The Excited Leo

Chapter 24 The Excited Leo

The rustle of Poh bills was music to Leo Cane's ears. He fanned the thick stacks of 1,000.00 Poh bills, a wide grin plastered on his face. "Two hundred thousand, Rick! Can you believe it? Two hundred thousand!" he exclaimed, his voice a mix of disbelief and euphoria. They were inside a room in the bustling lottery sub-office in Gee City. Outside, the air is thick with the hum of excited chatter, and inside, the scent of freshly printed paper.

Rick Lane, ever the picture of composed calm, even at seventeen, simply nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It's real, Leo. This will be our beginning." He held his own share of the winnings with a detached air, the weight of the paper bills feeling both substantial and fleeting. He knew this money was merely a stepping stone to something far grander.

…

The two friends left the lottery center, the chatters and murmurs fading behind them as they stepped out into the bright Gee City sun. Their first stop was a prominent bank, its imposing facade a stark contrast to the lively streets. This is the same bank where Rick opened his account in one of its branches and where his mother works.

Inside, the hushed elegance of the lobby offered a temporary reprieve from the outside world. Leo, still buzzing with excitement, approached the new accounts desk. "I'd like to open a savings account, please," he announced, his voice a little louder than necessary, brimming with newfound confidence. 

The bank teller, a polite woman in her late twenties, smiled warmly and guided him through the process. Leo meticulously filled out the forms, his eyes shining with the prospect of his own financial independence.

Rick, meanwhile, went to a different counter, depositing his 100,000.00 Poh into his existing account. He had opened it a month prior to depositing his few small winnings, a foresight from his future self that had already proven invaluable. As he waited for the transaction to complete, he observed Leo, a wave of fondness washing over him. Leo was a good kid, full of honest ambition. This money would truly change his life for the better, even without the grand prize.

…

After their banking endeavors, the duo headed to a well-known restaurant, a place Rick remembered from his past that offered private dining rooms. The aroma of roasted meats and savory spices greeted them as they entered. They were led to a discreet, elegantly furnished room, far from the general chatter of the main dining area. A single large table dominated the space, set for two with pristine white linen and gleaming silverware.

Once the waiter had taken their order and left them to their privacy, Leo practically bounced in his seat. "Okay, Rick, what's the next plan? We've already talked about it on the bus. But my mind right now is not working well." He leaned forward, his eyes alight with anticipation.

Rick could only look at the guy, a few years older than his current self. This guy is far too excited to calm down. So he deliberately did not talk yet. Rick took a slow sip of water, allowing a moment of dramatic pause. He looked at Leo, a genuine warmth in his gaze. This young man, currently oblivious to the complexities of his time-traveling ability, was his trusted confidant in this bizarre adventure.

Leo's expression did not show agitation or impatience as he just looked at Rick. However, Rick knows that this guy's mind is actually blank right now. The large amount of money is currently overwhelming his critical thinking.

"Leo," Rick began, his voice calm and deliberate, "this 200,000.00 Poh is great, but our main objective is your 1.5 million Poh grand prize for the six-digit lottery. We need to get that without being noticed by anyone."

Leo's eyes widened. "Of course! But I'm still a bit scared. What if someone knew of this? Would our lives be in jeopardy, right?" His voice dropped to a whisper, a hint of fear creeping in.

Rick rolled his eyes. This guy now knew fear. When he was almost jumping while they were outside, why did this fellow not think of what would happen then? If not for him trying to suppress this guy's reaction, a lot of people would have already known that they've won 200k.

But of course, he also understood the emotional wave this had caused in the young student. A month ago, he was desperate and struggling to make ends meet while trying to study. Now, after a month, he already has his financial freedom, which most households could only get after years of working. That's why Rick was there to control Leo's outburst.

Rick nodded. "Yes, that's why we needed to plan our next move. I guess you've forgotten what we talked about on the bus, right?"

Leo slumps on his seat while rubbing the back of his head. He was too pumped up in excitement that everything that Rick said on the bus went into one ear and out the other.

Suddenly, Leo leaned near Rick. "Rick, do you really know what number would come out next just by… calculating it?" Leo has been a bit skeptical about this for a long time now.

But since Rick is his benefactor, he dared not ask this at first, but now… he was just too curious to pass this out.

Rick nodded his head with a mysterious smile. "Do you want me to tell you what the next winning number is?"

Leo just shook his head. He felt suspicious but also awed at this freshman's calculating ability.

"Actually, the number we've won… was an accident. I think it was fate that you chose those numbers. While Jenny and I were supplementing it. Now this is what you call fate, right?"

Leo's jaw dropped. He stared at Rick, trying to process the information. "You're… you're kidding me, right? How in the world…?"

Rick held up a hand. "Let's just say I have a very reliable mind. A mind that's going to make us very, very wealthy, Leo." He paused, letting the implication sink in. "But it's not as simple as just buying a ticket. We need to be smart about this. Very smart."

"Smart how?" Leo asked, his voice still a little shaky.

"First," Rick explained, "we can't just buy all the tickets ourselves. That would raise too many eyebrows. People would get suspicious, especially if we keep winning. And we definitely don't want anyone looking too closely at us."

"So, what do we do?" Leo chewed on his lip, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Just like what we did in Bee City with Mr. Pinter. We diversify," Rick replied. "We spread out our purchases. We'll get tickets and numbers that are winning and non-winning in different cities, through different vendors, and at different times. But, I want to say that I am not using this all the time as it is too risky."

Leo nodded as he knew what would happen if they were discovered to have a way to know what's going to be the next winning number.

"I'm all in. Whatever your plan is, I'm in." Leo said with a determined expression.

"Don't worry. For now, let's just enjoy things as they come." Rick said as he leaned on his seat.

A quiet pause enveloped the two when Leo suddenly remembered something.

"Rick, we are going to the capital, right? To get the… 1.5 million." his voice volume becomes low at the end of his sentence.

"Metro Mee City," Rick said with a hint of nostalgia. "The capital. The grand prize winner. It's a large city. The danger is going to be high in that place. So we need to be careful of every step." Rick's expression turned serious.

"Metro Mee City." Leo also showed a sad expression.

Rick noticed the change in his expression. For some reason, this guy seemed to feel sad about that place. Leo forced his expression and showed excitement. "I've always wanted to go there! It's so big and bustling, I hear. Like Gee City, but even grander."

"Precisely," Rick did not mind the changes and said. "It's a good place, but a bit overwhelming. We'll need to leave soon to ensure we have enough time to set everything up."

Their waiter returned with their food – hearty Poh beef stew and crusty bread. They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, the weight of their conversation temporarily forgotten in favor of the delicious meal.

Once they had finished, Rick pulled out a small notepad from his bag. "Here's a rough outline of what we need to do. First, we secure our travel. Then, once we're in Metro Mee City, we need to figure out the nearest bank. Then we can go directly to the main lottery office."

"Okay, I will follow your lead," Leo said with a smile.

Leo, already full, patted his stomach and leaned on the comfortable chair. He shook his head and suddenly said, "This… this is something like in the books."

Rick smiled. "Sometimes, life is stranger than fiction, Leo. But we need to treat this with the utmost seriousness. No unnecessary risks, no loose talk, and absolute discretion."

"You can count on me," Leo affirmed, his gaze resolute. "I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," Rick replied, a genuine warmth in his voice. "We're in this together."