University Planning

Chapter 190

"Brother Gu, you have no idea. My family is super strict, and they're incredibly stingy with my living expenses."

Zhang Qi sighed, poking at the rice on his plate.

"I'm planning to check out the tutoring centers around the school tomorrow to see if I can find a job handing out flyers or tutoring. I have to at least earn enough for internet and cigarettes."

Li Ming chimed in, "I've made up my mind too. I'm going to ask at the school computer lab or the internet cafes outside to see if they need a network admin. The night shift might be a bit tiring, but at least I can surf the web for free."

This was 2011, and these were the most basic thoughts of most college freshmen.

Selling cheap labor in exchange for meager pay.

Gu Ran's fingers gently rubbed the side of his cola bottle. Hearing this, he frowned slightly and put down his chopsticks.

"Handing out flyers? Working as an internet cafe admin?"

"You guys got into Qinghai University just to do the kind of work anyone with hands can do?"

Zhang Qi was taken aback. "Then... what else can we do? We're just freshmen, we don't know how to do anything."

"The core of making money isn't about how much physical effort you put in, but how many resources you can integrate."

Gu Ran leaned back against his chair, his gaze sweeping over the two of them.

"Handing out flyers pays ten yuan an hour. You're exposed to the wind and sun, and the efficiency is extremely low."

"Have you ever thought about why businesses want to hand out flyers? It's because they lack customers and traffic."

He picked up the cola bottle and drew a circle in the middle of the table.

"There are five thousand freshmen at Qinghai University. That's a massive traffic pool. As students of this school, you naturally have their trust as an endorsement."

"Instead of being cheap labor for businesses, why not integrate the needs of these five thousand people?"

He paused, then continued.

"Driving schools need to recruit students, grad school prep centers need enrollees, and takeout restaurants need orders. You go talk to the merchants and tell them you're the general campus agent for Qinghai University."

"Tell them how many dorm buildings you can cover and how many students you can precisely reach. What you want isn't an hourly wage, but a commission."

The young man's fingers unconsciously drew circles on the table.

"You could even create a 'Freshman Service Group' chat and pull everyone in."

"Normally, you just send out school announcements, and occasionally push some merchant coupons. This is called 'channel is king' and 'private domain traffic'."

"And working at an internet cafe?"

Gu Ran glanced at Li Ming.

"Do you know how to fix computers? Do you know how to reinstall operating systems?"

Li Ming nodded like a chicken pecking at grain.

"I do! I'm good at that!"

"Then don't go to an internet cafe to inhale secondhand smoke."

He tapped the table.

"Print a few hundred business cards and slip one under the door of every dorm room: 'On-site computer repair and OS reinstallation. Thirty yuan per visit, half price for girls.' Doesn't that pay way more than being an internet cafe admin? Plus..."

He paused, adding meaningfully,

"This way, you can also build a network of connections, especially in the girls' dorms."

Holy crap?!

Zhang Qi and Li Ming's jaws dropped, staring blankly at Gu Ran.

These terms—traffic pool, channels, private domain, general agent—were practically alien concepts to college freshmen.

Although they didn't fully understand, they were deeply shaken.

Originally, they only thought of exchanging physical labor for money, but Gu Ran told them they could use their brains and resources to "snatch" money.

At this moment, Gu Ran's image in their eyes completely changed.

If before they only thought he was "rich" and "handsome,"

Now, they felt an absolute intellectual crushing.

This wasn't a roommate; this was clearly a max-level player coming back to the beginner village to stomp on noobs!

"Brother... Brother Gu."

Zhang Qi swallowed hard, his eyes burning with fanaticism.

"Take me under your wing! You've completely opened my eyes! Tell me what to do, I'm following you from now on!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! I'm an expert at fixing computers!"

Li Ming was also thrilled.

Gu Ran smiled and picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth.

"No rush. Let's get through military training first. There will be plenty of opportunities later."

Ye Zhenzhen sat to the side, resting her chin in her hands. Watching her boyfriend speak with such commanding presence, a proud smile curled the corners of her lips.

Way to go, Ye Zhenzhen. As expected of you, you've got a great eye for guys!

Even though she only half-understood those terms herself, she knew that at this moment, Gu Ran was shining brightly.

...

After lunch, Gu Ran first walked the young girl back to the girls' dormitory.

Then, he took his two roommates—who had been thoroughly "brainwashed" into fanboys—back to Dorm 404.

Pushing the door open, the sour smell of cold noodles mixed with a faint scent of sweat hit their faces.

Qin Zhaoyang was sitting at his desk, wolfing down a bowl of cold noodles that had already clumped together.

He was sweating profusely, obviously having run to a street stall outside the campus to grab takeout just to avoid Gu Ran at the cafeteria.

Hearing the door open, he paused and looked up.

Seeing the three walking in laughing and talking, especially with Zhang Qi and Li Ming crowding around Gu Ran,

that posture of stars revolving around the moon made the anger in his heart instantly flare up.

He was the one who drove a BMW!

He was the one who should be sucked up to!

Qin Zhaoyang slammed his chopsticks on the table, haphazardly wiped his mouth, and stood up.

He pulled a thick stack of bright red hundred-yuan bills from his pocket.

He slapped his pack of Marlboros onto the table and said loudly, feigning generosity:

"Yo, you guys are back? The cafeteria food sucked, right?"

He looked at Gu Ran with a provocative gaze.

"I'm treating tonight! Let's go to the 'Golden Splendor' bathhouse behind the school for a scrub and relax a bit!"

Qin Zhaoyang sneered internally and continued,

"I'm a local here in Qinglin. Whether a joint is legit or not, whether the service is good... heh, who would know better than me? After that, we can book a night at the internet cafe. All expenses paid by yours truly, Young Master Qin!"

In the eyes of boys this age, taking a bath, surfing the net, and having someone else foot the bill was simply an irresistible temptation.

He figured a pretentious rich kid like Gu Ran would never lower himself to do these things with his roommates.

As long as he threw some money around, these poor students would definitely switch sides.

However, the air suddenly went quiet for a few seconds.

There was no expected cheering.

Li Ming glanced at the money in Qin Zhaoyang's hand, but what echoed in his mind was Gu Ran's talk of "on-site computer repair" and "connections in the girls' dorms."

A bath? Surfing the net?

Vulgar! Too vulgar!

Following Brother Gu meant doing big business. Who the hell wanted to go to an internet cafe with you to inhale secondhand smoke?

"Um... Brother Qin, sorry about this."

Li Ming scratched his head, looking completely righteous.

"I just remembered I need to stay in the dorm and study computer system maintenance techniques, so I won't be going tonight."

Zhang Qi was even more direct. His head was currently full of "general campus agent" and "traffic pool." He looked at Qin Zhaoyang like he was looking at an uncivilized rural landlord.

"Thanks, but I can't go either."

He waved his hand and pulled an English textbook out of his backpack.

"Brother Gu just gave me a few pointers, and I feel like I benefited a lot from them. I plan to stay in the dorm, prep for my classes, and map out my college career."

"..."

Qin Zhaoyang's hand holding the bills froze in midair.

He looked at Li Ming and Zhang Qi, who both wore expressions of "I want to better myself."

He then looked at Gu Ran, who was sitting calmly in his chair, flipping through a business magazine.

An unprecedented sense of absurdity welled up in his heart.

Is this really a fucking college freshman dorm?

Are these guys out of their minds?

"Fine, you guys are so high and mighty! You're so amazing!"

Qin Zhaoyang angrily stuffed the money back into his pocket, shot Gu Ran a vicious glare, grabbed his washbasin, and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Gu Ran turned a page of his magazine without even lifting his head, a faint, mocking smirk playing on his lips.

Trying to throw money around?

In this dorm room, whether it came to hard power or soft skills, you would only end up getting completely outclassed on every level.

Outside the door, out in the hallway.

Holding his washbasin, Qin Zhaoyang listened to the renewed laughter and cheerful voices coming from inside the dorm. His expression was so dark and gloomy it looked like a brewing storm.

"Gu Ran, is it... fine, just you wait."

He narrowed his eyes, remembering the upcoming class meeting and the class committee elections.

"So what if you have money? When it's time to run for class monitor, I'll show you what real grassroots support looks like!"