Chapter 1390: Ren Siyu

"Back then, I told Sister Qianqian, and well... she was indeed very surprised... Brother Yihui too; he said there was nothing wrong with you calling him a little hooligan..."

At a company in the Beiqing Technology Park, the returned Xie Da Qiao brought Qin Li Chuan over just in time for lunch, recounting the situation to Wang Yan.

Of course, she concealed Qin Fang Qian's shock, disbelief, and other reactions.

Wang Yan nodded with a chuckle: "You see, I told you she would submit. Now not only has she submitted, but the little hooligan has too. What does this signify? Qin Li Chuan, you tell me."

"Wang Laoban, please show some mercy with your sharp tongue; one is my sister, the other is my brother-in-law; what can I possibly say?" Qin Li Chuan's face was written with speechlessness.

"You have absolutely no insight." Wang Yan waved his hand in disdain.

"So, what does it signify?" Xu Lin asked curiously.

"You're also slightly lacking. Come, Qianxi, enlighten her."

Xiao Qianxi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but did not refuse Wang Yan's kindness, saying somewhat uncertainly: "Do you mean that the little... Qin Li Chuan's brother-in-law has matured, and is no longer afraid of heaven or earth?"

"See, see." Wang Yan provided Xiao Qianxi with immense emotional value, wearing an expression that clearly said, 'As expected, you are my favorite.'

He said, "If that little hooligan were my age, or if he hadn't gone to Shanghai, he would be waiting outside the Beiqing gates right now to chop me up; do you believe it or not? This shows that the great dyeing vat of society these past few years has ground him down severely. He thought he could swim like a fish in water, but in reality, the gap between reality and his ideals is vast."

"I think you just have your eye on Qin Li Chuan's sister and are jealous of the little hooligan." Wang Ying snapped irritably.

"I have my eye on you too." Wang Yan mimicked her usual habit with a snort, putting his arm around Xiao Qianxi's shoulder, "This little rich lady is no good; she's destroying the affection between us two."

Before Xiao Qianxi could speak, Wang Ying exploded: "Get lost, get lost, drop dead, you shameless scoundrel, acting like a hooligan every day."

Her eyes met Xu Lin's, who was secretly snickering, then quickly darted away as she shot Wang Yan a vicious glare.

"Such a temper, too irritable."

Wang Yan shook his head amusedly, then turned to Qin Li Chuan, "Why did you come back? Wouldn't it have been convenient to go to Canada directly from Shanghai?"

"Hey, I kind of don't want to go back. You know, studying abroad costs money; my English isn't even fluent, so I was just muddling along over there. Rather than that, I'd prefer to stay in Jingcheng and plan to start something on my own."

"Very good, your thinking is quite clear. It's just that you're saying this a bit late; your family has already spent the money, yet you're not continuing your studies. Judging from Qin Fang Qian earlier, I knew your family conditions were decent, but for you two siblings to secretly run back together, letting all that money go down the drain, that's even more impressive."

What else could Qin Li Chuan say? He could only smile awkwardly...

Did he not know what Wang Yan was saying? Going abroad indeed cost a lot of money, but there was no helping it; he couldn't hold himself back.

His longing was like the ocean, while Xie Da Qiao was the moon in his heart; even separated by vast oceans, she would inevitably stir up ceaseless tides within him. As the moon waxed and waned, his longing constantly changed, sometimes a gentle ripple, sometimes surging waves.

That feeling made it hard for him to endure...

"How about letting Qin Li Chuan do some part-time work?" Xiao Qianxi asked Wang Yan.

Before Wang Yan could speak, Qin Li Chuan said, "No need, no need; I still want to figure out something to do on my own. With Wang Laoban as such a huge role model here, I certainly can't compare, but setting up a small stall or opening a small shop to achieve prosperity through diligence is something I can do. When I was in Canada, I worked part-time at a restaurant, so I have some experience."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "One way or another, we share some fate; if not for Qin Fang Qian, then for Xie Da Qiao; if not for Xie Da Qiao, then for Qianxi. For now, I still have some connections; if you have any trouble, come find me anytime; I will definitely help if I can."

"Aiyo, that is truly thank you very much, Wang Laoban."

"Hey~ You're too polite." Wang Yan clasped his fists in salute.

"Hey~ Truly authentic of you." Xu Lin laughed heartily, joining in the fun.

Wang Ying and Xie Da Qiao rolled their eyes wildly on the side; this endless banter was truly annoying.

Xiao Qianxi pressed her lips into a smile, symbolically tapping Wang Yan and Xu Lin lightly in reproof.

Only Qin Li Chuan didn't understand the meaning, looking at this group of people with bewilderment.

He always felt he couldn't blend in with these people; they shared some secret unknown to him, separated from him by a thick, difficult-to-cross barrier...

What Qin Li Chuan thought was not important; what he wanted to do, Wang Yan did not care about; apart from enjoying himself with Xiao Qianxi, he was still busy with company matters.

Currently, the company's development and the reserve of human resources were far from sufficient for him to become a hands-off boss. It could be said that since he started his business, he had never attended a class, managing the overall situation at the company every single day.

The campus beauty voting event was still in full swing; although the campus beauties of the famous universities had already been selected, and the remaining universities naturally had lower popularity and significantly less attention, the sheer number of schools made up for it.

More schools meant more student users. And when the alma mater became lively, alumni from previous years would naturally come to watch the excitement, register for a Zhiwo account, observing the present while reminiscing about their past.

Furthermore, as long as these alumni filled in their junior high, high school, or even elementary school education details, it would naturally pull up classmate directories, attracting even more people's memories and pursuit of the past, thereby making them more proactive in contacting former classmates.

Spreading continuously like this, the user base naturally grew exponentially.

Moreover, the more critical point was that these registered users were generally highly educated individuals, the main workforce and backbone of current society, possessing considerable spending power as high-quality customers.

As for the affairs derived from the classmate directory, such as certain individuals flirting with old classmates and committing adultery, that was something Wang Yan could not control. This was not a problem with his platform; it was simply that those people were despicable.

People inherently possessed this ability to unleash the maximum potential of various software, going to great lengths to flirt, arrange hookups...

This was the distortion of human nature, the degradation of morality, the carnival of those sliding into desire, and the sorrow, anger, and powerlessness of the honest people...

Regarding this, Wang Yan was critical, yet it did not prevent him from enjoying himself; he had always admitted to his double standards and shamelessness.

Relative to his platform, this was of course a minor matter.

On the more positive side, through this platform, he controlled a considerable portion of educational data. Especially among the universities, there were many talented individuals; was this not a kind of human resource pool? On the other hand, he could also use these people to conduct targeted advertising campaigns and the like, applying big data techniques.

Ordinary people twenty years later already understood the importance of data very well; Wang Yan possessed excellent Yan Suan Fa, and even though the hardware equipment was not yet up to standard at this time, in terms of actual user experience, it was already sufficient for various data organization and applications.

The most important point was that the campus beauty voting for a hundred universities had already exceeded one hundred schools, and the detailed rules had been published on the Campus Beauty Zone of the Zhiwo website.

For instance, regarding rewards, this time money was given directly: first place received one hundred thousand, second place fifty thousand, third place thirty thousand, and from fourth place down to tenth place, everyone received prizes like mobile phones.

At the same time, it was promised that if they were willing to join Zhiwo, Zhiwo would establish an entertainment company to help manage their careers, detailing the hardships of the early stage in detail; if they were unwilling to join Zhiwo, help could be provided to introduce them to entertainment companies, striving for relatively generous contracts and resources. Of course, this was only under the circumstance that they were willing to develop in the entertainment industry; if not, they could keep the option open and come work at the company after graduation...

Wang Yan was quite decent, providing a proper beginning, middle, and follow-up, rather than just selecting a campus beauty, handing her ten thousand yuan to dismiss her, and letting her plunge headfirst into a filthy whirlpool.

The campus beauty activity was, relatively speaking, a high-quality beauty pageant; such matters naturally leaned close to the entertainment industry, and entertainment companies had long come to negotiate...

Even twenty years later, there was still an information gap in the entertainment industry; the inside and outside of the circle were two different worlds, let alone now. Wang Yan was truly decent.

The campus beauty voting for each school was to be completed before the end of February; releasing this now was a warm-up to get more people involved. Once school started in March, the grand evaluation of the hundred universities would commence with great momentum.

Otherwise, since college students had all gone home for the New Year, the popularity would have dropped by at least three levels...

Furthermore, the launch of the review function had received quite favorable comments. With Wang Yan providing guidance, the review categories were gradually being perfected.

From reviews of schools, to reviews of teachers and leaders within the schools, then to reviews of cafeteria windows inside the schools, reviews of some commercial establishments within the campuses, and afterwards expanding to the areas surrounding the schools.

Movies, books, music, actors; this nearby shop is unclean, that shop's food tastes bad... then to goods on the shelves: this brand is no good, that brand is trash, this one is unconscionable, that one is fake, inferior, and passing off bad quality as good...

In just a short period, the students, bursting with a sense of justice, stirred up such a storm that the relevant departments in Jingcheng responsible for industry and commerce, taxation, hygiene, and pricing were busy running around in circles. Relevant leaders held meetings and decided to launch a crackdown operation targeting market chaos in the Jingcheng area.

In an instant, even Wang Yan's ancestors could not be protected...

Of course there were benefits; such a massive social event meant even more users registered in Jingcheng, expanding into society at large, with all sorts of things in Jingcheng falling within the scope of reviews, from alleys being too narrow to buildings being too ugly.

This gradually sparked people's reflection on livable cities, while users in other places also began joining in, launching comprehensive evaluations centered around their respective cities.

This was a fission even faster than the school beauty rankings, and even more likable.

Because for now, following the leaderboard was rarely wrong; even though matters of food, drink, and aesthetics were quite personal, with enough people evaluating, a certain commonality emerged.

Overall, it remained quite authoritative.

Of course, some cunning individuals began spending money to hire people to brush up positive reviews; actually, they brought benefits to the platform too, since brushing reviews required users, and those hired to brush comments brought in quite a few users, albeit fake ones differing only by phone number.

Data in the internet industry is fake; otherwise, how could one deceive investors?

It was just that Wang Yan hardly needed such things; he could alter the data on the reports himself without resorting to such useless, rotten data, so he targeted the issue by issuing a measure whereby anyone caught brushing positive reviews would have the reviewed item marked in red with the label "Fake Review."

At the same time, to prevent people from buying positive reviews to attack competitors, Wang Yan implemented an evaluation qualification certification, requiring real-name binding of identity information and a period of activity before one could evaluate.

An announcement was indeed issued, explaining the severity of the matter and stating that efforts to crack down on review-brushing would continue to be refined in the future, constructing a leaderboard of positive reviews truly derived from the reputation of the masses...

Regardless, the power of the internet had been displayed and recognized by people; the value of "Know Me" was further elevating, and its user base was surging even more.

Affected by this, Youxiang Network, which officially launched on January 1, 2001, also managed to reap some benefits.

Product advertisements on Youxiang Network were directly and precisely pushed to those who had recently browsed them, while a link to Youxiang Network was hung on the Know Me website, with homepage advertisements allowing direct jumps.

It was explained in detail that Youxiang Network and Know Me Network belonged to the same company, and that previous products like computers, mobile phones, and portable players had all been distributed through Youxiang Network's channels; this time, it formally stepped into the spotlight to curate quality goods for everyone, ensuring consumers could spend with confidence, use with peace of mind, and worry less about after-sales service, with door-to-door delivery in the Jingcheng area, among other perks.

Leveraging the previously highly praised computer after-sales service, the launch of Youxiang Network finally achieved results, avoiding a situation where only a few orders were placed with mere hundreds in turnover.

On this day, over a dozen inconspicuous second-hand vans appeared in the deep winter of Jingcheng, bearing vehicle stickers reading "Youxiang Network · Citywide Home Delivery · Quality Life of Youxiang," along with the website URL and phone number.

However, due to a shortage of manpower, free delivery was only available for goods worth one hundred yuan; for items under one hundred yuan, fees ranged from five to fifty yuan depending on distance, which was quite expensive, yet anywhere within the Jingcheng area that allowed entry could be delivered to.

Relatively speaking, this delivery fee still found a market in Jingcheng, given the abundance of wealthy people.

After Youxiang Network went online, Liu Qiangdong was no longer in Jingcheng; he personally led teams to Shanghai and Guangzhou to negotiate business and expand the market, and might not return to Jingcheng even by the time school resumed the following year.

This was the crucial role of a reliable partner; otherwise, Wang Yan would have had to handle all these matters personally, but now with Liu Qiangdong, he only needed to step in when Liu encountered something he couldn't handle...

In mid-January, the school gradually began winter break; students left the campus to return home and reunite with parents, relatives, and friends, leaving the Beiqing campus equally empty.

Wang Yan drove Xiao Qianxi to the train station, and of course, did not forget his good sister Xu Lin, taking her along as well.

Xiao Qianxi was naturally very reluctant to leave; she wanted to stay behind to accompany Wang Yan, yet Wang Yan's words indeed carried lethal force, pointing out that she saw Wang Yan often enough, while the time she spent with her parents was truly becoming less and less.

So, on the day before departing, she wildly indulged with Wang Yan, seemingly wanting to be thoroughly filled to alleviate the longing pain of the coming month...

Driving back to the empty school, Wang Yan lit a cigarette, rolled down the window, and began wandering aimlessly around the campus out of boredom.

Ever since buying the car, he had never truly enjoyed such leisure within the school grounds.

Beep beep~

Watching the yellow Camaro sports car drive past, Wang Yan lightly pressed his own horn in response.

As the two cars passed each other, Yangcheng signaled to stop.

Thus, they pulled over slightly apart, and Wang Yan stepped out of his car.

Watching Yangcheng approach, he glanced curiously at the woman following closely behind him.

"Long time no see, Young Master Yang."

"Why do you start insulting me the moment we meet? What 'Young Master'?" Yangcheng smiled. "I haven't congratulated you yet; I heard your net worth is now sixty million; that's awesome."

"Net worth is net worth, and cash is cash; just look at our two cars; isn't the contrast obvious enough?"

"My car isn't worth mentioning; you're the awesome one. For the New Year... oh, sorry, I forgot." Yangcheng intended to offer greetings but realized he had touched a sore spot.

Wang Yan smiled and waved his hand: "It's fine; it's been many years, I'm used to it long ago; indeed, I have no home, but thinking from another angle, wherever I am, that is home."

"Truly open-minded."

"I have no choice but to be open-minded; and who is this?"

"A friend of mine, accompanying me back to pick up some things."

"Hello, I'm Ren Siyu."

Yangcheng didn't introduce her; she stepped forward proactively to greet him, smiling brilliantly.

Wang Yan nodded with a faint smile as acknowledgment, while Yangcheng exclaimed "Ai" and said, "You don't have anything urgent, right? Why not come along with me to have some fun?"

"No thanks; I can't yet afford to experience the glittering world; I'm still struggling hard here, so Young Master Yang, please don't corrupt my will; wait until I cash out in the future, and I'll play however I want."

"So clear-headed; no wonder you can succeed."

Yangcheng laughed heartily, then waved his hand, "Alright then, that's it; let me wish you an early Happy New Year."

"Same to you."

"I'm off."

Yangcheng walked back with Ren Siyu, and just as he opened the car door to get in, Ren Siyu turned her head for a glance, still smiling so brilliantly...

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? (End of Chapter)