6: Two billion, a wave of sudden wealth

"Li Xiuwu, your academic performance has been improving rapidly. With your current progress, you could even aim for Tsinghua or Peking University. How can you slack off? I don't agree to your leave request."

Upon hearing that Li Xiuwu wanted to take leave, and for a whole month at that, Du Yuheng immediately objected.

Li Xiuwu's recent momentum in improvement was excellent. For him, even the Art College Entrance Exam wasn't necessary; he could fully aim for Tsinghua or Peking University.

"I'm sorry, teacher, but this matter is more important to me than the college entrance exam. If you don't agree, I'll have no choice but to drop out and do it."

Li Xiuwu's tone was resolute, causing Du Yuheng's expression to freeze.

A look of helplessness crossed his face. If there were parents involved, he could discuss it with them, but Li Xiuwu was all alone.

"You can't be so irresponsible with your own life, child. What could possibly be more important than the college entrance exam?"

"Thank you for your concern, teacher. I know what I'm doing." Li Xiuwu couldn't explain what he was going to do.

Despite Du Yuheng's repeated attempts to dissuade him, Li Xiuwu insisted: if leave wasn't granted, he would drop out.

"Sigh, during your leave, you must still study hard." Helpless, Du Yuheng could only sign his leave application.

After preparing at home for a few days, he took a flight and arrived in Shenzhen.

At the airport exit in Shenzhen, a middle-aged man stood beside a Santana.

Suddenly, his phone rang. After answering, he looked around.

"Xu Muyang?"

"Are you Mr. Li?" Xu Muyang looked at the young man before him in surprise.

Although Li Xiuwu was quite tall and straight, his youth was still apparent.

"That's me. Let's get in the car." Li Xiuwu opened the door and sat in the back seat.

Xu Muyang got in and started driving while reporting the situation.

"As per your instructions, we've submitted a remittance application to Macau through Golden Era, but the limit is five million. We can't transfer any more funds."

"Mm." Li Xiuwu nodded. The restrictions of the times made fund transfers very strict.

However, since joining the WTO last year, there had been a normal, legal pathway. Otherwise, only illegal means would be available.

Xu Muyang glanced at Li Xiuwu, trying to read something from his expression, but unfortunately, Li Xiuwu's face remained very calm.

"Mr. Li, there's a small issue at the company."

"Hmm?" Li Xiuwu looked up, his eyes turning sharp.

Xu Muyang was startled by his gaze and quickly explained.

"Don't worry, Mr. Li. It's not an illegal issue. It's just that there's an artist group in the company, and we need to pay them two thousand yuan in wages each month."

Hearing the explanation, Li Xiuwu retracted his sharp gaze.

"It's fine. We can keep them. It counts as the company having a project underway." Li Xiuwu said.

He wanted to transfer a large sum to Macau, which was impossible for an individual. It had to be done through a company.

Moreover, it had to be a normal company that had been operating for two or three years and paid taxes properly. Therefore, Li Xiuwu spent five hundred thousand to buy this cultural company, Golden Era.

The company originally operated several dance halls, but due to poor management, it was split and sold.

The car drove into a commercial building. On the fourth floor, they met the artist group Xu Muyang had mentioned.

[System detected that the host has established their own cultivation force. System reward: Flying Immortal Needle]

"Mr. Li, this is the Cool Fire Duo, Yang Linghua and Zeng Yi. They used to perform regularly at several dance halls under Golden Era." Xu Muyang introduced the two.

Li Xiuwu looked at the two, somewhat stunned.

The two looked at Li Xiuwu with a mix of nervousness and curiosity.

"Hello, I'm Li Xiuwu, the new owner of the company." Li Xiuwu introduced himself.

"Hello, boss." The two quickly shook hands with Li Xiuwu.

"Have a seat. No need to be nervous; we're all young people." Li Xiuwu invited them to sit.

After learning about their situation, due to the changes in Golden Era's dance hall operations, their performance commissions were gone, leaving only a base salary of one thousand yuan per month.

"The company will renew your contracts." Li Xiuwu told them.

The two immediately grew tense. Living expenses in Shenzhen were quite high, and that one thousand yuan was very important to them.

"The new contract includes a base salary of three thousand yuan per month, and the company will release an album for you within a year."

"What?" The two stood up excitedly.

A salary increase was one thing, but releasing an album for them? They were originally just bar singers.

"Thank you so much, boss." The two bowed in gratitude.

"You can go rest now. I'll treat you to dinner tonight."

Li Xiuwu let them leave, then picked up the company documents to review, especially the financial situation.

The company had no debts and no tax evasion.

"The company's situation will remain unchanged for now. Renew the contracts for the Cool Fire Duo as I said, extend the contract duration, and raise the penalty clause to the highest legal limit."

It was unexpected that the company he temporarily bought included these two, but since they were already in the fold, he couldn't let them slip away.

"Understood, Mr. Li." Xu Muyang nodded. As a professional manager, he didn't need to make decisions himself; he just had to follow the boss's arrangements. Whether the company developed or not was irrelevant to him.

Xu Muyang dropped him off at the nearest five-star hotel.

Only then did he have time to study the system's reward.

"Thud!" A toothpick embedded itself in the solid wood cabinet.

Indeed, one shouldn't have too high expectations of the system.

But it was still quite impressive.

Li Xiuwu flicked his wrist, pinching the toothpick between his thumb and middle finger.

He flicked it with his middle finger.

"Thud." The six-centimeter-long toothpick sank halfway into the solid wood furniture.

This was rosewood, a very hard wood. If it hit a person without touching bone, it could almost penetrate.

Li Xiuwu didn't stay in Shenzhen for long. He went to a professional security company, selected four bodyguards, and arrived in Hong Kong.

After staying in Hong Kong for a few days to make arrangements, he finally took a ferry to Macau.

He rarely went out, spending his days flipping through newspapers and occasionally taking his bodyguards around to sightsee, as if he were on vacation.

The bodyguards were a bit puzzled. Usually, when they accompanied employers to Macau, they'd head straight to the casinos on the first day.

Li Xiuwu paid no mind to the bodyguards' thoughts. He not only needed to understand the World Cup but also the rules of gambling.

After detailed research, he gave up on betting on South Korea reaching the semifinals as an underdog and turned to other strategies.

A hundred-to-one odds would have betting limits; you couldn't bet as much as you wanted.

Even if you won, cashing out would be very difficult. Even in legal venues, accounts would be frozen first to review the source of funds.

Even if all procedures were legal, the payout would be delayed repeatedly.

It would also be reported by the media, letting everyone know that a lucky person had won a hundred-to-one bet, potentially endangering their safety.

Li Xiuwu wanted to come quietly and leave quietly.

Restrain his desires, win some and lose some, but lose little and win more.

Spread the bets across multiple wagers. Even with more funds, it wouldn't attract attention.

With five million in principal, based on his memory, starting from the group stage—Senegal beating France with eight-to-one odds—his funds grew to forty million.

He took out thirty million to continue betting, leaving ten million to transfer to Hong Kong as preparation for exiting.

After rounds of operations, on June 28th, the World Cup wasn't over yet, but Li Xiuwu was already on a ferry heading to Hong Kong.

Just as he intended, he came lightly and left quietly, without attracting anyone's attention.

No one knew his profits. Even his bodyguards didn't know whether Li Xiuwu had won or lost.

Funds from various venues in Macau entered several companies in Hong Kong, eventually gathering in one investment company.

Two billion.