Late at night, Adrian Vandenberg sat at his desk in the office.
The Munich night appeared exceptionally quiet.
It was the end of 2016.
By the end of next year, the cryptocurrency market would usher in an unprecedented bull run, and Adrian Vandenberg did not want to miss this opportunity to make big money.
He planned to establish his own youth academy in the future, one that would recruit young prodigies.
He absolutely had to earn a lot of money; the 1500 Euros per week salary he currently received as a coach was far from enough.
The streetlights outside cast a dim, yellow glow through the gap in the curtains, coating his desktop.
He held his phone, the screen displaying the contact information for “Dad” and “Mom.” After hesitating for a moment, he took a deep breath and finally pressed the dial button.
The phone rang twice and was quickly answered.
His mother’s familiar voice came through: “Adrian, its late over there.
Is something wrong, calling so late?” “Mom, there’s something I need to discuss with you both.” Adrian Vandenberg tried to keep his voice sounding calm and natural, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous inside.
He knew what he was about to say might put his parents in a difficult position.
“Did something major happen at school, or are you sick?
Tell Mom if anything is wrong.” His mother’s voice carried concern, and even more so, worry.
“Everything at school is fine, no problems at all.” Adrian Vandenberg smiled, trying to relax her.
“It’s like this…
I…
I recently discovered a good investment opportunity, and I wanted to ask if you could help me pool some funds.” The other end of the line went silent for a moment, then his father’s voice came through.
“Investment?
Adrian, how old are you?
What do you know about investing?
Have you run into a scammer?” “No, Dad.
I study computer science.
My professor often engages in quantitative trading, and I’ve learned quite a bit about it and understand a fair amount.” Adrian Vandenberg did not tell his parents he planned to invest in cryptocurrency.
“I’ve been studying some market dynamics recently, and I feel this opportunity is very reliable.
Moreover, I’ve saved some money myself, but I feel it’s not enough, so I wanted to borrow a little more from you.” Mom was still uneasy.
“Isn’t the money you saved from all your hard work doing part-time jobs and scholarships?
What if you lose it all by investing that?” “Mom, I won’t lose it,” Adrian Vandenberg replied with certainty.
“I’ve done a very detailed analysis; this investment project has almost no risk.” “Adrian, our family isn’t wealthy.
If you ask for too much money, our family can’t provide it.
One of the reason we sent you to study abroad in Germany was because tuition there is cheaper,” Mother gave Adrian Vandenberg a heads-up in advance.
“Mom, I won’t make things difficult for you.
It’s not a lot, just fifty thousand Euro.
I truly have absolute confidence.
Furthermore, regardless of whether I make a profit or not, I will definitely return this money to you first afterward,” Adrian Vandenberg’s tone was earnest.
“Adrian, if you lack money, as your parents we will certainly help you as much as we can, but you must be very cautious about this investment matter.
You are still young; don’t end up burdened with loans because of investing.” His father was silent on the phone for a while, finally relenting.
“How about this, I’ll discuss it with your mother.
Wait a moment.” “Thank you, Dad, thank you, Mom.” A wave of relief washed over Adrian Vandenberg, and his voice softened considerably.
“Don’t worry, I definitely won’t disappoint you.” His mother was still somewhat uneasy and couldn’t help but instruct, “Adrian, don’t be impulsive about investments.
Be more cautious about money matters.
You are still young; don’t get saddled with debt because of investing.” “I know, Mom.” A faint smile appeared at the corner of Adrian Vandenberg’s mouth.
“Don’t worry too much.
Once I earn some money, I’ll call you both over here with me later.” After hanging up, Adrian Vandenberg stared at his phone screen, his smile gradually fading.
He knew his parents were not financially comfortable; this money might be their savings, or perhaps even a portion of their pension.
Not long after, the transfer notification from his parents arrived: 50,000 EURO.
It wasn’t a huge sum, but it was enough, and Adrian Vandenberg was already deeply grateful.
Adrian Vandenberg’s family could only be considered slightly better than ordinary.
If they were well-off, he wouldn’t have chosen to study abroad in Germany; he came here precisely because the tuition was cheaper.
He was already very thankful to his parents for obtaining this money.
Adrian Vandenberg took a deep breath and silently vowed in his heart that once he earned money in the future, he would use it to repay his parents handsomely.
After receiving the money, his gaze was fixed on the computer screen as he pondered for a long time.
Only one desk lamp was on in the room, its warm yellow light spilling onto the desk, creating a sharp contrast with the cold light emanating from the screen.
Just after the phone call, he had borrowed fifty thousand EURO from his parents.
Combined with the twenty thousand Euros he had saved from part-time work, scholarships, and the wages from the past few weeks amounting to Eighteen Thousand Euros, his total available funds approached Ninety thousand Euros.
For an ordinary international student, this was already a huge sum.
For Adrian Vandenberg, it felt more like a key to unlock the door to wealth.
But this alone was not enough; he still needed to borrow money from the bank.
Germany’s lending policies were not overly strict.
A foreigner who had resided in Germany for more than two years and possessed a legal and stable source of income could obtain a loan.
Adrian Vandenberg met all the criteria.
His study abroad life had entered its second year, and simultaneously, his income as the head coach of Munich 1860 provided a legal and stable source of revenue.
The next morning, Adrian Vandenberg, dressed in a crisp suit, arrived at the Deutsche Bank located in the center of Munich.
Although his credit history was short, his status as the head coach of Munich 1860 gave him a significant advantage and recognition during the bank’s loan review process.
Walking into the bank lobby, Adrian Vandenberg glanced around, found the staff at the reception desk, and informed her that he wished to apply for a loan.
The staff member politely guided him to a spacious office, immediately offered him a cup of coffee, and asked about the purpose and amount of the loan he required.
Adrian Vandenberg briefly explained: “It’s like this, Madam.
I plan to use a sum of capital for investment in the cryptocurrency market.
To better seize this opportunity, I need to expand my investment quota through a loan.” The staff member nodded, clearly not unfamiliar with this type of investment plan, and began checking Adrian Vandenberg information.
“Alright, your personal situation and income status both meet our loan requirements.” She then began examining the relevant documents Adrian Vandenberg provided, including his proof of income, employment contract, and bank transaction records from the past few months.
As she flipped through the documents, her eyes suddenly lit up.
She looked up with a mixture of surprise and excitement.
“Wait a moment!!!
You…
you are Coach Adrian?
I recognize you!
My father has always been a fan of Munich 1860.
Your tactical arrangements are truly brilliant; the last few matches have been especially exciting!” Adrian Vandenberg smiled faintly, showing a humble expression: “Thank you, Madam.
My players are also doing their utmost.” “I genuinely love your style of leading the team,” the bank clerk continued to praise.
“You have very outstanding leadership abilities.
I watch every match; your strategies and adjustments fill the team with discipline.” Adrian Vandenberg responded with a smile: “I feel very honoured to receive the support of the fans.
Thank you for your attention.” As the conversation progressed, the bank clerk clearly got to know Adrian Vandenberg better, and her attitude became warmer.
She continued reviewing his loan application, confirming the loan amount, repayment plan, and annual interest rate.
“Your income is very stable, and the loan amount is within our approval range.
Overall, your loan application fully meets the standards.” Adrian Vandenberg let out a sigh of relief.
The bank clerk then handed him a loan contract detailing the loan amount, annual interest rate, and repayment period.
Adrian Vandenberg carefully read every clause, ensuring there were no unfavourable terms.
After confirming everything was correct, he signed to complete the loan application process.
Ultimately, he secured a loan of 30,000 Euros for a one-year term at an interest rate of 4.1%.
“Your loan application has been approved, Mr.
Adrian Vandenberg.
This loan will help you expand your investment scale.
Good luck.” The bank clerk smiled, handed him a copy of the loan contract, and wished him success in his investment.
After securing the loan, Adrian Vandenberg left the bank.
He didn’t know if it was due to the system’s influence, but the memories from before his transmigration played continuously in his mind like a precise documentary.
He still clearly remembered the cryptocurrency frenzy of 2017—it was a carnival of wealth in the investment world.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and those obscure altcoins multiplied several times, even dozens or hundreds of times, within a single year.
In December 2017, that month saw the emergence of many new billionaires globally, while many others vanished without a trace.
Upon returning home, he quickly opened a spreadsheet, which he had stayed up for the past few days compiling.
The spreadsheet listed mainstream cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and NEM as well as potential coins such as NEO.
Every row meticulously documented their price fluctuation curves from the latter half of 2016 to the peak of the 2017 bull market, along with potential rates of return.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that if this spreadsheet were to circulate, it could cause a devastating earthquake in the entire cryptocurrency market.
Adrian Vandenberg pondered.
“Bitcoin is too expensive; it’s nearly 750 US dollars per coin now.
Although it will eventually rise to twenty thousand US dollars, the increase is only about 25 times.” He drew a cross on the row for Bitcoin.
He then shifted his gaze to Ethereum.
“Ethereum is quite good; it’s around 8 US dollars now and could rise to 1450 US dollars at its peak, but that’s only 160 times.
Still not enough.” “Ripple is also quite good; it’s around 0.006 US dollars now and could rise to 3.85 US dollars at its peak, but that’s also 500x times.
Still not enough.” “There is Stellar (XLM) which is also quite good; it’s around 0.002 US dollars now and could rise to 0.93 US dollars at its peak, but that’s even lower about 400x times.
Lower than before.” “Then the NEM(XEM) is one of the excellent cryto; it’s around 0.0035 US dollars now and could rise to 2.05 US dollars at its peak, but that’s also 700x times.
Highest in European market.” His gaze finally settled two of the last row of the spreadsheet: NEO, which has a nick name, Chinese ethereum.
This cryptocurrency, known as ‘Chinese ethereum’ currently costs less than 0.05 US dollars per coin, yet during the peak of the mid Jan 2018 bull market, NEO soared to 198 US dollars per coin, multiplying by a staggering nearly 2500x times.
“This is the one,” Adrian Vandenberg murmured softly.
The pen in his hand paused for a moment before he drew a large circle around the row for NEO.
He carefully recalled NEO’s future performance.
This coin not only saw massive appreciation but also attracted a large number of investors due to its technological potential and special support from the Asian market.
“Although it is still obscure now, as long as the timing is seized, by the end of 2017, it will skyrocket.” Having made up his mind, he opened his account.
Adrian Vandenberg naturally knew that to buy enough NEO, he had to go through international cryptocurrency exchanges.
First, he converted the fifty thousand EURO given by his parents into US dollars through the bank, totalling about 53,800 US dollars.
Then, he transferred the 20,000 Euros and the 30,000 Euros from his loan into the same account, bringing the total amount close to over 128,000 US dollars.
He transferred all the funds into his trading account via a platform that supported NEO trading.
On the exchange interface, the price fluctuation of NEO was extremely slight, showing movement around 0.07 US dollars.
Adrian Vandenberg looked at this figure and had already calculated that his funds could purchase over 700,000 NEO coins.
This number made him involuntarily take a slight breath.
“Confirm purchase.” He gently clicked the mouse.
The entire process took less than five minutes, but for Adrian Vandenberg, it felt like crossing a significant milestone in his life.
He leaned back in his chair and exhaled deeply, as if he had just completed a very tiring task.
The plan to make money was far from over, but this time, he had finally taken the first step.
He then glanced at the last row in his spreadsheet: XVG, highly volatile with the most amount of profit.
He knew because it was jaw dropping as the profit amounted to more than 9000x at its peak in Jan 2018 mid of the month.
But, it must also be noted that the currency didn’t have enough market transaction.
Its lowest price now was around 0.000023 USD per coin, and at it highest it reached 0.20 USD per coin.
So, he decide to buy just 1500 Euro worth of XVG from his remaining of the money he had for some pocket change, as this was only his weekly salary at most.
After the investment was complete, he encrypted this spreadsheet with garbled code and then completely destroyed it before finally breathing a sigh of relief.
The significance of this investment was immense.
Later, after realizing the returns, besides using the money to satisfy personal and family enjoyment, Adrian Vandenberg planned to use it to invest in youth training programs when he open one.
That’s right; he wanted to establish his own youth academy.
Investing in youth training requires a lot of money, and the most expensive component is scout fees.
When there is no FM system, accurately judging a player’s attributes is very difficult and must rely on a team of scouts.
The bulk of scout expenses comes from travel costs, as their mission is to fly around watching matches.
Although the work content seems simple, the expenditure is by no means small.
Now, with the FM system, Adrian Vandenberg can easily discover players with top-tier talent without relying on scouts.
What he needed to do was provide these young players with top-tier talent with the best possible training and living environments.
A good youth training camp facility, including field fees, personal management fees, daily expenses, international travel costs, competition fees, and so on—these various expenses, when added up, would cost at least tens of millions of EURO.
It would be very cash-intensive at the beginning, which is why Adrian Vandenberg was so eager to invest and earn money.
If he relied only on saving from his current coaching salary, it would take until the hundreds of years to save enough.
Some things always need to be done by someone, and since Adrian Vandenberg had transmigrated, it was natural for him to do these things.
…
The next match day arrived quickly.
This game was an away match against Sandhausen.
Under Adrian Vandenberg’s command, the atmosphere of the match gradually intensified.
Standing on the sidelines, he stared intently at every move the players made.
Sandhausen, although they were the away team, was not unfamiliar to Adrian Vandenberg.
He had long since formulated detailed tactical arrangements based on the opponent’s style.
However, for this match, Adrian Vandenberg decided to make some adjustments, especially in the lineup.
He intended to give some players a chance to rest, particularly Florian.
During pre-match training, Adrian Vandenberg had already communicated with Levent, telling him that he would have his chance in the second half today.
Levent’s form in recent training has been quite good.
Although his technical execution is not as good as Florian’s, he has his own distinct characteristics, and Adrian Vandenberg felt it was time to give him a chance to perform.
When the match started, Adrian Vandenberg saw the team quickly get into form.
Saša and Florian cooperated tacitly, displaying powerful threats on offense.
In the 18th minute, the team finally achieved a breakthrough.
Saša received an accurate long pass from Florian in the midfield, quickly dribbled the ball to the edge of the penalty area, and facing the Sandhausen defenders, he calmly executed a change of direction, lightly shaking off a defensive player before striking a curling shot from outside the box.
The ball flew toward the upper right corner of the goal like an elevator.
This goal was almost indisputable—a textbook ‘elevator shot.’ The entire stadium instantly erupted.
The fans burst into cheers, and Saša ran toward the corner flag area after scoring.
Florian stood in the center of the field.
He rushed toward Saša, patted his back, and celebrated with his teammates.
“Beautiful!” Adrian Vandenberg nodded on the sidelines.
Although this was just one attack in the first half, the manner of the goal and the fluidity of the cooperation showed him the team’s potential.
His decision was correct.
Since the three consecutive wins, the players’ form has been very good.
However, despite the good offensive rhythm, Adrian Vandenberg still had one thought in mind.
He knew that Florian’s continuous appearances in several matches had made him somewhat fatigued, and he had played the full duration every time.
Florian was still young; this accumulation of fatigue, if sustained long-term, might affect his development.
After this round of matches concluded, there would be a two-week break, during which the players’ physical condition needed to recover well.
After the first half ended, Adrian Vandenberg did not hesitate and immediately made a substitution decision.
“Florian, you played very well today, but you’ve played several games consecutively.
You can rest this one; let Levent go on,” Adrian Vandenberg’s tone was calm, but his words revealed concern.
Florian showed no resistance or doubt.
He nodded and said, “Understood, Coach.
If you need me, I can still play.” “No, no, you are our team’s midfield assassin, very precious.
Don’t push yourself; just watch the game in the second half,” Adrian Vandenberg said.
Florian smiled.
The goal in the first half further convinced Adrian Vandenberg that the team needed appropriate adjustments and rotation to ensure long-term performance.
He did not want Florian to expend too much energy under the pressure of short-term matches, as the seaAdrian was still long, and many tough battles lay ahead.
In the second half, Florian left the field, and Levent came on to warm up.
Adrian Vandenberg stood on the sidelines, watching Levent, hoping he would have a good performance.
“Levent, remember what I told you: when you go on, don’t rush the attack.
Stay calm and wait for the opportunity.
You performed very well in the recent training camp, overcoming your existing weaknesses.
Your technical level will reach a new height,” Adrian Vandenberg said patiently.
He knew Levent’s capabilities and his characteristics; with slight tactical adjustments, Levent would surely do well.
Levent nodded and said confidently, “I remember everything, Coach.
I will give it my all.” The match continued.
— T/N: The details regarding the bitcoins and cryto currency are well researched according to the precise year trend, not like original one where original trend were heavily downplayed.
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