After the movie wrapped up and the busy schedule of filming was over, Justin Bieber finally had some free time to hang out with his friends. One of the first things he did was head over to his best friend Mark's house to play some video games. They had been talking about it for weeks, and now that Justin was back, it was time for some fun.
Mark had recently gotten a new game, Street Fighter II, which was all the rage at the time. Released in the early 90s, Street Fighter II was a revolutionary fighting game that allowed players to choose from a variety of characters, each with unique fighting styles, and face off in duels. It was one of the most popular arcade games and had made its way onto home consoles like the Super Nintendo. The game's fast-paced action, iconic characters like Ryu and Chun-Li, and special moves like the Hadouken made it an instant classic.
As soon as Justin got to Mark's house, they grabbed their controllers and sat down in front of the TV.
Mark: "Alright, Justin, I've been practicing while you were gone. Don't think you can just jump back in and beat me."
Justin: "Yeah, right! I used to crush you all the time before the movie. Let's see what you've got."
They chose their characters and started a series of matches, laughing and shouting at the screen as they battled it out. Each round was filled with trash talk and friendly rivalry.
Justin: "Take that! You're no match for my Ryu!"
Mark: "Ha! I'll get you next round. Just wait until I use Chun-Li's spinning kick!"
As they played, gaming was back in 1997. Unlike today, where gamers could play online and compete with players from all around the world, everything was local. You had to physically be at your friend's house to play together. There were no headsets or chat rooms; the trash-talking happened right there in the same room.
The games also didn't have the stunning graphics and realism that modern games like Fortnite or Call of Duty have today. In 1997, it was all about pixels and simple sprites, but that didn't matter to Justin and Mark. They were fully immersed in the action, mashing buttons and pulling off combos like their lives depended on it.
After a few rounds, they took a break to grab some snacks.
Mark: "You know, it's kinda cool how fight animation is in this game .."
Justin: "Yeah, its really fun."
After playing the game with Mark, Justin went back to his house, feeling good after a day of fun. But these days, it wasn't all fun and games for him. For the past few weeks, he had been performing songs in local pubs, bars, and public places to gain more experience with live performances. His goal was to avoid being awkward on stage in the future and to become more comfortable in front of an audience. This was like training for him, and because of his growing popularity in his local area, he earned a good amount of money for his performances. Scooter, his manager, was always by his side, helping arrange the gigs and taking a small commission from Justin's earnings.
However, Justin's focus wasn't only on music. He had many hobbies, and one of his biggest interests was finding ways to make money using what he called his "super luck" ability. He had convinced himself that he was extraordinarily lucky, especially after several strange and fortunate events. For instance, he had once won a lifetime supply of underwear from a random brand through a contest he didn't even remember entering. He also kept finding free school supplies like pencils and erasers that careless kids had lost.
To Justin, these were signs of his luck, especially since he believed he had been extremely unlucky in his previous life. Every little win was a confirmation that his life had taken a lucky turn.
Determined to make the most of his "lucky" power, Justin created a list of things he could try to capitalize on. First on the list was buying lottery tickets, but since he wasn't old enough to purchase them himself, he thought about using his grandma's name. When they gave it a shot, though, they didn't win anything. Justin concluded that his luck wouldn't work unless the ticket was in his own name, so he gave up on that plan.
The next idea was gambling, but when Pattie, his mother, found out he had tried going to a casino, she scolded him, and he abandoned that plan too.
Justin's third idea, however, seemed more promising—collecting basketball, baseball, and football trading cards. He had heard that some rare cards could be worth a fortune, and it was a hobby his mother wouldn't object to. So, Justin started using the money he earned from his performances to buy packs of trading cards from local stores.
Trading cards had been around for a long time, originating in the 19th century as promotional items in cigarette packs. By the early 20th century, sports cards, especially those featuring baseball players, had become extremely popular in the U.S. Companies like Topps, which started in the 1950s, mass-produced these cards, and by the 1980s and 90s, collecting them had become a booming industry. Rare cards, autographed versions, and memorabilia cards made some collections highly valuable, with some fetching millions of dollars at auctions.
Justin's extraordinary luck meant he was able to find some of the rarest cards, not just in baseball but across all sports. Some of these cards had the potential to be worth millions in the future. His collection became legendary among his friends, and even the local card shop owners knew him by name. They often gave him extra cards that weren't selling well or weren't popular among other kids, which only helped Justin expand his collection further.
Finally, Justin landed on something more promising: trading cards. He had learned through past memory in TikTok videos that some rare basketball, baseball, and football cards could be worth millions of dollars. Since it was a hobby his mom wouldn't object to, Justin used the money he earned from his performances to buy packs of cards from local stores.
One of his favorite shops to visit was owned by Mike, a sports enthusiast who had opened a small sports memorabilia shop near Justin's house. Mike sold everything from trading cards to sports jerseys and collectibles. He was passionate about sports and had opened five shops around the city, but this particular shop, the first one he started, held sentimental value for him. He kept it running because it was where his journey as a business owner began, and his house was nearby.
Whenever Justin walked in, Mike would greet him like an old friend.
Mike: "Hey, Justin! Back for more cards?"
Justin: "You know it, Mike. Got anything good for me today?"
Mike: laughing "Always. I've got a few packs that haven't been selling. I'll throw them in for you. Who knows, maybe your 'super luck' will help you find something special."
Mike treated Justin like a little brother. He admired Justin's passion for collecting cards and often gave him free packs that hadn't sold well. The two would chat about sports and life, with Mike sometimes sharing stories from his days as a high school athlete. Even though Mike was a successful businessman, he never forgot his roots and always made time for regulars like Justin.
With Mike's help and his own relentless pursuit of rare cards, Justin's collection grew rapidly. From basketball cards featuring legends like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal, to rare baseball cards from the mid-90s, Justin's collection was becoming legendary. By 1997, he had managed to secure a few highly sought-after cards, including:
1997-98 Michael Jordan Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems – This card, considered one of the rarest basketball cards ever, would later sell for over a million dollars.
1992-93 Shaquille O'Neal Topps Gold – As Shaq's career skyrocketed, this card became highly valued, especially among die-hard basketball fans.
1995 Bowman's Best Andruw Jones – A key baseball rookie card, featuring one of the most talented players of the '90s.
In addition to these, Justin also found some valuable football cards, such as:
1996 SP Terrell Owens Rookie Card – Owens would go on to become one of the most dominant wide receivers in NFL history, making this card a treasure.
1997 Topps Peyton Manning Rookie Card – Manning's career as a legendary quarterback would make this one of the most sought-after football cards.
He has many rare card that is are not rare for him. In his room there full of rare card his room is full of card. He his no room for card.
Justin's obsession with collecting only deepened, and by the time he was a teenager, his card collection was already worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. He even had plans to sell them at auction in the future, and it was projected that the value could reach over $100 million. But despite the monetary potential, his collection meant more to him than just money. It was tied to memories of his childhood, the fun he had with friends, and the special moments he shared with Mike at the card shop.
Author
I know story of a very long time but I very good reason that I had exam this month so I wasn't you upload many chapter. If there is anyone reasonable plot in the story make sure correct me. Make sure to motivate me in comments for more chapter or I am very lazy person.
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