Reborn in 2000, starting from the university website

The radiators in the lecture hall were probably about to explode; there was a constant hissing sound of water flowing, and the heat made the air feel dry.

On the podium, the white-haired old professor spoke into the microphone, reciting the determinant of linear algebra like a lullaby, causing the students to slump over.

Bai Yuhang sat in the last row, closest to the back door of the classroom. He had his down jacket under his bottom, and his ballpoint pen was twirling unconsciously across his notebook. On that page, the once neat matrix had been scribbled over, replaced by a series of alarming numbers.

The income was 5,300, the server expenses were 4,000, and the remaining 1,300, plus the 1,000 that had been saved up, plus all the other expenses, totaled 2,000.

This is like driving a Ferrari but only having a water bottle's worth of gasoline left in the tank.

Liu Jing, the fifth brother next to him, was fast asleep, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth onto the cover of "Advanced Algebra," forming a pool of drool above the word "Algebra." Bai Yuhang pushed his head away in disgust and looked back at the notebook.

Three months.

This is the lease term for the Telecom server, I'm in a hurry.

Three months later, the traffic is likely to increase several times over. If there is no new investment by then, the cost of expanding bandwidth will definitely crush his makeshift team into dust.

We can't exactly take our buddies from 206 to internet cafes to fix computers and make money, can we? That's not internet entrepreneurship, that's work-study.

What's even more fatal is her identity.

He wrote the three characters "regular army" heavily on the paper, the tip of his pen almost tearing the paper.

To put it bluntly, "Qihang's" current business is basically a slightly more sophisticated illegal operation. No official seal, no corporate bank account, not even a proper office location. If it grows bigger in the future and wants to work with reputable companies, they'll require official invoices. Are they going to pay for their cafeteria meals themselves? To put it even worse, if Microsoft's legal team notices it and sues it for distributing pirated systems, it won't even have a shield. It could be completely crushed in its bunk bed in dormitory 206.

This won't do; we need to find a solution!

The sound of the bell ringing to signal the end of get out of class was simply heavenly.

Liu Jing abruptly wiped his mouth and groggily asked, "Is dinner ready?"

"Eat yours." Bai Yuhang shoved the book into Liu Jing's arms. "Take this back to my dorm for me, I have something to do."

After saying that, he grabbed his coat, went against the flow of people rushing towards the cafeteria, and plunged headfirst into the cold wind.

The IC card was inserted into the telephone, the buttons frozen stiff. Bai Yuhang hunched his shoulders, and a few long beeps came from the receiver before the call was answered.

"Feed?"

The voice was very low, with that unique breathy sound that you only hear in a library.

"President Su, reporting for duty." Bai Yuhang's lips curled up slightly as he leaned close to the glass shield of the phone booth.

"You're such a chatterbox." The voice on the other end of the phone became clearer, as if speaking through a covered microphone. "What, calling at this hour? Have you run out of money and are you about to ask me for more investment?"

"The money's almost gone, but the battle was fought brilliantly." Bai Yuhang looked at the white breath he exhaled on the glass. "Daily page views exceeded 80,000, and unique visitors numbered 20,000. These figures would rank among the top in the current Chinese internet circle."

There was silence on the other end.

Only a faint crackling of electricity and Su Muqing's soft breathing could be heard. A full five seconds passed before her voice returned, devoid of its earlier teasing tone, replaced by an incredulous seriousness: "Eighty thousand? Bai Yuhang, have you cursed the internet cafes in Harbin? And it's only been a few days?"

"At first, I was really grateful for the help from Brother Zhao and my roommates; I'm sure I'll get even more in the future. But I've hit a roadblock now and I'd like to hear Mr. Su's advice." Bai Yuhang put away his joke. "I want to register a company."

"Yes, we must register." Su Muqing reacted quickly, his sharp wit as a top student from Beijing instantly kicking in. "Right now, 'Qihang' is like a naked baby, without any legal entity. Any business activity is like walking a tightrope. Moreover, if you want to grow big, the equity structure must be finalized now. Don't wait until the brothers start fighting over money before you start thinking about this."

"That's what I think too. I plan to hold all the shares on behalf of others for the time being. This will make the process simpler when dealing with investment negotiations, but the dividends will definitely be good. If there is any capital increase later, the shares held on behalf of others will also appreciate in value."

"Well, it's just getting started, that's fine. But there's a very practical problem," Su Muqing paused, "registered address. The Bureau of Industry and Commerce won't approve a university male dormitory as an office location. I've been to your dormitory, and it was a dormitory that reeked of feet. You need a commercial registered address. In Harbin, even renting the most run-down office space is a fixed expense."

Bai Yuhang rubbed his cheeks, which were stiff from the wind. This girl, even from over a thousand kilometers away, still remembers the smell of feet in the dorm.

I'll figure out the money problem.

"Don't rush into taking on some random, weird projects just for money," Su Muqing seemed to have guessed his thoughts. "The traffic is picking up, so cherish your reputation. I heard from my mentor that the venture capital circle in Zhongguancun has become quite active recently. IDG's managers used to only look at large portal websites, but now they're starting to focus on traffic entry points. If Qihang's data can stabilize and continue to grow, in two months..."

"You want to help me raise venture capital?"

"I'm afraid my 800 yuan principal will go down the drain." Su Muqing chuckled, a hint of barely perceptible pride in her voice. "If we can manage to attract angel investors, then we'll be operating like a professional army. At that point, you'll truly deserve the title of 'President Bai'."

"Looks like I'll have to reserve a CFO position for President Su, with plenty of stock options."

"Stop making empty promises. CFO, my foot! Let's see how you survive these three months first. I need to go back and reserve a seat. I was in such a rush when I left, my bag is still on the table. I hope no one throws it away."

"Okay, I'm hanging up."

"Yes, take care of yourself."

The receiver went dead. Bai Yuhang stood there holding the phone for a while, and his nerves, which had been tense due to financial pressure, strangely relaxed.

This girl has an incredibly sharp eye.

Being able to keenly grasp the direction of venture capital in 2000 is not just finding an investor, it's practically picking up a female Zhuge Liang.

He pulled out his IC card, put it in his pocket, and looked at the crowds hurrying by on the campus of the university in the distance, pondering the "registered address" that Su Muqing had mentioned.

Rent an office? No money.

Using a residential house? The business registration authority won't approve it.

Bai Yuhang stroked his chin, and suddenly Zhao Jianjun's smiling face, which resembled a chrysanthemum, and Liu Pangzi's body full of fat flashed through his mind.

These internet cafe owners have hundreds of machines in their hands, making a fortune every day, and most of them are in prime locations, so they must have some vacant storefronts or warehouses.

Since these local bullies have already tasted the benefits of the system, why not make them bleed a little more?

Looks like we'll have to keep fleecing, and this time, we'll fleece even more.