Magic City, Yangpu District, Waijiang Road. Ye Chen, who had just gotten off work, was walking with a cigarette in his mouth, following his usual route home. On the highway, vehicles streamed by endlessly. On the sidewalks, pedestrians moved at various paces, an unceasing flow. This "Magic City" was a metropolis, densely populated and fast-paced. Looking at the men and women walking towards him, Ye Chen took the half-smoked cigarette from his mouth and exhaled deeply.
"When will this boring life ever end..."
"If only I could go back a few years, buy some Bitcoin, and become a rich man. What's the use of just thinking about it so much..."
In today's society, material desires are rampant, and the amount of money one possesses has become the most basic standard of measurement. Having money makes one a successful person. If you don't have money, then your status, or lack thereof, goes without saying. "Buzz." The phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated twice. Ye Chen stopped, took out his cell phone, and looked at the screen.
"Qiangzi actually remembered to pay back the money. Has the sun risen in the west or something?"
He unlocked his phone, clicked on WeChat, and accepted the transfer. The prompt "5000 has been claimed" appeared immediately. Just then, Qiangzi's message popped up.
"Ye Chen, my buddy, I'm leaving Magic City. We'll see each other again if fate allows."
Looking at the WeChat message from his colleague Qiangzi, Ye Chen's first reaction was that it was a joke. His second thought was that it was probably true. After a moment, Ye Chen pressed the voice message button and said,
"Have a good journey, my friend. Goodbye for now."
Magic City is a city of hope, offering countless dreams and opportunities to many. But it is also incredibly ruthless. The high rent, astronomical housing prices, modest wages, fierce competition, and the disdainful looks from some locals had crushed countless people, forcing them to confront harsh realities. People come and go; the endless cycle of arrivals and departures is a true portrayal of life in Magic City. Ye Chen didn't want to delve into why Qiangzi left; it wasn't necessary. For Ye Chen, taking care of himself was the most important thing at the moment.
After sending the message and exiting WeChat, Ye Chen was about to lock his screen when a brand-new icon suddenly caught his eye.
"Fortune? What the hell? I don't remember downloading software like this..."
After a moment's thought, Ye Chen long-pressed the "Fortune" icon, preparing to delete it. However, at that very instant, the phone screen suddenly went black, and a prompt stating
"Start Loading" appeared.
"1%... 5%... 10%…"
"Damn it, my phone has been hacked..."
No normal mobile software should be impossible to uninstall. Unfortunately, Ye Chen found he couldn't do anything—not uninstall the software, run an antivirus scan, or even restore factory settings. At this moment, his phone seemed completely unresponsive, as if frozen. No matter what key he pressed, there was no reaction at all.
"Damn, this virus is something else..."
Ye Chen had just thought this when the loading progress bar reached 100%. At that moment, a faint current emanated from his mobile phone, giving Ye Chen an electric shock.
"Bang!"
The phone fell to the ground. Simultaneously, a mechanical prompt suddenly rang out in his mind.