Chapter 15 Money, Money
The next day, Tuesday, they returned. Rick had already the results, of course.
"Mr. Pinter, good morning!" Leo greeted, trying to keep his voice level, though a tremor of excitement was evident. "We're here to check yesterday's ticket."
Mr. Pinter retrieved the ticket, his eyes scanning the numbers. His eyebrows rose slightly. "Well, I'll be. You young men are certainly fortunate. That's a winning ticket! Four thousand five hundred Poh!"
Leo's jaw dropped, trying to show a genuine look of shock and elation on his face. "W-we won?! Oh my goodness, Rick, we won!" He looked at Rick, his eyes wide with disbelief and gratitude.
Rick gave him a calm, reassuring smile. "Told you we were due for some luck, Senior."
"Indeed," Mr. Pinter said, his gaze flicking between the two students. He counted out the bills – four 1,000.00 Poh bills and one 500.00 Poh bill. "Here you go. Congratulations."
He knew those two won last week and it seems that their luck has been amazing after winning again this week.
Rick and Leo walked out, Leo practically bouncing with excitement. "Rick, this is incredible! We won again! Four thousand five hundred! I can't believe it! This is exactly what we needed!"
"Patience, Leo," Rick advised, leading him to a secluded bench. "Remember, we need to be discreet."
They sat down, and Rick, without a word, took 2,000.00 Poh for himself and handed 2,500.00 Poh to Leo.
Leo stared at the money in his hand. "This… I thought…"
"Consider it a bonus for your sister's medical bills," Rick said simply. "You need it more right now. Just keep our secret."
Tears welled up in Leo's eyes. "Rick… I don't know what to say. You're truly amazing. This is… this is going to help so much. My parents will be so relieved."
"Just focus on your sister getting better," Rick said, patting his shoulder. "And remember our agreement for Wednesday."
The two parted, Leo's eyes were still in tears as he walked down the familiar road. His mind is already appeased as he knew that the financial burden in the family would now be taken care of. But of course, the 2,500 he earned today is not yet enough to pay off the surgery fee, it was only the down payment.
On Wednesday, they repeated the process. Leo, still buzzing from the previous day's win, was almost giddy.
"Morning, Mr. Pinter!" Leo chirped, trying to contain his excitement. "Feeling lucky again!"
Mr. Pinter, however, was no longer smiling broadly. He watched them intently as Leo bought the ticket, as Rick subtly marked it, and as Leo signed it. He didn't miss the quick, almost imperceptible glance Rick gave the numbers before Leo handed it over. A flicker of suspicion crossed his face. Two days in a row? That was highly unusual.
The next day, Thursday, Mr. Pinter's suspicion was confirmed. Rick and Leo won again.
"Four thousand five hundred Poh," Mr. Pinter announced, his voice flat, his eyes narrowed as he counted out the money. He looked directly at Rick this time. "You boys have quite the streak going. Three wins in a row. Remarkable luck."
Rick met his gaze evenly, a slight, innocent smile on his face. "Just feeling inspired, Mr. Pinter. Perhaps good things come in threes!"
As they walked away, Mr. Pinter leaned on his counter, a thoughtful, calculating look on his face. Three consecutive wins. This wasn't just luck. There had to be a system. A cheat. He decided then and there that he would observe them more closely. He'd find out what they were up to.
Rick, sensing Mr. Pinter's growing scrutiny, knew he had to throw him off. As they split the winnings (again, Rick took slightly less for Leo's benefit), he turned to Leo.
"Leo," Rick said quietly, "we need to go again tomorrow. Thursday."
Leo's eyes widened. "Really? But we just won! Isn't that pushing our luck?"
"Exactly," Rick said, a knowing glint in his eye. "We need to make it look like we're just pushing our luck. Mr. Pinter is watching us. He thinks we have a system. We need to make him think it's just random chance."
"Oh," Leo said, catching on. "So, we… we buy a ticket, but we don't win?"
"Precisely," Rick confirmed. "We buy a ticket, act excited, and then get nothing. It will confuse him. Keep him guessing."
"Got it," Leo said, a determined nod. "Whatever you say, Rick. You're the mastermind."
Rick once again spent his time with Jenny after parting with Leo.
On Thursday morning, Rick and Leo returned to Mr. Pinter's shop. Mr. Pinter watched them enter, his posture rigid. He had a small notepad hidden beneath the counter, ready.
"Morning, Mr. Pinter!" Leo said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible. "We're back for more! Feeling lucky again today!"
"So I see," Mr. Pinter said, his voice clipped. He watched as Leo bought the ticket and Rick, with exaggerated casualness, leaned over to mark the numbers. Mr. Pinter, with a quick glance, memorized the sequence. He then quickly jotted them down on his notepad as Leo submitted the ticket.
"Good luck, gentlemen," Mr. Pinter said, a hint of challenge in his tone. He would check these numbers personally.
The next day, Friday, Rick and Leo returned. Mr. Pinter was already looking grim.
"Any luck, Mr. Pinter?" Leo asked, trying to sound hopeful.
"No," Mr. Pinter said flatly. "That ticket was a bust. Not even one matching digit."
Leo feigned disappointment. "Oh, darn! Guess our lucky streak is over. That's a shame." He nudged Rick, who shrugged casually.
"Well, can't win 'em all," Rick said with a sigh. "Maybe another day."
Mr. Pinter frowned. He had checked the numbers himself. Nothing. He stared at the two students, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. Was it just luck after all? No, three wins in a row couldn't be purely luck. He decided to continue observing.
And so, Rick and Leo started betting on the 3-digit lottery every single day until Sunday. Each day, they bought a ticket, Rick "marked" it, Leo submitted it, and each day, they came back to a losing result.
"Still nothing, boys," Mr. Pinter would say, his frown deepening with each passing day. The initial suspicion was slowly giving way to bewilderment. He had noted their numbers. They were completely random. No discernible pattern. Perhaps they truly were just incredibly lucky on those three days.
By Sunday evening, Mr. Pinter was thoroughly confused. His initial theory of a "system" was falling apart.
The next Monday morning, Rick and Leo appeared at the shop once more. Mr. Pinter braced himself, expecting another loss.
"Good morning, Mr. Pinter!" Leo said, his usual cheerfulness back. "New week, new luck, right?"
"One can only hope," Mr. Pinter muttered, taking the ticket from Leo after Rick had subtly marked it. He still jotted down the numbers, almost out of habit, though his conviction was wavering.
The next day, Tuesday, when they returned to check the results, Mr. Pinter's jaw nearly dropped.
"Four thousand five hundred Poh," he announced, his voice tinged with utter disbelief. "You… you won again."
Leo let out a whoop of genuine delight. "We did it! Rick, we did it again!" He turned to Mr. Pinter, eyes sparkling. "See, Mr. Pinter? I told you, new week, new luck!"
Mr. Pinter simply stared, his mind reeling. After a full weekend of losses, they suddenly won again? This was beyond luck. This was… he didn't know what it was. His frown deepened, but it was no longer a frown of suspicion, but one of profound bewilderment.
"Congratulations," he managed, counting out the bills mechanically.
Rick and Leo collected their winnings, and Rick again quietly handed Leo his share, plus a little extra for his sister's continued recovery. Leo was ecstatic.
"This is amazing, Rick! My sister is already feeling so much better, and this really helps with the follow-up treatments."
"Good to hear," Rick said, "Let's keep going with our strategy, just like before."
On Tuesday, they returned, and for the first time, Rick deliberately chose a set of losing numbers.
"Nothing today, boys," Mr. Pinter said, his voice flat, a hint of something that sounded like relief in his tone. He looked at Rick, as if searching for a tell.
"Ah, well," Leo sighed dramatically. "Can't win every day, I suppose."
Mr. Pinter nodded slowly, his confusion deepening. So, they could lose. This made no sense.
But on Wednesday, when Rick once again marked the winning numbers, the outcome was inevitable.
"Four thousand five hundred Poh," Mr. Pinter declared, his voice a strained whisper, his eyes wide behind his thick spectacles. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. His neatly combed hair seemed to stand on end. "You… you won again."
Leo practically danced with joy. "Yes! Another one! You're a genius, Rick!"
Mr. Pinter leaned against the counter, his usual shrewdness replaced by a look of utter, profound confusion. He had observed them, he had checked their numbers, he had seen them lose, and then they won again. He had no explanation. Was it truly just the most improbable string of luck he had ever witnessed in his entire career as a lottery shop owner? He stared at the two college students, who, despite their youthful excitement, carried an air of nonchalance that baffled him to his core. Mr. Pinter simply shook his head, a defeated but utterly bewildered expression on his face. He had no answers, only questions. And a growing sense that these two young men were either the luckiest people alive or had discovered a secret known only to the heavens.