Chapter 17: Stock trading is okay, but buying lottery tickets is not.

Her originally somewhat cold tone softened considerably, and even her voice became a few degrees gentler:

"Handsome Guy, please provide your ID card and the bank card you'll be using for third-party depository services."

"Here you go."

Lin Chen pulled his ID and the bank card containing a million yuan from his pocket and handed them over.

The young lady at the counter took the documents and began filling in the information.

"Please sign here."

She pointed to the camera above the counter:

"I also need you to look at the camera for a photo to assist with facial recognition. It'll be quick."

Lin Chen looked up as instructed, a faint smile playing on his lips.

With eyes crinkled in a smile, he cooperated through the process of taking the photo, signing, and recording fingerprints.

He had opened an account in his previous life and was well-acquainted with the procedures. The entire process went smoothly without a single hitch; in less than ten minutes, all the account opening formalities were complete.

"You can download our CITIC Securities app on your phone,"

"Log in with your phone number, and once you transfer funds into the securities account, you can buy and sell stocks."

The young lady handed the ID and bank card back to Lin Chen with a sweet smile. She even went as far as writing her contact number on a sticky note.

"Handsome Guy, this is my number. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me anytime via WeChat or phone."

Anyone with eyes could see she was proactively giving him her contact info.

"Alright, thanks a lot."

"This girl looks decent enough. Seeing that I'm handsome and have money to trade stocks, is she trying to reel me in?"

Lin Chen took his things, gave a simple word of thanks, and turned to leave.

His mind was currently filled with Tianhe FW; he had no interest in dealing with the counter girl.

Furthermore, he had mastered this trading software in his previous life; he didn't need anyone to teach him.

Walking to a corner of the business hall, Lin Chen found an empty seat and sat down.

He immediately pulled out his phone to download the CITIC Securities app, his fingers flying across the screen.

He was also calculating in his mind:

"How much should I invest?"

"With a goal of ten times the return, I'll invest five hundred thousand."

"That's half of my current savings."

"Six months from now, right when winter break starts at the end of next January—which is also when the bet with Xia Sisters ends—turning five hundred thousand into ten times that would be five million."

"I'll keep the remaining five hundred thousand. There will be plenty of good opportunities later, so it's good to have it for other investments or emergencies."

Having made up his mind, Lin Chen logged into his securities account and immediately initiated a bank-to-securities transfer.

A notification for a successful transfer soon popped up on the screen:

[Ding! Your bank card has a transfer expenditure of 500,000 yuan to your CITIC Securities account. Current bank card balance: 500,088.1 yuan.]

Looking at the numbers on the screen, Lin Chen took a deep breath and looked up at the electronic display in the hall. The time was ticking second by second toward 9:30 AM.

The stock market was about to open; the countdown had begun.

His first battle was about to commence.

What he didn't know was that at this moment in the classroom, Xia Sisters were sitting in their seats.

Their eyes would occasionally glance toward the door. Xia Wanqing nudged Xia Wanrou's arm and whispered:

"That guy actually didn't show up for class. Could he have chickened out and be afraid to follow through on the bet?"

Xia Wanrou bit her lip, her gaze also holding a hint of doubt, yet she felt a strange sense of anticipation in her heart:

Is he actually going to do it?

That bet of ten times the return in six months—is he really that confident?

Both of them were filled with curiosity about this Lin Chen, who had suddenly become so different.

Confirming the order parameters on his phone screen one last time, Lin Chen leaned forward slightly.

With his elbows propped on the roadside railing, his eyes were deadlocked on the flickering market interface, his breathing even slowing down a bit.

The morning light filtered through the gaps in the leaves and spilled onto his face, reflecting the absolute certainty deep in his eyes.

Having stepped into countless stock market traps in his previous life, this time, he was determined to secure the limit-up of Tianhe FW.

There was no unnecessary agitation, only an urgency hidden beneath his focus as he quietly waited for 9:25 AM—the critical moment that would determine this morning's gains.

"Beep..."

The phone notification rang right on time; the call auction had officially begun.

Lin Chen didn't hesitate for a second. His fingers slid rapidly, directly filling his entire position.

He set the order at the limit-up price. The moment his finger pressed the confirm button, he murmured softly:

"I'm gambling on this. My memories from my past life can't be wrong!"

Time passed second by second, each one feeling like it was tugging at his nerves, until 9:25 AM.

The sound of the opening bell broke the silence of the morning.

The call auction results froze instantly, and a bright green execution notification popped up on his phone screen, exceptionally eye-catching.

"Buy order executed."

Just as the crisp notification sound faded, Lin Chen straightened up abruptly.

He gripped his phone slightly harder as a flamboyant and confident smile instantly spread across his face.

The tension in his eyes completely dissipated, replaced by an irrepressible sense of satisfaction:

"Done! I'm just going to sit back and earn a 14-day limit-up streak!"

He casually closed the trading app, stuffed it into his pocket, and his pace became a bit lighter.

Whistling an out-of-tune melody, he walked leisurely toward the school.

Anyway, he had already asked the Counselor for the morning off, so now was the perfect time to relax.

Passing by the entrance of Star City Normal University, the crowd of people was coming and going.

Only a lottery shop by the roadside not far away, with its conspicuous red sign, instantly caught Lin Chen's attention and halted his steps.

"Lottery?"

He instinctively stopped, his brow arching as if a switch had been flipped in his brain.

A buried memory instantly surged forth, making his heart leap.

Back in 2014 in his previous life, he was still a naive college student. His strongest impression was of that sensational 'Double Color Ball' jackpot in Wenzhou.

130 million!

At the time, news coverage was everywhere, and everyone on the streets was talking about it.

Back then, looking at the footage of the prize collection on TV, his eyes had turned red with envy.

Lying in bed at night tossing and turning, his mind was full of one thought:

"If I won that 130 million, I could just coast through the rest of my life."

He hadn't expected that after so many years, having been reborn, the numbers for that jackpot would still be clearly etched in his mind, every single digit remembered perfectly.

This was the only set of winning lottery numbers he had ever memorized in his entire life!

Lin Chen's breathing instantly quickened, a light gleaming in his eyes. The greed in his heart was completely hooked as he couldn't help but calculate:

"The prize pool is only so big. Even if I win along with the original winner, splitting it would still give me 60 million!"

"60 million! That's enough for me to achieve direct financial freedom. I'd never have to work hard at trading stocks or wait for system rewards again!"

He instinctively lifted his foot to head toward the lottery shop, but just as he took half a step,

He stopped abruptly. The excitement on his face faded slightly, and his tone became a bit frustrated:

"I forgot! You can only buy Double Color Ball tickets three days in advance. This jackpot is for the next draw."

"I can't buy it even if I go now. I have to wait a few days."

With no other choice, he could only suppress the agitation in his heart.

He made a mental note, intending to come back in three days at the first opportunity to claim this '60 million worth of luck'.

But just then, a cold, emotionless mechanical voice suddenly exploded in his mind.

Simultaneously, a pale blue system panel appeared out of thin air before his eyes:

[Detected that the Host intends to achieve rapid wealth through lottery speculation. This behavior violates the "Scumbag System Core Rules"!]

[Warning: If the Host persists in this behavior, the system will immediately unbind from the Host.]

[All issued rewards will be revoked, and the Host will return to the mediocre life he had before rebirth.]

"Damn!"

Lin Chen almost jumped in fright.

He couldn't help but curse, the excitement on his face instantly replaced by frustration and shock.

He growled at the air, his tone full of confusion and dissatisfaction,

"Are you serious?"

"I go all-in on stocks betting on a limit-up and you don't care, but buying a lottery ticket violates the rules?"

"Aren't both just ways to make fast money?"

"System, are you targeting me on purpose?"

He gritted his teeth, getting angrier the more he thought about it.

"That's 60 million!"

"Money within reach, the fastest way to get rich, and you want me to give it up?"

"Are you crazy or am I?"