Chapter 48

Zhang Guan almost spent all the money in his bank card, in exchange for a thick stack of nearly two hundred lottery tickets.

"The match between Iraq and Portugal will be held the day before the opening ceremony, and the prize money should be available soon. Then I'll have money again." Zhang Guan consoled himself, putting the lottery tickets that bet on Iraq reaching the semi-finals and winning 4-2 against Portugal into his bag.

Just then, someone blocked Zhang Guan's path.

"Sir, hello. I guess you're not Japanese, right? Are you Chinese?"

"Yes, I am Chinese." Looking at the other person, when he saw the "BBC" logo on the microphone and the camera behind, he asked, "Are you a BBC reporter?"

"Sir, you are truly wise. I am a BBC reporter, my name is Bell." The reporter Bell said.

Zhang Guan's eyebrows furrowed. He even suspected that the reporter was deliberately trying to catch him out. However, after a moment's thought, he realized that as a Chinese person, he was not well-known in Europe. Who would recognize him on the street? It was impossible for a reporter to deliberately follow him. It would be like dropping Jamaican sprinter Powell on Wangfujing Street; no one would pay attention, they would just see him as an ordinary tourist. Powell was much more famous than him. The reporter would have better luck staking out the doors of famous athletes.

Moreover, the Olympic Committee had no explicit rules against athletes buying lottery tickets, and it was not mentioned in the athletes' code of conduct. Of course, if there was any suspicion of match-fixing, an investigation would be conducted. Therefore, Zhang Guan was not technically breaking any rules. He had placed his bets through legal means, and even if the reporters caught him, it wouldn't be considered a serious offense. The only issue might be with the national team, as the rules generally prohibited leaving the Olympic Village without permission. However, Zhang Guan had left under the pretext of a rehearsal, which had been approved, and he had also bought some things on the side. This was a minor gray area, and even if the higher-ups found out, they would likely turn a blind eye.

"Probably just a random interview!" Thinking this, Zhang Guan relaxed.

The reporter Bell then changed the subject, "Is this your first time in Athens?"

"Yes, it's my first time, and also my first time in Europe." Zhang Guan replied.

"Oh, so you must be here for the Athens Olympics. What do you think of Athens?" Bell asked.

"It's great, the weather is nice, and the scenery is beautiful." Zhang Guan remembered that foreigners liked to talk about the weather.

"As far as I know, not many Chinese people participate in betting. My Chinese friends in London don't have the habit of betting either. You are the first Chinese person I've seen buying a bet. Can you share which events you are betting on? Is it table tennis? China's table tennis is the best in the world." Bell pointed to the lottery tickets in Zhang Guan's hand.

Zhang Guan shook his head, "I bet on athletics, the men's 100-meter sprint."

"Oh! The sprint showdown! That's a very exciting event." Bell smiled happily, realizing that choosing Zhang Guan as the interview subject was a wise decision.

If the other person had bet on table tennis, the interview would have ended there. Winning the Olympic table tennis championship for China was a given, and even sweeping the top three places in a table tennis event would not be surprising. Everyone in the world believed that China would win the Olympic table tennis championship, so a Chinese person betting on table tennis would have no news value.

"Can you tell me which athlete you are supporting? The defending champion, Maurice Greene?"

As Bell spoke, he looked down at the lottery tickets in Zhang Guan's hand. Zhang Guan did not hide them and showed them openly.

"Guan-Zhang? Who is this? I'm very sorry, but this is not a sprinter I am familiar with. However, the name sounds very much like someone from the East." Bell replied.

"Yes, he is Chinese." Zhang Guan said.

"I see, you are supporting your compatriot. I also wish him good luck." Bell said, glancing at the lottery tickets in Zhang Guan's hand again. "But betting 500 euros on this Guan-Zhang to win, isn't that a bit much?"

"But the odds are also very high." Zhang Guan replied.

At this point, the reporter Bell also saw that the odds listed were indeed very high. He then agreed, "Indeed, very tempting odds. But Guan-Zhang needs to win for that to happen. Are you interested in any other events or athletes?"

Zhang Guan shook his head, "No."

Bell looked at the thick stack of lottery tickets in Zhang Guan's hand, which definitely exceeded a hundred. He must have bet on many events and athletes. Bell thought Zhang Guan didn't want to reveal the contents of the other tickets, so he said, "Sir, you don't need to worry. I don't know how betting works in Asia, but this kind of legal betting is common in Europe. I see you bought a lot of lottery tickets, but I can assure you that the law will protect your legal rights."

"You misunderstood. All these tickets are for the 100-meter sprint, all betting on the same person to win." Zhang Guan slowly spread out the tickets, showing them to the reporter.

Bell's mouth dropped open in surprise. He indeed saw that every ticket was betting on the same athlete, the one named Guan-Zhang, and each ticket was for 500 euros. He roughly calculated that with over a hundred tickets, the total amount would exceed 50,000 euros.

Bell didn't know that he had underestimated; Zhang Guan had spent nearly 100,000 euros betting on himself to win the Olympic 100-meter sprint.

"Crazy! Someone spent 50,000 euros betting on a completely unknown athlete to win the 100-meter sprint, just because the athlete is his compatriot!" Bell was both surprised and excited. He was surprised to encounter such a crazy situation and excited to have found a bizarre news story.

"You placed a heavy bet on this Guan-Zhang because he is your compatriot?" Bell asked.

"I think he has the potential to win, and he might even break the 100-meter world record." Zhang Guan said.

"Oh, it seems you have great confidence in your compatriot. I look forward to that day." Bell's tone was sarcastic. He then continued, "Thank you for the interview. I hope you enjoy your time in Europe."

Watching Zhang Guan walk away, Bell said to the cameraman, "50,000 euros down the drain. This guy must be a rich second-generation Chinese, spending money like this. A Chinese person winning the Olympic 100-meter sprint? And breaking the world record? What an ignorant person."

...

Zhang Guan spent a long time at the betting station, but the Olympic rehearsal took even longer. When he returned to the Olympic Stadium, the rehearsal was just wrapping up.

Zhang Guan waited at the agreed location and then boarded the bus back with the team. Since there were no other track and field athletes and Zhang Guan was tall, he was assigned to ride with the basketball team. The basketball team's bus had three seats per row, making it more spacious and comfortable even for tall basketball players, while the regular bus had four seats per row.

Ayi, who happened to be sitting next to Zhang Guan, turned around and asked, "I didn't see you during the rehearsal. Where did you go? Did you sneak out to play?"

"Water and soil don't agree with me, I had a stomachache and went to the bathroom." Zhang Guan replied.

"I don't believe you. A bathroom trip for four hours?" Ayi stared at Zhang Guan, jokingly saying, "Come clean, you know our policy. Confess and you'll be treated leniently, resist and you'll be punished severely."

"Alright, alright." Zhang Guan deliberately acted helpless, pulling out a lottery ticket for Iraq 4-2 over Portugal from his bag and said, "I went to the bathroom and took the chance to buy a lottery ticket. When I came back, you had already started the rehearsal, so I didn't go in."

"Foreign lottery tickets are similar to those in China." Ayi picked up the ticket and looked at it. At this time, Ayi had just been selected for the national team and had little experience competing abroad. The other basketball players mostly played in the CBA and rarely traveled abroad, and even if they did, they wouldn't buy lottery tickets. So, the lottery ticket in Zhang Guan's hand was a novelty to them.

"Let me see the foreign lottery ticket!"

"4-2, this is a football bet! I heard that football betting is very popular in Europe."

"You bet 3,000 euros at once, that's over 30,000 yuan. How much would you win if you won?"

At this moment, Ba Da also leaned over. Having played in the NBA, his English was much better than the others. While others could only understand the numbers on the ticket, Ba Da could read everything.

"Zhang, did you bet wrong? Iraq against Portugal, you bet on Iraq 4-2 over Portugal. Did you get it backwards?" Ba Da said with a simple smile.

"No way! 3,000 euros, if you got it wrong, that's a huge loss!" Ayi exclaimed.

Although the bus was full of basketball players, as people in the sports world, who didn't know that Portugal's football was far superior to Iraq's?

At this moment, the ticket was passed to the Little Giant, who had played two seasons in the NBA and had very good English. He looked at it and said, "This is indeed Iraq 4-2 over Portugal. The odds are 1 to 100. If you win, you'll get 300,000 euros."

The Little Giant also thought Zhang Guan had bet wrong and felt he must be very embarrassed, so he mentioned the odds to help Zhang Guan save face.

"Don't worry, I didn't bet wrong. I think Iraq has a chance to win Portugal." Zhang Guan continued, "Iraq's opportunity to participate is hard-won, so their players will cherish it and fight hard in every match. Also, no one knows much about this Iraqi team, so they can't develop targeted tactics. On the other hand, Portugal's tactics are well-known. Another point is that Iraq has no pressure. Iraq is in ruins, and few people are paying attention to the Olympics. Portugal, however, is aiming for the championship, so the players are under a lot of pressure. Lastly, I think Portugal will underestimate Iraq."

"Hmm, that makes sense." Ba Da nodded in agreement, still thinking Zhang Guan had bet wrong and was just saving face.

"What are the odds for our team to win the championship?" Ayi asked.

"1 to 80." Zhang Guan looked at the somewhat disappointed Ayi and continued, "But the odds for Argentina to win are pretty good. If you're interested, you can bet on Argentina."

"Argentina? Ginobili is here this year." The Little Giant said, looking at Ba Da.

Ba Da had won a championship ring with the San Antonio Spurs, and Ginobili was his teammate at the time. The Rockets and the Spurs were in the same division, so the Little Giant and Ginobili were old rivals.

"Yes, Ginobili is very slippery, like an eel." Ba Da said, "But don't forget about the U.S. team."

"Dream Team Six? I don't have high hopes for the Dream Team Six." Zhang Guan said.

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Here is the first chapter of the day. I hope for your recommendations. Thank you to the first hall master, gigiliu5277, for your continuous support, and to all the readers who have supported me through the challenges. Your support and encouragement are my greatest motivation! Thank you.

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