Rebirth of the Rich Second Generation's Growth Diary

Chapter 153: Evolution Again! And Li Xu’s First Investment Project!
Inside the barbecue restaurant, warm yellow lights softly cast on the wooden tables and chairs. Oil sizzles on the grill, emitting waves of tempting meaty aroma, which blends with the noisy voices in the store.

After Lei Lifeng said this, he licked his lips lightly. Although he pretended to be calm, his slightly trembling eyelashes revealed his inner unrest.

Li Xu blinked and lowered his head. He picked up the ceramic teacup on the table, took a sip of tea silently, and his brain started working rapidly.

Various food posters are hung on the surrounding walls, and diners at the tables nearby are toasting each other and laughing.

I have to say that there are indeed many good points in Lei Lifeng's project.

Leaving aside the hardware, their application software is better developed, and the algorithms and codes can be used directly.

Several functions that Lei Lifeng had described before also gave Li Xu inspiration. For example, the social matching function was something Li Xu had conceived of before, but he didn't expect that Lei Lifeng had already made a prototype. If it could be used directly, it would indeed save a lot of trouble.

More importantly, they have their own servers and a complete backend system that can play a big role.

Li Xu silently put down the teacup, still showing no excitement. He just asked calmly: "Give it to me... to what extent?"

Lei Lifeng said, "Send it without reservation."

He sighed slightly, "Losing is losing, but I poured so much effort into this project, and it's really hard to accept that it's just going to end right here."

Then, with a hint of stubbornness in his eyes, he said, "If you don't want it, just pretend I didn't mention it."

Li Xu stood up, his eyes became clear and sincere. He stretched out his hand. Lei Lifeng hesitated for a moment before shaking hands with Li Xu.

Li Xu said, "I didn't expect you to be so generous. In that case, how about I give you a gift?"

Lei Lifeng had a strange expression on his face and said, "Give me a gift. What do you want to give me?"

Li Xu smiled and asked, "What are your plans after this project is over?"

For a moment, Lei Lifeng fell silent.

He really hadn't thought about his next step yet. The team members were all looking at him eagerly. Although there were not many people, everyone was full of expectations for him.

The kebab waiter walked by with a tray of new ingredients.

Lei Lifeng looked up at Li Xu and said, "Why are you asking this?"

Hearing this, Li Xu immediately knew that the other party had not yet planned for the future.

He slowly picked up the copper kettle beside him, refilled his tea, and said slowly, "Tens of thousands of people have to walk or take the shuttle bus every day to travel the two kilometers from Yanyuan to Zhongguancun."

Lei Lifeng's eyebrows twitched slightly, he hesitated for a moment, and then sat down again.

Li Xu continued, "There are many similar scenarios. Too many office workers and migrant workers find it difficult to walk from the subway to their workplace, even though it's a kilometer away. Taking a taxi is too expensive, and even buying a bicycle... It's been stolen several times, and it's heartbreaking. And the bus? The waiting time is enough to make two trips."

"This last kilometer is more uncomfortable than constipation."

Lei Lifeng's eyes flickered, he touched his chin, and seriously thought about the deep meaning of Li Xu's words.

He has a keen business sense and understands that where there are complaints, there are business opportunities.

The pain points mentioned by Li Xu are very prominent and common. If they can be solved, the commercial value will be huge.

He didn't interrupt Li Xu, thinking quietly, and Li Xu continued, "If there is a bicycle product, you can scan the QR code to ride it, and lock it on the roadside after use, just like a public toilet, you can use it whenever you want.

"It's one yuan for half an hour, and the 299 yuan deposit is refundable at any time. Your phone is the key, and GPS prevents you from losing the bike. It's more convenient than your own bike. The capital has 3000 million commuters every day. If even 1% of them use it, each person can earn 2 yuan a day, which is 60 yuan a day. And that doesn't even include the deposit pool, which can be used to make money, put ads on the bikes, and sell monthly passes at subway entrances... If each bike is ridden five times a day, it will pay off. How's that?"

Lei Lifeng's eyes widened suddenly, then frowned tightly, and he quickly realized the feasibility of Li Xu's idea and the commercial value behind it, and his brain was working rapidly.

Li Xu was not in a hurry and waited patiently for Lei Lifeng to consider it.

After a while, Lei Lifeng shook his head slightly.

Just as he was about to speak, Li Xu gestured downward, interrupting him. "4G networks are just becoming widespread, and smartphones are foreseeable to become commonplace soon. Didn't you say NFC phones would be completely commonplace within five years? I estimate smartphones will be commonplace within two years, and mobile payments are starting to become popular. These three conditions weren't met five years ago, and five years later... the market would have been already occupied."

“Entering the market now means picking up money.”

"But……"

"I know you're talking about lost bikes – install GPS and smart locks, or they'll turn into scrap metal if stolen. About illegal parking – work with the government to designate parking zones, and users will have their credit points deducted if they park illegally. About the weather – southern cities allow for year-round riding, while northern cities offer seasonal subsidies."

Li Xu tapped the wooden tabletop lightly, leaned forward, and spoke slowly, "This isn't just a business; it's about changing the way 800 million people travel. If you can pull this off, you'll be the godfather of urban mobility."

Every word of this was like a heavy hammer, hitting Lei Lifeng's heart hard.

Before Lei Lifeng could recover from his shock, Li Xu continued, "Your Huajing University's 3 teachers and students are natural seed users. Initially, we'll deploy 500 bicycles with smart locks, with each costing 600 yuan. With a total investment of 40 yuan, we can get started. We'll charge 0.5 yuan per half hour, and with an average daily turnover of five times, we'll recoup our investment in half a year."

"Although the school authorities at Huajing University are certainly not as smart as those at Tsinghua University..."

"Ah!"

"But I think you can convince them to support green travel, designate dedicated parking areas, and apply for university student entrepreneurship subsidies. Once the model is established, we can take the pilot data to the district government to discuss cooperation, and then replicate it at our school and the university next door. It will be a natural outcome."

"The first batch of bikes will be modified with 28-inch handlebars. Find the Phoenix Bicycle Factory. Isn't that owned by your alumni? They'll even give you a 20% discount if you hire them for OEM. They'll also put the Huajing Zhixing logo on them, and they'll recruit students on the operation side to work and study, using their academic credits to offset the cost of part-time labor."

"Next, we will jointly publish a 'White Paper on Carbon Emission Reduction for Short-Distance Travel on Campus' with the School of Environment. We will submit it to the municipal government through the Huajing University think tank and strive to have it included in the list of new infrastructure subsidies for universities."

"Think about it. The best outcome is that there will be a monument on the shores of Weiming Lake, marking the beginning of the shared mobility revolution at Huajing University. If you mismanage operations and get acquired along the way, your entrepreneurial story will be good enough to be included in MBA textbooks."

Li Xu talked incessantly, and Lei Lifeng heard every word.

Such a huge amount of information was too much for him to digest in a short time.

For a moment, Lei Lifeng was not only shocked, but also had a strange feeling.

Not only did the other party analyze the project thoroughly, but they also spelled out every step of starting a business in detail. At first glance, it seemed that just by following the instructions, it would become a reality!
At this time, relaxing music started playing on the radio in the store.

Li Xu dropped another bombshell.

"I'll invest 500 yuan in you, enough to get started! 3 custom bikes, GPS smart locks, a WeChat mini-program, a core team of three, and six months' salary, 6 yuan per person."

"As for equity, I only want 30%, you take 40%, and of the remaining 30%, I'll use 10% for technology and operations, 10% for options, and 10% for the angel round. Because we have this money, only 10% is needed for the angel round. The valuation is negotiated at 5 million."

After saying that, Li Xu slowly drank his tea again.

Lei Lifeng was completely stunned. He could no longer maintain his forced calmness on his face. He picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip in a panic.

Li Xu smiled and jokingly said, "There's no water in the cup, what are you drinking?"

Lei Lifeng took a deep breath, put down his empty cup, and was silent for a long time before saying, "I need to digest this."

Li Xu nodded and said, "I understand."

Lei Lifeng added, "You've been thinking about this for a long time, right?"

Li Xu shook his head and said seriously, "I just thought of it while eating barbecue just now. Do you believe me?"

"letter."

"what?"

Li Xu laughed happily. This idiot... I didn't believe it myself, but he actually believed it.

"Why don't you do it yourself?" Lei Lifeng asked.

Li Xu shook his head and said, "The timing wasn't right before, but it is now. However, I can't let go of the project I'm working on. This project is equally important."

Lei Lifeng nodded and stood up: "I have to admit that I am not as good as you."

Li Xu leaned back in his chair and smiled slightly: "Go back and think about it carefully. Call me when you have made up your mind. My friends are waiting for me. That's all for today."

Lei Lifeng simply replied "OK".

……

What Li Xu didn't expect was that Lei Lifeng was also a man of action.

In fact, many successful people have one common characteristic, which is strong execution ability.

Once they have an idea in their minds, they can't wait to turn it into reality and realize it.

After Lei Lifeng returned, he repeated what Li Xu said in his mind many times.

He doesn't miss any setting, any process, or any detail.

And carefully sort out the essence of it and think it over carefully.

In the end, a terrible conclusion was reached, every detail of which was flawless, and there was not even a single point that could be refuted!

This guy is so powerful, it’s like he can predict the future. It’s not unfair for me to lose to such an opponent!
A formidable strategic vision, meticulous logic, and more importantly, in just a few sentences, it takes into account technology policies and various possible problems...

What's even more perverted is... this guy has an ability that even he himself envies, and that is the ability to describe his vision!
As Li Xu said, if this is done well, it can be included in the MBA textbooks and leave a mark in the history of outstanding alumni of the alma mater.

This was too tempting for Lei Lifeng. Even if he failed, the worst-case scenario would be that he would be acquired at some point in time.

As for a worse outcome... Lei Lifeng was confident that it would never happen.

If that’s the case, why not do it?
Once the decision was made, Lei Lifeng became extremely excited.

He directly picked up the phone next to him and called Li Xu.

Unexpectedly, Li Xu didn't answer the first call. He cursed inwardly, saying that this guy had no credibility.

He made a second call without stopping.

I waited for more than fifty seconds before the other party answered the phone.

Before Li Xu could say anything, Lei Lifeng said with some dissatisfaction, "Why did you answer the phone so late?"

Unexpectedly, Li Xu on the other end of the phone shouted, "Are you crazy? It's three o'clock in the morning!"

"Ahem... I've thought about that matter! The equity division and investment will be done according to what you said before!"

"Let's talk tomorrow!"

Li Xu hung up the phone angrily.

Lei Lifeng chuckled helplessly and said, "Really? You're just a kid, getting so angry..."

It's only three in the morning...

As he spoke, he stood up, walked to the window, opened the curtains, and looked out at the quiet street where the street lights emitted a dim glow.

……

Li Xu could afford the 800,000 yuan start-up capital himself.

After all, the previous scientific research competition had already put seven figures in his account.

After his senior year of high school, Li Xu never asked his father for money again.

But every time I check the balance on the card, I find that it is increasing instead of decreasing.

Looking carefully at the details, his father transfers him a six-figure living allowance every month.

Li Xu didn't say much and simply transferred the money to Lei Lifeng.

This is how you do something, you can think carefully about it before you do it.

But once you decide to do it, don't be hesitant or timid.

Either don’t do it, or do it happily.

As the name suggests, Lei Lifeng is decisive in doing things without any delay.

The share certificate was brought over that afternoon.

Preparations for setting up the company were immediately started.

When Li Xu went to sign, he said seriously, "From now on, I will not interfere in anything except matters involving equity. If you fail, just treat this project as your graduation project and regard it as a mistake on my part."

Lei Lifeng snorted, then pointed to the famous lakeside of their university and said, "Just wait, there will be a monument to my project there soon."

With the gift Li Xu gave him, it became even easier for Lei Lifeng to give away his cloud campus card.

After Li Xu obtained all the software and hardware resources of the cloud campus card from Lei Lifeng's team, he broke them down and analyzed them carefully. Everyone's reactions were different.

The one who felt frustrated was Xue Xue. Compared to the app she made, the Leilifeng team next door was obviously several orders of magnitude better than her in this aspect.

The products they make are much better in terms of interface beauty, functional design rationality, and stability.

In the next few days, Xue Xue carefully disassembled and studied other people's applications, and did not speak in the group for several days.

The one who was excited was Ye Ruida. Ye Ruida's ability was naturally beyond doubt, but he was too lazy. He had many ideas but was just too lazy to realize them.

But what Lei Lifeng's team brought was exactly the opposite.

Although many core algorithms are not so sophisticated, they are comprehensive and can save Ye Ruida a lot of effort.

Some of the things that were previously conceived can be run on this new architecture without spending too much time.

The biggest benefit of Lei Lifeng's team's cloud-based campus card is their server backend system, although the physical card of Li Xu's team does not require a cloud server to implement basic functions.

But with this set of ready-made servers, the functions they had previously envisioned can be implemented quickly.

……

Before the winter vacation, the campus was quiet and peaceful, and the sunlight shone through the bare branches and onto the campus paths.

There has been a lot of calls for smart cities recently, and pilot projects are being actively carried out in various places.

As a top university, it is natural for it to be at the forefront of the times.

The school has also set off a trend of "I will make suggestions for the construction of smart cities". Various related posters and achievements are posted on the bulletin board, attracting many students to stop and watch.

Li Xu stood outside an office. The door of the office was made of thick solid wood and was inlaid with an exquisite nameplate with the words "Dean's Office" engraved in gold.

He took a deep breath and prepared to go in, holding the materials for winning the support of the college in his hand.

I knocked gently on the door, and Dean Chen's gentle and magnetic voice came from inside the room: "Come in."

Li Xu pushed open the door.

There is a set of antique solid wood tables and chairs in the room, the bookshelves are filled with various books and documents, and old photos of the school and some calligraphy works are hung on the walls, giving people a strong cultural atmosphere.

Dean Chen was sitting at his desk. When he saw Li Xu come in, he immediately looked up, smiled kindly, and said, "Xiao Xu, come in and sit down. What can I do for you?"

As he spoke, Dean Chen put down the pen in his hand, rubbed the tip of the pen lightly on the ink bottle cap, and placed the pen steadily on the pen holder.

Seeing this scene, Li Xu couldn't help but feel a little proud.

He thought to himself that there were probably not many people in the student community who could enjoy such treatment.

Li Xu sat upright in the chair in front of his desk. The chair was made of soft leather and felt comfortable.

He then stated the purpose of his visit directly: "Dean, I came to see you this time because of something related to the construction of a smart city."

Dean Cheng nodded and said, "Tell me in detail."

Li Xu respectfully placed the materials in his hand on the dean's desk.

He then said, "Our campus card system has been upgraded a while ago. We now have a cloud server, based on which we have launched three major smart functions."

"The first function is the express package management function. Each dormitory building is equipped with several smart lockers. The courier only needs to put the package in, and the system will automatically send a text message to the student. The student only needs to swipe the campus card or enter the password, and the corresponding locker door will pop open."

Dean Chen's eyes flickered slightly. He didn't comment immediately, but he showed a look of great interest. He leaned forward slightly, his chair creaking softly, and said, "Go on."

Li Xu nodded and continued speaking.

"The second function is called the student credit score function. This function is designed specifically for our school. It uses items such as library compliance rate, exam integrity record, economic credit, card consumption stability, student loan repayment rate, volunteer service hours, student mutual assistance events, skill certificate acquisition, and innovative practice results to calculate credit scores in four dimensions: academic, economic, social, and development."

At present, Alibaba’s credit score function has not yet been launched, but Li Xu was the first to use it in school, and was ahead of the times.

Dean Chen stroked his chin, lost in thought. His fingers gently stroked the stubble on his chin. After a moment of consideration, he nodded and said, "What about the third function?"

"The third function is social matching. It intelligently recommends partners based on students' campus life trajectories. For example, students who often go to the third floor of the library at the same time will automatically receive a study partner invitation. Another example is entrepreneurial CP: a liberal arts student who likes to read entrepreneurship books will be recommended to an engineering student with technology patents, and so on. Of course, there are also some humanistic features. For example, if someone eats alone in the corner of the cafeteria for three consecutive days, the system will alert the psychological counselor."

After a pause, Li Xu said, "I have written all the details in the report. I came to you this time because I hope you can help us break through the barriers to realizing these functions at the college level."

Dean Chen put on glasses with metal frames that reflected slightly under the light.

He flipped open Li Xu's report and said, "Okay, let me take a look first."

Li Xu stood up and bowed slightly, saying, "Then Dean Chen, I won't disturb you for now."

Dean Chen smiled and said, "Xiao Xu, you don't have to be so reserved when talking to me next time. I will read this report carefully. By the way, how is your project competition going?"

Li Xu said: "The rematch will be held in the spring of next semester. We plan to implement all the upgraded functions before the rematch, so that we will have a better chance of passing the rematch."

Dean Chen nodded noncommittally, his chair making another soft creak as he moved it. He then asked, "Will it still be called the Campus Card Project during the semi-finals?"

Li Xu smiled and shook his head and said, "Of course, we responded to the country's call and changed the name of this system...

“It’s called the Tsinghua-Peking University Smart Campus Solution!”

(End of this chapter)