Chapter 8: Fleecing Sheep Slowly

Warren: "Oh my God, who is that black guy? I'm going to hang his portrait on my wall and pray to him every day!"

Billy: "I declare that God is black!"

After all, a person who helped you make 200 million dollars can well be called God.

Judy: "Don't celebrate too early, the match isn't over yet. We need to pray that it ends this way. I can already see '00 million' waving at me."

Beverly Hills, the Cooper family home.

"Yes!"

The moment Senegal scored, Eric jumped up from the couch and downed a bottle of beer.

"Eric, what are you doing?" his mother asked in surprise.

"Nothing, it was just a goal, and I got a bit too excited."

"Don't do that, dear, you just got out of the hospital, take care of yourself."

"Don't worry, Mom, I'm fine."

This goal was exactly as he remembered, and the match up to that point had also gone according to his memories. If everything went smoothly from here, he could proceed with his plan.

The game continued, and the five of them were intently watching the screen, hoping time would pass quickly and the match would end soon.

Suddenly, a black player from the French team began a swift attack, shooting towards the goal despite being surrounded by Senegalese defenders.

"God, don't let him score!"

"Damn it, what are you doing!"

"Oh, this n*****, he's going to score!"

Just moments ago, these guys were calling black players gods, and now they had turned into n******, fully demonstrating how quickly their moods changed.

Translator's Note: These are not my words. That's how it was in the original.: 

Eric held his breath and watched the TV closely.

Boom!

The shot seemed to hit them right in the hearts, but the ball struck the post and bounced away.

"Wò cáo, excellent!"

Translator's Note: 卧槽 (Wò cáo) – Shit

Eric swore in Chinese, drawing his mother's attention. Meanwhile, prayers and curses continued in the MSN chat.

Fortunately, the rest of the game passed without incident. The final whistle blew, and the match ended with a 1:0 victory for Senegal.

This game was a sensation, shocking the world and leaving many bettors penniless.

Curses towards the French team were heard worldwide.

The MSN chat exploded with messages.

Bordeaux: "Is it over? They're shaking hands. Does that mean the match is over?"

Billy: "Of course, look at the time, the match is over."

Warren: "Oh my God, that was the most intense match I've ever seen. My heart is about to explode. I'm going to eat to calm down."

Judy: "Senegal really won. Eric, you bastard, you were right."

With the burden lifted, Eric felt incredibly hungry. He grabbed some food from the fridge and started eating, typing on the keyboard: "Now do you believe me? If you have extra money, you can bet with me, guaranteed not to lose."

Judy: "Fuck! That was a 19-fold win, you bastard, you're going to own 190 million dollars soon."

Warren: "And that's in just 100 minutes. Eric, my brother, from now on, I'll bet on whatever you bet on. I have 1000 dollars, and that money is at your disposal."

Eric was in a great mood. The match result remained unchanged, as did the schedule, which meant his knowledge of the future was still accurate. That was the most important thing.

Eric: "Alright, you bastards, did you enjoy the roller coaster? We've got more ahead, but before we continue, let's have a good celebration. It's on me!"

Judy: "Yes! I've been waiting for those words. If I weren't interested in women, I'd send you my nudes to show you how wet I got from excitement."

Bordeaux: "Eric, I can also send you my nudes."

Eric sent a vomiting emoji: "Bordeaux, you should check your mental health."

Bordeaux also sent a vomiting emoji: "Damn, I've been hanging out with the Brits a lot lately, and now I feel like people are looking at me with bad intentions."

Billy: "Then be careful. I don't want your parents to find out you've become gay. In Texas, they might shoot you for that."

After the chat ended, Eric looked at his father, who was standing on the balcony talking on the phone, presumably about work.

At that moment, he wanted to see "Whispers with the Wind" fail after its release. In his past life, he had read about it in newspapers and seen something online, but he didn't know the exact numbers. MGM lost a lot, but how much exactly was unclear, as information wasn't as accessible back then.

Eric hoped the losses would be significant, which would make the acquisition process easier for him.

After finishing his phone call, Charlie returned to the living room with a grim face.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"Problems with the release of 'Whispers with the Wind.' Some theaters are expressing dissatisfaction with the number of screenings," he said through clenched teeth.

"What? These issues still haven't been resolved?"

"Everything was agreed upon, but those bastards heard that the preliminary screenings of 'Whispers with the Wind' were unsuccessful, so they changed their minds," his father replied angrily.

Eric frowned. In the '00s, such information usually didn't leak out.

Preliminary screenings were typically held for company executives and specialists without media involvement. Even if something leaked, it only concerned major blockbusters from directors like Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg. But John Woo and "Whispers with the Wind" didn't fit that level.

If the problem wasn't external, it had to be internal. Eric, who had been an assistant director in his past life and worked in the industry for over ten years, knew that internal conflicts often occurred within companies.

"Dad, it looks like someone at MGM is unhappy with you."

"I know who it is. They just want me gone, damned parasites!" Charlie said with a dark face.

Eric smiled:

"Don't worry. Look at it this way: the more they fuss, the more problems MGM has. This big ship has been sinking for a long time, and the only way to save it is to change the captain. Let them do what they want. The worse the results of 'Whispers with the Wind,' the easier it will be for us to buy them, right?"

Charlie just sighed. He knew his son dreamed of buying MGM, but it was unrealistic. Young people had to face reality to understand that there are no easy paths in life.

Eric didn't place bets on the next matches. He understood that it wasn't worth rushing and taking risks. He needed to act cautiously to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.