Chapter 001

Zhang Weidong's interest in Go far exceeds his venture into running an internet café. On one occasion, as he passed by Chen Li, he mistakenly thought he had seen Chen Li make a poor move and couldn't help but approach to offer advice. It was only after he realized Chen Li's ranking in the online Go platform that he understood he had made a significant blunder

Zhou Bin, who was initially ambitious as a new boss, soon found himself in distress and complaining after just a couple of days, while Chen Li observed this without urgency

She subconsciously thought that Chen Li was reaching out his hand to take advantage of her. Not hearing Chen Li's words clearly, she furrowed her brows in anger, wanting to scold away this seemingly handsome yet morally corrupt young man. At that moment, the middle-aged man gritted his teeth and suddenly yanked open the car door, diving into the vehicle.

Having possibly walked for a long time under the scorching sun, the middle-aged man's wrinkled shirt was soaked with sweat, clinging to his body, and his unkempt stubble gave him a disheveled appearance. Although he glanced over at the beautiful young woman, his darting eyes revealed a sense of hesitation, while he secretly observed where the passersby were directing their attention.

Chen Li had already seen Zhou Bin and Zhao Yang, while Zhou Bin and Zhao Yang's gazes were wandering over the faces of those charming young girls. Just as Chen Li was about to call out to Zhou Bin, a red BMW passed right in front of him and quickly came to a stop by the roadside, more than twenty meters away from Chen Li

Later, Chen Li also developed value-added services such as takeout, phone cards, instant noodles, beverage sales, and printing. He even contacted nearby restaurants to incorporate their advertisements into the startup page of the internet café computers

Behind the car window is a captivating face, with a nose and lips that are undeniably beautiful, appearing to be around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, though somewhat haggard, with faint dark circles that cannot be concealed, which in turn makes her eyes appear alluring and dreamy. At this moment, the woman is adjusting the rearview mirror to inspect her exquisitely refined features for any imperfections. By Zhou Bin's standards, this face is worthy of a score of ninety. Chen Li is contemplating whether to remind Zhou Bin and Zhao Yang to come and take a look at the beauty.

After the beginning of autumn, the midday heat wave clearly shows a significant lack of intensity.

After breaking up with Tang Xiao, Chen Li became emotionally dull in matters of romantic relationships, yet he was aware that he was being flirted with at that moment

Among the student community where the average monthly living expenses are only around 300 to 400 yuan, possessing the dual identity of an internet café owner undoubtedly catches the attention of many. However, for Chen Li, it simply means not having to frantically prepare for graduate school or aimlessly search for internships and jobs, allowing him to continue to enjoy the beautiful moments of university life with composure and ease

Chen Li invited a senior from the Computer Science Department for two meals of grilled skewers and beer to develop an independent billing and timing system. In addition to being used by the trendy Rui Internet Cafe, it was also sold to more than a dozen other internet cafes near various universities. Instead of focusing on his own university, Zhongyuan University, the top institution in Zhongyuan Province, he approached the Student Union of Xiaozhuang Normal University, known for producing beautiful women and training preschool teachers, and established the trendy Rui Internet Cafe as a work-study base for Xiaozhuang Normal University, selecting vibrant and attractive younger female students to work as internet administrators.

If it were not for Professor Feng Yixuan's rare economics lecture, he could very well enjoy the carefree life of a small business owner

The sudden circumstances, whether they pertain to others or the beginning of a campus romance, may develop into memories that linger for a lifetime. For Chen Li, there is currently no one who can fill the void left by Tang Xiao's departure.

Speaking of which, becoming the behind-the-scenes owner of a trendy internet café is quite dramatic

Chen Li furrowed his brow, feeling a sense of vigilance. He deliberately stopped beside the young woman, continuing to scrutinize the suspicious middle-aged man.

In the blink of an eye, it is already the third year of university. Chen Li has not become engrossed in the romantic entanglements that other students are caught up in, nor has he fixated on pursuing graduate studies for future development.

It was only the autumn of the year 2000, when computers had just begun to enter the public's view. On Jiangxiu Street, where the residential houses outside the west gate of Zhongyuan University were in disarray, several internet cafes had already been thriving for some time. Chen Li and Zhou Bin, who shared a dormitory, were the behind-the-scenes owners of one such internet cafe named Xinchao Rui Internet Cafe.

Perhaps it was due to excessive nervousness, or perhaps it was because he had never driven a luxury car before, but the BMW stalled as soon as it started. At this moment, Chen Li had already opened the car door, leaned halfway into the car, and grabbed the middle-aged man's collar, intending to drag him out of the car directly

When the middle-aged man's evasive gaze repeatedly swept towards the little girl in the backseat, Chen Li's heart skipped a beat: Could it be that this person dares to abduct a child in broad daylight in the university town? This is simply too bold

In this way, the daily presence of two youthful and attractive young women providing attentive and enthusiastic service in the internet café is already enough to entice the students of Zhongyuan University, where the male-to-female ratio reaches as high as 6 to 1, to exclaim in delight

From the very beginning of taking over this situation, Chen Li was well aware of it. Even though he intended to refine Zhou Bin's temperament, he also needed to streamline the operations of the New Trend Internet Cafe before he could become the "hands-off manager".

The newly published "New Regional Economic Relations" by Feng Yixuan is quite substantial. Chen Li spent an entire morning in the library, and after feeling dizzy and fatigued, he managed to read only a few dozen pages. At this point, he was already feeling extremely hungry

All schools in the world, regardless of their reputation or environment, seem to have a unified standard provision, which is the cafeteria that countless students endlessly complain about

Zhou Bin is a second-generation rich individual. He took out 100,000 from his family to take over the trendy Rui Internet café. However, he is well aware that being able to take over the trendy Rui at such a low price is entirely due to Zhang Weidong's regard for Chen Li. Moreover, he lacks confidence in managing the trendy Rui well after leaving Chen Li, so he insists on tying Chen Li to him as co-owners of the trendy Rui.

The girl felt her thoughts exposed, her small face flushed with embarrassment, her heart racing as if it would leap out. However, upon hearing the unrestrained laughter of her sisters behind her, she was unwilling to concede defeat to them. Biting her rosy lips, she asked, "Senior Brother, can you take me with you?"

Chen Li grabbed a guy who had been tailing a few girls for quite some time: "This junior wants to go to Dormitory 11, brother, you should have some free time, right..." Without further ado, he handed the girl he was flirting with over to the senior who was stunned by the unexpected turn of events, and then he withdrew.

According to Zhou Bin's scoring criteria, this girl in front of him could definitely score above eighty points. However, Chen Liming could see that these girls were just joking around with him; he had no interest in playing house with them.

After Chen Li executed this series of dazzling moves, Zhou Bin suddenly discovered that the once lackluster trendy internet café, with over thirty computers, was surprisingly generating a net profit of over ten thousand each month

A young woman in high heels walked towards the roadside stall where Chen Li was selling shredded radish pancakes. After breaking up with Tang Xiao, Chen Li thought he had developed a strong resistance to beautiful women, yet he still couldn't help but steal a few more glances.

In the year 2000, there were no large-scale online games such as "Legend" and "Miracle" that were all the rage; the so-called MUD was merely a rudimentary form of online gaming. The dedicated line connection speed of the internet was also far from satisfactory, yet the costs of dedicated line networks and the rent on Jiangxiu Street were not cheap. The trendy Rui Internet Cafe, under the management of Zhang Weidong, could only manage to survive. Ultimately, it was half sold and half given away, with over thirty second-hand computers, a business license, and the remaining half-year's rent all bundled together and handed over to Zhou Bin, Chen Li, and Zhao Yang.

At just over thirty years old, Zhang Weidong had just opened his trendy internet café when Chen Li showed little interest in single-player games such as Diablo and StarCraft, as well as the newly emerging MUD online games. He was only dragged over by Zhou Bin to spend the night online, and aside from browsing various professional materials, he would play a few games of Go in the World of Lianzhong.

This was also the greatest temptation that Zhongyuan University presented to him at that time

Continue down this road, and the third building on the right is Dormitory 11. Be careful not to get lost! Chen Li said with a smile

Chen Li has a slender figure and a delicate appearance that would not provoke dislike from anyone. However, the young woman seems to have had enough of being scrutinized by others, and she slightly turned her body to the side. Chen Li's attention was quickly drawn to a middle-aged man who was lingering near a BMW.

"Is your car locked?" Chen Li pushed the young woman's shoulder gently, intending to remind her, but she jumped aside as if startled.

Zhongyuan is renowned nationwide as a major province for labor export, with a significant number of workers going out for employment. The surge in the floating population has led to increasing pressure on public security. The young woman carries her Chanel handbag with her; at this moment, is there anything of value left in the BMW? What has caught the attention of this middle-aged man?

Even the cafeteria of the foremost institution in the Central Plains, Zhongyuan University, is not exempt from this trend. Everything has its cause and effect; the school cafeteria, capable of producing the peculiar dish of fried mooncakes, has instead contributed to the prosperity of Jiangxiuxiang Street outside the West Gate.

The smile of that little girl was so innocent and pure, still unaware of what it meant for a stranger to suddenly intrude into the car. Whether that person intended to rob or abduct a child, Chen Li would not allow him to succeed and immediately ran towards the BMW.

The girl was wearing a slightly oversized military training uniform. After a few days of training, her oval-shaped face had tanned to a wheat color, yet it still bore an unremovable blush. Although she claimed to be asking for directions, her clear and beautiful eyes flickered with a hint of shyness. Several other girls nearby were stifling their laughter as they looked this way.

Buzzing... The sound of the engine suddenly erupted, and the young woman turned her head to see what was happening. She was so frightened that her soul seemed to scatter, her face lost its color, and she began to scream in madness: "Car theft! Someone is stealing a car! Bao'er, Bao'er..." She also ran frantically towards the car, but after just a couple of steps, her high heels twisted sharply, and she fell to the roadside.

At the street corner, Zhou Bin and Zhao Yang, who had just come out of the trendy Rui Internet café, were squatting on the ground smoking

In the commercial city of the year 2000, even entry-level BMWs were quite rare. This car was clearly a new vehicle that had just been picked up, as the window film had not yet been applied, allowing everything inside to be seen clearly from the outside

At mealtime, groups of three to five students flock out, all in search of a delicious meal. This obvious business opportunity benefits the residents around the campus, who, guarding this piece of fortune, push a tricycle onto the street. Aside from the flurry of activity, they earn money while lying down; who would still go out to work?

"Senior brother, may I ask where the Eleventh Dormitory is?" Chen Li hurried along, as if walking faster could help him shake off the image of Tang Xiao's pure face from his mind. Unexpectedly, a petite girl suddenly ran over to ask for directions, and he nearly lost his footing and bumped into her.

The additional fifty thousand yuan shall be considered as a loan he extended to Chen Li

He is a very pragmatic person, making very practical plans, and what he is concerned about are also very practical matters

The middle-aged man did not expect the car to stall, nor did he anticipate Chen Li's quick reaction. His collar was grabbed by Chen Li, and he struggled to break free. In a panic, he grabbed the folding knife from his pocket and slashed outward randomly

Six months ago, Zhang Weidong was compelled by his father to go abroad to study and take over the overseas business, and the internet café, which had been lukewarm, had to be handed over.

In the future, Zhang Weidong only requested Chen Li to play a game of guiding chess with him each time he came over, thus waiving Chen Li's internet fees with Zhou Bin. The relationship among the three quickly became closer, and in the end, Chen Li even introduced Zhao Yang, who had torn up his admission notice to work in the provincial capital to support his younger siblings' education, to work at the Xinchao Rui Internet Cafe.

Chen Li dashed towards the front side of the BMW car that was about to start, not forgetting to shout to the bewildered Zhao Yang and Zhou Bin, "Zhou Bin, someone is stealing the car!" The car door was not closed, leaving a large gap, and as the car had just started, the speed would not immediately pick up. Chen Li thought to himself that he still had a chance to drag that middle-aged man down.

Chen Li walked out of the west gate of the library, which was covered with lush green ivy. Just then, a group of first-year students who had just finished their morning military training passed by. As the top university in Zhongyuan Province, Zhongyuan University has a military training period of one month. The semester began on September 8, and after missing the National Day holiday, they would train for another week before participating in the military drill, followed by entering the classroom for academic studies. Although military training is arduous, the faces of the first-year students still radiate with the joy of having just escaped the grueling college entrance examination and their boundless yearning for university life.

Upon witnessing this scene, Chen Li could hardly contain his disdain for the woman with a pretty face but lacking in intellect, as she left her child in the car while she went down to shop. Not only did she fail to close the car door properly, but she also left the car keys inside the vehicle

This is absolutely abnormal

The bustling city streets have kept the gentle breeze at bay, as the cacophony of vendors' shouts and inquiries merges into a single overwhelming sound, evoking a sense of rising agitation

From the youthful and innocent faces of the students, Chen Li could not help but recall the moment two years ago when he and Tang Xiao first stepped into the business city with their admission letters, feeling just as youthful, innocent, and even timid.

The beautiful face of Tang Xiao, filled with naive longing for the big city, involuntarily resurfaced in Chen Li's mind. A sudden pain struck his heart; he never expected that even after nearly two years of their breakup, he would still be unable to help but recall the moments when they first entered university together. He took a deep breath, picked up the newly published book "New Regional Economic Relations" by Feng Yixuan, and hurriedly walked towards the west gate of the campus

The blazing sun hangs high in the sky, the heat is unbearable and tormenting, the autumn breeze gradually rises, bringing waves of refreshing coolness.

In the year 2000, graduates from Zhongyuan University had a monthly salary just over 1,000. Chen Li had already taken a step ahead without making a fuss. With his laid-back personality, he was even less inclined to consider work or pursuing further studies.

What a terrible weather! Chen Li looked up at the blazing sun and quickly walked into the west gate of the school on Jiangxiu Street

"Someone is getting into your car, do you know him?" Chen Li asked loudly, seeing a middle-aged man climbing into the driver's seat, seemingly searching for the car keys.

At the west gate of Zhongyuan University, there are countless students and vendors. As long as he is dragged out of the car, there is no need for Zhou Bin or Zhao Yang to take action; this guy can be beaten to a pulp. Chen Li will never allow him the chance to twist the car key and start the engine again

Compared to other classmates who are caught in anxiety and confusion, Chen Li is living with composure and tranquility at this moment

In the back seat of the car, there was a child safety seat occupied by a delicate little girl, who appeared to be around two or three years old. She was curiously gazing outside and, upon seeing Chen Litian, she couldn't help but smile. Her rosy dimples were heartwarming, and Chen Li also couldn't help but smile.

At this moment, he left the library, freeing himself from the entanglement of the little girl who had been trying to strike up a conversation. He intended to find his close friends Zhao Yang and Zhou Bin, who had been at the trendy internet café in the morning, to have lunch first, and then attend a lecture by Professor Feng Yixuan in the afternoon

The young woman opened the door and got out of the car, only to see Chen Lizheng inexplicably smiling at her. She thought something might be wrong with her and instinctively tugged at the slightly wrinkled hem of her skirt.