nucmednet Chapter 3: There Was No Choice Before
Chapter 3: There Was No Choice Before
As dusk fell completely, the streetlights came on, and the automatic sprinkler system on the lawn started working, creating tiny rainbows in the fine mist under the lights.
Faint music could be heard coming from the student activity center in the distance; a club was rehearsing.
While dealing with Zhou Mu's technical questions, Jiang Yu observed the familiar yet unfamiliar campus.
They stood at the entrance of the apartment building, the light shining through the glass door onto Zhou Mu's young and confused face.
"Who exactly are you?" he finally asked. "An exchange student who understands cutting-edge computer graphics and even knows about stock investing?"
Jiang Yu met his gaze.
"Zhou Mu," he said slowly and earnestly, "I just see further than most people. If you trust me, take out six thousand dollars and buy Apple products. A year from now, you'll thank me."
"What if we lose money?"
"I've lost money, I'll make it up to you." Jiang Yu paused, "Double the amount. I'll even write an IOU."
Zhou Mu stared at him for a very long time.
"I need to think about it," he finally said.
"Okay." Jiang Yu didn't press the issue. "I'm staying in room 312. Come find me when you've made up your mind."
He pushed open the door of the apartment building and walked into the lobby.
The receptionist was a Latina woman who checked his passport and acceptance letter, and handed him the key and a stack of documents.
"Room 312, your roommate hasn't arrived yet. Here's a campus map, class schedule, and international student handbook. The internet password is on the back. Also, there's an orientation at the international student office tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM; please be sure to attend."
Jiang Yu accepted the gift, thanked him, and headed towards the elevator.
As the elevator doors closed, he saw through the narrowing crack that Zhou Mu was still standing outside, holding a book, looking in his direction with a complicated expression.
Third floor, room 312.
A standard student apartment: two single beds, two desks, two wardrobes, and a small bathroom.
My roommate hasn't arrived yet, the room is empty and smells of disinfectant.
Jiang Yu put his backpack on the bed by the window and sat down at his desk.
He took the laptop out of his backpack; it was an IBM ThinkPad T43, brought from China. His father said, "It represents the country's image, so we should use something better."
Next to it are several professional books: "Digital Intermediate Technology for Film", "History of Visual Effects", and "Principles of 3D Animation".
There was also a notebook, the page of which was written before the trip:
「2005年10月5日。飞洛杉矶。父母给了10万美元生活费，太多，不能乱花。目标：1.学业全A 2.进工业光魔实习 3.把美国最先进的技术学回来 4.给中国特效争口气。」
The handwriting is neat and tidy, revealing the ambition and sense of responsibility of a young person.
Jiang Yu looked at the line of text and smiled.
He closed his notebook and turned on his computer.
The boot speed is acceptable.
The apartment's internet connection is fast, at least much faster than ADSL in China back in 2005.
Open your browser, IE6.
Jiang Yu checked whether the world had changed because of his rebirth, and sure enough, there were some subtle differences; this might be a world with a 99% similarity!
An hour later, he typed in: Apple stock price.
The page loads, and Yahoo Finance pops up:
AAPL: $40.28
Market capitalization: Approximately US$98 billion.
Jiang Yu looked at the number and tapped his fingers lightly on the touchpad.
One hundred thousand dollars.
If you buy all of Apple's shares, you can buy approximately 2500 shares.
By the time the iPhone was released in 2007, the price had risen to over $90, worth approximately $17.5. It hadn't doubled in value.
Too slow.
A faster path is needed.
A larger amount of capital.
He closed the finance page and opened his email.
There are several unread emails in my inbox: a welcome email from the USC International Students Office, a greeting from my advisor back home, and an email in Chinese from my mother.
"Yu Yu, have you arrived? Are you settled in? This $100,000 is your living expenses for a year. Don't be stingy, but don't spend it recklessly either. Be careful and study hard."
Jiang Yu stared at the email, his eyes suddenly welling up with tears.
He took a breath and replied, "Mom, we've arrived and settled in. I'll plan the $100,000 carefully. You and Dad, take care of yourselves and don't overwork yourselves. I'll study hard and...do something beneficial for the country. Love you both."
send.
..........
Jiang Yu opened Word and began writing a more detailed document.
Title: "Light and Shadow Digital Three-Year Development Plan - A Chinese Student's Technological Entrepreneurship Vision"
He wrote very quickly, almost without thinking:
Phase 1 (October 2005 - June 2006): Technological accumulation and initial capital accumulation!
All A's in academics, maintaining an excellent record as a government-sponsored international student!
Establish a USC technical team, with Zhou Mu at its core!
First pot of gold target: $10 → $500 million (through US stocks, World Cup, etc.)
Start writing the core algorithm patent, in my personal capacity!
Phase Two (July 2006.7 - December 2007.12): Team Formation and IP Development!
Contact with key Chinese technical personnel from Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital (Wu Na, Chen Wei, etc.)
Acquisition of key intellectual property: Twilight film and television adaptation rights (Budget: under $300 million)
Company registration (offshore structure? Consult a lawyer required)
Technology Preliminary Research: Real-time Rendering Pipeline Prototype
Phase Three (January 2008.1 - August 2010.8): Returning to China to establish a foothold!
Establish a research and development center in the country (BJ/Shanghai)
Participate in the production of the Twilight movie and build a reputation in the industry!
......
Government-sponsored students studying abroad.
This status is restrictive; one cannot work illegally, must meet academic standards, and can apply for an extension to return to their home country after one year.
The country paid for him to study technology, hoping that he would return to serve the country after completing his studies.
If he can lay a solid foundation during his studies abroad, he can directly align with the national cultural industry upgrading strategy upon returning to China and strive for policy support...
That would be a more powerful boost than a purely commercial approach.
The sound of keyboard typing echoed in the quiet room.
At one o'clock in the morning, he saved the document, encrypted it, and saved it.
He turned off the computer and walked to the window.
The campus has fallen into a deep sleep, with only streetlights and the occasional campus security guard passing by.
The skyline of downtown Los Angeles in the distance was outlined in a blurry shape in the night. The huge "HOLLYWOOD" sign on the Hollywood Hills was not visible, but he knew where it was.
2005 years.
$100,000 in start-up capital.
Status of government-sponsored international student.
A 21-year-old body, a 40-year-old mind.
His mind was filled with knowledge enough to overturn the entire industry, and his heart was filled with unfulfilled ambitions and regrets from his past life.
Jiang Yu raised his hand and looked at the young hand.
His fingers were long and slender, and his palms had thin calluses from playing ball, but no calluses from holding a mouse for a long time, and no slight tremors from staying up late.
He went to the bathroom and turned on the light.
The boy in the mirror: short hair, clear facial features, bright eyes, no eye bags, no nasolabial folds, and no signs of the haggardness caused by long-term sleep deprivation.
21 is old.
Anything is possible.
He turned on the tap and washed his face with cold water.
When she looked up, water droplets dripped down her chin.
The boy in the mirror had changed his eyes. He was no longer the ambitious but naive exchange student he had been before he set off; his eyes now held something deeper, sharper, and more complex.
That was Jiang Yu at forty-two years old in his previous life, looking at this world through the eyes of a twenty-one-year-old body.
"This time," he said to himself in the mirror in a low voice, "it's not just about making money."
"It's to change something...more important."
A clock struck two in the morning as I looked out the window.
Jiang Yu returned to his desk and opened a new Excel spreadsheet.
.......
If the World Cup bet is successful, $10 will turn into $500 million within six months.
With the appreciation of Apple stock, his available funds may have exceeded $500 million by the end of 2006.
$500 million was enough to do a lot in 2006.
He paused when he wrote "World Cup betting".
He remembered from his past life that during the 2006 World Cup, there were many underground bookmakers in Los Angeles operating through the Chinese community, and they were very secretive.
Risks and rewards.
He exhaled and added a note next to "World Cup Betting": "Caution advised, use Chen Wei family channels."
Chen Wei.
In his previous life, he was the CEO of Moonlight Pictures, an American of Chinese descent whose family had an entertainment industry background in Los Angeles and was also involved in some gray-area businesses.
In 2005, Chen Wei should have been a junior at the USC Business School.
Footsteps and the sound of keys turning came from outside the door.
The door opened.
A tall, blond male student dragged in two huge suitcases. He was wearing a USC football jersey and smelled of sweat from exercise.
Seeing Jiang Yu, he grinned, revealing his neat white teeth: "Hey! You're my Chinese roommate? I'm Mike, from the engineering school, I play football, defensive tackle. Sorry it's so late, just finished practice—we beat Stanford!"
"Jiang Yu." Jiang Yu stood up. "Film Academy. Congratulations."
"A movie? That's awesome!" Mike threw his luggage down and sat heavily on the bed, the bed frame groaning. "Then you must know a lot of actresses? Can you introduce me to Scarlett Janssen? I love her!"
Jiang Yu smiled.
Young is so good.
"Go to sleep early," he said. "We have orientation tomorrow."
"Okay, okay," Mike muttered, starting to take off his shoes. "By the way, can you cook? I've heard that Chinese people are really good at cooking. We can team up; I'll provide the ingredients, and you can do the cooking, how about that?"
"I can consider it." Jiang Yu turned off the computer and lay down on the bed.
In the darkness, he stared at the ceiling with his eyes open.
Mike's snoring soon filled the air; the football player was exhausted.
Jiang Yu, however, felt no sleepiness whatsoever.
In his previous life, he was forty-two years old and had almost nothing except his work and achievements.
Unmarried, no children.
On that last night, in the rooftop tea room of the Park Hyatt Hotel, Liu Yifei said, "Parallel lines can intersect even in non-Euclidean geometry."
Then his wish came true, and he was reborn, returning to 2005.
If parallel lines can really intersect...
In this life, he wants to change more than just his career.
There is also life.