Chapter 2

In the days that followed, besides going to school, Audrey would go to the bar with his two older brothers to watch football matches in the evening. Although he was repulsed by the chaos in East London, since he had become a part of it, he naturally went along with it.

As the World Cup in Mexico progressed, Audrey seemed distracted. His eldest brother would return home with a smile every day after watching the matches, as the teams he had bet on were doing well. Andrew would come home every day shouting about victory, and when Arthur and Amelia saw the state of their children, they knew they were following the World Cup's betting craze. The parents did not scold them harshly but warned them not to get too engrossed and not to dream of getting rich overnight.

The Hol family was part of the working class, lacking in sophistication and refinement. The neighbors in the community were from all walks of life, and activities like betting on football, drinking, and occasional brawls were all too common. As long as one did not get involved with gangs or illegal businesses, the adults would not reprimand the children.

When the group stage ended, Barnett returned home somewhat reluctantly and gave Andrew 140 pounds, which included the principal. Andrew, taking the money with a grin, said to his eldest brother, "Don't be disheartened. Who would have thought Portugal would go home?"

Barnett shrugged indifferently, "It's just a bit disappointing, winning less than 200 pounds."

Barnett's only mistake was in Group F, where he thought Portugal and England would both advance. Portugal won their first match against England, and their prospects looked bright. Who would have thought they would lose two consecutive matches and go home?

Andrew was luckier. He only bet on England advancing to the knockout stage. On the night Portugal beat England, he didn't sleep well, which made Audrey, who shared a room with him, both amused and sympathetic, and he comforted Andrew all night.

Winning money made Andrew want to win more. He ran into the bedroom and said to Audrey, who was sitting at the desk in a daze, "Next, let's guess the quarterfinalists."

Audrey came to his senses and said helplessly, "The most certain teams are Argentina, England, and West Germany. Don't guess the others."

He only remembered the finalists, and since Argentina did not face England in the round of 16, it meant England had definitely advanced.

Andrew thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, I'll listen to you and tell the eldest brother."

Audrey watched his second brother run out of the bedroom like the wind and muttered to himself, "What will I do in the future?"

In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person with a passion for football. Although Audrey was only ten years old biologically, he was resistant to the routine of going to school.

When the round of 16 concluded, Barnett and Andrew were overjoyed, clearly having won more money. When they excitedly appeared before Audrey to discuss the semifinalists, Audrey could only say helplessly, "West Germany and Argentina, only these two teams are certain."

Barnett seemed somewhat unwilling, "Argentina might not beat England."

Andrew, looking at the 200 pounds in his hand, had already made over 100 pounds, a significant achievement for a 13-year-old. He didn't want to make a hasty decision.

Audrey didn't say much, opened the drawer of the desk, and waved a lottery ticket, saying, "At this moment, shouldn't I support myself?"

It had been over half a month, and Barnett and Andrew only then remembered the lottery ticket Audrey had bet on for the champion and runner-up. Now, it was clear that it was Argentina for the championship and West Germany for the runners-up.

The two brothers were quite loyal. Since it was like this, the three brothers united and also bet on Argentina and West Germany advancing.

On the day of the England-Argentina match, Audrey watched in the bar as fans denounced Maradona's shamelessness and then fell silent in shock at his miraculous solo run through half the English team. England ultimately lost 1-2, a regrettable exit.

In the bar, Audrey and his two brothers were just like the fans, and when they returned home, they found some solace in their disappointment.

Although Barnett and Andrew had won money, they were not happy. Nothing was more disappointing than the team they supported being eliminated.

With the teams advancing to the final already decided, they continued to support West Germany and Argentina.

On the day of the final, Barnett had over 1,300 pounds, and Andrew had nearly 400 pounds.

However, they were frustrated to realize that the lottery ticket Audrey had bet on before the World Cup would have a 65-fold return, meaning if Argentina won the cup, Audrey would have 6,500 pounds.

Compared to Audrey's ease in watching the final in the bar, Andrew and Barnett were extremely nervous, constantly drinking and cheering for Argentina, though only in their hearts, not daring to shout out loud, as there were others in the bar, and Argentina had eliminated England in a controversial manner.

In the end, Argentina won 3-2 against West Germany, and Maradona ascended to the throne of the gods. Andrew and Barnett could not contain their excitement and shouted out loud, causing the bar to look at them in shock. The three brothers quickly fled the bar.

On a warm summer night in the eastern suburbs of London, the three Hol brothers sat on the grass, discussing the bountiful results of the Mexico World Cup. They held beer bottles in one hand and fried chicken in the other, excited and unable to sleep.

As the alcohol took effect, Barnett suddenly put on a serious face, lying on the grass and gazing at the vast starry sky, sighing deeply.

Andrew, counting the pounds in his hand over and over, had only 500 pounds before the World Cup, but now the three brothers had over 10,000 pounds. Andrew, like a money lover, counted the bills with a crescent-moon smile.

Audrey noticed his eldest brother's unusual silence and asked, "Is something on your mind?"

Barnett covered his forehead with the back of his hand and said softly, "I don't want to continue being a decorator."

For the past two years, he had helped Arthur install glass for clients, a job with no promising future.

With the sudden earnings exceeding two years of savings, Barnett was unwilling to remain an anonymous worker, which was reasonable.

Audrey asked in return, "What do you want to do?"

Barnett looked towards the west of London thoughtfully and said with a longing tone, "Do you know who lives in West London?"

"Rich people, of course."

Andrew, who had counted the bills countless times, interjected without looking up.

Audrey, however, fell into deep thought. West London was indeed wealthy, but in terms of professions, a significant portion of the population there were stockbrokers, a highly prestigious profession at the time.

Realizing this, Audrey had an epiphany: before the stock market crash next year, the stock market was currently booming.

Audrey smiled at his eldest brother, "If you want to do it, go for it. Mom and Dad should support you."

Although the family was part of the working class, who wouldn't want to move from blue-collar to white-collar if given the chance?

Barnett looked at Audrey in a daze, and with his younger brother's verbal support, his confidence seemed to increase, and he planned to tell Arthur about his aspirations when he got home.

Audrey was not stingy; he gave all 6,500 pounds to his eldest brother. Andrew, seeing this, followed suit, as his brother was going to start a business, and the brothers naturally supported him wholeheartedly.

Before returning home, Barnett, with over 10,000 pounds in his pocket, felt much more confident.

Audrey did not go home but went to the front of the video store in the community. The store was already closed, and he gently knocked on the door. After a while, the voice of the black man, Sand, came from inside.

"Who is it? If you want to rent a video, come back tomorrow."

It seemed Sand was still wary, fearing that someone with ill intentions had come.

Indeed, there were a few scattered gangs in the nearby community, and although they were not large-scale drug traffickers or smugglers, they did extort protection money from immigrants.

Audrey said calmly from outside, "Is that Sand? I'm Audrey. A month ago, I broke your window at night. I came to apologize."

Sand, seeing only Audrey outside through the window, cautiously opened the door and invited him into the store.

Audrey looked around the video store. Having seen the variety of modern stores, this one seemed rather unremarkable.

Sand's eyes always carried a hint of caution, but when Audrey reiterated that he had come to apologize and bowed sincerely, Sand accepted it calmly.

Audrey had planned to leave after apologizing, but he noticed a row of video tapes and walked over. The tapes had no packaging, only a white paper with the date and the names of two teams.

Clearly, these were match recordings.

Audrey flipped through the tapes and chatted about football with Sand.

When Sand asked, "Are you a Millwall fan?"

Audrey was silent for half a minute and finally shook his head honestly, "No, but my parents and two older brothers are."

In this era of limited entertainment, Audrey had plenty of energy in the evenings. He couldn't sleep, and his family didn't have a video player. After a moment's thought, he asked Sand, "Do you hire anyone?"

Sand was taken aback and shook his head, "I can't afford it."

Audrey continued, "You close early in the evening, probably to avoid trouble. I have a proposal. I'll work for you in the evenings for free, as long as you let me watch the video tapes in the store for free."

East London was a mix of good and bad, and Sand closed early to avoid trouble. Although Audrey was just a child, he was from the local community, and Arthur, though just a glass seller, was known in the area. Having Audrey in the store would add a layer of security.

After confirming with Audrey several times, Sand agreed to his proposal.

From then on, Audrey went to school during the day and worked for Sand in the evenings, watching match recordings in his free time. Gradually, he began to have ideas about what he wanted to do in the future.