America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 9.9. You've all finished cutting, now it's my turn.

On June 5th, five days had passed since the last bet. Presumably, those betting companies had already recouped their losses and made a considerable profit off the bettors.

Eric swirled his wine glass and leisurely sat down in front of his computer. Now that the gambling companies had already made their fortune, it was time for him to make his turn.

Moreover, Warren and his buddies are living a carefree life outside, spending his money to have fun every day, and constantly flirting with him.

"My money!"

The most hateful thing is that girl Judy, who sent him a bunch of selfies, all in bikinis, surrounded by beautiful women, all with Latin flair, having a great time with them on his left and right.

"Damn it, if we weren't so close, if you weren't a lesbian, I would have fucked you to bits already!" Eric thought bitterly, taking a sip of his drink.

I turned on my computer and sent the command via MSN.

"Wake up, everyone. Today is the day to place bets. It's time to make those casinos bleed a little."

Warren sent an excited emoji: "Is it coming? I've been waiting for you for days. There are three games today, which one should we bet on?"

"Our goal is the second game, which is the United States against Portugal."

Billy: "Tell me, bro, how much can Portugal win? I'm betting my whole fortune!"

Billy's mentality represents the American mentality. They know how terrible their country's football is, so they have absolutely no confidence in their national team.

But the result was another upset, with the American team winning.

So there's a famous saying on the football field: "The ball is round, anything is possible."

Eric: "No, you're wrong. We're betting on Team USA to win."

Judy immediately gave a horrified look: "Wait, although the school teaches us to be patriotic, there's no need to turn down money. Even the Bush family is ruthlessly exploiting the country."

"I haven't just been eating, drinking, and having fun these past few days. I've also been studying football. Portugal is a favorite to win the championship, with a bunch of big-name stars. They are a golden generation."

"And what is our American team? A bunch of rotten fish, all together they're not even worth as much as one of their legs. This will be a massacre!"

Bordeaux: "I agree with Judy. This isn't football, or basketball. In football, America is garbage."

Eric had anticipated their objections and calmly typed, "I know more about football than you do. Think about the first match, did anyone think France would lose?"

"Besides, this is my money. I won't joke around with my own money. And only by betting on the underdog can I make more money in a short time. Listen to me, carry out the order."

Judy: "Fine, since you put it that way, it's your money anyway, but I'm not going to play along."

Billy: "I'm not going either."

Bordeaux: "Then I'll pass."

Warren: "Why don't you two brothers settle this? Anyway, I only have a thousand dollars left, it's gone if I don't. You're not sticking with me anymore."

At 10 p.m., the match officially began. Based on the rankings of the two sides' strength, this was still a match with a huge odds imbalance.

Portugal's odds are 1:1.3, while the United States' odds are 1:11.

This was the US team's first game. They didn't have any big-name stars; the team consisted entirely of unknown players, and their key player, Reyna, was out due to injury. The whole world didn't have high hopes for them, and even fewer people thought they would pull off an upset.

But after this game, the odds for the US team will shrink, so the best time to make money by pulling off an upset is the first game of the group stage.

In contrast, Portugal has a stark contrast. Figo, Rui Costa, Beto, and others are all renowned players who seem destined for victory, even the championship.

Under Eric's direction, nearly $3000 million was sent to various gambling companies.

The reason it's 3000 million instead of 1.9 million is because these companies can't handle it.

Betting companies aren't stupid. To prevent major upsets, they set betting limits. You can only bet a maximum of 3000 million.

Eric and his group have already bet on all the reputable and accessible betting companies on the market. As for the underground ones, forget about them; they're unreliable and will run away if they can't afford to lose.

As soon as the referee blew the whistle, the five people scattered around the world simultaneously turned their attention to the television screen.

As a result, just four minutes into the game, the American team delivered a resounding blow to everyone who underestimated them.

The player wearing the number 20 jersey headed the ball powerfully, but Portuguese goalkeeper Baía barely managed to block it.

But the ball didn't go far from the danger zone. Just then, the US team's number 5 player rushed in from the side and volleyed the ball into the net with his left foot, making it 1-0 in an instant. This is also the fastest goal in this World Cup so far.

For a moment, the stadium froze, the whole world froze, Judy, Billy and Bordeaux were stunned, only Eric and Warren were all smiles.

Judy: "Bullshit! I suddenly regret it. Is Team America really that strong?"

Billy: "Impossible. If the US team were really that strong, would we still be called a football wasteland?"

Warren sent a mocking emoji: "I warned you guys long ago, following Eric's lead was the right thing to do, guys, remember to learn your lesson."

The following matches were much the same as before. The entire Portuguese team seemed to be sleepwalking, as if they hadn't woken up properly. Their attack was neither a proper attack nor a proper defense, and they were frequently threatened in goal by the American team.

When the game reached the 30th minute, both sides were caught in a chaotic scramble for the ball, and the US team's number 21 player crossed the ball.

Unexpectedly, the ball hit the back of Costa's head during its run, and then took a bizarre deflection, heading straight for the goal.

No matter how experienced Bayern was, he couldn't have predicted such a bizarre trajectory. The ball went into the net again, and in just half an hour, the score was changed to 2-0.

At that moment, not only was Portugal stunned, but even the American number 21 who took the shot was dumbfounded. He was supposed to pass the ball, not shoot, so how did he end up scoring? And it was an own goal.

Beto then faked a fall and ate the Yellow Gem God of War Card, which drew further dissatisfaction from the others.

Billy: "That referee was too lenient; he should have been given a red card!"

Warren: "This behavior is completely unsportsmanlike and this guy should be kicked off the field."

Eric thought to himself, "What do you guys know? All you do is yell. Basketball is just as prone to faking and falling over at the slightest touch. This referee didn't take any bribes."

The US team, having scored another goal, continued their relentless attack. Just seven minutes later, they broke into the penalty area again. Costa and Couto were still out of sorts, and the US team scored another goal, making it 3-0 before the first half even ended.

At this moment, not only was the world shocked, but major online gambling companies were also deeply disappointed.

This is a huge upset, an absolute huge upset. This match will make them lose all the money they earned in the past few days, and who knows how many more people will be on the rooftop.

On MSN, the four guys were overjoyed, but then their worries came true.

After conceding three goals in quick succession, Portugal seemed to finally wake up. Two minutes later, Beto scored to pull one back, letting the four men know that this guy was more than just a diver, which of course drew another barrage of insults.

In the following minutes, Portugal launched a furious attack, while the US team focused on defense, making for a tense and exciting match.

Until the 70th minute of the match, Portugal scored an own goal to make it 3-2, and the whole stadium cheered instantly, as there was still a lot of time left in the game and their chances of winning were very high.

Warren: "FUCK! Damn it, what's with this number 12? Does he even know how to play football?"

Bordeaux: "Damn Americans, we bring in so much talent every year, why don't we bring in a few star players?"

Eric: "I think it's not that we don't want to bring them in, but this desert doesn't attract them. They'll only choose to retire in the US when they're close to retirement."

"Well"

The game continued, and the two sides engaged in an even more intense offensive and defensive battle. Warren exclaimed that his heart couldn't take it, after all, he had bet $1000.

Eric, meanwhile, watched the screen with an air of nonchalance; the outcome of the match was already decided.

Sure enough, the moment the final whistle blew, the loud wailing of the four men echoed through the speakers.

The US team pulled off a major upset, defeating Portugal 3-2. He felt as if he could hear gold coins falling from the sky.

American entertainment is a niche genre, but Gal Gadot will be appearing soon. Please add my new book to your collection!

(End of this chapter)