21-Day Survival Test: He Youbing and her 0.21 Bitcoin

Story: The first survival experiment in human history using Bitcoin

Heroine: He Youbing, a girl from Longyan, Fujian, has a four-year "coin age"

All assets: 0.21 bitcoins and a mobile phone

Goal: Survive for 21 days using only Bitcoin payments, without accepting charity or sympathy

Time: Summer 2018 (August)

What He Youbing has to do is very simple. He relies on these 0.21 bitcoins to survive in the big city and use bitcoins to obtain the most basic necessities of life such as food, clothing, housing and transportation.

However, the simplest is often the hardest.

He Youbing moved to five cities, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai. At first, she ran into obstacles everywhere. No store or person was willing to trade with her in Bitcoin. Many people thought she was a scammer. She had no food or shelter. She got sick, cried and felt desperate...

She has already stumbled along for 19 days on this 21-day journey...

Beijing (Days 1-6): With lofty beliefs and missions, we were met with setbacks

Beijing is a busy and desirable city. He Youbing's 21-day digital survival experiment is about to begin here. The young girl came here with a lofty belief and mission. She said firmly, "As long as I have a breath left, I will persist. If I fail, it will be the failure of blockchain and the failure of faith."

She also said that she was from the future.

At that time, the background music of Blue Lotus was still playing. Nothing could stop you from yearning for freedom... The free world in your heart was so clear and lofty, blooming with the blue lotus that never faded...

However, before the song was over, the passionate plot took a sudden turn. He Youbing's first stop in Beijing was Taoranting Park. She asked the old man who was collecting fees at the entrance of the park if she could buy tickets with Bitcoin. The simple old man said directly, "I don't know what Bitcoin is. I don't understand this."

Not only this old man, but also pedestrians on the street, guys at convenience stores, and aunties at newsstands all said they didn't understand Bitcoin.

She ran around the streets, but no store accepted Bitcoin, and she couldn't take public transportation. After that, she found an unlocked small yellow car and wandered around the streets and alleys of Beijing until night fell.

The girl, who hadn't eaten for a day, drank tap water in McDonald's, asked the clerk for four packets of ketchup, and tried cakes and fruits in the supermarket. After that, she fell asleep on a bench in McDonald's...

This was He Youbing’s first day, however, her second day was even more difficult, and she became a “homeless child”.

The next day, lacking the basic resources for life, she lay down under a tree in a depressed mood. Unexpectedly, the tree turned out to be a peach tree. In order to fill her stomach, she picked peaches without hesitation.

As a result, she vomited and fell asleep for two hours. In order to encourage her, the director team showed her the video of the first day, and she cried out of grievance...

Unable to take public transportation, without basic food and daily necessities, she was like a homeless orphan with her Bitcoin. At dinner time, she put aside her dignity and ate the leftover food from others in McDonald's...

The cruel thing was that she had no place to stay, so she walked alone until midnight, and finally found a McDonald's that was still open, and fell asleep on a bench in the store...

On the third day, He Youbing was really sick. She had not eaten staple food for three days and was "successfully" admitted to the hospital. The director team made an exception and allowed her to receive treatment.

Her fellow patients also came to support her. He Youbing used her Bitcoin to exchange some food and a transportation card from her fellow patients. This was barely her first successful Bitcoin transaction. So she smiled for the first time she hadn’t smiled for a long time… (Xiaocong Note: fellow patients refer to digital currency investors and believers, as well as friends and netizens who support He Youbing)

Afterwards, she went to the university cafeteria and saw two real Bitcoin transactions, with the traders being two teachers from the college. That night, she exchanged Bitcoin for accommodation with the help of her “fellow patient”…

He Youbing's experiment in Beijing lasted for three days. Due to various reasons, the stories of the fourth and sixth days were interrupted.

Beijing was a failed and painful journey for He Youbing. She sought help 113 times in total, but was successful only twice (excluding the two times from “fellow patients”), with a success rate of only 1.77%. Many people regarded her as a liar and a pyramid schemer. She slept on the street for two days, had almost no staple food, and lived the life of a “homeless child”. But this is also the most realistic story, reflecting that most ordinary people currently have a very low level of awareness of blockchain and digital currency.

Mustering up the courage to move to Shenzhen (Days 7 to 12): A more “friendly” city

On the 7th day, after hitting a wall in Beijing, He Youbing moved to Shenzhen and started again. But this time, after experiencing hardships, she gained more courage and began to laugh at herself, saying, "Even if no one does business with me, it doesn't matter. I have experience living in McDonald's."

But the same thing happened as in Beijing. She continued to run into obstacles everywhere, and He Youbing continued to live a life of poverty.

On the ninth day, He Youbing found a "Xia Bit" restaurant. Although the word "Bit" was in the name, the owner still did not accept Bitcoin. After many twists and turns, He Youbing finally persuaded the owner of the restaurant. Without the help of his "fellow patients", He Youbing finally had his first formal dinner in Shenzhen.

Moreover, He Youbing made a Bitcoin transaction with a young man on the street that day, and she got her first formal accommodation.

But on the tenth day, He Youbing encountered a century-old problem - her period. For a pack of sanitary napkins, she endured the pain of her period and went to the streets again to seek help. But she did it, and a young woman helped her.

What followed was another night of sleeping outdoors on the streets because no one was willing to help her book a hotel.

On the eleventh day, He Youbing seemed to have found a new way to experiment - to visit blockchain-related companies and media, and she did it. The receptionist of Lianpai Technology called He Youbing a "hero of the blockchain industry" and encouraged her by saying that "starting this journey is actually halfway to success."

In the following days in Shenzhen, He Youbing continued to "survive" according to this "routine". Shenzhen seemed to be more friendly to He Youbing. Here she met more strangers who knew about blockchain and visited many blockchain media and companies who were willing to help her. In Shenzhen, she sought help 348 times and succeeded 16 times, with a success rate of 4.60%.

But compared to ordinary people on the street, exchanging with people related to blockchain is the best way to solve the challenge of survival. However, ordinary people are the ones who need to popularize blockchain knowledge, so her journey will continue...

Moved to Guangzhou and Hangzhou (Day 13 to 19): He Youbing became "experienced"

With her previous experience, He Youbing said as soon as she arrived in Guangzhou, "First, I need to change my subway card to solve the transportation problem, and then go to the university town and blockchain companies." Of course, ordinary people are her most important target.

Afterwards, He Youbing came to a coffee shop and started chatting with a man who was drinking coffee. She made a joke when introducing her name. The man said, "If you are sick, go get treatment."

But this big brother was honest and helpful, and He Youbing exchanged food from him using Bitcoin.

Although he had tasted success as soon as he arrived in Guangzhou, he still encountered setbacks everywhere. On the fourteenth day, He Youbing wandered the streets for a whole day without finding any help.

It was not until the evening that she finally got a meal from a stranger. Fortunately, He Youbing later met a man who was willing to accept her Bitcoin and help her book a hotel.

By the fifteenth day, He Youbing seemed to be getting better. She switched from having only one dinner a day to having lunch.

This journey also had its ups and downs, but He Youbing became more "experienced" at this time. In Guangzhou, she sought help from strangers 153 times and succeeded 7 times, with a success rate of 4.57%.

The story in Guangzhou was coming to an end, and Hangzhou was her next stop. On the 16th day, He Youbing couldn't wait to start her "exchange" on the plane to Hangzhou, and soon she successfully traded with a man who looked like Jack Ma.

Hangzhou surprised He Youbing. On the 17th day, she met a small hotel owner who knew about blockchain and Bitcoin and successfully traded with him. He Youbing had never received such "treatment" in other cities.

In the following days, He Youbing visited some blockchain media and enterprises and received help. During the two days in Hangzhou, He Youbing smiled more and her story went relatively smoothly. She sought help 25 times in total and was successful 4 times, with a success rate of 16%.

On the nineteenth day, He Youbing was leaving for the last stop of her story - Shanghai, and the story continued...

Shallot Summary

He Youbing's experiment was the first survival experiment in human history using Bitcoin, but there were also some shortcomings in this experiment.

First, the documentary did not record He Youbing’s specific transfer amount and transaction details; second, He Youbing had some pleading emotions when communicating with strangers, and the effect of spreading knowledge was not good; third, "fellow patients", blockchain companies and the media provided too much help.

But what is worthy of recognition for He Youbing is that she has taken the step of popularizing knowledge about blockchain and digital currency, and is a true practitioner.