Reborn in 2000, starting from the university website

At seven o'clock in the morning, just as the first rays of the rising sun were reflected off the glass curtain wall of Hailong Building, the security door of room 801 was smashed with a deafening roar.

Bai Yuhang and Jiao Liwei had just finished washing up and hadn't even had time to wipe their faces when Zhang Jian, with messy hair and dark circles under his eyes but full of energy, rushed in, clutching his laptop tightly as if he were holding his newborn son.

"Amazing! Sixth Brother, that's fucking amazing!"

Zhang Jian slammed his laptop onto the dining table, pointing at the dense code on the screen, his fingers trembling: "Last night I wanted to spar with Allen, but he only spent one night using the compression algorithm you developed to dismantle OICQ's underlying communication protocol. Look here, this data packet encapsulation logic—he cut out all the redundant bytes!"

The screen displays the refactored core code, which is so concise it's almost cold.

"I tested it three times, and the data volume was compressed by 40%, and the transmission efficiency more than doubled. What does that mean? It means that our current server capacity has doubled, saving us half the bandwidth costs!" Zhang Jian grabbed a glass of cold water from the table and took a swig, his Adam's apple bobbing violently. "Is this what a master is? Compared to him, the code I used to write was just a pile of garbage that could only run."

Bai Yuhang glanced at the code, a smile playing on his lips. This 2% stake was a steal. He patted Zhang Jian on the shoulder: "Alright, don't underestimate yourself. From now on, this expert is our own; you'll have plenty of time to learn from him. What about Allen?"

"He slept in 601, saying he didn't sleep a wink all night and told me not to disturb him." Zhang Jian chuckled. "This time I'm truly impressed. Your compression algorithm combined with his application logic is simply divine. From now on, if he tells me to go east, I'll never go west."

Just then, Jiang Shuo pushed the door open and came in.

He wasn't holding his signature calculator or ledgers; instead, he had a serious expression. Normally, seeing the company's money flowing out of the account like water would have made him clutch his chest and cry for help, but today he was unusually silent.

"Sixth Brother, I want to discuss something with you." Jiang Shuo pushed up his glasses, his tone serious.

"What? Another budget cut?" Bai Yuhang joked.

"No." Jiang Shuo shook his head, pulled out a chair and sat down. "I want to spend some time at China Venture Capital Network Fund Company. I want to learn from the CFO who came from PricewaterhouseCoopers under General Manager Zhang."

Bai Yuhang raised an eyebrow: "You've figured it out?"

"I've figured it out." Jiang Shuo sighed, somewhat self-deprecatingly. "Back in the dorm, I thought managing money was just about bookkeeping and saving. But these past few days, watching millions go in and out, I've realized my abacus beads aren't enough. We're aiming for an IPO, I can't just be a miser who knows how to use a calculator. I need to learn real capital operations, auditing, and how to make money grow even when it's just sitting in the accounts."

"By the way," Bai Yuhang said without hesitation, "Go ahead and tell President Zhang that I sent you for 'further training.' Your work will be temporarily handed over to Mu Qing. Once you've completed your training and returned, our purse strings will be truly secure."

In the afternoon, at the Hailong Building office.

Bai Yuhang packed his briefcase, preparing to leave for the airport early. Su Muqing stopped him, holding a stack of expense reports, and explained the reimbursement requirements to him, saying that they would need to be reviewed one by one in the future.

"This restaurant receipt exceeds the limit, reject it." Su Muqing didn't even look up, tossing a form aside. "This taxi receipt doesn't match the time, have Lao Si write down the destination clearly."

She handles things with efficiency and composure, creating a well-organized atmosphere in the office.

"President Su, I'm heading back to the Northeast and need an advance on my travel expenses. Could you do me a favor?" Bai Yuhang asked with a smile, tapping the table.

Su Muqing looked up, pushed a "Financial Approval Form" in front of him, and handed him a pen: "President Bai, let's keep things official. Sign it, put your fingerprint on it, and write down the reasons clearly. Now that I'm the chief financial officer in Beijing, you set these rules, and you can't lead the way in breaking them."

Bai Yuhang looked at her "iron-fisted" yet smiling expression, shook his head helplessly, and obediently signed the document: "Alright, although I've been stripped of power, with you in charge, I can rest assured."

"Stop being so cheeky." Su Muqing put away the form and handed him a check. "Take care of yourself in Harbin. Don't forget to eat because you're so focused on the competition. I'll take care of things here; things won't get chaotic."

The 4 o'clock flight roared into the sky.

It was Zhang Jian's first time on an airplane. He pressed his face against the window, looking at the city of Beijing gradually shrinking below, and muttered, "Sixth Brother, look, isn't that our Hailong Building? It's so tall... Ten days ago we were squeezing onto a green train to get here, and now we're flying back."

Bai Yuhang leaned back in his chair, nervously watching the clouds outside the window.

Yes, ten days.

From green-skinned trains to Boeing passenger planes, from a makeshift operation to a professional team, with QQ and Renren.com as its two major weapons, Qihang Technology has truly set sail.

However, on the other hand, he was covered in cold sweat from the flight.

In his previous life, he died in a plane crash, so he still felt a bit uneasy about flying again and thought he would have to get used to it slowly.

Upon landing at Harbin Taiping Airport, as soon as the cabin door opened, a warm breeze from late April, carrying a familiar warmth, rushed towards me.

The two hailed a taxi and headed straight for Harbin Institute of Technology.

"Where to? The University of Technology?" The driver, a typical Northeastern guy, immediately started chatting upon hearing the destination. "Brother, are you also going to watch the 'Blue Speed ​​Cup' competition?"

Bai Yuhang was taken aback: "Master knows too?"

"How could I not know! It's all over Harbin!" The driver slapped the steering wheel, as excited as if he had just entered a competition. "I heard you can win 10,000 yuan playing a game! Goodness, 10,000 yuan! How many years would it take to drive a taxi? My brat keeps saying he wants to go to the internet cafe to watch the games, saying it's something like... e-sports? The world has changed now, playing games can be a legitimate business."

Bai Yuhang and Zhang Jian exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes. The impact of this competition had transcended the campus, becoming a social topic of conversation in the city.

The car was parked in front of the Blue Speed ​​Internet Cafe, but couldn't be driven in.

The entire street was packed with people, even more lively than during the Chinese New Year.

"Don't push! Don't push! Line up!"

A hoarse roar came from the center of the crowd.

Bai Yuhang shielded his eyes with his hands and stood on tiptoe to look. He saw Liu Jing standing on a table that had been moved from somewhere, holding a large megaphone. His voice was hoarse like a broken gong, and he was covered in sweat, his clothes were all torn.

"Those with tickets, go to the left! Those without tickets, go to the right to watch the live broadcast on the big screen! Everyone can log in to the school's intranet at any internet cafe to watch the live text broadcast!" Liu Jing waved his arms like a general commanding a thousand troops, pointing at a few kids trying to squeeze in during the chaos, "Hey you in the red shirt! I'm talking to you! Don't cut in line! Cutting in line again will get you banned!"

The hundreds of enthusiastic college students below were actually stunned by his shout and obediently started lining up.

The fifth student, who used to only buy food, fetch water, help with dating, and run errands for the dorm, now stood on high, his playful smile gone, replaced by a fierce determination and domineering presence.

"Great," Zhang Jian exclaimed. "Fifth brother has really mastered it."

Bai Yuhang smiled, but didn't rush over. He stood behind the crowd and lit a cigarette.

This is Qihang Technology's coming-of-age ceremony.