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

Li Yichen held the 0.5-nanometer chip up to the operating light and examined it for a long time.

The cool, metallic casing gleamed with a matte finish in the cold white light.

He put down the chip and sat back down at the control panel.

"Ling'er".

"Brother, you say it."

"Let's calculate the manufacturing cost of a single chip."

The data stream on the console screen paused for a moment, then began to scroll rapidly.

Three seconds later.

"Calculation complete."

Ling'er's electronic voice rang out, carrying a hint of simulated joy.

"Assuming the current production line is operating at full capacity, material purchase prices are based on the market average, and equipment depreciation is calculated over five years—"

"The manufacturing cost of a single photon carrier chip is approximately 1,027 yuan."

Li Yichen tapped his fingers lightly twice on his knees.

One thousand yuan.

He wasn't surprised by this number.

After all, he personally oversees every step, from material proportions to process parameters.

Although those special rare earth elements are rare, the amount used is actually very small; a single wafer can be cut into hundreds of wafers.

The real bulk of the costs are equipment depreciation and energy consumption.

Even with these added costs, the price was reduced to one thousand yuan.

He quickly went through the market situation in his mind.

Currently, the most advanced mass-produced chips in the world are manufactured using a two-nanometer process.

The market price for a single piece is approximately ten thousand US dollars.

This is just the bare die, not including packaging, testing, and other accessories.

As for laboratory products like the 1.6-nanometer type, they haven't officially entered mass production yet, so the price will only be higher.

Li Yichen estimated that if the 1.6-nanometer chip were to be launched, it could potentially sell for as much as $15,000 per chip.

And the 0.5 nanometer-sized particle in his hand—

Its performance is more than ten times better.

The power consumption is so low that it can be ignored.

It generates almost zero heat.

How much should we sell it for?

$30,000?

Or fifty thousand?

Li Yichen twitched the corner of his mouth.

No matter how much you sell, the profit margin is always several hundred times higher.

No wonder the chip industry is known as the most profitable industry.

This is faster than a money printing machine.

He stood up and pulled a small anti-static box from the drawer next to him.

The box is transparent and lined with black velvet.

Li Yichen put the chip inside and closed the lid.

He casually stuffed it into his pocket.

"Ling'er".

"Here I am, brother."

"I'm leaving this place to you now."

Li Yichen walked to the elevator entrance and pressed the button.

"Production continues 24 hours a day."

"The yield rate is controlled at over 80%."

"The machine will automatically stop and perform a self-check after every 100 pieces are produced."

"clear!"

Ling'er's chibi-style image bounced around on the screen.

"Don't worry, brother!"

"Leave this to me, I guarantee there won't be any problems!"

The elevator doors opened.

Li Yichen went inside and pressed the button for the basement level.

The metal car descended smoothly.

The underground parking garage was quiet, with only a few emergency lights on.

He opened the car door, got into the driver's seat, and took out his phone.

The screen lit up, and Gu Shounian's number appeared in the contacts.

Make the call.

The phone was answered after only one ring.

"Mr. Li?"

Gu Shounian's voice came through the receiver; the background noise was very clean, as if he were in an office.

"Colonel Gu."

Li Yichen leaned back in his chair.

"Did I disturb you?"

"no."

The soft sound of papers turning could be heard from Gu Shounian's side.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with the equipment?"

"The equipment is fine."

Li Yichen paused.

"It's what you said last time—that I'd let you know as soon as I figured out something new."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Gu Shounian's breathing became noticeably heavier.

"You... managed to do it?"

"It's done."

"What is it?"

"It's not convenient to talk about it over the phone."

Li Yichen tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

"We need to meet in person to talk."

Gu Shounian did not reply immediately.

Li Yichen could hear the sound of a chair being moved and the slight clatter of a pen being thrown onto the table coming from the receiver.

"The usual place."

Gu Shounian uttered three words.

"Dashengli Private Kitchen"

"We'll be there in half an hour."

"OK."

The phone hangs up.

Li Yichen tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and started the car.

Looking up, the U8's motor emitted a deep hum, its headlights piercing the darkness of the garage.

He held the steering wheel with one hand and took the anti-static box out of his pocket with the other.

turn on.

The chip lay quietly on the black velvet, its cold, metallic sheen gleaming in the dim light inside the car.

Li Yichen stared at it for a few seconds.

Then close the lid and put it back in your pocket.

The car drove out of the underground parking garage and merged into the traffic flow at three o'clock in the afternoon.

The streets of Shanghai are always busy.

Taxis, private cars, buses, electric vehicles... were crammed together, slowly inching forward.

Li Yichen wasn't in a hurry.

He turned on the car stereo and played a soothing jazz piece.

Ling'er's voice came from the speakers.

"Brother, do you need me to plan the best route? This road is a bit congested right now."

"Need not."

Li Yichen said.

"Drive slowly."

He's really not in a hurry.

He's not the one who should be worried.

at the same time.

Office of Gu Shounian, Shanghai Military Region.

After hanging up the phone, Gu Shounian stood there for a full ten seconds.

He stared at the unsigned document on the table, quickly going over Li Yichen's words in his mind.

"To come up with something new."

What can be called a "new gadget"?

Graphene solid-state batteries are one example.

What is it now?

Gu Shounian grabbed his coat hanging on the back of the chair and put it on as he walked out.

The guards at the gate saw him come out and immediately stood at attention and saluted.

"Commander!"

"Prepare the car."

Gu Shounian did not stop walking.

"Go to Dashengli Private Kitchen."

"yes!"

The guard jogged off to make the arrangements.

Two minutes later, a dark green military jeep drove out of the military area gate.

Gu Shounian sat in the back row, his body taut.

He took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Could you check if Future Technology has made any unusual moves recently?"

"Especially Li Yichen himself."

The sound of typing came from the other end of the phone.

About half a minute later.

"Report: No abnormalities found."

"Li Yichen himself has had almost no public activities in the past two weeks, and the company's operations are running normally."

Gu Shounian frowned.

"Where's the equipment? The batch I sent over last time."

"All equipment has been delivered to the Future Technology Building and is currently installed on the 29th to 31st floors. The security level has been raised to the highest level, and there are no abnormal entry or exit records."

"understood."

Gu Shounian hung up the phone.

He tossed his phone onto the seat and placed his hands folded on his knees.

My fingers tapped unconsciously.

He couldn't see through Li Yichen.

At our first meeting, they presented us with a graphene solid-state battery.

On our second meeting, I asked him to help me order that batch of military-grade equipment.

Now for the third time.

Gu Shounian had no idea what this would be like.

But he had a premonition.

This discovery may be even more important than the previous graphene solid-state battery.

The car moved slowly through the congested streets.

Gu Shounian looked at the street scene flashing past the window and suddenly spoke.

"Drive faster."

The driver paused for a moment.

"Sir, there's a speed limit on this road..."

"Special circumstances".

Gu Shounian said.

"As soon as possible."

The driver didn't ask any more questions and stepped on the gas.

The jeep weaved nimbly through the traffic, constantly changing lanes and overtaking.

Twenty minutes later.

The car was parked in front of the private kitchen in Dashengli.

Gu Shounian got out of the car.

He wasn't wearing his military uniform today; he had changed into civilian clothes: a dark gray jacket and black trousers.

But his military background was still undeniable.

The private chef's waiter clearly recognized him and immediately came to greet him.

"Mr. Gu, please come in."

Gu Shounian followed the waiter into the private room.

Li Yichen hasn't arrived yet.

He sat down by the window, and the waiter brought over a teapot and poured him a cup of hot tea.

Gu Shounian did not drink.

He stared at the rising steam from the teacup, his mind still replaying Li Yichen's words on the phone.

"You've come up with something new!"

Footsteps came from outside the door.

Gu Shounian raised his head.

Li Yichen pushed the door open and came in.

He was wearing a simple black T-shirt and jeans, with unshaven stubble on his chin and obvious dark circles under his eyes.

It looks like he's been staying up all night for several nights in a row.

But those eyes were very bright.

It's so bright it's almost frightening.

"Colonel Gu."

Li Yichen sat down opposite him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"I just arrived too."

Gu Shounian pushed the teacup toward him.

"Have a sip of tea."

Li Yichen picked up the teacup, blew on it, and took a small sip.

Then put it down.

He took the anti-static box out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

It was pushed in front of Gu Shounian.

"have a look."

Gu Shounian's gaze fell on the box.

The transparent plastic shell reveals the black velvet fabric inside.

On the velvet lay a silver-gray chip.

The size of a fingernail.

The edges were cut extremely smoothly.

Its surface is as smooth as a mirror.

Gu Shounian did not go to get it immediately.

He raised his head and looked at Li Yichen.

"What is this?"

"Chip".

Li Yichen said.

"I did it."

Gu Shounian's breath hitched.

He reached out and picked up the box.

turn on.

He pinched the chip between his fingertips.

It's very light.

It's so light you can barely feel its weight.

It's cold.

"What manufacturing process?"

Gu Shounian asked.

He doesn't understand chips, but he has basic common sense.

The more advanced the manufacturing process, the stronger the performance and the lower the power consumption.

Li Yichen looked at him.

He uttered five words.

0.5 nanometers.

Gu Shounian's fingers, which were gripping the chip, tightened suddenly.

"What?"

He stared at Li Yichen.

I stared at it for a full five seconds.

Say it again.

0.5 nanometers.

Li Yichen repeated.

"This chip is called a photonic current-carrying chip."

"Performance is improved by 1,200 percent compared to the most advanced 1.6-nanometer silicon-based chips currently available."

"Power consumption reduced by 95%."

"When running at full load for one hour, the temperature rise will not exceed 0.5 degrees Celsius."

Gu Shounian did not speak.

He looked down and gazed again at the chip in his palm.

0.5 nanometers.

Although he didn't have a technical background, he knew what that number meant.

Currently, the most advanced mass-produced chips in the world are two nanometers in size.

The best 1.6 nanometers in the lab are not yet officially on the market.

The one in Li Yichen's hand is 0.5.

Performance is improved by more than ten times.

Power consumption is reduced to almost negligible levels.

It generates almost zero heat.

If this is true—

No.

Gu Shounian raised his head.

Li Yichen had no reason to lie to him.

There's no need to joke about something like this.

"Has it been tested?"

Gu Shounian asked.

The voice is a bit dry.

"It's been tested."

Li Yichen pulled up a test report on his phone and pushed it in front of Gu Shounian.

Gu Shounian put down the chip and picked up his phone.

The screen was filled with dense data and charts.

Computing power comparison.

Power consumption comparison.

Comparison of heat generation.

Every single statistic is ridiculously exaggerated.

Gu Shounian read through the list one by one.

The more I looked, the more cold sweat broke out on my back.

He wasn't scared.

It's excitement.

An irrepressible excitement surged up my spine.

If this chip is real.

If these data are true.

What does that mean?

This means that Daxia has taken a leap forward in the field of chip technology, surpassing decades of technological accumulation by others.

This means that from now on, I will never have to depend on anyone's opinion again.

This means that all areas that were previously hampered by technological bottlenecks—military industry, aerospace, supercomputing, and artificial intelligence—have been freed from these constraints.

Gu Shounian put down his phone.

He picked up the chip again and held it up to his eyes.

The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window and fell on the surface of the chip.

It reflected a small patch of cold white light.

"This thing..."

Gu Shounian spoke.

"Can it be mass-produced?"

"able."

Li Yichen said.

"This thing was produced using the batch of equipment you helped me get last time."

"Due to equipment and space limitations, we can currently only produce one thousand units per day."

Gu Shounian's Adam's apple bobbed.

One thousand pieces per day.

This number is sufficient to meet the needs of all national-level projects at this stage.

There's even a surplus.

"cost."

Gu Shounian stared at Li Yichen.

"What is the cost per unit?"

Li Yichen shook his head when he heard Gu Shounian's words.

"Colonel Gu, I am a businessman, and this matter involves my trade secrets, so I will not tell you the cost."

Gu Shounian was taken aback by Li Yichen's words, but then stopped asking about the cost.

What do you want?

Gu Shounian asked.

He knew Li Yichen's way of doing things all too well.

This thing isn't something you can just give away for free.

Two things.

Li Yichen leaned forward, placing his hands on the table.

"First, I know the importance of these chips, so I won't sell them to civilian companies, nor can I sell them overseas. Therefore, I need to find a buyer."

"Military industry, aerospace, supercomputing, artificial intelligence, etc... you help me build connections, then give me the orders, and I'll produce on demand."

"Price: $10,000 per piece."

To be honest, Li Yichen's price wasn't high. After all, it wouldn't be surprising if such a chip sold for $30,000.

Gu Shounian frowned slightly.

Ten thousand US dollars.

Compared to the price of two-nanometer wafers from abroad, this is indeed not high, and is even too low.

The 1.6-nanometer chip is not yet in mass production, and the estimated price is around 15,000 US dollars.

0.5 nanometers, ten times the performance, selling for ten thousand US dollars.

To be honest, it's not expensive.

It could even be said to be very cheap.

"Can."

Gu Shounian nodded.

"The second item."

Li Yichen continued.

"I need endorsement at the national level."

"Chips produced by future technologies will be exported without any restrictions."

"All relevant procedures were completed smoothly."

Gu Shounian stared at him.

"You want to sell it overseas?"

"Not for sale at the moment."

Li Yichen said.

"But we'll definitely sell them later."

"But don't worry, I definitely won't sell chips that are only 0.5 nanometers in size. At most, I'll sell a 1.5 nanometer version."

"Even a 1.5-nanometer version is enough for future technology companies to sweep the global civilian market."

"0.5 nanometers, only for domestic use."

Gu Shounian understood.

Li Yichen is drawing a line.

The most advanced technologies should remain in the country.

The next level is used to make money.

Incidentally, you can also choke someone.

"I can't make that decision."

Gu Shounian said.

"But I can report it to my superiors."

I'll give you an answer by tomorrow at the latest.

"OK."

Li Yichen picked up his teacup and took another sip.

The tea has gone cold.

But he didn't care.

Gu Shounian carefully placed the chip back into the box and closed the lid.

Then he took out his phone and dialed a number.

"it's me."

"Notify all department heads and above in the Technology Department, Equipment Department, and Strategic Planning Department to assemble in Conference Room 1 in half an hour."

"Emergency meeting."

"Level: Top Secret"

hang up the phone.

Gu Shounian stood up.

"I'll take the chip with me."

"Testing and verification takes time."

"I'll give you a definite answer in 24 hours at the earliest, and 48 hours at the latest."

Li Yichen also stood up.

I'll wait for your message.

The two shook hands.

Gu Shounian gripped the hand tightly, then turned and left.

He stopped again when he reached the door of the private room.

Look back.

"Li Yichen".

"Um?"

"This thing..."

Gu Shounian paused.

"If the verification passes."

"Whatever you want in the future, the country will do its best to satisfy you."

Li Yichen smiled.

"Alright, I'm satisfied with Colonel Gu's words."

"By the way, if I need to use anything special in the future, such as prohibited materials, can I apply for permission from above?"

Gu Shounian stared at him for two seconds.

Then he nodded.

"If there's nothing wrong with the chip, the higher-ups should agree to your request within a controllable range."

After saying that, Gu Shounian opened the door and strode away.

The footsteps quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor.

"Dear readers, I'm shamelessly asking for five-star reviews again. I know my writing isn't great, but I'm truly honored to receive your support."