Chapter 7: The Winning Lottery Ticket

Sun Xiaoyan’s persistent questioning made the woman look conflicted. After a long moment, she replied, "We just paid out the quarterly employee bonuses a few days ago, and then there’s..."

Seeing the woman stammer and appear to have some hidden difficulty, Sun Xiaoyan frowned, her face hardening. "Speak up. What’s going on?"

Faced with Sun Xiaoyan’s cold demeanor, the woman no longer hesitated. "Vice President Sun withdrew six hundred thousand from the company’s accounts, claiming that... claiming that his own company needed capital for turnover..."

"Bang!"

Sun Xiaoyan was instantly furious. She snapped, "Who approved this? How could you let my brother just take money from the accounts like that!"

The woman lowered her head, remaining silent as if she hadn't heard the outburst. Seeing her reaction, a realization dawned on Sun Xiaoyan. She asked immediately, "My father?"

"Yes."

The woman replied in a small voice, whispering, "Vice President Sun, perhaps you should discuss this with your brother and try to get three hundred thousand back first. If the payment is overdue, it won't just affect this year’s new drug development progress; we might even face debt collectors. Plus, the end of the month is approaching, and several suppliers are coming to demand payment. We need the cash..."

Sun Xiaoyan’s face turned slightly pale. She waved her hand and said, "You go out first. I’ll think of a way."

Once the woman left the room, Sun Xiaoyan sat in silence for a while, then picked up her phone to call her father and demand to know why he had allowed funds to be withdrawn without informing her.

As she picked up the phone, she realized the connection was still active. She suddenly remembered that before the woman walked in, she had been talking to Qin Zhong. She whispered apologetically, "Qin Zhong, are you still there?"

During the conversation between Sun Xiaoyan and the woman, Qin Zhong had been listening silently. Now, he was basically convinced that this woman was truly from the year 2024.

This phone had somehow connected two people from different timelines, spanning a full ten years.

2024—what a wonderful era. No apocalypse, no zombies, only peace and tranquility, where one didn't even need to live in fear while sleeping.

"I am here," Qin Zhong replied calmly. "By the way, the ring you mentioned earlier—is it an antique silver ring with patterns on the surface and some symbols on the inner band?"

"Yes, that’s it! Is it... is it really with you?" Sun Xiaoyan could hardly believe her ears. How could the ring have suddenly ended up with Qin Zhong?

"Can this phone transfer items?"

The same thought flashed through the minds of both Qin Zhong and Sun Xiaoyan simultaneously. As soon as it appeared, it startled them both.

***

The next moment, Qin Zhong reacted first, his voice urgent. "Quick, you—quickly find something to try transferring!"

"Uh!"

Sun Xiaoyan looked around. There was a can of cola by her hand. She pressed her phone against the soda can. The next second, a faint shimmer flashed, and the can vanished.

Watching the soda can suddenly appear beside him, Qin Zhong was filled with disbelief. One thought crossed his mind: this is a miracle.

Holding onto a glimmer of hope, Qin Zhong pressed the phone against his own body. Nothing happened. He scratched his head, realizing he had oversimplified things; he had thought he might be able to transport himself to 2024.

It seemed living beings could not be transferred.

Following that, Qin Zhong placed the ring in his palm and gently touched it with the phone. A faint shimmer flashed, and the ring vanished.

At the same time, a cry of joyful surprise came through the receiver: "Ah! The ring is back! It’s magical—it really can transfer items! This is... incredible!"

...

Just as Qin Zhong was about to speak, a sudden inspiration hit him. He blurted out, "Miss, let’s make a deal. I heard your conversation; I know you need money. I can give you a lottery number—a winning lottery number!"

"I can make you wealthier than a nation, and in return, you help me procure the supplies I need—a massive amount of supplies!"

Qin Zhong had realized that this phone could link to 2024, and since he was in 2034, that ten-year information gap was enough to make anyone in 2024 fabulously wealthy overnight.

Before the apocalypse, he had been a fanatic lottery player. His phone contained the winning information for every draw over the last twenty years. These numbers alone were enough to drive someone mad with excitement.

With the money earned, the various supplies this woman could purchase and send to him through the phone would allow him to live much better in the wasteland.

On the other side of the line, Sun Xiaoyan looked at the ring in her hand and recalled the vanished soda can. She was filled with wonder, and upon hearing Qin Zhong’s words, she fell into deep thought.

Sun Xiaoyan held an MBA; she naturally understood what all of this represented and what the deal Qin Zhong proposed entailed.

From any angle, this deal was a guaranteed win. After a brief moment of reflection, she agreed immediately.

"My name is Sun Xiaoyan. You can call me Vice President Sun or Sun Xiaoyan later, either is fine. What do you need? I can help you procure it!"

"Medicine, firearms, ammunition—in short, anything that exists in reality. I need it all!"

***

Hearing Sun Xiaoyan’s reply, Qin Zhong blurted out his answer without a second thought. At this moment, he felt incredibly fortunate, as if he had been struck by a stroke of monumental luck.

"Firearms and ammunition?"

Sun Xiaoyan gasped, quickly adding, "Qin Zhong, everything else is fine, but firearms and ammunition are strictly controlled in China; they aren't easy to get. How about this: I’ll prepare some other supplies for you first. What do you need most right now?"

"Yes, you’re right."

Qin Zhong calmed down, realizing he had been too impatient. He thought for a moment and said, "I haven't settled down yet. Once I am, I will need a large amount of daily necessities. You prepare them for now..."

As he spoke, he looked out the window. The thunderstorm seemed to be fading. Recalling that both calls had occurred during thunderstorms, he quickly added, "I suspect the connection only works during thunderstorms. What is the exact date on your end? I’ll give you a lottery number."

"March 2, 2024."

"Alright, wait a moment!"

Hearing Sun Xiaoyan’s reply, Qin Zhong hurriedly checked the lottery information saved on his phone and gave her the winning numbers for the most recent draw.

"Double Color Ball: 9, 10, 13, 19, 24, 32, 1."

Sun Xiaoyan quickly wrote them down with a pen. Looking at the string of numbers on the paper, she had a feeling that this was real—that Qin Zhong wasn't just playing with her.

"Remember, get the supplies ready—the more the better. We’ll talk again during the next thunderstorm..."

"Beep, beep, beep..."

The sound of Qin Zhong’s voice still echoed in her ears when the phone cut to a dial tone; the connection had been forcefully severed.

Sun Xiaoyan stood stunned for a moment, then walked to the window. She saw that the heavy rain had stopped; in the distance, the sky was clearing, and the dark clouds were dispersing.