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

Over the next week, the political and business circles of Shanghai were like a pot of boiling water that appeared calm on the surface but was actually turbulent underneath.

Chen Weidong sat in his not-so-spacious deputy mayor's office, the curtains drawn tightly. Instead of documents, spread out on the desk was a laptop computer, unmarked and never before seen in this office.

The screen's soft light reflected on his face.

His finger hovered over the touchpad, remaining motionless for a long time.

The "gift" Li Yichen gave him was far too heavy. So heavy that every time he looked at it, the back of his shirt would be soaked with sweat. Nominee shareholding, overseas money laundering, bid rigging in construction projects... each one was fatal, and the chain of evidence was so complete it made his scalp tingle.

After receiving the items, Chen Weidong delivered them directly to "where they were supposed to go."

Now, the net has been cast.

Whether to accept it, how to accept it, and when to accept it are all beyond Chen Weidong's control.

All he could do was wait.

And, clean yourself up before the storm comes.

Chen Weidong shut down the computer, unplugged the specially made encrypted USB drive, and locked it in the bottom drawer. He walked to the window and pulled back the curtains a crack.

The street downstairs was bustling with traffic, everything as usual.

But the air already smelled of an impending storm.

At the same time.

Inside the office building of Universal Capital, the atmosphere was completely different.

Zhao Mingyu sat with his legs crossed in the boss's chair, a cigar between his fingers, and Director Zhou from the Investment Promotion Bureau stood in front of him.

"Director Zhou, how much longer will the paperwork for that land take to be delayed?" Zhao Mingyu exhaled a smoke ring, his tone casual, as if asking about the weather today.

Zhou Guodong stood there, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Mr. Zhao, Future Technology is pressing us hard. They have all the necessary paperwork, and it was specially approved by higher authorities. We've been stuck with this, and the pressure is immense."

"Pressure?" Zhao Mingyu chuckled, twirling his cigar between his fingers. "Director Zhou, you've worked at the Investment Promotion Bureau for over a decade. What kind of pressure haven't you weathered? How come you can't handle this little thing?"

Zhou Guodong's throat was dry.

Of course he knew who was behind Zhao Mingyu. The mayor of Shanghai, Zhao Mingshan. His own older brother.

"Mr. Zhao, that's not what I meant..."

"That's good." Zhao Mingyu interrupted him, leaning forward slightly. "I'll give you another week. In a week, I want to see the ownership of that land transferred to Huanyu Capital."

He paused, pointing the end of his cigar at Zhou Guodong.

"If you succeed, you'll still be the bureau chief; if you fail..."

The rest was left unsaid.

But Zhou Guodong understood.

When he walked out of the Huanyu Capital building, his legs felt a little weak. He got into his car, took out his phone, stared at the missed call from Ji Yanran a few days ago for a long time, but ultimately didn't call back.

Future Technology Building, 28th floor.

Ji Yanran pushed open the door to Li Yichen's office.

"Boss, Universal Capital is putting pressure on us again. China Merchants Group's attitude is very ambiguous."

Li Yichen was leaning back in his chair, holding a tablet in his hand, on which was the final test report of the "Spirit Control" system that Ling'er had just sent him.

He didn't even look up.

"Let them jump."

Ji Yanran opened her mouth, as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

She noticed something different about the boss after the Zhao Mingshan incident. A kind of almost cold calm. It was as if everything was within his expectations, and all his opponents were just pieces on a chessboard destined to be captured sooner or later.

"Then...we're not going to do anything?"

"Do it." Li Yichen put down his tablet and looked at her. "Continue to follow up on the joint venture agreement with Dami Auto. Be meticulous about the terms, especially the scope of technology licensing and revenue sharing for each generation."

"Also, we received news from Gu Shounian."

Ji Yanran's spirits lifted.

"Has the equipment arrived?"

"Okay." Li Yichen stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. "The military will be escorting us here in the early hours of tonight. Make arrangements to clear floors 29 to 31 completely. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach."

"clear."

Ji Yanran turned to leave, but Li Yichen called her back.

"Also, give ZQGame a call."

"Have them send over twenty of the five thousand robots they ordered. We need them urgently."

"Twenty units?" Ji Yanran was taken aback. "What do you need so many for?"

"Get to work."

Li Yichen only said two words.

Ji Yanran didn't ask any more questions, nodded, opened the door and went out.

The office fell silent again.

Li Yichen sat back in his chair, swiping his fingers across the tablet screen.

Ling'er's test report is very detailed. The pass rate for urban congestion scenarios is 99.98%, the highway cruise takeover rate is 0.1% over 100,000 kilometers, and the accuracy rate for extreme weather recognition is 99.99%.

Every single metric surpasses all other intelligent driving systems currently on the market.

He closed the report and pulled up another document, which he had written over the past few days.

A complete production process flow diagram of photonic current-carrying wafers.

This idea has been sitting in his head for too long; it's time to make it a reality.

late at night.

Entrance to the underground parking garage of the Future Technology Building.

Three unmarked military trucks slowly drove in, their tires making a dull thud as they rolled over speed bumps. The trucks were covered with thick tarpaulins, the corners tied tightly with ropes, obscuring their contents.

Two dark green SUVs followed behind the truck.

The car came to a complete stop.

The door of the first SUV opened, and Gu Shounian jumped out. He was still wearing his regular uniform, but his epaulets had been changed to two bars and four stars.

Li Yichen stood at the elevator entrance waiting for him.

The two shook hands.

"Everything is here." Gu Shounian gestured with his chin toward the truck. "Ultra-high precision laser interferometry positioning platform, atomic layer deposition coating system, nanoscale displacement stage, ion beam etching machine, and the special reaction vessel you requested. All of them are the highest precision equipment available domestically."

"Thanks," Li Yichen said.

"Don't thank me." Gu Shounian waved his hand. "If you want to thank someone, thank them for the quality of what you brought out. The higher-ups reviewed the test data of the Thor battery, held three meetings, and finally approved it."

He paused, then lowered his voice.

"Theoretically, this batch of equipment is not allowed to leave the military industry system. Just keep that in mind."

Li Yichen nodded.

"I know what's important."

Gu Shounian patted him on the shoulder, said nothing more, and turned to direct the soldiers to unload the goods.

The equipment boxes were unloaded one by one and transported into a dedicated elevator using a hydraulic forklift. The boxes were sealed with white tape and marked with the word "Top Secret" in red.

The elevator is going up.

The 29th floor, the 30th floor, and the 31st floor.

The three floors were completely cleared out three days ago. All the original desks and chairs were moved out, the floor was covered with anti-static flooring, the walls were covered with cleanroom panels, and the air conditioning system was replaced with a special laminar flow system.

Now, it looks more like a makeshift cleanroom.

The soldiers worked quickly and professionally. Unpacking, positioning, installation, debugging... all processes were carried out in an orderly manner.

Li Yichen stood at the entrance of the thirty-first floor, watching the equipment being assembled little by little.

A massive laser interferometry platform occupies half a wall, its precision guide rails gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen under the lights. The reaction chamber of the atomic layer deposition system resembles a giant silver cocoon, its intricate piping structure visible through the observation window. A nanoscale displacement stage lies quietly on a vibration-resistant platform, its sensor indicator lights flashing faintly.

The most eye-catching thing is the ion beam etching machine.

Standing nearly three meters tall, its outer shell is made of a dark gray special alloy with no markings on the surface, only rows of ventilation holes. The buttons and knobs on the control panel are military-grade, sturdy, durable, and exude a rugged industrial feel.

Gu Shounian walked to his side.

"This etching machine is nominally rated at 0.5 nanometers, but its actual limit is 0.3 nanometers. However, it has extremely high requirements for the operating environment. Temperature, humidity, vibration, dust... if any of these exceed the standard, the accuracy will drop."

Li Yichen hummed in agreement.

The process he had in mind required even more stringent environmental conditions than this. But with Ling'er, none of that mattered.

The entire installation process lasted all night.

At four in the morning, the last screw was tightened.

After the technicians brought by Gu Shounian finished the final verification, they nodded to Gu Shounian.

"All equipment has been installed, tested, and is operating normally."

Gu Shounian looked at Li Yichen.

"Handover complete. How you use it afterwards is up to you."

Li Yichen shook hands with him.

I'll treat you to dinner another day.

"Let's skip the meal," Gu Shounian smiled. "Just remember to show off your creations to me after you've come up with something."

The convoy departed.

The underground parking garage has returned to quiet.

Li Yichen took the elevator back to his office on the 28th floor. It was still dark outside the window, and the night sky was a deep blue, with only a few lights sparsely lit in the distance in Lujiazui.

He took out his phone.

The screen lit up, and a little animated GIF of Ling'er popped up, showing her yawning.

"Brother, all surveillance data has been cleared. All civilian surveillance footage, mobile phone shots, and dashcam data from the past six hours within a three-kilometer radius of the Future Technology Building have been completely replaced. We guarantee that no video or photo will show any military vehicles entering tonight."

Li Yichen replied with "Okay".

He walked to the window and looked at the pale dawn breaking in the east.

three days later.

Eight o'clock in the morning.

As soon as Li Yichen stepped into the office, Ji Yanran pushed the door open and rushed in.

She was holding a tablet with a news page that was constantly refreshing on the screen.

"Boss!"

Ji Yanran's voice trembled slightly.

"Zhao Mingshan... is under investigation!"

Li Yichen took the tablet.

The headline of the news story was bolded and blacked out, taking up the entire upper half of the screen.

Shanghai Mayor Zhao Mingshan is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law and is currently under disciplinary review and supervisory investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.

The following is a detailed report.

The charges listed are numerous: abusing one's position to seek benefits for relatives' business activities, illegally accepting huge amounts of money and property, abusing power and causing significant losses to the state...

Each one is heavier than the last.

The press release didn't mention Universal Capital, but anyone with eyes to see knows that Zhao Mingyu can't escape.

Li Yichen scrolled down.

The second news item.

[Shanghai-based Huanyu Capital is suspected of multiple illegal and criminal activities. The company and its related accounts have been seized in accordance with the law, and its person in charge, Zhao Mingyu, has been taken away for investigation.]

The accompanying photo is a close-up of the seal affixed to the entrance of the Universal Capital office building.

Li Yichen handed the tablet back to Ji Yanran.

"understood."

His reaction was so calm that Ji Yanran felt a little uncomfortable.

"Boss, you... you knew this all along?"

"It wasn't exactly unexpected," Li Yichen said, walking behind his desk and sitting down. "I just did what I was supposed to do."

Looking at his expressionless face, Ji Yanran suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

Things that need to be done.

Behind those four seemingly casual words lies the political life of a ministerial-level official and the sudden collapse of a company with a market value of 30 billion yuan.

The phone rang.

Li Yichen glanced at the caller ID; it was Zhou Guodong.

He pressed answer and turned on speakerphone.

"Mr. Li!" Zhou Guodong's voice came through the receiver, tinged with obvious obsequiousness and nervousness. "That piece of land! Pudong New Area G-7 plot! All the formalities are complete! When would be a convenient time for me to personally deliver the documents?"

"No need," Li Yichen said. "Just have my people get it."

"Great! Anytime is fine! I'll be waiting in the office 24/7!"

The phone hangs up.

Ji Yanran was still standing there, a little dazed.

The land acquisition procedures, which were stalled just a week ago, are now proceeding smoothly. The director of the investment promotion bureau personally called, his tone as polite as if he were reporting to a superior.

"Go and get the paperwork done," Li Yichen said. "Bring the legal and finance departments along, and get all the necessary signatures. That land now belongs to Future Technology."

Ji Yanran nodded vigorously and turned to leave.

"etc."

Li Yichen called out to her.

"After completing the formalities, contact the construction team. The chip factory can now begin construction."

Ji Yanran paused in her steps.

"Boss, those two thousand acres of land... is it what you said the other day, half for building a super battery factory and half for building a chip factory?"

"right."

"But...aren't the company's funds supposed to be used for the first and second phases of the battery super factory that's currently under construction? Two thousand acres of industrial land, half for the super battery factory and half for the super chip factory, both of which are huge money drains. I'm worried that the company's funds won't be enough to sustain it in the long run..."

Li Yichen raised his hand to interrupt her.

"You don't need to worry about the money."

He paused.

"Bidi and Ning Wang's down payment should arrive in the next couple of days, right?"

Ji Yanran was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

Each company has 25 billion, so two companies would have 50 billion.

This money is enough to simultaneously leverage both the second phase of the Gigafactory and the chip factory.

She took a deep breath.

"I see."

Not long after Ji Yanran left, Li Yichen's phone rang again.

This time it's Chen Weidong.

The call connected, and there was a two-second silence on the other end.

"Mr. Li."

Chen Weidong's voice sounded tired, but he couldn't suppress the relief of surviving a disaster.

"The meeting just ended. I will temporarily take charge of the aftermath of Zhao Mingshan's case. I will also temporarily take charge of the city's daily operations."

Li Yichen hummed in agreement.

"Congratulations."

"I should be the one thanking you." Chen Weidong paused. "Without your 'gift,' I'm afraid I would have had to wait another five or even ten years for this position."

"It's simply a matter of each person getting what they need."

"Don't worry," Chen Weidong lowered his voice, "I remember what I promised you. As long as Future Technology's development in Shanghai is legal and compliant, I will provide all necessary support."

Li Yichen didn't respond to that.

He held his phone and walked to the window.

Outside the window, it was already fully light. The morning light shone on the glass curtain wall, reflecting a dazzling glare.

"Mayor Chen."

Li Yichen spoke, his voice calm.

"With a higher position comes a sharper eye."

He paused.

"I hope that the 'gift' I'm giving you is the first and the last."

On the other end of the phone, Chen Weidong's breathing visibly faltered.

After a few seconds, he spoke, his tone solemn.

"I see."

The phone hangs up.

Li Yichen tossed his phone onto the table, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

The office was quiet.

There was only a faint hum from the air conditioner vents.

In the afternoon, the twenty robots delivered by Zhongqing Company arrived.

All of them have a uniform silver-gray exterior, a streamlined design, and black high-strength composite material at the joints. Each one is nearly the height of an adult, standing in the warehouse like a row of silent soldiers.

Li Yichen personally inspected the product.

He walked up to one of them and patted the robot's metal shell.

"Ling'er".

"Hey, brother!"

The phone screen lit up, and a cute little character popped out.

"Can these robots be controlled?"

"A piece of cake!" Ling'er's voice was filled with excitement. "Their control systems are all based on open-source architecture, the defenses are as thin as paper. Give me a few seconds, and I'll take them all down!"

Three breaths later.

The indicator lights on the chests of twenty robots simultaneously changed from blue (standby) to green (activated).

"All done!" Ling'er said proudly. "Now they all listen to me! What do you want them to do, brother?"

Li Yichen looked up and gazed towards the thirty-first floor.

"Let them go up."

"Set up the chip production line."

Thirty-first floor.

The temporary cleanroom was brightly lit.

Twenty robots stood scattered in front of different devices, their movements perfectly synchronized.

A robot uses its robotic arm to lift a palm-sized silicon wafer and place it steadily on a laser interferometry positioning platform.

Another robot operates the atomic layer deposition system, beginning to spray a specially formulated photosensitive material onto the wafer surface.

The third robot stood guard beside the ion beam etching machine, waiting for the first process to be completed.

All movements were coordinated by Ling'er.

Precise, efficient, and tireless.

Li Yichen stood in front of the observation window at the entrance of the workshop, looking at the busy scene inside.

He was holding a list in his hand.

The list above includes all the raw materials needed to produce photonic current-carrying wafers: high-purity silicon ingots, special rare earth elements, organic solvents, ultrapure water, etc.

Ji Yanran has already gone shopping.

The first batch of materials should arrive by tomorrow at the latest.

At that time, the production line, controlled by twenty robots, coordinated by artificial intelligence, and driven by the cutting-edge technology in his mind, will be officially launched.

The world's first one was produced.

Photonic current carrier chip