America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 11. Shameless

On MSN, four close friends were excitedly shouting.

Eric tapped on the keyboard and asked, "How's it going? How much did you guys make?"

Billy: "$15000, 9 times the odds, in the blink of an eye I had $135000. It's like living in a dream. Eric, you're fucking my God."

Bordeaux sent an angry emoji: "I'm going to ask my mom if she secretly gave you money. Why do I only have $1? Now I have $45000 less than you. This isn't fair."

Warren kept grinning like an idiot: "Bordeaux, I don't think you should ask your mother this question. You always buy pointless electronics, and you're the only one among us who smokes. All your money goes to nicotine!"

Billy: "Thanks, brother. At least there's someone who understands. Bordeaux, we've all advised you to quit smoking; it's not a good habit."

Eric doesn't smoke and dislikes people who smoke in the living room or office; the smell of smoke on clothes is just too unpleasant.

"Bordeaux, you really should quit smoking, or go to the hospital to get your lungs checked, you'll be pleasantly surprised."

Suddenly, a screenshot of an account popped up, showing a balance of nearly $50.

Then came Judy's arrogant laughter: "Bitches, come and lick the soles of my shoes, I can give you some tips."

"OMG! How come you're so rich?" Warren exclaimed in astonishment.

"Because while you guys are playing games and going to parties, I'll be working at the gym all the time."

"Really? Why weren't you told us?"

"Well, because my job is to get customers to sign up for memberships, which means showcasing my sexuality, you know, but that's not exactly honorable."

"Wow. It seems your work is very effective. But is the pay really that high in this industry?"

"It's alright, because I not only entice those lecherous men to sign up for memberships, but also their wives or daughters. I do stretching exercises with them, shower with them—I can't just be the one who gets taken advantage of, right?"

Upon hearing this, all four gave a thumbs up.

After several rounds of betting, Eric's assets skyrocketed from $1000 million to nearly $8 million.

However, the World Cup group stage is almost over, and the next stage is the round of 16. On June 18, the tournament will feature Italy and South Korea.

If there was still some debate about whether the referee in the South Korea vs. Portugal match was bribed, then this match was blatant favoritism; the referee didn't even bother to pretend.

The odds for this match are 1:1.5 for Italy and 1:4.5 for South Korea.

Having gone through the group stage, all the teams have fought their way up. Although there are still differences in strength, the odds are no longer outrageously high.

Eric's four best friends once again bet on South Korea to win, their eyes glued to the television.

Italy, dressed in blue, boasts a star-studded lineup, including well-known players such as Buffon, Maldini, Zambrotta, Totti, Del Piero, and Vieri. On the bench are Cannavaro, Inzaghi, Gattuso, and others, making it an absolute all-star team.

As for the South Korean team, there's no need to introduce them, since nobody knows them anyway.

Another heavyweight figure in the match was referee Moreno, an Ecuadorian and a notorious figure in football known for his biased refereeing, most famously for this match.

Seeing the impending tragedy of Italy's golden generation, Eric could only mourn for them. Of course, they were going to lose anyway, because how would I make money if they didn't lose?

As soon as the match began, Moreno started to dominate just 3 minutes later.

The South Korean player dived in the penalty area, and Moreno awarded a penalty without any physical contact.

Even if Italy expressed their dissatisfaction, it was useless. Moreno had already taken the money, so how could he make a fair judgment? It was just a pity that Buffon saved the penalty.

"FUCK! He can't even score a penalty kick. Is this Korean's brain filled with shit?"

"What a piece of trash. Why let this guy serve? Are the other ten guys all cripples?"

The game continued, and Italy began to launch an attack on the South Korean goal. Vieri quickly scored with a header, giving Italy the lead.

Warren: "OMG! Italy scored first, sons of bitches! The Korean team is all trash!"

Judy: "You Latinos should learn from your ancestors; their performance in World War II is what you should emulate."

Eric was speechless: "Calm down, guys, the real show hasn't even started yet, let's keep watching."

Judy: "Okay, just don't let my money go to waste, or I'll have to stay at your place."

Perhaps because they were behind, the South Korean team became noticeably impatient, and their movements became increasingly exaggerated.

Suddenly, during a corner kick, a South Korean player swung his elbow, and Coco fell to the ground instantly. After rolling several times, blood stained the surrounding grass red, as if someone had cracked his head open with an iron bar.

Billy slammed his hand on the keyboard in anger: "FUCK! The Korean team committed a foul. With such a serious injury, they're probably going to get a red card."

Eric smiled and said, "Don't worry, Moreno is here."

Sure enough, Moreno acted as if he were blind and made no call, infuriating the Italians to the point of cursing.

Shortly after, Totti was again surrounded and brought down by two South Koreans, but the referee still pretended not to see it.

The game quickly entered the second half, and just a few minutes later, a South Korean player elbowed Piero again, bringing him to the ground.

Moreno was less than ten meters away at that moment. He wasn't nearsighted, but he called a foul on Pierola, which actually calmed down the South Korean player.

Shortly after, South Korea's number 19 tackled Zambrotta with his studs up, a move that should have resulted in a red card, but Moreno ignored it.

Shortly after, Totti was tackled by a double team for what seemed like the umpteenth time, and South Korea's number 19 once again used his studs to tackle Zanetti, but Moreno still refused to call a foul.

Just one minute later, Maldini was brought down, and the South Korean number 14 took the opportunity to kick him hard in the back of the head. This was no longer a game of football, but murder.

Italians continued to be elbowed, knocked down, and pulled, and many ended up with bandages wrapped around their necks.

The South Korean team knew that they would become a laughing stock in the world after this competition, but since they had already done it, they might as well go all the way and stop pretending and just start a full-blown brawl.

As the game neared its end, the South Korean team finally scored a goal to equalize the score, forcing the game into extra time.

The extra time was, of course, another brawl, and Moreno even provided a helpful assist by not only sending off Totti for diving but also disallowing a good goal for Italy on the grounds of offside.

This blatant misjudgment infuriated Italian coach Trapattoni on the sidelines, who erupted in a tirade of curses and furiously threw things around.

Finally, South Korea scored a goal, winning 2-1, and this gruesome match came to an end.

After watching the game, Eric was annoyed, but he had cursed too many times in his previous life, so he wasn't surprised by the result.

However, MSN was unusually quiet at this moment.

Eric: "Why are you all silent? This isn't like you guys."

Judy sent a sighing emoji: "Even though I won, I don't feel any excitement about making money."

Warren: "Yes, I feel guilty. The Koreans are really awful."

Billy said angrily, "It feels so frustrating. South Korea is such a dirty country. It seems like everyone in this country has dirty blood flowing through their veins."

Bordeaux chimed in, "Just looking at those cheering Koreans on stage makes me feel nauseous."

Judy: "I've lost all interest in looking for girls. Forget it, I'll rest today. My heart is hurting."

Seeing that his close friends were all depressed, Eric decided to give them a heads-up: "If you have a low tolerance for stress, don't watch the next South Korean game."

Judy: "Should we bet on South Korea again in the next match?"

"Yes."

"FUCK! These bastards! I hate the feeling of making money off bastards, it's awful!"

"Don't worry, guys, it'll be over in a few days."

The Koreans are still disgusting at the Asian Games!

(End of this chapter)