Super Rich: Starting the game by going back ten years to buy Bitcoin

"Mr. Li! Why did you do this?"

The female reporter's voice trailed off, the wind in the square tearing it into fragments.

Li Yichen gripped the microphone. Thousands of eyes were fixed on him from below the stage, the white light from the flashes burning a blurry image onto his retinas. Behind him, Liu Xue took half a step forward, then stepped back.

He raised his free left hand and tapped it twice lightly on the metal rod of the microphone stand.

Why?

Li Yichen repeated the question. The wind in the square ruffled a few stray hairs on his forehead.

"That's a good question."

He took half a step forward, his toes touching the aluminum edging of the LED light strip at the edge of the stage.

"To be honest, you might not believe it—"

The audience fell silent. The reporter in the white shirt in the front row raised his recorder above his head, resting his elbow on the shoulder of the colleague in front of him. The man in the gray jacket shifted the flattened cigarette in his mouth from left to right, forgetting to light it.

"Don't laugh at me, but I wasn't always this successful. I used to be a food delivery driver."

The audience erupted in cheers.

The reporter in the white shirt, holding the recorder, suddenly dropped his arm half an inch, nearly hitting his colleague on the back of the head. The female reporter next to him opened her mouth, her lower lip twitching twice, but no sound came out. The man in the gray jacket dropped his cigarette again. The third time today.

"Impossible, right?"

"Delivering food? A 1.5 billion yuan investor has delivered food?"

"This leap is just too outrageous—"

Li Yichen raised his right hand and pressed his palm down.

"I've told you, and you might not believe me, but it's the truth."

He switched the microphone to his left hand.

"During the time I was delivering food, the orders I did most often were to hospitals. Various departments, various wards."

"The elevators in the inpatient department are always crowded. Squeezed into the car with the meals are family members carrying bags of CT scans, patients slowly moving along the corridor with IV stands, and caregivers squatting in the stairwell eating steamed buns."

The reporter in the white shirt in the audience switched the recording pen to his left hand.

"Once. I remember it very clearly." Li Yichen's fingers tightened on the microphone. "The order was placed around 6 p.m. and delivered to the hematology ward. The person who received the meal was a man in his thirties with sunken eyes and a stubble-covered chin. He took the meal, said thank you, and then squatted down on a plastic chair by the ward door to start eating."

Li Yichen paused for a moment.

That was his first meal that day.

Someone in the audience was taking off their glasses.

"Another time. Outside the cardiac surgery ICU. Two in the morning. A woman in her fifties was wrapped in a blanket and huddled on a bench. Next to her was a plastic bag containing half a cold steamed bun. I asked her why she didn't find a place to sleep, and she said that her husband was lying in the ward, having just undergone bypass surgery. She was afraid to go far."

Li Yichen switched the microphone back to his right hand. A fine layer of condensation formed on the metal mesh cover.

"Spending a long time in the hospital will make you realize something—"

He raised his eyes.

"The most expensive things in the world are not stocks, real estate, yachts, or private jets."

"It's fate."

The audience was completely silent. Even the flashes stopped. Several photojournalists carrying cameras forgot to adjust the focus, their equipment perched on their shoulders.

"Many people risked the lives of their entire families to survive."

Li Yichen turned around. His gaze fell on the huge LED screen on the side of the stage. The molecular structure diagram of "Nirvana No. 1" was still displayed on it.

"I have a housekeeper at home named Li Niannian."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping across the audience. Several reporters in the back exchanged glances—the title "butler" itself spoke volumes.

"Her younger sister's name is Miaomiao. She is five years old this year."

The man in the gray jacket crushed the cigarette in his hand. The tobacco stuck to his palm, but he didn't even notice.

"When Miaomiao was two years old, her father was diagnosed with cancer. In order to save money for his daughter's medical expenses, he gave up treatment. He didn't do chemotherapy, he didn't have surgery, and he stopped taking medication. He saved every penny he could for his daughter."

Li Yichen spoke very slowly. Each word struck the microphone diaphragm, was amplified by the speakers, and echoed against the walls around the square.

"The cancer cells spread very quickly."

He was only forty years old when he passed away.

Some people in the audience began to lower their heads.

"That's reality." Li Yichen held the microphone stand in one hand. "When someone gets a serious illness, it's usually not just one person bearing the burden. It's the whole family. The wife bears it, the parents bear it, and in some families, even the children who are still in school are bearing it. What they're bearing isn't the illness, but the hospital bills that cost hundreds of thousands or millions."

He held the microphone to his mouth.

"So when Mr. Liu mentioned the annual treatment cost of 100,000—"

"I was sitting in the audience thinking, 100,000 is still too much for an ordinary family."

Li Yichen turned to look at Liu Xue. Liu Xue stood there, the rubber she had pinched on the microphone cord in her hand leaving several shallow nail marks.

"I take 60% of the profits." Li Yichen turned back and continued looking at the audience. "For me, this money is just a matter of a few more or fewer zeros in my account. But for those lying in hospital beds—it's a matter of whether they live or die."

He let out a sigh of relief.

"So I took out 50%."

"This is not charity."

Li Yichen shook his head.

"I'm not that noble. I've just been in a hospital, so I know what it's like."

There was a full five seconds of silence in the audience.

Dead silence.

Even the sound of the trees lining both sides of the square being blown by the wind could be clearly heard.

Then, the reporter in the white shirt in the front row stood up. He didn't ask a question. He tucked the recorder between his left fingers, raised his hands, and began to applaud.

*Slap.* *Slap.* *Slap.*

Applause rang out in the empty square.

People around him stood up. Reporters in the back row stood up. Pharmaceutical representatives stood up. The photographer carrying the camera took it off his shoulder, freeing his hands to applaud. The man in the gray jacket threw the wad of tobacco on the ground and joined in the applause. The female reporter next to him clapped while wiping tears from the corner of her eye with her sleeve.

Applause spread from the first row backwards, crashing onto the stage. There were no cheers, no whistles. Only the dense, impenetrable sound of palms clapping together. Layer upon layer of applause.

Liu Xue stood to the side of the stage. Her hand, gripping the microphone cord, loosened at the knuckles, leaving faint nail marks on the rubber grip. She looked at Li Yichen's upright back, her heart pounding against her ribs. This man stood on the stage, receiving applause from thousands, yet his back remained unchanged. It was as if the applause was merely a passing breeze.

After clapping, the man in the gray jacket bent down and picked up the flattened cigarette from the ground. He held the cigarette between his fingers, staring at the figure in the dark gray suit on the stage.

"A food delivery person."

He muttered those words to himself. A few dozen minutes earlier, he was patting someone on the shoulder, spitting as he lectured them on buying stocks.

My face is burning with pain.

The applause lasted for a long time before gradually fading.

Li Yichen handed the microphone to Liu Xue.

"Mr. Liu."

Liu Xue took the microphone. Her fingers touched Li Yichen's fingertips; the touch was slightly cool.

During the ensuing Q&A session, several more questions were asked about production capacity and the timeline for market launch. Liu Xue answered them one by one, speaking at a slightly faster pace than before. Her eyes followed Li Yichen's retreating figure as he walked off the stage.

The man leaned against a steel pillar on the side of the stage, took out his phone from his suit pocket, and glanced at the screen. He swiped his thumb across the screen, as if checking for a message.

The press conference was drawing to a close. The host took the microphone and began reading his closing remarks. Reporters in the audience began putting away their recorders and laptops. The plastic chair legs scraped against the concrete floor with a screeching sound.

Li Yichen returned to the stage.

He took the microphone from Liu Xue.

"Dear journalists."

The reporters who were packing up their equipment stopped what they were doing.

"Before the press conference ends, there's something I'd like to say on this occasion."

The audience fell silent again.

Li Yichen held the microphone in one hand, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.

"One month from now, I will hold a press conference in front of the Future Tech Company."

He paused for a moment.

"You are all welcome to attend."

The reporters in the audience exchanged glances. The name "Future Technology" was not unfamiliar in financial circles. Just over a month ago, this company spent more than 8 billion yuan to acquire Hongyuan New Energy, and a few days ago news broke that it was going to build a super factory.

"I promise—" Li Yichen spoke with remarkable composure. "That press conference will not disappoint you."

"Can you give us a sneak peek at what the press conference will be about?" asked the reporter in the white shirt in the front row, standing up.

Li Yichen smiled.

You'll know when you get here.

He handed the microphone back to the host, then turned and walked off the stage.

The press conference officially ended. Reporters, carrying their equipment, filed out from the passageways on both sides of the square. The steel-framed stage cast crisscrossing shadows in the sunlight. The LED screen was still on, the molecular structure diagram still slowly rotating.

Li Yichen followed Liu Xue into the Liu's Pharmaceutical Company building.

The elevator went up. There were only two people in the metal car. The floor numbers ticked up one by one.

"Mr. Li."

Liu Xue spoke first. Her gaze fell on the brushed stainless steel panel of the elevator door, where she could vaguely see Li Yichen's reflection.

"What you just said—"

"About the housekeeper?"

"Um."

"It's true. Every single one of them."

The elevator made a ding sound. The doors slid open to both sides.

The two walked down the corridor and pushed open the heavy mahogany door to the chairman's office. The office was air-conditioned, and sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filtered through the blinds into parallel strips of light that fell onto the dark gray marble floor. Li Yichen had just sat down on the leather sofa in the reception area when there was a knock on the door.

Liu Xiaoyu pushed open the door and came in. She was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, black trousers, and carrying a folder. Her hair was short and shoulder-length. She looked much more capable than she had a month ago. When she saw Li Yichen on the sofa, she paused for a moment.

Liu Xue gestured for Li Yichen to sit down. She walked to the water dispenser, scooped a spoonful of tea leaves from the nearby clay teapot, and brewed it with boiling water. The tea was poured into a clay cup, and steam rose into a small cloud of white mist in the air-conditioned room. She placed the cup on the coffee table in front of Li Yichen, the bottom of the cup clinking against the glass tabletop.

"Mr. Li, are you really going to give up 50% of the profits?"

Liu Xue sat down on the opposite sofa, her hands folded on her knees.

"This is not a small amount of money."

Li Yichen picked up the teacup and blew away the steam.

"It's nothing." He took a sip of tea. "To be honest, I'm not short of that money. Just consider it a way to improve people's lives."

He put the teacup back on the saucer.

"By the way, have someone draft a new contract and have it signed again. After all—" Li Yichen looked up at Liu Xue, "I only said it verbally before, and your company's higher-ups will definitely worry that verbal promises don't count. It's better to sign a contract and have it clearly written down in black and white."

Liu Xue did not refuse.

This approach is so sensible. Verbal promises sometimes carry less weight in business than a tissue. Even the most touching words fade with time; only contractual terms can truly put everyone at ease. She got up, walked to her desk, pressed the intercom button, and gave a few instructions to the legal department.

Ten minutes later, the legal director personally delivered the contract to his office. Two thin sheets of A4 paper, the ink still warm. Li Yichen took the contract, his gaze sweeping from the first clause to the last. He spent about four minutes flipping through it. He took out a pen from his suit pocket, removed the cap, and signed his name at the signature line. The pen nib scratched across the paper.

After the contract was passed over, Liu Xue signed it and affixed the company's official seal.

After signing, Li Yichen put the pen back in his inner pocket and stood up from the sofa.

"Mr. Liu, Xiaoyu's task is finished. She came to Liu's Pharmaceuticals to help me keep an eye on the use of that 1.5 billion yuan—this money must be used for the special medicine and cannot be misappropriated."

Li Yichen turned his head and looked at Liu Xiaoyu standing next to him.

"Now that the medicine is out, her mission is complete. I'll take her away in a bit; there's nothing more for her to do here."

Liu Xue quickly stood up from the sofa.

"Mr. Li, what are you saying?" She took half a step forward. "Even if Xiaoyu's matter is over, she can still stay at our company and work normally."

Li Yichen turned his head and his gaze fell on Liu Xiaoyu.

"Xiaoyu, do you want to stay?"

Liu Xiaoyu raised her eyes. She looked at Liu Xue, then at Li Yichen. Liu Xue had indeed taken good care of her during this time, teaching her how to read financial statements and how to negotiate contracts with suppliers. She had already adapted to the pace here.

She nodded.

Li Yichen walked up to Liu Xiaoyu. He raised his right hand and gently rubbed her head twice. Her short hair poked into his palm, feeling a little prickly.

"Alright, since that's the case, you can stay here."

Liu Xiaoyu's ears instantly turned red. She lowered her head, staring at the tips of her black high heels.

Liu Xue stood to the side. Looking at Li Yichen's hand still pressing down on Liu Xiaoyu's head, a complex mix of emotions welled up within her. This man's attitude towards his subordinates was completely unlike that of a capitalist and his employee.

"Xiaoyu, I really envy you." Liu Xue crossed her arms. "President Li is so good to you."

Liu Xiaoyu lowered her head even further. Her ears were burning red.

Li Yichen withdrew his hand, turned to look at Liu Xue, and smiled.

"Since Mr. Liu is so envious—"

He raised his right hand and stretched it towards Liu Xue's head.

"Why don't you try it too?"

Liu Xue's pupils contracted sharply. She took a half step back, her high heels clicking crisply on the marble floor, and slapped Li Yichen's hand away.

"Why are you like this!" Her ears turned red too. "Aren't you afraid Xiaoyu will be jealous?"

Liu Xue regretted her words as soon as they were spoken. They were far too ambiguous. They were completely unlike what a female chairperson of a listed company should say.

Before Li Yichen could speak, Liu Xiaoyu spoke up first.

"Sister Liu, I'm not angry."

Liu Xue froze, turning her head to look at Liu Xiaoyu. The girl's face was still red, but a hint of schadenfreude was clearly on her lips. This girl—was she spoiled by Li Yichen, or by herself?

The office was quiet for a moment. Li Yichen picked up his suit jacket from the sofa and put it back on.

"I'm leaving now. Xiaoyu, I'll pick you up for dinner after you get off work."

The blush on Liu Xiaoyu's face hadn't completely faded, but a smile bloomed on her face.

"it is good."

Liu Xue stood to the side, seemingly out of nowhere. She blurted out...

"Mr. Li, what's wrong? Aren't you happy to have me there?"

Li Yichen had reached the door and placed his hand on the doorknob. He turned around, his gaze lingering on Liu Xue's face for a moment before he smiled.

"Okay. I'll pick you up tonight."

The door opened. Li Yichen stepped out of the office. The corridor was carpeted in dark gray, and his leather shoes made almost no sound as he walked. The elevator doors slid open to the sides, and he stepped inside, turning to face outwards.

The elevator doors slowly closed. At the end of the corridor, the door to the chairman's office remained open. Two women's figures flickered briefly in the doorway.