I'm reborn and I'm an international student again?

After the meeting ended, Chen Xi had just gotten up to leave when someone patted him on the shoulder from behind.

He turned his head and saw Wang Xianqi grinning at him.

"What's wrong? Why are you smiling so slyly?" Chen Xi teased casually.

"Come on, let's go have a smoke." Wang Xianqi pulled out a pack of Xuanhemen cigarettes.

The two strolled to the vicinity of the convenience store next to the company's office building.

Wang Xianqi lit a cigarette, took a puff, and casually asked, "Hey, do you have any money on you? I can lend you some in an emergency."

"Yes!" Chen Xi readily took out fifty yuan from his wallet and handed it over.

“This is hardly enough!” Wang Xianqi didn’t take it.

"You asked yourself if you had any money on you. Who carries cash in their wallet these days? Everyone uses electronic payments." Chen Xi exhaled a smoke ring.

"Tsk, what I mean is... lend me more, five hundred thousand." Wang Xianqi leaned closer.

"I go!"

Chen Xi almost choked on the smoke.

"You still haven't paid me back the 100,000 from last time! And now you're asking for another 500,000? Do you think I'm a money printing machine?"

"Sigh, my girlfriend spends too much money..." Wang Xianqi's eyes darted around.

"Come on, did you spend it all on the game again?" He knew Wang Xianqi too well. In his previous life, this guy could spend tens of thousands of yuan on a private server of Legend of Mir, spending money extravagantly, but his income simply couldn't support such spending.

"Yes... I spent some money on games..." Wang Xianqi's voice trailed off.

"Given your current situation, you still dare to spend 500,000? What kind of game is that so expensive?" Chen Xi pressed.

"Well, well... Fantasy Westward Journey..." Wang Xianqi mumbled.

"That game has a treasure vault, right? You can sell the account and recoup some of your losses," Chen Xi suggested.

"Sold it! We're still short 500,000 even after selling the account!" Wang Xianqi exclaimed anxiously.

"Ha, I can tell you're not playing Fantasy Westward Journey. You want to borrow money without telling the truth?" He flicked his cigarette ash.

Seeing he couldn't hide it any longer, Wang Xianqi retorted, "Ugh, I... I just played a mobile game, that... Texas Hold'em. It was similar to what I played at the Singapore Casino... I won quite a bit at first, but that shady platform swallowed all my money. I found a reliable platform, but... I made a tactical mistake... and lost it all... I even owe money to online loans! Brother, can you lend me some to fill this loan hole first..."

Chen Xi's heart sank.

Memories of his past life flooded back. Wang Xianqi had borrowed money from him several times, but he stopped lending it to him. Then, this guy actually went to Chen Caiyue to borrow money, which infuriated him.

Most of the money I borrowed before went into the bottomless pit of online gambling.

In the end, this guy even sold his house and still owed nearly ten million in debt.

“You’ll borrow this 500,000 and then gamble it away, right? No way!” Chen Xi said firmly.

"How could that be..." Wang Xianqi wanted to argue, but he just grinned and offered him another cigarette.

Chen Xi didn't take it, but waved his hand and turned to leave.

He knew the allure of gambling.

Having been a gambler in his past life, he understood that if a gambler couldn't make money for a long time and could find other interests to replace gambling, there might still be hope.

However, this varies from person to person. People with a strong gambling addiction will lose interest in everything after gambling for a long time.

"I said I won't lend it!" Chen Xi said again without turning his head.

"Damn it! Are you kidding me!" Wang Xianqi's expression changed instantly, and he yelled angrily at Chen Xi's back, "I just wanted to borrow a little money to tide me over, do you have to be so stingy? What they say online is so true, when you're down on your luck and have no money, you can't even rely on your damn brothers!"

"Well, think what you want. I'm doing this for your own good." Chen Xi sighed, then strode away without stopping.

"What kind of brotherhood is this? The moment money is mentioned, we're no longer brothers!"

Behind him, Wang Xianqi's cursing continued, but Chen Xi could no longer hear it.

Sigh, it's the same as in my past life.

He sighed inwardly.

Half an hour later, oh my god, headquarters.

"You've finally arrived! Our website traffic has plummeted these past few days, it's driving me crazy!" Xing Tian anxiously wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was already winter, but he didn't feel a chill at all.

"Look how anxious you are." Chen Xi didn't rush to ask for details and lit a cigarette for himself.

Xing Tian pointed at the screen: "How can we not be anxious? The popularity of all the core channels—forums, games, novels, live streams—is plummeting!"

"Did you hire someone to inflate your stats before?" Chen Xi asked slowly, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Of course they paid for it! Which platform doesn't do that these days? Alibaba, Tencent, Kuaishou, major online literature websites, live streaming platforms...aren't they all paying people to promote and create hype?" Xing Tian said matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, the methods are all transparent. The platform needs a few top performers to maintain its image and attract real users. So they pay studios to boost these people's positive reviews, clicks, and popularity... To put it bluntly, it's about creating idols." Chen Xi nodded.
“That’s right, that’s the routine.” Xing Tianshen agreed.

"Then go check if the traffic on other major platforms has also dropped?" Chen Xi suggested.

Xing Tian quickly moved the mouse, and after a moment he exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? They really have all fallen."

"That settles it. It means the studio that created your idols got shut down. But these kinds of things are like weeds that can't be extinguished; new studios will pop up again in a while." Xi exhaled a smoke ring nonchalantly.

"Phew...that puts my mind at ease." Xing Tian breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"For a platform to last, it needs fairness and authenticity. Don't keep trying to lure newcomers in with fake data. Otherwise, you'll ruin your reputation and all your users will leave sooner or later. Creating idols is fine, but it has to be done in moderation. Platforms also need to select those with real potential and ability to promote. As for those streamers who rely on fake data, users aren't stupid, and their true skill level will naturally become clear over time." Chen Xi's tone became more serious.

"By the way, Zhijie Games is starting to turn a profit. Do you think it's time to give your investor a share of the profits?" Xing Tian remembered something else.

"Ha! If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten about this business prodigy." Chen Xi couldn't help but laugh when he thought of Xu Yun's complete lack of business acumen.

He picked up his phone and called Xu Yun: "Dear Zhijie investor, I have some good news for you. This time the dividend is a little bit more than last time."

"Oh? How much more?" Xu Yun's languid voice came from the other end of the phone.

This woman is clearly still fast asleep in bed.

"It's more than 100,000 more than last time."

"Tch, I knew it."

"Didn't you ask me before if I had any good money-making projects I could share with you? Here are a few right here, do you want to hear about them?" Chen Xi began to coax.

"Tell me about it~" Xu Yun yawned.

“That is, investing in South Korea. There are Dexter Studios, SoulBrain, the e-sports industry chain, geopolitical arbitrage…” Chen Xi listed several projects that could make money in the future, many of which are highly profitable industries.

Dexter Studios, a South Korean visual effects company, has recently seen its stock price remain sluggish. Based on its current market capitalization, a 30% stake could likely be acquired for around $30 million.

This company's stock price surged by 400% in the future through collaborations with Chinese films such as the sequel to "Kung Fu Panda" and "The Wandering Earth".

SoulBrain is a high-purity chemicals supplier for Samsung. With Japan potentially imposing export restrictions on photoresist, the South Korean government will likely launch subsidies for the localization of materials. Currently, the company isn't doing very well. A $20 million investment could acquire a stake, which would then facilitate the company setting up a factory in China, potentially leading to…

After he finished speaking, Xu Yun stretched and said, "I'm not interested. I don't think any of what you're talking about will make money. I've already found a more reliable partner."

Ok?
What's wrong with this woman today? She used to be begging me for everything.

A reliable partner?
Chen Xi looked bewildered, but still tentatively asked, "Don't be fooled by outsiders. Tell me what kind of business you've invested in, so I can give you some advice."

"Cultural tourism! It's about using the guise of exporting Chinese culture to open hotels and high-end clubs abroad to make money," Xu Yun said without hiding anything.

Because she wasn't sure herself, she wanted Chen Xi to take a look.

What exactly does "culture" refer to?

"Temple!" "Oh..."

Chen Xi let out a long "oh".

He roughly understood the situation; it wasn't unheard of for someone in Australia to have done this before. He had also donated money when the temple in Melbourne was built, so he was fairly familiar with the ins and outs of the business.

"What are you 'oh'ing about? Can you even make money?" Xu Yun felt a little anxious when she heard him shout that.

"Sigh, I don't know either. Since you don't want to invest in me, then forget it." Chen Xi sighed.

"It's not that I don't want to invest, it's just that you've scared me. Let me think about it some more," Xu Yun said somewhat hesitantly.

"Okay, then take your time thinking about it." Chen Xi said and hung up the phone.

"Can those things you just mentioned really make money?" Xing Tian, ​​who was standing next to him, was somewhat tempted.

"Yes, it can make money, but I have a more profitable project to do." Chen Xi snapped his fingers, because he was planning to go big.

half year later.

The construction of the new big data center in Xinlu has begun.

Chen Xi, wearing a safety helmet, was accompanying Ding Ningwen and Wu Wanrong to inspect the progress of the project.

Ding Ningwen pointed confidently at the construction site before him, showing no signs of intending to abscond: "Boss, I'm not bragging. Look at this scale; once completed, it will definitely be the largest in Asia!"

Wu Wanrong smiled broadly, his eyes narrowing into slits: "Yes, the development of Xinlu Future Technology will depend on the two of you."

"Boss, I'm so sorry, I have to rush to a meeting in Guangdong Province in a little while, what do you think..." At this moment, Ding Ningwen's phone rang.

He answered the phone for a moment, then said apologetically to Wu Wanrong.

Wu Wanrong was not displeased at all. Instead, he waved his hand with a smile and said, "Haha, I understand. President Ding is a very busy person. You go ahead and do your work. President Chen and I will take another look around."

Ding Ningwen turned to Chen Xi and shook hands with him: "President Chen, if there are any problems with the project, please contact me immediately and I will fly back to handle it."

Chen Xi, with a smile on his face, replied, "President Ding, please rest assured and get on with your work. I will definitely keep a close eye on such an important project."

After saying goodbye, Ding Ningwen left in a hurry.

After Ding Ningwen walked away, Wu Wanrong looked around, lowered his voice, and secretly winked at Chen Xi: "Kid Chen, once this place is built, we'll have to work together properly."

Chen Xi understood and made an OK sign: "Don't worry, Uncle Wu."

Half an hour later, Ding Ningwen's car stopped at an intersection.

He handed his phone to the driver and instructed, "Continue driving to the airport, then take a plane to Guangzhou..." After saying that, he took out a thick wad of banknotes from his briefcase and stuffed it into the driver's hand.

The driver was a sensible man; without saying a word, he nodded and took the money.

After dismissing the driver, Ding Ningwen hailed a taxi.

"Master, to Qinhuai City!"

The driver didn't start the car, but complained on the spot: "It will take almost two hours to drive there, and I still have to go home for dinner tonight. Why don't you take the high-speed rail? It will take less than an hour."

Ding Ningwen did not answer, but simply handed over a stack of hundred-yuan bills.

Seeing the stack of bright red banknotes, the driver immediately changed his tune: "I'm tired of eating at home every day. Let's go to Qinhuai City tonight for a change of pace."

Upon seeing this, Ding Ningwen's lips curled up slightly.

These days, money makes the world go round.

Once we arrived in Myanmar, we were free to roam the country.

He felt a surge of secret satisfaction as he thought about the private armed force he had built at great expense.

late at night.

Little Lushan.

This is a well-known cemetery area in Xinlu City.

The booming real estate market in recent years has not only driven up housing prices, but also increased the price of cemetery plots several times over.

This year the situation is even worse; it is said that some people have offered millions of dollars but still cannot buy a burial plot and need to pull strings.

A man in a trench coat is smoking in front of a tombstone.

At his feet was an urn wrapped in red cloth.

"Haha, I'm a genius. Who would have thought I'd hide it here? The boss was right, the most dangerous places are the safest, right under their noses." The man muttered to himself, exhaling a smoke ring with satisfaction.

For security and confidentiality reasons, he did not bring any subordinates with him today.

"Alright, you can just stay here obediently." The man stubbed out his cigarette, picked up the urn, and placed it in the grave.

Just as he was about to cover the bricks, a dark figure appeared silently behind him and suddenly punched him in the neck.

The man in the trench coat was clearly trained; he instinctively raised his hand to block, barely managing to deflect the attack.

He turned around abruptly and saw a masked man standing behind him.

"Who the hell are you?" the man in the trench coat shouted, inwardly wondering if the other man was a police officer. If not, he was prepared to kill him.

"I am your father!" the masked man roared, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks.

"Damn it!" The man in the trench coat also got really angry, and the two immediately started fighting fiercely in the silent cemetery. The force was so great that they even knocked over the offerings placed nearby.

The sounds of fighting quickly alerted the cemetery security guards.

He picked up the phone shakily and called the police: "Hello...hello...is this the police? I'm here...at Xiaolushan Cemetery, there are suspicious people around here, it seems...it seems like they're robbing graves..."

Unexpectedly, just a few minutes later, police cars arrived at the cemetery entrance with sirens blaring.

The security guard stared in disbelief at the police officers who quickly got out of the car, muttering, "Holy crap... police response times are this fast now?"

"Don't move! Police!"

Several police officers rushed into the cemetery and pinned the man in the trench coat, who was being brutally beaten by the masked man, to the ground.

Standing to the side, Shan Xun wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

He was just worried that the police might arrest him too, but now it seems he was worrying for nothing.

Xinlu City Police Station.

"This hard drive is actually encrypted with BitLocker." A police officer looked at the computer screen and clicked his tongue.

"Can it be cracked?" a higher-ranking police officer next to him asked nervously.

"Breaking BitLocker can be done either through physical attacks or by exploiting software vulnerabilities. If physical attacks are used, they can be accelerated by GPU clusters, but the cost is extremely high. The latest GPU clusters consume about 3.9 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, costing about 3.15 yuan."

"Money doesn't matter, but how long will it take to crack this?"

"It depends on the size of the encrypted partition and the host's performance. It can take as little as half an hour or as long as ten billion years."

"What? Over 10 billion years? Are you kidding me! I'm giving you the top priority: crack it within a week."

"Forehead……"

The officer scratched his head awkwardly, but given his superior's instructions, he had no choice but to agree. (End of Chapter)