Chapter 50: Fancy Some Egg Fried Rice? (4K)

Basketball matches do not allow betting on detailed scores.

The odds for win-loss outcomes are relatively small, yet still decent, higher than diving.

Among the twenty-four teams, Xia An only remembered the final top five: Spain, Greece, the United States, Argentina, and France.

Meanwhile, the Chinese team ranked fifteenth and was eliminated.

How was one supposed to bet on this?

It was actually very easy to bet.

Prior to the finals extending to September 4th, one simply had to bet on all matches involving these teams.

Starting at 12 o'clock until 6:30 that evening, there were a total of 12 matches.

Xia An bet on 7 of them, and as luck would have it, Argentina and France happened to be in the same group stage.

He could only guess, guessing based on the final rankings, and his guess was correct.

Aside from those 7 matches, Xia An also wagered 300,000, placing the maximum limit of 50,000 on each team's predicted final ranking.

The average odds hovered around 13.

If all predictions hit on September 4th, the 300,000 would turn into 3.9 million.

At 7:00 PM, combining the 1 million put up by Tang Xiaowan with his own 2 million all-in, the total pot reached 3 million and surged straight toward 4 million.

The odds were low, but the strategy was rock solid.

Among them, the matches involving the Chinese and American teams, both in Group D, added 5,800 Hong Kong dollars to Xia An's revenue.

The next day, August 20th, marked the second matchday of the group stage.

It also began at noon and concluded at 6:30 in the evening.

After 12 matches, the 3.97 million transformed into 5.14 million.

Tang Wan sent Xia An a text message saying that He Zhenzhen wanted to buy in again with 8 million, offering a 35% commission.

[Should we take it or not?]

[Does she have a crush on you? Is it normal to keep sending money so directly?]

[Hate you!]

While a refreshed Xia An was relieving himself in the bathroom, Tang Wan sent another text:

[I know you've invested all the money again. I'm keeping some for myself and transferring the rest to you. Uncle Zhang said you guys are doing big things, so don't lose it all and end up with no money to spend and go hungry.]

Immediately following came a text notification of an 850,000 transfer.

Zhang Tiancheng, who had been working hard in front of his computer for two days, had never asked what Xia An was tinkering with on the sofa for two afternoons, but just now, a glance at his phone lying on the corner of the desk caught the flash of two text messages.

The first one was too long, so he only saw the last few words.

However, the numbers in the second text were crystal clear.

In an instant, Zhang Tiancheng's worldview completely shattered.

What the heck.

Afraid Boss Xia wouldn't have money to spend and would starve, so she wired 850,000 in pocket money?

Mom? Older sister? Girlfriend?

It didn't matter.

The key question was, what kind of family background was this?

...

All the way home, Xia An kept his head held high, full of smug satisfaction.

Just think, he still remembered multiple World Cups and various large-scale sporting events.

As long as the historical trajectory didn't get disrupted, he would never have to worry about lacking money for the rest of his life.

This was the momentum of the times; who could possibly influence that trend?

With his hands in his pockets and humming a tune, Xia An opened the front door, took off his shoes, and stepped inside.

Wei Xiaofang had already prepared dinner, and right in the middle of the table sat the roast duck mailed by little Youzi.

They had eaten one the day Old Zhou came, and this was the second one.

Xia An said cheerfully, "Yo, what a good day, we've got a heavy dish."

He was referring to winning his money.

Wei Xiaofang chuckled as well, "Of course. Didn't little Youzi tell you she made it to the finals?"

She was referring to Zuo You advancing.

Xia An's head buzzed.

In a split second, the world spun round and round, and he almost landed flat on his backside on the floor.

Frowning, Xia An asked what was going on.

Wei Xiaofang turned her head from the kitchen and said, "It happened right at noon.

"Just as the competition was wrapping up, the ballet dancer who had been ranked right above Youzi suddenly withdrew, claiming she got injured in a car accident with a broken bone. It's destiny, isn't it?"

Zuo You scraped through right at the cutoff line!

Xia An swallowed hard.

In the original timeline, Zuo You, who couldn't dance ballet, was at a disadvantage during the competition, and her composite score was consistently low.

She had only squeezed into the preliminaries with a mid-tier score, and advanced past the first round by a mere two points.

The second round leading to the finals required a large-scale musical theater performance, primarily centered around ballet.

Zuo You had a fantastic foundation in folk and modern dance, but her sole weakness was her inability to do ballet, preventing her from securing a lead role in that show.

Her score wasn't particularly high.

Out of thirty-five contestants, eleven advanced.

She made it in by the skin of her teeth.

"Your dad went downstairs to buy some wine. Tonight, we'll celebrate for the Old Zuo family too. I heard contestants who make the finals get to shoot commercials, so she should make a lot of money," Wei Xiaofang's voice drifted over.

Dazed, Xia An uttered an "uh-huh."

Wei Xiaofang carried a cold dish into the room, glanced at Xia An, and said, "Don't overthink it either. I heard her mom say little Youzi prepared a gift for you. She has feelings for you; we can all see that."

Of course, Xia An wasn't worried about that; in fact, he was genuinely happy for little Youzi.

If she truly loved the entertainment industry, the Taoli Cup was a highly prestigious starting point.

What he was genuinely worried about was...

...

Could it be?!

Dancing, a car accident, a fractured bone.

Zhang Chunmin's words still echoed in his ears, each louder than the last.

If he hadn't dragged the Zhang Chunmin of this spacetime into the mud, the man wouldn't have gone to Yanjing to attend some pointless summit, nor would he have gotten into a car accident...

Wasn't it a bit too coincidental that the girl right ahead of little Youzi got hit?

The thought he had before heading upstairs—*who can influence the grand trend of the times*—Xia An desperately wanted to take back.

Faintly, a profound and mystical sensation welled up inside him.

*Could it be that the me in this lifetime... is exceptionally lucky with women??*

While there was some joy, Xia An began to feel a greater sense of dread.

Fear for the people touched by the ripples of spacetime, the people around him...

Perhaps a single minor action of his could arbitrarily alter the course of their lives...

This god-like capability gave him a shudder.

His phone vibrated.

It was Zuo You.

[Hey brat, big sis has made it to the finals]

[Heard the news, congratulations]

A minute passed.

[Hey brat, don't be scared]

Xia An was stunned for a second before instantly realizing what she was talking about.

His brain short-circuited for a moment, leaving him clueless about how to reply.

Zuo You didn't send any more messages either.

Watching her son staring blankly on the sofa, Wei Xiaofang felt puzzled.

Glancing over at the living room and seeing *The Return of the Condor Heroes* playing on television, Wei Xiaofang said to Xia An with mild annoyance, "Look, look, can you never get tired of watching it a hundred times? Wash your hands and come eat, or go downstairs to fetch your dad. Why has he been gone for so long?"

Xia An abruptly flung open his laptop, sending a message to Tang Wan while hastily searching historical data online.

[Tell He Zhenzhen to take at most two million]

The 2002 World Cup champion was Brazil, runner-up Germany.

The scores of those matches for the Chinese team...

Ah, all correct.

The 2004 Athens Olympics, the 2000 Sydney Olympics...

Emperors of various dynasties...

The Four Great Classical Novels, the Four Beauties...

All sorts of major events he could recall...

Nothing seemed amiss. This wasn't a parallel universe, right?

Tang Wan replied: [What's wrong?]

Xia An pondered: [Let's play it safe. Better not to be too reckless]

Tang Wan: [That's right]

It was hard to fully articulate this sensation. Regardless, following Tang Wan's appearance, Xia An once again directly experienced the staggering impact of the butterfly effect.

Lost in thought, Xia An decided he couldn't go all-in on tomorrow's matches.

His current capital lacked the resilience against risks; the moment a match outcome deviated, it could easily go down the drain. He needed to be steady.

Closing his laptop, he took a deep breath and stood up. He went to the bathroom to splash cold water over his head and wash his face, finally regaining some alertness.

Sinking back onto the sofa, he let out a heavy sigh. Holding his dad's large porcelain mug, Xia An took small sips of tea.

At that moment, the voices of Xia Kangning and someone else talking drifted in from outside the front door.

Followed by the sound of the door opening.

Then, Xia An watched his elderly father walk in, carrying a crate of beer in one hand and a fruit basket adorned with colored ribbons in the other, leading a visitor into the house.

"Come on, Jiajiar, you go first, go first.

"Hey mom, come quick, look who's here, Jiajia is here."

Lin Jiajia, sporting large wavy hair, a small windbreaker, high heels, and a black gauze skirt, also walked in with her hands full of shopping bags.

Wei Xiaofang hurried forward wearing her apron, "Oh my, what is this? You didn't even say you were coming—well, of course, we're all family, come whenever you like. Quick, change your shoes and come in."

"Auntie, don't go to any trouble. I'll just sit for a bit and leave. Oh, dinner's already made? This cosmetics set is for you..."

Lin Jiajia spoke up.

The other three people in the room fell silent.

Xia Kangning, who had put down the beer and fruit basket and was turning around to close the door, was struck motionless.

Wei Xiaofang, who had just received the L'Oréal gift box and wanted to exchange a few polite remarks, was struck motionless.

Only Xia An spat out a mouthful of tea.

The three people at the entrance all looked over. Xia An offered a stiff smile and pointed at the television as he spoke.

On the screen, Yang Guo swung his long sleeve across the ground, his single arm embracing Xiaolongnü, played by Liu Yifei.

With a whoosh, he deflected a barrage of arrows, sending them whistling straight ahead.

In a split second, Mongke Khan, the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, perished.

Xia An remarked, "That emperor died a miserable death."

Lin Jiajia smiled, pursing her lips.

Wei Xiaofang snapped out of it and asked blankly, "Jiajia, what did you just call me..."

It was Xia Kangning who reacted the fastest, stepping forward to say, "The past is the past. Given Jiajia's age, she should naturally call us uncle and auntie. Come on, sit down, time to eat! Let's chat while we eat. By the way, we still have to thank you for that camera you sent the kid; he loves it."

"Really?"

Lin Jiajia kicked off her high heels and slipped into the slippers Xia An had scurried over to straighten out.

She asked him, "Do you really like it?"

Xia An straightened his back and smiled, "Really like it."

...

With Xia Kangning and his son cracking jokes, backed up by the cosmetic gift sets, the camera, and the computer, Wei Xiaofang ultimately accepted the title of "Auntie."

Lin Jiajia hadn't come over today with the specific intent of declaring anything to anyone.

Xia An was about to leave for college, and she simply wanted to drop by before he left.

Furthermore, Lin Jiajia had caught wind of Xia Kangning and his wife's plan to open a small supermarket.

She proactively offered to buy in with 100,000 yuan.

At the dinner table, she said, "I don't have much ability of my own. There's a lot going on at the hospital and I don't have many friends around, but I'd love to have a business of my own... to take care of Grandma in the future, and save up some... dowry for myself."

Hearing these words, Xia An interpreted them in a completely different light.

No matter how Xia An listened, it sounded like Lin Jiajia was saying: *I can help take care of your parents, go off to college.*

Mountains are high and rivers are far; whether it's you and Tang Wan, or female classmates, or any fruit girl for that matter, you'll be close to them.

It's fine, I'll be even closer to your parents.

Tearing off a duck leg, Xia An placed it in Lin Jiajia's bowl and helped her persuade his parents, saying, "Sister Jiajia is amazing now. She manages a major project and is already a leader at the hospital. Mom and Dad, if you ever feel any discomfort in the future, don't hold back; consult Sister Jiajia right away."

A person simply had to have a doctor friend.

Xia Kangning and Wei Xiaofang pondered this for a while.

They figured if worst came to worst, they could lease all three ground-floor storefronts right next to Youzi's restaurant and run a large supermarket.

"Those three places—a tofu shop, a small sundry shop, and a grain and oil store—already rely on the small restaurant to survive. Renting them all out is the best move. You've got great business sense, Dad."

Xia Kangning preened under the compliment. Heavens, what was going on? Every single thing this month was good news.

Wei Xiaofang didn't have any grand ideas of her own. She already had a favorable impression of Lin Jiajia for not coveting Old Zhou's property, and figured that doing business required strength in numbers...

In short, amid a home-cooked meal, the matter was settled.

Lin Jiajia didn't drink any alcohol and didn't linger long after finishing her meal.

Before leaving, she just asked Xia An, who had walked her to the front door:

"What was the name of that TV show where the emperor got killed just now? What's it about?"

" *The Return of the Condor Heroes* , a story about a man with a big bird who falls in love with his aunt."

Lin Jiajia poked Xia An's calf with the tip of her high heel, offering a tight-lipped, grinding smile as she said, "Oh, I'll go check it out when I get back."

...

...

On the morning of Monday, August 21st.

Xia An went to take his subject two driving test and received his license on the spot.

He rushed home at noon through a light drizzle to place bets on the six matches of the third round of group stages for that day.

Three out of three.

The betting odds didn't fluctuate much, and since He Zhenzhen thought the returns were too small, she stopped playing.

He also obediently refrained from adding to Tang Wan's 850,000, keeping it tucked away to return to her when he got to Binhai.

When the market closed at 6:00 PM, his total stood at 5.66 million.

That evening, Mother Xia lugged back a large suitcase.

From the moment dinner ended, she began packing Xia An's belongings piece by piece for university.

"I'll pack fewer summer clothes for you. Over there by the sea, it's naturally cooler than Dongshan, so I'll pack more outerwear for you.

"Oh, you won't be back until the Lunar New Year, so I have to pack your down jacket..."

With three days left, the bittersweet atmosphere of parting had already permeated the household.

Several times, Xia An caught his mother's eyes turning red as she turned her head away, not daring to meet his gaze directly.

On August 22nd, at 6:00 PM, the market closed at 6.12 million.

Aside from the suitcase, three large duffel bags had appeared, two of which were meant for little Youzi.

Xia An was extremely busy tonight and couldn't sleep early; he had to remotely direct Zhang Tiancheng's internet army to bombard the official website of the Dongshan Provincial Public Opinion Survey as well as the official sites of its sixteen subordinate counties.

Until those sites crashed, nobody was getting any sleep.

At 1:30 AM, fine threads of rain drifted against the window glass, coalescing into smooth, rounded droplets.

The surfaces of the droplets reflected the dim, warm light from the desk lamp, resembling scattered orange fireflies.

A damp, chilly moisture crept in through the gaps in the window, carrying the sweet scent of earth and leaves.

Past midnight, it was already the beginning of the *Chushu* (Limit of Heat) solar term.

At that moment, Xia An knew that the midsummer of 2006 had passed.

While monitoring Zhang Tiancheng's movements, he browsed his QQ Zone.

Strangely, little Youzi hadn't updated her journal all night.

Was she sick again?

It was too late, though. In case she had fallen asleep, he couldn't bear to disturb little Youzi, who had been running around working hard for a whole month.

Just as he was letting his mind wander, Xia An's phone vibrated.

Zuo You: [Hey brat, do you want to eat egg fried rice?]

It felt as though thirty-three thousand three hundred strands of hair had turned into steel needles piercing straight into his brain.

Xia An snapped to alertness, yet froze completely.

Second message: [I see the light in your room is still on. Disobedient brats are the ones who always stay up late]

Third message: [Come down. The egg fried rice will be ready soon, and I'm hungry too]

Thud!

Clatter-clatter-clatter.

The sounds of opening the door, closing it, and running downstairs startled Xia Kangning and his wife in the master bedroom.

Xia Kangning made a move to get out of bed, but Wei Xiaofang tugged at him, murmuring sleepily:

"Don't go. Did you forget what I told you?

"Sufen told me at noon that little Youzi left a note and ran off. Figuring out the time, she must have arrived."

Xia Kangning uttered an "oh," lay back down, and drifted right back to sleep.