Reborn in 2000, starting from the university website

The door to the VIP lounge shut out the deafening roar that threatened to tear the roof off the stadium, and the world fell silent instantly, with only the windowpanes trembling slightly in response to the heavy bass outside.

Bai Yuhang did not linger on stage. He was standing by the window in the lounge, watching the crowd below disperse like a tide, still enjoying themselves.

He took out his Nokia phone and dialed Zhang Lei's private number.

The phone rang twice before being answered, with the faint sound of a saxophone from a Beijing nightclub in the background.

"Mr. Zhang," Bai Yuhang's voice was soft, yet it carried a sense of relief that everything had settled, "I've already started this fire."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by the crisp sound of a lighter lighting a cigarette: "I heard that. Someone just called me and said that the commotion you caused in Harbin has even alarmed the provincial leaders. You set a great fire."

"Now that the fire's started, we need to add fuel to the fire." Bai Yuhang unconsciously traced a line on the fogged-up glass with his finger. "Let's release a press release. Tomorrow morning, I want every internet portal in the country to be headlined 'Qihang.' I've already had Mu Qing send the press release to your email."

Zhang Lei's hearty laughter came through the microphone, seemingly unsurprised by the result.

"There's something else I need your legal department to help follow up on." Bai Yuhang tapped his fingers unconsciously on the windowsill. "We contacted an American named Robert about the price of the qq.com domain name. It's $30,000. I want to complete the transaction directly without further delay. I want to finish the domain transfer within three days."

After hanging up the phone, Bai Yuhang looked at the dimming green light on the screen and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Buying a house number for $30,000 seems like an astronomical price now, but ten years from now it will be like getting it for free.

……

Half an hour later, in the largest private room, "Fu Man Tang," at Lao Chu Jia's Wenzheng Street branch.

In the center of the round table, a large plate of freshly cooked sweet and sour pork steamed with a pungent aroma, next to which were glistening stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers, and tender stewed fish.

This is supposed to be Harbin's most down-to-earth main dish, but the atmosphere in the private room was subtly heavy at the moment.

Shi Hongchao, Zhao Jianjun, and newly elected vice presidents Qian Jiangnan, Liu Qing, and others sat in a circle.

If it were half a month ago, these internet cafe owners, who were well-known in the underworld and even in Nangang, would at most call Bai Yuhang "brother," and that was only because of business.

But now, after a few rounds of drinks, Shi Hongchao picked up his glass and stood up to offer a toast, deliberately lowering the rim of his glass slightly so that it touched the bowl of Bai Yuhang's glass.

"Mr. Bai, I'll finish this one. Please feel free to drink as you like." Shi Hongchao tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, then showed the bottom of his glass.

The other bosses also smiled obsequiously, their eyes showing not only enthusiasm but also a cautious scrutiny.

What happened at the stadium at the end of tonight's game was terrifying: a million-dollar funding round, over a million online users, and a full acquisition of Tencent's OICQ. This isn't just college student entrepreneurship; it's a powerful outsider showing its true colors.

Just then, the heavy wooden door of the private room was pushed open, and a chilly draft swept in.

Yang Bo, dressed in a black suit and even a tie, walked in looking travel-worn.

Without any formalities, he nodded and waved to everyone at the table, then walked straight to the empty seat next to Bai Yuhang, took off his fogged-up glasses, and slowly wiped them with a corduroy cloth.

The sounds of clinking glasses and exchanging toasts inside the room stopped.

Everyone recognized this "second brother" of Qihang. He didn't talk much, but his attire and gloomy, scholarly air always made people feel that he was not to be trifled with.

"Everyone, keep eating, don't stop eating. This is a celebration banquet. I'm really sorry I'm late. I'll punish myself with a drink first." Yang Bo put his clean glasses back on his nose, put on his signature smile, poured himself a full glass of baijiu, and downed it in one gulp. The pungent liquor made him frown. "Just letting everyone know that there was a disgusting fly, and I swatted it dead."

Qian Jiangnan's hand, which was picking up food, froze in mid-air; a piece of braised meat on the tip of his chopsticks almost fell back onto the plate. He adjusted his glasses and tentatively asked, "Mr. Yang, is this Chen Yuan, the one who caused trouble before...? What's the story?"

Yang Bo picked up a piece of cold dish with his chopsticks to calm himself down, and said in a calm tone, "Master Qian guessed right, it really was him. I just finished giving my statement to the criminal police team, and the chain of evidence is complete. The attack logs, IP physical addresses, the tools seized at the scene, and the attack software he hadn't had time to shut down all match up."

He put down his chopsticks, glanced around at the business owners present, and said in a low but clear voice, "The crime of damaging computer information systems is heinous and has serious consequences. The lawyer I consulted estimated a minimum of three years. He's definitely going to jail for this."

With a clang.

The soup spoon in Liu Qing's hand clattered against the edge of the porcelain bowl, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet private room.

Three years minimum.

Those of you here are all seasoned veterans. In order to grab business, you've seen plenty of underhanded tactics, such as cutting off power, unplugging internet cables, reporting fire safety violations, and harassing minors online.

Everyone originally thought that Chen Yuan's conflict with Bai Yuhang of Qihang Technology was just a student squabble, at most a matter of paying money to settle the score, or finding someone to beat him up to vent his anger.

No one expected that Qihang would act so swiftly and decisively, resorting to criminal law to torture the person to death.

This isn't a student fight; it's capital clearing out the area.

Looking at Yang Bo's naturally harmless, refined, and smiling face, and then at Bai Yuhang next to him who was still smiling and twirling his wine glass, the bosses felt a chill run down their spines.

This Bai Yuhang, this young man who always says "Let's all make money together," smiles like a Buddha, but when he gets physical, he's like the King of Hell.

The air in the private room seemed to freeze, and even the sweet and sour taste of the sweet and sour pork seemed to have changed.

Bai Yuhang noticed the stiffness in everyone's eyes. He put down his wine glass and slowly stood up.

The chair made a slight scraping sound on the floor, and everyone's eyes were instantly drawn to him.

"Brothers, don't be so serious, the food's getting cold." Bai Yuhang had an inscrutable smile on his face as he refilled a glass of wine and held it up in the air.

"The business world is like a battlefield. Once you're on the field, you have to abide by the rules. There are bottom lines in business competition. If you cross those lines, don't blame the law for being unforgiving." Bai Yuhang's gaze swept over Qian Jiangnan and Liu Qing's faces. His eyes held no murderous intent, yet they were enough to make people afraid to look him in the eye. "But everyone here, we're all brothers in arms. This ship, Qihang, is destined for the deep sea. We'll have to rely on you chairmen to put in the effort to support our stronghold in Harbin."

As he spoke, he raised his glass above his head: "We share the same fate. As long as we all work together, there will definitely be enough meat."

"Yes, yes, yes! Mr. Bai is right! We're family!" Shi Hongchao was the first to react, standing up abruptly and raising his glass in response.

"That's right, anyone who dares to mess with Qihang is messing with our association!" Zhao Jianjun also stood up, his voice booming.

Even those who were still hesitant stood up, their glasses clinking together with a crisp sound.

Bai Yuhang tilted his head back and downed the wine in his glass. The spiciness went down his throat, but his eyes became even clearer.

This night in Harbin has been completely conquered.