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

Li Yichen was sitting at his desk.

The notebook was open, its pages filled with topological diagrams that only he could understand. He was halfway through writing the quantum tunneling compensation algorithm, the pen tip still resting on the paper.

There was a knock on the door.

It wasn't the kind of knocking sound an adult makes with their knuckles.

It was the dull thud of a chubby little hand slapping against the mahogany door.

"Brother Li." Miao Miao's tender voice pierced through the door, "My sister asked me to come up and call you for dinner."

Li Yichen put down his pen, got up, walked to the door, and opened it.

Bow down.

Miao Miao stood outside the door, her head tilted back. Her two pigtails were a little crooked, and the elastic band on the left one had come loose, dangling down a bit. She was wearing a pink loungewear set with little bunnies printed on it, and she was barefoot on the carpet.

"Why aren't you wearing slippers again?"

Li Yichen bent down and scooped Miaomiao up with one hand. The little girl was as light as a ball of cotton, and she skillfully wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I forgot." Miao Miao buried her face in Li Yichen's shoulder and giggled.

Li Yichen used his other hand to close the door. He then carried Miaomiao downstairs.

The solid wood steps of the spiral staircase echoed dully underfoot.

In the first-floor restaurant, seven or eight dishes were already laid out on the long solid wood dining table. Zhou Dahai was serving Huaiyang cuisine today—braised crab meat lion's head meatballs, crystal braised pork, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, and Wensi tofu soup. Each dish was presented with the exquisite elegance of a state banquet.

Li Niannian stood by the dining table, holding a purple clay teapot and pouring freshly brewed Longjing tea into a cup. She looked up and saw Li Yichen carrying Miaomiao downstairs, so she quickly put down the teapot and went over to him.

"Miaomiao, you let Brother Li hug you again!"

Li Niannian reached out to take her younger sister from her.

Miao Miao hugged Li Yichen's neck even tighter. Her little head shook like a rattle drum.

"No! I only like being held by Brother Li!"

"You silly child—"

"It's alright." Li Yichen pulled out a dining chair and sat down, placing Miaomiao on the chair next to him. "Let her sit next to me."

Li Niannian pursed her lips and returned to her seat.

Ji Yanran came down from the study on the third floor. She had changed into a light gray loungewear set, her hair loose and draped over her shoulders, and she was wearing a pair of cotton and linen slippers. She had completely shed the cold, hard shell of a CEO.

She pulled out the chair opposite Li Yichen and sat down. She picked up her chopsticks and glanced at the dishes on the table.

"Uncle Zhou really went all out today."

Zhou Dahai stood at the kitchen doorway, wiping his hands on his apron.

"The boss has been eating boxed lunches at the factory every day lately, and he's lost weight. He needs to eat some more."

Li Yichen picked up a piece of squirrel-shaped mandarin fish and put it in his mouth. The fish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the sweet and sour sauce was perfectly balanced. Zhou Dahai's cooking skills were indeed impeccable.

He used his chopsticks to pick up a chicken leg and placed it in Miaomiao's small bowl.

The chicken leg was too big, taking up the entire small bowl.

"Have you been happy at kindergarten lately?" Li Yichen put down his chopsticks. "Has anyone bullied you?"

Miao Miao held the chicken leg in both hands and took a big bite. Oil dripped down her chin.

"School is so much fun!"

She chewed the chicken mumbled through her mouth. She finally managed to swallow it. It was as if a switch had been flipped.

"Brother Li, let me tell you, I've made so many friends at school! The boy sitting to my left has a mushroom haircut and his name is Wang Haoran. His family owns a cake shop! He brings me cookies every day. And the girl sitting behind me is Zhao Yumeng. Her mom is a nurse, and she said her mom isn't afraid at all when she gives injections to patients—"

Miao Miao chattered away, forgetting to even bite into her chicken leg. She gestured with her hands in the air.

She talked about how her art teacher praised her sun drawing as the most beautiful. She talked about how she won third place in the jump rope competition during PE class. She talked about how the little boy next to her wet his pants during nap time, and the whole class burst into laughter.

Her voice was the only one left in the entire restaurant.

Li Niannian whispered to Miaomiao, "Miaomiao, talk less while eating."

Miao Miao couldn't hear anything at all.

Li Yichen leaned back in his chair, watching Miao Miao's animated expression. Her pigtails swayed rhythmically with the movement of her head.

After finishing the meal.

Zhou Dahai began clearing away the dishes.

Li Niannian went to the kitchen to cut fruit.

Miaomiao slid off the chair, hugged the plush bear, and ran into the living room to watch cartoons.

Ji Yanran picked up a napkin and wiped her fingers. She leaned back in her chair and looked at Li Yichen across from her.

"Boss—"

He had only uttered two words.

Li Yichen waved his hand.

"Yanran," he said, picking up his teacup and taking a sip, "I've told you so many times, don't call me boss. It's too formal. Just call me Brother Li."

Ji Yanran was stunned for a moment.

He then pursed his lips.

"Brother Li?"

She tossed the napkin onto the table.

"I won't call you that. I'm two years older than you, okay? Let me tell you, don't even think about taking advantage of me, not a chance."

Ji Yanran crossed her arms over her chest. Her chin was slightly raised.

"I'm telling you, my name is Boss. Boss, Boss, Boss."

Li Yichen held his teacup, looking at Ji Yanran's serious expression. A slight twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth, but he said nothing more.

Ji Yanran lowered her arm. Suddenly remembering something, she leaned forward slightly.

"Oh, right, there's something important."

Her tone shifted from her previous coquettishness back to work mode.

"As for Liu's Pharmaceutical Group, their special drug has completed all the procedures. They said they're going to hold a press conference the day after tomorrow."

Ji Yanran picked up her phone and scrolled through her WeChat chat history.

"Liu Xue sent me a message this afternoon. She asked me to tell you that you must attend the press conference at nine o'clock the day after tomorrow."

Li Yichen nodded.

Liu's Pharmaceuticals was the first project he invested in. He poured 1.5 billion yuan into it, and Liu Xue, that woman, didn't disappoint him. All the approval processes were completed in such a short time. This efficiency is considered rocket speed in the domestic pharmaceutical industry.

"understood."

After Ji Yanran finished speaking, Li Yichen took out his phone, opened WeChat, and sent the location address that Wang Lei had sent him to Ji Yanran's phone.

"Jinqiao Export Processing Zone. Jingzhun Precision."

Ji Yanran glanced down at the screen.

"Try to contact this company as soon as possible," Li Yichen said, placing his phone on the table. "If possible, help me buy it."

Ji Yanran zoomed in on the address. Her brows furrowed slightly.

"Jingzhun Precision? The one that makes optical lenses?"

"Um."

"Why would I buy it?"

"it works."

Two words. No explanation.

Ji Yanran looked at Li Yichen. She could never fathom this man's thought process. The last time he asked her to buy Hongyuan New Energy, he just casually tossed over a name like that. Along with it, over eight billion yuan.

This happened again.

But she has learned not to ask why.

No matter how outrageous the words of this hands-off manager are, they will eventually be proven to be true.

"Okay." Ji Yanran saved the address to her notes. "I'll invite the other party's boss out for lunch tomorrow."

Li Yichen nodded. The topic shifted from crystal precision to another matter.

"That piece of land."

He picked up the teacup and gently stroked the surface of the purple clay cup with his fingertips.

"Now that the land transfer contract for 1,000 mu has been signed, the next step is to find a construction company. Find me the top one in the country. Don't send me any companies that don't meet the qualifications."

Ji Yanran immediately accessed the engineering resources in her mind.

"The top three companies in China for building mega-factories are undoubtedly China Construction Eighth Engineering Bureau, Shanghai Construction Group, and China Metallurgical Group. They've all done large-scale industrial plant projects in Pudong and are very familiar with the geological conditions and municipal infrastructure in this area."

"Find a place as soon as possible," Li Yichen interrupted her. "My requirements are very simple."

He held up one finger.

"Ten months."

"Starting from the driving of the first pile, the battery mega-factory must be built within ten months. Equipment must be installed, production lines must be debugged, and mass production must begin."

Ji Yanran's teacup froze in mid-air.

"Ten months?"

She placed the teacup on the table. The bottom of the cup collided with the solid wood tabletop, making a crisp sound.

"Do you know what a 1,000-acre super factory means? The normal construction period would take at least six months just for the underground pile foundation and main steel structure. Not to mention the subsequent cleanroom renovations, equipment installation, and production line commissioning—"

Money is not a problem.

The name Li Yichen silenced Ji Yanran.

"As long as it can be completed within the timeframe I specify, I'll pay whatever it takes."

He leaned back in his chair. His gaze drifted through the floor-to-ceiling windows to the camphor trees swaying in the evening breeze in the villa's courtyard.

"If the normal construction time is eight hours, then have the construction team work in three shifts, 24 hours a day without stopping. If the normal construction period is two years, then have the construction team double the manpower, double the tower cranes, and double the construction machinery. Go to Secretary Song's side for all the approval procedures and go through the green channel. Don't go through the bidding process for material procurement; directly lock in the highest-specification suppliers."

Li Yichen turned his gaze back to Ji Yanran.

"What I need is speed."

"Time is money."

"Once this battery is announced, new energy vehicle companies across the country will scramble to place orders. The sooner our production capacity reaches its peak, the sooner we can establish a monopoly in the market. A delay of even one month could mean losing hundreds of billions of yuan in market share."

"so--"

He tapped the table twice with his knuckles.

"Ten months. Not a single day can be late."

Ji Yanran took a deep breath.

Three shifts. Double the manpower and machinery. Green channel. Cash on delivery.

A project that normally takes more than two years can theoretically be compressed into ten months. However, the cost would be at least double the construction cost.

even more.

That madman.

In order to save time, they are willing to invest billions more in the project.

"Okay." Ji Yanran picked up her phone, opened the memo app, and quickly wrote down, "I've arranged for the project manager from China Construction Eighth Engineering Bureau to come to the company the day after tomorrow morning. They just finished the second phase expansion of Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory, so they have the most experience with projects of this scale."