Huayu, my cheat code is a bit strange.

Chapter 13 Football Betting
It was late at night when Gu Xiao got home.

The soft click of the key being inserted into the lock was particularly clear in the hallway.

Pushing open the door, Gu Hui found only a dim wall lamp lit in the living room, casting a long shadow of him sitting on the sofa watching TV.

Almost the instant the door opened, a red shadow shot out from the back of the sofa like lightning and leaped onto Gu Xiao's shoulder in a flash.

It's Xiao Jiu.

The little guy waved his front paws excitedly, his bright black eyes filled with anger and grievance.

"It seems to have been waiting at the door all day."

Gu Hui put down the newspaper, looked at the fluffy ball of fur on his son's shoulder, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

But when his gaze shifted downwards and he noticed the black laptop bag Gu Xiao was carrying, his smile was instantly replaced by surprise: "What's this?"

"A favor."

Gu Xiao walked into the living room and placed her schoolbag and laptop bag on the coffee table.

He rubbed Xiao Jiu's head, and the little guy turned his head away angrily, but in the end he didn't dodge, he just swept his neck with his tail in dissatisfaction.

Gu Xiao sat down on the single sofa next to him, met Gu Hui's probing gaze, and gave a brief account of her experiences over the past few days.

As Gu Hui listened, the expression on his face gradually changed from calm to astonishment.

When Gu Xiao casually mentioned that he had earned about six hundred yuan today, he couldn't help but gape in astonishment.

Gu Hui understands that people undergo inner changes after experiencing great upheavals; they may become more mature or more determined to improve themselves.

But what about his own son's series of actions?
How can this be considered a change?

This is practically an evolution!
His voice was a little hoarse, "Why did you suddenly decide to go into business?"

Gu Xiao lowered her eyes and said in a flat tone, "I'll be an adult soon, I have to find a way out."

The air in the living room suddenly fell silent.

It's not that the conversation can't continue, but rather that there are so many things I want to say and so many questions I want to ask, yet I don't know how to begin.

Gu Hui was never a well-informed person.

He also knew very well that, from any perspective, he was not a qualified father.

After an unknown period of silence, he finally whispered:
"Go ahead and do what you want to do. I'll support you no matter what it is."

……

……

Back in her room, Gu Xiao began to organize her belongings.

After deducting the 400 yuan for renting the computer and the extravagant food and drink, his once bulging pockets became empty again, leaving him with only 202 yuan.

The banknotes seemed to carry warmth, and the amounts were meager, but Gu Xiao wasn't sad.

He didn't just make money today; he also finalized the time for the next transaction with anxious parents at the gates of several schools.

The newly added avatars on his QQ account are all potential high-quality customers. Once the news spreads, more and more people will contact him to buy information.

However, in Gu Xiao's heart, these things seemed to be nothing compared to Qiu Yuanyuan's friendship.

He took out the newspaper he had bought on his way back from his schoolbag, and by the light of the lamp, turned to the sports section.

2002 wasn't just about the Korea-Japan World Cup.

Meanwhile, in Italy's Serie A and the English Premier League, both located on the Apennine Peninsula and in the British Isles, a fierce battle is underway.

Previously, not considering the lottery meant being a person without trust; now that they do, it's like having their meridians opened. Gu Xiao's gaze swept over the dense schedule and standings, finally settling on the "Serie A" section.

Nowadays, football betting is relatively simple, mainly consisting of "win/loss games," which involve predicting the win, draw, or loss results of 13 designated matches in a given period.

To win, you need to guess at least 12 out of 13 matches correctly.

It is extremely difficult, but the profits can be just as high.

Atalanta's upset victory over Inter Milan was a major event that shocked the entire football world.

Knowing that Juventus had won the title, he could easily deduce the outcome of at least 8 out of 13 matches using his original football knowledge.

The remaining five games, through "double selection" or "full coverage", are enough to increase the winning rate to over 95%.

Gu Xiao picked up a pen and quickly started doing calculations on the draft paper.

Aiming for the second prize, select 8 games as the "single choice" (single selection), 3 games as double selections, and 2 games as full coverage.
With this type of multiple bet, the cost is only 144 yuan.

This gamble wasn't about the ball, but about Qiu Yuanyuan's character.

Gu Hui?

Forget it, knowing his personality, he would absolutely never agree, and Gu Xiao didn't want to have much dealings with him either.

……

Turn on the computer, plug in the phone line, and remove the network card.

Enter the username and password from the network card into the network interface, and the familiar telephone dial tone will come from the speaker.

A short while later, a small window will pop up on the computer screen, displaying "Connected," and the online time below will start to change.

Gu Xiao sighed at how cumbersome it is to go online these days, opened QQ, and entered her account and password.

In the friend list, Qiu Yuanyuan's account "Sunset Glow" was clearly online.

Click on your profile picture to edit your information.
[Wandering Muzi: Still awake?]

[Sunset Glow: Let's get down to business.]

Gu Xiao was taken aback by the coldness, unable to understand how a teenage girl could be so indifferent.

He forced himself to continue typing, "Could you ask your brother to buy me a multi-bet football lottery ticket?"

[Sunset Glow: Which matches? How to buy tickets?]

Gu Xiao answered each question and provided the calculated amounts.

Qiu Yuanyuan remains as sparing with her words as ever.

[Sunset Glow: Waiting.]

"We've already had a meal together, can't you be a little more polite?" Gu Xiao muttered a few words and then waited quietly. Feeling bored, she opened a webpage and started browsing Tianya Forum.

China's national football team departs for the World Cup.

The Post-9/11 World Order

Socioeconomic Changes in China After Joining the WTO.

One grand topic after another came into view, and netizens from all over the world eagerly commented below the post.

Gu Xiao suddenly felt that making money by writing study materials was putting the cart before the horse.

Pretending to be a public intellectual or academic expert online, using knowledge from later generations to start debates on forums, and building a personal brand seems like a better option.

The butterfly effect may change the course of history for an individual or an event, but it is extremely difficult to influence the development process of a country.

With the knowledge in his mind, he could easily write an article titled "Five Years of Changes in the International Situation".

As long as there's enough substantial content, you'll definitely become popular.

Just as he was fantasizing about playing the role of an omniscient God, giving orders on the forum, a friend request lit up on QQ.

[The user "Playing Alone" has requested to add you as a friend.]

Gu Xiao stared at the unfamiliar username, puzzled, but quickly realized it was Qiu Xu and accepted the request.

A chat window popped up rapidly: 【Wandering Muzi? What a stupid username!】

"Your 'solo performance' isn't much better, is it?" Gu Xiao thought to herself, then typed:
Has Yuanyuan already told you?

The counter of the high-speed internet cafe.

Qiu Xu was so angry that his veins were bulging when he saw the name "Yuanyuan," but he could only suppress the urge to swear when he remembered that the person opposite him was a minor.

[Playing solo: At such a young age, why is she going astray and gambling? Does her family know?]

[Wandering Muzi: I don't know.]

Qiu Xu choked for a moment, then suddenly realized that there was a reason why his younger sister liked to hang out with him.

[Playing solo: I won't buy it for you, go to school obediently!]

Gu Xiao was stunned for a moment, not expecting to be rejected in this way, and suddenly felt that the other person was not so annoying.

Unfortunately, he won't back down on this.

[Wandering Muzi: I can make a deal with you.]

Playing solo: Not interested.

Qiu Xu revealed a playful smile, as if he could already see Gu Xiao's exasperated expression on the other end.

Just as he was about to open a bottle of Coke to celebrate, a pop-up message startled him so much that he straightened his back.

[Wandering Muzi: I can help you activate private room number four at almost zero cost and make a profit.]

(End of this chapter)