Era: Rise from the Wilderness

"And what is strength?"

"In this day and age, without money, you're nothing, right?"

Li Yunjing emphasized, "No matter how good you are at fighting, no matter how much of a 'reputation' you have, if you're penniless and can't even afford to treat your brothers to a decent meal, who would truly follow you?"

"How long can your dad live off the last bit of 'face' he has left?"

"Face is a very fragile thing; it diminishes with each use."

"Look at Li Wanting, her brother's connections are truly impressive. He didn't even have to show his face; one phone call and he'd settle a case!"

"That's what a real person should be like!"

Upon hearing this, Fu Chao's expression changed slightly, and the fingers of his hand, which had been casually placed on the kang table, involuntarily curled up.

His eyes sharpened instantly, as if a sensitive nerve had been touched, and he unconsciously sat up straighter, his back leaving the warm wall of the kang (heated brick bed).

His father did not live in the town, but in Fuxian County. After his divorce, his father sent him to his hometown, Fuzhou Town, to be taken care of by his grandmother.

His father was a real big shot in Fuxian County, very powerful and a veteran. Otherwise, how could a student have so many unemployed youths following him around?

This is his bottom line.

His mother was a businesswoman and his father was involved in organized crime. Although they were divorced, they felt indebted to him because he was their only child. In terms of money, Fu Chao was not lacking at all.

He never talks about his family affairs with outsiders.

Unexpectedly, Li Yunjing, who usually seems carefree, knew so much and dared to point it out to my face.

"Li Yunjing, you..."

His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice a little dry, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

He stared at Li Yunjing, his eyes filled with a mixture of surprise, annoyance at having his secret exposed, and a deeper wariness of the unknown proposal, along with a hint of anticipation he himself was unaware of. "How did you know about my dad...?"

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back, as if he felt that asking this question was pointless.

How I know is not important.

Li Yunjing waved his hand, decisively interrupting any potential questioning about family matters. His tone was calm, as if stating an objective fact, yet carried an undeniable authority: "The important thing is, Fu Chao, do you want to change the current situation?"

"Don't you want to live off the allowance your family gives you forever, or rely on the charity that others give you because of your father's past?"

"Wouldn't you like to have some hard currency in your hands, so you could speak louder and stand up straighter?"

Fu Chao fell silent, then suddenly lowered his head and took deep, hard drags on the nearly burnt-out cigarette between his fingers. The scarlet flame flickered rapidly, then dimmed again, and thick smoke rose up, almost completely enveloping his slightly gloomy and angular face.

Ding Dong was caught between the two, looking at one and then at the other, although he didn't fully understand some of the details.

For example, he could clearly sense that the usual playful and joking atmosphere had disappeared, replaced by a heavy sense of oppression, imbued with the calculations and sharp edges of the adult world.

He subconsciously held his breath, not daring to interrupt, and nervously rubbed the faded legs of his school uniform trousers.

The faint sound of a spatula clashing violently against a wok could be heard from the kitchen, accompanied by Uncle Ma's loud shout, indicating that a dish was about to be served.

"What exactly do you mean?"

A full minute later, the cigarette finally burned down to the filter, scalding Fu Chao's finger.

He suddenly jerked his hand and threw the cigarette butt forcefully to the ground.

He looked up at Li Yunjing with a complex gaze, a mixture of scrutiny, suspicion, unease at having his thoughts exposed, and a flicker of ignited ambition: "Even if... even if there really is some way to make money, why are you coming to me?"

"And on what basis are you telling me?"

"I, Fu Chao, never believe in free lunches."

"Because I need a trustworthy partner, and you have the courage to take on challenges, as well as your father's ambiguous but still somewhat intimidating network of connections and 'reputation,' which can keep in check any unruly situations we might encounter."

Li Yunjing met his gaze without flinching, his face even displaying a composure beyond his years, as if everything was within his calculations.

"More importantly, I think that you, Fu Chao, are not the kind of person who can only share hardship but not prosperity."

"We've known each other for years, and although we've had our ups and downs, I believe you'll always stand up for your brothers and get back to work when things get tough."

He paused, then continued unhurriedly, lowering his voice as if revealing a huge secret: "I've found a way to make money quickly with relatively low barriers to entry, and I want to recruit you."

"If we have money, let's make it together."

"Stop keeping me in suspense, what's the plan?"

Fu Chao frowned, leaned forward, his elbow almost touching Li Yunjing's face across the kang table, and his breathing became rapid.

Clearly, Li Yunjing's earlier words had swayed him, but deep down, his unease and doubts remained: "We're just kids, no money, no connections, what legitimate business can we do? Steal or rob?"

Li Yunjing leaned forward slightly, and the three boys' heads were almost touching, forming a small, secret circle.

He lowered his voice, making sure every word was clearly heard, and said, word by word, "Two dollars for a lottery ticket, ever heard of it?"

"What the hell?"

"What kind of scratch-off lottery?"

Fu Chao and Ding Dong spoke almost in unison, their faces filled with identical bewilderment and incomprehension, as if they had heard some unbelievable fantasy.

Fu Chao even picked at his ear, wondering if he had misheard.

Ding Dong subconsciously scratched the back of his head, making his already messy hair even messier. He was completely bewildered, his eyes full of question marks.

Seeing the puzzled expressions on their faces, as if they were hearing the word "television" for the first time, Li Yunjing felt a huge weight lifted from his heart and became even more certain of his judgment!

This "project" is still a blank market in the local area, at least in their small town and the surrounding counties, where no one has ventured into it!

Information asymmetry is the biggest advantage!

Just like what he saw during his summer vacation when he went to various villages and hamlets to buy treasury bonds, not a single one was having a big lottery!

"It's a lottery with instant draws and prizes, or a 'lucky draw'."

He gathered his thoughts and explained in the simplest and most understandable language possible, gesturing with his hands to indicate: "We'll have someone print a batch of lottery tickets ourselves. The tickets will have a thin layer of silver overlay, like correction fluid, with the winning information printed underneath."