Chapter 680 - 324: The Man Who Refused the Goddess of Luck!
Inside a lottery shop in Beijing.
"Little sister, can you ask your big clients again and see if anyone wants this ticket?"
"If it doesn’t work, I can make it three to five hundred cheaper on the basis of 20% off."
"With the experience I’ve gained over the years from playing the lottery, this ticket is definitely a sure win."
"If I weren’t desperately in need of money today, I wouldn’t sell it at a low price."
Liu Qiang looked at Qiu Lizhen with pleading eyes, his words filled with urgency.
The ticket he played, worth over twenty thousand, would be drawn at 9:30 tonight.
If he can’t sell it before the draw, he’ll have to bear the risk himself.
As for his years of lottery experience, the sure win, the urgent need for money, the low-price sale...
These words might be enough to fool himself, but who else would be so easily tricked?
Lotteries are about statistics, not probability; what experience is there to follow?
Everyone who plays the lottery thinks they’re bound to win this time, but the result...
Let’s step back a bit; if you, Liu Qiang, are really so confident in your ticket,
wouldn’t it be tempting to hold on for the huge prize when the draw happens?
Why rush to sell it at a low price with such urgency?
Saying so much is just excuses; the real purpose is to shift the burden onto someone else!
"Brother Liu, I’ve already asked several times for you; they’ve all played this round."
"And everyone has different thoughts, different approaches, and different number choices."
"Other people don’t agree with your ticket."
Qiu Lizhen looked at Liu Qiang helplessly, already exhausted by this big brother.
From yesterday afternoon to this morning, Liu Qiang had called her more than twenty times and sent over forty WeChat messages.
Bombarding her with full-range information.
Originally, when Liu Qiang was playing the ticket, she repeatedly advised him to think it over.
But Liu Qiang seemed possessed, insisting on betting all his money for a chance.
As a result, less than two hours after playing the ticket, he regretted it and wanted to transfer it to someone else.
From a 5% off reduction to 10%, then to 15%, and finally to 20% off...
Just as Qiu Lizhen said, everyone has their own understanding of lottery tickets.
A single ticket costing over twenty thousand dollars, finding someone willing to take over is nearly impossible!
"If it really doesn’t work, 30% off is fine too! That’s my bottom line; if no one wants it, I’ll just have to wait for the draw myself."
Liu Qiang clenched his teeth, further lowering the price to a painfully low level.
"Sis, Brother’s been buying lottery tickets from you for more than ten years; I’m an old customer of yours, could you please ask again for me?"
Liu Qiang’s eyes looked towards Qiu Lizhen, filled with a pleading expression.
Twenty thousand dollars doesn’t sound like much, but it’s all of Liu Qiang’s savings.
In recent years, he’s been paying for his son’s mortgage, bride price, and wedding.
Most of his life’s savings have been squandered away.
These twenty thousand dollars were painstakingly saved up by him.
Yesterday, he didn’t even know what got into him; suddenly, he had a strong feeling of winning the lottery.
So, during his lunch break, he came over to Qiu Lizhen and played the most expensive lottery ticket he’s ever bought.
Of course, when he was playing the ticket, Qiu Lizhen also advised him several times to consider carefully.
Liu Qiang was dead set on his decision at the time, so he eventually went ahead and played the ticket.
When he excitedly took the ticket back to the workshop,
That sudden impulse feeling gradually faded, replaced by various worries.
In the meantime, his daughter-in-law called him asking to borrow money for the car loan.
Liu Qiang dared not tell his daughter-in-law that he had no money, much less that he spent it all on lottery tickets.
So he borrowed some money from WeChat and transferred it to his daughter-in-law.
Looking at the meager tens of dollars left in his WeChat wallet and then at the five thousand dollars he just borrowed...
Liu Qiang regretted spending over twenty thousand on lottery tickets, feeling he acted too impulsively!
Thus he sought out Qiu Lizhen for the low-price ticket sale later on.
But the result... was not as desired.
Qiu Lizhen asked a few of her top VIP clients in her group who regularly spend thousands.
They weren’t interested in his ticket at all.
Qiu Lizhen also knew Liu Qiang came from the countryside, working hard in a Beijing factory to make money.
She truly wanted to help him, and she genuinely did.
As for buying it herself...
Although Qiu Lizhen is not short on money, her goodwill isn’t boundless.
She opened the shop to make money, not to do charity.
Besides, she wasn’t that close with Liu Qiang either.
Sympathizing with him doesn’t mean pitying him; she wouldn’t spend her money on his impulses.
"I asked again, Brother Liu, but there’s still no one interested."
After asking again for Liu Qiang, Qiu Lizhen looked up at him, her eyes full of sympathy for this big brother, and said comfortingly:
"Think optimistically; maybe you’ll really win this time."
"..."
Of course, Liu Qiang wanted to win; he even dreamed of winning a million-dollar prize last night.
But reality is cruel.
If winning a million dollars was that easy, the lottery would have closed down already.
"Welcome!"
The electronic greeter at the door suddenly chimed.
As soon as Qiu Lizhen saw Jiang Tao walk in, a warm smile appeared on her face.
"Younger Brother Jiang! You’ve come to see Sister again! Want something to drink? Still Oriental Leaf?"
Qiu Lizhen chatted as she emerged from behind the counter with a cheerful smile, walking to the fridge to grab a bottle of Oriental Leaf.