That year when he was eighteen, on his first day of college, he came across a video on Bilibili:

"With just a mobile phone and a capital of ten thousand, an ordinary person can earn a monthly income of one hundred thousand."

He believed it.

With part-time jobs and loans, he managed to scrape together twenty thousand; three days later, he lost it all.

He was unwilling to accept it, so he borrowed more through online loans, increasing his stakes as he lost more.

Four months later, he owed 130,000.

Every day, his phone was bombarded with collection calls, while his roommate worked out, binge-watched shows, and dated. He hid in the bathroom, calling to request an extension on his repayments.

One time, he stood on the rooftop of the teaching building, the wind was strong.

He didn’t jump; he just stood there for an hour and then went downstairs to attend class.

On the last day of class, the teacher said, "Young man, the most valuable thing is time."

He looked down at his empty WeChat wallet and suddenly smiled.

He said, "I’ve wasted my time too."