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

Xiao Jingshan's voice was steady and powerful, with the penetrating quality unique to soldiers.

"This is not an open event; there will be no recording or archives. Everyone here is one of us."

He glanced around, his gaze finally settling on He Zhenchuan.

He Zhenchuan nodded and stood up.

The man, in his sixties, walked with a measured pace; his military boots made a soft sound on the auditorium floor, yet everyone's attention was drawn to him. He stopped in front of the long table, turned around, and his gaze fell on Li Yichen's face.

It's not scrutiny. It's the kind of certainty that comes with finally finding the person you've been looking for after seeing countless things.

"Li Yichen".

The two words came out of his mouth like a stamp.

"come over."

Li Yichen straightened his collar and stepped forward. He stood opposite the long table covered with red velvet, less than two meters away from He Zhenchuan.

He Zhenchuan didn't rush to touch the things on the table. He spoke first.

"Before I came here, I reviewed all your achievements over the past year." His voice wasn't loud, but every word was firm and resonant. "The Thor Battery brought a revolutionary upgrade to our equipment's energy solutions. The photonic current-carrying chip allowed Great Xia's information warfare capabilities to leapfrog a generation. The Heavenly Soldier Armor—"

He glanced at Liu Guoliang beside him.

"When Liu Guoliang reported to me, his exact words were, 'A small squad can wipe out an entire combined arms battalion.' I thought he was drunk at the time."

Liu Guoliang coughed and looked up at the ceiling.

"Later I watched the exercise video." He Zhenchuan looked away. "It wasn't that he was drunk, it was that I was narrow-minded."

A few people chuckled. But they quickly stopped laughing—because He Zhenchuan was still going on.

"Miniature hydrogen fuel cells have solved the energy bottleneck that has plagued the world for half a century. Terminator robots have turned unmanned warfare from a concept into reality. Energy shields—tactical missiles detonate like fireworks. Super pressure-resistant flight suits and micro pulse engines have directly elevated the combat capabilities of our air force to a new level."

He spoke slowly, pausing for half a second after each item. Not to create an effect—but because each item was enough to take a while to digest.

"Cold fusion".

When those three words were uttered, He Zhenchuan's tone changed.

"Something that could rewrite the landscape of human energy. You built it in eight days."

Li Yichen stood still, his expression calm. But his heart skipped a beat.

He Zhenchuan's gaze swept over Xiao Jingshan beside him. The old general had a ruddy complexion and stood ramrod straight, a completely different person from the one he looked like in the ICU a month ago.

"And there's the nanomedical pod." He Zhenchuan's voice dropped a half-octave. "You pulled a patient back from the brink of death in just twenty-eight days after seven academicians had given him a death sentence."

The auditorium was silent for two seconds.

Those two seconds weighed more heavily than all the words before them combined.

He Zhenchuan withdrew his gaze and looked directly at Li Yichen.

"Any one of these things would be enough to provide a person with a lifetime of honor. And you, at twenty-five, have accomplished it all."

He paused for a moment.

"The outside world doesn't know these things. But those above do. The country won't let its meritorious officials be disheartened."

Li Yichen's breathing became slightly shallower.

He Zhenchuan reached out and picked up the first item from the red velvet cloth.

A dark military-style gift box. The lid is open.

The deep olive green uniform fabric shimmered under the light, neatly folded, its texture sharp. And on the epaulets—

A golden star.

Li Yichen's pupils contracted slightly.

"After discussion at the meeting, it was unanimously decided—" He Zhenchuan's voice was as steady as a rock, "to grant you the rank of Major General as an exception."

The air freezes.

Li Yichen stared at that star for a full two seconds. His mind went blank for a moment.

Major to Major General.

There are four ranks in between: lieutenant colonel, colonel, senior colonel, and major general. You cross them in one step.

Twenty-five years old.

There has never been such a precedent since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty.

He opened his mouth and found his throat was a little dry.

Before He Zhenchuan could react, his hand had already reached for the second item: a dark red certificate with a gold-embossed cover.

"At the same time, you are hereby awarded the title of Honorary Academician for Life of the Chinese Academy of Sciences of Great Xia".

The certificate was handed over. The gold lettering on the cover flickered under the light.

The third item—He Zhenchuan picked up the medal from the velvet cloth. It was entirely gold, so bright that it was dazzling when sunlight hit it.

"Awarded the highest honor medal of the Great Xia Republic."

Three things were placed in front of him.

Military uniform. Certificate. Medal.

Li Yichen hesitated for a second when he reached out to take it. The instant his fingertips touched the edge of the military uniform box, he felt his heart skip a beat in his chest.

It's not nervousness.

It's a kind of heat that seeps out from between the bones.

"Commander He," he began, his voice a half-tone lower than usual. "Isn't this... giving too much? I only did what I could."

He Zhenchuan looked at him.

Laughed.

The smile of an elder looking at a successful junior is gentle yet carries an undeniable firmness.

"What you've done for this country—is worthwhile."

He raised his hand and pointed towards the side hall.

"Put them on."

Li Yichen carried the box containing the military uniform towards the side hall. When he pushed open the door and went inside, his palms were wet.

three minutes.

The door was pushed open again.

The crisp, dark olive-green general's uniform clung to his 1.83-meter frame. The gold star on his epaulettes gleamed brightly under the lights. His back was straight, his chin slightly tucked in; he looked as if he had been recast.

Twenty-five years old.

Major general.

The visual impact of these two items stacked together caused the dozen or so people present to fall silent for a moment.

Liu Guoliang was the first to react. He clapped his hands loudly, his mouth stretched to his ears, and his face was full of smile lines.

Xiao Jingshan stood in the front row, his eyes filled with satisfaction, and he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

Gu Shounian stood ramrod straight in the corner, his right hand raised to his eyebrow—a standard military salute.

He Zhenchuan stepped forward and took the gold badge from the medal box. His hand was steady as he pinned it to the designated spot on Li Yichen's left breast. The crisp click of the metal buckle clicking was particularly clear in the quiet auditorium.

Then he solemnly handed the academician certificate to him.

Li Yichen looked down at the medal on his chest.

weight.

It's not physical weight—it's a weight that's "acknowledged," pressing down from the chest into the heart.

Deep in his mind, Ling'er on his wrist remained silent. But he could sense it—this girl was definitely taking screenshots secretly.

After the ceremony, the atmosphere immediately relaxed.

Some people dispersed to pour tea, while others chatted quietly in small groups. Liu Guoliang and Cheng Zhiyuan were gesturing at each other, and the two old men almost got into an argument.

He Zhenchuan, holding a teacup, strolled over to Li Yichen's side and leaned his shoulder against him.

His voice lowered by half an octave, his tone became casual, and it carried the air of an elder trying to get close to him.

"Yichen."

"Commander He, please speak."

"I heard Lao Liu mention it—you've bought a lot of special materials from the military region these past few months. And quite a lot of them." He Zhenchuan turned to look at him, a curious glint in his eyes. "Are you tinkering with some new gadget again?"

Li Yichen didn't move his hand holding the teacup.

I smiled.

"They're definitely working on something big."

He Zhenchuan raised an eyebrow.

"The specifics will remain a secret for now," Li Yichen said, his tone relaxed yet earnest. "But please rest assured, Chief—I will absolutely not do anything to betray the country. In four months, I invite you all to see for yourselves. I guarantee you won't be disappointed."

He Zhenchuan held his teacup but didn't drink it, staring at his profile for two seconds.

"Even more powerful than cold fusion?"

Li Yichen turned his head and met the old general's gaze.

"It's much more powerful than cold fusion."

The moment those words were uttered, everyone around who was eavesdropping changed their breathing.

Xiao Jingshan cut in from the side, his face saying, "I won't let you go today unless you explain yourself clearly."

"Xiao Li, can't you give me a hint? Even just one word would be fine."

Li Yichen shook his head, his smile looking rather forced.

"It will be even better to see it with your own eyes then."

Xiao Jingshan snorted and turned to look at Liu Guoliang.

Liu Guoliang shrugged – “Don’t look at me, I don’t know either. I’ve asked him eight hundred times, but this kid’s mouth is as tight as if it’s welded shut.”

He Zhenchuan suddenly burst into laughter. He slapped Li Yichen on the shoulder with considerable force.

"Good lad! Stop playing coy with me! Fine—I'll wait and see."

His laughter subsided slightly, and his eyes suddenly sharpened for a moment.

"If you disappoint me in four months—I won't let you off the hook."

The force of that slap still lingered on Li Yichen's shoulder.

He turned around to face He Zhenchuan. His back was straight, and the gold star on his epaulettes reflected a tiny glint of light.

"We won't let Chief He down."