Chapter 50

The match was still ongoing.

At 53 minutes, Japan's Shoji Ono scored again, bringing the score to 2-3. However, just 10 minutes later, Paraguay's Torres scored another goal, making the score 4-2, which shattered Japan's hopes of equalizing.

On the other side, Portugal found themselves in a 10 vs. 11 predicament. With one man down, Portugal conceded a goal at the 56th minute, making the score 3-2, with Portugal trailing.

The Portuguese coach had to make adjustments, substituting Viana with Danny at the 60th minute, replacing Bosingwa, who had scored in the first half, with Meireles at the 63rd minute, and using the last substitution to replace Mela with Martins at the 74th minute. However, Portugal still failed to score.

At the 81st minute, Japan's Kaya Takahiro scored again, but Paraguay still led 4-3, which became the final score of the match. At the 83rd minute, in the other match, the Italians equalized at 2-2. As for Costa Rica versus Morocco, the score remained 0-0.

The match was almost over, with Iraq still leading Portugal 3-2. The Portuguese wouldn't accept this score and launched a fierce counterattack in the final moments.

"Portugal's counterattack is very intense, but with only five minutes left, including five minutes of injury time, it's just ten minutes. This match is likely to end 3-2 or 3-3. No matter what, the Portuguese won't win. Perhaps a draw would be a good result for the Portuguese now," Thomas said.

Sure enough, the referee added five minutes of injury time, and Portugal went into a final frenzy, with even the goalkeeper eager to join the attack.

Time ticked by, and after more than 90 minutes of running, the Iraqi players were exhausted. However, there were three exceptions: the three substitutes who came on in the second half.

At the 93rd minute, during injury time, Iraq launched a quick counterattack. Sadeer, who had come on at the 71st minute, quickly broke through Portugal's defense and scored, making the score 4-2. This goal completely shattered the Portuguese's hopes. The referee wisely blew the final whistle after the kickoff.

Iraq defeated Portugal 4-2, creating a huge upset!

"Miracle! Even God is favoring the poor Iraqis!" Thomas couldn't believe he had witnessed such a miraculous victory. The powerful Portugal had lost to Iraq! He immediately thought that no one would have bet on this score, and the company would make a small profit from this match.

At that moment, a data analyst beside him suddenly said, "Someone bet on Iraq 4-2 to win Portugal, a 3000 euro bet!"

...

For the betting companies, an upset means few people would have bet on it, which also means more profit. Especially for a bizarre score like Iraq 4-2 to win Portugal, very few people would have bet on it, and the betting companies would have won big.

However, not all betting companies welcomed this upset. For example, the company that offered a 1:500 payout, Zhang Guan had only bet 1500 euros, but the company would have to pay him 750,000 euros. Other companies, due to Zhang Guan's bet, lost a lot of profit, ranging from 300,000 to 600,000 euros. Including the cost of issuing the lottery and the agency fee to OPAP, only a few companies made a small profit, while others barely broke even, with almost no losses.

OPAP in Greece also lost a lot in this match, with a high payout rate and a 4000 euro bet, they had to pay Zhang Guan 880,000 euros.

Zhang Guan silently calculated that the various betting companies would have to pay him a total of over 4 million euros, but on average, each company would only have to pay 400,000 to 500,000 euros.

...

Zhang Guan didn't immediately claim his prize because the opening ceremony was to be held on the evening of August 13th. The athletes participating in the opening ceremony were busy until 2:30 AM, and it was already past 3:00 AM when they returned to the Olympic Village to rest.

The next day, Zhang Guan slept until noon and only got up for lunch. During the meal, he learned from other athletes that Du Li had won the gold medal in the women's 10-meter air rifle event, securing the first gold medal for the national team in this Olympics.

After lunch, Zhang Guan applied to the team to visit the Athens Olympic Stadium to familiarize himself with the competition venue. The main stadium was primarily used for track and field events, which had not yet started, so athletes were allowed to visit. According to the team's rules, leaving the Olympic Village required reporting and providing detailed reasons and destinations, and solo actions were generally not allowed.

The other track and field athletes had not yet arrived in Athens, so although Zhang Guan had to go alone, familiarizing himself with the venue was permitted. Moreover, after the track and field events started, athletes would not have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the venue again. There were dedicated buses between the Athens Olympic Stadium and the Olympic Village, and athletes could ride for free, so the team approved Zhang Guan's request.

Zhang Guan took the first bus in the afternoon to the Athens Olympic Stadium and headed straight to the OPAP betting station to claim his prize.

As soon as he entered the betting station, Zhang Guan was recognized by the clerk who had helped him place his bets a few days earlier.

The clerk came out from behind the counter: "Oh! Sir, it's really you! God! I watched that match the other day, and you actually won! It's incredible! You must be here to claim your prize, right?"

"Yes, I'm here to claim my prize." Zhang Guan handed the clerk a 100 euro tip and said, "Thank you for bringing me good luck. But I want to know how to claim my prize."

"Thank you for your generosity." The clerk took the tip and said with an excited smile, "Please wait in the VIP lounge, and I'll report your arrival to my supervisor."

Perhaps due to the tip, Zhang Guan only waited for three minutes before the clerk came back and said, "Sir, I've reported to my supervisor. Since your winnings are substantial, you need to go to our company headquarters to collect your prize."

"Where is your headquarters? Is it far from here? You know, I'm a tourist and not familiar with Athens," Zhang Guan said.

"The headquarters is not far from here. I suggest you take a taxi. If you need, I can call one for you," the clerk said.

"Thank you very much." Zhang Guan replied, and the clerk immediately called a taxi, gave the address, and took Zhang Guan to the OPAP headquarters.

Upon arriving at the OPAP headquarters, Zhang Guan explained his purpose and was immediately led to the VIP lounge.

Soon, a middle-aged man entered the VIP lounge and introduced himself: "Sir, I am Orestis, and I'm happy to serve you."

"Hello, I'm here to claim my prize," Zhang Guan said directly.

"Sir, you are truly a man favored by God. Iraq 4-2 to win Portugal, you actually bet on that score, it's a miracle," Orestis said. "We have calculated that, after deducting personal income tax, you will receive 3,373,300 euros."

"Great, when can I get the money?" Zhang Guan asked eagerly.

"Anytime." Orestis smiled professionally and continued, "However, our company has a small request."

"Request?"

"Yes, we hope to report your winning story. You know, winning over four million euros at once is not common, and you bet on a huge upset. More importantly, you are a tourist, and your story will greatly encourage other tourists to buy our products," Orestis said.

"Report? I'm not sure about that. I don't want to be too high-profile," Zhang Guan was hesitant.

Orestis quickly said, "Sir, I understand your concerns. I know Chinese people are generally low-key, and even winners often wear masks. However, in the West, winning a big prize is not something to hide. We only need a photo of you receiving the prize, and it won't be too much trouble. If you agree, we can introduce you to a professional accountant."

"Accountant?" Zhang Guan was slightly surprised.

"You've won a substantial amount, and you'll need to transfer the money back to China. If you go through the normal channels, it will be complicated and expensive. With an accountant's help, you can save a lot of trouble and fees," Orestis explained.

Orestis's offer was tempting. In Western developed countries, accountants serve not only businesses but also individuals. They can help with loans, taxes, financial management, and even property division in divorces. For international money transfers, a local accountant is essential.

However, Zhang Guan was still concerned about the media attention. He wasn't worried about media hype, as only a few people become more famous through it. This time, it was just over 4 million euros before tax, not enough to cause a sensation. The EuroMillions lottery often awards prizes over 10 million pounds, and in the Premier League, winning hundreds of thousands or even millions of pounds from betting is not uncommon. So, Zhang Guan was more concerned about potential issues with the national team. He didn't immediately respond to Orestis.

"Sir, please rest assured, we will protect your privacy. If someone asks for your name, we will keep it confidential. In the report, we can refer to you as 'a tourist from China.' We only need a photo of you receiving the prize," Orestis said.

Zhang Guan thought again. If only a photo of him receiving the prize was used without his name, the impact would be minimal, almost negligible in Europe. No one would recognize him. Even if he became famous later, it would be weeks after the Olympics, and by then, new records and champions would be emerging daily, and news would be flooding in. Who would notice his prize-winning news in a few weeks?

Moreover, Zhang Guan considered his other bets and the need to claim more prizes from OPAP. It would be better to build a good relationship and get the money first. These Europeans often portrayed themselves as righteous, but in reality, they could be quite ruthless. If the betting company found an excuse to keep his money, it wasn't impossible.

"Let's get the money first!" Zhang Guan thought and said, "Alright, I can agree, but please don't reveal my name."

...

Zhang Guan returned to the Olympic Village and met the men's basketball team in the cafeteria.

Ai Yi saw Zhang Guan and immediately sat down with a plate, excitedly saying, "Zhang Guan, you have to treat us."

"Treat us?" Zhang Guan looked at Ai Yi in confusion.

Ai Yi chuckled, "I just found out that Iraq 4-2 to win Portugal, and you actually bet on it. You must have won hundreds of thousands. We all get a share, so you have to treat us to a meal."

On the bus, Zhang Guan had only shown one ticket, so Ai Yi thought he had only won a few hundred thousand euros.

Zhang Guan pointed at Ai Yi's plate, "You're almost done eating."

"Treating us to something else is fine too, even snacks," Ai Yi grinned.

"Alright, let's go to the supermarket after lunch, and you can pick anything you want," Zhang Guan said generously.

"Great, Zhang Guan said he'll take us to the supermarket and let us pick anything!" Ai Yi shouted, and Zhang Guan turned to see the other basketball players standing behind him, eyeing him hungrily.

"Ai Yi, you tricked me!" Zhang Guan exclaimed.

"No, I said we all get a share, so the whole basketball team is included!"

----------------------------

Chapter 1 is here. This chapter is 3900 words, so I'm boldly asking for a recommendation vote from all the readers. Finally, thank you to Loli Green Town for your continuous support.

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends