Chapter 061: The NM Tournament

This story is purely a work of fiction.

His mouse clicked back and forth across the webpage, yet indecision haunted him. He dreaded that this confirmation might become yet another repeat of a monumental mistake.

It was not until just before the match began that he finally settled on which team to back, placing his stake on the Duelists. He wanted to follow the rules, to trust in the Duelists’ strength, for among the NM teams, the Duelists were nothing short of legendary.

He had meticulously prepared for every contingency—whether his chosen team fell behind or pulled ahead, he had drafted responses for each scenario.

Judging by the over/under line, which was set at two goals, and considering the analyses, it seemed injuries plagued both sides—especially their forwards—dampening their offensive power. Thus, he reasoned, there would not be many goals: either two or fewer, or the match would break wide open with three or more goals. With the over/under set at two, experience had taught him that the total goals would never land exactly on two—a truth that had never failed him.

Due to restrictions on bet amounts, he could only place ten thousand per wager, so before kickoff, he first laid down a single ten-thousand bet. He planned to quickly add two more bets of the same amount as soon as the game started, taking advantage of live betting opportunities. Once he had placed his bets, he pressed his palms together and prayed, “God bless me, God bless me, Amen!” Zhao Ming sat there with his eyes closed.

Meanwhile, in the headquarters tower of MC Entertainment, Will, the chief commander, was overseeing this NM match from his office.

He was completely at ease, occasionally pushing off with his foot to set his swivel chair spinning idly.

Down in the circular lobby, the underlings were on high alert, keeping a close watch on the bets placed on both the Duelists and the Hippies. Each found the situation peculiar: historically, matches between two powerhouse teams always attracted balanced betting on both sides. But today, punters were defying the odds and betting heavily despite the high payouts, which surprised MC’s leadership.

Originally, MC’s headquarters had planned to let this match play out naturally, expecting that when two strong teams met, the braver would triumph. From a logical perspective, the stakes should balance themselves, making manipulation unnecessary.

Will’s secretary reported on the changing bets, adding his own opinion about the match. “Are these people insane or what? Isn’t this just throwing money away?”

Will listened without commenting. “Just focus on the data and keep me updated. For everything else, always choose your words carefully. Understand?”

“Yes, yes, I will be strictly mindful,” the secretary replied meekly.

Will then brought up his video feed, connecting to Ya Ting Gao in the HZ region.

After several beeps, Chairwoman Gao Ya Ting appeared on the screen, as graceful and composed as ever. She smiled and greeted Will, “Hi!”

Will responded gently, “Hi.”

After a few pleasantries, Will inquired with genuine concern about Dahe’s progress. “How have you been lately? How is the business developing?”

Gao Ya Ting tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, pondering for a moment before answering, “Everything is well, and the company is developing smoothly.”

“Right now, Dohao’s business is flourishing. We’ve secured storefronts in Urumqi, Xinjiang, Yinchuan, Ningxia, and throughout the west. Soon, our company will blossom all over the country. You will witness the rise of a lending business thriving across China—you will bear witness to Dohao’s growth!” Her confidence in the company’s prospects was absolute.

“With you at the helm, I have no doubt you’ll succeed. Your achievements are crucial to MC’s own development. Recently, I surveyed several cities in China, and we found that your P2P business model is precisely the supplementary platform we need. You’re pioneering not just nationally, but globally, and I admire that greatly.”

“However,” Will continued, “in the peripheral business sector, several competitors have emerged. We must remain vigilant to prevent our business from bleeding into underground banking. According to our sources, a new betting site called ‘Broadcast’ is gaining ground and threatening to surpass us. Have Dai Yunjie conduct a discreet investigation and identify who is betting on Broadcast. Once we have their IDs, it’ll be easy to draw them into our fold. Commissioner Ma of Dahe Police can handle this. By the way, did you follow through on my suggestion to take care of him?”

“Rest assured, your concerns have been addressed. We handled everything promptly, and matters here in Dahe are under control. As for the recent dip in betting volume here, I’ve already tasked Dai Yunjie with investigating. I’ll inform you as soon as we have results. Thank you for your attention to our work,” Gao Ya Ting replied.

At that moment, Will’s secretary approached and whispered something urgent in his ear. Will nodded gravely, his expression darkening—clearly something pressing required his attention.

He signaled for the secretary to leave, then returned his focus to the video feed. “Dear, how are Dahe’s bets for today’s NM match?”

After Will’s call, she took the report her secretary had prepared, analyzed the situation, and dialed Yunjie’s number.

Yunjie answered and entered Gao Ya Ting’s office.

“Will from headquarters just called to say that our region’s betting volume has dropped sharply. Go investigate this Broadcast betting site and find out who is placing bets there. Report back once you have details.”

Upon receiving her instructions, Yunjie immediately left to begin his work.

Gao Ya Ting picked up her mouse and, opening another computer on her desk, logged on to the betting website. She observed the betting trends while replying to Will on the screen: “All is well here. The bets on both sides are roughly balanced. HZ’s total stands at about three hundred million—down by two hundred million from our usual five hundred million per match. Since it’s a level handicap, we’re indifferent to the outcome. Why, is there something unusual?”

“Yes,” Will replied, “on the Crown betting site, a huge volume is pouring in on the Duelists. Earlier, I noticed the Duelists attracting far more bets. If they win, our losses could be massive—at least two hundred million if we don’t intervene.”

“We have no choice but to take action. Although I spoke with the Duelists’ chairman yesterday, asking them to bench their forwards under the pretense of injuries and avoid scoring for at least ninety minutes, we’ve also arranged for a defensive mistake to let the opponents score. But there’s a problem: the Hippies’ striker has been in poor form lately—even if the Duelists’ defense eases up, the Hippies may not be able to score. That’s my main concern. We’ll just have to wait and see.” Will spoke in a hushed tone, as if afraid of being overheard. “Let’s leave it at that for now. The match has already begun, and what I’ve said must remain strictly confidential.”

“Understood,” replied Gao Ya Ting, ending the call.

In the internet café, Zhao Ming could hardly contain his impatience as he waited for the game to start. He longed for a satisfactory ending to this match; he no longer had time to recover his losses, nor the resilience to endure the torment any longer. While his companions enjoyed themselves, this stretch of his journey felt more like a grave.

At kickoff, he immediately checked the live odds. Seeing the Duelists’ payout rising, he seized the opportunity and placed two more quick bets of ten thousand each, bringing his total to thirty thousand—so fast it was almost unimaginable. He felt that even a moment’s hesitation would cost him a fleeting chance.

He expected few goals in the match, so nearly ten minutes in—when the odds reached 1.05—he staked ten thousand on the under, aiming for a possible win of 10,500. Smiling to himself, he leaned back, closed his eyes, and waited for the good news, hoping for the sudden sound of the referee’s whistle signaling a goal.

The Duelists played with poise and strategy, controlling over sixty percent of possession, which reassured him. He thought it was only a matter of time before they scored. They dominated the field, while the Hippies could only defend.

As the first half drew to a close, however, the Duelists’ shots lost their precision, none finding the target. Their fans sighed in disappointment.

The half-time whistle blew, and the score remained zero to zero.

(To be continued)