I Came, I Saw, I Conquered!

I Came, I Saw, I Conquered! Chapter Thirteen: $40 Million! Charlotte, Stonehaven Community. "Of course. He's my player, and I even relied on him to win money." Zhang Yu smiled. "I came across a very good investment opportunity before, and now I've received the returns." Zhang Yu said it lightly. Familiar with the route, Zhang Yu arrived at the inpatient department, registered at the front desk, and the nurse on duty, already very familiar with him, specifically asked, "Have you eaten? Would you like something to eat?" Sonya greeted him warmly. Curry still wanted to spend more time with Zhang Yu, but under Dell's gentle yet stern gaze, he could only take his gear with Seth and head to school for practice. Zhang Yu waited for a while before pushing the door open and entering. Under the sun's scorching heat, even the summer wind was hot. Even in this leafy, upscale community, few people remained on the streets. Only a few pet dogs lay lazily in their yards with their tongues hanging out, watching their owners slowly back their cars out of the garages and onto the road. But Zidane being sent off in the World Cup final was still a low-probability event. Although the odds varied from company to company, the average was an astonishing forty-to-one. "School's out, and team training has been suspended too. I went to Las Vegas for a few days," Zhang Yu said. Curry's home stood on the eastern side of the community. It was a three-story American house painted pure white. When he saw someone enter, he rose to greet him. Curry's face flushed awkwardly. He hurriedly pulled Seth aside and roared in a furious whisper, "Thank Zidane!" "Sorry, I need to take a call. You two chat first." Zhang Yu got out of the taxi, walked into the hospital, and carried several nutritional supplements in his hand. Sonya was busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the family. Suddenly, a crisp doorbell rang. Sonya looked at her two sons. Curry and Seth exchanged glances, and Curry spoke first. Curry was extremely pleased. The hundred dollars he had saved by drinking coffee with the coach had been well worth it! Since he had placed his bets separately, each wager was small enough not to attract the gambling companies' attention. "Coach, is Las Vegas fun? Is it really built in the desert?" Curry asked curiously. He had only heard of Las Vegas, but had never been there. The Curry family sat down again, while Sonya went to the kitchen to fry bacon and sausages for Zhang Yu. For the past two months, Zhang Yu had visited Rickert every week. Except for the period when he went to Las Vegas, he had never missed a visit. "Stephen, Seth, come eat! Siddell, wash your hands first!" Sonya shouted. "I opened the door last time. This time it's your turn." "I'm Ronan Zhang." The young man smiled. Dell turned to the sports section. He merely skimmed the World Cup news before focusing his attention on reports about the NBA. After a chaotic commotion, all five family members sat at the dining table and began breakfast. "Ding—" "I'm here to repay the money today. You helped me out tremendously." When he saw someone enter, he rose to greet him. "Coach, I'm not disturbing you, am I?" "Sure. I just flew in from Las Vegas and haven't eaten yet. You know, airplane food isn't fit for human consumption." Zhang Yu did not stand on ceremony. He went straight to the dining table and sat down. Dell slowly drank a glass of milk with his right hand while flipping through the Charlotte Observer with his left. It was his habit every morning. Three days earlier, he had returned from Charlotte to Indiana. Today was Saturday, the day he routinely visited Rickert. "Sorry, I need to take a call. You two chat first." After they left, Zhang Yu took out a check he had already filled out and handed it to Dell. Curry glanced awkwardly at Seth and hurriedly pulled him aside, growling in a furious whisper. Zhang Yu looked at Curry with an amused smile. "Stephen, where do you think you're going?" Sonya called loudly. "The newspaper reports that the Italian team, recently crowned champions of the German World Cup, returned home on a special flight. Their plane landed at Rome Fiumicino International Airport, where Italian fans warmly welcomed them. The airport was surrounded by crowds waiting to greet them. Materazzi, the Italian defender who had provoked Zidane into headbutting him during the match and earned a red card, thereby becoming the subject of much controversy, received enthusiastic cheers from the fans..." "I owe you a favor. If you ever need help, just ask." This was a private room, decorated in a plain, clean white style that was ideal for a patient's recovery. Rickert lay on the hospital bed with his arm wrapped in bandages, wearing blue-and-white striped patient clothes. Zhang Yu arrived outside Rickert's room and gently knocked on the door. Looking at this face, so familiar from his previous life yet now as youthful as Curry's, Zhang Yu felt a wave of warmth and familiarity. "Are you feeling better?" "Uh, nothing. I was just asking," Curry said softly. "You are..." Seth asked疑uously. "Are you Coach Ronan?" "Coach!" Curry heard the familiar voice. He shoved his chair aside with a clatter, shouted, and ran toward the door. "Ding—" His flight had been at 5:30 in the morning, and he had eaten nothing after getting up, leaving his stomach completely empty. Beside the bed sat a middle-aged man in a silver-gray suit. He was thin, with neatly combed-back hair, a hooked nose, and sharply defined features. He looked to be around forty and radiated an air of refined elegance. "Sure. I just flew in from Las Vegas and haven't eaten yet. You know, airplane food isn't fit for human consumption." Zhang Yu sat down at the table without hesitation. "Ronan, you came," Rickert said with a smile. "Let me introduce you. This is my old friend, Markbaum. Mark, this is Ronan Zhang, the new head coach of the Bulldogs I often tell you about—and the man who saved my life." "The coach's here!" "You're Ronan Coach?" "More precisely, Coach Zhang. You're Seth, right?" "Nice to meet you. Thank you so much for not abandoning Todd back then. Otherwise, I might have lost an old friend." "That was what I should have done. Without a coach, I wouldn't be where I am today," Zhang Yu said with a smile. "It really was a good opportunity, but only for me." He added silently, Of course, even if he bet with one company and raked in forty million dollars, the gambling company wouldn't refuse to pay. But that would attract far too much attention. After the final, Zhang Yu spent an entire day collecting his stake and winnings. The money in his hands suddenly soared to forty million dollars! After receiving the forty million dollars, Zhang Yu immediately booked a flight to Charlotte to repay Dell. Dell accepted the check and saw that it was for one million dollars. "You used it up so quickly?" he cried out. Dell was extremely surprised. The repayment deadline on the IOU had been one year. "Come in," a slightly deep voice called from inside. "Mr. Rickert is in the room. You can go straight in." "I came to see Stephen, of course—and because the month is up." Zhang Yu winked at Dell and walked into the house. "Take good care of Stephen," Dell said. "You went to Las Vegas?" Dell asked. "Yes. It opened my eyes," Zhang Yu replied. "I'm here to repay the money today. You helped me out tremendously." "Have you eaten? Would you like something?" Sonya asked warmly. "Stephen is your biggest fan. He always says you're the best coach and suggests that I attend Butler University someday," Seth said. "But I just helped Mom with the housework!" Seth immediately protested. "Do you still want ice cream later?!" "Who bought you ice cream yesterday? Do you still want to eat it?" Curry whispered. "You boys go practice at school." "Sorry, I need to take a call. You two chat first." "Thank Zidane!" "You're the new coach of the Bulldogs?" "Please come in." A somewhat deep voice sounded. "Ronan, what brings you to Charlotte?" Dell put down his newspaper and rose to greet him. "I came to see Stephen, of course—and because the month is up." Zhang Yu winked at Dell and entered the house. Markbaum looked Zhang Yu over and extended his hand. "It really was a good opportunity, but only for me." He added silently. Markbaum was about to say something when his phone rang. He took it out, glanced at the screen, and said apologetically, "Sorry, I need to take this call." "You boys go practice at school." "Coach, did I interrupt you?" "That's what I should have done. Without a coach, I wouldn't be where I am today." "Thank you," Zhang Yu said politely. "Of course. He's my player, and I even relied on him to win money." Zhang Yu smiled. "Zidane had a bad temper; everyone knew that. In Zhang Yu's previous life, Zidane had received fourteen red cards over his entire career—more than the famous midfield enforcer Roy Keane." "Why not the Philadelphia 76ers? Because there's a nonhuman creature on the team." This was a comprehensive medical and surgical institution with 1,407 beds. It had consistently ranked among the best hospitals in the United States and was well known worldwide, making it the first choice for Indiana residents seeking medical care. Rickert had been treated at this hospital ever since his car accident.