Still unwilling to give up, Huang Kaiwen specifically consulted the lawyer Sampaoli, who had given him his phone number.
Sampaoli reminded him that although placing a bet could get him suspended, if he won too much, the betting company might find an excuse to take him to court and refuse to pay.
Hearing that, his heart sank. He knew he was never going to get his hands on that 10 billion.
Forget being a time traveler—even if he could travel through time ten times, he still wouldn't be able to stay unmoved in the face of 10 billion in 2004.
Fortunately, he was reasonably clearheaded. Someone else might have decided to go all in, figuring they could always retire afterward. But Huang Kaiwen's rational side told him that doing so would only cost him 12 million euros.
Seeing the disappointment on Huang Kaiwen's face, Barbara felt a little sorry for him.
But in Europe, even after a couple got married, their finances were often kept separate.
Thinking of how Huang Kaiwen had been both gentle and rough with her these past few days, she couldn't help gritting her teeth before asking, "Are you really that confident in Greece?"
"Mm!"
Huang Kaiwen nodded emphatically.
"All right, then. Wait here."
Barbara got out of the car and headed for the betting shop. Soon, chaos erupted inside.
Huang Kaiwen was humming in the car. He didn't know how long it had been before Barbara finally opened the door and showed him the betting slip in her hand.
"This is the pocket money I've saved over the years—2.2 million euros. Now I'm completely broke, so I can only spend your money." Barbara banged her head against the steering wheel and cried hysterically, "I must be crazy to do something like this!"
Huang Kaiwen had thought Barbara might place a bet of ten or twenty thousand. He hadn't expected her to go all in.
He pulled the young lady into his arms and kissed her, only stopping when Barbara started hitting him with her hand.
"Don't worry. I'll pay for everything until you become a billionaire."
Barbara's cheeks were flushed, but when she saw Huang Kaiwen hand her his bank card, she felt a lot better.
Huang Kaiwen was in a great mood too.
Even though Barbara had placed the bet, what was hers was his. Huang was likely to enjoy eating off her for years to come. It looked like he'd be sticking to this path for good.
They'd only known each other for a few days, yet the young lady had listened to him and spent more than two million. That was a remarkable level of trust.
When they got home, Barbara returned the bank card to him. The young lady had her own credit cards, after all, and she'd joined old Berlusconi's company as soon as she came of age. She was a company director, with both a salary and a share of the profits.
The First Daughter had also established a charitable organization, but her crowd of rich kids had turned it into a place to gather and have fun. Even so, she had considerable influence among Milan's second-generation elite.
You could say she'd been born at the finish line for countless people. Born in Milan, she had in fact been born in "Roma."
Even so, her trust moved Huang Kaiwen deeply.
And then he repaid her properly.
Over the next few days, they went out to meet friends with Barbara, but otherwise spent their time glued to each other at home.
In the end, Barbara had to beg him before Huang Kaiwen bought a game console, so they wouldn't spend every waking moment in the bedroom.
On June 12, 2004, six days after Huang Kaiwen's San Siro debut, the European Championship in Portugal finally kicked off.
Greece beat the hosts, Portugal, 2–1 at Estádio do Dragão in Lisbon, making Barbara extremely happy.
Four days later, Greece held Spain, a formidable team, to a 1–1 draw at Estádio do Bessa. It was a pleasant surprise for Greek fans, but Barbara was worried.
Her little nest egg was riding on Greece.
One win and one draw still weren't enough to guarantee they'd advance from the group.
To forget her worries, she drank milk again that night to help her sleep.
Even worse, somehow La Gazzetta dello Sport found out about it and mocked Barbara mercilessly in the paper.
"The daughter of Milan's owner, our Barbara, has decided to back Greece to win the tournament. Unfortunately, this team doesn't stand a chance. Even a man as wealthy as Berlusconi can't bear to have a daughter like this. He should start thinking about a successor."
Barbara was soon summoned home by Berlusconi.
Six days later, Greece lost 2–1 to Russia, which was even harder for Barbara to accept.
The 2.2 million didn't mean much to her, but she couldn't bear being branded an "idiot."
Fortunately, Russia and Spain both performed poorly in the same group, and Greece advanced in second place.
When Greece coach Rehhagel heard that Milan's young lady had bet 2.2 million on Greece to win, he was shocked. "We certainly hope to achieve good results, and we're very grateful for Miss Berlusconi's support. She'll always be a friend of Greece."
"King Otto" himself didn't believe Greece could win the tournament.
What he meant was that since this rich fool had spent so much money, the Greeks would surely show her some goodwill.
The Greek authorities also expressed their gratitude to Barbara.
She had supported them with real money, after all.
And Greece's opponent in the quarterfinals was the formidable France National Team.
The team boasted countless superstars, including Zidane, Henry, Trezeguet, Barthez, Pires, Lizarazu, Makelele, Thuram, and Vieira.
It was a team with virtually no weaknesses and a star-studded lineup, arguably the most formidable in the tournament.
The outside world had been writing Greece off all along.
Once the match began, France controlled the game, but Greece's counterattacks were sharp. In fact, France didn't manage a single shot in the first twenty minutes.
From the 21st minute onward, France mounted attacks of their own, but they still couldn't break through Greece's defense.
After halftime, France stepped up the pressure. Henry failed to score with two shots, and one minute after the opposing goalkeeper caught his second attempt, Greece scored. In the 65th minute, Zagorakis flicked the ball past Lizarazu on the right and sent in a cross. With no one in front of the French goal, Charisteas was left unmarked and easily headed it home!
France brought on Saha and Wiltord to strengthen their attack, but Henry, Saha, and Zidane all failed to trouble the Greek defense with their shots. France ultimately lost 1–0 and were eliminated, in what became the third-biggest upset of the tournament, after Portugal's loss to Greece and Germany's draw with Latvia!
After seeing the result, an elated Barbara left home and went back to the villa Huang Kaiwen was renting. It was another day of battle.
Who could have imagined that Greece would eliminate France, who had topped their group?
Early the next morning, the tone of the coverage in La Gazzetta dello Sport had completely changed.
"Greece have eliminated France. They showed tremendous determination and deserved this result, though France were certainly unlucky in this match. Otherwise, the Greeks wouldn't have had the last laugh. Reaching the semifinals is already a fine achievement, and Greece should be satisfied. They should also thank Barbara for supporting them."
Greece's opponent in the semifinals would be the Czech National Team.
They weren't an absolute powerhouse, but they were still a lot stronger than Greece.
The Czech National Team had performed very well since the European Championship began, and the whole world expected them to send Greece home.
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