Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1576 Stock Subscription Certificates

Qin Hao, who had delayed his registration by two days, had just entered the classroom when Wang Meng and Zhang Wei approached him, their eyes shining like two hunting dogs that had finally caught their prey.

"Old Qin, Liu Yuan said you made over 200,000 yuan in Shenzhen this time, is that true?" Wang Meng's voice was very low, but the urgency in his tone was impossible to hide.

Qin Hao cursed Liu Yuan under his breath for his big mouth. The news spread way too fast. He casually put his backpack on the table and said irritably, "Pretty much."

Wang Meng and Zhang Wei froze instantly, standing motionless as if they had been struck by a magic acupuncture point. Their four eyes were fixed on Qin Hao, their mouths slightly agape, their expressions shifting from anticipation to shock.

This was 1992. An average worker in Beijing earned only 300 yuan a month; even if he worked for fifty years without eating or drinking, he couldn't save up 200,000 yuan. Qin Hao went to Shenzhen, tinkered with memory sticks for a few days, and earned more money than most people could save in a lifetime. Wang Meng swallowed hard, a gurgling sound coming from his throat. Zhang Wei's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but not a single word came out.

Liu Yuan stood smugly to the side, arms crossed: "You didn't believe me when I told you, but see, I didn't lie to you."

As they were talking, Sun Yumei and Han Ling also entered the classroom.

Today, Sun Yumei wore a fitted floral dress with a light jacket over it. Her long hair was draped over her shoulders, and she wore light makeup, making her look radiant and beautiful. As soon as she entered the classroom, she saw Qin Hao, and her eyes visibly lit up. Then, she curled her lip and said sourly, "Oh, even a busy person like you knows to come to class?"

Qin Hao stretched and loosened his neck, which had stiffened from sitting in the car. "After today's classes, I'll ask my advisor for leave. The next class I can come back for is before the final exams."

"So soon?" Sun Yumei was quite surprised.

"Okay." Qin Hao nodded: "Take advantage of the good hardware market recently, make a few more trips, and accumulate some capital. There are many opportunities in Shenzhen, but the capital requirements are also high. Relying solely on the price difference of memory sticks is ultimately small-scale and won't allow you to grow a large business."

"Two hundred thousand isn't enough for the principal?" Wang Meng and Zhang Wei looked at each other, their expressions even more interesting than before.

"What two hundred thousand?" Sun Yumei asked in surprise.

Wang Meng then recounted how Qin Hao had made 200,000 yuan trading memory sticks in Shenzhen. Sun Yumei's eyes immediately lit up; the light in her eyes was impossible to hide. If they weren't in public, she probably would have pounced on Qin Hao and given him a big kiss. She bit her lip, her eyes and brows full of smiles, her fingers unconsciously tightening around Qin Hao's sleeve.

Even Han Ling, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, showed a look of surprise. Although she wasn't particularly materialistic, it didn't mean she had no concept of money. Two hundred thousand yuan was enough to buy a 100-square-meter apartment in Beijing—an apartment that many people might not achieve even after a lifetime of hard work. The key was that Qin Hao had earned that two hundred thousand yuan in less than a week.

Xiao Ran, sitting in the back row, had been listening intently. When he heard the words "two hundred thousand," his eyelids twitched, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he felt a mix of emotions.

Three months ago, Qin Hao was just as poor as him, barely able to afford tuition. Both were orphans, relying on part-time jobs to support themselves. But now? Qin Hao is a big boss who can earn hundreds of thousands from a single deal, owning a company in Zhongguancun, having sources of goods in Shenzhen, and employing several people. He exudes the aura of a successful person. And Xiao Ran? He's still stuck in this dilapidated classroom, without even a decent job.

Why is there such a huge difference between people?

Xiao Ran lowered his eyes, turned the page of his textbook, but couldn't concentrate on a single word.

Looking at Liu Yuan, Wang Meng suddenly sighed, "There's no point in going to school. Every day it's just the same routine: from the classroom to the dormitory, and from the dormitory to the cafeteria. And what we learn isn't very useful."

"Liu Yuan, how about we pool our money and follow Lao Qin's example to buy goods in Shenzhen and sell them in Zhongguancun? We're graduating soon anyway, and instead of finding a job that pays two or three hundred a month, we might as well take a gamble. The bold get rich, the timid starve."

Liu Yuan rolled his eyes, giving him a "you're too naive" look: "You really think just anyone can make this kind of money?"

He listed the problems one by one on his fingers: "First, you don't have a source of goods. Who can you find in Shenzhen? Those bosses in Huaqiangbei will rip you off if they see you're a newcomer. Second, you don't have capital. With our limited capital, we'll only get retail prices in Shenzhen. Without volume, they won't even negotiate prices. Third, you don't have a sales channel. Who will you sell to after you buy the goods? Those bosses in Zhongguancun are shrewd. You can't make money off them. You'll be stuck with unsold goods and won't even have time to cry."

Upon hearing Liu Yuan's words, Wang Meng's excitement immediately vanished. He sighed and lamented, "Sigh, the path to making money is right in front of us, but without capital, we can't even get a taste of the soup. It's so damn hard for us ordinary people to turn our lives around."

"Old Qin, why don't I just work with you too?"

Qin Hao laughed and cursed, "Get lost! This isn't a shelter. You should find another job and go cause trouble for someone else."

"Haha—" Everyone burst into laughter. Wang Meng chuckled and didn't say anything more. No one took it too seriously; after all, it always felt a little awkward to make a living under a classmate's thumb.

Although Wang Meng's family wasn't wealthy, both his parents worked for state-owned enterprises, which at least gave them a secure job after graduation, allowing them to live a stable life, much better than being treated as inferior by their classmates.

Zhang Wei was in a similar situation; his father had pulled strings for him, and he was guaranteed a good job after graduation. They weren't as open-minded or willing to lower themselves as Liu Yuan.

In the afternoon, after finishing his last class, Qin Hao went to the counselor's office to ask for a long leave.

The counselor didn't make things difficult for him, just told Qin Hao to bring his internship certificate so as not to delay his graduation, and then approved it with a stroke of his pen.

As Qin Hao stepped out of the office building and down the stairs, he immediately spotted Sun Yumei standing below. She was leaning against a sycamore tree, a drink in her hand, idly drawing something on the ground with the tip of her shoe. The setting sun cast a soft golden glow on her floral dress.

As soon as Qin Hao came out, she pounced on him, almost crashing into his arms, and wrapped her arms around his neck, refusing to let go.

"You've made so much money, but you haven't even said you'd prepare a gift for me or anything. You have no conscience." Sun Yumei pouted, but her eyes were bright as she looked at him. "I've missed you so much. I waited for your call every day at school, but you only call once a week, and you only say a few words before hanging up."

Qin Hao put his arm around Sun Yumei's soft waist, gently pinched her waist with his fingers, and with a wicked smile, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Oh? You miss me, is it in your heart or your body?"

"How annoying." Sun Yumei glared at Qin Hao and punched him in the chest.

This scene was witnessed by Chen Qiming, who happened to be passing by.

Anger surged up from the depths of his heart, burning him so intensely it felt like his very insides were aching. His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and the veins on his arms bulged. He took a deep breath, clutched the book tighter to his chest, and followed after them as if possessed.

Along the way, Qin Hao and Sun Yumei chatted and laughed, sometimes embracing, sometimes holding hands. Chen Qiming followed them for several blocks. Every time he saw Qin Hao and Sun Yumei being intimate, his heart felt like it was being stabbed with a knife, one cut after another, leaving it bloodied and mangled.

What made him even more furious was that Sun Yumei actually followed Qin Hao into the hotel.

Chen Qiming watched helplessly as the two got into the elevator. He panicked and rushed over in three steps.

"Sir, here's your room key." A security guard in a black uniform appeared out of nowhere and reached out to stop him.

"Room key? What room key?" Chen Qiming stared, his eyes reddening.

The security guard, with a cold face, looked him up and down and said in a nonchalant tone, "Excuse me, sir, if you are not a customer of our hotel, please leave immediately and do not disturb our guests."

Chen Qiming panicked and grabbed the security guard's arm: "Let me in! My friend lives here!"

"Sir, if you continue to cause trouble here, I won't be so polite." The security guard's face turned completely cold. He forcefully pushed Chen Qiming's hand away and picked up the walkie-talkie with his other hand.

Chen Qiming glanced at the security guard's towering frame, a head taller than him, with arms thicker than his thighs, and immediately cowered. He released the guard's arm, took a step back, stood on the curb in front of the hotel, tilted his head back, and stared intently at the window upstairs.

Every window was lit, and behind every window lay a secret. He didn't know which window Qin Hao and Sun Yumei were behind, but his eyes remained fixed on them, as if trying to see through the entire building.

And so, Chen Qiming waited downstairs at the hotel until noon the next day. When he was hungry, he bought a bread from a nearby convenience store; when he was thirsty, he drank some tap water from the public restroom tap; when he was sleepy, he sat on the curb leaning against a telephone pole and closed his eyes for a while, but each time he would be startled awake within minutes.

The sun rose higher and higher, the midday sun so bright it was blinding. Chen Qiming squinted and finally saw Qin Hao and Sun Yumei emerging from the hotel intimately.

Qin Hao wore a dark gray shirt, his hair neatly combed, and looked energetic. Sun Yumei, arm in arm with him, had changed into a new dress and her makeup was freshly done; she looked radiant, like a completely different person. The two chatted and laughed, Sun Yumei's head resting on Qin Hao's shoulder, and Qin Hao's hand on her waist, like a loving couple.

Chen Qiming burst into tears and wailed loudly, his cries echoing throughout the entire street.

Passersby glanced at the passersby, some with sympathetic looks, others walking past with blank expressions.

A little girl held her mother's hand, pointed at him, and asked, "Mommy, what happened to that uncle?"

"Stop looking, let's go." The mother pulled her daughter and quickened her pace, unwilling to linger near the mentally ill patient.

Qin Hao had known for a long time that someone had been following them, but he hadn't taken it seriously. After getting into the taxi and closing the door, he deliberately glanced at the rearview mirror and, sure enough, saw Chen Qiming's figure in it.

"You were doing that on purpose to show Chen Qiming, weren't you?" Qin Hao withdrew his gaze.

Sun Yumei's lips curled slightly, her eyelashes fluttered twice, and a sly glint flashed in her eyes: "Yeah, I'm so annoyed with this guy. I've told him I don't like him eight hundred times, but he's still haunting me."

Qin Hao said slowly, "You deserve it. Now you know that a poor person's money shouldn't be wasted?"

Sun Yumei rolled her eyes at Qin Hao dismissively, then leaned over and hugged his arm, instantly changing her tone to a sweet, coquettish voice: "So, does that mean I can spend your money however I want?"

Qin Hao raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a half-smile: "That depends on your performance. Saying one thing and meaning another won't do; we'll see what you do."

"You're so annoying." Sun Yumei's cheeks flushed red, and she pinched his arm, but pressed her head even closer to his shoulder, unable to suppress the smile on her lips.

……

For the next few months, Qin Hao basically shuttled between Beijing and Shenzhen.

As graduation approached, other students were searching for jobs all over the world.

While college students are still considered valuable these days, they are not as sought-after as they were a few years ago.

Every year, tens of thousands of graduates enter the workforce, but there are only so many job openings – a situation of too many wolves and too few sheep.

Especially in big cities like Beijing, without a local household registration, many companies won't even look at your resume and will just reject you outright.

In the dormitory, Xiao Ran dragged his tired body to bed.

I spent the whole day at the job market today, but the results were far from ideal.

Many employers require either a Beijing residency permit or work experience.

Where would he get work experience from, a recent college graduate?

"Xiao Ran, how's your job search going?"

Wang Meng asked.

Although he wasn't in a hurry, he felt a pang of pity seeing Xiao Ran like this.

Xiao Ran didn't speak, but silently shook his head.

The expression on Wang Meng's face had already given him the answer.

"Sigh, college graduates are worthless these days."

Wang Meng sighed, "You can only find a job yourself. Xiao Ran, if you don't want to be assigned back to your hometown, you should find a job as soon as possible."

Being assigned back to one's hometown means being assigned by the school.

Generally, students will be assigned to the city where they come from, and as for the quality of the position, that's up to fate.

"I know."

Xiao Ran sighed.

He also wanted to get the job settled as soon as possible.

But just having a Beijing hukou (household registration) blocked most of his options.

Moreover, he also has Han Ling.

What will happen to Han Ling if they are assigned back to their hometown?

We can't live apart in different places, can we?

Just then, the dormitory door was pushed open, and Liu Yuan walked in carrying a large bag of braised beef and a case of beer.

"What time is it and you're still holed up in your dorm room?"

Liu Yuan said casually, "Let's go get something good to eat, it's on me!"

As he spoke, he opened the package in front of everyone.

Instantly, a rich aroma of braised meat filled the entire dormitory room.

"Goodness, this is too good of a life!"

Wang Meng swallowed hard.

This huge bag of braised beef isn't cheap.

"It's alright."

Liu Yuan didn't take it seriously: "I'm tired of eating it every day."

After he finished speaking, he caught a glimpse of Xiao Ran swallowing hard out of the corner of his eye.

He couldn't help but feel secretly pleased with himself.

He was deliberately trying to disgust Xiao Ran.

Who let Xiao Ran steal Liu Yuan's woman?

"Liu Yuan, your meals are way too good!"

Chen Qiming had somehow found his way here, drawn by the scent.

"Can you afford to eat like this every day?"

Judging from his appearance, he had clearly eaten a lot.

"living expenses?"

Liu Yuan said dismissively, "I haven't asked my family for money for a long time. Not only do I not ask for money, but I also send five hundred yuan home every month."

"five hundred?!"

Chen Qiming and Wang Meng were both shocked.

Five hundred dollars in 1992 was no small sum!

An average worker's monthly salary is only around three hundred!

Liu Yuan, on the other hand, not only doesn't need his family to send him money, but he can also send money home!

This is such a comfortable life!

"Sigh, I should have followed Lao Qin and worked for him too."

Wang Meng said sourly, "A monthly salary of two thousand yuan is more than enough to spend."

"Who can argue with that?"

Zhang Wei nodded in agreement.

However, they were just saying it.

They wouldn't even dare to work under Qin Hao.

"Where's Lao Qin? I haven't seen him."

Wang Meng looked around.

"Old Qin went to Shenzhen."

Liu Yuan said casually.

"You went to Shenzhen again? Didn't you just get back a few days ago?"

Wang Meng was somewhat surprised.

"Old Qin said that Zhongguancun Yellow Pages is already on the right track, and there's no need to put so much effort into it anymore."

Liu Yuan explained, "He wants me to go to Shenzhen with him to develop my career."

"Go to Shenzhen to develop your career?"

Wang Meng and Zhang Wei were both taken aback.

"Didn't you say that Zhongguancun Yellow Pages is quite profitable? Why do you still want to develop your career in Shenzhen?"

"Beijing is not bad either, but the policies are still too strict."

Liu Yuan spoke candidly: "Ordinary people like us, without any background, can only pick up scraps from others' food; we're neither full nor starving."

“Shenzhen is different. Before 79, it was just a small fishing village. Now, the policies are more relaxed and there are more opportunities.”

"As long as you're willing to work hard, making money isn't a problem."

Wang Meng: "Did Lao Qin tell you all of this?"

Who cares who said it?

Liu Yuan waved his hand and said, "Anyway, I think it makes a lot of sense. Young people should go out and explore, so they won't regret it when they get old."

He did have a certain air of heroism about him.

Chen Qiming was also filled with excitement.

His family used connections to get him a job at the grain bureau.

Although it wasn't a great company, at least it was a secure job.

How many college students dream of this?

However, he has now decided not to go.

He's going to Shenzhen!

He's going to make a fortune!

He wanted Sun Yumei and all the other students to see this.

It's not just Qin Hao who knows how to make money; Chen Qiming is no less capable than anyone else!

Xiao Ran was also tempted.

However, his first choice is still to stay in Beijing.

After all, Han Ling was in Beijing, and he didn't want his girlfriend, whom he had just won over, to be taken advantage of because of their long-distance relationship.

……

In mid-July, Qin Hao rushed back from Shenzhen to participate in his graduation defense.

Graduation defenses in this era were still quite rigorous.

Unless there are special circumstances, the person in question is generally required to be present.

Qin Hao didn't want to come back, but he couldn't withstand the pressure from his counselor and had to temporarily put aside his business in Shenzhen.

After having a farewell dinner with Wang Meng and the others, he took Liu Yuan to Shenzhen.

This time, I won't be back for a while.

"Work hard in Shenzhen, and don't embarrass our school."

Wang Meng patted Liu Yuan on the shoulder and teased him.

"Do not worry."

Liu Yuan laughed loudly: "When I've made something of myself, I'll drive back to pick you up!"

"You keep your word!"

"A word is settled!"

……

A month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Shenzhen, August 8th, evening.

Liu Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and rushed into Qin Hao's office.

August in Shenzhen is the height of summer, and the office doesn't have air conditioning, only fans.

It's unbearably hot.

"Is everything arranged?"

Qin Hao didn't even look up.

He was processing some documents without looking up.

"arranged."

Liu Yuan, panting heavily, said, "We organized a total of two thousand people... however..."

"But what?"

Qin Hao finally raised his head.

"However, we've gone to such lengths and spent so much money hiring people to queue up..."

He was a little worried: "I heard that the chance of winning a stock subscription certificate is only 10%, will I lose money?"

In those days, stock subscription certificates weren't something just anyone could buy.

You need to make an appointment in advance, and then draw lots.

The odds of winning are only 10%!

In other words, if you spend ten dollars to buy it, you might only make one dollar in the end.

Is this a worthwhile deal?

Qin Hao chuckled: "Don't worry, even if the odds of winning are only 5%, let alone 10%, it's still a guaranteed profit." (End of Chapter)