September 30th, Saturday.
Tomorrow marked the beginning of the National Day holiday—a much-anticipated long weekend. After over a week of trading in a tight range, Bitcoin finally broke out. The price surged past $4,300.
Alex's unrealized profits had surpassed $100,000.
It had been less than two weeks since his initial investment. But Alex knew this was just the beginning.
At 9 PM, Sophie was already asleep. Alex had just finished his shower and was lounging on the bed, scrolling through the news on his phone. Many of the headlines felt familiar, déjà vu from events he had already lived through in his past life.
Amelia emerged from the bathroom, her hair damp and wrapped in a towel, wearing her usual pajamas. As she blow-dried her hair, she casually said, "Honey, let's check out that Eastview property tomorrow. If it looks good, we should put down a deposit."
"So soon?" Alex asked, feigning surprise.
In his previous life, they had visited the development the next day and immediately paid the deposit. By the start of the following month, they had signed a contract for an under-construction property and secured a loan. It was from that point on that their finances became even tighter.
While they both had savings and employer-matched retirement contributions, the mortgage added a significant strain.
"If we delay any longer, the prices might go up again," Amelia said as she flicked her hair back.
"Amelia, there's something I need to tell you," Alex said, realizing he couldn't avoid the conversation any longer.
"What is it?" Amelia asked, pausing mid-motion. She hadn't caught on yet.
"We can't buy a house for the next couple of months," Alex said bluntly.
"What do you mean?" Amelia froze, staring at him in confusion.
"I... moved the money from our account," Alex admitted directly.
"You did what?" Amelia's expression turned to shock. She quickly turned off the blow dryer, unplugged it, and placed it on the table. Then she grabbed Alex's phone.
Logging into their banking app, she saw that the account, which had held over $79,000, now had just a few hundred dollars left. Her eyes remained fixed on the screen for a moment before she turned to Alex and asked, "Where did the money go?"
Amelia was stunned. Alex had never hidden anything from her before. She couldn't understand how he had unilaterally made such a drastic decision. She had always discussed everything with him, even refusing her mother's request to loan money to her younger brother for a car, knowing their savings were untouchable for anything other than the house.
"Do you know what Bitcoin is?" Alex asked calmly, bracing for her reaction.
"You... invested in Bitcoin?" Amelia asked, incredulous.
Amelia knew what Bitcoin was but didn't know much about it. To her, it seemed unregulated and extremely risky.
"Yes," Alex nodded.
"Even if you wanted to buy some Bitcoin, you didn't need to sink all our savings into it! We were about to buy a house, Alex!" Amelia's voice trembled with disbelief. Alex had always been the steady and reliable one. She couldn't understand what had come over him.
Alex took the phone back from her and opened the Coinbase app. "Look at this," he said.
Amelia leaned in to look at the screen.
"You... you've made over $100,000?" Amelia asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
"Yes, in less than two weeks," Alex confirmed.
"That's incredible, but Alex, we need to cash out. I've heard Bitcoin is so volatile. People lose everything overnight. $100,000 is more than enough. Let's not get greedy," Amelia urged.
She valued stability and couldn't stomach the thought of taking such a high risk. For her, their steady jobs and a modest but secure lifestyle were enough. She never dreamed of chasing massive wealth.
"Amelia, trust me this once. Bitcoin is going to have another massive rally. Selling now would be a waste," Alex said confidently.
"But the risk is just as high. What if it crashes back down?" Amelia countered.
"Then let's make a bet," Alex said with a grin.
"What kind of bet?" Amelia asked warily.
"If Bitcoin drops below $4,000, I'll sell everything immediately. But if it doesn't, we go with my plan. Deal?" Alex said.
From his past life, Alex knew that once October began, Bitcoin would only climb higher. Within less than two months, it would skyrocket to an incredible $19,000, never dipping below $4,000 again.
"Fine. But if it drops below $4,000 and you don't sell, I'll divorce you," Amelia said sternly, though Alex could tell she didn't mean it.
"You can't divorce me. You're mine forever," Alex said, pulling her into a hug.
Alex knew Amelia wasn't serious, but he wanted to reassure her anyway. He set up an automatic stop-loss order right in front of her, ensuring that if Bitcoin fell below $4,000, everything would sell automatically.
October 1st
The first day of the holiday began.
Since all their savings were tied up in Bitcoin, Alex and Amelia decided not to visit the Eastview property after all. While Amelia was eager to see the listings, she didn't want to pressure Alex too much. A few days' delay wouldn't make a huge difference—at worst, some of the better homes might be sold.
That morning, Amelia was the first to check the Coinbase app. She saw that Bitcoin's price hadn't dropped. In fact, it had risen by several dozen dollars.
"Daddy, wake up! We're going to the aquarium today!" Sophie chirped, already up and excited.
Alex groaned. Yesterday, they had promised to take Sophie to the aquarium, as part of their plan to make the most of the long holiday without overspending.
"Sophie, let Daddy sleep a little longer," Alex mumbled, eyes still closed. He was exhausted from the night before.
But Sophie wasn't giving up, and Alex eventually dragged himself out of bed. After brushing his teeth and eating the noodles Amelia had cooked for breakfast, the family headed out.
By the time they returned home in the evening, their legs were sore and tired, but Sophie had had a fantastic time and couldn't stop talking about all the fun she'd had.
Over the next few days, Alex and Amelia took Sophie to other local attractions. Despite the limited budget, they made sure she enjoyed the holiday. The seven-day break passed quickly, and Bitcoin's price stayed steady, hovering between $4,300 and $4,400.
On October 9th, Bitcoin surged again, climbing to over $4,700.
When Amelia saw the price increase, she stopped asking Alex to sell. In fact, she became more invested in the price than Alex himself. Even at work, she would text Alex whenever there was a price jump.
By October 12th, Bitcoin broke the $5,000 mark.
By October 21st, it had surpassed $6,000.
October 24th, Tuesday.
Alex was at work when Amelia texted him: "Honey, Bitcoin is crashing! Sell it now!"
Over the past month, Bitcoin's price had hit a series of new highs, breaking $6,000. Alex's account showed unrealized profits of $320,000.
In just over a month, his initial investment had nearly quadrupled. No wonder Amelia was panicking.
If Alex hadn't already known Bitcoin's future trajectory, he might have been just as anxious and unable to eat or sleep.
"Don't worry, Amelia," Alex texted back with a smile. "It'll drop for a few days but rebound quickly. Just to be safe, I'll set a stop-loss at $4,500."
"Okay, but you HAVE to set the stop-loss," Amelia replied.
Lately, the wild fluctuations in Bitcoin's price had been stressing her out. She couldn't focus on work, and her appetite was gone. In just over a month, their unrealized gains were several times their entire savings. It was no wonder so many people were obsessed with trading—it was a way to make money incredibly fast.
But Amelia also understood the risks. Making money fast meant losing it just as quickly.
To ease her nerves, Alex sent Amelia a screenshot of the stop-loss order, ensuring her that their investment was secure. He knew Bitcoin wouldn't drop below $4,500, but he wanted her to feel reassured.
At lunch, Mike, Alex's coworker, stared at his phone while eating. "Damn, another 5% drop. I'm so glad I didn't get in, or I'd be bleeding money right now," he muttered.
Mike had been tempted to buy Bitcoin as it repeatedly hit new highs, but his fear of buying at the peak had kept him on the sidelines. Now that the price had dropped, he felt vindicated in his decision.
Alex listened without commenting. This was the mindset of many people—the fear of missing out combined with the hesitation to act often led to losses. They were the classic "weak hands" of the market, buying high and selling low.
In his past life, Alex had been just like them.
For the next several days, Bitcoin fluctuated between $5,500 and $6,000, testing the patience of even the most dedicated traders.
On October 29th, Bitcoin climbed back above $6,000.
As November began, Bitcoin's price accelerated rapidly. Within just two days, it smashed through the $7,000 mark.
Amelia was in disbelief. She had never imagined Bitcoin could climb so fast. "This is insane. The money is just... too easy," she said, shaking her head.
But by November 10th, Bitcoin's price took a sharp dive. Amelia panicked again.
Alex understood her anxiety. The volatility was nerve-wracking, but he remained steadfast. They were nearing the point where Bitcoin would truly skyrocket. This was no time to lose faith.
On November 13th, a Monday morning, Alex noticed Amelia's tired eyes and dark circles. She had been up all night, unable to sleep because of her fears about Bitcoin.
"Honey, maybe we should just sell. I can't take this anymore. I feel like I'm losing my mind," Amelia said, her voice heavy with exhaustion.
"Just a few more days," Alex reassured her gently.
"Fine," Amelia said with a weak smile, though she clearly felt conflicted.
It was a bittersweet situation. On one hand, they had already made more money than they could have dreamed of in years. On the other hand, the profits weren't in their hands yet and could vanish at any moment.
That day, Bitcoin rebounded to $6,500. Two days later, the price surged another 10%, nearing its previous high of $7,400.
By November 16th, Bitcoin hit $7,800.
By November 19th, it officially broke through the $8,000 barrier.
Amelia couldn't help but admire Alex's foresight. Still, she urged him to sell before it was too late. "Honey, I think it's time. What if it crashes, and we can't get out in time?"
Alex smiled. "What do you think this rally can reach?" he asked.