Shocking Prophecy

Everyone's gaze, including Shen Zhiyi's face as she quietly turned to the side, focused on him.

"Student Zhao Chen?" Professor Wang gestured for him to speak.

Zhao Chen did not stand. Remaining seated, he spoke in a steady, clear voice that carried throughout the classroom:

"I partly agree with Chen Hao's view that housing prices will rise in the future, but I have a different opinion regarding his claim that it is 'the highest quality' investment, with 'no equal.'"

Chen Hao gave a derisive snort and sat back down with his arms crossed, wearing an expression that said, "Let's see what nonsense you can come up with this time."

"Real estate, especially residential property, has several inherent flaws." Zhao Chen raised a finger.

"First, its liquidity is extremely poor. It takes a long time to cash out, the procedures are cumbersome, and taxes and fees are high. When you urgently need money, distant water cannot quench near thirst.

"Second, policy risk is high. Purchase restrictions, resale restrictions, lending restrictions, property taxes... a change in any one policy can instantly alter an asset's valuation model.

"Third, holding costs. Property management fees, depreciation, the cost of tying up capital... all of these are silently eating your returns."

He paused, saw the encouraging look in Professor Wang's eyes, and continued:

"I admit that housing prices, especially those in first-tier and New First-tier Cities, may continue to rise over the next few years. But that is more like an inertial surge than healthy growth."

"Moreover, new homes usually come with a five-year resale restriction. During those five years, you can only watch your paper wealth grow without being able to cash it out. The opportunity cost is enormous."

Low murmurs rose in the classroom.

Zhao Chen's view was still sharp, but this time it seemed less like the horrifying act of "cursing his own family" and more like calm analysis.

Chen Hao could not help standing up again to refute him. "Armchair theorizing! You say real estate isn't the best investment, so what is? The stock market? A-shares have stayed at three thousand points for ten years—they specialize in curing all kinds of arrogance!"

"I mean high-quality blue-chip stocks, or more broadly, equity in high-quality companies." Zhao Chen met his gaze, his eyes calm and unruffled.

"The core of investing is investing in the most dynamic and creative companies of a country and an era. Bricks, tiles, and cement do not appreciate on their own, but a good company's products, technology, and market share do. In terms of liquidity, stocks are T+1 and can be converted into cash at any time. Policy risks are relatively transparent."

"As for the A-share index..." He shook his head slightly. "The index has been distorted for a long time, but structural opportunities have always existed. Find companies that can weather economic cycles and continue generating cash flow and profits—the returns from holding them long-term may not lose to real estate, while their flexibility far surpasses it."

"What a joke!" Chen Hao scoffed. "Find companies like that? Do you know how hard that is? How many so-called 'white horses' ended up becoming 'black swans'? Real estate is visible and tangible—that's what's truly solid!"

"Difficult does not mean it should not be done, nor does it mean it does not exist." Zhao Chen's tone remained almost completely flat.

But what he said next plunged the entire classroom into an even deeper silence, greater even than when he had said yesterday that "one-third of families will go bankrupt."

"Besides, if we are discussing 'liquidity' and 'potential returns,' I believe there is another asset that has been seriously undervalued."

He paused, then clearly uttered three words:

"Bitcoin."

The moment those words came out, the entire classroom fell silent.

Some looked utterly blank.

Others turned to whisper to their deskmates.

"What?" Chen Hao was stunned for a moment before bursting into exaggerated laughter.

"Bitcoin? That illusory electronic currency? Zhao Chen, did you not wake up yesterday and are still talking in your sleep today? Trading that thing has been banned here—it's illegal! That proves it has no future at all! An investment? I don't think it's even worth ten dollars. Sooner or later, it'll go to zero!"

After a brief silence, whispers filled with surprise, confusion, and mockery also began to spread through the classroom.

In 2016, Bitcoin was still a very fringe term for the vast majority of Chinese university students, especially students at Zhengfa University, and even carried negative connotations.

Shen Zhiyi frowned slightly, her gaze toward Zhao Chen filled with confusion and curiosity.

Zhao Chen waited until the noise in the classroom had died down somewhat before continuing. His voice was not loud, yet it carried a strange penetrating force:

"The fact that its trading is restricted on certain levels does not mean it has no value, much less that it has no future. On the contrary, I believe that by this December, Bitcoin's price will break through 1000 US Dollars."

"Whoa—" The classroom erupted.

"1000 US Dollars? How much is it now? Seven hundred or so?"

"Has he gone crazy?"

"How is that possible?"

Chen Hao laughed so hard he nearly doubled over. "Zhao Chen, Zhao Chen, I thought you were merely trying to grab attention. Now it seems you've truly lost your mind! 1000 US Dollars? Do you think the Federal Reserve is run by your family?"

Zhao Chen ignored the commotion around him and did not directly respond to Chen Hao's mockery. His gaze seemed to pass beyond the classroom, toward a more distant time and place.

"Its value comes from several aspects," he said slowly, as though organizing his own thoughts.

"First, its technical foundation. Blockchain, decentralization, a fixed total supply—these characteristics give it inherent scarcity and resistance to inflation.

"Second, the background of the era. After the 2008 financial crisis, global trust in the centralized monetary system centered on the US dollar developed cracks. Bitcoin represents an entirely new possibility.