Bitcoin was a fairly unfamiliar territory for Lin Xiao.
But unfamiliar didn't mean completely clueless.
Ever since its creation, Bitcoin had swept across the globe like a tornado.
And it wasn't just hype—it went global.
Grab any young person off the street, and chances are, they've at least heard of Bitcoin.
But dive a little deeper, and you'd find few who truly understood it.
Most people only knew that Bitcoin had skyrocketed in value in recent years. Lin Xiao knew that much too.
But the exact price today? He wasn't sure.
The man continued, "As of today, one Bitcoin is worth 22,295."
Then added with emphasis, "US dollars."
Lin Xiao's expression didn't change. He had already deduced the total—1.3 billion. With 845 coins, the math was easy.
"But!" the man pressed on. "That's just what we can see with the public key. To actually own those coins, you need the private key. Without the private key, even if you can see the Bitcoins, you can't touch them."
He looked toward the book in Lin Xiao's hands.
"This book only contains the public key. Whether or not the private key is in there—no one knows. Mr. Lin, what we're buying is a possibility."
"You don't know whether the private key is in there, and neither do we."
"But we're willing to pay, just for that chance."
Lin Xiao suddenly smiled. "Who says I don't know? I do. There's another string of characters written on the last page."
The man didn't flinch. He smiled as well. "I know. I saw your livestream last night. You said you found another string. But… are you sure that string is the private key? It could just be another public key. Without logging in, you'll never know."
Lin Xiao nodded. "You've got a point."
Thinking he had an opening, the man made his move. "Ten million. Mr. Lin, if you agree, we can call in a lawyer right now and complete the transfer on the spot."
He wasn't here to play games or exploit an information gap. Unlike the last guy, he wasn't stooping to shady tactics.
There was no need.
Lin Xiao wasn't a fool.
In fact, he was quite smart.
Which is why the man was being completely transparent.
If the price was right, maybe Lin Xiao would sell.
Of course, they were taking a risk too.
Just like the man said, that second string could turn out to be another public key instead of a private one.
If that were the case, the ten million would go down the drain.
But if they were right?
Then they'd turn ten million into 1.3 billion.
He was willing to take that gamble.
He was prepared to lose that ten million.
The only question was—would Lin Xiao take the bet?
Would he take the guaranteed ten million, or risk it all for the full jackpot?
The man continued, "Mr. Lin, this ten million is only valid right now, before you try to log in. So if you want to make the deal, we'd better stick together from this moment on—because I need to make sure you don't sneak off to check whether that second string is the private key."
He was applying pressure.
It was like buying a lottery ticket.
You scratch off nine matching numbers, and someone offers you a million to sell the ticket—before you reveal the tenth.
Whether they win or not after buying it… that's no longer your business.
The man smiled politely, watching Lin Xiao, waiting for his decision.
"Damn, this guy is shady as hell!"
"If Boss Lin had stayed up just a little later last night, he'd already know whether that string was the private key!"
"If it were me, I'd sell!"
"Same. Ten million in hand is real. Who knows if that last string's actually the key?"
"I bet it is the private key!"
"Bet? What are you betting on? Even if you were 100% sure before, now that someone's offering ten million, you'd hesitate. You'd doubt yourself."
"Boss Lin's probably already second-guessing everything."
Lin Xiao looked into the man's eyes—and couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration.
This guy was good. A master of psychological warfare.
If Lin Xiao didn't have the system backing him, he might actually be wavering right now.
But there was no "if."
Lin Xiao smiled and said, "If you watched my stream, then you should know—I'm a professional bargain hunter. And bargain hunting… is all about using little to gain a lot."
"Ten million is tempting, no doubt…"
He paused briefly, then said firmly, "But I'd rather take the gamble."
The smile on the man's face froze for a second before softening into a sigh.
"In that case, Mr. Lin, I won't push further. Here's my card—if you ever need help in this field, feel free to contact me."
"Thanks."
Lin Xiao accepted the card and glanced at the rest of the group.
They all looked visibly disappointed. But from the resolute tone in Lin Xiao's voice, it was clear there was no room for negotiation.
"I won't keep you all any longer—I've got things to do."
He turned and headed back toward his rental apartment.
The crowd watched him go in silence for a moment, then slowly began to disperse.
This trip?
A total bust.