The Magical Greece National Team

Huang Kaiwen, unwilling to give up, specifically consulted with the lawyer Sampaoli who had left him a phone number.

Sampaoli reminded him that while betting might lead to a suspension, if the winnings were too large, the bookmakers would find excuses to file lawsuits and refuse to pay.

Hearing this, his heart sank; he knew his 10 billion was out of reach.

Never mind a transmigrator, even if he had transmigrated ten times, he could not remain indifferent to 10 billion in 2004.

Fortunately, he was still rational. If it were someone else, they might have chosen to force the bet and retire if necessary. But Huang Kaiwen's reason told him that doing so would only cost him 12 million euros.

Seeing Huang Kaiwen's disappointed expression, Barbara felt a pang of sympathy.

However, in Europe, even after marriage, a couple's finances are often kept separate.

Thinking of Huang Kaiwen's tenderness and roughness over the past few days, she couldn't help but grit her teeth and say, "Do you really believe in Greece that much?"

"Yes!"

Huang Kaiwen nodded firmly.

"Alright then, wait for me."

Barbara got out of the car and walked toward the betting shop. Soon, the shop was in an uproar.

Huang Kaiwen, humming in the car, didn't know how much time had passed before Barbara pulled the door open and flashed the betting slip in her hand.

"The pocket money I've saved over the years, 2.2 million euros. Now I'm penniless and can only spend your money," Barbara said, banging her head against the steering wheel and screaming hysterically, "I must be crazy to be doing this!"

Huang Kaiwen had thought Barbara went to bet a few thousand, never expecting her to go all-in.

He immediately wrapped his arms around the young lady's neck and kissed her, only letting go when Barbara started patting him with her hands.

"Don't worry, you'll be spending my money until you become a billionaire."

Seeing the bank card Huang Kaiwen handed over, a blushing Barbara felt much better.

Huang Kaiwen was also in a very good mood.

Although it was Barbara who placed the bet, wasn't what was hers also his? It seemed he would be eating this "soft rice" with increasing satisfaction; it looked like he was going to stick with this path to the end.

They had only known each other for a few days, yet the young lady had listened to him and spent over 2 million—this was truly an extraordinary level of trust.

After returning home, Barbara gave the bank card back to him because she still had her credit cards. Furthermore, she had joined Berlusconi's company as soon as she came of age and was even a board member, receiving both a salary and dividends.

The first daughter had also established a charity organization, though it had been turned into a hangout spot by their group of second-generation elites. Still, among the second-generation in Milan, her influence was quite significant.

It could be said that she was born at the finish line that many others spent their lives chasing; born in Milan, she was effectively in "Rome."

Yet, even so, her trust moved Huang Kaiwen deeply.

He then rewarded her well.

Over the next few days, aside from going out to see friends with Barbara, the two of them were inseparable at home.

In the end, it was only after Barbara begged for mercy that Huang Kaiwen bought a game console, allowing them to stop staying in the bedroom all day.

On June 12, 2004, six days after Huang Kaiwen's debut at the San Siro, the UEFA European Championship in Portugal finally kicked off.

Greece defeated the hosts, Portugal, 2:1 at the Estádio do Dragão in Lisbon, which made Barbara very happy.

Four days later, Greece held the formidable Spain to a 1:1 draw at the Estádio do Bessa. For Greek fans, it was a pleasant surprise, but Barbara was filled with anxiety.

Her little treasury was riding on Greece, after all.

One win and one draw were not even enough to guarantee a spot in the knockout stage.

To forget her worries, the night was once again spent drinking milk to help her sleep.

What was even worse was that, for some reason, La Gazzetta dello Sport found out about the matter and began mocking Barbara relentlessly in their paper.

"The daughter of the Milan boss, our Barbara, has decided to support Greece to win the title. Unfortunately, this team has no chance. With Berlusconi's net worth, having a daughter like this is hard to bear; Berlusconi should consider the issue of a successor sooner."

Barbara was quickly called home by Berlusconi.

Six days later, Greece lost 1:2 to Russia, which was even harder for Barbara to accept.

2.2 million didn't mean much to her, but she couldn't accept being labeled a "fool."

Fortunately, Russia and Spain performed poorly in the same group, and Greece advanced as the group runner-up.

When Greece's head coach, Rehhagel, heard that the young lady of Milan had bet 2.2 million on Greece to win, he expressed his shock: "We certainly want to achieve good results, and we are very grateful for the support of Ms. Berlusconi. She is a forever friend of Greece."

Even "King Otto" himself didn't believe Greece could win the title.

His implication was that since such a big spender had put up so much money, the Greeks would certainly show some goodwill.

The Greek authorities also expressed their gratitude to Barbara.

After all, she was supporting them with real money.

One must know that Greece's opponent in the quarterfinals was the powerful France.

This team possessed countless superstars like Zidane, Henry, Trezeguet, Barthez, Pires, Lizarazu, Makelele, Thuram, and Vieira.

It was a team with almost no weaknesses and was star-studded, arguably the most luxurious lineup in this European Championship.

The outside world had consistently looked down on Greece.

After the match started, France firmly controlled the situation, but Greece's counterattacks were sharp. In fact, France didn't have a single shot in the first 20 minutes.

Starting in the 21st minute, France launched a counter-offensive, but they were unable to break through Greece's goal.

After halftime, France strengthened their attack, but two shots from Henry yielded nothing. Just one minute after Henry's second shot was caught by the opposing goalkeeper, Greece scored. In the 65th minute, Zagorakis chipped the ball over Lizarazu on the right flank and sent in a cross. With no one in front of the French goal, Charisteas easily headed the ball into the net while completely unmarked!

Trailing, France brought on Saha and Wiltord to bolster their attack, but subsequent shots from Henry, Saha, and Zidane failed to pose a threat. In the end, France lost 0:1 and was eliminated, marking the third major upset after Portugal's loss to Greece and Germany's draw with Latvia!

Upon seeing the match result, an excited Barbara ran away from home and returned to the villa Huang Kaiwen was renting, leading to another day of "warfare."

Who could have imagined that Greece would eliminate France, who had advanced as the group winner?

The next morning, the tone of the reports in La Gazzetta dello Sport had changed.

"Greece eliminated France; they displayed tenacious willpower and deserve this result. However, France truly lacked luck in this match, otherwise, the Greeks would not have had the last laugh. Reaching the semifinals is already a good result; the Greeks should be satisfied. They should also thank Barbara for her support."

In the semifinals, Greece's upcoming opponent was the Czech Republic.

They weren't invincible, but they were significantly stronger than Greece.

The Czech Republic had performed very well since the start of the European Championship, and the whole world expected them to send Greece home.