Chapter 5: Two Hundred Million
Xu Youyou flipped through the magazine, but it was filled with so many technical terms that she barely understood a thing.
It wasn't until she got off the bus that she noticed two lines of characters hidden in an almost imperceptible spot within the pages.
The characters were written vertically.
Both lines consisted of numbers and letters. The first line was short, but the second stretched from the top of the page all the way down to the bottom before finally ending.
Other than this, the magazine seemed ordinary—just typical reading material for a programmer.
Xu Youyou couldn't make sense of those lines at all. As she stepped off the bus, Xu Fang said, "Boss, let me help you carry these magazines into the elevator."
Xu Fang rarely saw Xu Youyou so generous. Wanting to make a good impression, she took the initiative, hoping Xu Youyou would remember her kindness and think of her in the future.
After helping move the magazines into the elevator, Xu Fang left immediately, showing no intention of following Xu Youyou upstairs.
Once home, Xu Youyou repeatedly studied the two lines of characters but couldn't understand their meaning. She even searched online but found no useful information.
Look closely at what's written on that page, the system suddenly reminded her.
The article was titled "The Logic Behind Bitcoin Appreciation."
Xu Youyou's eyes suddenly lit up. Bitcoin! That might be the clue she needed. With this direction, searching would become easier.
Quickly, she learned that the short line was the public key, while the long one was the private key.
She scratched her head, eager to check her Bitcoin balance—but there was one problem: she didn't have a computer.
Host, your life after winning the prize is too frugal, the system complained.
Xu Youyou smiled awkwardly, then promptly ordered a high-end laptop from Jinda.
Within an hour, the brand-new laptop arrived at her door.
She rubbed her hands together excitedly. Following an online tutorial, she logged onto the Bitcoin website and entered the public key. Her breath caught.
601 Bitcoins!
She recalled seeing today's Bitcoin price—$60,000 per coin.
Doing the math, she realized the current exchange rate between US dollars and her local currency was about 7:1. That meant one Bitcoin was worth 420,000 in her currency, making her total approximately 250 million yuan!
Xu Youyou stared at the long string of zeros on her phone's calculator. Her heart raced so fast she thought she might pass out.
Although prices may rise in the future, it is recommended you act as soon as possible, the system advised.
Everything Xu Youyou had now came from the system, so naturally, she didn't hesitate. But as a large amount of Bitcoin flooded the market, it triggered immediate fluctuations.
She didn't go out for the rest of the day. Only when she confirmed she'd earned more than 200 million yuan did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Coincidentally, just two days later, her phone pushed a news alert:
"The state issues new regulations strictly limiting cross-border money transfers. Abnormal card activity may result in bank freezes."
Xu Youyou was instantly alarmed. If she waited any longer to move her money, she might get into serious trouble.
Congratulations, Host. Task 'Picking up the Bargain' complete. Reward: Whitening Pill x10. Please follow instructions strictly.
Xu Youyou glanced in her phone's reflection. Her skin looked a little sallow from staying up late the past few nights.
She'd always envied Gu Xueying's flawless pale skin. She remembered how, in her past life, Gu Xueying's custom face creams cost hundreds of thousands of yuan. Her icy-white complexion was a product of wealth.
Xu Youyou had grown up in an orphanage, weathering many hardships. Her skin was naturally rough. At the Gu family banquet, she was mistaken for a nanny by wealthy guests and mocked behind her back. Mrs. Gu only pitied Xu Youyou and never treated her daughter the same way as her fake daughter.
After taking one whitening pill, Xu Youyou woke up and looked in the mirror—her skin was now as white as snow, glowing all over.
The system's whitening pill worked instantly. Not only had her face brightened, but the skin on her entire body had transformed.
As the saying goes, "One white covers three uglinesses." Now, even wearing old clothes or a sack, Xu Youyou looked fashionable.
Host, you should reward yourself as well.
There hadn't been any new tasks lately. Xu Youyou hadn't gone outside and had been ordering all her meals from the private club in her community. Now that her money was safely in her account, she glanced at her empty wardrobe and worn-out phone, then excitedly grabbed her old canvas bag and headed out.
Near her community was the IFC shopping mall. Xu Youyou didn't call a taxi but walked there on a leash—referring to her dog. Before leaving, she even put a muzzle on him.
I'm reluctant to hide you, she said softly.
Patting his head, she added, "Alright, if you won't wear this, then I can't take you out. I'll have to ask someone to take you for a walk around the community instead."
Upon hearing this, the dog obediently lowered his head, and Xu Youyou managed to put the muzzle on successfully.
After a slow ten-minute walk, the pair reached the mall entrance. Xu Youyou immediately spotted a huge Louis Vuitton billboard and walked in.
The sales associate initially smiled upon seeing Xu Youyou's pretty appearance, but the obvious street-style outfit quickly shut down her expression.
Xu Youyou noticed a black bag in the "C" display case. It looked very high-quality, so she said, "I want to see that one."
The saleswoman replied curtly, "That's a sample. You can't take it out."
Xu Youyou frowned slightly. "Aren't samples for trying out?"
The woman rolled her eyes. "It's python skin and costs over 70,000 yuan."
Xu Youyou replied, "Are you afraid I'll dirty it?"
The saleswoman looked her up and down and sneered, "You can't afford to dirty it. If you're just browsing, go window shop at Semir. We're busy."
Xu Youyou's anger flared, but she quickly shifted tactics. "Fine. No need to try it. Just wrap it up and swipe the card."
The woman looked suspicious.
Xu Youyou pulled out her card. "Check out this, this, and this—I want them all."
She pointed at almost every bag on display. The saleswoman took her seriously and began the checkout process.
After the card was swiped successfully, the long-faced saleswoman's eyes lit up. Her attitude instantly flipped 180 degrees.
"Ms. Xu, I'll wrap these up for you right away."
Her commission would be counted on this order. She called over other staff to help with packaging.
But Xu Youyou said, "I just want your bag—the one you're wearing."
The saleswoman was stunned but soon realized this was Xu Youyou's way of retaliating for her earlier rudeness. Though unhappy, she smiled and endured it.
Luxury goods packaging was always elaborate, so Xu Youyou patiently waited while all the bags were wrapped.
The other staff, seeing such a big customer, coaxed Xu Youyou to sit down and brought her fruits and desserts.
"Ms. Xu, we also offer home delivery. If you give us your address, someone can bring it to you," the long-faced saleswoman said, pointing to the packaged goods.
Xu Youyou smiled and declined, "Your dirty hands touched such an expensive bag. I don't want it."