Chapter 529: Won Big!

After finishing work-related matters, Yu Shuheng turned her head and asked with deliberate meaning: "Is it true that Li Ran's father really died of a stroke in bed?"

Li Heng replied: "Whether it's true or not, I didn't see it with my own eyes. But Aunt Zhao Jing told my parents it was."

Yu Shuheng's deep eyes lingered on his face for a while, then she worriedly said: "Young man, you need to exercise restraint in this area. Especially with Mai Sui's bed—you'd better limit the frequency."

Although she had previously promised Tian Rune to supervise Li Heng, it was only lip service; afterward, she never imposed any actual constraints on his behavior.

Because she knew she didn't yet have the right to do so.

But out of concern, out of prevention before problems arise, she had thought long and hard—and tonight she specifically named Mai Sui.

Yu Shuheng herself had no objection to Mai Sui; in fact, she even liked her a little.

But Mai Sui's very nature made her destined to be a seductress in bed, and she feared Li Heng would grow so enamored he'd never want to get off her bed.

Li Heng was surprised she'd spoken so bluntly. It also sent a message: she truly didn't care that he had other women—not just empty words like before.

Li Heng didn't know how to answer, because the teacher didn't understand his bedroom capabilities—his past three lovers, Song Yu, Xiao Han, and Chen Zijin, had all failed to satisfy him.

In this regard, his confidence was absolutely solid!

Still, she meant well, so Li Heng gritted his teeth and brushed it off.

Seeing he seemed unwilling to elaborate further, Yu Shuheng dropped the subject and closed her eyes to pretend to nap.

Seeing this, Li Heng knew it was time to leave—she was silently dismissing him.

After leaving Building 25, he didn't go straight home; instead, he walked back and forth twice under his umbrella before entering.

The TV was already off; the four women were each reading newspapers or books.

Li Heng went upstairs and asked: "Did the Olympics end?"

Don't mention it—once he did, Sun Manning clenched her teeth: "That damn sky! Lightning struck and broke the TV. We were having such a good time! It's enough to make me furious!"

Li Heng: "..."

He said: "Take it for repair tomorrow. If it can't be fixed, we'll get a new one."

Hearing this, Sun Manning's expression instantly changed, smiling broadly: "See? I told you—Li the Great Writer is generous. As long as I act out my tragic drama well, you'll fall for it."

Li Heng: "..."

Damn it, so she was acting all along?

But words spoken are like water spilled—he never broke his word.

After he finished bathing, Mai Sui poured him a cup of tea, then went to wash his clothes.

Li Heng held the tea with both hands, stood still for a moment, then followed her to the bathroom.

Catching this out of the corner of her eye, Zhou Shihe, who had been calmly flipping through her book, slowly closed it, paused, then stood up and silently went downstairs to her own home.

Ye Ning called from behind: "Shihe, leaving already?"

Zhou Shihe replied gently: "I'm a bit sleepy."

Hearing this, Ye Ning immediately got up: "I'll walk with you."

Ye Ning left, and her close friend Sun Manning naturally followed. In moments, the large building was left with only the two in the bathroom.

Mai Sui washed his clothes by hand while Li Heng squatted beside her watching.

Worried she'd tire, Li Heng reminded her: "You can use the washing machine."

Mai Sui softly said: "Cotton gets deformed easily in the machine. It's fine—I'll wash it by hand, it's quick."

When she reached his underwear, Li Heng said: "Set it aside—I'll wash it myself later."

Mai Sui's face flushed slightly, but she still washed them.

She'd already washed his underwear marked with maps—how much more so these? She felt no aversion.

Hearing the continuous thunder outside, Li Heng said: "It's thundering tonight—I'll sleep with you."

Recalling certain extremely intimate bed activities, Mai Sui hesitated, but still acquiesced. In her list of choices, there seemed to be no "refuse" option for this man.

But they never ended up sleeping together—around 11: 0, Yu Shuheng came over.

As soon as she entered, Teacher Yu said to Mai Sui: "I just woke up terrified—I'll sleep with you tonight."

Seeing Teacher Yu's expression wasn't feigned, Mai Sui asked worriedly: "Another nightmare?"

Yu Shuheng nodded. It wasn't a nightmare—it was the long-absent sleep paralysis returning; she'd opened and closed her eyes twice in quick succession, and it had scared her so badly she dared not spend the night in Building 25.

Li Heng stood on the upper floor, gazing at the opposite building, feeling frustrated—he'd inexplicably wanted to be with Mai Sui tonight, but damn fate wasn't cooperating.

He wanted to scream: Old Fu, Sister Chen—Teacher Yu had sleep paralysis tonight—did you guys get it too?

Damn it, this sleep paralysis is Old Fu's fault for night fishing.

Speaking of night fishing, the fake Daoist has started again—typical, healed and forgot the pain.

Yu Shuheng appeared beside him, smiling: "Did I ruin your good time?"

Li Heng said nothing.

Teacher Yu stretched and said: "How about I sleep with you tonight?"

She deliberately stressed the word "with."

Hearing this, he thought inwardly: Teacher, are you here on purpose? I should've pulled the living room curtains shut.

As the weather forecast predicted, thunder and rain lasted all night; Li Heng woke up several times.

He dreamed a ridiculous dream—he was struck dead by lightning.

He dreamed Song Yu knelt on the ground, clutching his head, weeping bitterly.

He dreamed he was placed in a coffin, Song Yu stayed awake all night beside it, occasionally using chopsticks to adjust the oil lamp in front.

Just as he sat up, leaning against the headboard, lost in thought, the bedroom door opened and a shadow entered.

Afraid of startling him, Mai Sui immediately spoke up: "It's me."

She took off her shoes and got into bed, reaching out to feel his forehead—drenched in sweat.

Li Heng exhaled, his vacant eyes slowly regaining color: "Did I talk in my sleep?"

"Mm."

"Called out Song Yu?"

"Mm."

"Loudly?"

"Mm."

He asked: "Did you come over—did Teacher Yu know?"

Mai Sui said: "You woke both of us up."

Li Heng fell silent, checked the time: 2: 9.

After a while, he said: "I'm going to take a shower."

"Okay."

After he got out of bed and left the bedroom, Mai Sui touched the sheet—it was damp. She turned on the light, changed the sheet and pillowcase for clean ones.

Hearing his footsteps enter the bathroom, then return to the adjacent master bedroom, Yu Shuheng in bed lost all sleep.

Just now, Mai Sui's decisive move to go to him deeply shook her.

At this moment, she felt no jealousy—only a profound sense of melancholy: this kind of Mai Sui—no one could ever drive her away from him.

She couldn't. Song Yu couldn't.

Even if Zhou Shihe joined the game later, she couldn't either.

Tell me—what man would abandon a woman who loves him so devotedly?

When he returned to the bedroom from the shower, the sheet was nearly laid out; Mai Sui was smoothing out the corners.

Li Heng watched for a moment, then, once everything was perfect, wrapped his arms tightly around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, cheek pressed to hers, gently rubbing.

Mai Sui was already familiar with his embrace; she leaned back, pressing against his chest, closing her eyes to savor his tenderness.

After a long while, she whispered: "Can we sleep now?"

As their intimacy deepened, their bodies visibly changed—soul and flesh merging, pleasure so intense it begged to be shouted, their heated forms seamlessly aligned, both teetering on the edge.

One more step, and they'd lose control; passion would inevitably bring forth murmurs.

But Teacher Yu was right next door—Mai Sui pulled back.

She was shy, and she didn't want to provoke the teacher.

Li Heng seemed to understand her thoughts—he stopped all motion, simply holding her quietly from behind.

After a long while, Mai Sui suddenly asked: "Is it because I'm beside you that you can't control yourself?"

Li Heng denied it outright: "No."

Hearing this, Mai Sui turned in his arms, facing him, gazing into his eyes with tender affection:

"I don't want Auntie to hate me."

Seven simple words revealed all her worries, anxieties, and uncertainties.

For this man's relentless pursuit of her, as a woman, she couldn't help but feel a quiet thrill.

But she feared he'd lack restraint.

She feared other women would unite against her.

She feared even more that Auntie Tian would hate her.

Li Heng read her eyes—she had reservations, likely the direct aftermath of his mother's visit to Lushan Village, leaving her with lingering trauma.

Li Heng lowered his head, pressing his forehead to hers: "No, my mom adores you already."

Then he lightly kissed her lips: "Let's sleep."

"Good."

Mai Sui responded immediately, stepping out of his arms and going to the opposite spare bedroom.

Li Heng followed.

The two had perfect unspoken understanding—they never slept in the main bedroom, because it was Xiao Han's domain.

In the second half of the night, Li Heng barely slept; his mind was filled with many thoughts—Song Yu, Mai Sui, and the teacher next door.

Mai Sui also didn't sleep. She had been so focused on worrying about Li Heng that she hadn't considered Yu Laoshi's feelings when she came over so abruptly; now she felt too embarrassed to go back and sleep with Yu Laoshi.

Yu Shuheng, like the two of them, hadn't closed her eyes all night.

She didn't blame Li Heng, nor did she blame Mai Sui.

But for a while, her mind was filled with a fantasy scene: Li Heng and Mai Sui entwined together, kissing, doing all those intimate, pleasurable things between man and woman.

But in reality, she had imagined too much. She waited all night, yet the door to the opposite spare bedroom never opened, and neither of them went to bathe.

Only when the horizon began to lighten with the first pale glow of dawn did Yu Shuheng finally calm her thoughts and slowly close her eyelids. She knew clearly: the young man still cared for her—he hadn't embarrassed her.

She also had a quiet suspicion: Mai Sui and he probably hadn't yet crossed the final line.

…

The night passed.

The next day, Li Heng was woken early by Sun Manning's nagging to fix the TV—only to discover Li Heng and Mai Sui had slept in the same room, causing her to scream loudly.

Zhou Shihe, who had come with them to Building 26, saw Li Heng and Mai Sui walk out of the bedroom one after the other, then sat on the sofa and idly picked up a book from the coffee table to flip through.

Ye Ning, her eyes sparkling, asked in confusion: "Huh? Why didn't you two sleep in the main bedroom or Mai Sui's room? Why here?"

Sun Manning loudly agreed: "Yeah…"

But Sun Manning's words were cut off halfway—Yu Laoshi stepped out of the room Mai Sui usually slept in.

At this sight, the living room fell utterly silent.

Yu Shuheng smiled faintly at everyone, then turned and walked downstairs on her own.

"Oh my god! Li Heng, how could you dare? Sleeping with our Sui Sui right in front of the teacher?" Ye Ning's expression was full of exaggerated admiration.

Li Heng rolled his eyes and ignored her, gesturing to Sun Manning to carry the TV and leaving to find a repair shop at Wujiao Square.

Ye Ning muttered under her breath and followed.

Once everyone had left, Zhou Shihe, who had been Ditou reading, slowly lifted her head and said to Mai Sui with deep implication: "Now is the perfect time to wear the heart-shaped earrings."

What did heart-shaped earrings mean?

It went without saying.

Mai Sui, blushing, sat beside her and explained: "We haven't reached that point yet."

Zhou Shihe was surprised, then realized the two hadn't yet consummated their relationship. She changed the subject: "Was it the thunderstorm last night?"

Mai Sui said yes.

Zhou Shihe frowned: "Why is he, a man, afraid of thunder?"

Mai Sui shook her head: "I'm just as confused as you are."

Zhou Shihe thought for a moment and asked: "Did something bad happen to him during a thunderstorm? Did it leave him with a psychological wound?"

Mai Sui thought of how he had kept calling out "Song Yu" last night, then replied: "Maybe. But I never asked him."

Hearing this, Zhou Shihe let it drop and returned to her book.

After waiting a long time at home and still not seeing Li Heng and the others return, Mai Sui said: "I'm a bit hungry. Should we go to Wujiao Square to find them and grab breakfast at Lantian Restaurant?"

Lantian Restaurant's breakfast was famous among nearby universities—expensive, but uniquely delicious and wildly popular.

Zhou Shihe agreed, put down her book, and the two women set off for Wujiao Square.

By coincidence, on the way, they met Wei Xiaozhu and Dai Qing.

Upon seeing each other, Mai Sui immediately began chatting warmly with Wei Xiaozhu.

Meanwhile, because of last night's incident in the Xi Yuan grove, Dai Qing quietly observed Zhou Shihe from the side.

Zhou Shihe, with her sharp perception, sensed Dai Qing's unusual behavior and smiled gently at her.

Dai Qing returned the smile.

Everything was understood without words.

Clearly, as Zhou Shihe had predicted, Dai Qing had not told her best friend Wei Xiaozhu about last night's incident—how Li Heng and Zhou Shihe had hidden behind the tree.

First, Dai Qing feared that if Wei Xiaozhu found out, she'd feel awkward around Li Heng, damaging their relationship.

Second, Dai Qing herself wasn't even sure if her friend truly, as Hu Ping had claimed, harbored secret feelings for Li Heng.

Although she had once suspected as much, overall, Wei Xiaozhu had always behaved properly, never once acting beyond bounds toward Li Heng.

So, Dai Qing followed the principle of avoiding trouble and said nothing to her friend about last night.

…

Wei Xiaozhu asked Mai Sui: "Sui Sui, where are you and Shihe going?"

Mai Sui replied: "Li Heng and Manning are fixing the TV at a repair shop. We're going to check on them and get breakfast."

Then she asked: "Have you eaten?"

Wei Xiaozhu said: "We've already eaten. We're heading to the department store to buy some daily necessities."

Arriving at Wujiao Square, the two groups parted ways—Mai Sui and Zhou Shihe went to the nearby repair shop.

Wei Xiaozhu and Dai Qing headed toward the store.

After walking a little farther, Wei Xiaozhu wondered aloud: "Do you think Hu Ping will say something when he gets back to Room 325?"

Dai Qing understood her concern and reassured her: "No. Hu Ping is too proud to admit defeat. He was in the wrong, and you slapped him three times. He won't dare speak up."

Seeing her friend fall silent, Dai Qing sighed: "It's a pity. Hu Ping seemed decent before, but last night he lost his head to obsession—his behavior was completely different from usual. He lost too much face. I think he won't bother you again."

Wei Xiaozhu didn't care about Hu Ping and felt nothing upon hearing this.

Dai Qing said: "First there was Li Guoyi and Le Yao, now Hu Ping. Future joint dorm gatherings will be hard to organize unless Li Heng attends—he's the absolute core of both dorms."

According to Dai Qing, if Li Heng came, everyone would show up out of respect.

But if Li Heng couldn't make it, the two dorms would never again gather like they did in freshman year.

…

The day before the women's singles table tennis final, major domestic media outlets launched a massive promotional campaign, bringing the match to near-universal awareness.

Its influence was enormous!

Anyone with the means and a television was waiting for this match.

Newspapers were flooded with stories, and with Anta Sports pushing hard behind the scenes, they had raised the event's Redu even higher than Li Ning's gymnastics competition, drawing attention from all walks of life.

Anta pushed so hard because one of its contracted brand ambassadors, Chen Jing, had entered the final as a dark horse, adding countless dramatic twists.

Originally, in women's table tennis, Chen Jing was merely a marginal player on the Chinese team; the real favorites were the top seed, Jiao Zhimin, and the second seed, Li Huifen.

But Chen Jing proved herself—despite being new to the sport, she showed no fear. In the quarterfinals, she defeated the former Soviet champion Bratova.

In the semifinals, Chen Jing again displayed tremendous resilience, defeating Czech star Hlahova.

Even so, the coaching staff, domestic media, and all Chinese fans still didn't believe in Chen Jing. After all, in past domestic matches and training sessions, she had almost never beaten her teammates Jiao Zhimin and Li Huifen.

Moreover, Jiao Zhimin and Li Huifen were seasoned veterans with vast tournament experience.

How could anyone possibly favor her?

Before the final, Li Wang drove specially to Lushan Village to ask Li Heng: "Cousin, as you instructed, we've already produced the promotional posters of Chen Jing winning gold."

We've also coordinated with CCTV—once Chen Jing wins tomorrow, we'll air the victory ad during prime time immediately."

"Can she win?"

"Will all this money be wasted? We didn't sign Li Huifen, you know."

Clearly, Li Wang had little confidence in Chen Jing's chances.

Li Heng listened and smiled: "Truth is often held by the minority. If you're feeling uneasy, just avoid reading the newspapers these two days."

"Besides, if Chen Jing wins as a dark horse, the public reaction will exceed our wildest expectations."

In fact, not just Li Wang—Sun Manning, Ye Ning, and Zhou Shihe had all bet against Chen Jing.

Only Mai Sui, out of loyalty, sided with Li Heng.

Their bet: whoever loses washes dishes and sweeps the floor for half a month, plus buys breakfast.

Sun Manning teased: "Big Writer, your judgment's really off this time! Sure, Chen Jing made it to the final, but she barely scraped through the quarterfinals and semifinals."

"Look at tomorrow's opponent, Li Huifen—she sailed through every round, clean and elegant."

Li Heng smiled mysteriously and refused to explain further.

As the media reported, although Jiao Zhimin was stronger, the coaches ordered her to throw the match to Li Huifen in the semifinals—they feared Chen Jing might lose to Hlahova.

In the end, Li Huifen advanced to the final, while Jiao Zhimin collapsed after the match, weeping uncontrollably.

At 1: 0 p. . on September 22, the women's singles final began.

Because the Chinese team had made too many mistakes in earlier matches—even their sports icon Li Ning had been eliminated—the newspapers were filled with despair.

Thus, this women's final attracted immense attention.

After all, both finalists were Chinese—meaning China would win both gold and silver. The nation wouldn't have to suffer heartbreak.

The match officially began.

When the two players stepped onto the court both wearing Anta's Li-heng red sports shoes, Ye Ning couldn't help exclaiming:

"I'm so jealous! Big Writer, you've really stolen the spotlight this time! Your name's everywhere on the court!"

Sun Manning added: "And honestly, the shoes look great. Just like the media said—among all the sneakers worn by athletes at these Seoul Olympics, Li-heng is the most distinctive, stylish, and eye-catching. It's even outshining global giants like Nike and Adidas."

Zhou Shihe glanced at Li Heng silently. Even though since returning from the grove last night, they had avoided speaking to each other.

But truth be told, she fully agreed with Manning—Li-heng had stood out brilliantly, overpowering all other sports shoe brands with its superior design.

The quiet Yu Laoshi suddenly asked him: "How's the ad campaign going? Any new agents come knocking?"

"Yes!"

At the mention of agents, Li Heng perked up, grinning: "Not just a few—it's overwhelming."

My little cousin told me that ever since our shoes debuted on the first day of the Hancheng Olympics opening ceremony, calls have been pouring into the factory from people wanting to partner up or become distributors."

Yesterday was insane—some agents, unable to get through on the phone, literally carried bags of cash to the Anta factory to block the gate, demanding to see Li Wang."

Others threw tantrums, saying if they couldn't get provincial or second-tier city distribution rights, they'd refuse to leave Anta's factory. They meant it: one hand holding a bottle of water, the other carrying a bag of buns and steamed bread, they trailed after Li Wang like shadows. Wherever he went, they went, acting like stubborn brats."

The girls found it hilarious—they'd never heard of anything so bizarre.

Yu Shuheng nodded: "Their behavior is crude, but they have vision."

With Li Heng's spotlight moment and the media frenzy, securing a distribution contract is like sitting on a mountain of gold and silver—everything after is just picking up money."

As the first point of the final match was served, the living room fell utterly silent.

Li Heng stared intently at the TV screen, an unexplained unease creeping in—he suddenly feared some uncontrollable factor might trigger a butterfly effect and alter history's course.

As a reborn man, his greatest advantage in this life was leveraging momentum.

Leveraging the momentum of classic masterpieces!

Leveraging the momentum of economic trends!

Leveraging the momentum of policy and social conditions!

Without these, he was just an ordinary man—no different from his past life, a man with a few million in bank savings.

As expected, many were watching this match; the usually quiet alley now buzzed with shouts, mostly from half-grown kids.

"Hey, Li Heng, why are you sitting so stiff? Don't you get tired?"

When the final match reached 2-2, Ye Ning nudged him with her fingers during the break.

This drew the girls' attention.

Yu Shuheng asked: "Are you nervous?"

Li Heng relaxed his posture: "Anta signed Chen Jing as their champion endorser. The ads are already made—waiting only for CCTV and major networks to air them."

Sun Manjing gasped: "Good heavens! You signed Chen Jing? Why not Li Huifen?"

Li Heng replied instantly: "She looked down on Anta and refused. We had no choice but to settle for second best. Even Li Ning turned us down—my cousin begged her multiple times, but she barely responded. Only after that did we sign Lou Yun."

Ye Ning gave a thumbs-up: "Impressive! Lou Yun won! China's first gold medal—you've made a fortune!"

Li Heng nodded smugly: "Not bad. With other events failing one after another, the first gold medal's impact is huge. Otherwise, no boss would've carried bags of cash to block the factory gate."

Mai Sui poured him a glass of water and comforted: "Chen Jing will win. Don't worry."

Ye Ning stubbornly backed Li Huifen: "Impossible. Chen Jing's skill is weaker than Li Huifen's. She barely won the first two matches—almost got overturned."

Unexpectedly, Zhou Shihe chimed in: "I also think Chen Jing will win."

Ye Ning bristled: "Hey! Shihe, you turncoat! Forget the bet? Why are you siding with that couple?"

The word "couple" made Yu Shuheng glance at Ye Ning.

Zhou Shihe smiled gently and explained softly: "Li Huifen's skill is indeed stronger than Chen Jing's—you can see it in the clean, precise way she wins points."

"But in a major final, skill isn't everything—mental strength matters just as much. Chen Jing has no psychological burden; she fights hard and has incredible resilience."

Ye Ning couldn't find a flaw, so she grumbled: "Traitor to the people! If Chen Jing actually wins, Shihe, you better scrub his floors and wash his dishes!"

Feeling Li Heng's gaze subtly land on her, Zhou Shihe pouted slightly, then turned her full attention back to the TV, saying nothing more, letting Ye Ning and Sun Manjing call her a traitor.

After tense minutes, the fifth set ended—the winner was decided!

As expected, history remained faithful!

Chen Jing defeated Li Huifen 3-2, becoming the first female athlete in Olympic history to win the women's singles table tennis championship.

At this moment, the world's eyes turned to her.

A record was set!

Li Heng exhaled in relief, stood up, and said to Yu Shuheng: "Teacher, I need to make a call."

Yu Shuheng rose with him and walked with him to Building 25.

On the second floor, Li Heng picked up the receiver and dialed Li Wang's office. The phone rang once—and connected immediately.

He suppressed his excitement and spoke calmly: "Little cousin, Chen Jing won."

"I saw it! I saw it! I've been screaming 'Go!' until my voice went hoarse! How did you do it? Brother, you're incredible! You actually predicted Chen Jing's gold!" Li Wang's voice boomed over the TV's noise, ecstatic.

Li Heng chuckled: "What's so incredible? We signed over ten athletes—only two won championships. The big names still ignore us."

Li Wang praised: "You're still amazing! If you hadn't insisted, I never would've bet on Chen Jing, an obscure player."

Li Heng gave no further explanation, only ordered: "Release the posters—Shanghai, Jingcheng, Yangcheng, and every province and city. I want championship promotion posters visible on every street and alley within the shortest time."

Li Wang assured: "No problem. Already prepared."

Li Heng added: "In wealthy provinces, spend big to buy front-page newspaper space. Call the publishers—make sure news reports mention Anta Shoe Industry and li-heng brand frequently. Price is negotiable. Even customize news stories."

Li Wang asked: "How many days for the front page? Two? Three?"

Li Heng blurted: "A week."

Li Wang warned: "That's a huge expense."

Li Heng spoke with effortless wealth: "Trust me—it's worth every penny."

"Alright, I'll handle it!" Li Wang hung up.

It was truly worth every penny!

When people across China saw Chinese Olympic athletes wearing Anta-sponsored shoes on TV, every industry froze, stunned—every heart cried: "Wōcào!"

Wōcào! Can ads really work like this?

How much money did they have to throw down to get the Olympic Committee's approval?

But no matter how much they spent, the effect was phenomenal!

Every CCTV broadcast, every match, every news report was effectively an ad for Anta Shoe Industry.

Especially since Li Heng had paid Li Wang to bribe CCTV's sports commentators to casually slip in lines like: "These li-heng shoes are beautiful—our own national brand, looks so good on our athletes! So spirited!" or "Champion shoes!"

In the future, viewers with sharp eyes would've screamed that the commentators took bribes for promoting Anta.

But in this era? Huh! Everyone was still feeling their way forward—they didn't understand the tricks at all. They genuinely believed the commentators were sincerely praising.

And TV viewers thought the li-heng shoes looked stylish and upscale, especially since the logo was named after a famous writer and legendary musician. Viewers with means, watching the shoes appear repeatedly on screen, began to feel tempted.

Of course, some sharp minds later realized: they were secretly wondering—what kind of luck did Anta stumble into? How did they hit both champions? How much did they bet? How many athletes did they sign before the Games?

One newspaper speculated: "One in twenty?"

Another reported: "One in three."

Suddenly, everyone was debating—how many golds would Anta actually predict? A nationwide frenzy erupted.

All businesspeople were stunned!

A nationwide discussion?

This was insane! This was sky-high momentum!

This discussion was even more powerful than the athletes' gold-medal wins!

This time, Chinese businesses were thoroughly schooled by Anta—they all began studying the method.

Li Heng watched it all with a smile, delighted.

At this moment, the magazine "Shouhuo" launched the standalone edition of "Bai Luyuan," riding Li Heng's soaring fame.

At the same time, Yu Shuheng quietly told him: "Your pure music album's domestic sales have surged again. Since your identity as a famous writer was revealed, and since the Olympics, you've sold another 420, 00 copies in just half a month!"

Li Heng was stunned: "Really? Four… four hundred twenty thousand?"

Yu Shuheng smiled faintly and dropped a remark: "Your readers are rich."

You think that's all?

No no no!

It's only just begun.

Good news kept coming—Editor Liao called to congratulate him: "'Bai Luyuan' has sold 1. million copies in twelve days. The printing presses are running 24/7. Brother, congratulations!"

An average of 150, 00 copies per day!

A terrifying number!

Each book priced at 8 yuan—he gets 8% royalty, so 6. jiao per book.

1. million copies equals 1. 52 million yuan!

Sssss!

Li Heng sucked in a sharp breath—damn! Another million-plus pouring in!

His empty wallet instantly swelled again—he was genuinely thrilled.

Editor Liao, excited, added: "Your name has been thundering these past half-months! Thundering! 'Bai Luyuan' is now so popular, it's 'Luoyang paper expensive'—hard to find. I heard someone's reselling it privately for 18 yuan!"

Li Heng was thunderstruck!

Damn it—this is textbook scalping!

In the future, he'd read news about scalpers selling "Fengdu" for 20 yuan—but even then, you couldn't get it.

Remember, "Fengdu" sold over 12 million copies in a short time.

Now, "Fengdu" hadn't even been published yet, and "Bai Luyuan" was untouched, uncut—of course everyone loved it.

Many genuinely adored Li Heng's books.

But some were clearly drawn by the "romantic" descriptions.

Add his sudden fame as a writer, the "19-year-old" marketing gimmick, and the Olympics constantly elevating his status—no wonder "Bai Luyuan" and the music album exploded!

After hanging up with Editor Liao, Li Heng told Yu Shuheng: "Teacher, lend me your car—I'm going to the Anta factory."

Yu Shuheng said, "I'm free today—I'll go with you."

The Seoul Olympics end in three days; the Chinese team has won five gold medals so far, three of which were won by athletes signed by Li Heng.

According to a report in the Beijing Daily, Li Heng is the biggest winner of this Seoul Olympics.

This praise is too high—no one can possibly handle it!

But who is he?

Not only does he hold a dozen titles, but he's backed by Teacher Yu and Old Man Ba!

Behind the scenes, there's also a major Qingyi.

He has nothing to fear!

…

When the two arrived at the Huangpu Anta Shoe Factory, they hadn't even stepped out of the car before they were stunned by what they saw.

When had the company's once-deserted entrance become so crowded?

A long line of trucks had already formed, waiting to pick up goods?

People and vehicles packed together, completely blocking the company gate.

Yu Shuheng rolled down the Mercedes window and glanced at the scene: "Twenty-eight big trucks, even more vans—can your company keep up with production?"

Li Heng said, "We prepared for this months ago—we've stored four warehouses full of inventory."

Yu Shuheng frowned, turning to stare at him. "Little man, aren't you afraid you'll be stuck with unsold stock?"

Li Heng grinned. "I told you—I foresaw this boom. Do you believe me, Teacher?"

She stared at his face for a long while, then said unexpectedly, "I believe you."

She couldn't not believe it.

She had no choice but to believe it.

From his writing, to his music, to nationwide debates in newspapers, to the dozens of trucks before her—everything defined what true success meant.

What did true glory look like?

What did it mean to plan with perfect foresight?

This man had given her too many surprises.

After watching for a while, Li Heng said, "Teacher, let's get out."

Yu Shuheng nodded. Since the Mercedes couldn't enter, they left it outside, with Zeng Yun watching it.

The road was packed with cars—and even more people.

Over just two hundred meters, Li Heng and Yu Shuheng sweated through their clothes.

Many carried burlap sacks filled with stacks of cash. As Teacher Yu had said, these people knew clearly: if they got Li Wang's pickup slip, they'd get even more cash.

To these distributors, "Anta Shoe Industry" was like futures trading—in this seller's market, it was brighter than gold.

After finally squeezing into the third-floor office, a scene of frantic activity met their eyes: calls, telegrams, and letters flooded in; every employee either answered phones with clients or sprinted to the factory floor, all drenched in sweat, yet all brimming with energy.

If the company's earlier months of desolation had frightened them, this past half-month of prosperity terrified them even more.

Day and night, shifts rotated without pause; the office phones never stopped ringing, the workshop lights blazed 24/7.

After finally squeezing into Li Wang's general manager's office, they were stunned again.

They'd thought the crowd carrying sacks downstairs was bad—inside the office, it was worse. Distributors shouted in thick accents:

"Manager Li, give me 500, 00 in cash!"

"Give me 800, 00!"

"One million! One million! Cash on delivery, no delays—Manager Li, hurry! My wholesale store is running out!"

"..."

The office was huge. Li Wang sat at his desk, flanked by finance staff and assistants approving paperwork, while bank workers counted cash.

Police officers stood guard nearby.

Li Wang's only job was to chat with the waiting distributors, gauge market demand, then collect money, sign, and issue pickup slips.

Issue the pickup slips!

Li Wang spotted Li Heng and Yu Shuheng through the crowd, but couldn't move—an army of shouting distributors surrounded her, refusing to let her go.

As the distributors put it: "Manager Li, time is money. You've made your fortune—we haven't even opened yet. No matter what, give us our slips before you leave."

Hearing this, Li Wang felt both pain and joy. After muttering something to her assistant, she bent back to work furiously.

The assistant led Li Heng and Yu Shuheng to Li Wang's bedroom, opened the door, and said, "Boss, Miss Yu—this is the only quiet spot left in the company. Manager Li says he'll come soon—please forgive the inconvenience."

Li Heng asked, "Where's my office?"

The assistant hesitated. "Your office was requisitioned long ago."

Li Heng: "..."

The assistant didn't stay long, poured them each a cup of tea, then hurried off.

Once the assistant left, Yu Shuheng turned to Li Heng, eyes gleaming. "You've hit it big this time."

PS: Posted first, revised later.

Already posted ten thousand characters.

(End of Chapter)