Zhang Wei sat on the edge of the tiny bed, staring at his hands like they'd suddenly become valuable assets.
"Okay… I time-traveled. That's a thing now," he whispered to no one. "Cool. No big deal. Just went from broke loser to… broke loser with insider info."
He looked around the room again. It was small but livable. There was an old-school desktop, a Nokia 3310, and a few crumpled clothes in the corner.
No wallet. No money. No ID.
He wasn't sure if this was a dream, a simulation, or a very elaborate prank show run by Elon Musk.
But the smell of fried eggs from the neighbor's kitchen told him it was real.
His stomach agreed with a loud growl.
"Okay, Zhang Wei. Priorities."He stood up and raised a finger like he was giving a TED Talk to himself.
"Step one: Don't starve.Step two: Figure out whose body this is.Step three: Buy Bitcoin.Step four: Rule the world."He paused. "Optional: Get abs."
He checked the drawers. Inside were some loose change, a student card (with a photo of—himself?), and a receipt for a USD 5 haircut. Apparently, he was now a broke university student in early 2009.
So… still broke. Just younger and legally unemployed.
He grabbed the change, shoved the Nokia into his pocket, and stepped out.
🚶 Outside
The air smelled different. Fresher. Less Wi-Fi.
Old cars passed by—Protons, Hondas with CD players, and not a single electric vehicle in sight. Billboards advertised prepaid phone credit and "Hotlink 3G." A man sold pirated DVDs by the roadside.
He walked past a newspaper stand. The headlines read:
"Global Financial Crisis Deepens"
"Mysterious Bitcoin Software Released Online"
Zhang Wei grinned.
"That's the smell of opportunity."
☕ The Coffee Shop Plan
He ended up at a cheap mamak stall and ordered roti kosong and teh tarik, costing him USD 2.40. As he ate like a starving tiger, he eavesdropped on the uncles nearby.
"…this Bitcoin thing ah, I read it's some online coin," one said.
"Fake lah. Like casino."
Zhang Wei smiled politely. Little do you know, uncle…
He scribbled down ideas on a napkin:
Sell old books?
Part-time delivery job?
Hustle classmates?
Steal from future self?
Scratch that last one. He wasn't in a Marvel movie.
💡 A Genius Idea (Sort of)
On his walk back, he passed a cyber café—NetZone™.His eyes lit up.
"Of course. Mining! Back in 2009, you could mine Bitcoin on regular PCs."
He rushed in.
USD 2 per hour. Cheap.
Inside, rows of chunky monitors blinked sleepily. Teenagers were yelling over Counter-Strike 1.6.
He logged in, installed an old Bitcoin miner, and set it running.
The CPU wheezed like an asthmatic cat.
But it worked.Hashing… 12.6 H/s.Estimated rewards: 50 BTC in 6 hours.
He almost fainted.
"Fifty Bitcoin…"In 2024, that was worth USD 4 million.He looked at the dusty PC with tears in his eyes.
"I love you. Never let anyone say you're trash."
🧾 Reality Check
His joy didn't last long. The cybercafé manager, a chubby guy in a Liverpool jersey, tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey bro, no mining. Electricity expensive, lah."
"Wait, I'm just—"
"Wanna game, can. Wanna do business, open office."
Zhang Wei sighed and logged off.Dream: delayed.
🌙 That Night
Back in his room, he stared at the ceiling.
USD 3 left. One mining attempt ruined. And no idea how to buy Bitcoin through forums that required PayPal, which he didn't have.
But he wasn't giving up.
He pulled out his notebook and scribbled:
"Step 1: Get cash.Step 2: Buy cheap laptop.Step 3: Mine like a madman.Step 4: Hold until 2021.Step 5: Show up at Lily's wedding in a Lambo."
He underlined the last part twice.
Then he added:
"Also: don't die by rice cooker again."
He turned off the lights, smiling.
The world was broke. The future was broken.But for the first time in his life…
Zhang Wei was ahead of everyone.