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

11:30 a.m.

The company cafeteria was noisy.

Li Yichen and Ji Yanran carried their trays and found a seat by the window.

Ji Yanran picked up a piece of braised pork rib, put it in her mouth and chewed it a couple of times.

"The cafeteria chefs' skills are getting better and better."

"Um."

Li Yichen responded, rummaged around in the plate with his chopsticks, and glanced around.

The cafeteria was packed with people.

The heads of several departments gathered at a table in the corner, eating and chatting.

The young employees huddled together in twos and threes, their phones held horizontally, probably watching short videos.

Li Yichen glanced around.

I didn't see Xue Shanshan.

He looked away and continued eating.

The girl has probably finished eating and gone back to her workstation.

After finishing the last bite of her meal, Ji Yanran put down her chopsticks and took a tissue to wipe her mouth.

I'm full.

Li Yichen had almost finished eating.

He picked up the soup bowl and drank the last drop of soup.

Put down the bowl.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette case and a lighter.

The cigarette box is black, made of metal, and has no logo printed on it.

He pulled one out and put it in his mouth.

My finger is on the lighter.

"Boss."

Ji Yanran's voice came over.

Li Yichen looked up.

Ji Yanran looked at the cigarette in his hand, then glanced around.

"This is a public place."

She paused.

"As the boss, isn't it inappropriate for you to be smoking here?"

Li Yichen stopped moving.

He turned and looked around.

indeed.

Although the cafeteria was noisy, the only smell in the air was the aroma of food.

There was no smell of smoke.

It's not a good thing for him to light a cigarette here.

"you're right."

Li Yichen took the cigarette out of his mouth and put it back in the cigarette case.

He stood up.

"I'm going outside to smoke."

"Where to?"

"Stairwell".

After Li Yichen finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the entrance of the cafeteria.

Ji Yanran watched his retreating figure, shook her head, and didn't follow.

***

The emergency exit is at the end of the cafeteria corridor.

Li Yichen pushed open the heavy fire door.

The door hinges made a slight grinding sound.

Inside is the stairwell.

Cement steps, metal handrails, and green emergency exit signs on the wall.

It's very quiet.

The only sound was the electrical hum of the emergency light overhead.

Li Yichen walked in and closed the door behind him.

He sat down on the steps.

He took out his cigarette case and pulled out a cigarette.

The lighter clicked.

Flames shot up.

The cigarette butt is lit.

Li Yichen took a deep breath.

Smoke was slowly exhaled from the nostrils.

They spread out in the dim light.

Li Yichen took another drag of his cigarette.

The smoke swirled in my lungs before I exhaled.

He was preparing to take his second puff.

My ear suddenly twitched.

downstairs.

There seems to be a sound.

It's very light.

It sounded like...sobbing?

Li Yichen frowned.

He stubbed out his cigarette and stood up.

I went down one floor along the stairs.

Turn the corner.

The sight below made him stop in his tracks.

On the stair steps.

A girl was sitting with her back to him.

He was wearing a light gray business suit and a white shirt.

Her hair was tied in a ponytail, with a few stray strands falling around her neck.

She was holding a stainless steel plate.

There was still a little bit of rice and a few green vegetables left on the plate.

She lowered her head.

My shoulder is twitching.

The sound Li Yichen heard was from her.

Suppressed, intermittent sobs.

He took a closer look.

That silhouette...

It's Xue Shanshan.

Li Yichen stood still and stared for a few seconds.

Then, I walked down a few steps quietly.

He stopped three or four steps away from her.

Xue Shanshan was completely unaware that someone was behind her.

She was still crying.

Tears streamed down my face.

It smashed onto the plate.

Mixed with rice.

She picked up a spoon and scooped up a spoonful of rice mixed with her tears.

Put it in your mouth.

Chewing mechanically.

She was chewing and crying at the same time.

Li Yichen couldn't stand it anymore.

He walked down and sat down on the steps next to her.

"Xue Shanshan?"

The sound wasn't loud.

But it stood out remarkably clearly in the quiet stairwell.

Xue Shanshan shuddered violently.

The spoon in my hand almost fell to the ground.

She turned her head.

Her eyes were red, and there were still tear stains on her face.

She was stunned when she saw Li Yichen.

A full three seconds passed.

She then realized what was happening and quickly raised her hand to wipe her face.

"Brother Li?"

His voice had a heavy nasal tone.

What are you doing here?

She forced a smile.

But his smile looked worse than his tears.

"He walks so quietly, it startled me."

Li Yichen looked at her.

"It's because you were crying so intently."

"I...I didn't cry."

Xue Shanshan turned her face away and continued wiping her eyes.

"Stop making excuses."

Li Yichen said.

"I've been watching you from behind for ages."

Xue Shanshan froze.

She lowered her head and remained silent.

The plate was still in his hand, his fingers were white from gripping it so tightly.

Li Yichen sighed.

"Should we talk to your brother Li about it?"

He paused.

"What happened? Why are you crying so sadly?"

Xue Shanshan shook her head.

"fine."

"Are you really alright?"

"It's really nothing."

"So something happened at home?"

Li Yichen asked.

"What about your dad's side..."

"no."

Xue Shanshan interrupted him.

"Everything is fine at home."

"Then why are you crying?"

Xue Shanshan fell silent.

She stared at the rice on her plate, and two more tears fell.

Li Yichen waited for a while.

Seeing that she still wouldn't talk, he reached out and patted her on the shoulder.

"Speak."

"What exactly happened?"

"Maybe I can help?"

He paused.

"Besides, it's not good to keep it bottled up inside."

"Talking it out might make you feel better."

Xue Shanshan raised her head.

He glanced at Li Yichen.

He lowered his head again.

His lips moved.

Hesitant to speak.

In the end, he shook his head.

"It's nothing."

"Are you really alright?"

"It's really nothing."

Li Yichen stopped asking.

He leaned against the wall and took out a cigarette case from his pocket.

Take one out.

But I didn't order any.

It's just something you hold and spin around in your hand.

The stairwell fell silent again.

Only the occasional sound of Xue Shanshan sniffing.

About a minute later.

Xue Shanshan suddenly spoke.

The sound was very soft.

"Brother Li."

"Um?"

"you say……"

She paused.

Why do people like to spread rumors so much?

Li Yichen turned to look at her.

"What rumor?"

Xue Shanshan bit her lip.

"It's just... just some random nonsense."

"About me."

Li Yichen's heart stirred.

"Tell me more about it."

Xue Shanshan took a deep breath.

It seemed like he had made a very big decision.

"These past few days, everyone in our department has been talking about..."

She stopped there.

Tears started falling again.

"What are you spreading?"

Li Yichen pressed for an answer.

"Rumor has it that I'm being kept by my company boss."

After Xue Shanshan finished speaking, her whole body was trembling.

"The rumors are quite detailed and convincing."

"What do you mean I ride in my boss's car to and from get off work every day?"

"What do you mean I ate with the boss and even passed food to each other?"

"The reason I can act with impunity in the company is because the boss is backing me up."

She became more and more agitated as she spoke.

Her voice was trembling with tears.

"But I really didn't!"

"I don't even know who the company boss is or what he looks like!"

"How could I...?"

She couldn't continue.

He covered his face, his shoulders trembling violently.

Li Yichen sat next to him.

After hearing these words.

His first reaction was—

When did I become her sugar daddy?

How come I didn't know about this?

But he didn't say it aloud.

He simply put the cigarette back into the pack silently.

Put it back in my pocket.

He watched Xue Shanshan crying her eyes out.

I felt a little uneasy.

This matter is indeed related to him.

That day in the cafeteria, he asked Xue Shanshan to sit opposite him while they ate.

I even gave her a ride for a while later.

It's likely that these actions were noticed by someone with ulterior motives.

Then it was transmitted like this.

"Brother Li..."

Xue Shanshan looked up at him with teary eyes.

"Did you believe it too?"

Do you also think I'm that kind of person?

Li Yichen shook his head.

I don't believe it.

"real?"

"real."

Li Yichen looked at her.

"I trust you."

Xue Shanshan stared at him blankly.

A few seconds passed.

Tears welled up again.

But this time it wasn't about feeling wronged.

It's some kind of indescribable emotion.

She lowered her head and wiped her face haphazardly with the back of her hand.

"Thank you, Brother Li."

"Thank you for believing in me."

Li Yichen sighed.

"These kinds of things are inevitable in large companies."

"When there are too many people, there are too many opinions."

Don't worry about it too much.

Xue Shanshan nodded.

But I still couldn't stop the tears.

Seeing her like that, Li Yichen reached out and patted her on the back.

"A person with a straight body has nothing to fear from a crooked shadow."

"There's no need to explain to them things you didn't do."

"They have mouths, they can say whatever they want."

"Just live your own life."

Xue Shanshan hummed in agreement.

But I was still feeling down.

Li Yichen thought about it.

I moved a little closer to her.

"If you don't mind."

He patted himself on the shoulder.

"Can I lean on you for a bit?"

Xue Shanshan looked up at him.

Its eyes are red, like a rabbit's.

She bit her lip.

Then slowly move closer.

She gently rested her head on Li Yichen's shoulder.

Li Yichen could feel her body trembling.

There were also suppressed sobs.

He didn't speak.

He simply patted her back gently.

Like coaxing a child.

The stairwell was quiet.

There was only the sound of two people breathing.

A while later.

Xue Shanshan's crying gradually stopped.

She straightened up and wiped her face with the back of her hand.

"Brother Li."

"Um?"

"I've figured it out."

Xue Shanshan took a deep breath.

"you're right."

"A person with an upright character has nothing to fear."

"Why should I explain to them something I didn't do?"

"They can say whatever they want."

"I will work hard."

"Prove yourself with your abilities."

As she spoke, a smile appeared on her face.

It was still a bit of a stretch.

But it's much better than before.

Li Yichen looked at her.

"It's good that you've figured it out."

Xue Shanshan stood up.

She patted the dust off her skirt.

"Brother Li, thank you for today."

"If it weren't for you, I probably would have cried for a long time."

Li Yichen also stood up.

"Don't mention it."

Xue Shanshan checked the time.

"Oh dear, it's almost 12:30."

"I have to go back to work."

She picked up her plate, ready to leave.

Suddenly, something else came to mind.

He turned around.

"Brother Li."

"Um?"

"To thank you for comforting me today."

Xue Shanshan gave a sincere smile.

"How about I treat you to dinner after get off work?"

Li Yichen was stunned for a moment.

"Want to treat me to dinner?"

"Yes."

Xue Shanshan nodded.

"You choose the place, I'll pay."

She paused.

"Although my salary is not high, I can still afford to treat someone to a meal."

Li Yichen looked at her serious expression.

Laughed.

"OK."

"Then it's settled."

Xue Shanshan's eyes lit up.

"Then...can I add your contact information?"

"it is good."

The two took out their phones.

I scanned the QR code.

Friend request approved.

Xue Shanshan put away her phone.

"I'll be going now, Brother Li."

"Um."

Xue Shanshan turned around and pushed open the fire door.

He went outside.

The door closed again.

Li Yichen was left alone in the stairwell again.

He stood there, looking at the door.

A few seconds passed.

He sat down again on the steps.

He took out his cigarette case.

Take one out.

ignite.

I took a deep breath.

The smoke swirled in my lungs.

Slowly expel it.

He leaned against the wall.

The image of Xue Shanshan crying her eyes out flashed through my mind.

And then there are those rumors.

Being kept by her boss?

Li Yichen twitched the corner of his mouth.

What's going on here?

He finished smoking a cigarette.

He stubbed out the cigarette and threw it into the nearby trash can.

Stand up.

Push open the fire door.

I walked back to the cafeteria.

Ji Yanran was no longer in her seat.

The plates were also taken away.

Li Yichen turned around.

I walked out of the cafeteria.

I walked towards the elevator.