Reborn in 2000, starting from the university website

As dusk fell on Taikoo Street, before the last rays of day had faded, the streetlights flickered listlessly. The old town was bustling with life, the air thick with the smells of coal smoke and the distinctive aroma of barbecue from Daowai.

A group of seven stood in front of the rusty iron gate, with the bustling city behind them and their "base" in front of them.

"This is it?" Liu Jing craned his neck to peek inside, coughing violently from the rush of dust. He fanned his nose with his hand like a whirlwind. "Sixth Brother, this isn't a company, it's a spider's cave! Are we going in to get eaten, or to eat Tang Sanzang's flesh?"

"What's wrong with the Spider Cave? It's full of demons, are we trying to cultivate into demons?" Bai Yuhang ignored his banter and pushed open the iron door. The hinges creaked loudly, as if protesting the intrusion of these young people.

The room was indeed filthy. The gaps in the radiators were filled with years of dust and lint, the spider webs hanging in the corners were denser than fishing nets, and the floor was piled with a mess of old computer cases and discarded circuit boards. You had to hop around to walk, like dodging landmines.

"Stop standing there like big shots." Jiao Liwei threw the buckets, brooms, and mops he had just bought on the ground, his voice booming, "Second brother, go get some water. Seventh brother, you're short, go wipe the windows, don't leave any marks. Third, fourth, fifth, and sixth brothers, get all this junk out of here. If it's not all cleaned up tonight, nobody's eating."

"Understood! Even Zhou Bapi isn't as ruthless as you." Liu Jing joked, but his hands didn't stop.

He and Wan Lianghao laboriously carried the pile of old computer cases to the door, just as they bumped into a scrap collector riding by on a tricycle with its cargo bed full of cardboard.

"Hey lady! Do you buy scrap metal?" Liu Jing's overly familiar manner kicked in again. He patted the pile of broken computer cases, acting like he was selling gold bars. "Look at this steel plate, look at this workmanship. This is high-tech scrap metal, high gold content. How about a good price?"

The older woman stopped her car, her eyes sharper than an auditor's. She kicked the computer case, listened to the sound, and said, "What high-tech stuff? Don't try to fool me. There's no motherboard inside, just sheet metal. Take it all, three pieces."

"Three dollars? Lady, are you robbing me? This is a computer, after all..." Liu Jing's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Are you selling or not? If not, I'm leaving. There's another shop waiting ahead." The older woman said, almost stepping on the pedal.

"Sell! Sell! Sell! Even three yuan is money!" Liu Jing quickly threw the goods onto the tricycle, afraid the seller would change their mind. He turned and shouted into the house, "Second brother! Put it in the books! Three yuan! This is our company's first fixed asset disposal gain!"

A burst of laughter erupted inside, dust swirling in the air. Yang Bo, who was fetching water at the other end, called out without turning around, "Okay, I'll put it on your tab. I'll give you a three-cent commission later."

Many hands make light work, and these young men, having just made some money, were bursting with energy. In less than an hour, the shack, which had previously resembled a garbage dump, actually revealed the original bluish-gray of the cement floor.

Zhang Qingheng, the seventh brother, was the most honest worker. He cleaned the small window so thoroughly that it was almost invisible, making the streetlights shining through exceptionally brightly. The folding tables, left by Zhao Jianjun, were gleaming despite their slightly wobbly legs. Jiao Liwei had bought eight red plastic stools, which, though rustic, added a festive touch.

"Fourth brother, the light bulb!"

Wan Lianghao stood on a stool, holding the newly bought 100-watt light bulb in his hand, and screwed it on in a few quick movements.

"Smack."

The switch was pressed, and the dim yellow light was instantly replaced by the stark white light of the CD player. Every corner of the room was illuminated, and even the dust particles floating in the air were clearly visible.

"Bright!" Zhang Jian squinted, quite satisfied. "Playing CS won't strain my eyes this time."

"All you do is play." Wan Lianghao didn't get down, but sat directly on the table and took out a network cable crimper and a roll of twisted-pair cable from his bag.

"Click, click."

Stripping, tidying, inserting the RJ45 connectors, crimping—the movements were fluid and efficient. In no time, several gray network cables were neatly arranged along the wall, secured with cable clips, and finally converged on an old switch in the corner.

The switch's indicator light started flashing. Although it wasn't connected to the external network yet, the green light gave people a sense of reassurance.

"The LAN is up and running. I'll have Brother Zhao bring in the phone line so we can make calls." Wan Lianghao jumped off the table and dusted off his hands.

Bai Yuhang stood at the doorway, looking at the newly renovated twenty-square-meter space. Although the paint was still peeling and the radiators were old, the place now had life, lights, and internet.

He laid a piece of cut red paper on the table in the middle. The ink was bought from the stationery store on the roadside, and the brush was the cheapest wolf hair brush.

The dormitory fell silent as everyone gathered around. Even Liu Jing, who was usually the most boisterous, held his breath.

Bai Yuhang picked up his pen, his wrist pausing for a moment.

As the brush touched the paper, the ink spread across the red paper.

"Qihang Technology".

He wasn't a renowned calligrapher, but his characters were straight and powerful, with a bold and fearless spirit, full of ink, and exuding a sense of strength.

"Beautiful calligraphy!" Jiao Liwei shouted, regardless of whether he understood calligraphy or not.

He and Yang Bo each took one side, holding transparent tape, and neatly pasted the red paper onto the white wall directly opposite the entrance. The red paper with black characters stood out conspicuously in this simple room, and also appeared exceptionally solemn.

The seven people stepped back a few paces and stood side by side, looking up at the paper.

Outside, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and traffic filled the Taikoo Street area; inside, several young, grimy faces sat. Light and shadow fell upon their faces, and the character "启" (Qi) was reflected in each of their eyes.

"It really looks plausible." Liu Jing stroked his chin, unusually serious, "So we'll be white-collar workers from now on?"

"This is our base." Yang Bo pushed up his glasses, the lenses still a little dusty, but it couldn't hide the light in his eyes. "According to the Company Law, although we are a bit rudimentary now, as long as we get the license, we will be a legitimate legal entity."

Bai Yuhang turned around and looked at his group of brothers. They were covered in dust and dirt, and still had rags and brooms in their hands, but their spirit and energy were something that the suited internet cafe managers at Blue Speed ​​Club couldn't match.

"Alright, let's save our sentimentality for when we go public." Bai Yuhang clapped his hands, breaking the brief silence. "Boss, who said they were treating? My stomach's been growling for ages. Can we use that three yuan for scrap metal to buy another dish?"

Jiao Liwei slapped his thigh and waved his hand with great enthusiasm: "Keep those three yuan for Liu Jing to buy ice cream! Let's go! At the school gate, Jun Ge's barbecue, all-you-can-eat meat skewers and beer! We're not leaving until we're drunk tonight! We have to wash off this dust!"

"Sixth Brother, lock the door! This is our company! There's a switchboard inside!"

"Don't worry, that broken switchboard is so heavy that even a mouse wouldn't bother to steal it."

Bai Yuhang smiled and pushed the person out, took one last look at the red paper on the wall, turned off the light, and closed the iron gate.

The latch popped out with a crisp, clear sound.

The red paper pasted on the wall silently guarded this humble room in the darkness, awaiting the impending storm.