“If you were given the chance to go back in time, what would you do?”

“Go back to over a decade ago and buy property with my eyes closed! A surefire comeback!”

“Now, there’s an opportunity!”

“Return to seven days ago.”

“But can seven days truly make a difference?”

A sealed office space. A confidential meeting of nine.

“All of you… you must cherish this opportunity!” The speaking professor. The initiator of this event. He appears to have the last name Wang and bears a resemblance to the White Beard Aobai character from comedy movies. It’s him who has given us, the group of strangers in the room, a chance to make new choices in life.

“Since you all have valid reasons, I trust in your character!” “But no matter what happens, you’ll have to bear the consequences upon your return.”

At this moment, everyone lowers their heads, diligently writing pledges with the soft sound of pens scratching paper. I maintained a blank expression on my face but secretly felt a sense of satisfaction and reflection: “Doing something like this… signing this kind of pledge…”

“It’s unlikely to have any real restraining effect…”

The people beside me were dramatizing their reasons for needing to go back, like they were acting in a movie. It was incredibly fake!

The middle-aged man with an unfriendly demeanor claimed that he wanted to return a few days earlier to see his mother one last time. Observing his menacing appearance, it made me wonder if he had a history of shady dealings; could he genuinely be so filial?

The attractive young lady, tears streaming down her face, explained that she wanted to go back seven days to salvage her relationship and alter the breakup’s outcome. Draped in designer clothing from head to toe, could she truly be willing to go to such lengths for a man?

On the right, the dark-skinned guy mentioned earlier seemed to want to prevent his family from leaving the house during those days.

I see! Due to the sudden and severe rainstorm that hit our city in recent days, we’ve experienced flooding, and the recovery efforts are still ongoing. Such a significant natural disaster has unfortunately resulted in casualties and people going missing in the midst of the downpour. My reason for going back is quite straightforward:

Buy a lottery ticket!

Get rich and become a wealthy individual!

To change the miserable life of my early years.

Before coming here, I’d already memorized all the numbers for the Lotto and Powerball for this upcoming week! As long as one of them hits, my future will be worry-free.

Professor Wang coughed for a moment, seemingly not in the best health. “I’m getting old… don’t mind my long-windedness,” he said.

He said while taking a seat. “Everyone knows this is a secret operation, and many were initially interested in participating.” “Due to the unique circumstances, the final selection ended up being you all, which suggests that fate has a hand in it.”

We handed over our signed pledges one by one.

“I also know that having you sign this doesn’t serve much of a purpose…” He casually glanced through a few and set them aside. “In the philosophy of time, there’s a paradox known as the grandfather paradox. It suggests that going back in time, even changing one small thing, can have a significant impact on the future.”

“Moreover, this time, nine of you are going back together.” “In any case, please refrain from doing anything morally or ethically wrong!”

The crowd nodded in agreement. Professor Wang continued, “I’ve created a group…” He turned around and wrote down a series of numbers on the whiteboard. “Please use your own memory to remember this group number and join it as soon as you successfully return.”

After all, when we go back in time, it’s only our consciousness that travels; we can’t take anything from the present with us. The only things we can carry are the memories of these few days. 49676853 I stared at this number several times, trying to commit it to memory. Others were also doing their best to memorize it.

“If you don’t wish to join or want to pretend our paths never crossed in this life, you can choose not to join the group!” … “My health isn’t great, and this might be the only chance. I wish you all the best in achieving your desires.”

After the intricate explanations, the time had finally come. Several people gathered in a small dark room, sitting with their eyes closed, resembling captives tied to chairs. The sound of a rapidly ascending and descending elevator echoed, creating a tremendous sensation of weightlessness that made everyone feel like they were plummeting. I could sense a powerful rush of air but didn’t dare to open my eyes. Intense ringing in my ears, as if everyone was descending into an abyss.

The girl next to me screamed with her eyes tightly shut. It sounded as if a dozen people were simultaneously arguing right next to my ear, the noise was chaotic and deafening. I couldn’t tell how long it lasted.

When I regained consciousness… Open my eyes?

I found myself standing in the midst of a bustling street, with people walking back and forth on both sides. A sudden blaring of car horns.

A truck came to a halt in front of me, and the driver leaned out, shouting loudly, “Red light, red light! Are you trying to get yourself killed? What are you standing there for?”

My head was still a bit dizzy, and I instinctively hurried back to the sidewalk. I glanced down at my hands, then up at the clear sky, taking out my phone from my pocket to confirm the time. Indeed, it was seven days ago.

The professor hadn’t deceived us! I was overjoyed, even though I felt somewhat weightless and surreal, but it was indeed a return! Ah, it’s coming back to me. Exactly seven days ago today, I had just come back from a job interview in the afternoon, and I was on my way to buy some duck necks.

I can’t let this opportunity go to waste! Why bother with duck necks now? I should buy a lottery ticket first. Thinking about the only differences between seven days ago and seven days ahead — remembering the lottery numbers and experiencing a major flood.

Regarding the flood, the professor had made it clear that it was a natural disaster and couldn’t be altered. Major events couldn’t be changed. As a small player, all I wanted was to change my own fate. Today is Tuesday. It’s currently 4:30 in the afternoon. At 9:30 tonight, there’s a new drawing for the Powerball.

The numbers for the Mega Millions and Powerball over the past couple of days are etched deep into my mind. With excitement, I rushed to the lottery store next door. It’s time to change my life!