We agreed not to date, so why are you crying now that I've become the richest man?

Ye Chen walked to the taxi lane, waited in line for five minutes, and got into a taxi.

The driver was a local man in his forties with a loud voice.

"Young man, where are you going?"

Ye Chen placed his backpack on his lap.

Nanjing West Road.

Are there any clean business hotels over there?

The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

He wore a plain T-shirt and an old suitcase; he looked to be only eighteen or nineteen years old.

He looks like a college student who just arrived in Shanghai.

"Young man, hotels on Nanjing West Road aren't cheap."

"Even a simple night's stay costs several hundred."

Ye Chen leaned back in the back seat, speaking casually.

"fine."

"As long as it's clean."

The driver was taken aback.

Then he laughed.

"Okay, you've got guts."

"There's a Ji Hotel over there, it just opened last year, and the decor is pretty good."

"Over 300 yuan a night, can you accept that?"

"Can."

"Let's go there."

The taxi merged into the traffic flow.

Outside the car window, the headlights of cars on the overpass lit up one after another.

The skyscrapers in Lujiazui in the distance are already illuminated.

The Oriental Pearl Tower stands in the twilight, like a giant signboard displayed by the city.

Ye Chen looked out the window, his eyes calm.

Shanghai today is not as crowded as it will be in later years.

Rents in Zhangjiang haven't been driven sky-high by major internet companies yet.

The mobile internet has just begun to show its fangs.

WeChat hasn't appeared yet.

Short videos haven't exploded yet.

Food delivery, ride-hailing, mobile games, social networking, and payment – ​​none of these sectors have truly taken shape yet.

For ordinary people, this is a big city.

For Ye Chen, this was an unfinished vault.

Forty minutes later.

The taxi stopped in front of a Ji Hotel on Nanjing West Road.

Ye Chen paid the fare and dragged his suitcase into the lobby.

The hotel lobby wasn't large, but its decor was several levels better than the best hotels in the county.

A young woman in her early twenties, extremely beautiful, stood at the front desk.

She was wearing an extremely fitted black business suit.

The pure white shirt she wore underneath was stretched taut by her stunning curves.

Her neckline was slightly open, revealing a section of her fair and eye-catching collarbone.

The skirt suit was tailored to be extremely slim, perfectly outlining the slender waist and shapely curves.

Underneath a knee-length bodycon skirt.

She had long, beautiful legs encased in ultra-thin black stockings, straight and shapely, without an ounce of excess fat.

Paired with a pair of black mid-heeled leather shoes, she looked exceptionally tall and graceful.

She wore delicate and clean light makeup, her features were bright and beautiful, and her smile was not only very approachable, but also revealed a touch of the unique charm of a young girl.

"Sir, are you looking for a room?" The young woman leaned forward slightly, her voice clear and pleasant.

"right."

Ye Chen casually tossed his ID card onto the marble countertop, his gaze deep and calm, showing no sign of being disturbed by the spring scenery before him.

"The king-size bed rooms will be available for one week initially."

The receptionist paused for a moment on the keyboard.

She subconsciously looked up at Ye Chen.

A week?

Boys of this age, dragging in old suitcases, usually ask if there are any cheap rooms available, at most for one night.

It's rare to see someone book a whole week's stay, and even want a king-size bed.

"A double room costs 380 yuan per night."

"Two thousand six hundred a week, plus a five hundred deposit."

"Can."

Ye Chen handed over the bank card.

Swipe.

Enter your password.

signature.

The process was clean and efficient, without the slightest hesitation.

As the receptionist watched the machine spit out the receipt, her professional smile became noticeably warmer.

She handed over the room key with both hands, her voice clear and sweet, carrying a hint of unconscious goodwill.

"Sir, your room is on the twelfth floor."

"Take the elevator up and turn left to the third room."

"Please feel free to call the front desk if you need anything. My name is Su Xiaowan, and I'm happy to assist you."

Ye Chen took the room key, his gaze sweeping over the girl's delicate features and the name tag on her chest, before revealing a sunny and cheerful smile.

"Okay, thank you, Ms. Su."

Su Xiaowan watched him drag his suitcase into the elevator and couldn't help but glance at him again.

The boy, who was eighteen or nineteen years old, was dressed plainly, but his movements were steady and uncharacteristic of a student.

Especially that composure, which is completely different from that of young people who come to Shanghai to broaden their horizons.

The room wasn't big.

But it's clean.

The floor-to-ceiling windows face the street view of Nanjing West Road.

Neon lights streamed through the glass, casting a warm glow in the room.

Ye Chen leaned his suitcase against the corner of the wall and tossed his backpack onto the bed.

The first thing is not to take a bath.

Instead, he called home.

The call was answered quickly.

Chen Xiulan's voice came through immediately.

"Chenchen, have we arrived yet?"

"arrive."

"Have you settled in?"

"I've settled in."

"Where are you staying? Is it expensive? Is it clean?"

Ye Chen sat on the edge of the bed, his tone relaxed.

"A small guesthouse near the school."

"It's cheap and quite clean."

On the other end of the phone, Chen Xiulan visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good."

Have you eaten?

"Just arrived, we'll go out to eat later."

"Don't eat cold food."

"Food outside is not clean, so eat less street food."

"Okay, Mom."

"You and Dad should get some rest."

I hung up the phone.

Ye Chen placed his phone on the bedside table.

He lied to his mother.

It's not for show.

There's no need for his parents to know his current financial situation.

In their eyes, a hotel room costing 380 yuan a night is a waste.

For Ye Chen, this was simply the lowest-cost efficiency expenditure after entering Shanghai.

His most valuable asset right now isn't cash.

It's time.

Ye Chen took a shower and changed into a clean T-shirt.

Then I turned on my laptop and connected to the hotel's Wi-Fi.

The screen lights up.

He didn't check the route to the school first.

I didn't even look at the new student registration process.

The first thing you type in the browser search box is—

Office space for rent in Shanghai.

The page displayed a long string of results.

In 2010, Shanghai's commercial real estate market was expanding.

The vacancy rate in Zhangjiang High-Tech Park is not low.

The price hadn't yet been driven out of control by the subsequent internet boom.

For Ye Chen, now is the window of opportunity to buy up office space at rock-bottom prices.

He spent half an hour narrowing down the options to three.

The first location is near Zhangjiang Road subway station.

Fully furnished, 120 square meters, monthly rent 18,000 yuan.

The location is good and the transportation is convenient, making it suitable for startup teams.

The second location is the Wujiaochang commercial district.

It's close to the school and has a lot of foot traffic, but it's too noisy.

It's too commercial and not suitable for quiet development.

The third location is Zhangjiang Integrated Circuit Port.

150 square meters, with a private meeting room, standard technology park facilities, monthly rent 22,000.

Ye Chen stared at the third address for a few seconds, a slight smile playing on his lips.

It is it.

A technology company should act like a technology company.

The school was just a cover for his identity.

The company was his real battlefield.

At that moment, the iPhone 4 on the bedside table lit up.

There is a new email in the overseas developer backend.