I am not Ximen Qing.

He was familiar with both Caiyun and Yali. One of the women was pregnant, and the other had just given birth. Caiyun was also worried that Li Yu would have designs on her sister, so she shifted her focus to Yali's unmarried sister-in-law who was working in Beijing.

The company's current problems aren't just strategic or tactical; the most fatal flaw is its positioning. It's actually not complicated at all. Back in the days when money was practically falling from the sky in Zhongguancun, companies with connections could simply find a large computer manufacturing company—Lenovo, HP, IBM—and become their distributor, growing into a multi-billion dollar company. In an era where product sourcing was easy, marketing was simple; you could just distribute and retail the products you represented. It was that easy to make money—it was like gold and silver raining down from the sky. From every perspective, Zhongguancun's entrepreneurial environment was the most relaxed in the world.

Of course, the company managers studied Steve Jobs, Google, Intel, AMD, Microsoft, and Fairchild Semiconductor, a pioneering company in Silicon Valley. China's chip and semiconductor industry was still largely undeveloped, so the company focused its efforts on developing new products. However, this wasn't the company's forte—the chip field. Having already profited immensely from semiconductor chips, they were becoming complacent and their direction was somewhat confused. Major domestic computer manufacturers dared not relinquish their distribution rights to Toshiba, HP, Lexmark, and other high-tech Japanese products. The current situation is similar to that at the beginning of the reform and opening up. Relying solely on the computer personal computer industry is still somewhat insufficient. Mature large companies are fully open; they have no choice but to open up. All related industrial chains in China are blank. They exchange market space for technological iteration and development, so trading companies are thriving. They sell HP printer consumables and are very powerful. Making money is not complicated at all. They master the products of major manufacturers and the entire product line of a major brand. The Zhongguancun market is enough to radiate to all of China. Huawei started to take Cisco as a competitor. As long as they can keep up with the pace of their competitors, they are considered victorious. They develop little by little from small to large. The core value of a company lies in its products.

Zhang Sheng's salary and benefits were suddenly increased to a basic monthly salary of 1500 yuan, plus an additional commission of 5% of the counter's gross profit. For some reason, Zhang Sheng felt it wasn't about the money at all. He believed that with hard work and entrepreneurship, earning over 10,000 yuan a month was definitely achievable. Now it wasn't just about money anymore; entrepreneurship and working for someone else were completely different concepts. This was a paradise for entrepreneurs, not for workers. Entrepreneurship allowed for leisurely strolls, while working for someone else meant endless, relentless work from morning till night, with no hope. When Da Hai's mother saw the melancholy Zhang Sheng, she exaggeratedly said that she had earned 50,000 to 60,000 yuan this month and that she and Da Hai wanted to rest—they were too tired, they had earned too much! They wanted to sublet the counter.

"If you're starting a business, I'll rent it to you; the phone number is readily available."

How much is the rent each month?

"It's not expensive, just a few thousand yuan. Ten computers will do the trick, and the rest is pure profit. Sometimes you can earn two years' rent in a single day. Don't wait and miss this great opportunity to start a business."

Dahai was no longer the Dahai stuck in the company, suffering in the after-sales department. His whole demeanor was different; he was joking and laughing with Miss Shi. Forget about the sister-brother thing; it was less that Dahai's mother wanted to sell the counter and more that she was afraid Miss Shi would seduce Dahai. The company hired a college student assistant for Zhang Sheng to work with. He was quite clever and capable, but he needed time to mature. The two had a few meals together at a tavern near Yanyuan, having heart-to-heart talks. His words were quite witty, and Zhang Sheng realized he was no ordinary person. It seemed the company was going to do a major overhaul, squeezing out the best from the older staff before discarding them. If they continued to follow the company's lead, they would be too passive. This clever fellow could be Zhang Sheng's replacement.

Zhang Sheng feigned weakness, pretending to be incompetent and incompetent. He explained that if he resigned, the college graduate could easily become the sales manager at the counter. This also fulfilled the graduate's wish; he was indeed outstanding, and the student union president was a prominent figure on campus, possessing a charming and mature demeanor. Therefore, the company and Li Yu were undermining each other, and Zhang Sheng was actually the one who suffered. At this point, Zhang Sheng realized that it wasn't a question of whether he chose to start a business or not, but rather that starting a business was the only path forward.

The only path left is entrepreneurship. Both sides understand the potential for growth and choose not to interfere with each other. The drive, ambition, and energy of university students are exactly what's needed right now. However, the Keyuan Electronics Market no longer exists. This iconic two-story building has become a symbol of Zhongguancun's spirit; this experience is irreplaceable. That two-story building has long been Zhang Sheng's spiritual sanctuary. Regardless, Yali and Caiyun still had their sister-in-law meet him at the counter. She also bought a computer for the company, a high-end computer specifically for meteorological research. Of course, Li Yu, Yali, and Caiyun seemed to have gleaned something from this...

"Oh dear, I should have bought this computer when I started my business."

Li Yu and Caiyun still felt the company was being treated too cheaply. Yali, however, found her sister-in-law rather interesting, saying she was quite eccentric and hadn't had any trendy romances in school. Meanwhile, Zhang Sheng helped the female graduate student rent a black cab, and she insisted he also deliver goods, as she was afraid of strangers' cars. Zhang Sheng was incredibly excited; frankly, he understood Li Yu's definition of a "Super Girl" graduate student: she possessed everything, and everyone else was superfluous. Zhang Sheng helped troubleshoot and install various software on the internet, while she quietly watched, giving him an unprecedented warmth, a comforting feeling. Strangely, she patiently and bluntly asked him to check all the computer problems in the colleagues' office, resolving those on the spot and calling for him to come back if necessary. Was this a sudden romance? The sales targets at the counter would be relieved for at least a week, relieving the pressure on the college students. The company also allowed them to take over the counter business, demonstrating that the company wouldn't stop developing without anyone; the company could thrive without anyone. For the company to develop comprehensively...

"Brother, I want to start my own business, can you support me?"

"Have you chosen a counter? No, I'd like to cooperate with Li Yu,"

"He's no ordinary shrewd man; can we really rely on him?"

"If there's no question, then there's no problem."

"Okay, the company's procurement will be postponed for a month. The counter has been rented, just give me a call."

"Okay, brother, why?"

"I've been waiting for this day, for this arrogant company to realize they'll regret it. I've been waiting for the day they regret it and beg me for help. It infuriates me! They're more powerful than emperors, you know? I still don't understand what it is about Zhongguancun that keeps attracting me. I still don't understand. It's quite interesting, so I keep going back and forth to your company, humbly asking questions, repeatedly trying to buy your products. I have to beg you! How much good karma must your company have accumulated! Your company's business is incredibly successful... Actually, let me tell you, it's not because your company..." It's not that your company is amazing, it's that the company is amazing because it's riding the wave of development in Zhongguancun! Brother, don't overthink it, just start a business, brother, don't give up! Why? I see a bright future on this path, a bright future. Otherwise, why would I be here? It's still the humiliation of your company, begging and pleading to sell me products. Most customers in Zhongguancun are like me. Now I understand, it's not that your company is amazing, it's that Zhongguancun's environment has caught up with a major global development trend. That's the real amazing thing, understand? Hurry up and jump in and start your own business!"

Zhang Sheng took two days off, intending to assess the capabilities of college graduates and also to mislead the company, allowing the graduates to shine so that his resignation would face less resistance. Ya Li was starting to regret introducing her sister-in-law to Zhang Sheng; she was worried! A young entrepreneur was unstable, and then there was Caiyun, and the Li couple seemed too self-serving. She was starting to realize that while Caiyun and Li Yu said they would introduce their sister to Zhang Sheng, they hadn't actually taken any action. Those with cunning always have sweet words. On second thought, the couple had calculated everything. They wanted to start a business, looking for partners, and Ya Li, without understanding why, had pushed her husband's sister into it. The key issue was that the sister-in-law had fallen in love; what if they broke up? If her husband found out, Ya Li would gain nothing, and she would be held fully responsible.

"Minghui, shouldn't you reconsider? You have nothing, no house, no money, and you want to start a business? The risk is too great."

"Sister-in-law, I don't want to talk about working within the system. It's good for him to start his own business. I work in a company, and I contribute my share of the money, while he contributes his share to buy a house in Beijing."

The graduate student had already thought it through. She admired Zhang Sheng's youthful drive and ambition. She had a stable job, while his entrepreneurial venture offered him flexibility; if all else failed, she could help him find a job at the company as a network administrator. She had considered many options; after all, she cared deeply. Ya Li was extremely worried about her sister-in-law's unusual behavior. This was too abnormal, everything was wrong. Were Caiyun and Li Yu normal? No, they weren't either. For the sake of starting a business, for the sake of making money, for the sake of revenge against the company, for the dignity he had lost...

She really couldn't understand why she had gotten involved in this mess. What did she see in him? He was so skinny and thin, no meat on his bones, so frail. Her sister-in-law must be bewitched. Ya Li secretly went to her sister-in-law's dormitory and told her some rumors she'd heard about Caiyun and Li Yu—the company's relationships were a mess. Ya Li told her sister-in-law to think it over, afraid she wouldn't be able to control herself. But her sister-in-law was even more audacious, saying things like Zhang Sheng didn't have a girlfriend, and she wasn't going to be at a disadvantage. Ya Li wondered how this once conservative girl, after seeing the world in Beijing, could be so shameless. She couldn't even shower in the courtyard house, but here she was, taking a hot shower! She hurried back to her rented place.

Zhang Sheng felt a sense of sadness. The company was now filled with the booming, joyful symphony of university students' youthful exuberance. Zhang Sheng wasn't even thirty yet, still considered young, but these students hadn't witnessed the rise and fall of Zhongguancun, the magnificent transformation of its buildings. Zhang Sheng still missed the golden age of the Keyuan Electronics Market. Gold was replaced by silver, and silver by bronze. Iron and lead were considered inferior, no longer relevant, devoid of any romantic mythology; their existence felt like an awkward emptiness. The creativity, learning ability, and drive of university students put immense pressure on Zhang Sheng, making him feel somewhat lost. This was the competitiveness the company needed. The managers' private remarks were a waste of time, cultivating a new batch of competitors. The chip sales were losing their advantage in both price and technology, but this wasn't the company's fault.

This was Zhang Sheng's first time being alone with a girl in this romantically themed apartment. He was left alone to hold the fort. By the end of the month, the company still hadn't decided whether to continue providing accommodation for its employees, or deal with the unreasonable demands of the troublesome sub-landlord for compensation for emotional distress, breach of contract penalties, and damages related to repairs. The sub-landlord had even included the old scholar's leaking roof—a logical problem—in the repair costs. The artist sub-landlord, having finally landed a big spender, wasn't about to let such a good opportunity slip by. He thought to himself, "Damn it, is my romantic feast free? Are my love-themed graffiti pieces just for casual viewing?" Furthermore, scandals are not allowed in the company's male dormitories. He had made prior requests to the company regarding matters of male-female relationships; this was a privilege reserved for him. He felt indignant whenever he thought about it. Minghui was the kind of girl who hid her beauty. Yali knew that her sister-in-law was reserved and unassuming, seemingly calm and serene, like a tranquil lake. In reality, she was a turbulent sea, as composed and confident as the peaks of the Yangtze River Goddess Mountain. She was a beauty in the making, but she wore a mask to hide her true nature. Yali now regretted treating her precious treasure like a toy. After arriving at this magical place, she had been laughing the whole time.

"Hey, kid, you're in love."

"No no"

"Alright, I won't say anything more. Get some rest."