Ye Tian had come to a revelation: everyone believed they had life figured out, but in reality, they were utterly clueless about the future, blindly navigating through life with the baggage of past experiences.
He himself had been like this once—running a small computer business, aimless and complacent, thinking his fate was sealed. Now, looking back, it all seemed ridiculous.
Reborn five years into the past, Ye Tian vowed to seize destiny by the throat and rise as an unstoppable force in life’s boxing ring.
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“How many coins do they have? I can only afford a few... a dozen at most. I definitely can’t buy a lot, nor would it be any use,” Ye Tian said, feigning a pained and hesitant expression.
Thanks to his five-year edge in experience and knowledge of future trends, Ye Tian had a distinct advantage over his peers. Every move he made now was calculated and deliberate.
“Forget it, then. They have way too many. Just a few days ago, a guy with mining rigs said he was getting married and wanted to sell all his coins to cover the down payment for a house. He had over 3,000 coins,” said Yu Bing, a friend with connections in the mining community.
Ye Tian’s heart skipped a beat. In an instant, he calculated how much those 3,000 bitcoins would be worth when their price hit $20,000 each.
“Three thousand? No way, that’s far beyond my reach. I’ll ask around for smaller deals,” he replied, pretending to dismiss the opportunity.
“Come on, Ye Tian. Help a friend out. If you broker the deal, we can split the margin. Just mark up the price by a couple of bucks per coin—we both make some easy cash,” Yu Bing proposed slyly, revealing his knack for skimming profits.
Ye Tian remained cautious. At that time, bitcoin was trading at around $240 each, and even Yu Bing’s offer of 100 coins was a stretch for him.
“Ye Tian, if you can handle the 3,000-coin deal, I’ll call the guy right now,” Yu Bing urged, eager to push things forward.
Ye Tian hesitated, calculating in his mind. He knew that by November 2015, bitcoin would spike briefly to $490. If he could gather enough funds to acquire a significant stash, his first fortune would be secured. But where could he find the money?
“I’ll check my options and get back to you,” Ye Tian said, leaving the door open.
“Don’t take too long. This is a golden opportunity!” Yu Bing called after him.
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Alone at his computer shop, Ye Tian stared at bitcoin price charts, lost in thought. The market’s cycles were slow but predictable. Back in his original timeline, he had studied them extensively but never had the chance—or the funds—to capitalize. With his current resources, he could barely scrape together enough to buy ten coins, let alone thousands.
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His father, Ye Dayong, had around a million yuan in savings, much of it tied up in the stock market. If he could convince his father to cash out and invest in bitcoin, he could make a killing by November.
Picking up the phone, Ye Tian called his father, who was supposed to be working his taxi route but was clearly at the stock exchange again, judging by the background noise.
“Dad, I want to expand my shop. Could you lend me some money?”
“You just opened! Why expand so soon? One booth is enough for your business. Expanding recklessly will only lead to losses. Besides, I’m waiting for the stock market to rebound so I can reinvest everything,” his father replied bluntly.
“Dad, I’ve told you already—there’s no hope for the stock market in the next six months. We’re in a bear market, and it’s a slow one. Trying to make money now is like licking honey off a knife’s edge—it’s too risky!”
“What do you know, kid? I’ve been trading stocks for years. The money I have now? I earned it all from trading!”
Ye Tian sighed in frustration. His father didn’t understand the market was no longer favorable. Like a saying from entrepreneur Lei Jun: When the wind blows, even pigs can fly. But when the wind dies, they fall hard.
With no chance of convincing his father, Ye Tian brainstormed alternative sources of funding. His friend Guo Jun was one possibility, but Guo Jun wasn’t exactly wealthy. Even asking his crush, Xia Meng, wouldn’t yield more than a few thousand yuan.
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That evening, walking back to his apartment, Ye Tian noticed the lottery shop near the entrance to his complex. On a whim, he stepped inside.
It was every time-traveler’s fantasy to buy a winning lottery ticket after being reborn. But as he stared at the wall of past winning numbers, his mind drew a blank. He couldn’t remember a single sequence.
“Damn it! All those stories about rebirth are lies. Who memorizes lottery numbers before they die?”
Frustrated, he scribbled a random combination for the Double Color Ball and handed it over.
As he was about to leave, his father walked by and shouted, “Ye Tian! Stop wasting money on that scam!”
The entire shop turned to glare at Ye Dayong, their expressions a mix of annoyance and contempt. Ye Tian quickly pulled his father outside.
“Dad, you skipped work again, didn’t you? Mom’s going to chew you out. And I keep telling you, the stock market is dead right now. Look at the trends—it’s a weak bear market. There’s no way it’s hitting 10,000 points.”
“Then why did you tell Wang Qiang it would? You sounded so certain!” his father shot back.
Ye Tian smirked but didn’t reply. His little scheme to bait Wang Qiang wasn’t something he could explain to his father—it wasn’t exactly honorable.
At the mention of Wang Qiang, an idea sparked in Ye Tian’s mind. Maybe there was a way to raise the money. The plan was forming, but it wasn’t fully clear yet.
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“Ye Tian,” his father began, “Wang Qiang called me today. He asked if you could return the property deeds and car title. Why not give them back? You don’t even drive!”
Ye Tian chuckled. “Dad, do you remember when he pressured you for 400,000 yuan? You handed it over without a second thought. If he were really this easy to deal with, we wouldn’t have lost so much back then. Those deeds and the car title? They’re worth 1.2 million yuan, not just the 800,000 he offered. Think about it.”
“But he’s been our neighbor for years. Do we really have to push him to the edge?”
“Push him?” Ye Tian sneered. “Dad, it’s about time he learned what it feels like to lose.”