Bitcoin Billionaire: I Regressed to Invest in the First Bitcoin!

Through the purple interface of the Investor System, the scene before him was the spectacle he'd always dreamed of.

Although he didn't notice it at first, with a "huh," his eyes finally realized what he was seeing and it hit him like a wave.

The atrium was alive: employees darted between workstations, phones rang in a staccato rhythm, and screens flickered with real-time market data.

Assistants carried stacks of documents, analysts huddled over laptops, and the air hummed with purpose.

Back when he was at Smithers Group, Darren had been one of these busy bees, grinding under someone else's vision. Now, he was the architect, he was the boss of every soul in this room.

Before he could take it all in, Rachel's voice cut through the din.

She cat walked toward him, her navy blazer and pencil skirt as sharp as her focus, a file tucked under one arm and a leather jotter in hand. Her auburn hair was styled in its usual style, and her uncovered eye sparkled with the kind of energy that thrived on chaos.

"Sir! Good morning," she said, her tone bright but all business. "You're right on time."

"Morning, Rach," Darren said, matching her pace as they moved toward the elevators. "So... How's the day going so far?"

She launched in without missing a beat, flipping open her jotter.

"Like you'd expect, it's a whirlwind, but we're on track. Simon Wilkes, he's been very busy. When he came in today, he gave the analytical team a quick project for an investment startup."

"He is a straightforward man, isn't he," Darren remarked, hands in pockets.

"That he is. He already flagged some discrepancies in the Q2 projections for our secondary crypto portfolio. He's running a Monte Carlo simulation to stress-test volatility assumptions, but... he says he needs your sign-off on reallocating 5% of the liquidity pool to hedge against a potential dip in Bitcoin futures."

"My sign-off. He's already moving fast. Very fast." Darren nodded, processing. "I like it. He'll get the sign off. The strategy is already solid enough. What about the Apple stocks? Is the purchase complete?"

Rachel's lips quirked, anticipating the question. "Amelia and Sandy are on it. The fund transfer's in progress and it should be cleared by EOD. Amelia's playing it smart: she's staggering the buy to avoid spiking the bid-ask spread. Sandy's crunching the numbers to optimize our entry point, targeting a 3% discount on the 50-day moving average. If the market holds, we'll lock in 10,000 more shares by Friday."

"Good call," Darren said, stepping into the elevator as the doors slid open. Rachel followed.

"Was that all Sandy's call?" he asked her.

"Of course. You're the one who hired her, you know what she can do."

"That is true. I do."

"There is something else, sir," she continued, flipping through her jotter. "We've got a meeting with the compliance team at 11 to review SEC filings for the new fund structure. Oh, and Charles Nelson called."

Darren's brow shot up. "Charles Nelson? The Charles Nelson who runs Nelson Banks?"

"The very one," Rachel said, a glint in her eye. "He's sniffing around for a venture capital play. Says he's interested in investing in our company — our goals, our vision."

Darren leaned against the elevator wall, his mind racing. "Venture capital," he said thoughtfully. "Well... if it is a venture capital he's after, then it means he's looking for a good return. I mean a venture capital entails he'll have to pour money into us early, help us scale fast — new hires, tech, maybe even a full investment funding. But in return, he'll want a piece of the pie."

He glanced at Rachel. "Shares, I'm guessing. A hefty chunk, considering he's a Nelson."

Rachel nodded, flipping a page in her jotter. "Exactly. He also asked if you've considered a company bank."

That caused Darren to smirk.

Once they reached the top floor, the elevator dinged. "He wants Nelson Bank as our company bank," Darren said with a purse of his lips. "Do they even have any vaults left?"

"I'm sure they do," Rachel said, chuckling.

He stepped out, heading toward his office. "Honestly, I've barely thought about it. But Nelson Bank's not a bad choice. I'll need to arrange a meeting with him. Charles Nelson is a respectable guy so I'm certain we can come to a deal. The venture capital and his bank pitch doesn't have to be separate deals. I'll see if I can bundle it. No need to split hairs."

Rachel nodded in concurrence. "That's smart."

They reached his office, Darren's own powerful space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city's skyline.

He sank into his leather chair, running his palms over the polished oak desk, remembering what he and Rachel had done to it a few days ago.

"Kara," he said, shifting gears. "Was she successful with the recruitment of computer talents?"

"Very," Rachel replied. "She secured twenty. A mix of coders, data scientists, and simple computer savvys. They're onboarding as we speak."

"Twenty's solid," Darren said, leaning back. "I'll head to the room soon to brief them. Operations start today— no delays."

Rachel nodded, then paused. Standing there, an unbeatable smile began to stretch below her nose.

"Do you feel it?" she asked, her voice softer now. "That excitement in the air? I mean, I can't be the only one who does."

Darren's gaze met hers, and he smiled back at her, nodding his head softly. "Trust me, Rachel. I feel it too."

Her smile widened, and in both her eyes, emotions of excitement glittered.

"I'll be in my office if you need anything, sir," she said, turning to leave, her heels clicking as she disappeared down the hall.

Darren exhaled, and collapsed backwards on his exquisite and very comfortable chair.

He tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling, feeling the hum of the building and air conditioners filtering through the walls.

He smiled again. "Not bad for a dog who died on the street."