Rebirth: Fan Debiao rises from the Liaobei land

When Fan Debiao zipped up the woven bag, Ma Dashuai was still lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) and hadn't gotten up yet. His tattered vest had another hole in it.

"Biaozi, are you really moving?" Ma Dashuai rubbed his eyes and sat up, the mat imprint still on his face.

"Nonsense." Fan Debiao slung the bag over his shoulder. "Now that I'm the vice president of Victoria, why would I squeeze into this tiny bungalow with you guys? That would be too embarrassing."

Yu Fen was boiling water in the outer room when she heard the noise and came out wiping her hands. "De Biao, where are we moving to? Don't stay in a hotel, they're too expensive. If you can't make do here, just stay here!"

"The staff dormitory was arranged by General Manager Wu." Fan Debiao carried the bag out. "It's a single room with a window, which is quite nice."

Ma Xiaocui peeked out from the inner room, her hair disheveled from sleep: "Uncle, are you coming back for dinner tonight?"

"Come back when you have time." Fan Debiao pushed open the door, turned back and added, "You can stay in this house, I'll pay the rent until the end of the year. Brother-in-law, don't let the house collapse."

General Ma curled his lip and said, "Look how smug you are."

"Then why don't you show off a little?" Fan Debiao retorted. "Who didn't flush the toilet properly yesterday? Awei complained to me about it."

General Ma remained silent.

Fan Debiao carried the bag to the street corner, waved and flagged down a donkey, heading straight for Victoria.

The vice president's office was on the third floor, which used to be a small reception room. Fan Debiao threw the woven bag into the corner, sat down in the swivel chair and spun around twice, the chair creaking.

There was a knock on the door.

Awei came in with the ledger: "Mr. Fan, here's last month's transaction details."

Fan Debiao took it, flipped through it, and threw it on the table: "Okay, got it."

Awei didn't leave, but leaned against the door frame and looked at him: "You really moved to the dormitory? The conditions there are not as comfortable as at home."

"Home?" Fan Debiao chuckled. "That tiny bungalow crammed with four people, you're afraid of crushing someone if you just turn over. What's so comfortable about that?"

"That's true." Awei smiled, smoothing her hair. "Mr. Fan, how old are you exactly this year?"

"you guess."

"Thirty-five?"

"I'm guessing too low."

"Thirty-two?"

Fan Debiao leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs: "To be honest, I'm twenty-nine this year."

Awei chuckled: "You're kidding me, twenty-nine and you look like this? You'd look thirty-nine."

"Looks old?" Fan Debiao stroked his chin. "That's called maturity. A man should have a bit of a weathered look."

"Okay, okay, you're twenty-nine." Awei shook her head with a smile. "Then Mr. Fan, who's twenty-nine, Mr. Wu is urging you on the World Cup plan. Last time you just said something like buy one get one free on beer, that was too simple."

Fan Debiao sat up straight: "That's exactly what I was going to say. Buy one get one free is for kids, we need to do something real."

He opened the drawer and took out several sheets of paper covered with writing.

"First, clear out the entire open space in front of the stadium, set up a large tent, put thirty tables there, and turn it into a 'Victoria World Cup Open-Air Plaza.' Place a large projection screen in the very center, three meters by four meters. I've inquired about it; it costs two thousand a month to rent, and the resolution is sufficient."

Avi's eyes lit up: "A huge projection? Then the whole square can see it."

"Yes, that's the effect we want," Fan Debiao continued. "Second, we'll set up a prediction contest. Before each match, we'll distribute prediction tickets, and guests will fill in the score. Those who guess the winner will get a 20% discount on their drinks; those who guess the score will have their meal free."

"Isn't...giving away the whole thing for free a bit too much?"

"What's so 'dramatic' about it?" Fan Debiao laughed. "There are 64 matches in the World Cup. How many people can predict the score for every single one? It's just a gimmick. But with that gimmick, people are willing to come."

Avi nodded: "That's true."

"Third, organize themed nights." Fan Debiao pointed to the paper, "For example, on the night of the Brazil match, everyone wearing yellow who enters the store gets half-price beer; on the night of the Germany match, ordering German dark beer comes with free peanuts. On the night of the China match..."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "On the night of the Chinese team's match, all drinks will be 10% off. If the Chinese team scores, every guest present at the moment of the goal will receive a free bottle of beer."

Avi carefully noted: "We need to calculate the cost."

"Go ahead and do the math," Fan Debiao said. "But what I want is popularity. A month-long World Cup can really make Victoria's reputation go viral, so that when people in Kaiyuan want to watch football, our place will be the first place they think of."

Awei looked up at him, her eyes slightly different: "Mr. Fan, how did you come up with these ideas?"

Fan Debiao lit a cigarette: "In this life, you have to see and think a lot."

During the afternoon meeting, Wu Derong listened to the proposal and smoked two cigarettes before speaking.

"The sheds are being set up, and the urban management officers aren't doing anything about it?"

"I'll smooth things over," Fan Debiao said. "It'll be a matter of delivering a few cartons of cigarettes."

Is it worth renting a large projector for 2,000 yuan a month?

"It's worth it," Fan Debiao said decisively. "President Wu, the open-air plaza is all about the atmosphere. Thirty tables of people watching the big screen together, cheering and cursing together, is that the same feeling as watching TV at home? Once people come, they don't want to leave, and they have to order bottle after bottle of alcohol."

Wu Derong thought for a moment, then asked, "What if someone actually guesses the score correctly regarding the free meal?"

"Then let him get it free," Fan Debiao said. "We have to keep our word. But think about it, there are 64 games, the scores can change in an endless stream. It's luck to guess one or two right, but can you guess every single one? If there really is such a genius, we'll admit defeat, but we can still use him as a selling point—look, Victoria really did give him a free ticket! That 'GG effect' is stronger than anything else."

Wu Derong laughed: "Alright, Debiao, you're quick-witted. We'll do it your way."

With the plan finalized, the entire Victoria area sprang into action.

Gangzi and his men cleared the open space in front of the building, and the workers who were setting up the sheds arrived the next day. Awei contacted the projector company and negotiated a rental agreement for 2,200 yuan a month, including installation and maintenance. The kitchen started stockpiling beer, and the warehouse was overflowing with it.

General Ma was also assigned a task—wiping the tables. Thirty square tables and one hundred and twenty small stools; he had to wipe them all clean.

"Biaozi, are you treating me like a laborer?" Ma Dashuai muttered as he wiped the floor.

"Don't you want to work here?" Fan Debiao stood to the side. "If you don't want to work here, go home. I'll find someone else."

Ma Dashuai fell silent, lowered his head and wiped vigorously, slamming the rag down with a loud thud.

Fan Debiao walked over to Gangzi. Gangzi was directing people to set up the projection screen frame, a three-meter-high iron frame that was difficult for several people to lift.

"Gangzi, come here." Fan Debiao beckoned.

Gangzi jogged over, sweat dripping down his neck: "Brother Biao."

"You've worked hard these past few days." Fan Debiao handed him a cigarette. "I'll give you a raise after the World Cup is over."

Gangzi took the cigarette, paused for a moment, and said, "Brother Biao, I have enough money to live on now with five thousand."

"It's not just a few hundred more," Fan Debiao added fuel to the fire. "I'm planning to promote you to security manager."

Gangzi's hand trembled, and he almost dropped his cigarette.

"Don't get excited." Fan Debiao lit a cigarette for himself. "You'll still be the security captain, but your title will be manager, and your salary will increase to 6,500. But we've got it agreed, you'll still manage your own affairs and won't listen to any of those messy orders. Just like... just like Erlang Shen, he only obeys orders, understand?"

Gangzi didn't understand: "Erlang Shen?"

"I'll contact you if I need anything, otherwise you're on your own," Fan Debiao explained. "Understand?"

Gangzi was silent for a moment, then took a deep drag on his cigarette: "Brother Biao, let me be honest with you. I used to do a lot of dirty work on Fourth Road. But since I came here, I've wanted to clean up my act. I'll remember this opportunity for the rest of my life."

"Just keep it in mind, no need to say it out loud." Fan Debiao patted him on the shoulder. "Do a good job."

The open-air plaza opened on the last day of May.

A large blue and white striped tent held thirty neatly arranged tables, with a three-meter by four-meter projection screen in the center. A large red banner was unfurled: "Victoria World Cup Carnival Month - Watch the game, drink, guess the score, and win a free meal!"

At 7 p.m., before the opening match between France and Senegal had even started, the table was already more than half full.

No one expected Senegal to win.

When the score was 1-0, the entire square erupted. The defending champions lost to an African team making their first appearance in the World Cup, and people in front of the projection screen stood up, cheered, banged on the tables, and beer foam splattered everywhere.

Fan Debiao stood at the second-floor window and looked down. The square was brightly lit and bustling with people. The light from the projection screen shone on everyone's faces, flickering on and off.

The walkie-talkie crackled to life: "Brother Biao, someone at table 3 guessed the score correctly."

Fan Debiao pressed the call button: "You really guessed right?"

"I won! The ticket is here; I filled in 1:0."

"Follow the rules," Fan Debiao said. "Give him a free meal, and give him a dozen beers. Have the waiter carry them around the place so everyone can see it."

"clear."

A few minutes later, an even louder cheer erupted in the square. A waiter carrying twelve bottles of beer began circling the area, starting from table number 3, with Gangzi and two security guards following behind, making it look like a parade.

People at other tables craned their necks to watch, envious and tempted.

Fan Debiao smiled.

This is exactly the effect he wanted.

China's first match is on June 4th.

That afternoon, Ma Xiaocui graduated from her training course and came to Victoria to find Fan Debiao with her graduation certificate.

"Uncle, I can type now, and I can even make spreadsheets in Excel." Her face was flushed with excitement.

Fan Debiao flipped through the certificates, his mind racing with thoughts. He knew about Mr. Wu's feelings for Ma Xiaocui from his past life. Although Mr. Wu hadn't shown them yet in this life, he wanted to take precautions.

"When is the accounting certificate exam?" he asked.

"It will take half a year," Ma Xiaocui said, "but the teacher said I can do an internship first."

Fan Debiao closed the certificate: "Okay, then your uncle will find you a place for an internship."

Ma Xiaocui was stunned: "Uncle, can I come to Victoria?"

"Victoria is an entertainment venue, not suitable for young girls," Fan Debiao said bluntly. "I'll find you a proper company where you can learn real skills."

"But I want to be with you..."

"Listen to me," Fan Debiao said firmly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "I'm your uncle, would I harm you?"

Ma Xiaocui pouted, but didn't dare to argue any further.

By 7:30 p.m., the square was already packed with people. It was China's first-ever appearance in the World Cup, and it seemed like the entire Kaiyuan district had gathered at the entrance of Victoria.

Fan Debiao didn't go to the square; he stayed alone in his office and turned on the small TV.

Before the game started, he touched the drawer key. Inside was a lottery ticket, a parlay bet worth ten thousand yuan.

China 0:2 Costa Rica

This is the first match.

The match began, and sounds from the square drifted in through the windows: cheers, sighs, and curses.

In the 17th minute, Costa Rica scored.

A huge sigh came from outside, as if everyone in the square had sighed at the same time.

Fan Debiao lit a cigarette.

The second goal in the 37th minute.

Sighs turned into curses, and someone could be clearly heard shouting, "Do you even know how to play?! I'd play instead!"

The final whistle blew, 0-2.

Fan Debiao stubbed out his cigarette.

The first match, that's right.

Four days later, China faced Brazil.

No one had any hope this time. There were even more people in the square, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed—since they couldn't win anyway, they might as well just watch the show.

0: 4.

Clean and neat.

After watching the game in his office, Fan Debiao opened a drawer and looked at the lottery tickets.

The second one was also correct.

Now there's only one match left—China vs. Türkiye.

If the score remains 0:3, then the lottery ticket can be claimed.

One million two hundred and seventy thousand.

After taxes, there's still over a million left.

More than one million in 2002.

Fan Debiao took a deep breath and locked the drawer.

On the evening of June 12th, at the beer plaza, Awei sat alone at a corner table, drinking.

Fan Debiao came downstairs and saw this, so he went over and sat down: "Tired of doing the accounts?"

"Hmm." Awei poured him a glass. "Mr. Fan, what do you think is the point of living?"

Fan Debiao chuckled: "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"It's just so pointless," Avi said, resting her chin on her hand. "I do the accounts all day, all night, and then I come back to my rented room all alone. What's the point of earning all this money?"

"Just want to live life to the fullest." Fan Debiao clinked glasses with her. "Whether you're rich or poor, you have to live life to the fullest. Take success and failure in stride, and if things don't work out, you can always start over."

Avi laughed: "Are you singing?"

"There's some truth in the song," Fan Debiao said. "You're just too tense. You need to relax, find someone, and stop keeping yourself bottled up all the time."

"Who are you looking for?" Awei looked at him, her eyes slightly unfocused. "Someone like you, already twenty-nine, and still not looking for someone."

Fan Debiao was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "I'm busy with my career."

"I'm busy with my career too," Awei poured herself another glass, her face already flushed. "Mr. Fan, do you think... we're friends?"

"Yes, I do," Fan Debiao said. "Colleagues are also friends."

"That's good." Avi smiled, picked up her glass, and said, "Come on, friend, let's have another one."

Fan Debiao had a drink with her, watched her take a taxi away, and then turned around and walked back.

Gangzi came over from the shed: "Brother Biao, is Sister Wei alright?"

"It's nothing, I just drank too much," Fan Debiao said. "Keep a close eye on things tonight, don't let anything go wrong."

"Understood." Gangzi paused, "Brother Biao, there's something..."

Fan Debiao frowned: "Speak."

"My brother saw Lao Qian hanging around our door these past few days, with two other people, pointing and whispering," Gangzi said. "He's probably up to no good."

Fan Debiao thought for a moment: "Got it. Keep a close eye on things, especially when the show ends at night. If Old Qian dares to cause trouble..."

"Don't worry," Gangzi said. "With me here, he won't cause any trouble."

Fan Debiao patted him on the shoulder: "I trust you to handle things."

Back in his office, Fan Debiao stood by the window. The square was still bustling; match highlights were playing on television, and people were drinking and chatting at every table.

Five days left.

Five days later, everything was different.