Reborn in 2000, starting from the university website

As soon as you push open the door to the Blue Speed ​​Club, a faint aroma of coffee wafts out, not the familiar smell of an internet cafe. The carpet underfoot is almost too thick, making no sound when you step on it, and the crystal chandelier above the lobby illuminates every corner of the hall.

Liu Jing, the fifth brother, instinctively tried to pull his foot back. He wiped the mud off his shoes at the doorway and muttered under his breath, "Goodness, this isn't an internet cafe, it's a palace! I don't even dare to put my foot down."

The seventh brother, Zhang Qingheng, clutched the bag containing the CDs tightly, his body stiff as a board, not daring to glance around.

"Straighten your back." Bai Yuhang stopped and reached out to straighten Zhang Qingheng's faded collar. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a reassuring composure. "We're here to provide technical services, not to beg. This carpet, no matter how expensive, is still meant to be walked on."

He clapped his hands, drawing his brothers' attention back from their daze: "As we assigned before we left, this time the standards have to be high, we have to be worthy of the price they paid. Fourth brother, you're the hardware expert, go over all the machines first. They're all brand new, so be careful not to scratch or bump them. After you've checked the hardware, my server should be almost done, then the two of us will install the client. Second brother, third brother, and fifth brother, the three of you are in charge of installing the client, be quick and efficient, don't just stand there like idiots behind the customers. Boss, coordinate, keep an eye on our installation, don't forget any machines, and quickly fill in any missing ones. Seventh brother, you come with us to install the client, and be responsible for the final testing, make sure the keyboards and mice are all in place."

"receive!"

The group responded in hushed tones, the tacit understanding they had developed in dormitory 206 instantly overcoming any initial awkwardness.

Wan Lianghao pulled a screwdriver from his bag, put on his own anti-static gloves, and looked more professional than a surgeon at a top-tier hospital. He walked to an empty machine, skillfully disassembled the side panel of the chassis, glanced at the internal structure, and his eyes almost popped out. He muttered, "Wow, a Pentium III 800EB, this...this configuration is amazing! President Shi really went all out. This machine will run like the wind."

Shi Hongchao, holding a cup of coffee, stood by the second-floor railing, looking down at the group of students. Like a well-trained special forces unit, they quickly dispersed and took their positions. There was no shouting, no running around, and even their footsteps were deliberately light, leaving only the crisp sound of keyboard clicks.

"That's interesting." Shi Hongchao took a sip of coffee, nodded to the network administrator next to him who was staring in disbelief, and said, "Learn from this. This is what it means to work. It's almost noon. Have the kitchen prepare a light meal for each of them. Don't just give them instant noodles."

At 2 p.m., as the screen of the last machine lit up, the blue and white "Sailing Navigation" interface was displayed neatly on the flat-screen monitor. The screens throughout the internet cafe were uniform and visually striking.

Bai Yuhang walked to the bar, smiled and nodded at Shi Hongchao upstairs: "Mr. Shi, is it time for the inspection?"

Shi Hongchao got off the plane, randomly picked a machine in the corner to sit down, and clicked the "Call Service" icon on the desktop.

Almost the instant the finger left the mouse, the bar's speaker gave a crisp "ding," and a prominent notification popped up on the screen: "Unit 26 calling."

"The latency is very low." Shi Hongchao raised an eyebrow and then clicked on "Order Service." The menu immediately popped up, featuring all the high-end light meals and drinks served at the club, with the images loading incredibly fast.

"Can this menu be modified in the backend? Would it be troublesome to change the dishes?"

"It can be changed anytime, it's a foolproof operation, anyone who can type can make changes." Bai Yuhang winked at Zhang Jian.

Zhang Jian understood immediately, quickly typing a few keystrokes to change the price of "Latte" in the backend to "999". The frontend page refreshed, and the price changed instantly. Before Shi Hongchao could speak, he pressed enter again, and the price instantly returned to its original state.

Shi Hongchao smiled, stood up, clapped his hands, and no longer hid his appreciation: "Good job, well done, the money was well spent."

He turned and waved to the finance department: "Check out."

The finance lady had already prepared everything. She went back to the finance office, opened a drawer, took out a thick kraft paper envelope, and handed it to Bai Yuhang at the front desk.

The envelope wasn't sealed properly, revealing the side of a stack of brand-new red bills; its thickness was dizzying to look at.

Fifteen thousand.

The air around them seemed to freeze for a second. Zhang Jian, the third brother, swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the envelope as if trying to see through the parchment. Liu Jing, the fifth brother, held his breath, his grip on the network cable becoming deformed, his face turning bright red.

This is money they earned themselves.

It wasn't living expenses from their parents, nor was it pocket money they painstakingly saved up; it was their first pot of gold, earned honestly and through their skills and hard work. This sum of money weighed more heavily than all the computer cases they had moved and put down combined.

Bai Yuhang took the envelope, his palm slightly sinking. He didn't count the money on the spot; counting money in this kind of situation would be beneath him. He simply squeezed the thickness with his fingers, the solid feel of which gave him peace of mind.

"Mr. Shi, the money has been received. The completed contract should be delivered by next Friday, and the invoice will be issued to you at that time." Bai Yuhang turned around and handed the envelope to Jiao Liwei behind him. "Boss, keep this safe."

Jiao Liwei took it with both hands, his movements as solemn as if he were receiving an imperial edict. He quickly stuffed it into his inner pocket, zipped it up tightly, and pressed it down again for added security. Only after confirming that the hard lump was still there did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"Go on, don't delay your next business." Shi Hongchao waved his hand, sat back on the leather sofa, and resumed his lazy boss demeanor. "Keep in touch, come visit often."

As soon as they stepped out of Blue Speed's gate, the cold wind outside made them gasp for breath, as if they had just been pulled out of the water.

"Holy crap!" Liu Jing jumped up, punching the air, his voice, which had been suppressed for so long, finally exploded, "Fifteen thousand! We're rich! We're really rich!"

"Shut up!" Jiao Liwei jumped in fright, quickly covering his mouth with his hand. He scanned the surroundings warily like a radar, seeing everyone as a potential robber. "Don't you understand the saying 'don't flaunt your wealth'? This is a huge sum of money!"

"Sixth Brother, where are we going now?" Zhang Jian asked excitedly, his face flushed, rubbing his hands together. "Shouldn't we go get something good to eat? I want some braised pork ribs!"

"All you know is eating, what a load of crap." Bai Yuhang couldn't help but laugh as he watched Jiao Liwei walk so nervously that he almost stumbled. "Boss, turn left at the intersection ahead and you'll find the Construction Bank. Deposit the money first. With 15,000 yuan in your pocket, I doubt you can even walk properly. You'll trip and kill yourself if you keep walking like this."

Jiao Liwei breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I feel more at ease with this money. With this money on me, I feel like the whole world is staring at my pockets. I even got a little anxious when that old man passing by glanced at me."

A group of people, like escorting an armored truck, surrounded Jiao Liwei and ushered him into the bank.

Only when he held the light deposit receipt in his hand did Jiao Liwei breathe a sigh of relief, plop down on a chair in the waiting area, and finally feel a weight lifted from his shoulders.

"Alright, now that the money's in our pockets, let's get back to work." Bai Yuhang glanced at his watch. "It's 2:30 now, still plenty of time. Let's split into three groups and take over the remaining three in Nangang. We'll help them install the server software, mainly guiding the network administrators on installing the client software; it's not too difficult."

"Second brother, lead the team to 'LeSu,' fifth brother, follow along. You two are good talkers. Fourth brother, take seventh brother to 'XinWang,' seventh brother, come along too. Eldest brother, third brother, and I will go to the last one." Bai Yuhang's sharp eyes swept over every young face. "We'll collect a thousand yuan in software usage fees from each one, that's three thousand yuan in cash. Don't drop the ball, we have to close this deal before dark. Back in Daowai, see you at our new company."

"Just you wait and see!" Liu Jing yelled, grabbed Yang Bo and ran, his steps so light they seemed to be flying.

Wan Lianghao slung his bag over his shoulder, waved to Zhang Qingheng, and said with great bravado, "Seventh brother, come on, I'll show you what technical guidance is all about."

"Tch, as if everyone's done it before." Zhang Qingheng said defiantly, but his feet quickly followed, his previously hunched back straightening up considerably.

Watching his brothers' retreating figures, Bai Yuhang took out a cigarette from his pocket, was about to light it, but then put it back.

"Let's go, boss and third brother." Bai Yuhang patted Jiao Liwei, who was still repeatedly touching the receipt in his pocket. "Stop touching it. It's okay if the paper is lost. We should get to work."

Jiao Liwei grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "Let's go! We have to have a good meal tonight!"