Yesterday, Big Head had forced quite a bit of alcohol on him, and in the end, Zhou You ended up picking up the tab.
Big Head was really frustrated, complaining that Zhou You hadn't told him about buying the lottery ticket. Otherwise, he could have tagged along for the ride and made a little money too.
Zhou You laughed it off, saying he'd almost lost everything in the middle and didn't dare gamble anymore.
Big Head was just venting, really. After all, he was a native of Luzhou. His parents—one worked in a government office, the other ran a small business—plus they'd bought a house early on, so the family had at least five properties. He envied Zhou You's windfall, but it was more like admiring a big pile of pocket change; he wasn't jealous.
There was a joke about winning the lottery from later years:
A guy won 5 million from a lottery ticket. On stage to collect his prize, he looked totally calm. A reporter came up and asked, "How are you planning to spend this money?" The guy said coolly, "First, buy a house!" The reporter pressed, "And the rest?" The guy didn't answer right away. Instead, he slowly pulled out a pack of Hongtashan cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, tilted his head back at a 45-degree angle, and said leisurely, "The rest... the rest I'll pay off slowly..."
In later years, winning the lottery—after taxes—wouldn't even cover a down payment in a first-tier city.
Waking up in the morning, Zhou You was mulling over how to allocate his funds.
Based on 40 million, he'd put 10 million in the bank as a safety net. His life had already changed, but he wasn't sure if he'd need that money down the line.
He'd invest 20 million in stocks—part in Moutai, part in Tencent.
Tencent was under 30 yuan now, and in later years, it peaked at 700 yuan. But he wasn't greedy; he'd sell off in batches between 500 and 600 yuan, maybe trade the dips when he had time. It was a solid 20x stock, so he'd park 10 million in it.
Moutai was around 80 yuan now, historically undervalued. It later soared to 2500 yuan, and he planned to sell at 2000. That was also a 20x stock. Another 10 million.
Both stocks paid dividends, and the annual payouts would be more than enough for Zhou You to live comfortably.
As for BYD's Hong Kong stock, after Buffett bought in and it surged for two years, now wasn't a good entry point. He'd wait for it to drop and then trade the swings. BYD's Hong Kong stock was great for swing trading—volatile and big moves. He'd buy some of that too, mainly for the future. By the later years, BYD had grown huge, and before he was reborn, they'd even released the 1.08-million-yuan Yangwang U8. Who knew how far it could go?
Bitcoin had just started gaining traction. He planned to buy 2000 coins as a backup—not to cash out, just for peace of mind.
Adding it all up, barring any surprises, he'd have at least another 500 million coming in down the road. That was more than enough for him.
That left over 10 million as spending money—flexible funds for hobbies and leisure. Coming back to life, he couldn't just focus on making money. He had to make sure he didn't waste this second chance.
He had a house now, so how could he not have a car?
Zhou You's favorite were off-road vehicles. They gave him a sense of security. Back when he first bought a car, he'd been limited by funds and could only afford a sedan.
When he first got his license and started driving, he saw every car on the road as a threat. He was especially afraid of dying and had a low sense of safety. Back then, he'd dreamed of buying a tank or a bulletproof car to drive around, but it was just a fantasy.
Now that he had money, what should he buy? In the short term, he couldn't go too expensive.
If he bought both a car and a house, the source of his funds would be hard to explain. He couldn't just tell everyone he'd won it betting on soccer—he still had a reputation to think about.
His car budget couldn't exceed 500,000 yuan—not too pricey, not too cheap, just right for someone who'd won the lottery.
At that price point, there were plenty of options: Wrangler, Explorer, Audi, Mercedes. But Zhou You's first thought was the Wrangler. He'd seen them on the road many times before—tall, imposing, rugged. They turned heads and didn't even need repairs for minor bumps. They gave him a huge sense of security, perfect for him.
Then he looked up a bunch of info on the Wrangler online, and the more he read, the more disheartened he got. It had a lot of flaws.
Poor comfort: The Wrangler's interior design and materials were bare-bones. The seats and steering wheel had no heating, and the space was cramped. Its suspension was stiff, making for a bumpy, noisy ride. That was a real downer for long trips or daily commutes.
Poor safety: The Wrangler's safety ratings and features were low. It only had two airbags and no active safety systems like brake assist, lane keeping, or blind-spot monitoring. Its braking distance was long too—41.4 meters to go from 100 km/h to a full stop. That was dangerous in an emergency.
High price: The Wrangler wasn't cheap. Its starting price was 400,000 yuan, and the top trim hit 500,000 yuan. For that money, you could get a better off-roader or luxury car, like the Toyota Prado, Audi Q5, or Mercedes GLC. Those outperformed the Wrangler in performance, comfort, safety, and brand value. The value for money was just too low.
The more Zhou You read, the more conflicted and frustrated he got. Buying a car was such a hassle. Why couldn't there be a perfect vehicle? Sigh, spending money was such a pain.
Then he suddenly slapped his forehead. Why was he obsessing over value for money? As long as he was happy, that was what mattered. He'd never owned one before, and now he wanted to buy one to play around with, like a big toy. Coming back to life, if he couldn't even fulfill this little wish without overthinking it, then his old mindset was still holding him back. He had money now, but if his thinking didn't change, he'd still see things the same way as before, trapping himself.
The Wrangler was a toy—a toy that men loved. It might have a thousand flaws, but at this moment, Zhou You liked it. It was a dream from his past life, and he was here to make it come true.
He decided to stop agonizing. He'd buy more cars later anyway. He didn't care for luxury cars or sports cars. He'd take good care of himself, live well, and maybe get a Yangwang U8 down the line.
"You up yet? I'm almost there," Big Head called.
"I've been up for a while, packing. Come help me move, and I'll take you straight to the new place," Zhou You said as he packed.
"Sure, I want to see your new digs," Big Head said and hung up.
There wasn't much to pack anyway. Moving out of a dorm was the easiest thing. Back in the day, there was a term online: "grab your bucket and run." Migrant workers going to the city valued convenience and efficiency—keep it simple, don't bring too much stuff, or the sunk costs would be too high to bail out easily.
Unlike his past life, where he moved back and forth, accumulating more stuff each time. At first, he could just grab and go, then he needed a small cart, then a pickup truck. Eventually, he couldn't move anymore, gritted his teeth, and bought a house—only to be completely tied down, becoming the obedient grandson at work and the boss's good employee, never daring to talk back again.
After packing, the two of them each grabbed a bag and headed downstairs.
At the entrance, Zhou You said to the dorm manager, "Auntie, thanks. I'm moving out today. Everything upstairs is yours to deal with as you see fit."
The auntie replied politely, "Oh, Teacher Zhou, leaving so soon? No worries, stay a few more days if you want. Come visit us sometime, okay?"
Every stage of life is different. The student chapter was over, and the grind of society was beginning.