Reborn in 2000, starting from the university website

After the drinking party ended, Bai Yuhang asked Zhao Jianjun for help to drive Yang Bo and the others back to their hotel.

Shi Hongchao grabbed Bai Yuhang and insisted on talking some more. The two drove back to his Blue Speed ​​Internet Cafe office area.

The hustle and bustle of the celebration banquet was kept out of reach of the heavy wooden doors of the top-floor office of the Blue Speed ​​Internet Club.

The room was filled with a faint smell of Cuban cigars. Shi Hongchao did not sit in his large boss's chair, but pulled up a swivel chair and sat facing Bai Yuhang on the sofa.

On the coffee table, a thin transfer check was pushed in front of Bai Yuhang.

The number above is eye-catching: exactly one hundred thousand.

Shi Hongchao rubbed his hands together, his face showing a shrewdness and unease typical of a businessman, and he even avoided looking Bai Yuhang in the eye: "Brother, I handled this a little unethically. This competition was ridiculously popular. Two or three days before the finals, more than a dozen beverage vendors and manufacturers of mice, keyboards, and MP3 players came to my door, insisting on paying me to get my votes. I didn't even have time to discuss it with you before I agreed. I received a total of 200,000 yuan, and half of that is yours."

In Harbin in 2000, this amount of money was enough to buy a decent large apartment.

Shi Hongchao's move was a classic case of acting first and informing later. He wanted to make money, but he was also afraid that Bai Yuhang would find out and harbor resentment. So he simply took out half of it to put his mind at ease and to test the appetite of his young partner.

Bai Yuhang glanced down at the check, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

He knew exactly what was going on.

The 200,000 yuan was just the tip of the iceberg. Shi Hongchao had already made a fortune from this competition, just from the hidden benefits of membership top-ups and the internet cafe alliance.

This 100,000 yuan, ostensibly a profit-sharing arrangement, was actually hush money. He intended to implicitly transfer the commercial rights of the school's online tournaments to BlueSpeed's own control in the future.

Bai Yuhang smiled, extended two fingers, pressed them on the check, and gently pushed it back.

"Mr. Shi, this money is too hot to handle; Qihang cannot accept it."

Shi Hongchao was taken aback, and the lighter in his hand clicked to a stop in mid-air: "Brother, you think it's not enough? We can discuss it further..."

"It's not that I think it's too little, it's just the rules." Bai Yuhang leaned back. "I won't take a single penny that's not written in the contract. Besides, this final was moved to a stadium at the last minute. It's a huge venue with thousands of people. The venue rental alone cost thirty or forty thousand yuan. Add to that the cost of volunteers and security, and you, President Shi, have also spent a lot of money without any hesitation. I'll remember that favor."

He pointed to the brightly lit Harbin night view outside the window: "Consider this 'GG fee' a congratulatory gift from Qihang to the newly appointed Chairman Shi. The industry association will need money for many things in the future, so you'll be more useful to keep it for navigating relationships than to give it to me."

Shi Hongchao stared at the returned check, his expression changing.

He had thought Bai Yuhang would try to negotiate or accept it readily, but he never expected the other party to refuse so decisively.

This is not just about treating money like dirt, but also a means of making debts of gratitude real.

Before Shi Hongchao could speak again, Bai Yuhang changed the subject, his originally gentle gaze instantly turning sharp.

"However, Mr. Shi, I don't want the money. There are some things we need to discuss upfront."

He leaned forward, a sense of oppression suddenly appearing: "This 'Blue Speed ​​Cup' made me realize one thing clearly—Xiaonei.com's traffic is a gold mine, and e-sports competitions are a shovel. From now on, all competitions and offline events held by Xiaonei.com, whether called 'Blue Speed ​​Cup' or 'Red Bull Cup,' must have their exclusive naming rights and all sponsorship rights taken back into Qihang Technology's hands."

Shi Hongchao's Adam's apple bobbed, and he was about to interject when Bai Yuhang didn't give him the chance.

"Of course, we are old friends and ironclad allies. In all future sponsorship and cooperation projects, under the same conditions, BlueSpeed ​​Network Club will always have the first priority. I can put this in the company memo."

That was a brilliant move – a strategic retreat followed by a swift advance.

Looking at the eighteen-year-old in front of him, Shi Hongchao's sense of superiority as a "returned overseas elite" vanished completely.

Bai Yuhang didn't want the small profit of 100,000 yuan, but he wanted to firmly grasp the brand and future control of the entire event.

This is telling him: I can give you fish to eat, but the fishing rod and the fishpond must belong to Bai.

"Brother..." Shi Hongchao shook his head with a wry smile, put the check back in his pocket, and poured Bai Yuhang another cup of tea. "You don't act like a freshman at all. I've seen plenty of seasoned veterans who've been in the business world for decades, and none of them are as shrewd as you. Fine, I admit I was greedy for a small gain. From now on, whatever you say about the campus network, I, Shi Hongchao, will do without hesitation."

The atmosphere eased again, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air.

Shi Hongchao took a sip of tea, seemingly trying to regain some ground, or perhaps to prove that his value went beyond simply running an internet cafe.

He put down his teacup, leaned closer, and spoke in a low, mysterious voice.

"Yuhang, actually, I've had an idea swirling in my head for days. Look at our Renren.com model now—real-name registration, university students, high user engagement—it's unique in China, but abroad…"

Shi Hongchao pointed towards the other side of the ocean, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "When I was studying in the US, even at Ivy League schools, student socializing relied on BBS and email lists—it was incredibly outdated. If we could bring our system over there, it would be a game-changer. I have many classmates still in the US, some in investment banking, some in Silicon Valley. Are you interested in expanding Renren.com to North America and Europe? Even just getting a few universities on board would be a direct way to earn US dollars!"

Bai Yuhang's fingers tightened slightly as he held the teacup.

Facebook won't be born in a Harvard dorm room for another four years. Zuckerberg is probably still in high school, scratching his head over some programming homework.

In 2000, portal websites were just as popular in Europe and America, and the world was still a wasteland of online social networking.

Shi Hongchao's words inadvertently handed Bai Yuhang a key to unlock this wasteland.

"Mr. Shi, your thinking is a bit unconventional." He looked up, his eyes as deep as a bottomless well. "However, it's very interesting."

"Right! I knew you were bold and decisive!" Seeing Bai Yuhang's interest, Shi Hongchao immediately perked up. "As long as you agree, you'll provide the technology and product. I'll handle the servers in Europe and America, legal registration, and even early seed user promotion. My classmates are having trouble finding good projects."

Bai Yuhang reached out his hand, across the coffee table, and hovered in mid-air.

"Mr. Shi, we can discuss this in detail. Since we've achieved the scale of Renren.com in China, there's no reason why we can't plant our flag across the ocean. Whether we make US dollars or not is secondary; the main thing is to show foreigners what real internet social networking is all about."

Their two hands were clasped tightly together.

Outside the window, the night in Harbin was deepening, but in this small office, a grand blueprint for reaching the world was slowly unfolding in the ambitions of two men.