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

Silent all night.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows. Li Yichen sat at the table, a bowl of congee with preserved egg and lean pork and several side dishes in front of him. Zhou Dahai's cooking skills were as solid as ever.

My phone vibrated.

Caller ID: Chen Weidong.

Li Yichen caught it with one hand and scooped up a mouthful of porridge with the other and put it in his mouth.

"President Li!" Chen Weidong's voice was filled with undisguised excitement. "Everyone on the cargo ship has been brought to justice! All twenty-two foreign mercenaries, not one escaped. When the coast guard boarded the ship, they all knelt on the ground, crying and saying they would cooperate no matter what."

He paused.

"We are currently investigating the mastermind behind the operation and have initially identified three executives from overseas companies. We cannot disclose their names at this time, but we will notify you as soon as we have any results."

"Thank you for your hard work," Li Yichen said softly after swallowing his porridge.

"It's no trouble at all! It's my duty!" Chen Weidong said, adding a couple more polite words. Li Yichen didn't talk much and hung up.

The phone is now displayed on the home screen.

Across from her, Ji Yanran was putting a piece of braised beef into her mouth. She had recovered considerably; her complexion was rosy, and the lingering fatigue from yesterday was gone from her eyes. After finishing her breakfast, she dabbed her lips with a tissue, then stood up to tidy her briefcase on the sofa.

"Let's go. Chu Feng is waiting downstairs."

Li Yichen nodded and watched her pick up her bag and leave.

The high heels clicked on the porch floor tiles, the sound fading into the distance.

The door closed.

Li Yichen put down his chopsticks and leaned back in his chair.

Yesterday's events kept replaying in my mind. The company is growing bigger and bigger. Raytheon batteries are dominating the global battery industry. Photonic current-carrying chips are supplied to the military. Holographic projection is about to be implemented. The number of interest groups offended is too numerous to count on one hand.

As the CEO, Ji Yanran is always in the public eye, making her a prime target.

Chu Feng alone is not enough.

That's far from enough.

What security companies are there on the market? Their personnel come from diverse backgrounds, and their loyalty cannot be guaranteed. Besides, Ji Yanran is a woman, and she has many private occasions—commuting to and from get off work, going to the gym, and fitting rooms. It's simply unrealistic to arrange for all of her personal protection to be men.

Li Yichen only had one option left in his mind.

A retired female special forces soldier.

He took out his phone and dialed Gu Shounian's number.

Two shots. I answered.

"Brother Gu."

"Hey, Brother Li, calling so early—" came the sound of documents being flipped through on Gu Shounian's end. "Didn't you have trouble sleeping last night?"

"No." Li Yichen cut straight to the point, "I need your help with something."

"explain."

"I need a female security team. Dedicated to protecting Ji Yanran. The kind that's with her 24/7."

Li Yichen stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

"The requirements are: retired special forces personnel, with combat experience and outstanding combat capabilities. The more elite the better."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone for a few seconds.

"What a coincidence." Gu Shounian's tone became subtle. "There is indeed a group of female special forces members who are about to retire. They are all people on the front lines, who have been to the border and carried out counter-terrorism missions. But—"

He dragged out the last syllable.

"These people might not be willing to work as private bodyguards after retiring. You have to offer them something that will entice them."

Li Yichen leaned against the window frame, one hand in his pocket.

"Starting salary of 50,000 per month."

There was no response on the other end of the phone.

"We provide villa-style accommodations in Tomson Riviera. All five social insurances and two housing funds are fully paid. Employees enjoy the same benefits as our regular employees."

He remained silent.

"Seventeen months' salary at the end of the year."

This time, the other side finally made a move.

Gu Shounian hesitated for several seconds before blurting out, "Brother Li, your benefits are more than ten times higher than the allowances for active duty personnel... Are you just wasting money?"

"Will it work?"

"Sure—" Gu Shounian clicked his tongue, "Eight people in this batch are retiring. How many do you want?"

"I want all eight."

"...So rich and powerful." Gu Shounian chuckled and cursed over the phone. "Okay, I'll ask them. I'll get back to you within an hour."

Just as Li Yichen was about to hang up, Gu Shounian spoke up again.

"By the way, I have something important to say."

His tone became serious.

"Deputy Commander Liu called me this morning. The results of last night's meeting are in, and the higher-ups are very interested in your combat armor. They want to invite you to the Shanghai Military Region to see its combat performance test firsthand."

"When?"

"The sooner the better. You decide."

Li Yichen thought for two seconds. "One o'clock this afternoon."

"become."

"And one more thing—" Li Yichen added, "I'll fly there in my combat armor. You should let them know beforehand, so that the military region's radar doesn't go off and anti-aircraft missiles just slam into my face."

Gu Shounian laughed so hard he almost fell over on the other end of the phone.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I'll personally make the arrangements. They definitely won't make you a target."

It's over.

Li Yichen changed into sportswear and went for a run. He ran five kilometers along the riverside promenade, working up a good sweat. After returning to the villa, he took a shower, drank two cups of protein powder, and then his phone rang right on time.

Gu Shounian.

"It's settled. All eight people agree."

Li Yichen dried his hair with a towel, a smile playing on his lips.

"As soon as the conditions were reported, almost no one hesitated." Gu Shounian smiled. "Everyone will report to your side tomorrow."

He lowered his voice and added, "Let me give you a heads-up—two of these eight are former snipers, they can hit anything within 300 meters. The other is a military region combat champion, he can take down three strong men with his bare hands. Your General Manager Ji will probably be safer than our leader when he goes out from now on."

"Okay," Li Yichen replied. "Thanks, Brother Gu."

After hanging up, he went over it in his mind. He owned three vacant villas in the Tomson Riviera complex, which had been empty and unoccupied. They would be perfect for housing these eight people.

He took out his phone again and dialed Ji Yanran's number.

Two shots. I answered.

"Boss? What's wrong?" There was the sound of typing on Ji Yanran's keyboard; she was clearly busy.

"I have something to tell you."

Li Yichen briefly explained the bodyguard arrangements. Eight people, all retired female special forces soldiers, would report for duty tomorrow and provide 24-hour close protection.

There was a sudden silence on the other end of the phone.

The keyboard clicks stopped.

Several seconds later, Ji Yanran's voice rang out again, much softer.

"When...did you arrange this?"

"This morning."

Another silence followed.

"What are the conditions?"

"Monthly salary of 50,000, living in Tomson Riviera, 17 months' salary, five social insurances and two housing funds, the same treatment as the company's regular employees."

There was no response on the phone again.

It lasted for nearly ten seconds.

Then came a very soft "Thank you".

*Click*. The call ended.

in the office.

Ji Yanran stared blankly at her phone screen for a long time. She forgot to look at the reports on the table, and didn't even pick up her coffee when it got cold.

My heart is racing.

An inappropriate thought popped into my head—aside from being a womanizer and a scumbag, this man seems to be good in every other way…

She slammed her phone face down on the table with a loud thud.

"Ji Yanran, wake up."

She muttered to herself, covering her burning face with both hands.

"He's a complete scumbag. You can't just..."

Before he could finish speaking, his ears were already burning.

She shook her head, forcing her attention back to the revenue report on the computer screen. She couldn't focus on any of the numbers.

Forget it. I don't want to think about it anymore.

12:30 PM.

The master bedroom on the second floor of a Tomson Riviera villa.

Li Yichen came upstairs after lunch and stood next to the wardrobe. The silver-gray armor gleamed with a cold metallic sheen in the afternoon sunlight. The V-shaped mask faced him silently.

"Ling'er, start the wearable program."

The bracket latch popped open.

The chest armor separates. The limb modules unlock. The metal components fit into the body in sequence—back, shoulders, upper arms, forearms, thighs, calves, and hands. Each piece clicks crisply into place.

The hydraulic system starts with a humming sound.

Helmet buckled. HUD lit up. All parameters turned green.

Li Yichen stepped onto the balcony, his feet resting on the edge of the railing. The sea breeze blew in from the direction of the Huangpu River, slapping against the metal exterior.

"Ling'er, plan the route. Destination: Shanghai Military Region."

"Received, brother." Ling'er's chibi-style figure squatted in the corner of the HUD, her two little hands rapidly tapping on the virtual panel. "Flight route planned, estimated flight time 1 minute and 53 seconds."

"Walk."

Ignition via foot-mounted vector nozzles.

The orange-red tail flames exploded suddenly, and the heat wave made the potted plants on the balcony railing sway wildly. A powerful thrust lifted them up from the ground.

Ten meters. Fifty meters. One hundred meters.

He soared into the sky, his speed increasing. The instant he broke the sound barrier, a white, condensed cone exploded from behind him.

Silver-gray specks of light streaked across the skyline of Shanghai, disappearing into the clouds in an instant.