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

After Miao Miao finished chewing the last shrimp, she let out a small burp and was then dragged by the ear by Li Niannian to wash her hands.

Li Yichen put the dishes and chopsticks in the dishwasher, dried his hands, and walked back to the living room.

The warmth of the heating made him sleepy. He flopped onto the sofa, placed his phone on his stomach, and stared blankly at the ceiling for a while.

Starting tomorrow, this villa will be mostly empty.

5:28 a.m.

It was still dark, but the kitchen light was already on.

Zhou Dahai, wearing his faded apron, was busy at the stove. The lean meat, cut into pieces, was neatly arranged on the cutting board, four preserved eggs were peeled, and the dough for the steamed buns was resting on the board.

Li Yichen was awakened by the aroma of porridge.

He strolled downstairs in his slippers and saw a table already set with a dish of preserved egg and lean pork congee, pan-fried dumplings, and steamed buns. There was also a plate of chopped pickled vegetables and a plate of fried dough sticks.

"Uncle Zhou, are you afraid we'll starve to death?"

Zhou Dahai didn't even look up, stirring the porridge in the pot with a spoon. "This is the last meal, so make more. I also froze three trays of dumplings in the refrigerator for you; you can steam them for lunch."

Miao Miao and Li Niannian got up too. Miao Miao rubbed her eyes and leaned over the table, her little face still bearing the pillow marks. "Grandpa Zhou's porridge smells so good..."

The five of them sat around the table and ate breakfast.

Zhou Dahai ate quickly, finishing his porridge in a few bites, then stood up and went to the kitchen to clean up. He took off his apron, folded it twice, and hung it back on the hook next to the stove.

That apron had been with him in this villa for almost a year, and the edges were worn frayed.

"Alright." Zhou Dahai clapped his hands and dragged a small suitcase out of the corridor. It was black cloth-covered and the handle was a bit rusty, clearly an old item that had been used for many years.

Li Yichen followed him to the door.

As the morning light peeked through the east, a gust of cold wind swept in, instantly waking one up completely.

He took a red envelope out of his pocket and handed it over.

Zhou Dahai glanced at the thickness of the container and his expression changed. "No, no, that's too much."

"Take it."

"Boss, what you've done—"

"Uncle Zhou, this is for the New Year, not your salary. Use it to buy some toys for your grandson, and you and your wife can eat whatever you want with the rest."

Zhou Dahai pushed the red envelope out, and Li Yichen stuffed it into his pocket. The two of them struggled back and forth at the door for almost half a minute, and finally, before Zhou Dahai could react, Li Yichen pressed the red envelope directly into the chest pocket of his coat.

"Don't take it out. I'll get angry if you do."

Zhou Dahai opened his mouth, then withdrew his hand halfway through. He muttered, "Too much, too much," grabbed the suitcase handle, and turned to walk along the courtyard path toward the gate.

After walking seven or eight steps, he turned back.

"The pork rib soup from the fridge only needs to be heated for three minutes before drinking! Don't overheat it!"

Li Yichen waved his hand at him. "Okay, okay, take care on your way."

Zhou Dahai's figure disappeared around the corner of the courtyard wall.

Li Yichen stood at the doorway, rubbing his arms. The cold winter wind made his pajamas look like paper. He turned and went inside.

9:30.

Ji Yanran came down from the third floor. She had changed into a long black coat, her hair was up, and she was holding the handle of her suitcase. She looked neat and tidy, just like she did when she went to work.

A black Bentley SUV was parked outside, and four women in dark windbreakers stood beside the car. Lin Muqing leaned against the hood of the car and saw Ji Yanran come out, so she opened the back door.

Ji Yanran paused in the entryway and turned around.

Li Yichen leaned against the armrest of the living room sofa, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand, and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Be careful on the road, and let me know when you arrive safely."

Ji Yanran didn't respond to that. "Ling'er is keeping an eye on things at the company. My phone will be on 24/7 if there's an emergency." She paused, then looked him up and down. "Don't stay home eating frozen dumplings all day for the next twenty days. If you collapse, who will I get to sign off on things?"

"Mr. Ji, can we have a good New Year before worrying about company matters?"

"I'm worried about you, not the company."

The moment she said those words, Ji Yanran herself was stunned for a moment.

The air was silent for two seconds.

Li Yichen's lips twitched slightly, and he was about to reply when Ji Yanran had already stepped out the door with her suitcase.

"I'm gone."

The voice was crisp, and he didn't turn his head.

The sound of high heels on the stone pavement faded into the distance, the car doors opened and closed, and the engine started.

As the black Bentley SUV drove out of the community gate, Ji Yanran glanced at the increasingly smaller villa through the rearview mirror.

She leaned back in her seat and sighed inexplicably.

Lin Muqing sat in the passenger seat, glanced at her sideways, and didn't say anything.

Inside the villa.

It's quiet now.

True silence.

Miao Miao lay on the sofa drawing, the crayons scratching on the paper. Li Niannian was washing dishes in the kitchen, the water splashing.

Li Yichen sat in the middle of the living room and took out his phone to start using it.

Tap the high-end shopping mall app with your finger.

Bird's nest gift box, six boxes.

Ready-to-eat sea cucumbers, four boxes.

Two cases of Feitian Moutai.

A set of skincare products from a luxury brand, in three pieces.

Jewelry... He rummaged around for a while and chose three different styles of necklaces, all priced in the six figures or higher.

Place an order. Place an order. Place an order.

Ling'er emerged from the watch, the holographic figure with its hands on its hips.

"Brother, are you delivering New Year's goods to three people or opening a charity distribution center?"

Why worry about so much? As long as the sentiment is there, that's enough.

"Are you sure you're not just genuinely feeling guilty?"

Li Yichen tucked his watch into his sleeve. "Stop talking nonsense."

One o'clock in the afternoon.

Looking up, I saw the U8 driving out of Tomson Riviera. The back seats were piled up like a small mountain, and the trunk lid was so full that it could hardly be closed.

First stop, Liu Xiaoyu.

Li Yichen parked his car downstairs at Liu's Pharmaceutical Company and called her.

Two minutes later, Liu Xiaoyu ran out of the revolving door. Today she was wearing a beige short down jacket, and her scarf was wrapped twice around her neck, bouncing as she ran.

She went around to the back of the car to take a look.

The trunk was open, filled with more than a dozen gift boxes printed with gold patterns. The back seats were also piled high, with even two cases of Moutai liquor on the passenger seat.

"Li Yichen, are you moving or celebrating the New Year?"

"Just tell me if you want it or not." He was already carrying them out, two gift boxes in each hand.

Liu Xiaoyu stood there with her hands on her hips, watching him carry the bird's nest back and forth. "How could I possibly eat all this by myself! I'd have to eat this much bird's nest until the end of next year!"

"If you can't finish it, give it to your brother so he can have some to nourish himself." Li Yichen carried the last two cases of Moutai from the passenger seat and placed them on the roadside. "Take this back too, for my uncle—"

He stopped abruptly halfway through speaking.

Liu Xiaoyu's face went from white to pink, and from pink to red, like a time-lapse video with a filter.

"Whose brother-in-law are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about big chrysanthemums. This year, it's fashionable to display big chrysanthemums for a festive New Year."

Liu Xiaoyu raised her foot and kicked, hitting him squarely in the shinbone.

"hiss--"

"Serves you right. You can't keep your mouth shut." Liu Xiaoyu glared at him angrily, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

Li Yichen called a private car on his phone. A seven-seater minivan. He needed a larger vehicle to fit it all.

After the car arrived, he carried the boxes inside one by one. Liu Xiaoyu, standing next to him, picked up the lightest bird's nest gift box and complained that her arms were sore.

Have you been lacking exercise lately?

"What's it to you?"

"I'll give you a dumbbell next time."

"roll."

The car carrying Liu Xiaoyu and the New Year's goods drove away. Before the car turned out of the intersection, she stretched out a hand from the back window and waved to him.

Li Yichen watched the taillights disappear and stretched his calf, which had been kicked so hard.

3:40 PM.

Lujiazui. Qingchenge Jewelry Store.

Xiao Yuqing was bending down to introduce a jade bracelet in the counter to a female customer when she caught a glimpse of a figure squeezing in through the doorway carrying large and small bags.

She paused for a moment, stunned.

"Little Leonardo DiCaprio?"

She handed the customer over to the shop assistant and walked over quickly in her high heels.

Li Yichen piled the gift boxes he was holding onto the counter. "These are for you for the New Year."

Xiao Yuqing opened the top box—bird's nest. She flipped to the next one—donkey-hide gelatin. Then—a limited-edition designer handbag, still wrapped in its dust bag.

She looked up, her eyes fixed on him, and her smile slowly faded.

"Did you buy some for others as well?"

Li Yichen's facial expression control cracked visibly. His lips twitched, his eyes darted around, and his right hand unconsciously touched the back of his head.

Once these three actions are taken, the answer becomes self-evident.

Xiao Yuqing chuckled. She reached out and punched him lightly in the chest, the force not great, but very precise.

"Forget it, I know that already." She closed the gift box lid and neatly stacked it. "Hurry up and go, you'll have to make another trip later, won't you?"

Li Yichen felt like he was invisible in front of this woman. He couldn't hide anything from her.

He chuckled twice, called a car to take her home, and then quickly slipped away.

When I came out of the jewelry store, the winter sun was already sinking below the rooftops.

It was a little past five in the evening.

Downstairs at Xue Shanshan's new apartment building.

I won this apartment at the company's annual party, and I've only been living here for less than two weeks. The last time Li Yichen came, there wasn't even a proper shoe cabinet by the door.

He rang the doorbell while carrying the last batch of New Year's goods.

A few seconds later, Xue Shanshan's voice came through the walkie-talkie. "Who is it?"

"I'll open the door."

Click. The door lock popped open.

He carried the box up to the third floor. Xue Shanshan had already opened the door and was standing halfway out in the doorway. She was wearing a loose pink hoodie, her hair was untied and draped over her shoulders, and her face was flushed from the warmth of the heater.

She saw the pile of gift boxes at his feet and her mouth dropped open.

"What...what is all this?"

"New Year's goods." Li Yichen bent down, picked up the largest box, and carried it inside. "Take it back to your parents in your hometown."

Xue Shanshan stepped aside and back two steps, watching him carry the load back and forth four or five times. The entryway, the top of the shoe cabinet, and the side of the coffee table in the living room were all piled up.

She stood in the middle of the pile of boxes, her toes curling on the floor.

"That's too much... I can't even carry this much by car."

"I'll order you a seven-seater later, and we'll squeeze everyone in."

Xue Shanshan looked down at the beautifully packaged gift boxes: bird's nest, sea cucumber, and Moutai liquor. Her father had drunk cheap, bulk liquor costing only a few dollars his whole life and had never even seen what Moutai looked like.

My nose is sore.

"Thank you." The voice was very soft.

Li Yichen straightened up after moving the last box, and when he turned around, he saw that her eyes were red. He walked over, placed his hand on her head, and gently ruffled her loose hair.

"Have a happy Lunar New Year and don't cry all the time."

Xue Shanshan didn't say anything, but took a step forward and buried her face in his chest.

The fabric of his hoodie rubbed against his jacket, making him feel stuffy.

"Um."

It's just one word. But what's contained within that word is very heavy.

Li Yichen hugged her for a while, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I'll treat you to dinner when you come back to work after the New Year."

Xue Shanshan lifted her face from his chest, her eyelashes glistening with tears. "It's a promise, isn't it?"

"It's settled."

The car has arrived.

Li Yichen helped her carry the boxes downstairs one by one and put them into the car, then put her small suitcase away. Before the car door closed, Xue Shanshan leaned half her face out of the car window and waved to him.

The car merged into the traffic, and its taillights disappeared around the intersection.

Li Yichen stood under the streetlight and exhaled a puff of white breath.

As he sat back down and looked up at the U8, he glanced at the time.

8:17.

I slumped into the chair. My back ached, my legs felt numb, and my shoulders felt like they'd been hit with a hammer.

The aftereffects of moving boxes all afternoon.

He started the engine, and the car merged into the traffic of Pudong in the night. Streetlights flashed by one by one.

The watch lit up.

Ling'er squatted on the screen, swinging her legs back and forth. "Brother, I took 17,300 steps today. I burned 10,000 calories—"

"Shut up and let me have some peace and quiet."

Ling'er's little figure rolled its eyes and shrank back into its watch.

Looking up, I saw the U8 drive into the villa's courtyard.

The engine stalled.

The car became quiet, with only the heater vents still blowing gently.

Li Yichen leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened the car door and got out.