Huayu 2005: Chat groups are full of real celebrities

The rental house in Jiangbei is located in Anzhen Xili.

It is right next to the Northeast Third Ring Road.

Across the street, the Bird's Nest and Water Cube are still surrounded by green fences, and tower cranes are constantly turning all day long.

In a few years, this place will become a nationally renowned Olympic Sports Center business district.

In 2005, it was just an old community where many people who had migrated to Beijing lived.

The buildings are old, the alleys are narrow, and the electrical wires are tangled like a spider web, but there are many people and the atmosphere is lively.

The streets were crowded with vendors selling kebabs, repairing bicycles, burning CDs, and applying screen protectors to mobile phones.

The "old place" that Ruan Fei mentioned is right at the entrance of the community.

A small noodle shop of less than 30 square meters.

The proprietress is a native of Shanxi, yet she chose a name for her shop that's incredibly powerful—

Chang'an Noodle Shop.

The shop only has two specialties.

First, the quantity is huge; the bowls are bigger than a person's face.

Secondly, the proprietress is very easygoing.

They don't kick people out even when they're drinking until 2 a.m., and if they're drunk, they can borrow a stool to sleep on all night.

Therefore, it became a regular base for Jiangbei and others, equivalent to their "second canteen".

Jiang Bei pushed open the door and went in carrying the takeout drinks; the room was already bustling with activity.

Smoke filled the air, and bottles littered the table.

Three familiar figures sat in the corner.

The eldest in the dormitory—Ruan Fei.

Cui Hao, the third oldest in the dormitory.

Nickname: Three Seconds.

As for why it's called three seconds...

No one dared to ask further; doing so would likely result in a beating.

Guo Jian, the fifth oldest in the dormitory.

Nickname: Little Scoundrel.

His mouth is more foul than his person, and his person is no better; he's the kind of person who deserves a beating.

Jiang Bei wasn't surprised to see Ruan Fei and Cui Hao.

These two guys had been following me around on my cover song website for a while, and I saw them almost every day.

But when he saw Guo Jian, he froze for a moment, as if he had seen a ghost.

Didn't this kid go back to Sichuan after graduation?

Why did you come all the way to the capital?

He was exiled?

Jiangbei pulled out a chair and plopped down.

I casually swiped some beer that I'd taken from paradise on earth... oops, I mean, and put it all on the table.

Pop, pop, pop.

Bottle caps were flying everywhere.

He picked up a bottle and clinked it against Guo Jian's.

"Grandson, what are you doing in the capital?"

Guo Jian was about to speak when Ruan Fei interrupted:

"Little bastard has been transferred."

"12530."

"Now I'm a mobile ringback tone operations specialist."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Bei froze, the bottle hanging in mid-air, and his mind went blank.

12530!

Others don't know.

How could he not know?

What will be the biggest trend in China in the next few years?

Internet? Real estate? Cryptocurrency mining?

None of them.

Rather, it's this that can send countless ordinary people, SP companies, music websites, and ringback tone platforms all soaring to the top—

12530!

Many startups become rich overnight.

Many original singers have made a fortune with just one ringtone.

Many SP (Service Provider) owners would treat their operations team like royalty just for a single featured spot, showering them with gifts during holidays.

And this thing in front of me...

They actually sat right in the middle of the storm!

Jiang Bei's gaze towards Guo Jian changed instantly.

We were brothers just a moment ago.

just now……

It looks exactly like a walking money printing machine.

No, even a printing press isn't worth that much.

This is like a mobile service center that has come to life!

Jiang Bei's mind was already racing.

The Brightest Star in the Night Sky...

"goodbye"……

The Wind Rises...

"planet"……

Songs flashed through my mind.

Ultimately, it all boils down to one sentence:

Hold him tight! You must hold him tight! Ideally, weld him shut! Use super glue!

The next second, Guo Jian took a swig of beer and looked utterly dejected.

"It's bitter."

"Those seasoned veterans at work, all with families, are incredibly shrewd."

"Nobody wants to come to the capital; they think it's too tiring and too tough."

"In the end, they sent me, all alone, here."

"The rent is outrageously expensive."

"Working overtime every day."

"The food in the cafeteria is also terrible."

"I'm even thinking of quitting my job."

Jiangbei: "???"

I almost spat out my drink.

Resign? Do you know what's sitting on your ass?

That's not a workstation, that's a gold mine! And it's open-pit!

Ruan Fei, who was standing next to him, nodded in agreement.

"that is."

"Sichuan and Chongqing are so comfortable."

"Eating at home, drinking at home, playing video games all day, and still not being able to spend all my salary—it's like living the life of a god."

Guo Jian slapped his thigh.

"That's right!"

"My father insists that the capital city has a bright future."

"What future is there to speak of?"

"To put it bluntly, they just don't want to support me anymore."

"I'm even starting to doubt if I'm their biological child!"

Jiang Bei looked at this guy and suddenly felt an urge to punch him.

In the future, countless SP (service provider) bosses will line up to give you money.

Many company bosses have to smile obsequiously and offer you cigarettes when they see you.

You little brat...

You actually dislike it?

At this moment, Jiangbei finally understood what it meant to be:

Some are dying of drought, while others are dying of flooding.

Ruan Fei raised the wine bottle.

"Alright."

"Stop complaining."

"We'll start a dedicated ringback tone website, guys."

"From now on, Little Bitch will protect you."

Let's get rich together!

Jiang Bei silently raised the bottle, but his eyes remained fixed on Guo Jian.

Like a wolf seeing a sheep, or a capitalist seeing cheap labor.

Only one sentence remained in my mind:

brother?

No, you're my own uncle!

·

Half a bottle of beer down the drain.

Guo Jian was looking down and gnawing on a piece of pig's head.

Jiang Bei suddenly realized what was happening and looked up at Ruan Fei.

"etc."

"What did you just say?"

"A ringback tone website?"

Is the cover song website expanding its business?

His heart sank.

He knew Zhang Li's level of competence all too well.

Ambitious but incompetent, a master at finding bargains.

Are you really going to let him judge the emerging trends himself?

He doesn't have that kind of brain.

Ruan Fei and Cui Hao exchanged a glance and sighed simultaneously.

Ruan Fei picked up his wine bottle and clinked it against Jiang Bei's.

"Bullshit."

"You've already been kicked out, what are we still doing there?"

Cui Hao immediately replied:

"that is."

"Screw the cover song website."

"I've disliked that bastard Zhang Li for a long time."

"He can't write code, but he's got a whole bunch of PowerPoint presentations."

"They're always talking about fundraising and going public."

"The product is utterly worthless, but they boast about it like crazy."

Guo Jian was taken aback: "You resigned?"

Ruan Fei tilted his head back and downed the wine in one gulp.

"It's not a resignation."

"It was a collective rebellion by the technology department."

Five people.

Not a single one was left.

Jiang Bei was stunned, his wine glass hovering in mid-air, and he remained silent for a long time.

He could accept that his original business failed and he was kicked out by his partners.

Unexpectedly, all of these brothers actually followed them.

Cui Hao patted him on the shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?"

"My brother started a business, and we got humiliated."

"Are we guys really going to work for him?"

"Where will I put my face at future class reunions?"

In short, Jiang Bei felt like he had a lump of cotton stuck in his throat, a feeling he couldn't quite describe.

Ruan Fei, however, was already quite drunk and waved his hand dismissively.

"Sixth Brother!"

"Let's start over!"

"Cover song websites are nothing!"

"Let's go for something even bigger!"

"I've already thought of a name!"

Cui Hao immediately raised his hand.

"Grassroots Music Alliance!"

"Cover songs, original songs, ringtones, downloads—we do it all!"

"From now on, all netizens across the country will sing on our website!"

Guo Jian, munching on a chicken leg, listened in a daze.

Holy crap.

"You guys can't hold your liquor."

"They've only sold a few bottles, and they're already raising funds?"

The table erupted in laughter.

Ruan Fei took it seriously and pulled out his bank card from his pocket.

*Smack!* It was slammed onto the table.

"Twenty thousand."

"All my possessions."

Cui Hao also started taking things out.

"Twenty thousand."

"Wife's allowance".

Two bank cards lay quietly in the center of the table.

Jiang Bei's nose suddenly felt a little sore.

In his previous life, he spent over a decade in the entertainment industry and was used to seeing drinking buddies.

They act like brothers when making money.

They run away faster than dogs when they lose money.

But now, they are two programmers who are penniless.

I haven't saved much of my salary in less than a year since graduation.

Yet he dared to take out all his savings to help himself make a comeback.

This affection is too heavy.

Jiang Bei gently pushed the bank card back.

"Keep the money for now."

Ruan Fei frowned, as if he had swallowed a fly.

"What do you mean? You think it's not enough? Or are you looking down on us?"

Cui Hao also got anxious, and his face turned red.

"Still think we guys are unreliable?"

Jiang Bei quickly waved his hand.

"no."

"I'm afraid I'll end up hurting you guys."

The table suddenly fell silent.

Jiang Bei picked up a peanut, twirled it between his fingers, and after a moment of silence, slowly spoke.

"Starting a business isn't just about having technical skills."

"Funding, distribution channels, content, artists, marketing..."

"Even losing a leg can easily lead to a fatal fall."

"I do have a plan in my mind."

"But we're still missing the last piece of the puzzle."

Ruan Fei couldn't help but ask:

"What puzzle?"