Chapter 144: The Project Goes Public

The five men in Room 606 were all somewhat puzzled. Now that they had a chance to make that bastard Wu Shuai lose money, why did Li Mu insist that they let him make it first?

Facing their confusion, Li Mu smiled and said, “Once they get their hands on the money, it’ll be like stuffing a red-hot potato into their trousers. By then, it won’t be as simple as finding it too hot and tossing it away. They’ll have only two choices: endure the pain and keep carrying it, or pull it out in front of the entire faculty and student body.”

Everyone immediately understood.

Was the best way to catch a thief to stop him before he struck? Of course not. If you stopped him before he succeeded, he would simply shift his attention and try again. The best way to catch a thief was to wait until he had the stolen goods in hand, then capture him in one fell swoop, establish his guilt beyond doubt, and make sure he could never recover.

Once they had grasped that point, the five men in Room 606 felt much better. Sun Jian said excitedly, “Brothers, we have to stand united over the next few days and make sure every task is done properly. We absolutely cannot give them any opportunity to find fault with us. That includes keeping our room spotless, in case those student-union bastards come to inspect it and try to make trouble.”

Li Yawei nodded. “Damn it, I need to throw out that instant-heating coil right away!”

Xue Jianfeng immediately said, “The three of us should stop smoking in the room for the time being, too!”

Li Mu turned to Liu Nian, who had suffered the greatest injustice that day, and said, “Liu Nian, I support your desire to work part-time while studying, but we’re not going to work for those student-union bastards at school. I happen to have a job opportunity available. It pays five yuan an hour at the beginning, and if it takes off, you’ll be guaranteed at least fifteen yuan an hour later on.”

Everyone in the room was stunned, especially Hu Zhengdao.

Embarrassed, he said, “Brother Mu, I only make two yuan and sixty an hour. If you have a job that pays five or ten yuan an hour, could you introduce me to one, too?”

Li Mu suddenly felt that, while everyone was united against a common enemy, it was time to tell his roommates about the 3321 plan. Originally, he had intended to wait until tomorrow night, when they gathered for a meal with Zhao Ziqiu and the others, and explain it to everyone together. But at present, his brothers in Room 606 were simmering with anger, and he needed to redirect their attention.

He stood up and said solemnly to the five men, “I have an older cousin who has achieved some success in the Internet industry. A few days ago, I came up with a project, and he’s willing to invest in it for me. The project is already taking shape; the only thing it lacks is manpower. I’d like to know whether any of you are interested.”

For more than an hour, Li Mu explained the 3321 project in detail, covering everything from its goals and implementation to its future prospects. He analyzed and clarified every aspect for them. Almost from the fifth minute onward, the five men were so shocked that they could barely close their mouths. By the time he finished, their jaws actually felt sore.

They simply could not believe it.

They lived and studied under the same roof. The other five had not even adjusted to university life yet, while Li Mu had already been quietly preparing such a massive entrepreneurial project!

What was more, the project was on an entirely different level. Li Mu was not seeking profit; he wanted to create a platform where talented university students could generate value. On this platform, they would not have to work as clerks, typists, or errand boys. They would simply use their knowledge and their experience preparing for the college entrance examination to teach high-school students. Not only would they receive generous compensation, they would also earn the respect of their employers and realize their own value.

The idea was so damn brilliant that it made people want to applaud until their hands went numb.

As the oldest member of the room, Sun Jian immediately declared with great excitement, “Third Brother! As the eldest in this room, let me say this: Since your cousin is willing to invest hundreds of thousands of yuan in a project that isn’t meant to make money, the six of us in Room 606 should show some character too. Just tell us how to promote 3321—we absolutely won’t take a salary!”

The other four immediately echoed him. They felt that this was an undertaking of tremendous importance. Once they understood 3321’s purpose and future prospects, they decided to devote themselves to it. It could bring enormous convenience to every university student, and the thought made them feel as if they had been entrusted with a mission.

Li Mu, however, said, “Anyone unwilling to take money for their work is not allowed to participate. The money my cousin invested includes a budget for promotion. Every ground-promotion representative will receive a base wage of five yuan per hour. To avoid interfering with our studies, we’ll work four hours a day from Monday through Friday, and eight hours a day on Saturdays and Sundays.”

“That much?!” Hu Zhengdao blurted out. “Wouldn’t setting the pay that high be wasteful? How many people do we need for ground promotion?”

Li Mu smiled. “At the beginning, we’ll rely on everyone’s help. We need to use the power of social networks, expanding from one person to many. Each of us should try to bring in several reliable classmates, friends, or fellow townsmen. Our goal is to have three to five ground-promotion representatives at every one of Yanjing’s twenty-six 985 and 211 universities.”

“My God! That’s more than a hundred people!” Sun Jian quickly did the math. “Let’s say there are a hundred people. From Monday to Friday, four hours a day at twenty yuan per person means a hundred yuan for five days. On Saturday and Sunday, eight hours a day means forty yuan per person, or eighty yuan for the weekend. That’s a hundred and eighty yuan per person per week. For a hundred people, that’s eighteen thousand yuan!”

The others were alarmed by the figure as well. The promotion staff alone would cost eighteen thousand yuan a week. Wasn’t that far too much?

Li Mu did not care. He laughed and cursed, “It’s not your money. Why are you worrying about it? If you’re willing to work, then let’s do this properly together. If you’re not, no one’s forcing you.”

Li Mu’s thinking was simple. Even if he acted like a profiteer and set the pay according to the prevailing standard for part-time work, he would at most save half the cost. He was about to raise several million yuan in financing and cash out more than a million. There was no point in pinching pennies over this small expense. Wouldn’t it be better to let his fellow students earn more and have a little more money in their pockets?

Seeing how firm Li Mu was, no one continued to argue. One after another, they declared that they would participate without hesitation. No matter what, they would make 3321 succeed and let it benefit university students everywhere.

After stating his support, Li Yawei raised his hand and asked, “Brother Mu, in the early stages, our job is simply to let students at the major universities learn about 3321, then get them to register and complete their personal profiles, right?”

“Exactly.” Li Mu nodded with a smile. “That’s the first step. Once it’s more or less complete, we can turn our attention to the parents of high-school seniors.”

Li Yawei asked again, “Are we going to use Renmin University and Yanjing University as our initial test sites?”

“That’s right.”

Li Yawei smiled. “Then you’ll have to get Su Yingxue involved. She has an unparalleled standing among the boys at our university. If she helps with the publicity, Renmin University could probably be handled in a single day. As for Yanjing University, you’ll have to speak with Zhao Ziqiu, too. As long as she’s willing to step forward and help, Yanjing University should be easy to take as well.”

Li Mu raised his eyebrows. How had he not thought of that?

Su Yingxue and Zhao Ziqiu were both extraordinary beauties. One was widely recognized as Renmin University’s newest campus belle; the other had not yet received that title, but was still one of Yanjing University’s most stunning women. The persuasive power of beauty was limitless. If the two of them were willing to help wholeheartedly, the promotion would certainly proceed at astonishing speed.

Still, Li Mu felt somewhat reluctant—and even a little ashamed. Was it really appropriate to exploit the appearance of two young women in this way?

Then he remembered that he had already arranged to have dinner with the girls from Zhao Ziqiu’s room tomorrow night. He could explain everything to Zhao Ziqiu then and see whether she was willing to help. As for Su Yingxue, whether or not he asked for her assistance, he should still inform her in advance. It would seem too distant and impersonal if she only found out after he had already begun.

Zhao Kang probably did not know that he was preparing this project either. He might as well invite both of them out for a late-night snack and explain everything properly.

…

Since the beginning of the school year, Su Yingxue had received countless invitations from boys asking her out to dinner, but she had never seriously considered a single one. Yet whenever Li Mu asked her out, she agreed without the slightest hesitation.

She herself did not think there was anything unusual about it, but her roommates had noticed the enormous difference in treatment.

It was already late in the evening when Li Mu called, and Su Yingxue immediately prepared to leave. When the girls in the room asked where she was going at such a late hour, she replied, “I’m going out for a late-night snack with a high-school classmate.”

The girl sleeping in the bunk below Su Yingxue hurriedly asked, “Is it that Li Mu? The incredibly handsome guy?”

Su Yingxue smiled. “Yes. He is quite handsome.”

“He’s pretty impressive, too!” the girl said with a laugh. “I heard from one of my second-year fellow townsmen that a few days ago, he fought four or five members of the university swim team all by himself on the athletic field. He injured three of them single-handedly. Apparently, he was incredibly arrogant!”

Su Yingxue’s face filled with astonishment. “Li Mu got into a fight? When did that happen? Was he hurt?”

The girl had not expected Su Yingxue to care so much about Li Mu. Surprised, she said, “He wasn’t hurt at all. Three members of the swim team were injured. It caused quite a stir at the time. Someone even posted an exposé on the forum by the pool. Didn’t you see it?”

Su Yingxue hurriedly put on her coat. “I’ve never visited that forum. I’m heading out now. We’ll talk later.”

With that, she opened the door and left. The girls exchanged glances, and one of them said, “Looks like the boys at our university are going to be thoroughly disappointed.”

“Why?”

“Because none of them has any chance of pursuing Yingxue.”

Su Yingxue left the dormitory and hurried straight toward the east gate of the university. Li Mu had told her to meet him there. She jogged the rest of the way and finally spotted him.

The first thing she asked was, “Did you get into a fight?”

A flash of surprise crossed Li Mu’s face. He nodded and asked, “How did you hear about that?”

“My roommate told me. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Perfectly fine.”

Su Yingxue relaxed a little. On her way there, she had been worried that he might be injured. Hearing him say he was fine eased most of her concern, though she could not help muttering, “This isn’t home. You should keep your temper under control and try not to get into conflicts with people.”

Li Mu nodded. “If no one provokes me, I won’t provoke anyone. I might be able to tolerate someone pulling down my trousers, but if they try to pull down my underwear, I won’t be able to stand it.”

Su Yingxue sighed helplessly. “I feel like you’ve changed so much lately. And you’re so determined about everything that no one can persuade you.”

Li Mu waved a hand and smiled. “All right, all right. Since you’ve put it that way, I’ll definitely try to control myself in the future.”

Su Yingxue nodded, then asked, “Did you suddenly invite me out for a late-night snack because you have something to tell me?”

Li Mu smiled faintly. “I also asked Kangzi to come. There’s a skewered-food restaurant nearby. We can talk while we eat.”

“Okay.”

By the time Li Mu and Su Yingxue reached the restaurant, Zhao Kang had already arrived. After the three of them sat down and exchanged a few words, Li Mu went straight to the point.

“I’ve been planning a project. It’s about to launch.”

The moment he heard that there was a project about to go online, Zhao Kang’s eyes lit up. “What kind of project?”

Su Yingxue, on the other hand, looked bewildered. Hadn’t they come to university to study? Classes had not even properly begun, so what was Li Mu trying to do now?

Unlike Su Yingxue, Zhao Kang understood Li Mu much better. Ever since the two of them had worked together on Stone Age Overlord, he had watched Li Mu grow constantly. Yiting Network and Tieba were now both flourishing. Although he had not truly participated in either project, he had followed their development from the initial promotional stage onward, and he understood their value perfectly. Thus, the moment Li Mu mentioned a new project, Zhao Kang knew it would not be a small one.

Li Mu explained 3321 to them in even greater detail than he had to his roommates. He did not lie and claim that the project was being funded by some supposed cousin. Instead, he told them directly that he intended to invest his own money and operate it himself.

Su Yingxue was astonished. “That much money? Where are you going to get it?”

Li Mu smiled faintly. “I already have it. I asked my family for it. The specialty shop my family runs is doing very well.”

Su Yingxue had heard that Li Mu’s family owned a specialty shop. She was still surprised, but since it was his parents’ business, she had not thought too much of it. Now, however, it seemed that Li Mu intended to take money from his family to establish 3321, and his initial plan called for a six-figure investment. She could not help feeling concerned.

“3321 really is an excellent plan, and it has tremendous significance,” Su Yingxue said. “Since that’s the case, perhaps we could apply for support from the university or the government. I can ask my aunt and uncle later. They should have some connections in Yanjing. If there are any favorable policies, we might be able to apply for assistance.”

Li Mu smiled. “Let’s not apply for university or government subsidies. Applying for subsidies is troublesome. First, we’d have to register a company, and there are requirements concerning the company’s registered location and number of employees. Only after meeting all the conditions could we qualify. For now, I only want to get 3321 up and running. I’m not planning to turn it into a company yet. We’re still students, and this project will be promoted across universities. Formalizing it as a company could create unnecessary complications.”

There was a major difference between a personal website created by a student and a startup founded by a student. Internet information was nowhere near as transparent or open as it would become in the future. If he merely created a website as an individual, it would not attract much attention. But once it became a company, all kinds of information would have to be made public.

If he was not careful, it could expose Future Muye Technology ahead of time. In the years to come, Muye Technology would develop at an astonishing pace on the foundations of Yiting Network and Tieba. According to his plan, the company would begin its Series B financing within a few months at most. He would also build personal spaces on top of Tieba, then launch the popular farm-stealing game within those personal spaces.

Its future rate of development would be so fast that even people in the Internet industry would find it difficult to imagine, let alone outsiders who knew nothing about the field.

In Huaxia, rapid accumulation of wealth was not necessarily a good thing. Growing wealth had to be accompanied by the ability to protect it. Li Mu did not want to expose everything so early. He always felt that, aside from having some money, his ability and connections were still far from sufficient to secure his position. For the time being, he needed to keep a hand hidden and preserve a few trump cards.

To be continued.

P.S. The first chapter is a substantial four-thousand-word chapter. I’ll still do my best to update three chapters today, so please vote generously with your monthly tickets! If everyone gives me enough support, I’ll spend this weekend doing nothing but writing!