The World's Richest Man: Start with the Daily Intelligence System

26: Chapter 26 Player CardsZhang Wei felt as if he were wandering through a haunted house. He finally managed to find the Card Shop tucked away in a corner of the floor.

A row of glass display cases lined the walls of the shop, showcasing various unboxed player cards. In the center of the shop was a two-meter-wide long table. A man was currently sitting at the table, livestreaming.

The man looked to be in his thirties, wearing a loose t-shirt that failed to hide his prominent belly. He wore a pair of glasses on his round face, and his hair was messy, with unshaven stubble.

This look was a hundred percent match for the legendary ”Otaku.”

Seeing Zhang Wei enter, the man nodded kindly and said to his phone camera, ”Alright, ladies and gentlemen, our first customer of the day has arrived. I’ll take care of him first. We’ll continue our chat in a bit, so don’t go away.”

There weren’t many viewers in the livestream, but they seemed familiar with the owner, teasing him in the bullet chat.

”Haha, the first customer of the day might also be the last.”

”Who else would come to this place besides us? I bet it’s an insurance salesman.”

”Stop messing around,” the man laughed awkwardly, then turned to Zhang Wei. ”Hey brother, is this your first time? Do you know much about trading cards? Want me to give you an introduction?”

Zhang Wei shook his head. ”No thanks, I just want to buy a box to play around with.”

”I see. Usually, a full box costs about two or three thousand yuan. We also sell individual packs from opened boxes. That’s more budget-friendly for beginners.”

To his surprise, the owner was quite honest and didn’t try to scam Zhang Wei just because he seemed like a novice. However, he didn’t know that Zhang Wei was essentially using a cheat.

”No, I’ll just buy a box to test my luck.” Zhang Wei insisted, picking up a specific box from the shelf based on the information he had.

Seeing Zhang Wei’s persistence, the young owner didn’t say more. ”The price is 3,000 yuan.”

Once Zhang Wei scanned the code and paid, the owner said excitedly, ”Brother, do you want to open the box here? I’m livestreaming right now, so the fans can watch. It really builds up the atmosphere.”

Zhang Wei frowned slightly. He wanted to keep a low profile and didn’t want to do this in front of others.

Seeing Zhang Wei’s hesitation, the owner quickly added, ”If you open them in the shop, I’ll throw in some protective sleeves. If a card gets damaged, it will seriously tank its value.”

What Zhang Wei didn’t know was that the owner himself was a hardcore trading card enthusiast. He was so obsessed that he had quit his job to open this shop. Seeing someone buy a box was like seeing someone buy a raw gemstone at a jade market; the onlookers all wanted to see it opened on the spot to see what treasures were inside.

Watching Zhang Wei prepare to take the box home to open was more painful for the owner than death. Of course, just like gambling on stones, most cases resulted in a total loss, but every now and then, a lucky soul would emerge.

Zhang Wei hesitated for a moment before agreeing. After all, he really didn’t know much about trading cards, and it wouldn’t be worth it if they got damaged. However, he didn’t plan on appearing on camera, so he let the owner open them for him.

What a treat! The owner rubbed his hands excitedly. It was like someone buying a 3,000-yuan firework and letting you light it. Even if the contents weren’t his, the process of opening them and the anticipation of the unknown were just as thrilling.

”Opening time! We’ve got some action!” The livestream chat suddenly became lively.

”The pull rates for these boxes are getting lower and lower. It’s probably just a bunch of junk again.”

”Maybe he’s got that beginner’s luck?”

The owner sat back down and said to the camera, ”Ladies and gentlemen, please hit that follow button and give me some likes. I’m going to open this box for our new guest.”

With that, he skillfully opened the box and took out the plastic packs. He carefully snipped one open with scissors and showed it to the camera; this pack had nothing but common cards.

The owner opened them quickly, and soon only the last pack remained.

The viewers in the chat began to comment.

”It’s over. This box is a dud.”

”Three thousand yuan straight into the trash. This guy’s probably about to lose it.”

”He shouldn’t have let the owner open them. That man’s hands are cursed.”

The owner was also feeling a bit embarrassed.

Pointing tentatively at the last pack, he said to Zhang Wei, ”Only one left. Brother, do you want to do the honors? At least you’ll get the experience.”

Zhang Wei shook his head. ”You do it, boss. But be careful—I have a feeling we’re going to hit something big.”

”This newbie really doesn’t know anything.”

”’A feeling we’re going to hit something big.’ He’s acting like he can see the future.”

”Give him a break. Everyone wants to save face. No one likes throwing three thousand yuan down the drain.”

The owner sighed, not holding out much hope. After all, the pull rates for trading cards were notoriously low; it wasn’t unheard of for someone to open dozens of boxes and get nothing but commons. The chance of a miracle in a single pack was slim.

Still, he carefully snipped the pack open.

First card, common.

Second card, common.

Third card... Wait, what???

The third card was clearly different from the commons. It had a white border with a khaki background, giving it an elegant, vintage feel. Centered at the top was the word ”Playoffs” in English script. In the middle was a mid-shot of ”The Baby-Faced Assassin” Curry during a game, and below that was Curry’s authentic signature. The card was thick, and next to the signature was a die-cut window containing a small piece of a blue Golden State Warriors jersey.

In the bottom left corner, there was a row of bright silver numbers: ”08/10.”

The owner’s mouth fell open, and he froze on the spot.

The livestream chat went silent for a moment, then the comments exploded.

”He hit the jackpot!”

”Whoa! A Curry autographed jersey patch card, serial-numbered! It’s got everything!”

”This luck is insane!”

”My mom asked why I’m watching this livestream on my knees. Haha.”

”If I rush over there now, can I still see it in person?”

The owner finally snapped out of it. He quickly grabbed a plastic sleeve and carefully slid the card in. Then he placed it inside an acrylic magnetic holder. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Although trading cards are beautiful, they are made of cardstock and can easily be scratched or bent, which would significantly decrease their value.

The owner admired the card for a long time before reluctantly handing it to Zhang Wei. ”Congratulations, brother. This is the rarest card I’ve ever seen since opening this shop. Curry’s authentic signature plus a piece of his game-worn jersey—those are valuable, but the most important part is the ’08/10’ in the bottom right corner. Do you see it?”

”That means there are only ten cards like this in the entire world, and they’ll never print more. Yours is number 08 out of 10. Such a lucky number will only increase its value further.”

He hadn’t expected a small card to have so much depth to it. Zhang Wei’s eyes were opened; he felt the trip had been well worth it.

The livestream chat was filled with envy. Many of the viewers were regulars at the shop. That box had been sitting there for quite some time. The thought that they had passed it by countless times made their hearts ache.

That rare card could have been theirs! Why did they miss out?