Chapter 37: The Impatience of Youth (An Extra Chapter for the Generous Patron with Empty Pockets)

The word “knife” is widely used by Chinese people as a slang abbreviation for US dollars, derived from the English word “dollar.”

Ever since he heard the phrase “tied with Italy for fourth place,” Sumu hadn’t listened to another word Boss Han said. He’d thought he’d lost four thousand dollars, only to discover he’d won over a hundred thousand—he was beside himself with joy!

Moments ago, Boss Han had been all smiles; now, Sumu’s laughter was even more exuberant, his face radiant with delight. The sight left Boss Han utterly baffled. He knew Sumu had wagered two hundred and fifty dollars, and thought to himself, “Last time, he wasn’t this happy about winning. Ah, the impetuousness of youth—they just can’t contain themselves.”

Fourth place. Truly fourth place! Sumu rushed into the convenience store, grabbed the day’s newspaper, read it through, and confirmed the results: China had won fifteen gold, eight silver, and nine bronze medals; Italy had fourteen gold, six silver, and twelve bronze. Both totaled thirty-two medals. The rules had stated that even a tie counted as a win!

For a teenage boy from a poor family, over a hundred thousand dollars was a fortune beyond imagining! Last night, he’d even considered tearing up the ticket, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to destroy something worth four thousand dollars. Now, just thinking about it made Sumu shudder—if he’d reduced the ticket to scraps, it was obvious that the William Hill betting company wouldn’t redeem it.

It was a stroke of luck. This was the first time China had sent an Olympic delegation since its founding. The athletes hadn’t participated in many international sports events until recent years, so the betting companies offered high odds, skeptical about their performance. Very few people were willing to bet on the Chinese, except in basketball, football, swimming, and sprinting—events Americans paid attention to. Other disciplines attracted little interest, so the high odds posed no risk, allowing Sumu to seize a rare opportunity.

Considering the butterfly effect, if Sumu had any social standing, his influence might have altered the medal results of this Olympic Games. Fortunately, he was still a minor character, barely stirring the waters of a poor, struggling Chinatown. His impact was negligible, incapable of affecting the outcome—otherwise, the results would truly be unpredictable.

Ever since the radio program had disrupted Sumu’s ordinary life, the world had begun to shift. The term “butterfly effect” had never been more apt…

He was almost delirious with happiness, his head spinning from excitement, as if oxygen-deprived or drunk. His family had always been low-income, earning just enough for daily life, but now, with his winnings, he could almost be considered half a middle-class citizen. Of course, he now met the financial threshold for the middle class, though their home and car were hardly valuable. The Su family owned both, but their steady income still lagged behind true middle-class standards. Du Zhong’s parents made eighty thousand dollars before tax each year—that was genuine middle-class.

Over a hundred thousand dollars could buy a decent villa, or an eye-catching sports car; it also meant Sumu’s living and tuition expenses for high school and university were covered. Private high schools and universities in America were notoriously expensive—this windfall was more than enough for his needs.

He checked the newspaper again, ensuring the results were real, finally letting himself relax. The roller coaster of the past twelve hours had been almost too much for his heart to bear. He turned to Boss Han and asked, “Boss, should we go downtown to redeem the ticket now? I don’t feel comfortable holding onto it.”

“What were you saying earlier? Are you really planning to open a supermarket? I’m still working today—I’ll follow your lead. Let’s go look for a shop after we cash in the ticket!”

Yesterday, when Sumu had suggested the idea to Boss Han, he was hesitant. But now, after two successful predictions from the radio show, his confidence was unshakable. Besides, he was clever enough to imagine what kind of future a company like that could have.

Boss Han had wagered three hundred dollars and made over ten thousand this time—a substantial sum. After thinking it over, he nodded. “Alright, let’s head downtown first. Honestly, I’d much rather open the shop near the city center—there are more people there. We’ll check it out on our way.”

“There are more people, but rents are higher, and it’s far from home, which makes it harder to manage. If we can expand quickly like Walmart, we’ll reach the city center eventually. But for now, Chinatown has plenty of customers. As long as our prices are a bit lower, we’ll have no trouble attracting buyers.”

Sumu’s sharp mind had countless advantages. He hadn’t spent much effort on formal studies, but had devoured countless miscellaneous books since childhood. The secondhand book stall rented out books, and he maintained a habit of reading two books a day. His thinking kept pace with Boss Han’s, sometimes even more thoroughly.

“That’s true. Let’s discuss it later. First, let’s redeem the ticket. You’re lucky, kid—once we cash in, I’ll pay your wages and give you a five hundred dollar bonus!”

Half an hour ago, Sumu would have been thrilled by a five hundred dollar bonus. But now, the sum barely registered—he’d weathered too many ups and downs as a small-time gambler.

Life suddenly seemed to be flowing smoothly. On his way home to fetch the ticket, he spotted an Aston Martin. Previously, such luxury cars seemed unattainable, but now, he could imagine owning one with the right investments. He’d always suffered from a lack of funds, but now, with his first pot of gold, Sumu was thinking about buying stocks!

If he handed the money to his parents, he knew they’d just deposit it in the bank, where the interest wouldn’t even keep pace with the dollar’s depreciation. The older generation preferred this method, but Sumu was more aggressive.

He wondered if he would receive more mysterious messages. His school teachers had talked about solar storms—these fluctuations from the sun occurred regularly, with intense cycles every eleven years and occasional smaller storms. Sumu planned to keep an eye out for such information, and vowed never to sell that old radio as scrap.

With money in his pocket, Sumu was in high spirits. When he got home, Su Dingcai barely had time to speak to his son before Sumu dashed out again, seemingly leaving something behind at the convenience store. Su Dingcai kept busy making fish balls, sweating and covered in the scent of fish, which made the little orange cat follow him constantly.

Not long after, Sumu arrived at William Hill again.

This time, Manager David greeted him with a mournful face. He couldn’t even force a smile; the payout was simply too large. The company had earned tens of millions from this Olympics, but had suffered several shocking losses—including bets on West Germany and China. No betting company likes paying out to customers—not that they wouldn’t, but they certainly didn’t want to.

From Manager David’s mouth, Sumu unexpectedly learned he’d wagered a total of four thousand two hundred and fifty dollars, all on China finishing fourth. Boss Han was so astonished his jaw nearly dislocated!

Then, his face flushed with excitement!

The prize reached over one hundred sixty-four thousand dollars! He could no longer contain himself, murmuring, “Sumu… Sumu… you…”