August 3rd, 2014, afternoon.
Pu Hai International Airport.
Zheng Wentong got off the plane, collected his luggage, and took Metro Line 2 into the city.
His rented apartment in Shanghai had already expired at the end of June, just when he resigned from Huafu Group and went traveling in Western Europe.
When his family and friends asked, he simply said that work hadn't gone well after graduation, so he wanted to relax for a while.
His parents didn't agree. They believed jobs were hard to find these days, and there was no need to leave a stable programmer position.
Zheng Wentong didn't explain.
Because in his previous life, he had already worked as a programmer in Shanghai for eight years.
He was tired of it.
After being reborn in 2014, the first thing he did was quit his job.
He didn't want to stay in that company any longer.
At that time, his project manager shouted at him angrily:
"What do you think this place is? You can just leave like this? The project isn't finished. Who will take responsibility for the losses?"
Zheng Wentong disliked him a lot.
The man acted humble in front of his superiors but arrogant toward his subordinates.
He even threatened to blacklist Zheng Wentong so that he wouldn't be able to find a job in Shanghai.
Zheng Wentong only sneered.
"I don't even want to be a programmer anymore. You still think I'll stay and be exploited? Dream on."
Before leaving, he said one last sentence:
"When I come back, I won't be your colleague. When I acquire your project, you'll have plenty of chances to call me Dad."
They almost got into a fight, but others stopped them.
Sitting on the subway now, Zheng Wentong thought back to that moment and shook his head.
It was a bit childish.
If it were now, he would handle it better.
But things were different now.
He had over 100 million RMB in his bank account.
On July 9th, during the World Cup semi-finals, Germany defeated Brazil 7–1.
Zheng Wentong first won 2,800 Euros by predicting both teams would reach the semi-finals.
Then, in Amsterdam, he placed a bet with odds of 6,500 to 1.
He won 18.2 million Euros.
After paying 29% tax, he received 12,922,000 Euros, which was about 105 million RMB.
After completing the prize procedures, he returned to Shanghai at the end of July.
He booked a river-view room at the Peninsula Hotel.
The hotel offered a Rolls-Royce pick-up service, but it was expensive, so he chose to take the subway instead.
After arriving, he checked in and went to his room.
The room was large, with a great river view and a marble bathroom.
He lay on the bed, feeling that it was a bit too luxurious for one person.
Earlier, in the Netherlands, he bought two watches:
A Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711A (steel) and a 5711R (rose gold), spending 50,000 Euros in total.
He was wearing the rose gold one now.
For him, this was a dream come true.
He knew that in a few years, these watches would become even more valuable.
After dinner, Zheng Wentong went to the terrace bar.
The night view of the river was beautiful, with lights shining across the skyline.
He stood there quietly, thinking about his past life.
He had worked for years, changing companies and chasing better pay, but never felt satisfied.
Now, with 100 million in hand, he could live comfortably for the rest of his life.
But was that what he really wanted?
He remembered something he once read online.
Someone said that if they had 100 million, they would create a foundation to build ramps for people in wheelchairs, parents with strollers, and travelers with luggage.
Back then, Zheng Wentong replied that he would donate almost all of the money if he ever had that much.
Now, he actually did.
He thought for a moment.
Then made a decision.
He would invest the money first.
When it grew bigger, he would use part of it for charity.
Working a job again was out of the question.
This life, he wanted to do something different.
He wanted to invest, build something of his own, and live freely.
At that moment, a young woman walked into the bar.
She wore denim shorts and a light jacket. Her long legs caught people's attention.
She looked around and then noticed Zheng Wentong sitting alone.
After a short hesitation, she walked over and sat beside him.
Her name was Jiang Nan.
She worked as an administrative supervisor in a financial company.
They started chatting casually.
She asked what he did.
Zheng Wentong smiled.
"I'm currently unemployed," he said. "But I'm planning to start a company."
"My goal is to buy a building in Lujiazui within five years."
Jiang Nan looked surprised.
Zheng Wentong continued calmly:
"I'll finalize the office location in a few days."
"If you're interested, you can come and take a look."