Chapter 451: Refund the Tuition

The next morning, Linchuan’s cold wind was fierce, the scene outside the window stark, while the indoor heating was strong, making one wake up with a dry mouth.

Jiang Qin crawled out of bed to find Old Cao and others already sitting up and hitting the books hard.

This year’s vacation starts on January 22, just over half a month away, and Linchuan University is already deep into exam prep.

But this term feels entirely new for Jiang Qin.

What did he learn? No idea.

Any specialized courses? I don’t understand.

Piling every textbook from past years in front of Jiang Qin to find this term’s is harder than plucking stars from the sky as each term’s books are brand new.

During last year’s finals week, Jiang Qin went to the study room for show, borrowed a pen from a girl next door and wrote his name on the title page.

To date, that’s the only book with his name in it.

What he thought was a beginning ended up being a peak.

But Jiang Qin isn’t worried, because Group-Buy’s growing fame means failing is out of the question; even a blank paper would pass for being neat.

Just feels like a bit of a loss paying tuition and accommodation fees…

“Don’t keep the windows closed. Open them up when the sun’s out at noon. This dorm’s starting to smell like pickles.”

“Got it, Jiang bro. You heading out again?”

“Just going to deliver a gift, see if I can get a merit student award this term.”

Jiang Qin put on a thicker down jacket, shivering as he left the dorm with local specialties and tea in hand, headed for the entrepreneurship base.

Hearing that Ye Ziqing joined the Group-Buy team, Professor Yan, though silent, showed a trace of relief in his eyes.

Watching Ye Ziqing fail repeatedly has been painful, every entrepreneurial venture blessed with worry and a headache.

But hearing she joined Group-Buy settled Professor Yan’s heart considerably.

Steadier now.

Jiang Qin may be cheeky, but his actions are solid, and he’s stayed error-free, so she likely won’t lose this time.

Professor Yan’s blind confidence mirrors that of room 208 and its branch members, stemming from watching their growth.

When all someone’s decisions turn out right, you tend to believe any rare mistake is the world’s, not theirs.

“That’s good, right?”

“It’s good.”

Professor Yan, somewhat moved, repeated, “Good things should be celebrated with hotpot.”

Jiang Qin blinked, looking around. “This isn’t room 207. You’re into hotpot now? Has this place also become morally compromised?”

“What compromised? I’m not asking you to pay. Can’t I treat?”

“Forget it, professor. Keep your pension for yourself. After exams, I’ll treat. Lu Feiyu keeps wanting to pour you a drink.”

Jiang Qin picked up his tea cup, spending some time with Professor Yan over tea, discussing the recent settlement in Shanghai before turning to visit Dean Zhang.

Dean Zhang keeps an eye on Group-Buy’s moves, understanding some matters without Jiang Qin explaining.

He even knew about Xiangti Villa and asked precisely where. That scared Jiang Qin.

“How do you know about Xiangti Villa?”

“Your promotional materials had photos. Is mine next to yours?”

Jiang Qin thought, that’s my best friend’s aunt’s friend’s house; all my money’s in the market now, my pockets cleaner than my face: “Yours is forever in my heart.”

Dean Zhang thought, is this even human speech, and scoffed. “Look how scared you are. What kind of person do you think I am? I stand as a moral teacher, upright and stern. I wouldn’t accept even if you really offered—it’s a matter of principle, unless you insist.”

“It so happens the hardest thing for me is forcing others.”

“Enough small talk. What’s next for Group-Buy?”

Jiang Qin refilled their teas: “Next, we fundraise.”

Dean Zhang nodded: “The group-buy industry, always comes back to money in the end.”

“Dean, it’s not quite right to say that. It’s not just group-buying; I aim to create a large-scale commercial complex that integrates online and offline.”

“But your setup still depends on established group-buy channels, so you must win; otherwise, all your early efforts are wasted.”

“Exactly, so I’m back this time to prepare for victory.”

Jiang Qin offered Dean Zhang tea: “A year ago, I made a strategic marketing plan, hoping all Linchuan would trust me. I did. This year I pushed Group-Buy nationwide for everyone’s trust. And I achieved it. Now it’s time to reap the rewards.”

Whether leading the way or fundraising, trust is the crux.

If you trust me, follow me. Hence Linchuan’s brand and several other regional brands keep expanding nationwide, following Jiang Qin’s blueprint, constantly driving their value up.

Group-buying may burn money, but if as a single entity, it’s just moving money from one pocket to another.

Jiang Qin has full control of the Golden Silkwood Fund, investing in strategic partnerships, developing a commercial loop while propelling group-buying. It seems years of savings are lost, but another pocket is already full.

With Group-Buy making its mark in Shanghai, he believes the eight kings are ready to move.

“Steady, no rash moves. Say if you need any help, whether school ties or personal; we’ll provide maximum support.”

“Thanks, dean. I’ll head off then. Meeting the eight kings for a game, talk about money issues.”

“Go on.”

A few steps out, Jiang Qin turned back: “Oh, right. I didn’t attend classes this semester. Remember to refund my tuition—can’t let you profit off me.”

Dean Zhang was speechless.

“Just put it in the card I paid with!”

“What are you yelling about?”

Jiang Qin grinned, then hummed a tune as he left the administrative office and drove to the entrepreneurs’ club to meet Cao Jianhong and Li Mingda, two of the eight kings.

It was too cold in winter, so the three met indoors for pool.

Although not a high-end sport, pool excels as it lacks competitiveness.

Unlike basketball or badminton, which can get heated and lead to arguments, pool remains elegant and soft, allowing for continual banter.

Of course, playing wasn’t the goal; discussing finances was.

Jiang Qin spoke about the current market and briefly outlined Group-Buy and major strategic brand’s future development.

As Jiang Qin mentioned, with Linchuan’s brand soaring nationally, those invested in these brands taste the benefits, and after Group-Buy swept through Shanghai, they indeed seemed eager.

The early miners had low culture levels and managed their companies roughly, making it hard to transition.

With a leader, it’s fine, but without one, it leads to an abrupt end or losing everything.

And these folks were used to luxury, believing it a disservice to their past prominence not to stir things up.

In Kyoto, a Mr. Pan focused on SOHO; his capital also stemmed from these people.

Now with the internet boom, even a random online company can make a lifetime’s wealth at this stage. Jiang Qin became the one leading them in.

“Come on, Boss Jiang, let’s play. Loser invests a billion.”

“That’s gambling, huge stakes; get caught and I’d be locked up till my grandkids’ time.”

“You don’t have to put up money. I’ll invest; you just bring your looks.”

“Fine, I might not have money, but I’ve got looks to spare!”

Jiang Qin, cues in hand, snapped a flower ball into the pocket.

Wen Jinrui, Jiang Qin’s secretary, stood behind holding his tea, grinning at their conversation.

Is the boss’s looks really that valuable?

Is this the taste of the rich? Does the boss’s face truly meet wealthy aesthetic standards?

She suddenly recalled her boss’s stunningly beautiful wealthy wife, further convinced of her guess.

The world as seen by the wealthy may indeed differ from that of ordinary folks.

At four thirty in the afternoon, after the game, Jiang Qin rushed back to Group-Buy headquarters, not missing a beat.

Nanako’s team finished the final optimizations for the product management system while the GIS service entered testing.

Currently, their team includes three departments with around one hundred fifty members, half working on developing Zhihu and Group-Buy’s apps, while the others set up Tonight’s Headlines’ independent site.

The platform isn’t complicated itself; what’s complex is the content creation platform Jiang Qin wants.

According to his vision, Tonight’s Headlines should let everyone participate in creation, each able to express differing views on the same news and earn from it.

This involves complexities, including architecture, patterns, and algorithms.

But Jiang Qin is in no rush, letting them take their time.

If not this year, then next, or the year after. With mobile internet rising, they have at least two years to experiment.