As a Chinese person, one could say I have a love-hate relationship with the national football team, but if you rewind to 2002, it was a time filled with pride.
The national team's first entry into the World Cup was a sensational breakthrough; although they lost all three group stage matches and didn't advance, fans were full of hope.
Unfortunately, no one expected the plot to go so off-kilter afterward. What we thought was the beginning turned out to be the peak, and from then on, it was a continuous decline.
Until they lost to Vietnam, and had to fight with Vietnam to avoid being last in the group. They had no shame left.
And precisely because the national team participated, Eric also stayed up all night to watch the entire match, especially the upset matches, which he still remembers vividly even after twenty years.
For example, when the Gallic Rooster lost to Senegal, it was absolutely shocking.
And the dirty tricks of the Korean team, who bribed referees, stunned the entire world. Yet, they themselves were shamelessly proud of reaching the World Cup semi-finals. It's hard to imagine how thick-skinned they are.
However, back then, watching it made him angry. Now, Eric only hopes that history doesn't change and that the Korean team continues to play dirty, otherwise, how would he win money?
As the saying goes, bet against the favorite in football, and a villa by the sea awaits. Sports betting is a popular business worldwide, especially during the World Cup, where some people get rich overnight, and even more end up on rooftops. (Friendly reminder: Do not gamble on sports!)
So Eric's idea was to make a big splash with the upcoming World Cup, earn a hefty sum, and then acquire MGM and become his own boss.
A perfect start! How wonderful would that be?
However, even knowing the results, gambling isn't a matter of winning as much as you want.
First, every casino has a betting limit. For example, Pinnacle in America has a maximum single-game bet of $750,000.
If you want to go all-in with 10 million, sorry, the casino won't accept it and might even call the police on you. After all, they are a licensed, legitimate establishment operating legally, and they have reason to suspect your money is not legitimate.
In addition, if you always win, it will attract the casino's attention, and they will keep an eye on you.
Even if they can't find anything against you in the end, the casino can still blacklist you. I admit you're good, but I can choose not to play with you anymore, right?
And when the betting capital flow for a match is clearly unreasonable, the casino can also choose to close the market directly.
Because 2002 was not like later years, casinos also had a competitive relationship, and abnormal capital flows might indicate foul play from a competitor, which they had to guard against.
Of course, having mentioned so many disadvantages, there are also advantages, which is that the competitive relationship between casinos led to poor information flow.
This allowed Eric to launch multiple attacks and break through on different fronts, cashing out the money in the shortest possible time and disappearing before the other party could react.
However, to achieve this, he couldn't do it alone, which is why Eric needed to throw a party and had to invite his closest friends.
Just as a fence needs three posts and a hero needs three helpers, you can't accomplish great things without enough manpower.
The invited people, as he remembered, were all close friends, trustworthy relationships, and only with their help could he complete this high-stakes gamble, which presented both risks and opportunities.
At night, Xia Li Cooper came to the hospital to visit and accompany his son, sending his wife home to rest.
As the two father and son stayed in the same ward, Eric proactively asked, "Dad, you look very tired. Are you having trouble at work?"
Xia Li Cooper looked at him: "Why do you say that?"
"Because you always dress very formally lately, but now it's after work hours, so you must be working overtime, aren't you?"
Xia Li Cooper looked at his leather shoes and couldn't help but smile wryly: "You're right. The company recently held an internal screening, but the quality of the movie wasn't satisfactory."
"Is it 'windtalkers' directed by that Chinese director, John Woo?"
Xia Li Cooper was a little surprised: "Eric, are you starting to pay attention to movies too? You used to only be interested in finance. Yes, it's 'windtalkers'."
Eric nodded: "Let me guess, John Woo's style isn't suitable for war films, is it? I've seen his movies; he's good at gunfights and action films, but he's never proven himself in war films."
"Yes, John Woo did a great job with 'Face/Off' and 'Mission: Impossible', so the company chose him and gave him full control without interference, hoping John Woo could bring a big victory to MGM, but—"
His dad paused there, and Eric handed him half a peeled pear: "Dad, have you ever thought about what would happen if 'windtalkers' failed at the box office?"
Xia Li Cooper gave a bitter laugh: "What else could happen? The company would go from bad to worse. All the money earned last year from 'legally blonde' and 'hannibal' would be lost. In short, it would be terrible."
"Dad, I mean you personally. You were probably in charge of this project, right?"
Xia Li Cooper choked for a moment: "I don't know. Perhaps resignation. The board won't allow an incompetent person to sit in this position."
"But don't worry. Even if I leave MGM, I can find another company. I've been working in this industry for over thirty years, and many companies would be willing to hire me, though the company might be a bit smaller."
Eric's expression became serious: "But that would be a terrible outcome, wouldn't it?"
Sensing his son's unusual behavior tonight, Xia Li Cooper was very surprised. His son had never cared about movies or his work before.
Even though he deeply wanted his son to enter the entertainment industry and firmly believed that with Eric Cooper's excellent appearance and the resources he controlled, he could definitely cultivate a rising star.
Of course, whether he could become a superstar like Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks would depend on luck. As they say, minor success depends on support, major success depends on fate!
But this brat was very rebellious, completely failing to understand his old father's painstaking efforts, and instead went to study finance, rendering his connections useless.
This matter once left Xia Li Cooper feeling incredibly melancholic, and even though his son had already graduated, it still bothered him deeply.
"Eric, what exactly do you want to say?" Xia Li Cooper asked.
Eric Cooper no longer beat around the bush and said directly: "Dad, I know you've always wanted me to develop in the entertainment industry. During this period of coma, although I couldn't speak, my brain was always clear, and I thought a lot."
"Perhaps you are right. There's nothing wrong with relying on one's parents. The old me was too rebellious, and living in the spotlight, enjoying being the center of attention, also seems very appealing."
Upon hearing this, Xia Li Cooper's eyes lit up. The thing he had hoped for countless times at night had finally happened: his son had seen the error of his ways and chosen the right path in life.
Although Eric Cooper had already graduated from university, his age of 22 was not an issue at all. Many big stars entered the industry later. As long as he used the resources he had, everything would be fine.
"Hahahahaha, Eric, my son, this is a wise decision. Don't worry, as long as I—"
"No, no, don't rush, Dad. I haven't finished yet."
Xia Li Cooper's eyes were practically narrowed into slits with joy: "Then continue!"
Eric took a deep breath: "Dad, although I've thought it through, I've studied finance for so long, and giving it up just like that feels a bit unwilling. So I want to make one last gamble, and I need money!"
Time was short, and Eric couldn't find a better solution for a while. The only breakthrough might be to follow his dad's wishes and enter the film industry.
And Xia Li Cooper didn't care about it at all, waving his hand: "How much money?"
"Ten million!"