Chapter 78: The Deadly Tournament

This story is purely a work of fiction.

“Is he working overtime? Why don’t you check? I agree, he’s been doing it a bit too often lately. Here’s what you should do: call his workplace and ask his colleagues if there’s any sports broadcast scheduled tonight.” Dujuan’s mother offered her suggestion.

Dujuan didn’t even bother drying her hair, hurrying to the telephone and dialing the number.

Zhaoming was in his office, engrossed in analyzing a football match scheduled for the evening at the Dahe Club. He was busy assessing the teams’ prospects, recording notes in his notebook: the history of their encounters, odds for wins and losses, the current betting lines, and so on.

He was completely absorbed in his work.

In Xiaobianzi’s office, the phone kept ringing. The first call went unanswered, but after a brief pause, the ringing resumed.

“Who keeps calling at this hour? It’s really annoying,” Xiaobianzi muttered as he set aside his work to answer.

Dujuan tried twice, but no one picked up. Frustrated, she said, “There’s no one in the office,” and prepared to go to Zhaoming’s workplace to see for herself.

Just as she was about to leave, the phone rang again.

She glanced at the phone, its ringing persistent, then strode over and picked up the receiver without speaking.

“I was busy just now—who’s calling? Is there something you need?” Xiaobianzi asked.

Recognizing Xiaobianzi’s voice, Dujuan quickly replied, “Nothing special, just wanted to ask if there are any tickets for tonight’s football match at the Sports Center.”

Hearing it was the director’s wife, Xiaobianzi hurried to answer, “Oh, it’s you, ma’am—I wondered who it was. I’m afraid all the tickets have already been distributed a few days ago. Director Chi and I are about to leave for the Sports Center. Would you like to speak to him?”

“No, no, I was just asking,” Dujuan replied quickly.

At that moment, Zhaoming arrived at Xiaobianzi’s office.

Seeing him, Xiaobianzi said, “Just a moment, Director Chi is here now,” and handed him the phone.

“Who’s calling?” Zhaoming asked, taking the receiver.

“It’s the secretary,” Xiaobianzi replied with a smile.

Hearing it was Dujuan, Zhaoming said, “Didn’t I just call home? I’m about to head out to the Sports Center.”

“I know you’re going—it’s just that I wanted to ask about tickets, so I called Xiaobianzi,” Dujuan answered.

“If you need anything, just call me directly. Why do you want tickets? You never liked football,” Zhaoming asked.

“My colleague wants to attend, is that not allowed?” Dujuan retorted, quick-witted.

“It’s not that you can’t, but if you wanted tickets, you should’ve told me earlier! The match is about to start and I have no way to get them now,” Zhaoming said, feeling somewhat troubled.

“It’s fine, no tickets is no big deal,” Dujuan said, preparing to hang up. Then she reminded him, “Finish your work and come home early—don’t always go out for drinks after the broadcasts. Every time you come home late, it’s hard for anyone to sleep peacefully. Wu Zhengzhe has been picking up Xiyu from school these days. It’s not right to always rely on others.”

“Alright, I understand. Zhengzhe said he’s free these days, and you and I are both busy, so he’s helping out for a few days. When I have more time, I’ll take over again. Things really are a bit chaotic now,” Zhaoming replied, feigning busyness.

“Busy or not, don’t always depend on others for family matters. That’s all, you get back to work,” Dujuan said, then hung up.

After putting down the phone, Zhaoming’s attention returned to the Dahe Club football match.

His expression was grave, his brows tight with concern. None of the matches seemed reassuring to him. What baffled him was that the results of the games he bet on always defied his expectations.

The hole he dug for himself kept getting deeper, so deep that he could no longer escape the fate of constantly paying for his bets. Naturally, his mood never improved. He thought, “Tonight’s Dahe match is a good chance to recover.” At least, being at the venue, he felt he could seize the opportunity better. If he didn’t make a solid win this time, he wouldn’t be able to manage the repayments due on Monday!

Chi Zhaoming planned to use his status as a journalist to access the club’s tactics during halftime, hoping to glean valuable information for his bets. Watching and betting simultaneously—what could be more exhilarating? A smug smile appeared on his face.

Seeing the director lost in thought, Xiaobianzi called out, “Director, we should go. The broadcast van is waiting outside for us.”

Zhaoming snapped back to reality. “Oh, right. You go ahead, I’ll be there in a moment,” he said, returning to his office to gather his equipment.

With three hours still to go before the Dahe team’s top-tier league match, everyone at the club was busy with preparations.

When Hao Benshan first took office, he invited celebrities from City H to watch. His team inexplicably lost the game. To Hao Benshan, that wasn’t just a normal defeat—it was a loss of face and status among his City H friends. In the second match, which was a relegation battle against the defending champions, three points were within reach but abruptly lost, forcing a rematch another day. Today, he could find no reason for his team to lose, so he issued a command: victory was mandatory.

Hao Benshan blamed the club manager for not accepting his recommendations for the starting lineup, and he resented Coach Nian Weiyi for not devising thorough tactical plans. These failures led to defeat, costing him his reputation and robbing him of restful sleep and satisfying meals for days.

He had confronted Coach Nian Weiyi, questioning why the coach insisted on starting his son, whose performance on the field was like sleepwalking.

“People are criticizing your son’s performance, asking why good players aren’t in the starting lineup, but the coach’s son is. The result? It’s an embarrassment.”

Coach Nian Weiyi recalled Hao Benshan’s dissatisfaction and harsh words, shaking his head in silence.

After Hao Benshan left, Nian Weiyi muttered to himself, “Ah, pitiful! You don’t understand football at all, yet you lecture me about who should play. After tonight’s match, we might both have to say goodbye to football!”

At MC Entertainment Center, Will was busy contacting clubs across the region.

Two days ago, Will had already discussed matters with Dahe Club officials, except for Hao Benshan, but he couldn’t help worrying about tonight’s match—afraid it would turn out as unexpectedly as last time. He called Dahe’s general manager.

“Tonight, all bets are placed on your club. The total wager has reached nearly a hundred million, while your opponents only have twenty million. The disparity is clear. We know your team is far superior, and since you lost your opening match, Hao Benshan thinks the club cost him face and now demands victory to restore it.

“Everyone expects your win, which will help Hao Benshan recover some dignity. I understand you want to win. But last time’s mishap was just an accident—your general manager hid things from the top leadership, causing the company to lose thirty million. To cover that hole, I agreed to give you a chance to recover your capital. Remember: it’s a hundred million. Such opportunities are rare. You must follow MC’s instructions strictly. Don’t let another accident happen, or you’ll face disaster. Understood?”

Coach Nian, aware that his son caused the company’s thirty-million loss, was grateful for this chance, but suspected that after tonight, leaving the club was inevitable.

In football, no head coach is ignorant. He knew each match involved tens or hundreds of millions in wagers. If something unexpected happened, a small club couldn’t bear the consequences.

Fortunately, Hao Benshan’s debut mishap was merely due to players participating in unauthorized bets, so far unnoticed by Hao Benshan regarding any club irregularities. He quickly replied, “Don’t worry, we’ll follow your instructions.”

Dahe TV was preparing its broadcast. Chi Zhaoming sat beside his laptop, watching closely.

He monitored Dahe’s betting odds, which fluctuated for a half-one handicap. For most bettors, Dahe’s win seemed inevitable. With a half-one handicap, the highest odds Dahe offered were 1.26; if winning by half, only 0.63; and if winning by one goal, halved to just 0.3. (To be continued.)