After spending some time playing games with his daughter, Ye Cheng took a moment to check on the status of Bitcoin.
The price had risen back to over $3,100.
The loss was now less than $20,000.
In the ensuing hours, Ye Cheng dedicated his time to his daughter, engaging in activities like drawing, reading, and watching cartoons... until, at 6:10, the doorbell rang.
Shortly after, Lin Yuanyuan, dressed in professional women's attire, entered the room.
There was still a hint of fatigue on her beautiful face.
"Mom..." Qinqin rushed over immediately.
Ye Cheng looked at his wife, who was several years younger, and felt deeply sympathetic.
Lin Yuanyuan had changed a lot from the Lin Yuanyuan he knew four years later.
She appears much younger now.
It must be said that his wife's skin looked much rougher after four years due to neglect.
Ye Cheng walked over and embraced Lin Yuanyuan, studying her with a perplexed expression.
"What's troubling you today?"
Lin Yuanyuan enjoyed her husband's embrace, though it was unusual for Ye Cheng to behave this way.
Hence, she found it peculiar.
"I miss you; is that not allowed?"
Ye Cheng smiled.
Lin Yuanyuan rolled her eyes, but the subtle curve of her lips betrayed her inner happiness.
After cooling off and taking a break from the heat, Lin Yuanyuan headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Ye Cheng had already prepared the ingredients and started cooking.
In ten minutes, Lin Yuanyuan had prepared three dishes. The family of three sat down at the table and began their meal.
Ye Cheng decided not to bring up the topic of money for the time being.
I'm still at a loss for now.
It's not the right time.
What if Lin Yuanyuan asks about transferring the money?
Despite Lin Yuanyuan's gentle nature, Ye Cheng knew he couldn't resist if she became upset.
He couldn't bear to see Lin Yuanyuan angry.
"Husband, I inquired around. There's a new building in Dongxing launching at the end of the month. The average price is around $16,000. The location is decent, not too far from where we both work."
After dinner, Lin Yuanyuan, holding Qinqin, addressed Ye Cheng.
In recent months, she has started preparing to purchase a house.
"Isn't that area too far?"
Ye Cheng remarked.
Now that he's been reborn and confident in his ability to earn a substantial amount through Bitcoin, buying a house there is out of the question.
Though the price is affordable, it's still somewhat remote.
"Despite being a bit remote, our savings are just enough to afford it."
Lin Yuanyuan continued, "Moreover, I sense that housing prices in Pengcheng will rise again soon. If we delay any further, our savings might not cover the down payment."
Previously, they hadn't considered purchasing a house due to hesitations, but in just two years, housing prices in Pengcheng had soared. Had they saved the money two years earlier and borrowed a bit more, it would've been sufficient for the down payment.
But now, two years later, their savings barely covered the down payment, and the value of the house had appreciated significantly.
Thus, Lin Yuanyuan felt they couldn't wait any longer.
Ye Cheng admired his wife's foresight.
In his previous life, Lin Yuanyuan was determined to buy a house. By the time he was reborn, the value of the house had tripled.
"Alright, it's up to you."
Ye Cheng smiled and nodded.
I definitely need to buy a house, but it definitely won't be a small 90-square-meter one.
The next morning, Ye Cheng eagerly checked the Huobi platform after a quick visit to the bathroom.
A smile lit up his face upon seeing the price had surged to over $3,500.
He had made more than $20,000 in profit.
Finally, he was in the green.
Ye Cheng felt immensely satisfied.
Unfortunately, he still couldn't share this with his wife.
How long can I keep this hidden?
Today being Saturday, neither of them had work, and Qinqin didn't have school.
Initially, Ye Cheng wanted to take Qinqin to the Window of the World amusement park, but Lin Yuanyuan suggested they visit the smaller amusement park near the supermarket instead.
Ye Cheng knew his wife was concerned about money. After all, the rides there weren't cheap.
He silently vowed to himself that he'd never let his wife worry about money like this again.
These days wouldn't last long.
When the time comes, he'll make up for everything his daughter missed out on.
Though it was just a small playground, Qinqin still had a blast.
For the next two days, Ye Cheng made every effort to spend quality time with his daughter, while Lin Yuanyuan had to work overtime at home due to tight project deadlines.
Until Monday, September 18th.
The price of Bitcoin hadn't risen much, but Ye Cheng still made over $20,000 in profit.
Unaware of the specific increase during that time, he could only lie down and wait.
After dropping off his daughter at kindergarten, Ye Cheng took the subway to the office.
He worked for a civil engineering design firm, a relatively small company with only forty or fifty employees.
In the past, Ye Cheng would have dedicated himself fully to his work.
But now he knew this job had limited prospects. If it weren't for his lack of earnings so far, he might have resigned outright.
"Brother Ye, here's the information I've compiled over the past few days. Could you review it for any issues?"
Sun Weiting approached, holding a stack of documents.
Ye Cheng now held the position of team leader, with two people under his supervision, Sun Weiting being one of them.
The other was Yang Miaocai.
In his previous life, Ye Cheng was inspired by Yang Miaocai and ventured into Bitcoin speculation.
It wasn't a ploy, per se. Yang Miao had made a fortune with Bitcoin and eventually quit his job.
Upon learning about this, Ye Cheng couldn't resist following suit.
In the end, it was a complete failure.
And Yang Miaocai didn't fare much better.
Ye Cheng skimmed through the documents, nodding in approval. "There's no major issue; just make this adjustment here."
"Okay."
Sun Weiting nodded and returned to her workstation with the documents.
After working until noon, Ye Cheng grabbed lunch from the cafeteria and found an empty table. Sun Weiting and Yang Miao joined him.
"Wow, Bitcoin's price has surged again. It's so frustrating."
Yang Miaocai, engrossed in his phone, voiced his frustration while eating.
"Yang Miaocai, are you still investing in Bitcoin?"
Sun Weiting chuckled.
"I've always been investing, but the volatility is too nerve-wracking. Besides, I suffered heavy losses in the first half of the year, so I sold everything. Now, in just two months, the value has almost doubled. But with it being this high, I'm too scared to jump back in."
Yang Miaocai grimaced.
"Xiao Yang, are you seriously considering investing in it?"
Sun Weiting inquired curiously.
"It's better to stay away. You'll regret it if you lose your money."
Yang Miaocai shook his head.
"Xiao Yang is right. It's best to steer clear of Bitcoin. If you do invest, be prepared to lose it all," Ye Cheng chimed in.
"Brother Ye, have you done any research on Bitcoin?" Yang Miaocai asked, intrigued.
He hadn't seen anyone else in the company discuss Bitcoin.
"Well, I have some knowledge about it," Ye Cheng admitted with a smile.
"Really, Brother Ye, do you think Bitcoin will continue to rise in the future?" Yang Miaocai asked, his curiosity piqued.
"There's a good chance it might, but it depends on your ability to hold onto it. After all, the price is quite high now."
Ye Cheng smiled.
He couldn't be too precise.
Given Yang Miaocai's disposition, even if he made money this time, he'd likely lose it again in the future.
Even Ye Cheng himself would only engage in two cycles of bitcoin investment.
The one in 2017 and the one in 2021.
Otherwise, he wouldn't touch it.
Just those two instances were enough for him to achieve financial freedom.
...