No Need to Work Hard for Half a Lifetime

The sound of cicadas pierced through the old aluminum windows, raging in this sweltering afternoon.

It was summer vacation once again.

Chen Zhi sat cross-legged on an office chair. Its gas lift cylinder had broken long ago, so sitting on it meant slowly sinking under his own weight. Every ten minutes, he had to jump up and pull the seat back up.

He stared at the monitor in front of him.

The fluorescent glow of the screen flickered in the dim room, illuminating his youthful face.

For this custom-built PC, he had bet his entire net worth on the Azzurri during that crazy summer of 2006.

Five thousand two hundred yuan of lucky money.

That summer, Zidane's shocking headbutt sent the French team packing, and simultaneously sent Chen Zhi's bank account into the clouds.

Forty-one thousand six hundred.

The purchasing power of this massive sum was terrifying in this era.

Although Ms. Zhang Guifang had forcibly confiscated a safekeeping fee of twenty thousand yuan under the excuses of holding onto it so you don't waste it and saving it for your future wife, Chen Zhi still managed to intercept over ten thousand yuan of a secret stash by throwing tantrums, rolling on the floor, and going on a hunger strike. With it, he bought the luxuriously specced computer right in front of him.

At this moment, lines of dull code and an all-English forum interface were running on the screen.

Bitcoin.

This virtual currency, which would later make countless people beat their chests in regret and line up on rooftops, was currently like an unwanted wild child, with only a tiny handful of geeks amusing themselves with it on forums.

Buying in at this time is practically daylight robbery.

Chen Zhi's fingers typed rapidly across the yellowing keyboard.

Right now, the price of a single Bitcoin was outrageously low.

If he exchanged all the ten thousand yuan he had on hand for this stuff, he could hoard about seventeen thousand coins.

Seventeen thousand.

Chen Zhi picked up the cup printed with a Pleasant Goat pattern next to him and took a big gulp of cold boiled water, trying to suppress the fiery excitement in his chest.

By 2014, even if he only sold a portion of these coins, it would be enough to guarantee him a life free of financial worries for decades.

And then...

His gaze deepened, looking ahead to that glorious night belonging to the German war machine four years later.

The World Cup in Brazil.

The semi-finals.

Germany's 7-1 bloodbath against Brazil.

It was a scoreline enough to drive any gambler crazy, and also one of the most exaggerated odds in betting history.

The odds for this match were as high as 500 or even 700 to 1.

As long as he went all-in on that match, he could completely lie flat for the rest of his life, becoming a second-generation rich kid who just idled away his time... wait, a first-generation rich guy.

Chen Jun's loud voice could faintly be heard from the living room.

There's definitely no problem with the goods this time! Lao Zhang, don't worry, when has Chen Jun ever dropped the ball? Once this deal is done, we can change to a new car by the end of the year!

His voice was bold, full of confidence, and revealed a hint of blind optimism.

Chen Zhi's fingers gripping the mouse stiffened for a moment.

He was too familiar with this tone.

In his previous life, his father was also like this, always trusting his friends, always feeling that tomorrow would be better.

Until that sudden disaster struck, the business partner absconded with the funds, the factory went bankrupt, and debts crashed down like an avalanche.

That high-spirited man had half his hair turn white in just a few short months.

To pay off the debts, Chen Jun started doing odd jobs everywhere in his thirties—moving goods, acting as a designated driver, and even doing manual labor on construction sites.

That bent spine and those suppressed coughs late at night burned onto Chen Zhi's heart like a branding iron.

In this life, you two elders should just enjoy a peaceful and happy retirement.

Chen Zhi sighed and firmly clicked the left mouse button, confirming a transaction request on the forum.

As long as he held these coins in his hands, even if the sky fell, he could hold it up for this family.

He would never again let that man force a smile at drinking tables for a few hundred bucks, nor would he let Zhang Guifang argue with people at the wet market just to save a few bucks on groceries.

Just as he was thinking.

Bang, bang, bang.

The knocking was very rhythmic.

Chen Zhi didn't even bat an eyelid. He quickly closed those complicated English interfaces and skillfully switched back to that green icon on the desktop.

Other than Lin Wanwan, no one would knock on his door like this.

If it were Zhang Guifang, she would always push the door straight open, casually nagging, Why is the door closed in broad daylight, are you doing something bad?

If it were Chen Jun, he would definitely be shouting, Son, come out and help Dad see why this phone isn't ringing again.

Come in.

Chen Zhi called out lazily.

The doorknob turned.

A little girl wearing a floral dress slipped in.

Lin Wanwan held half of a melting old-fashioned popsicle in one hand, while fanning herself with the other. A few loose strands of hair stuck to her sweaty forehead.

Zhizhi, it's so hot outside!

She didn't act like an outsider at all, familiarly dragging over a small stool nearby and plopping herself down right next to Chen Zhi. The summer heat radiating off her immediately rushed at his face.

If it's hot, why aren't you at home enjoying the AC? Why did you run over here?

Chen Zhi scooted to the side with a look of disgust, afraid that the dripping popsicle water would fall onto him.

My mom is watching some Korean drama, crying her eyes out, and she wants to drag me to watch it with her. It's so annoying.

Lin Wanwan crunched the rest of her popsicle in a few bites, her cheeks bulging as she mumbled indistinctly, Hurry up, hurry up, move aside, I want to play that.

Chen Zhi rolled his eyes.

Ever since he bought this computer, Lin Wanwan, this little busybody, had completely fallen for it.

At first, she used to constantly nag Chen Zhi about playing with things and losing his ambitions.

To shut her up, Chen Zhi casually opened the 4399 mini-game website and demonstrated Fireboy and Watergirl to her once.

From then on, the well-behaved and sensible Lin Wanwan was gone.

Replaced by an internet-addicted teenage girl who would scream and shout whenever her game character fell into the lava.

We're not playing Fireboy and Watergirl today.

Although Chen Zhi sounded reluctant, his body honestly gave up half of the chair's space.

I want to play the burger-making one!

Lin Wanwan kicked the small stool away and forcibly squeezed onto the chair, acting like a bossy little queen.

It was Papa's Burgeria.

A simulation and management game that severely tested one's hand speed and memory.

This was currently Lin Wanwan's favorite game.

Alright, alright, you play.

Chen Zhi helplessly helped her open the webpage, watching the familiar Flash loading bar crawl slowly.

With the internet speeds of this era, loading a game could make someone wait until the end of time.

Zhizhi, I want water.

Lin Wanwan stared at the screen, issuing orders without even turning her head.

Am I your nanny?

Chen Zhi stood up grumbling, picked up the Pleasant Goat cup, and went to the living room to pour her water.

By the time he returned with the water, Lin Wanwan was already fully in the zone.

Her small face was tense, her expression as serious as if she were defusing a time bomb.

The mouse clicked and clattered rapidly in her hand.

This customer wants pickles! I can't forget!

Just a little bit of mustard... oops, I squeezed too much!

Why isn't this meat patty cooked yet? I'm dying of anxiety!

Chen Zhi leaned against the desk, watching her fully concentrated profile.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled through the window onto her face, gilding the fine peach fuzz on her skin with a golden edge.

Who could have imagined that this little girl, currently stomping her feet in frustration over a virtual hamburger, would one day be the dazzling superstar outshining everyone on the red carpet?

"Ugh! I'm so mad!"

Lin Wanwan suddenly slammed the mouse down and slumped completely into her chair.

On the screen, a customer who had left in anger due to waiting too long had given a score of zero.

"I'm not playing anymore! This customer is too picky!"

Puffing her cheeks in anger, Lin Wanwan turned her head. Seeing Chen Zhi's amused expression as if he were enjoying a good show only made her angrier.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"No, I haven't. I've had professional training; no matter how funny it is, I won't laugh," Chen Zhi spouted nonsense with a straight face.

"You definitely laughed!"

Lin Wanwan snorted and grabbed the mouse again.

"I'm going to play that one! I need to vent!"

Chen Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no.

He watched as Lin Wanwan skillfully closed the burger shop game and typed four words into the search bar: Poop Superman.

It was an extremely crude stress-relief game.

Players could customize the name of a voodoo doll in the game, and then control the superhero to attack the doll in various indescribable ways.

Lin Wanwan pulled over the keyboard, her fingers flying across the keys.

Above the doll's head on the screen, two striking bold words instantly appeared: Chen Zhi.

Chen Zhi: "..."

"Wait, it's just a game, don't take it seriously..." Chen Zhi tried to save his virtual avatar.

Lin Wanwan ignored him completely and cranked the speaker volume knob to the maximum.

"Hehehe."

She let out a string of villainous laughter, then unhesitatingly clicked on the skill bar.

The superhero on the screen stuck out his butt, aiming right at the doll labeled with the name "Chen Zhi."

"Pfft—"

A massive fart sound echoed through the room, making Chen Zhi's head buzz.

What followed was a combo of attacks.

Throwing poop, spitting, and finally a crushing body press.

The doll named "Chen Zhi" was ravaged beyond recognition on the screen, screaming continuously.

While clicking the mouse frantically, Lin Wanwan muttered under her breath:

"That's for not buying me a popsicle!"

"That's for laughing at me!"

"That's for copying my homework last time!"

Chen Zhi covered his face, unable to bear watching.

This is the future national goddess?

"Feel better?"

Chen Zhi asked cautiously only after the doll on the screen had completely collapsed and stopped moving.

Lin Wanwan let out a long breath, as if she had just won a victorious battle.

She turned her head and looked at Chen Zhi, revealing a sweet, harmless smile. Her two little canine teeth sparkled in the sunset.

"Much better."

She picked up her Pleasant Goat water bottle from the desk, took a big gulp, and then slammed the cup back down on the table.

"Zhizhi, let's play the two-player mode of Gold Miner! I want to grab the biggest diamond."

Seeing her taking it all for granted, Chen Zhi sighed helplessly and resignedly reached his hand toward the arrow keys on the keyboard.

This was probably what they called...

Everything has its vanquisher.

Right at that moment, the QQ avatar in the bottom right corner of the computer screen suddenly started flashing wildly. Accompanied by a rapid beep-beep-beep-beep notification sound, it broke the bizarre harmony.

Chen Zhi glanced at the avatar.

It was a penguin. It belonged to a miner he had just added on a forum, who claimed to have a large amount of Bitcoin and was eager to sell.

His screen name was—"Future Richest Man".

Chen Zhi's pupils shrank suddenly.

Because the first sentence the other party sent was:

[Bro, I have twenty thousand coins. I only want five thousand bucks, cash on delivery. Do you dare to take them?]

Lin Wanwan noticed Chen Zhi's body suddenly tense up. She curiously leaned her head over: "Zhizhi, who is this? What kind of coins is he selling? Q-coins?"

Chen Zhi grabbed Lin Wanwan's hand as she reached for the mouse, his breathing instantly becoming heavy.

Five thousand bucks.

Twenty thousand coins.

This wasn't a pie falling from the sky.

This was a solid gold brick dropping directly from the heavens, enough to crush a person to death!

Chen Zhi stared dead at the line of text on the screen. His heart pounded violently in his chest, as if it would leap out in the next second.

He turned his head and looked at the ignorant Lin Wanwan, his voice a bit dry:

"Wanwan, don't speak for a moment."

"I'm going to... pull off something massive."

Lin Wanwan was stunned by his serious and somewhat frightening expression. Her hand holding the mouse froze in mid-air, not daring to move an inch.

The light from the screen reflected in Chen Zhi's eyes, where two spectral flames seemed to be burning.

That was the greed of a speculator, and also the ambition of a reincarnator.