We agreed not to date, so why are you crying now that I've become the richest man?

Chen Xiulan brought the dishes out of the kitchen.

"Hurry up and wash your hands and eat. The World Cup opens tonight, and your dad insists on making me watch it with him."

Ye Chen smiled.

"See? It happens once every four years, it's quite a lively event."

At the dinner table, Ye Jianguo was clearly in high spirits.

While eating, he analyzed the strength of each team this year.

"I'm optimistic about Brazil this year; Kaká is still at his peak."

"Argentina is no bad either, Messi is so good right now."

"However, the German team should not be underestimated. In the World Cup, Germany is a force to be reckoned with."

Ye Chen picked up some food and occasionally nodded in agreement.

In my past life, my father also sat in front of the TV like this, slapping his thigh in excitement over a ball game.

At that time, Ye Chen only felt that it was noisy.

Later, when I wanted to hear it again, it was too late.

Being able to sit down and eat together again, and listen to his father talk about the game, is more important to him than any score.

After finishing his meal, Ye Chen returned to his room and locked the door.

He opened his desk drawer, took out twenty-two lottery tickets, and neatly laid them out on the table.

He checked each and every ticket again.

Number of matches.

score.

Odds.

Amount.

Location of the lottery station.

After confirming that there were no problems, he took out his notebook and wrote down all the information one by one.

In fact, with his memory, he didn't need paper records at all.

But having been a programmer for so many years in his previous life, Ye Chen had long since developed this habit.

Any critical data must be backed up.

One can choose not to believe in luck.

But you can't skip making backups.

After taking notes, he wrapped the lottery ticket in a plastic bag, put it in the back of the drawer, and then placed several thick review materials on top of it.

10 PM.

On television, the opening match of the South Africa World Cup officially began.

Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg.

The piercing sound of the vuvuzela came through the television, as if the whole world had been pulled into that lively and crazy summer.

South Africa vs. Mexico.

Ye Jianguo sat on the sofa, his eyes unblinking.

Ye Chen leaned against the door, holding a glass of water in his hand.

The match has reached the 55th minute.

South Africa's Chabalala dribbles forward and unleashes a long-range shot.

The ball went straight into the corner.

1: 0.

Ye Jianguo slapped his thigh suddenly.

"nice shot!"

"The host certainly has an impressive presence!"

Chen Xiulan was startled by him and glared at him irritably.

"Why are you so excited about watching a game?"

Ye Jianguo chuckled.

"That was a beautiful shot!"

Ye Chen took a sip of water.

His expression didn't change much.

79 minutes.

Mexico's Marquez received the ball inside the penalty area and calmly slotted it into the net.

1: 1.

The final score was set.

Ye Jianguo leaned back on the sofa, somewhat regretful.

"What a pity, we couldn't hold on."

The first day was uneventful.

In the following days, the World Cup proceeded exactly as Ye Chen had planned.

South Korea 2:0 Greece.

Argentina 1-0 Nigeria.

England 1-1 USA.

Goalkeeper Green's outrageous mistake left fans all over the world dumbfounded.

Ye Jianguo immediately stood up from the sofa.

"You managed to sell that?"

"This is the World Cup!"

Ye Chen sat calmly beside him.

Others are just watching the spectacle.

He was looking at the capital curve.

His life remained regular.

Time quickly came to June 16th.

The real carnival night has arrived.

That night, Spain played against Switzerland.

The biggest favorite to win the championship is facing a second-tier European team.

Before the match, almost all media outlets believed that Spain was a sure winner.

Various analytical articles were written in a very logical and well-reasoned manner.

What do you mean by having the best midfield control in the world?

What kind of passing and control system is mature?

What? The Swiss defenses couldn't withstand the onslaught of the Spanish army.

The odds outside have completely shifted in favor of Spain.

Countless bettors have placed their bets on Spain.

In their view, this game was not a matter of choice.

This is an easy question.

10 PM.

Ye Jianguo sat in front of the television early, holding a teacup in his hand.

"This match is a foregone conclusion."

His tone was very confident.

"Spain's midfield is so good, they could win with their eyes closed."

Ye Chen sat beside him, slowly peeling an orange.

"The ball is round, there might be an upset."

Ye Jianguo waved his hand.

"impossible."

"The gap in strength is too large."

Ye Chen did not refute.

The best manners an adult can show is not to argue with someone who hasn't seen the answer to the question about the standard answer.

Game start.

Spain indeed dominated possession of the ball.

Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets took turns orchestrating attacks, pressing the Swiss team so far that they could barely cross the halfway line.

Ye Jianguo nodded repeatedly as he read.

"See, I told you Switzerland wouldn't be able to hold out any longer."

But ten minutes passed.

Twenty minutes have passed.

Thirty minutes have passed.

The ball just wouldn't go in.

The Swiss team retreated to their own half, defending solidly and firmly.

The more Ye Jianguo looked, the more his brows furrowed.

"This Swiss defense...it's really something."

Ye Chen broke the orange in half and handed him one half.

"Dad, have some oranges to cool down."

Ye Jianguo took it, his eyes still glued to the television.

"I refuse to believe Spain can't qualify."

Second half, 52th minute.

Switzerland launches a long pass from their own half.

Chaos reigned inside the restricted area.

Fernandez seized the opportunity in the scramble and poked the ball into the net.

0: 1!

The commentator's voice on TV instantly rose in volume.

"Goal!"

"Switzerland is in the lead!"

"This is the biggest upset of this World Cup so far!"

Ye Jianguo's hand trembled, and the tea spilled directly onto his trouser leg.

He didn't even bother wiping it; he was completely stunned.

"How is this possible?"

Ye Chen threw the orange peel into the trash can and swallowed a segment of orange pulp.

Very sweet.

In the following tens of minutes, Spain launched a furious attack.

Long-range shot.

The message is in progress.

An inverted triangle.

Continuous impact.

Crossbeam.

Column.

There was even a chance that was right in front of them, but they just missed it by a hair's breadth.

Ye Jianguo watched, sometimes slapping his thigh, sometimes sighing.

"How could they not score?"

"Spain is acting strangely today!"

The final whistle blew.

The score remained firmly at 0-1.

Spain suffered a shock defeat to Switzerland.

That night, countless cries of anguish echoed from lottery stations.

Those who shouted "Spain will definitely win" before the match probably have a long line of people waiting to jump off rooftops.

Ye Jianguo leaned back on the sofa, unable to recover for a long time.

"That was a huge upset..."

"Who would have thought this?"

Ye Chen stood up and clapped his hands.

"Dad, go to bed early."

Ye Jianguo was still shaking his head.

"Anything can happen at the World Cup."

Ye Chen smiled but didn't reply.

He turned and went into the room, closing the door behind him.

Ye Chen opened the drawer and took out the stack of lottery tickets.

Eight of them contain the score of Spain's 0-1 defeat to Switzerland.

The first bomb exploded.

But this is not the end.

He looked down at the remaining lottery tickets, his eyes calm.

Tomorrow, France 0-2 Mexico.

The day after tomorrow, Germany will lose 0-1 to Serbia.

The real harvest has only just begun.