For several consecutive days, Mian Mian hadn't seen Yun Buji. She had sent him a message to inquire about his situation, but unfortunately, he hadn't replied. Mian Mian was a bit worried about him. She knew her behavior was perhaps a little odd; he was free and could go wherever he pleased, but he had no home. Where could he possibly go alone?
At this moment, Yun Buji was in a secluded environment where mobile phones were not allowed. The only things he carried with him were a few junior high school textbooks, though he didn't understand them at all. So, he started memorizing Chinese prose, one passage per day. Yun Buji suddenly discovered he was remarkably quick at memorizing; he could usually recite it after reading it three times. Thus, he memorized texts while competing. His basketball skills were invincible, or at least, he felt no one could surpass him. However, he dared not win too often, understanding the principle of "the tallest tree catches the wind." Consequently, he would often feign a loss in a few matches, ignoring any ridicule and proceeding as usual.
He didn't stand out significantly, but he always managed to pass by one or two winning shots, advancing until the finals. By then, everyone realized that the middle school boy who had always performed averagely had actually reached the finals.
This kind of private betting had many participants, so the outcomes were almost predetermined. The bookmakers would certainly not lose money.
Upon reaching the finals, every contestant was closely watched. The bookmakers absolutely could not tolerate any surprises.
Therefore, Yun Buji was also put under surveillance. Sometimes, for the sake of match outcomes, accidents were not uncommon!
Diarrhea was a minor issue; broken limbs were considered normal. The most severe cases involved deaths before the final match.
Thus, when Yun Buji proposed to participate, Zhou Hao resolutely opposed it because such competitions were too dangerous!
In the evening, Yun Buji was memorizing texts when there was a knock on his door. He opened it to see the person in charge of the competition. The man said he wanted to have a chat with him. Yun Buji smiled and invited him in. The man also brought food and wine. Yun Buji's eyes darkened. He knew that he was probably in a bit of trouble this time; they wanted him to lose.
Yun Buji didn't expose them. His people were now in their hands, and confronting them would be of no benefit. So, he pretended to be accommodating. Yun Buji's acting skills were indeed excellent. He understood himself; he had a bit of street smarts and could act his way through this situation with these people.
"Young man, your basketball skills are really good. Don't think I can't see that you intentionally lose sometimes," the man said, narrowing his eyes.
"I came here just to make some money, nothing else," Yun Buji said, picking up a beer and pouring it for the other man, his smile appearing sincere.
The person in charge nodded upon hearing this and smiled, saying, "Actually, I think highly of you. If you're willing, making money is not a problem. Follow my lead from now on, and I guarantee you'll become rich!"
Yun Buji smiled and said, "Brother, I'm still a junior high school student. I just want to earn some tuition for high school; I don't have any grand ambitions. If you could look out for me, I would be immensely grateful."
"You kid, I think highly of you. Just wait; you'll have your time to make money," the man said with a smile.
That night, Yun Buji indeed got diarrhea, to the point of exhaustion. The next day, he wisely lost the match. After all, they had paved the way for him; if he didn't take it, he might end up being carried out.
He wanted to make money, but he valued his life more. He was clear about this.
Because he didn't win the championship, though he reached the finals, Yun Buji only received a prize of twenty thousand yuan in the end, which left him somewhat unhappy. At this time, he could have earned a similar amount by acting as a booster in online games.