Chapter 4, Steps

Knowing his situation, Song Yang felt a sense of helplessness. Now he understood why so many people took risks for their first pot of gold.

In the NBC broadcasting studio, the university professor appeared flustered when confronted. This is indeed a very realistic issue; the cake has certainly been drawn, but it may not be edible.

Under Haley's gaze, Song Yang felt as if he were being targeted by a wolf. He sensed that Haley was not a good person, and he was uncertain about the woman she had introduced to him.

If one could obtain a sum of money now, simply investing in those well-known technology giants might allow Song Yang to earn the title of "stock god" in a few years

As soon as he entered, he saw a woman in a bathrobe coming out of the bathroom. Upon seeing Song Yang, Hailey, wrapped in her bathrobe, greeted him, "Song, I heard from Gallo that you were injured. It didn't hurt your face, did it?"

This investor primarily focuses on traditional industries such as investment banking and aviation, and has a complete disdain for the internet, which he believes is a realm where one cannot ascertain when profits will be made, considering it nothing more than a scam

Hearing that Song Yang might not be able to enter university, Gallo and Hailey both felt a bit down for a moment. Gallo patted Song Yang on the shoulder and clinked glasses with him.

A skilled cook finds it difficult to prepare a meal without rice, and a single penny can thwart even the mightiest of heroes. Even if one is aware of the likes of Yahoo, there is simply no opportunity to seek support from them. As for investment, that is even more absurd; even if one were to sell Grek, it is unlikely that a significant amount of money could be raised, let alone expect Grek to willingly hand over money to Song Yang for investment.

At this moment, someone else entered the apartment. A tall and thin man came in and, being quite familiar, sat down on the sofa. Song Yang remembered that his name was Ryan, and he worked at the same racing company as Gallo.

Walking along the streets of Houston and *Tu* Book, passing by the largest Bilbao Biscay Bank in the Houston area, Song Yang couldn't help but glance a few more times

Cole is the leader of a small gang in Houston, whose members like to tattoo a red viper on their arms, hence they are called the Red Snake Gang. Such small gangs are almost as numerous as the stars in America.

Gail, Hailey, and Ryan were conversing, preparing to host a party in the evening, ostensibly to celebrate Song Yang's return from injury, which is quite absurdly tied to Song Yang.

After thinking for half a day, Hailey finally remembered the name Ibera. She recalled that Song Yang had brought that skinny guy to the apartment party. She worked as a model and naturally knew quite a few girls in this industry. Given Song Yang's looks, Hailey felt it was absolutely not a problem. Compared to the few male models she knew, his looks were on a whole different level, enough to make that group of flirts rush after him one after another

Song Yang did not pay attention to those matters; at this moment, his entire focus was on NBC, the television station, where an economic interview program was being aired. The host was conversing with two individuals in the same broadcasting studio

Hailey lit a cigarette for women, and having entered this line of work, she had inevitably picked up some bad habits. Leaning against Gallo, she teased Song Yang, "Song, do you need me to introduce you to a girl? She will definitely be no worse than that Yi... Bella!"

As for Song Yang, there is even less to say. Currently, Song Yang is merely an ordinary student at Defoes. What lies ahead of him is how to gain admission to a university in six months. Otherwise, in six months, Song Yang might find himself working at a fast-food restaurant like McDonald's or KFC, wasting several years of his life.

Gailuo contemplated that if he had followed Grek's arrangement and enrolled in hetushu.com university to major in law or finance, he would be interning at a law firm or on Wall Street by now, rather than spending his days busy in a repair shop that bears the name of a racing company.

Inside the small apartment, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive. Gallo and Hayley had both entered society and had experienced its harsh realities. They were well aware of how absurd the idea of not attending university a few years ago was. To say they had no regrets was simply nonsense.

One of them is a somewhat well-known investor on Wall Street, primarily focused on investing in traditional industries, and at this moment, he is engaged in a heated debate with another person in the live broadcast room

After all, the entire American internet user base has not yet reached six million, which already makes it the region with the highest number of internet users globally, and one can imagine the situation in other regions

The first bucket of gold is more like a key; without this key, one cannot access the next step and can only remain trapped in place

Hailey has also considered that if she had the experience of attending an art academy, whether it be venturing into Hollywood or working as a reporter at a television station, the opportunities would be far greater than her current situation as a freelance model

Moments later, Gallo and Hailey emerged from the bedroom together, taking a few bottles of alcohol from a dilapidated refrigerator. They handed one bottle to Song Yang. One of the reasons this place attracts many men and women is the availability of alcoholic beverages. After all, in other places, it is not permissible to openly sell alcohol to someone of Song Yang's current age, yet here, one can enjoy drinks.

Currently, the profitability of the internet software industry primarily relies on software sales, similar to companies like Microsoft and Oracle. However, within the entire internet industry, how many companies have become irreplaceable entities like Microsoft and Oracle?

If that racing company fails to make a name for itself in the future, so be it. However, if it achieves success and fame, all the blemishes of today can be washed away. This would essentially be the first pot of gold

He hurriedly waved his hand in refusal, "This matter was instigated by that fool Stanton. I am not in the mood right now. I have been moved to the bench on the baseball team, and it is likely that I will have a hard time getting recruited by a university!"

The individual who was confronted is a professor at a network laboratory of a university in New York. Avoiding the topic of profit, he stated, "The American Joint Network Committee has defined the internet as a global information system. In the future, the number of internet users in America will grow at a rate of 23% per year. As long as there are enough users, this market will undoubtedly exist. The future certainly belongs to the world of the internet"

The same applies to internet advertising, with nearly half of the revenue of major internet giants in later generations coming from this source

The internet has the potential to develop in the future, and an element that countless internet users despise yet is indispensable for the existence of internet companies is none other than internet advertising

Song Yang stared at the television, seemingly oblivious to the calls of Gallo beside him. This was an opportunity, a remarkable opportunity for Song Yang, a key laid out before him, yet obtaining it was not so easy.

This is clearly a "private job," but Gallo is already accustomed to it. He now has this racing company, which seems to focus on designing high-performance racing cars, but this requires substantial funding. Without the support of wealthy sponsors for research and development, they can only find ways to raise funds on their own

After sitting down, Ryan said to Gallo, "A big job has come in, Cole sent over three Toyotas that need our 'repair'!"

The professor's insight is undoubtedly exceptional, yet the investor across the table relentlessly pursued, "How can we achieve profitability with books? The investor has invested money in companies like Netscape; how will they recoup their investment in the future?"

However, it is simply impossible now; no one would entrust their money to an unknown individual, especially not to a young person who lacks even a professional economic license, to invest in the so-called internet concept industry. Essentially, they would be regarded as a madman.

Emerging from Defoes School, a somewhat melancholic Song Yang arrived at an apartment.

Upon hearing Song Yang's words, Gallo raised his head. He naturally knew the abysmal academic level of Song Yang's original self. Without mincing words, Gallo stated that even after a few years of idling around, he had better grades than Song Yang's original self. If Song Yang failed to secure a college recruitment in baseball, his path to university would likely be interrupted.

The current technological frenzy has yet to emerge, and the myth of wealth creation through the internet remains unknown. Even companies like Microsoft and Cisco have spent several years of effort to reach their current status, and it is still too early to consider them true giants.

"Have you injured your motor nerves?" Gallo looked up and down at Song Yang. It is not uncommon for athletes to experience a significant decline in performance after an injury, but Gallo has felt that Song Yang seems to have changed in some way these days, though he cannot quite pinpoint what is amiss.

Just as advertising is crucial for television stations, without advertisements, the television media industry could not have developed to its current state; television advertising has transformed the media industry

Even now, not to mention elsewhere, but in America, the concept of the internet is still a novelty, and there are still many people who regard this industry as a scam

Subsequently, the program host connected via phone to an analyst from Wall Street to inquire about his views. Essentially, he was biased, expressing a strong optimism about the potential of the internet. However, he was unable to articulate how to generate profits and provide returns to investors. Surely, he couldn't directly say that after going public, m.hetushu.com would allow those venture capital firms to cash out and run away, could he

Song Yang skillfully turned on a television. The space here in Gallo is not large, but it is fully equipped with a television, speakers, a video recorder, and a Sony gaming console, making it a venue for continuous parties.

Song Yang took a sip of his drink and said, "I don't know, but I can't get into the competition state; I might need to gradually find my rhythm"

The Red Snake Gang sounds impressive, but in reality, they engage in petty theft and selling, making a living by stealing cars and then reassembling them

Song Yang's eyes were firmly fixed on the television, watching the investor named Christian Barnard on the screen, who was incessantly spouting off his opinions. His mind was in a state of turmoil, and a vague idea emerged in his mind, leaving Song Yang feeling both hesitant and excited

The auto repair shop, which is currently the main business of the racing company, sometimes takes on some high-profit "private jobs". They are on the verge of starvation, so there is no time to consider anything else

This apartment is Gallo's hideout and also the place where Song Yang and others often gather for parties. Hailey is Gallo's girlfriend and currently a small model, spending her days shooting advertisements and magazines. Many girls aspire to enter the film and television industry, but very few can establish themselves. More are like Hailey, slowly mingling and waiting for an opportunity that they might never receive.

The internet is a scam, just like Netscape, which is currently being hyped by those people in Silicon Valley. It does not have a viable profit model at all, and it cannot prove that it can survive!

Moreover, by introducing Song Yang to those young ladies, Hailey might also gain some resources, achieving two goals with one action

At a glance, this woman does not seem to be a good person. Upon seeing Song Yang's somewhat gloomy expression, Hailey instead chuckled and returned to Gallo's bedroom