Chapter 74: Captivating Ventures

Zhou Linghua truly was fortunate. Chen Xiao had proven to be a significant benefactor.

After their dinner, Zhou Linghua arranged for a driver to take Chen Xiao back to Jiangcheng.

Upon returning home, Chen Xiao powered up his computer and reviewed the data from the background of website 11181 and the data from the legendary plug-in.

The daily average page views (PV) for 11181 had reached approximately 1.5 million. As the legendary plug-in gained traction, more internet cafe pages had integrated with 11181 due to promotions.

Increased page views also led to higher advertising revenues.

Currently, the website's daily income from advertising click-throughs could reach as high as 150 yuan during peak times and several dozen yuan during off-peak times.

The legendary plug-in was even more profitable. Through collaboration with Zhou Quan, the plug-in had witnessed astonishing growth rates.

At present, over 6,000 people had registered for the plug-in, and more than 4,000 users had become paying customers.

Chen Xiao had earned over 40,000 yuan from this portion of the plug-in. If these paying users continued to recharge in the coming weeks, the profits would be sustained.

In a way, Chen Xiao had attained a level of financial independence.

Yet another issue cropped up—this time, with the toilet's sewer pipe. Chen Qiang grumbled about it but proceeded to fix the issue using his tools.

Chen Xiao promptly put aside his work and joined his father to help out.

Jiangcheng Machinery Factory, built in the 1970s, bore a distinct Soviet architectural style.

Nearly three decades had passed, and with no property management in place, many infrastructures were in a state of disrepair.

Though commercial housing was not readily available in Jiangcheng, Jiangzhou did offer such options. Prices began at 1,500 yuan per square meter. For spaces exceeding 100 square meters, prices could approach 200,000 yuan.

Financial constraints were still present, but once the funds were available, Chen Xiao's priority was to secure a new home. He wanted to provide his parents, who had worked tirelessly for most of their lives, with a comfortable place to live.

"You go do your own thing, I'll handle this," Chen Qiang wiped sweat from his forehead and continued working on the sewer pipe.

"Dad, isn't this building meant to be demolished?" Chen Xiao inquired, "Why haven't we received any news?"

Chen Qiang responded, "It's imminent. Just a few days ago, an in-depth survey was conducted here."

Curious, Chen Xiao asked, "What's your plan?"

After a brief pause, Chen Qiang sighed, "This house was left by your grandfather. Logically speaking, it should be divided among my siblings, but your mother can't bring herself to do it."

Chen Xiao didn't press for further information. He knew that Lin Hui was against dividing the property and was in the process of handling the matter. After all, Chen Qiang had made the greatest sacrifices for the family's welfare.

Chen Xiao patted his father's shoulder and reassured him, "When I earn enough money, I'll buy you a new house. Who needs to worry about the demolition money then?"

"Haha, you're right, son. I'll look forward to it!" Chen Qiang's eyes sparkled.

Chen Xiao returned to his room and resumed organizing the circuit diagrams for the MP3 project. He then opened a Word document to begin writing the technical information required for patent applications and production.

Staying up all night, Chen Xiao worked diligently. Simultaneously, in Jiangzhou, Zhou Quan was equally sleepless.

His eyes were red from fatigue.

Normally, Zhou Quan worked in the computer city, earning around six to seven thousand yuan per month. During good times, his earnings would rise to eight or nine thousand yuan. Occasionally, he might make ten thousand yuan, but such instances were rare.

However, in the past few days, assisting Chen Xiao in selling plug-ins had led to a swift influx of 40,000 yuan into his account.

This was what one could call "excessive profits."

Zhou Quan did some calculations. If he managed all the plug-in transactions himself, he could potentially make 80,000 yuan.

With the plug-in's growing popularity, more people were starting to use it. Zhou Quan saw that if he could attract even more users, he could accumulate substantial earnings within a short span.

Having spent many years in society, Zhou Quan understood that genuine money-making opportunities were scarce. A few such opportunities were sufficient for a lifetime.

The idea of splitting this money equally with others troubled Zhou Quan. He even felt that if it weren't for his connections in the internet cafe industry, the plug-in's promotion wouldn't have gained such momentum.

A 50-50 profit share felt somewhat disadvantageous to him.

Zhou Quan turned on his computer, gazed at the plug-in program on his desktop, and finally decided to make a phone call.

"Brother Fei, I gave you the download link the day before yesterday. Have you made any progress?"

He Fei.

He Fei was the proprietor of a software business in Shenzhen and a computer expert. He had departed from a government position after graduating from the University of Electronic Science and Technology, venturing into wholesale dealings of pirated software and computer hardware at the Shenzhen SEG Electronics Market.

All of Zhou Quan's computer hardware and game software were sourced from He Fei.

He Fei's voice echoed from the phone, indicating that he was also engrossed in playing the game "Legend."

He Fei exclaimed, "Brother Quan, I downloaded the program, and I'm using it now. It's fantastic! Where did you get this plug-in? This tool makes things so much easier."

Curious about the source code, Zhou Quan inquired, "Don't you have any insights into the program's source code?"

His most significant frustration was that he needed to log in with an account and password every time he used Chen Xiao's plug-in.

He Fei replied, "The source code of a program is like the secret formula of Coca-Cola. You can't see it, just like you can't see the actual recipe when you drink Coke."

"I see." Zhou Quan couldn't hide his disappointment.

He Fei then revealed, "But my friends are really interested in this plug-in, and they're working on duplicating and creating their version of the program. The results should be ready the day after tomorrow. I've already informed them to provide you with a copy and grant you administrator privileges."

"Brother Quan, this is a genuinely profitable business. You should seize this opportunity. You can manage the market in Jiangyang Province, but please don't compete with us in the southern cities."

Zhou Quan was thrilled, "Thank you, Brother Fei!"

He Fei laughed, "No need to thank me. I should thank you for sharing such valuable information. You directly provided the download link for the plug-in, without which, we wouldn't even know such a tool exists."

He Fei continued, "It won't take long before various plug-ins flood the market. Use your connections to secure your share of the market as quickly as possible. Stable customers equate to steady income."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Quan felt relieved and was finally able to sleep soundly.

Originally, he intended to install the plug-in in several internet cafes the following day. However, he decided to hold off on those discussions.

A high school student wanted to discuss business with him?

Zhou Quan chuckled, feeling that Chen Xiao still had a lot to learn.

By the end of July, students began receiving their admission letters.

Chen Xiao's notification was hand-delivered by Deputy Director Ding from Jiangzhou University's Admissions Office, along with teachers from the same office.

Representatives from the Jiangzhou Education Department and the Jiangcheng Education Department were also present.

Chen Xiao had been admitted to the Finance Department within Jiangzhou University's Accounting Department. The university respected Chen Xiao's preferences, allowing him the freedom to change his major at any time.

Why had he chosen finance?

Because of the guidance provided by the future technology guide, there was little point in selecting an engineering major. As his influence grew and more technological achievements unlocked, Chen Xiao's own understanding would surpass any specialized engineering discipline.

To reach these technological milestones, expertise in technology alone was insufficient. A grasp of management and financial knowledge was also essential.

This was why Chen Xiao opted for a finance major.

Moreover, compared to the demanding engineering majors, finance majors had a more relaxed schedule.

And, well... the finance major had quite a number of female students.

In addition to the admission letter, Jiangzhou University also awarded Chen Xiao a scholarship of 10,000 yuan. The Jiangzhou and Jiangcheng Education Departments offered bursaries of 5,000 and 3,000 yuan, respectively.

The leaders of the Jiangzhou Education Bureau held a press conference, expressing their thoughts in front of the media.