Caleb Ye opened his eyes, gasping like a man jolted from a nightmare.
He was soaked in sweat.
Still lying in bed.
Wait… this wasn't his home.
He sat up abruptly, scanning the cramped room around him.
And then the memories came rushing back.
"Isn't this… the studio apartment I rented four years ago?"
His face froze in disbelief.
He shook his head, half convinced he was dreaming. Then, without thinking, he pinched his cheek hard.
"Ow."
Nope. Not a dream.
It was real.
He scrambled for the phone beside the bed and checked the date.
September 15, 2017.
A long pause.
"…Did I just get reborn? Like a protagonist in one of those web novels?"
Caleb was stunned.
He rubbed his face for what felt like forever before the weight of reality settled on him.
Then, unexpectedly, tears welled up in his eyes.
Because now… he had a second chance.
Before this, his life had been simple, happy. He wasn't rich, but he had a wife and daughter who loved him.
It was peaceful. Full of quiet joy.
Until Bitcoin exploded.
Caleb, who had never dabbled in stocks or futures, was tempted by a colleague. Initially, it was simply curiosity. He invested a little. The market surged. He made a quick profit.
Greed crept in.
Despite his wife Emma's warnings to be careful with such volatile things, Caleb secretly invested more. One hundred thousand yuan turned into even more.
Then came obsession.
He did the unthinkable: mortgaged their home without telling Emma, raised two million yuan, used high leverage, and threw everything into crypto.
Then disaster struck.
Bitcoin crashed 40% overnight. The entire market panicked.
He never had a chance to pull out.
Nine years of hard work, savings, and trust—all gone in a blink.
His world collapsed. He had no idea how to face Emma, the woman who had stood by him since college, defied her parents to be with him, and built a life with him from almost nothing.
They had married, with only a modest ceremony and a dowry of barely 30,000 yuan.
Life had been tight, but she never complained.
Together, they had scraped enough to buy a small apartment and raise their daughter, Lily.
Their lives had been modest, but full of love.
And he had destroyed it all with one reckless gamble.
But now…
By some miracle, he was back. Reborn.
He clenched his fists. This time, he wouldn't let them suffer. This time, he'd do it right.
Just then, his phone rang.
It was Emma.
He picked up immediately.
"Feeling any better?" her gentle voice came through.
He had called in sick that morning—claimed he had a fever.
"Yeah, I'm much better now," Caleb replied, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Just hearing her voice filled him with warmth.
"Drink some warm porridge for lunch, and make a light veggie broth. No iced drinks, okay? And get some rest. I'll pick Lily up after school."
"I can pick her up—"
"No need. I'll be nearby anyway," Emma said. "Okay, I've got to go. My supervisor's lurking."
"Emma… wait…"
"Hm?"
"I love you."
There was a beat of silence.
"…So cheesy," she whispered, clearly embarrassed. But he could hear the smile in her voice. "I love you too."
And then the line went dead.
Caleb stared at the screen, smiling.
Being reborn felt amazing.
This time, he'd give them the life they deserved.
But how?
He sat still, thinking hard, trying to recall what he knew of the next few years. So much of it blurred together. And most of it wasn't helpful now.
His current job? Civil engineering. It would only get worse as the real estate market slowed down in the coming years.
Then, suddenly, his eyes lit up.
Bitcoin.
A wave of emotions hit him—bitterness, fear, and hope all at once.
It was Bitcoin that had ruined him. But it could also be the key to rebuilding his future.
He knew what was coming. Within three months, Bitcoin would surge to nearly $19,000.
That was nowhere near its 2021 peak of $60,000, but still—absolutely massive compared to now.
If he played it right, he could make a fortune.
But there was one problem: starting capital.
Then he remembered—the house payment.
At the end of the month, he and Emma were planning to put down more than 500,000 yuan on a new apartment, taking out a loan for the rest.
That 500,000 yuan… was their entire savings.
If Emma found out he was thinking of putting that into Bitcoin, she'd never agree.
She didn't know what was coming. All she saw was risk.
He sighed.
"I can't let her know. I'll do it behind the scenes… make the money… and then tell her. She'll be angry for a while, sure. But once she sees the results, she'll understand."
Luckily, the payment funds were all on a card under his name.
That meant… he could move without raising suspicion.
And with that, Caleb Ye made his decision.