Chapter 053: A New Journey

Bao Yuehong’s resolute style and youthful talent quickly earned recognition at First High. She was not only the homeroom teacher for Class Eight of the first-year students, but also taught Chinese to Classes Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten.

Compared to middle school, the pace of life at high school was faster. In their first week at the school, Huang Juan, Chen Ming, and their friends all felt overwhelmed and struggled to adapt.

Although Yang Tian had entered with the top score in the class, Huang Juan and Chen Ming no longer ranked second and third as they had in middle school. Chen Ming was ninth in the class, Huang Juan fifteenth, and An Qi fared even worse—sixty-first, which meant she was last.

First High was truly a place where talent gathered.

Seeing Huang Juan, Chen Ming, and the others throw themselves once more into intense study, embarking on a new path of striving, Yang Tian felt delighted. He too began his new journey: continuing to earn money.

Of course, he would not pursue money heedlessly. After all, he was still a student. Even with excellent grades, he could not neglect his studies. If Mr. and Mrs. Yang Bao found out, they would be heartbroken and disappointed—something Yang Tian most wanted to avoid.

Therefore, Yang Tian set himself the rule: earning money would be secondary, mainly to improve Huang Juan’s living conditions and buy Yang Xueling the things she liked. Learning and self-improvement would be his primary focus—not only book knowledge and martial arts, but many other skills he wished to acquire.

He had long planned to master computers over the three years of high school, preparing to fulfill his dreams in college.

Yang Tian understood the importance of computers in the days ahead, so he decided to start early.

Buying a computer for home study was simply unrealistic—the machines were expensive. But he thought of a compromise: working as a network administrator in an internet cafe, which would allow him to earn money and use computers for free.

The present issue was that in 1997, internet cafes in Binhai City were still rare! 1995 was known as the inaugural year of China’s internet cafe industry, and internet cafes entered Binhai precisely in 1997, after Hong Kong’s return.

Yang Tian remembered one internet cafe on Xuefu Street—Hongyu Internet Cafe. Ten years later, Hongyu would become a household name in Binhai, with seventy-four chain locations scattered across the city.

Hongyu’s business history was considered a minor legend in the commercial world. It started as a very ordinary internet cafe; if it had anything special, it was only that its owner was unusual—a disabled, overweight young man who reportedly suffered from some illness. His father was a wealthy businessman from Taiwan.

The young man’s name was Zhang Zhi. Since childhood, he had dreamed of making his mark in his ancestral hometown of Binhai. Though his health was poor and he hadn’t learned much in Taiwan, he had sharp insight. Seeing the burgeoning internet cafe industry abroad, he got money from his father and opened an internet cafe in Binhai, beginning his journey to fulfill his dreams.

Initially, Zhang Zhi’s father, Zhang Xuecheng, thought his son was merely playing around and would return to Taiwan after a few years. Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhi stayed in Binhai for five years. During those five years, Hongyu Internet Cafe did not expand much, but managed to survive in tough conditions.

Seeing his son’s determination, Zhang Xuecheng sent his elder daughter, Zhang Xiuxiu—Zhang Zhi’s sister—to help. The arrival of this talented woman marked a turning point. After 2002, Hongyu flourished, nearly absorbing all internet cafes in Binhai, becoming a legend of the city’s internet cafe industry.

Now, having been reborn, Yang Tian decided to join Hongyu Internet Cafe and, before Zhang Xiuxiu arrived, help it grow. First, Zhang Zhi’s family was wealthy, so Yang Tian could implement his grand plans without worry and earn considerable extra income. Second, striving alongside an ambitious young man, he could learn much.

This period was the best for personal growth, and Yang Tian thought, in the future, he might even invest in Hongyu Internet Cafe. When business boomed, he could claim a share of the profits.

The current problem was how to win Zhang Zhi’s trust and work with him side by side.

Arriving at the entrance of Hongyu Internet Cafe, Yang Tian looked up. The fledgling café was housed in a single room. The bright red sign was eye-catching, but the interior was unimpressive, likely because Zhang Zhi had not studied foreign internet cafes and didn’t know how to set up the place.

“Here to use the internet?” A plump young man came out, his left leg unsteady, limping as he walked, but his face was warm and welcoming. Yang Tian recognized him—he must be Zhang Zhi, probably just three or four years older.

“I’m looking for a job! Do you need a network administrator here?” Yang Tian asked directly.

“Network administrator? No need. I only have three computers—why would I need one?” Zhang Zhi replied, a bit disappointed. He looked Yang Tian up and down, seeming to recognize him as a high school student. A high schooler as a network administrator? This was a new profession; could someone who didn’t even know what a computer looked like do it?

“If you want to make Hongyu big, you can’t do it alone.” Yang Tian smiled confidently, stepping aside to observe the café.

Zhang Zhi was clever, opening the cafe at a busy intersection. Unfortunately, he hadn’t improved the environment, so the place felt uncomfortable.

Zhang Zhi’s temperament was good—he didn’t drive Yang Tian away. Seeing a high school student wandering about, he assumed Yang Tian was just curious and ignored him.

At that moment, a small truck pulled up outside. Three men in suits got out.

“Zhang Zhi, I’ve brought the computers you ordered—five, all with the latest specs!” shouted a middle-aged man in sunglasses.

“Great, Brother Li, thank you!” Zhang Zhi went out eagerly to check the goods, Yang Tian following at a leisurely pace.

Brother Li and his colleagues glanced at Yang Tian but paid him no mind, then guided Zhang Zhi through the inspection.

When Zhang Zhi excitedly unloaded the five computers from the truck, Yang Tian saw they were all WeiJia brand. The design was decent, but he wasn’t sure about the specs.

“Come on, Zhang Zhi, what’s our relationship? Don’t mention it! It’s not easy for you to make your way in Binhai, and you’re interested in internet cafes. How could I not help?” Brother Li patted Zhang Zhi’s broad shoulder, smiling with practiced friendliness.

“By the way, Brother Li, how much for the five computers?” Zhang Zhi seemed to sense the man's insincerity, so he asked directly.

“Seven thousand five hundred each; five for thirty-seven thousand five hundred. You’re an old client, so let’s call it thirty-five thousand. We’ve got a long future together, like brothers!” Brother Li took off his sunglasses, speaking generously.

“Alright, I’ll go get the money!” Zhang Zhi hesitated a moment, sensing the price was high, but he wasn’t knowledgeable in this area, and Brother Li was an acquaintance. In the end, he agreed with a smile. After all, the café had five new machines—he was excited.

“Perfect, I need to report back as well!” Brother Li’s face lit up.

“Wait!” As Zhang Zhi turned to fetch the money, Yang Tian called out, “Those five computers are worth, at most, thirty thousand. Charging him thirty-five is a bit shady, don’t you think?”

[Update—please vote for recommendations!]