Chapter 59: Drawing Cakes

As military training continued, the content on Zhihu also kept growing richer.

“My Ordinary Wealthy Second-Generation Life” had already updated to issue 63, detailing how the Cao family clan dominated Hangzhou and was keen on charity.

“You Are the Hue of Fireworks in the World” had also already serialized to chapter 60, with the male and female leads expressing their feelings for the first time, including some physical intimacy, which was quite exciting.

Besides that, the confession wall already had over a thousand fake dating posts.

Nine-headed fairy looking for a boyfriend, no requirements, doesn’t love money, a bit silly and easy to trick.

Handsome guy with eight-pack abs looking for a girlfriend, wealthy and devoted, doesn’t smoke or drink, no bad habits whatsoever.

And the anonymous Hole had endless pseudo-realistic short stories, all sorts of soap opera plots, controversies, complicated entanglements between exes and current partners, and subtle catfights between close female friends.

Based on this level, the promotion could proceed as scheduled.

Wednesday morning, the weather was fine and sunny.

Shengshi sent ten thousand advertising fans to the school via express delivery, then handed them over to the part-time club president Gao Dapeng through Dong Wenhao and Pang Hai’s connections.

College students’ execution abilities were unquestionable. On the same day the ad fans arrived, Gao Dapeng arranged for a few top members of the club to carry out ground promotions at the two campuses respectively.

In the scorching summer heat, the temperature remained high, so in these circumstances, fans were extremely popular.

Gao Dapeng and the others barely had to make an effort, and in a flash they had given out over three thousand fans. At the same time, real user registrations also gradually began to pour into the forum, with the registration numbers rising slowly but steadily.

Jiang Qin took the opportunity after military training ended to drag Su Nai to the library to monitor the data for an entire afternoon.

The rising registration numbers were a good thing, but besides the novel section run by Shi Miaomiao starting to have comments appear, posts actively made by real users were still quite scarce. This indicated that most users were still in an observational state and hadn’t generated any ideas for interaction, which was not a good phenomenon.

The effect Jiang Qin wanted to achieve was for users to become both readers and creators of content.

Only after forming this kind of cycle could the website’s vitality be sustained long-term. Otherwise, no matter how much content there was, it would all be browsed through one day.

“Let’s implement an experience points system on the website.”

“Eh?”

Jiang Qin’s fingers tapped on the desk. “We’ll give experience points based on the number of posts made and comments received, using the amount of experience to assign titles to users. People focused on creating short stories will be given the ‘Academic Ace’ badge, those who like doing makeup sharing will be crowned ‘Fashion Queen’. We’ll classify by level, with each badge having five tiers. Reaching the top level gets the ‘God-tier’ title to motivate users to post.”

Su Nai pushed up her glasses. “Senior, I’m not a donkey for the production team…”

“Heh, money devotee.”

Jiang Qin saw through Su Nai’s true nature with one glance. “How about this then, I won’t pay you bit by bit anymore. You can just directly become my employee, I’ll pay you a salary, and from now on you’ll be one of Zhihu’s founding members, enjoying profit sharing and company stock options. How about it?”

“Sounds very tempting…” Su Nai’s eyes sparkled with the pure foolishness unique to college students.

Jiang Qin nodded with satisfaction. “As long as you work hard, the heavens will certainly not mistreat me. One day I’ll definitely drive a Bentley and live in a mansion.”

“?”

Su Nai paused for a moment. If you drive a Bentley and live in a mansion, what about me?

But since the boss was already driving a Bentley and living in a mansion, as a founding member she shouldn’t fall too far behind, right? A small villa was probably no problem, and a BMW should be about the same.

“By the way boss, you still haven’t paid me for the auto-reply thing last time.” Su Nai suddenly remembered something.

Jiang Qin spoke in a gentle voice, “As my employee now, helping optimize the project is part of your job responsibilities. I don’t want to hear you say such foolish things again in the future. The chairman will think you have an improper attitude.”

Su Nai was startled. “We also have a chairman? Who’s the chairman?”

“Me.”

“????”

Jiang Qin’s voice became even gentler. “Our project is currently in a development period. Your share will be counted as dividends for now. When we have expanded far and wide, you and I can prosper together!”

As a science and engineering nerd, Su Nai didn’t quite understand this convoluted verbal trap, so she nodded in agreement. “Alright then, but you have to give me dividends at the end of the year!”

“No problem, when we make money I’ll treat you to fine food and drink.”

“Hehe.”

Su Nai chuckled a couple times, directly ignoring the question of whether this website could be monetized or not. “Oh right boss, can you give me 33 yuan first?”

“Why are you bringing up money again, we’re creating an epoch-making internet product, how vulgar.” Jiang Qin put on his boss’s authority.

“No, I want to get a membership.”

“Membership?”

Jiang Qin paused slightly, thinking this membership price was a bit odd.

Nowadays the membership fees for major websites basically all ended in 9, like 9.9 yuan, 19.9 yuan, 29.9 yuan. Such a refreshingly unique membership fee like 33…

A flash of yellow light passed through Jiang Qin’s mind.

No mistake, Su Nai must be talking about the membership for a certain video section.

“I told you before, focus on work, don’t go learn new moves every day.”

Su Nai looked depressed. “Without a membership, it always cuts off abruptly. I’ve never seen the complete process, I don’t even know what’s supposed to happen next!”

The corner of Jiang Qin’s mouth twitched. “Alright alright, actually I’m a member, I can lend you my account.”

“Then…okay then.”

“But you’re not allowed to look at my favorites folder.” Jiang Qin specifically instructed.

Su Nai slightly furrowed her brow. “Why?”

“Just kidding, how can the chairman’s preferences and weaknesses be known thoroughly by employees? That’s very dangerous.”

“…”

Actually Su Nai was also a bit conflicted. If she got a membership herself, she’d have to pay every month, but if she used the boss’s account she could freeload. But thinking of two people sharing one account felt a bit dirty somehow.

Oh well, whatever. One must pay a price for freeloading.

After leaving the library, Jiang Qin leisurely returned to the dorm. But before he could even warm the stool, his mom called.

“Jiang Qin, do you still want your old books? Someone came to collect recycling downstairs, if you don’t want them I’ll sell them for you.”

Jiang Qin stretched lazily. “Mom, don’t sell them, keep them as mementos. We’re not short on money. Also, I need to confess something to you. Actually, I’m already a millionaire now.”

Yuan Youqin’s voice had no change in tone. “Oh, congratulations son. What do you want to eat when you come back for National Day? I’ll prepare it for you in advance.”

“I’m telling the truth. Do you want a wool coat? I’ll buy you two.” Jiang Qin probed impassively.

“Mom doesn’t want a coat. Just study well at school, earning money is for me and your dad to do. You focus on learning properly. There will be plenty of opportunities to make money after you graduate.”

Thank you everyone for your support these past days, I’m really moved to tears.