Reborn in 2000, starting from the university website

Su Muqing placed the several thick management textbooks in her hand on the empty workstation. She had already mentally prepared herself, so she wasn't surprised to see cigarette butts and instant noodle boxes all over the floor, after all, they were a group of freshmen who had just left dormitory life.

But the scene before her made her feel somewhat dazed: the marble floor was so smooth that it reflected her image, the floor-to-ceiling windows were bright and clear, and even the cardboard boxes in the corner were stacked neatly in all directions.

Several guys who usually yawn and lounge in internet cafe chairs were now sitting upright in brand-new Herman Miller ergonomic chairs, their expressions focused on the screens as intently as those of combat engineers defusing bombs.

"I thought I'd have to wear a gas mask to come in," Su Muqing said, walking up to Bai Yuhang and lightly tracing the spotless tabletop with her fingers. "Looks like our Boss Bai's got a knack for leading teams. He's already transformed these 'internet addicts' into a regular army?"

Bai Yuhang smiled, casually grabbed a handwritten list, and handed it to Jiang Shuo, who had just come over.

"Eighth Brother, stop wiping the table. Mu Qing is here, so go with her to Hailong Building and buy everything on it. Make sure you have everything today."

Jiang Shuo happily took the list, but after just one glance, his excited expression froze, and his features scrunched up in pain.

"A...shredder? Two thousand four hundred?" Jiang Shuo's voice cracked as he pointed at the list on the paper, as if he had witnessed something heinous. "Sixth Brother, we don't have any confidential documents, do we? Can't we just tear it by hand? I'm fast, I can tear it even shredder than a machine! And this water dispenser, why does it have a cooling function? Doesn't drinking cold water quench our thirst? And this printer has to be a huge laser printer..."

"Just buy it because I tell you to. Don't you care about the company's image?" Bai Yuhang interrupted him impatiently. "We'll be hosting investors and clients from now on. Are you expecting them to watch the CFO tear up documents?"

Seeing Jiang Shuo's pained expression, Su Muqing couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Director Jiang, you'll be handling tens or even hundreds of millions of yuan in the future, and this little bit of money is making you so upset you have mouth ulcers?"

"It's different, it's different. Money should be spent wisely." Jiang Shuo muttered, clutching the list as if it were a royal decree, and reluctantly followed Su Muqing downstairs.

Bai Yuhang ignored the miser's grumbling and turned his gaze to Jiao Liwei and Yang Bo, who had remained silent.

"Eldest brother, second brother, you two go out and make an errand too. Since we're going to settle down in Beijing, we can't just keep living in hotels all the time; that's not a long-term solution."

Jiao Liwei nodded: "I was just about to say that. I'll go to an agency in the next couple of days and rent a few houses nearby to use as dormitories."

Why rent? Just buy.

"Cough cough cough—" This time it was Jiao Liwei's turn to choke on the smoke. He stared wide-eyed at Bai Yuhang, "Buy? Buy a house in Beijing?"

"It's right across the street." Bai Yuhang pointed to the floor-to-ceiling window, where a row of brand-new red brick buildings stood across the street. "Kechun Residential Area, I think it just opened not long ago. The current price is around 3,600 yuan per square meter."

"Three thousand six?!" Jiang Shuo, who had come back to get his bank card, jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on when he heard the price. He almost dropped his calculator. "How much is the best location in Harbin? Three thousand six per square meter? That's robbery! There are eight of us, if we buy three apartments, that'll cost over a million! No way! We'd rather die than buy it!"

"This money has to be spent." Bai Yuhang's tone left no room for doubt. "Company assets are assets too. This location will be the core of Zhongguancun in the future. This million yuan will be earned back in a few years. Besides, we tech people often work overtime. Living close by will allow everyone to get a little more sleep."

He smiled as he looked at Jiang Shuo, who was about to retort. "Eighth Brother, even if it hurts your heart, you have to buy it. Don't cry and regret not buying one when the price rises to 30,000 per square meter."

"Thirty thousand?" Jiang Shuo rolled his eyes. "Sixth Brother, you're really bragging. A wall made of gold bricks can sell for thirty thousand? Unless the RMB becomes worthless."

Despite his complaints, Jiang Shuo reluctantly shut up when he saw Bai Yuhang's determined gaze.

He knew in his heart that although Lao Liu's head seemed crazy, he always managed to make a lot of money after each crazy outburst.

"Alright, stop dawdling." Bai Yuhang stubbed out his cigarette. "Boss, take Second Brother and the company seal. Pick some with good lighting, in the middle of the floor, and buy them outright with cash. Have Eighth Brother pay for them. Tell the sales office we want three units, cash only, and get them a good price. Eighth Brother, hurry up and get on with what you're doing! How did you manage to pull this stunt?"

Jiao Liwei and Yang Bo exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

This isn't a business startup; it's more like bandits raiding a village to loot goods.

However, the feeling of having a huge sum of money in your hands and being able to do whatever you want is really awesome.

"Let's go!" Jiao Liwei rolled up his sleeves, grabbed Yang Bo, and headed outside. "Second brother, your negotiation skills have finally come in handy. Let's go teach the saleswoman a lesson!"

When Su Muqing arrived at the office supplies wholesale area on the ground floor of Hailong Building, he truly witnessed what "the self-cultivation of a miser" meant.

At a stationery stall, Jiang Shuo held the owner's calculator, his fingers flying across the keys, engaging in a fierce battle with the shopkeeper.

"I need a hundred of these transparent folders, 50 cents each. Take them if you want, leave if you don't."

The shop owner looked distressed: "Young man, I only make a little money from the handling fee. The cost price is already 52 cents. It's really not going to work."

"Don't try to fool me, I've already checked with three other companies. 55 cents, that's the most I can offer. We're all just trying to make a living in Zhongguancun, let's be understanding. Once our company gets bigger, we'll definitely buy from you regularly."

Su Muqing stood aside, watching Jiang Shuo haggle with the shopkeeper for a full ten minutes over a five-cent difference, finally managing to get the shopkeeper to throw in a box of paperclips before he would give up. She nodded to herself, thinking that Bai Yuhang was a really good judge of character. Letting such a "tightwad" manage the money meant that anyone who tried to embezzle a single cent from Qihang's account would probably have to be skinned alive by Jiang Shuo first.

The main attraction is at the mobile phone counter.

Bai Yuhang's list clearly stated: Nokia 3310, ten units.

At that time, this Nokia model, though not yet hailed as a "bulletproof marvel," was renowned for its sturdiness, durability, and strong signal; of course, its price was also quite high.

"Ten units?" Jiang Shuo stood in front of the counter, looking at the rows of dark blue-gray phones, feeling breathless. "I need to get ten global SIM cards? The monthly fee..."

"Do it." This time, Su Muqing didn't consult him and directly slapped the bank card in Jiang Shuo's hand on the counter. "Jiang Shuo, this is for work. Everyone will be running business in Beijing in the future and will need to keep an eye on the server at all times. Relying on pagers will only cause problems sooner or later."

Jiang Shuo clutched his chest, pulling out his ID card to process cards for everyone while arguing with the saleswoman: "Hey girl, this is a big group purchase, ten machines for ten cards. If you don't throw in ten phone cases and waive the activation fee, I'm going to the next shop right now."

The sales clerk was driven crazy by his nagging, and finally, with tears in her eyes, she gave him a bunch of lanyards, phone cases, and several recharge coupons. Only then did Jiang Shuo finally sign the papers with satisfaction.

Back in the office, when ten white packaging boxes were lined up on the conference table, Jiang Shuo, who had just been feeling sorry for the money, fell silent.

Bai Yuhang picked up a phone, skillfully inserted the battery and SIM card, and turned it on. The screen lit up with that soft green light, and the classic Nokia handshake animation appeared.

"One for each of you." Bai Yuhang pushed the phones to his brothers like dealing cards. "This is our first wave of perks for starting this business. The company will cover all the phone bills, and the SIM cards are all global roaming cards, so you can travel all over the country without roaming charges. There's only one request—"

He glanced at everyone: "We're available 24/7, on call at any time. The company is just starting out, so from today onwards, there's no such thing as leaving get off work."

Zhang Jian eagerly grabbed one, pressing the soft rubber keyboard with obvious delight: "Holy crap, this is the legendary Snake game? Now I'll have something to do while I'm on the toilet!"

Liu Jing was even more direct. He immediately inserted the SIM card, pointed out the window at the bustling traffic of Zhongguancun, and dialed his hometown number, his voice so loud that the entire office could hear him: "Hello! Mom! It's me! Nothing much, the company just gave me a cell phone, a Nokia! Yes, yes, it has global roaming! I have a signal everywhere! Yes, yes, now I have a mobile phone too!"

Watching his buddies clutching their phones with the excitement of children who had just received new toys, Bai Yuhang leaned against the table and lit a cigarette.

In his view, Qihang Technology will soon be able to take root in this unfamiliar city. Even Jiang Shuo, who had been keeping his pockets closed, was secretly taking out his new phone and carefully looking at his grinning face on the still-unopened screen.