bat, the middle-aged owner gave him a second, more appraising look. "Young man, you've got some money."
Li Yuan smiled faintly. "Just some pocket money. I'm confident the Lakers will win."
Clutching the lottery ticket, Li Yuan continued down the street until he reached a Construction Bank. He went inside and withdrew the entire 2,000 yuan from his card. He then went to the sports lottery shop by the gate of No. 1 Middle School and placed the same 2,000-yuan bet again.
If all goes as expected, I'll make 2,400 yuan after tomorrow's game.
Li Yuan wasn't entirely satisfied with this result. The principal he invested was too small. Because of the low odds, he wouldn't make much even after the remaining four games. This was a far cry from his goal of earning his first pot of gold.
"I need to find a way to raise more money," Li Yuan murmured to himself.