The Largest Jackpot in History

Just as they were talking, Patrick Murphy arrived, rushing over with his bag in hand.

“Sorry I’m late! Just as I was about to clock out, my annoying supervisor wouldn’t let me leave and made me stay an extra half hour with no overtime pay. It’s so frustrating!”

“No worries, you’re just in time to order! Waiter!” Willy Morgan called out.

“Whoa, Willy, what’s up with your outfit? You used to be so thrifty, and now you’re rocking Fendi? What happened?” Patrick Murphy adjusted his glasses in surprise.

“It’s a long story! Hahaha! Let’s just eat and enjoy ourselves!”

Willy Morgan loved hanging out with his three friends, drinking, chatting, and venting their frustrations. It felt real and honest. During the conversation, Willy learned that none of the three were having an easy time.

Patrick Murphy was working as a designer, constantly pushed to work overtime by his boss, with unsatisfactory pay.

Brandon Rogers, after spending some time traveling post-graduation, had just started working at his parents’ company a month ago and was treating his friends with his first paycheck.

Tyler Foster had landed a job as a sales associate at a Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari dealership.

“So, Willy, what are you planning to do next?”

“Me? I’m thinking of starting a company, having some fun, and maybe blowing some smoke—honestly, I have no idea! Hahaha!”

“Hahaha! For a second, I thought you were serious, but it turns out you’re just joking around!”

They chatted until 9:30 p.m., when suddenly a news report on the TV caught everyone’s attention.

“We’ve just received a shocking update! A single individual has won 200 first-prize tickets in the state lottery, totaling over one billion dollars! This is the largest jackpot ever won in the city, the country, and possibly the world!”

Willy Morgan found the news anchor’s voice particularly pleasant to listen to.

“Whoa! Did you guys hear that? Los Angeles just gained another billionaire!” Patrick Murphy exclaimed.

“Who cares? It’s not like any of us won! Let’s eat and drink! And remember, if you guys ever need a car, come to me. I’ve got every model Mercedes has to offer, and you can help me hit my sales targets! Hahaha!”

During a bathroom break, Willy Morgan secretly paid the bill—$780—leaving him with just enough to cover a cab ride home.

The four friends chatted until past 11 p.m. before finally parting ways. Willy Morgan felt a pang of sadness as he said goodbye, knowing that as they all ventured further into their careers, the opportunities to meet would become fewer and fewer, with some friends only seen once every few years.

Back at his apartment, Willy checked his bank balance—just $2 left. He decided to buy a bottle of mineral water to completely zero out his account and trigger the system upgrade.

Watching the control panel in his mind, Willy saw his level increase from 1 to 2. Two of the surrounding buttons lit up this time—the Prediction button again and a new one labeled Blessing.

“Ding! System successfully upgraded to level 2. Reward: $1 million cash!”

“Damn! It takes $1 million to upgrade from level 2 to 3? That’s a 50-fold increase! Does that mean it’ll take $50 million to get to level 4, system?”

The system remained silent...

Still, Willy was thrilled. He rushed home, quickly washed up, and then took out the lottery ticket worth over a billion dollars, grinning silently with excitement.

Perhaps due to the alcohol, despite winning such a massive amount, Willy soon drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next morning, sunlight streaming through the window woke Willy Morgan up. He quickly got ready, disguising himself with his old clothes, a mask, and a hat. He put the winning ticket in his backpack and quietly took a cab to the Los Angeles lottery center.

At the lottery center…

“Oh my gosh, sir! You’ve just won the largest jackpot in global history! Can I take a photo with you?”

“I’d rather you just cash my prize, thanks!” Willy politely declined.

The staff member didn’t seem offended by the refusal. She took out a calculator and began tallying up the prize for Willy.

“Sir, each winning ticket is worth $5,244,588. After deducting 20% in taxes, each ticket nets you $4,195,670. Since you purchased 200 tickets, your total prize comes to $839,134,000! We have several charitable options, including donations to the Hope Elementary Schools project. Would you like to contribute?”

“Just give me $835 million. You can donate the remaining amount to Hope Elementary Schools,” Willy decided quickly. After the paperwork was completed, Willy walked out of the lottery center with a check for over $800 million.

On the way out, Willy glanced at the check, noticing it was issued by Unity Savings Bank. He realized he’d need to open an account there to deposit it.

Luckily, the Unity Savings Bank headquarters was just a short distance from the lottery center. Willy slipped inside, took a number at the front desk, explained his business, and waited.

Before long, it was Willy’s turn.

“Hello, sir. How can I assist you today?”

“I’d like to open an account and deposit some money.”

“Sir, you can open an account at the automatic machine next door, or ask the lobby manager for assistance.”

“I’m depositing a check.”

“Oh, in that case, please hand me the check!” The bank teller took Willy’s check casually, then froze when she saw the amount.

“Sir! Is this check really yours?”

“Well, who else’s would it be?”

“Please wait a moment, sir! I’ll have the branch manager assist you personally!”

“Huh? That’s not necessary…” Willy wasn’t concerned about who helped him; he just wanted the transaction done quickly.

A couple of minutes later, the bank manager came running over.

“Mr. Morgan, hello! I’m Victoria Bell, the branch manager. It’s a pleasure to assist you! Given the substantial amount of your deposit, we’ve issued you a black card, which grants you VIP status at our bank.”

“Oh, okay.”

Victoria Bell worked on the computer for a while, occasionally sneaking glances at Willy Morgan. She couldn’t help but wonder how someone dressed so shabbily could have so much money. Was the check stolen? But then again, such a large check would surely have been reported lost if it were.

“Sir, we need to record your work address. Could you provide that?”

“Oh, just put down Orion Universal Group.”

“Orion Universal Group???”

“Yes, is that a problem?”

“Your position there?”

“Does it have to be that specific?” Willy asked, a bit annoyed.

“Yes, sir, it’s required.”

“Fine, just put ‘Owner.’”

“What? Sir, you’re not joking, are you? We need to verify this!”

“Go ahead.”