Chapter 1: The First Pot of Gold

"Su Yue, everyone has left work, why are you still here?" A familiar voice echoed in his ears.

Su Yue snapped out of his daze and looked in the direction of the voice. There stood a beautiful woman, smiling at him.

The woman had delicate features, a light and elegant makeup, and a barely noticeable black mole on her cheek. Her soft hair was naturally tied behind her shoulders. She wore a dark waist-length dress, and between her fair fingers, she held an unbound stack of documents. Her bright eyes looked at Su Yue with a hint of curiosity.

"Master!" Su Yue digested the memories that rushed into his mind like a tidal wave and called out excitedly.

He couldn't believe that with just one drunken night, he had returned to ten years ago.

At this moment, he had just graduated from MoDu Finance University and had recently transitioned from an intern to a full-time employee at MoDu Shenghong Fund Management Company. The woman he referred to as "master," Wang Liling, was his immediate supervisor in the department. She had truly taught him how to apply the knowledge he learned in school to his work, adapt to the workplace, and survive in the financial trading market.

This journey began when he joined MoDu Shenghong Fund Management Company.

For the next seven years, he followed his "master," Wang Liling, from MoDu Shenghong Fund Management Company to Hua Yin Asset Management Company, and then to HSBC Global Asset Management Company. She successfully transformed him from a junior market researcher when he first joined MoDu Shenghong Fund Management Company into the youngest renowned fund manager in the country.

Even when his "master," Wang Liling, changed jobs again and went abroad, parting ways in their careers, he still remembered the gratitude he had towards her for recognizing his potential.

Wang Liling noticed the fluctuations in Su Yue's eyes, pondered for a moment, and asked, "What's wrong? Are you facing difficulties at work?"

"No!" Su Yue shook his head, closed the computer on his desk, and stood up to take the stack of unbound files from Wang Liling's hands to help bind them.

But Wang Liling quickly stopped him and said, "No need to help, these are not company files."

Su Yue responded with an "Oh" and subconsciously glanced at the pages of the documents, seeing the conspicuous words "Divorce Agreement."

"Go home quickly; our department doesn't encourage employees to work overtime," Wang Liling smiled as if nothing had happened, placing the files into the LV bag she carried on her other arm. "If there are any unfinished tasks, you can complete them at home and hand them over to Liu, the team leader, tomorrow morning."

With that, Wang Liling turned and walked outside the office.

Su Yue watched her receding figure, thought for a moment, and followed her steps, asking, "Master, do you know Tang, the general manager of Yifeng Investment Company?"

"I know him, what's the matter?" Wang Liling's expression slightly changed as she asked back.

"I have a female classmate from university who joined Yifeng Investment Company after graduation. She said that their department's fund manager, Mr. Tang, seems to have a questionable character. He occasionally harasses female colleagues in the department, and she also mentioned that Mr. Tang seems to have an unclear relationship with one of the female colleagues in their company," Su Yue replied in a low voice under Wang Liling's gaze. "She's thinking of coming to our company, so I was wondering... Could you help?"

Wang Liling clearly paused for a moment after Su Yue's words before regaining her composure and asking, "Is this classmate of yours... your girlfriend?"

"No!" Su Yue shook his head, "She just feels that Mr. Tang's character is unreliable, and working under such a leader can be quite nerve-wracking. However, since you know Mr. Tang, I assume your friends' characters should not be questionable. What she said might not be entirely true."

"The company's hiring decisions are not up to me," Wang Liling replied. "As for Mr. Tang's affairs, there are plenty of rumors in the industry. If you've heard it, just keep it to yourself, okay?"

Su Yue nodded and promised not to spread anything, following Wang Liling as they walked to the elevator on the corridor outside the office.

Su Yue pressed the elevator button, and when the doors opened, he was about to enter with Wang Liling. However, he noticed that she stood still, lost in thought.

"Master, what's wrong?" Su Yue asked as he noticed Wang Liling's slightly pale face, pretending not to know.

Wang Liling heard Su Yue's voice, snapped out of it, and subconsciously responded, "It's nothing," and entered the elevator. But for some reason, she pressed the button for the 28th floor where the company was located. It took her quite some time to realize her mistake, and it was only with Su Yue's reminder that she finally snapped out of it.

In fact, it was understandable that she lost her composure at this moment.

The Mr. Tang from Yifeng Investment Company, whom Su Yue had just mentioned, was her husband.

Although the two of them have reached the stage of a divorce agreement due to their failed relationship, she cannot tolerate the idea of her husband getting involved with a female colleague before the divorce is finalized. Of course... regarding these industry rumors, they might not be true, but now that she has heard them, she must clarify things before signing the divorce agreement and renegotiate the issues of family assets and child custody.

Su Yue noticed the change in his master Wang Liling's expression but pretended to know nothing.

Based on their seven years of history together, the understanding Su Yue had of Wang Liling was only based on a fabricated rumor. He wanted to remind her of these matters so that she could have a more proactive position when this marriage came to an end.

The two of them reached the ground floor, and Wang Liling hurriedly hailed a taxi at the entrance of the office building and left.

Su Yue slowly walked towards the nearby subway station.

At this moment, it was around 6 o'clock in the evening, the daylight had not faded yet, and the setting sun cast its golden rays between the densely packed skyscrapers. Amid the busy rush hour with bustling traffic and crowded streets, the entire city seemed to be draped in a golden glow.

Su Yue used his hand to shield his eyes from the still somewhat dazzling sunlight and stood amidst the familiar Lujiazui Financial City. He gazed at the colorful billboards around him, the towering skyscrapers in the distance, and the intertwined urban bustle of traffic, voices, and advertisements. For a moment, he felt a little dazed, as if everything around him was a dream.

"Su Yue..."

Just as Su Yue was immersed in this environment, feeling that reality was still somewhat unreal, a voice quickly brought him back to reality. Before he could react, a strong arm was already resting on his shoulder, and the voice continued, "Who do you think will win tonight, Brazil or Germany?"

Following the voice, Su Yue saw a young man with a smiling face standing before him.

The man was slightly taller than him, about 190 centimeters, with a sturdy build and a straight posture. He had a crew cut and was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, a standard urban white-collar outfit in the Lujiazui Financial City. However, in reality, Su Yue knew that he was just a fund sales representative at a fund company.

"Who do you think will win?" Su Yue smiled and asked in return.

The man in front of him was named Fu Xinhai, from Yishui, Shandong Province. He was Su Yue's college classmate, roommate, and currently, they were also roommates sharing an apartment. The two had always had a good relationship.

"It must be Brazil. The Brazilian team is full of stars and will surely defeat Germany." Fu Xinhai replied, "Moreover, it's the World Cup in Brazil's backyard, so they will definitely go all out."

"So... how much did you bet?" Su Yue asked as they entered the subway station together.

Fu Xinhai grinned and said, "I set aside 500 yuan, my one-month salary, and invested the rest in the bet."

"You bet on Brazil to win completely?" Su Yue asked, although he already knew the answer.

Fu Xinhai nodded and said, "Yes, almost all on Brazil. If they win, I'll treat you to Brazilian steak tomorrow. If they lose, I'll survive on instant noodles for the month."

"Then I suggest you hedge your bet a little." Although Su Yue wasn't a football fan, he still remembered this memorable match between Brazil and Germany in the World Cup under the influence of Fu Xinhai. "You can bet on the 1-7 scoreline as a hedge. What do you think?"

Hearing Su Yue's words, Fu Xinhai burst into laughter and said, "Su Yue, you've obviously never placed a football bet. The domestic football betting doesn't even have the option of a 1-7 scoreline. Besides... your prediction is too outrageous. It's Brazil with all their stars playing at home, even if they send a team of sleepwalkers, they won't lose with such a score."

"Even if Germany is strong, Brazil is not a pushover. Even as a German fan, I wouldn't dare say that Germany can defeat Brazil with a 7-1 scoreline."

"A scoreline that's not even offered in football betting, if it were to happen, it would be like a black swan event in the financial market, a 'black swan' indeed."

"In the history of football, there has never been such a large scoreline in a semifinal between two strong teams. Your prediction is indeed a bit outrageous."

On the subway, Su Yue's comment, clearly made by an outsider, stirred up a heated discussion among the surrounding passengers, especially during this lively World Cup period.

"No option for that scoreline?" Su Yue was truly unaware of this.

"Definitely not!" Fu Xinhai said decisively.

Su Yue nodded and took out his phone, opening the popular 'Taobao Lottery' interface for this round of the World Cup. As expected, there was no option for a 1-7 scoreline; there was only an option for an 'other' scoreline.

"150 times!" Su Yue saw the odds for the 'other' scoreline and was somewhat intrigued.

For him, the match between Brazil and Germany was a known outcome, and of course, a clear speculative opportunity. Even though he knew nothing about football or football betting, he didn't want to let this clear opportunity go to waste.

Considering his bank account balance, which was 3621.36 yuan, he knew he only needed to make it through one more week with that amount since his salary would be deposited on the 15th of the month, and he had already paid the rent for the quarter. After weighing the risks and benefits, Su Yue opened the 'Taobao Lottery' app on his phone and placed a 3000 yuan bet on the 'other' scoreline.

"Whoa, Su Yue, are you crazy? You can't play the lottery like this!" Fu Xinhai, standing beside Su Yue, saw his operation on the phone screen due to his height advantage. "You're practically giving money to the lottery company."

"It's alright," Su Yue looked up and smiled. "Isn't this a perfect way to hedge our risks?"

"We may want to hedge our risks, but you should have bet on Germany winning too. Your scoreline prediction is way off." Fu Xinhai felt a little sorry for Su Yue seeing him throw 3000 yuan down the drain. He patiently explained the intricacies of football betting and the difference between basketball and football. Finally, he questioned, "Su Yue, did you make a mistake when you placed the bet? Did you add an extra zero?"

"If I made a mistake, can I get a refund now?" Su Yue didn't bother explaining much and asked in return.

Hearing Su Yue's response, Fu Xinhai couldn't help but feel speechless for a moment. He shook his head and said, "Well... you can't get the money back now. Just consider it as money down the drain. If Brazil wins tonight, I'll cover your food expenses for the month. If they don't win, it seems like we'll be eating instant noodles every day this month."

"Deal!" Su Yue replied with a smile. "If, by any chance, my prediction is correct, I'll cover your food expenses for the month too. You can have Brazilian steak or seafood hotpot, whatever you like."

Fu Xinhai didn't hold any hope for Su Yue's words. He waved his hand and said, "Forget it, your promise is too big to be true. Let's just pray that Brazil overturns Germany tonight to improve our food situation for the month, which is more plausible."

The two chatted incessantly and it took about half an hour for the subway to reach their destination. After they left the station, they found a nearby restaurant to have a casual dinner before returning home.

Back at home, they entered their rented two-bedroom apartment.

Su Yue looked around at the familiar space and reminisced about the time he spent here. It was where he lived for nearly two years with Fu Xinhai until he switched to Hua Yin Asset Management Company under the guidance of his master, Wang Liling.

These two years were when he, as an inexperienced newcomer in Shanghai, began to establish himself in the city. It was also when he transitioned from being a student to a working professional, gradually adapting to the city life, understanding his future career direction, and planning how to achieve some of his life goals or ambitions that were previously out of reach due to lack of strength.

"Su Yue, I'm going to bed and catch some sleep. I'll wake up at 4 am to watch the live broadcast so that I can be in better shape for work tomorrow." While Su Yue was lost in thought, Fu Xinhai had changed into a fresh set of clothes and was ready to take the bathroom first. "Hey, I originally wanted to take a day off, but the manager said there's an important meeting tomorrow and I can't take leave. It's really frustrating."

Seeing him looking indignant, Su Yue smiled and said, "No problem, you go ahead and wash up. I have some unfinished work to attend to."

"Your manager is not treating you right either!" Fu Xinhai empathized, "I didn't realize it in school, but now that I'm working, I understand that these capitalists truly don't see us as humans. They want one person to do the work of two people and only pay for one."

Su Yue knew that Fu Xinhai had just been denied leave and was probably feeling upset. He smiled lightly without arguing and casually replied before turning to his own room.

After that, he turned on the computer and started organizing his scattered thoughts on a blank document. Revisiting the current time point and using his past memories and ten years of work experience, he knew that he had many opportunities in front of him. However, he needed to carefully consider and plan how to seize and fully utilize these opportunities to rapidly accumulate wealth, broaden his career development path, cross social strata, and achieve some life goals or ambitions he had once dreamed of but lacked the strength to achieve.

As he contemplated and formulated his plans, time quickly passed. Unknowingly, when Su Yue had gathered his thoughts and come to a realization, it was already past midnight, 12 o'clock. He looked at the time on the computer screen in the lower right corner and the several pages of accumulated text in the document, took a deep breath, stretched, and then decided to delete the written document in the recycle bin and close the computer. He then washed up and went to bed to sleep.

Lying on the bed, closing his eyes, many memories from the past and visions of the future intertwined in his mind, making him unable to sleep until 2 am, before finally falling into a deep slumber.

However, his deep sleep didn't last long.

At 6 am the next morning, when it was still not completely bright outside, he was awakened by a loud scream outside his bedroom and the numerous cheers from outside the window.

"Su Yue, are you awake?" Before Su Yue could fully regain his consciousness from just waking up, urgent knocking on the door began. Fu Xinhai's voice sounded incredulous, "1-7! I can't believe it. Five-star Brazil actually suffered such a crushing defeat in the semifinals against Germany."

Hearing the number '1-7,' Su Yue quickly sat up, turned on the phone screen that was charging on the bedside table, and saw an overwhelming number of push notifications. Almost all of them were about Brazil's '1-7' defeat against Germany, along with news about Brazil's tragic loss on the German field.

"History hasn't changed!" Su Yue held his phone and smiled, his eyes gradually clearing up.

**Note**

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