Global Depreciation: I Traveled Back in Time and Became a Billionaire

In September, in Dia City. Inside the "Starry Shine" café in the city center, Edith was sitting in a corner by the window, resting her chin on one hand and staring blankly at the sky outside. The sunlight was just right, and she had unexpectedly gone back to her youthful days. Just half an hour ago, at the age of 65, she had just finished her last shift in her career and retired gloriously. She took a nap on the bus on her way home. Unexpectedly, when the bus was traveling on the cross-sea bridge, an accident occurred, and the bus plunged into the deep sea with her. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself back in the appearance of when she was 20 years old. At the age of 20, she was in the prime of life, with a graceful figure, firm skin, full of self-confidence. Her family was well-off, and she had normal eyesight. Besides, she had a boyfriend. Everything was like a dream, but she quickly and calmly accepted this incredible reality. As a scientific researcher who had been delving into the space field for many years and had made certain achievements, she had always been good at accepting unknown things. When she woke up, she was still on the bus, and those distant yet clear memories of the past came flooding back. She remembered that on this day, Verina, Fran's mother, had invited her to meet at this café. Fran was her boyfriend. After a while, the glass reflected the elegant figure of a noblewoman. Edith sat up straight and cast her eyes on the other person, watching her gracefully take a seat. Before Edith could say anything, the noblewoman slightly raised her noble head, took out a check from her Hermès Kelly orange alligator-embossed bag, and gently placed it in front of Edith, saying, "Here's ten dollars. Leave my son alone!" Edith was stunned for a moment, thinking to herself: This wasn't the right plot! At this time in her previous life, wasn't it a hundred thousand dollars? Why had it become ten dollars now? Moreover, was it really necessary to go to so much trouble to write a check for just ten dollars? "I understand what girls your age are thinking. You always want to climb the social ladder and take shortcuts. But you should be clear that you and my son are from two different worlds. There is a huge gap between your social classes, and it's hard for you to blend in." As the noblewoman spoke, she stared at Edith's beautiful face for a few seconds and snorted disdainfully through her nose, "You are indeed quite pretty, but you can only deceive my simple-minded son. You can't deceive me." Edith finally recovered from the shock of "ten dollars". She only caught half of what the noblewoman said. Simple-minded? Her son was simple-minded? Was Fran simple-minded? Edith couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. When the noblewoman saw this, she slightly frowned under her sunglasses and said unhappily, "What are you laughing at?" "Nothing, just thought of something funny." Edith thought to herself that she was reminded of her once naive self. Once upon a time, she also thought that Fran was simple-minded and kind-hearted. After all, he was a young master who had lived a life of luxury since childhood and had been pampered by everyone in the wealthy family. What bad intentions could he have? However, when the academic paper that she had painstakingly written for two years was plagiarized and published by Fran, she finally woke up and realized how much she had suffered because of her shallow preference for good looks! Thanks to that paper, Fran became famous and smoothly entered the top scientific research institution in the country. And her appeals and cries for justice sank like stones into the sea in the face of the powerful influence and wealth of the Fran family, and no one paid attention to them. Later, with her own efforts, she finally became Fran's colleague and his direct subordinate. Fran, who had a guilty conscience, was afraid that she would expose his dirty deeds, so he made things difficult for her in every possible way at work. Eventually, he even used two hundred million dollars from the investment institution of the Fran Group and resorted to despicable means to squeeze her out of the team. That year, she was twenty-nine years old and was forced to be laid off. But gold will shine through. She didn't give up. Relying on the experience and achievements she had accumulated in the scientific research institution, she wrote another paper that shocked the industry. Soon after its publication, she successfully entered the "National Space Exploration Research Department" to work. After that, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to work, remained unmarried all her life, and worked hard in the field of space exploration until she retired gloriously at the age of 65. "Auntie, I think you're right. Fran and I are really not the same kind of people." Edith slowly pushed the ten-dollar check back to the noblewoman and said calmly, "There's no need for this ten dollars. Although I'm not wealthy, I'm not so short of ten dollars either." Edith's reaction was clearly beyond the noblewoman's expectation. The noblewoman pulled down her sunglasses with her fingers and carefully examined Edith, thinking to herself: This girl wasn't supposed to refuse with tears streaming down her face and then swear that she and her son were true love and that no one could separate them. That's exactly what she did last time they met. "Do you think it's too little? I've looked into your situation. For a family like yours, ten dollars is not a small amount. Or are you just trying to fool me? Don't play tricks on me!" The noblewoman put her sunglasses back on and her tone became cold. Edith smiled casually and said, "Auntie, you're overthinking it. I'll break up with Fran. I promise you." "I don't agree!" Suddenly, a furious roar came from beside them. The noblewoman was startled, but Edith just slightly curled the corners of her mouth without showing any emotion. It was the same way as last time. Last time, Fran suddenly showed up. The two of them firmly stated that they wanted to be together no matter what and tried to persuade his mother with emotion and reason. Finally, the noblewoman, who loved her son dearly, reluctantly agreed that they could continue to date. Fran strode over to the seat beside Edith and sat down, putting his arm around her shoulder firmly and saying, "Mom, I won't break up with Edith!" "Fran! Do you think Mom would harm you? Mom is doing this for your own good!" The noblewoman said anxiously and angrily. Originally, things were almost settled. But with her son's sudden appearance, this girl was very likely to change her mind! However, Edith expressionlessly removed Fran's arm from her shoulder. Standing up in the face of his astonished gaze, she looked directly at him and said, "Fran, I'm tired of this. Let's call it quits." "What... what do you mean?" Fran asked blankly. "What does 'tired of this' mean?" Edith raised the corners of her mouth, showing a sarcastic smile. "Literally, I've had enough of you." Fran's expression changed from astonishment to shock and finally to anger. "Edith, this is not the time to be willful, nor is it the place to joke around!" Fran said in a low voice. Edith looked at his face and had to admit that seeing this face again, she still thought he was handsome and charming. Whether it was the slightly furrowed brows when he was confused, the wide-open eyes when he was shocked, or the slightly flushed cheeks when he was angry, there was a unique charm about him. But as she looked at him, a sense of disgust that came belatedly welled up in her heart. Edith shifted her gaze to the noblewoman and said, "Auntie, to be honest with you, I have a strange quirk. I like having secret relationships with rich second-generation kids. Now that you've found out, I don't think it's interesting anymore." "Oh, by the way, Fran and I never slept together. We just checked into a hotel once, but he couldn't perform. I don't know if it was because he was too nervous or if there was something wrong with his body. I suggest you take him to the hospital for a check-up when you have time. After all, he's still young." "I'll pay for the coffee." With that, Edith turned and walked towards the cashier's desk, leaving Fran and his mother sitting there with ashen faces. "Hello, I'd like to pay for table number 5." "Madam, it's 0.75 cents in total. How would you like to pay?" Edith narrowed her eyes in confusion, thinking to herself whether she hadn't heard clearly. It seemed like it was 0.75 something? "Payment successful, 0.75 cents!" The voice announcement came from the cashier's desk. Edith subconsciously looked at her mobile payment page, which showed "Payment successful, 0.75 cents". 0.75 cents? Oh my God! Edith's eyes widened. At this moment, she was even more shocked than when she learned that she had traveled back in time and been reborn. What a tiny unit of currency!