Chapter 8: Hao's Inhumanity

Night had fallen, stars twinkling faintly in the sky. Sun Xiaoyan sat in the living room, clutching a crumpled Double Color Ball lottery ticket in her hand, her expression solemn as she fixed her gaze on the television screen before her.

On the screen, the female host’s voice was clear and excited, each winning number leaping from her lips like lively musical notes: 9, 10, 13, 19, 24, 32, with the special number being 1.

Sun Xiaoyan’s heartbeat quickened with every number announced. When she heard the numbers on her ticket called one after another, her breath nearly caught in her throat.

Each number was like the tolling bell of fate, striking her heart and flushing her cheeks with the rush of excitement.

When the final special number was revealed, disbelief washed over her face, swiftly followed by an overwhelming surge of joy.

In the next moment, Sun Xiaoyan sprang from the sofa, hands covering her mouth, eyes wide as if unable to believe what she was hearing.

Just as she had hoped, the lottery ticket Qin Zhong had given her was indeed a winner. Staring at the thin slip of paper in her hand, she suddenly regretted not buying more tickets.

At that instant, she blamed herself for being so economical—only spending ten yuan on five bets. If she had bought a hundred, she might have become a wealthy woman overnight.

The thought sent her heart pounding like a drum, her excitement swelling within her chest.

Suddenly, she touched her chin, wondering quietly to herself how much the jackpot was this time and how much her five bets might have won. Surely, it must be in the millions?

With that thought, she swiftly grabbed her laptop and hurriedly searched online. As she read the results, her shock deepened.

“I really...”

Raising her delicate hand, she was about to give herself a sharp slap, but when it reached her cheek, she simply patted it lightly instead.

Then, she tossed the laptop onto the sofa and began to jump around the living room joyfully, like a child who had just received a beloved toy, unable to contain her excitement.

“Forty-five million! Fortune, fortune!”

Her laughter was clear and melodious, filling the entire room as she spun around, holding the lottery ticket high. At that moment, she felt the ticket itself was glowing, illuminating a bright future ahead.

After a while, her excitement subsided. Sitting cross-legged on the sofa, she rested her chin on her hand, quietly gazing at the moonlight streaming through the window.

---

“I never expected this ticket would actually win. I have to take this deal seriously now. Yes, tomorrow I’ll claim the prize and then go on a major shopping spree. If I don’t splurge now, I’ll be betraying this ticket!”

Thinking of the lottery ticket, Sun Xiaoyan couldn’t help but press her lips to it, exclaiming, “Tomorrow’s big shopping spree!”

...

The morning sunlight poured over Sun Xiaoyan, her spirits as bright as the rays themselves.

Today, she wore large sunglasses and a big mask that covered half her face completely. Along with a hat and scarf, even someone familiar wouldn’t recognize her.

At that moment, she stood outside the lottery center, peering through the glass window into the bustling hall inside, clutching the slightly crumpled ticket tightly, her heartbeat accelerating with every step closer.

Steeling herself, Sun Xiaoyan made her way through the crowded hall to the prize claim window. She had called in advance, and as soon as the staff saw her unusual disguise, one promptly came out to greet her.

“Hello, I’m here to claim my prize.”

Though the company she managed was sizeable, it was her first time winning such a large sum at once. Her voice trembled slightly but was full of excitement and joy.

“Hello, Miss Sun, congratulations! Please hand over your ticket and ID.”

The staff member smiled warmly as she greeted her. Sun Xiaoyan promptly handed over her ticket and ID, her eyes shining with anticipation.

The staff carefully verified the ticket numbers against the ID information. As the process continued, Sun Xiaoyan’s heartbeat grew faster—she could almost hear it pounding in her ears.

After a moment, the staff looked up with a smile.

“Congratulations! You have won five first-prize special awards, with a total jackpot of 45.32 million yuan.”

Having already confirmed the win online, and with the initial thrill somewhat tempered, Sun Xiaoyan nodded, restraining her excitement.

Next, the staff guided her through the prize claim procedures. She signed the prize redemption voucher, and the staff stamped it. Everything proceeded swiftly and orderly.

“Miss Sun, I must inform you that according to national regulations, lottery winnings are considered occasional income and subject to a 20% personal income tax. Your total prize is 45.32 million yuan, with a tax of 9.064 million deducted, leaving you with an actual amount of 36.256 million yuan. Which account should we transfer the funds to?”

Upon hearing this, Sun Xiaoyan paused to consider. She decided not to deposit the money into the company account but to transfer the funds directly into her personal bank account.

---

After receiving Sun Xiaoyan’s account details, the staff completed the transfer through the banking system. Soon, Sun Xiaoyan’s phone received a message confirming the successful deposit of her winnings.

After a cheerful farewell to the staff, Sun Xiaoyan stepped out of the lottery center, waving her right hand lightly in the air, her heart brimming with passion. But she quickly calmed herself.

Next came the planned purchases. Thinking of the plan she had prepared the night before, she hurried to her car and drove swiftly toward the specially selected premium supermarket.

Half an hour later, at the bulk procurement center of the premium supermarket.

“What? You said the purchase amount is how much?”

The balding supermarket manager, Wang Meng, could hardly believe his ears and hesitated as he double-checked.

Sun Xiaoyan shot him a displeased glance, raising a finger impatiently.

“Ten million.”

Wang Meng’s heart suddenly pounded wildly as he confirmed he hadn’t misheard. Ten million yuan in purchases? This was staggering.

Goodness, do rich people really play like this?

Coming to a supermarket and casually saying they want to buy ten million yuan worth of goods—our entire store’s inventory barely matches that value.

At that moment, Wang Meng’s mind echoed a single thought: the wealthy are extravagantly ruthless.

Seeing the dull-eyed, drooling balding manager staring blankly at her, Sun Xiaoyan frowned slightly, beginning to question if she had made the right choice.

Initially, she had considered purchasing from food factories or meat processing plants to meet Qin Zhong’s needs, but that seemed too troublesome. She decided to go with the most capable chain supermarket instead.

Such supermarkets have established suppliers. Money was the least of her worries now; what she lacked was someone to manage the task. Entrusting this large order to the supermarket, she believed they would work hard to fulfill it, motivated by profit.

But now, faced with this drooling, dazed balding manager, Sun Xiaoyan’s concern grew.