Alex held Amelia in his arms, watching the real-time fluctuations of Bitcoin's price on the Coinbase app. A smile played on his lips as the numbers continued to climb.
"It can't possibly go past $10,000, right? That would be insane," Amelia said, still struggling to wrap her head around how far Bitcoin had already come.
In the past, she never would have believed that Bitcoin could reach the staggering heights of $7,000 or $8,000. Yet here they were, living through that exact reality.
"I don't think it's insane at all," Alex said confidently. "In the future, Bitcoin's price will probably blow your mind. Even in this rally, I can see it going past $15,000—maybe even $20,000."
Amelia's eyes widened in concern. "You're not seriously planning to hold on until it hits $15,000 or more, are you?" she asked nervously.
"I'll see how things go," Alex replied with a calm smile.
On November 26th, Bitcoin's price broke through $9,000.
By November 28th, it had soared to an astonishing $10,000, drawing global attention. News outlets from around the world began covering Bitcoin's meteoric rise, and a flood of new investors rushed into the market.
By this point, Alex's account had unrealized profits exceeding $800,000—a tenfold return on his initial investment.
At Work
Alex continued his routine of working nine-to-five, though his enthusiasm for the job had waned. His supervisor, Lester , began to notice.
During a team meeting, Lester said, "Alex, your team's progress is a bit slow lately. I hear you've been leaving right on time every day. Can't you put in some extra hours?"
In his previous life, Alex had been a diligent worker, taking on extra hours without complaint. But now, he wasn't willing to sacrifice his time so easily.
"Supervisor Lester , I used to work overtime because I had the time to spare," Alex responded. "Now, I have other important matters outside of work. Besides, our team isn't behind. If anything, we've been ahead of schedule for months because of our extra hours. Now we're just working at a normal pace. Surely we deserve a breather?"
If this had been his past life—after taking out a mortgage and buying a house—Alex might have held back, fearing repercussions. But now, with his growing profits from Bitcoin, he had no reason to tolerate unnecessary demands. He had already earned his first big break financially.
Li's expression stiffened. He hadn't expected Alex to push back so directly. Though Alex's response was reasonable, Lester didn't appreciate being challenged in front of others. He decided to bide his time and find an opportunity to retaliate.
Alex shook his head internally. He knew someone like Lester wouldn't let this go, but he didn't care. He had already decided to resign today. He didn't want someone like Lester affecting his mood or wasting his time.
Resignation
After the meeting, Alex returned to his desk and typed out a resignation letter on a piece of A4 paper. With the letter in hand, he headed straight to the general manager's office.
"Alex, what's this?" General Manager John McClane asked, surprised as Alex handed him the letter.
For a moment, John wondered if the earlier meeting had pushed Alex to quit. Alex had been with the company for several years and was a solid, dependable employee.
"It's not what you think," Alex said. "I've been planning this for a while. Just skip my paycheck for the last two months I won't be coming in tomorrow."
"I was just about to suggest a raise for you," John said, trying to change Alex's mind.
But Alex declined, standing firm in his decision.
When word of Alex's resignation spread, his colleagues were stunned.
"Alex, is it true?" Susan asked, visibly upset. She had always found working under Alex to be a pleasant experience, unlike some of the other team leads who were harsh and overbearing.
"Nothing lasts forever," Alex said with a smile. "We'll meet again for dinner sometime."
Turning to Mike, Alex patted him on the shoulder. "Mike, trust me. Stop messing with Bitcoin. Focus on your work."
Mike scratched his head and gave a sheepish laugh, but Alex knew he hadn't taken the advice to heart. People had to find their own paths.
Alex gathered his things and walked out of the office with a sense of freedom. As he left, he overheard murmurs that Lester had driven him away. Lester's face darkened. While it wasn't entirely true, the rumor spread quickly, and the general manager had already scolded Lester for pushing Alex to resign.
At Home
When Amelia returned from work, Alex handed her a glass of iced tea and casually mentioned his resignation.
"Honey, why did you quit so suddenly?" Amelia asked, surprised.
"Think about it, Amelia. If someone suddenly made a ton of money, would it make sense for them to keep working a job that pays $5,000 a month?" Alex said with a grin.
"I guess you have a point... but promise me this: after this Bitcoin run, don't touch it again," Amelia said firmly. She was worried Alex might become addicted to trading Bitcoin after tasting such success.
"Don't worry. Once this is over, I'm done with Bitcoin," Alex assured her. "I already have plans to explore other opportunities."
Alex had mapped out the next four years of his life. Beyond that, he wasn't sure, but for now, his goal was to secure their financial future within this critical window. After all, his rebirth was a one-time gift—he needed to make the most of it.
Amelia hesitated. "Still, with Bitcoin prices this high, shouldn't we sell now?"
"Let's hold on a bit longer," Alex said.
"At least raise the stop-loss," Amelia urged.
"Okay," Alex agreed, setting the stop-loss to $10,000—$1,000 below the current price of $11,000.
"Maybe I should quit too?" Amelia mused aloud.
"Why not? You could leave whenever you're ready," Alex said.
"Let's wait until we cash out Bitcoin," Amelia replied as she headed into the kitchen.
Alex understood her cautious approach. Amelia preferred stability. Until their Bitcoin profits became real, she wouldn't feel comfortable leaving her job. With Alex having already quit, she wouldn't risk both of them being unemployed at the same time.
Watching her disappear into the kitchen, Alex silently vowed to give her and Sophie the best life possible. He wouldn't let them endure any hardship ever again.
"Daddy, read this with me!" Sophie called out, holding up a children's picture book.
Alex scooped her into his lap and began reading the story aloud, making funny voices as Sophie giggled happily.
With his resignation behind him, Alex took over Sophie's daily drop-offs and pick-ups from preschool. When he had downtime, he found himself reflecting on major events likely to happen in the next four years—especially the stock market.
In his previous life, Alex had traded stocks before Bitcoin, getting into the market about three months after his introduction to Bitcoin. As a novice trader, the market quickly humbled him. A major stock market crash had shaken the economy, lasting nearly a year.
This time around, Alex decided to avoid the stock market entirely during that period. He planned to wait for the market to recover, focusing instead on the boom he knew would come between 2019 and 2021. During that time, he remembered at least ten "super stocks" that had skyrocketed. Those were his future targets.
November 6th: The Surge
On the third day after his resignation, Bitcoin experienced its most dramatic surge yet. In a single day, the price jumped an astonishing 19.86%, climbing to an incredible $14,000.
Amelia, who had been closely watching Bitcoin's progress, was stunned by the rapid rise. While the gains were exhilarating, the risks also loomed larger. Nervous and unable to focus on work, she decided to take the day off.
Late at night, Amelia turned to Alex, her face lined with concern. "Honey, shouldn't we sell now?" she asked, unable to sleep.
Bitcoin traded 24/7, and the constant fluctuations were taking a toll on her nerves.
"Not yet," Alex replied, shaking his head. "This rally isn't over. But I'll raise the stop-loss to $13,000 to be safe."
"Alright," Amelia sighed, though her anxiety lingered.
"Don't worry," Alex added with a reassuring smile. "By tomorrow morning, we might wake up to $15,000."
He wasn't joking. Based on his past life, he knew the next two days would be critical for Bitcoin's surge.
Amelia watched as Alex drifted off to sleep, completely unbothered. For the first time, she realized just how much her husband had changed. He seemed unshakably calm, even in the face of such high stakes.
November 7th: The Breakout
The morning light filtered through the curtains, waking Amelia. She glanced at the clock and saw that both Alex and Sophie were still sound asleep. Suddenly remembering the Bitcoin rally, she grabbed her phone and opened the Coinbase app.
Her eyes widened as she saw the price. "Oh my god!" she screamed, startling Alex awake.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked groggily.
"Bitcoin—it's almost at $16,000! This is insane!" Amelia exclaimed, her voice trembling with excitement.
Alex sat up, rubbed his eyes, and stretched. "Looks like $17,000 is within reach today," he said casually.
"Do you really think it'll go higher?" Amelia asked, her heart pounding.
"Probably, but we're nearing the peak. It'll stabilize soon," Alex replied.
The rest of the day, Alex and Amelia stayed glued to their phones, tracking Bitcoin's relentless climb. Even meals were rushed as they anxiously watched the price rise.
According to Alex's memory, Bitcoin would reach a secondary peak of around $18,000 in the next two days before experiencing a significant pullback. Afterward, it would climb again toward its ultimate high.
To play it safe, Alex set the stop-loss at $17,900, just below the expected peak. He knew that selling at this price would lock in massive gains while protecting them from a sudden downturn.
The Midnight Spike
By midnight, neither Alex nor Amelia had gone to bed. The price had reached $17,800, hovering just below Alex's stop-loss. Even Alex held his breath as the price inched closer. Amelia, sitting beside him, was visibly more anxious.
"What if it doesn't hit $17,900? What if it crashes instead?" Amelia whispered, unable to contain her nerves.
"If you want, I can sell now," Alex offered, seeing the tension in her face.
Amelia hesitated before nodding. "Maybe it's better to sell. It's so close anyway," she said.
Just as Alex reached for his phone, Bitcoin's price jumped sharply, climbing by dozens of dollars in a single movement. The stop-loss triggered automatically, and a notification confirmed the sale.
Both Alex and Amelia let out deep sighs of relief.
"How much did we make?" Amelia asked, her voice trembling with excitement.
"Let me check," Alex said, his hands shaking slightly as he opened his account.
Their initial purchase price had been $3,248 per Bitcoin.