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

"Ling'er, did you already know those two would be coming yesterday afternoon?"

The watch lit up, and Ling'er peeked out, blinking twice with an innocent look on her face.

"Brother, I'm just an artificial intelligence; how could I possibly predict human emotions and behavior?"

Stop pretending.

"Okay, I do know that the two of them bought tickets yesterday!" Ling'er shrank her neck, a mischievous grin on her face!

Li Yichen tucked his watch into his sleeve.

"If you had told me in advance, I could at least have been mentally prepared."

"That's so boring, bro."

Ling'er's voice was muffled from inside her sleeve, tinged with laughter.

Li Yichen was too lazy to argue with her, so he stepped on the gas and turned the car onto the main road.

The next two days were uneventful.

Li's mother's attention was entirely focused on Ji Yanran and Li Niannian—or more accurately, she poured 200% of her enthusiasm into the "finding a daughter-in-law." Li Yichen was sent to the supermarket three times and accompanied shopping twice, and each time Li Niannian was "coincidentally" arranged to accompany him.

He has learned to fake a stomachache.

The afternoon of the ninth day of the Lunar New Year.

My phone vibrated.

Xue Shanshan's WeChat message: "Brother Li, I've gone back to Shanghai early. Nothing much, just a quick message if you're busy—"

The message was sent halfway and then retracted.

Three seconds later, she sent another message: "I just wanted to let you know."

Li Yichen dialed the number.

"Come stay with me for a few days, then go back to your apartment after your company's holiday ends."

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

"Are your parents home?"

"exist."

Two more seconds.

"So, am I a little panicked?"

"Stop talking nonsense, I'll come pick you up. Send me your location."

After hanging up the phone, I grabbed my car keys and headed out. Just as I reached the entrance, I heard my mother's voice behind me.

"Who are you going to pick up?"

"Please pick up... a friend."

Li's mother leaned against the living room door frame, arms crossed, the corners of her mouth curving like a crescent moon.

"friend."

She repeated it, raising her voice by half an octave.

Li Yichen didn't turn around; he kicked off his shoes and went out the door.

Exit of Hongqiao Railway Station.

Xue Shanshan stood next to a pillar, dragging a small 20-inch suitcase. She was without makeup, wearing a white down jacket, and her hair was tied in a low ponytail.

Looking up, she saw the U8 come to a stop in the exit lane. She quickly walked over, opened the passenger door, and got in. Before she could even fasten her seatbelt, her hands were already rubbing together.

Li Yichen glanced at her sideways.

What are you rubbing?

"I'm nervous."

"What's there to be nervous about?"

"Your parents are here." Her voice trailed off. "I didn't prepare a gift, I'm dressed casually, I didn't even wear lipstick—"

"My mom doesn't look at lipsticks."

"What is she looking at?"

"It depends on the person."

Xue Shanshan clenched her fists even tighter, her nails digging into her palms.

The car merged into the traffic. She sat upright, her hands crossed on her knees, her lips constantly pursed. Suddenly, she turned her head again.

"Should I get out of the car and buy a bouquet of flowers? Is it inappropriate to meet my parents empty-handed for the first time?"

"You're fine the way you are now."

"But--"

"Shanshan".

Li Yichen took his right hand off the steering wheel, placed it on the back of her hand resting on her knee, and squeezed it.

"My mom is a very kind-hearted person; you'll see when you get there."

Xue Shanshan didn't say anything more, but the five fingers of the hand that had been held slowly loosened.

At the entrance of the villa.

Xue Shanshan took three deep breaths in the passenger seat.

The first attempt was too shallow and didn't work.

The second time it went too deep, and I choked.

Before she had even finished inhaling the third time, Li Yichen had already gone around to her side and opened the door.

"Let's go, we'll get oxygen poisoning if we keep breathing like this."

She got out of the car, her legs feeling a little weak.

Li's mother was already standing on the porch steps. Her apron was still tied on, and her sleeves were rolled up to her forearms, so she had probably just been cleaning.

Li Yichen took the suitcase out of the trunk and walked to stand next to Xue Shanshan.

"Dad, Mom."

The two elderly people looked at each other at the same time.

"This is Shanshan, my girlfriend."

He said it so casually, like he was giving a weather forecast.

Xue Shanshan's back stiffened for a moment, then she bowed deeply.

"Hello, uncles and aunts, I'm Xue Shanshan."

The air seemed to pause for a moment.

Li's mother blinked twice.

Then his smile widened, and he took two steps down the stairs, reaching out to grasp Xue Shanshan's hand.

"Oh dear, come in, come in! It's so cold outside! Have you eaten? Are you thirsty?"

Xue Shanshan was enveloped by the heatwave as she walked into the house, her hand still held in Li's mother's palm, feeling like a small boat being swept up by a huge wave.

From the moment she entered the door until she sat down on the sofa, Li's mother's mouth never stopped—asking about traffic, whether there were seats on the high-speed train, whether her suitcase was heavy, and whether her coat was warm enough. She asked about everything, big and small, in the exact same tone as if she were talking to her own daughter on her homecoming.

Xue Shanshan's tense shoulders relaxed inch by inch.

Mr. Li sat in his usual spot next to her, held his teacup, glanced at her twice, and nodded as a greeting.

Miao Miao poked half her head out from behind the sofa, tilted her head to look at the newcomer, and tugged at Li Niannian's clothes.

"Sister, who is she?"

Li Niannian squatted down and whispered two words in her ear.

Miao Miao said "Oh," then ran over on her short legs, looked up and waved to Xue Shanshan.

"Hello, Sister Xue!"

Xue Shanshan's eyes welled up with tears from the shout, and she bent down to rub Miaomiao's head.

"Miaomiao is so good."

Li Yichen changed his shoes in the entryway, placed his suitcase against the wall, and walked into the living room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ji Yanran coming down the stairs, pausing for half a second on the third step.

She glanced at Xue Shanshan, who was sitting on the sofa next to Li's mother, and a faint smile appeared on her lips—a smile that was hard to categorize.

Then, as usual, I went downstairs, poured myself a glass of water in the kitchen, sat down at the dining table, and checked my emails on my phone.

He didn't say a single extra word throughout the entire process.

After dinner.

Li Yichen was about to go upstairs when someone grabbed his arm from behind.

Li's mother was quite strong; she hooked her five fingers around his elbow and pulled him toward the study.

"Son, come in."

Mr. Li was already sitting in the single sofa in the study, with a cup of tea on his lap, his expression indifferent.

The sound of the door closing wasn't loud, but to Li Yichen it sounded almost like a gavel striking a table.

Li's mother put her hands on her hips, giving her no time to react.

"Tell me the truth. Besides these three, how many girlfriends do you actually have?"

"There are only three. Yuqing, Xiaoyu, and Shanshan."

"Swear to me."

Li Yichen raised his right hand.

"I'll send it—"

"What about Niannian?"

The hand stopped in mid-air.

"Mom, Niannian is the housekeeper."

"Where is Yanran?"

"Yanran is my subordinate."

"Your subordinates live in your villa?"

"This one? Which one?"

"Alright, stop with the 'this' and 'that'." Li's mother waved her hand, staring at him with eyes that scanned him up and down for a full ten seconds, as if he were being X-rayed.

Li Yichen's forehead began to sweat.

Mr. Li put down his teacup and spoke.

"Stop the trial. Your son is grown up; he knows what he's doing."

Li's mother snorted, as if she wanted to say something more.

Mr. Li added, "However—you must take your grandson's matter seriously."

Li Yichen felt like he was being attacked from both sides.

As he opened the study door and walked out, his expression looked as if he had been squeezed between two hydraulic presses.

Xue Shanshan was sitting on the living room sofa watching TV, but she wasn't paying attention to a single thing on the screen. When she saw him come out of the study, she immediately lowered her voice.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, just my mom's routine interrogation."

"Interrogation...interrogation of what?"

"Interrogate me to see how many more things I've been hiding."

Xue Shanshan's face burned from her neck upwards. She looked down and pretended to stare at the TV screen, without even changing the channel.

It was a little past ten o'clock at night.

Xue Shanshan stood in the second-floor corridor holding a set of pajamas, her voice so soft it was almost drowned out by the hum of the air conditioner vents.

"Um...which room do I sleep in?"

Li Yichen turned around.

He smiled, reached out and took her wrist, and walked towards the master bedroom.

Xue Shanshan was pulled along for two steps, her feet feeling like they were on springs.

"Your parents live next door—"

"It's two rooms apart."

"But--"

The door to the master bedroom was closed.

The tenth day of the month. 7:50 a.m.

When Li Yichen opened the bedroom door, Xue Shanshan was combing her hair with her fingers behind him, her ponytail not yet properly tied.

The two stepped out of the door one after the other.

Directly opposite.

Li's mother held her fist in mid-air.

The gesture of knocking on the door.

Four eyes—no, six eyes facing each other.

The air seemed to have been paused.

Li Yichen remained expressionless.

"Good morning, Mom."

Li's mother's gaze shifted from his face to Xue Shanshan's face, lingering for two seconds.

They didn't say anything.

He withdrew his fist, turned around, and went downstairs.

His back view showed a remarkably steady walk, with not a single sway of his shoulders.

But Li Yichen could sense that his mother was laughing from the back of her head.

Xue Shanshan blushed from her ears to her collarbone and didn't take a step for a long time.

breakfast.

Dumplings, white porridge, and three side dishes were prepared by Zhou Dahai early in the morning.

The table was quiet for about a minute and a half, with everyone eating their own food.

With half a dumpling stuffed in her mouth, Miao Miao swung her legs back and forth, tilting her head and staring at Xue Shanshan for a long while.

Then he said crisply.

"Sister Xue, did you sleep with my brother last night?"

Everyone stopped moving.

Li Yichen almost spat out the porridge from his nostrils.

Xue Shanshan's chopsticks clattered against the rim of the bowl and flew off, her face turning so red it looked like it was about to bleed.

Li Niannian lowered her head and shoveled rice into her mouth, wishing she could bury her face in the bowl.

Ji Yanran held the cup and slowly took a sip of water. The curve of her lips was exceptionally serene.

Li's father remained expressionless, picked up a peanut with his chopsticks, and put it in his mouth.

bang.

The crisp sound of chewing was especially clear amidst the silence of everyone at the table.

Li's mother coughed and gently patted Miao Miao's head.

"Eat your food!"

Li Yichen reacted quickly, grabbing a dumpling and stuffing it into Miao Miao's mouth.

"Here, have this. It's filled with chives and eggs, and it's especially delicious."

Miao Miao's mouth was stuffed full, and she tried to open her mouth to ask more questions, but Li Niannian picked her up and carried her to the living room.

The sound of chewing returned to the dining table.

But the subtle atmosphere couldn't be suppressed even by the steam rising from the hot porridge.

Ji Yanran put down her cup, picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of food, and gave Li Yichen a meaningful look.

After dinner, Li Yichen took his whole family out to shop in Shanghai.

The pedestrian street on Nanjing Road was packed with people. Li's mother was pulling Xue Shanshan along at the front, and she kept talking.

"Shanshan, don't be shy. Just tell Auntie what you'd like to eat—oh, by the way, when does your company start operating again?"

"The sixteenth day of the first lunar month."

"There are still several days left, no rush."

As they chatted, Li's mother unleashed her trump card.

"Do you know how naughty Yichen was when he was little? Back in third grade, he did something at school one time—"

Li Yichen pricked up his ears from behind.

"—I wet the bed in the middle of the night, and the next day I hid the sheets in the very back of the closet. When I found them, they were all moldy."

Xue Shanshan laughed so hard she bent over, tears welling up in her eyes, and she gasped for breath, leaning on Li's mother's arm.

"Auntie, is it true?"

"Why would I lie to you! His dad chased him around the village three times after he found out—"

"mom!"

Li Yichen quickened his pace from behind, trying to interrupt.

Li's mother didn't even turn her head.

"Shut up, I'm talking to Shanshan."

Mr. Li walked at the very back, his hands in his pockets, a grin on his face.

As I strolled along the Bund, the wind blew across the river, carrying a salty, fishy smell.

Mr. Li stood by the railing and looked at the Lujiazui skyline across the river for a while.

"son."

"Um?"

Mr. Li pointed in a direction.

"Is that the tallest one yours?"

A 66-story, silver-gray building stands among the buildings, the words "Future Technology" on its top reflecting the sunlight.

"Um."

"How much did you buy it for?"

"18 billion."

Mr. Li held the three-yuan roadside soy milk in his hand and took a sip.

They didn't say anything.

But the hand holding the cup trembled uncontrollably several times.

Xue Shanshan left on the afternoon of the tenth day of the lunar month. The company was about to end its holiday, and she needed to prepare materials in advance.

Li's mother held her hand tightly at the gate of the courtyard.

"Come again next time you have time. Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything; just have my son take care of it."

Xue Shanshan's eyes reddened, and she nodded vigorously.

"Thank you, Auntie."

January 14th. Hongqiao Railway Station.

People were coming and going on the platform.

Li's mother dragged the same snakeskin bag she had brought with her—it was much lighter when she left, as she had stuffed all the cured meat and dried sweet potatoes into the refrigerator.

"You know, try to stay up less late. Don't always pull all-nighters."

"Know."

"Remember to eat breakfast."

"Um."

"Treat those girls well, don't let them down—"

"Mom, the car is here."

Li's mother wiped her eyes and handed the woven bag to Li's father beside her.

Li's father picked up the bag and patted Li Yichen's shoulder with his other hand.

He didn't say much.

"Alright, we're leaving. Go about your business."

The train pulled into the station. The two elderly people boarded and sat down by the window.

The train starts moving.

Li Yichen stood on the platform watching the train disappear into the bend, exhaling a puff of white breath.

My phone vibrated in my pocket.

The watch also lit up.

Ling'er's voice came from under her sleeve.

"Brother, news has come from the lunar base."

He raised his wrist.

"explain."

"The first batch of rare earth mineral crystals has been refined and is expected to be loaded in eleven days, at which point the rocket can be scheduled to return."

The cold wind from the platform blew into my collar, making my coat billow in an arc.

Li Yichen put one hand in his pocket and walked towards the exit.

The holiday is almost over.

He looked up at the sunlight streaming through the dome of the waiting hall, and a small smile appeared on his lips.