Next to the busy streets of Chongqing, a forgotten secret lies under a bridge. Here, Wang Chengzhou, a once ordinary office worker, now spends his days as a lottery researcher.
His story begins one night in 2004, when he was just an ordinary man enjoying an evening of leisure, until a dream changed everything.
That night, he dreamed of a mysterious set of numbers, unaware that it would be a turning point in the trajectory of his life.
Wang Chengzhou's dream numbers
One night in 2004, Wang Chengzhou returned home under the slightest hint of alcohol. He staggered into the bedroom, took off his coat, and slumped heavily on the bed. There was a faint smell of alcohol in the room, and the lights outside the street cast hazy spots of light through the curtains. Wang Chengzhou closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.
In this half-dreaming state, he seems to be in a strange world. He saw a string of numbers, which shimmered brightly in the dream.
These numbers seem to carry some kind of mysterious power, but Wang Chengzhou does not realize their importance in the real world. In the dream, he was just attracted by the strangeness of these numbers and found them very interesting.
The next morning, the sun's rays pierced through the curtains and shone on Wang Chengzhou's face. He rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly. The bedside alarm clock showed seven o'clock in the morning.
He turned his head to look at his sleeping girlfriend beside him, then got up gently and walked to the door of his daughter's room. Through the crack in the door, he saw his daughter sleeping sweetly, a smile on her face.
Wang Chengzhou returned to the living room and began to prepare breakfast. The oil in the pan began to sizzle as he expertly stir-fried the vegetables. His girlfriend walked in yawning and sat at the table with her eyes rubbed.
"Last night I had a strange dream about a string of numbers. Wang Chengzhou said casually while flipping through the food in the pot.
"Oh, what number?" the girlfriend yawned, not seeming much interest in the topic.
"I don't remember either, I just thought it was funny. Wang Chengzhou smiled and put the fried dishes on the plate.
"Maybe you drank too much last night. The girlfriend smiled and shook her head and began to prepare the dishes.
Over breakfast, they chatted about homely things and occasionally brought up last night's dreams, but soon the topic was replaced by everyday chores. The daughter woke up slowly, rubbed her eyes and walked to the table. She curiously asked her father what her dream was last night, and Wang Chengzhou just smiled and shook his head, saying that he had forgotten it.
A turning point in fate
Early the next morning, Wang Chengzhou hurriedly finished breakfast and prepared to go to work as usual. He walked through the bustling streets, thinking only about the day's work plan. Sunlight shines through the gaps in the leaves and spills on the ground, creating dappled shadows.
When he walked to a familiar alley, his eyes inadvertently fell on the lottery station at the mouth of the alley. At the door of the lottery station hangs a huge lottery billboard with a string of lottery numbers printed on it. This string of numbers turned out to be exactly the same as the numbers in his dream last night.
Wang Chengzhou stopped, his eyes fixed on the string of numbers. There was a look of surprise and bewilderment on his face. Inside the lottery station, several customers were talking, their voices echoing in Wang Chengzhou's ears, but he didn't seem to hear them.
"How could it be such a coincidence?" he muttered to himself, his heart filled with regret and anger. He failed to realize the peculiarity of this dream.
Wang Chengzhou stood in front of the lottery station for a long time, until a passerby gently patted him on the shoulder and reminded him that he was blocking the way, and then he woke up like a dream and continued to walk to the office. But his mind was completely off work.
From that day on, Wang Chengzhou began to frequent the lottery station. Every time he passed by, he would stop and stare at the lottery numbers in the window. He started buying lottery tickets, hoping to run into that magical coincidence again.
After work, he often takes a detour to the lottery station and spends a lot of time researching various lotteries. The owner of the lottery station began to get to know him, and whenever he entered the store, the owner always greeted him warmly and introduced new lottery types.
"How do you feel about the jackpot numbers in this issue?" asked the boss enthusiastically.
"I'm still researching. Wang Chengzhou replied, his eyes full of longing.
"Good luck!" said the boss with a smile.
Wang Chengzhou used up most of his spare time and some savings to buy lottery tickets. He began to collect all kinds of lottery information and even tried to find some kind of pattern or pattern. But no matter how many times he tried, he never won again.
His girlfriend began to notice a change in his behavior. She was confused and worried when she saw the mountains of lottery tickets on the table and the back of Wang Cheng studying the numbers in front of the computer day and night.
"You've been buying lottery tickets lately, is that really good?" asked his girlfriend one night.
"I just wanted to try my luck. Wang Chengzhou replied lightly and did not look up.
The girlfriend was silent for a while and did not speak again. She knew that once Wang Chengzhou decided to do something, it would be difficult for him to change his mind.
The breakdown of the family
As time passed, Wang Chengzhou's addiction to the lottery became more and more serious. His girlfriend began to notice the deterioration of the family's financial situation. The once sumptuous dishes on the table have become so simple that sometimes only clear soup is left with little water. Girlfriends were hesitant at the supermarket for discounted items, and once, they never needed to save so much.
One night, while his girlfriend was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, Wang Chengzhou sat on the sofa in the living room, his eyes glued to the live lottery draw on the TV screen. The daughter was playing with toys on the side, occasionally looking up at her father, and then lowering her head to continue playing.
"We need to talk. The girlfriend suddenly turned off the fire and looked at Wang Chengzhou seriously.
"I'm busy right now. Wang Chengzhou's eyes still did not take off the TV screen.
"You've been like this lately, and even your daughter has almost forgotten what her father is like. His girlfriend's voice trembled a little.
Wang Chengzhou did not respond, and the results of the lottery on TV disappointed him. He silently turned off the TV and walked into the bedroom, leaving his girlfriend and daughter in the living room.
Day after day, this silence and indifference became the norm at home. His girlfriend began to take her daughter out for a walk and shopping alone, while Wang Chengzhou was always alone at home studying the lottery. There was less and less communication between them, and the atmosphere in the family was getting heavier.
The girlfriend tried to communicate with Wang Chengzhou, but each time she failed. One night, she tried to start a conversation again.
"We can't go on like this. The girlfriend sat opposite Wang Chengzhou, her voice calm but firm.
Wang Chengzhou glanced up at her, then lowered his head again and continued his lottery research.
"I'm going to take my daughter away. The girlfriend's voice trembled, but her eyes were determined.
Wang Chengzhou was silent for a while, and finally only said one sentence: "Do what you think is right." ”
The next day, my girlfriend started packing. She neatly put her clothes and daily necessities into her suitcase, and her daughter sat on the sidelines, playing with toys while looking at her mother curiously. Wang Chengzhou sat on the sofa in the living room, still holding those lottery tickets and statistics in his hands.
The girlfriend walked out of the house with her daughter, leaving Wang Chengzhou alone, and he was full of lottery tickets. The sound of the door closing echoed in the room, and Wang Chengzhou glanced up at the empty room, then lowered his head again and continued his research. The lottery seems to have become the only companion in his life.
The dilemma of life
On August 24, 2008, Wang Chengzhou came to Chongqing with all his luggage. His clothes were worn and he held the few remaining personal belongings in his hands. Walking down the busy streets, Wang Chengzhou looked around, looking for a place to take shelter temporarily. The hustle and bustle of the city contrasts sharply with him.
Eventually, he found a bridge cave that was relatively secluded and sheltered from the elements. Under the bridge, some wanderers have built rudimentary shelters. Wang Chengzhou found a relatively dry place and put down his heavy luggage.
Every day, Wang Chengzhou would go to a nearby convenience store to buy lottery tickets. He carefully picks the numbers and pays with the rest of the change. The clerk at the convenience store became familiar with the frequent customer who came to buy lottery tickets, even though he always seemed scruffy.
"How does your number feel today?" the clerk asked him one day.
"Someday, my number will be hit. Wang Chengzhou replied, with firmness in his tone.
The clerk smiled and nodded, not saying anything more.
Despite the difficult living conditions, Wang Chengzhou still stuck to his lottery dream. He built a small table out of a worn wooden board under the bridge, which was filled with his lottery tickets and notebooks. His notebook is divided into four sections: Mental Method, Functions, Passwords, and Lottery Numbers. Each page is densely packed with his calculations and speculations.
Wang Chengzhou often sits under the bridge, bowing his head and studying the lottery numbers intently. Occasionally, a passerby stopped curiously to watch, but he didn't seem to care about the gaze around him.
Sometimes, other people who lived under the bridge would come and talk to him.
"Do you really believe you can hit the jackpot?" a wanderer once asked him.
"I believe in numbers. Wang Chengzhou replied briefly.
Although he worked out 125 algorithms, he never actually hit the jackpot. This did not discourage him, but strengthened his conviction. He believes that as long as he continues to research, one day he will find the secret to winning the lottery.
Whenever the lottery is drawn, Wang Chengzhou always sits in front of the TV with anticipation, nervously waiting for the lottery results. After each failure, he would silently return to the bridge cave and continue his research.
Day after day, Wang Chengzhou's life became monotonous and repetitive. Every day, he would go buy lottery tickets and return to the bridge to continue his research. His life revolves almost entirely around the lottery, and everything else seems so insignificant.
Lost and hopeful
After 18 years of hard research and countless failures, Wang Chengzhou finally completed his lottery research results, compiled into four books. These books contain all his studies of minds, functions, passwords, and lottery numbers. He used all his savings to print the books and decided to bundle them up and sell them for 800 yuan.
He set up a small booth in the open space next to the bridge and arranged the books neatly on the table. He also made some simple billboards that read: "Lottery numbers to decipher cheats, only 800 yuan." ”
"I decided to bundle these four books into a set of sales, tentatively priced at 800 yuan, the country should be at least 100 million people who are interested in my research on the law of lottery numbers, if they can each buy a set of my books, I can earn at least 80 billion. He said this to every pedestrian who passed by.
However, most of the pedestrians just looked curiously, shook their heads and smiled, and then hurried away. Every now and then someone stops to look through the books, but in the end no one buys them.
Despite this, Wang Chengzhou did not give up. He stayed by the stall every day, rain or shine, waiting for someone to come and buy his books. He believes that there will always be people who will recognize the value of these books and that his research will not be in vain.
Over time, Wang Chengzhou's stall became well-known in the local area, and was known as the "bookstall of the lottery maniac". Occasionally, lottery enthusiasts come to communicate with him, but even they rarely buy his books.
"Do these books really help win the lottery?" asked a curious lottery enthusiast.
"This is my 18 years of research, how do you know if you don't try?" replied Wang Chengzhou.
The lottery enthusiast shook his head and left without making a purchase.
Although the reality is not easy, Wang Chengzhou still holds hope. Whenever he sees a lottery draw, he will check his books in the hope of finding a clue to the pattern. But unfortunately, success always seems to pass him by.
Time passed, and Wang Chengzhou's days under the bridge became longer and longer. His books are still there, waiting to be patronized. He knew that it was impossible for his family to return to him, and his only hope was to pin all his heart and soul and dreams on the lottery.
[1] She Fangyong.Lottery market issuance management and countermeasures research[J].Wuhan Finance,1999(9):21-22