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

Rico Evans didn't flinch. Not at first. Darren had seen him bluff through poker games with a straight face and con his way out of situations that would've had anyone else folding under pressure.

Throughout their college life, Rico had been great at doing anything that was morally questionable, but it was always easy for Darren to tell when he was lying.

That was because he was way too good at it. Too good for his own good.

The question — What were you doing in the hospital? — hung in the air like a tripwire. Darren watched carefully as Rico's pupils shifted, his shoulders tightening just a little before he relaxed into an easy smirk.

A fraction of hesitation. Barely noticeable.

Now here comes the lie...

"Oh, that?" Rico let out a breathy chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. "My aunt's been sick, man. Real bad. Some kind of kidney thing— I dunno, medical stuff's not my forte. Just came to drop off some things and check in on her. What about you, why are you here?"

Darren nodded slowly, taking a sip from his drink as he watched Rico over the rim of the glass.

Ding!

┏This person is lying to you┛

"Oh, in my case, it's my mom," Darren said, exhaling as if he bought Rico's excuse.

"Oh, men. What happened."

"She has an aortic disease. She just had surgery and things are looking really good."

"Damn, Steele," Rico leaned on the table, adjusting his beanie. "Wish her a safe recovery, really."

"Thanks," Darren smiled warmly. "Maybe we could go see her now if you'd like. And then we can also go see that aunt of yours."

Rico sat back, eyes showing his worry. "Ah." He waved it off. "Don't worry. It'll get me all emotional seeing either of them that way. I know I don't see my aunt like that for a second time today. Maybe another day."

Darren almost smirked. But he nodded. "Maybe another day."

Rico's gaze held for a second longer than necessary, like he was trying to dissect Darren's words, peel them apart and find something hidden between the syllables.

But Darren played it cool. He just swirled his drink idly, resting his forearm on the table, completely at ease. Or at least, that's what he wanted Rico to see.

And then, as if it was just casual conversation, Rico leaned in slightly. "But man, it is wild seeing you again. You've changed a lot. You must be rolling in it now, an Aston Martin really?"

Darren wished he didn't have to bring this up again. "Life's not exactly as it seems. You said something about a FuglyDuckling guy? A crypto investor."

"Yeah." Rico's eyes narrowed on him, gaze not as scheming as his thoughts. "Bloody maniac that one. I did mention the kinds of transactions he's doing? All of them have broken records so far."

Darren pursed his lips with little interest. "Sounds like you've been keeping tabs on him."

"Yeah, well, gotta stay updated, right?" Rico said smoothly, but Darren could hear the layer underneath. He's fishing.

And now, Darren was certain of it.

He sat back, still relaxed on the outside, but inside, his mind was racing.

Something was happening here.

Rico had called him just days after his system had warned him about another hacking attempt on his Bitcoin wallet. At the time, Darren had brushed it off as the usual cyber-thieves trying their luck. But now? Now it wasn't just random attacks.

Rico had asked him if he still lived on Malegreen Street. Darren had said yes.

The next day, his house was broken into. His laptop had been tampered with. Someone had tried to breach his system.

He had thought it was Brooklyn. It made sense— she had the motive. Every evidence and reason pointed to her.

But Rico?

Darren stole a glance at him, keeping his expression neutral as his thoughts churned.

Rico was way too quick to bring up FuglyDuckling. And this coincidental running into each other, obviously wasn't coincidental at all.

Rico, also another skilled hacker.

But why? Why was he suddenly trying to pry?

Did he know that Darren was FuglyDuckling? Or was it just suspicion and he was in search of evidence? Was he trying to steal and run away?

Darren knew Rico. Stealing wasn't far off from his level.

He decided to deploy the system's Personal Insight Protocol feature.

Ding!

---------------------------

┏Personal Insight Protocol is complete┛

┏Information on subject is as follows┛

┏Full Name: Rico Elias Evans

Age: 24

Occupation: Cybersecurity Specialist, Independent Contractor

Affiliations: Moon Wealth Management Offices

Status: Under surveillance by MWMO due to criminal hacking activities

Condition: Facing potential legal action unless identity of FuglyDuckling is discovered

Address: 298 Hilgrid Street, Taildrive, CA 80590

Phone Number: (303) 555-0907┛

-----------------------------------

Darren's pulse slowed, a cold realization settling in.

Moon Wealth Management Offices. That was a subsidiary of Moon Enterprises which was run under the control of Ryan Anders, a sly businessman who candidly was very good at business management.

Ah, they were trying to scout him early. Get his signature before he became public knowledge.

Darren exhaled through his nose, forcing himself to stay in control. Alright. So Rico suspects. But he doesn't know for sure. He's looking for evidence.

That meant Darren still had the upper hand.

Even though the system had told him to declare himself as an investor this month, he wanted to do it on his terms, not having it leaked by a Wealth Management company.

Also, he wanted to tell people he cared about face to face, not have them find out through the news or with MWMO agencies following him around, asking for his signature.

"Man, this has been great," Darren said suddenly, finishing his drink and setting the glass down. "But I gotta be somewhere. Got a meeting lined up."

Rico blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Then he smiled, nodding. "Yeah, no worries. I understand you're like a big man now, so it's fine. We should do this again, though. Maybe hit up the old crew."

"For sure." Darren slid back his chair, then gave Rico a small, knowing smile. "Hey, my mom's gonna be out of the hospital soon. You should come over, say hi. She'd love to see you."

He watched Rico carefully, catching the flicker of hesitation before the man nodded. "Yeah. That'd be nice."

Darren clapped a hand on his shoulder. "See you around, Ric."

He then walked out of the bar, sauntering with determination.

He pulled out his phone and called a number. It rang three times before the call connected.

"You weren't the one who broke into my house, were you?"