radiothebook Chapter 39 Graduation
Chapter 39 Graduation
June 20th, Huaxia University 2017 Graduation Ceremony.
The School of Information Science's ceremony was scheduled for 9:00 AM in the large lecture hall on the first floor of the school building. Zuo Cheng, dressed in a navy blue graduation gown with the tassel on his cap moved from right to left, stood at the door waiting for someone.
Zhang Lei arrived first, his graduation gown buttoned wrong, but Zuo Cheng reached out and corrected it. Liu Wei arrived second, holding a selfie stick and snapping photos of everyone he saw. Chen Hao arrived last, his hair styled with hair gel, making him look three levels more energetic.
"Chen Hao, what's wrong with you today?" Zhang Lei looked him up and down.
"Graduation photos are meant to be kept for a lifetime, so I can't look too sloppy." It was rare for Chen Hao to care about his appearance.
The four of them took a group photo at the entrance, and Liu Wei posted it in the dormitory group chat with the caption: "The four brothers of 402, see you again in the future."
Zuo Cheng glanced at the photo. Four young people in graduation gowns stood in the sunlight, laughing without reservation. In his previous life, he hadn't attended his graduation ceremony, busy finding a job and paying off student loans. Even his graduation photo was a retake, his expression stiff like an ID photo.
This life is different.
The ceremony proceeded in a standard manner—the dean gave a speech, outstanding graduates were recognized, and degrees were conferred. Zuo Cheng, as the recipient of the provincial outstanding graduation thesis award, was singled out for recognition and went on stage to receive a gold-embossed certificate of honor and a crystal trophy. As applause erupted from the audience, he spotted Yu Ying in the crowd.
She sat in the graduate student viewing area, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, and took a picture of him with her phone.
Zuo Cheng stood on the stage for two seconds, thinking that this scene was worth remembering for a long time.
After the ceremony, there were various group photos. Zhang Lei led a group of people all over campus, while Liu Wei held up the selfie stick all morning until his arm was sore and shaking. At noon, they ate their last meal of braised beef noodles in the cafeteria.
"It's been four years, and I've eaten about four hundred bowls of this noodle soup," Zhang Lei remarked. "If I want to eat it again, I'll have to make a special trip back."
"Aren't you still in Huaxia City? It's not far," Liu Wei said.
"It's different. Eating at school and eating back home after graduation feel different."
Zuo Cheng didn't reply. He held his bowl of noodles and watched the bustling graduates in the cafeteria. Some were laughing, some were crying, and some were hugging each other for photos. He remembered himself graduating in his previous life—carrying a suitcase out of the school gate, with two hundred yuan in his pocket, and no idea what the future held.
Now that thorn has been removed. In his pocket are a company, contracts, papers, provincial awards, and a girlfriend he just started dating sixteen days ago. His twenty-two years of life are more fulfilling than his thirty-six years in his previous life.
At 2 PM, 402 held a meeting in the incubator office. It wasn't a work meeting; Zuo Cheng had something to announce.
"From today onwards, the four founders have officially transitioned from 'student entrepreneurs' to 'full-time entrepreneurs.' Fang Ze will also be graduating with his master's degree next month and will become a full-time entrepreneur as well." He scanned everyone's faces. "Our identities have changed, and so have our responsibilities. Before, if we messed up a project, we might at least make some money; now, messing up a project could mean the company's demise."
"Brother Cheng, could you please not say such heavy things on graduation day?" Zhang Lei said with a bitter face.
"It's not a heavy topic, just the truth. Han Lu, report the cash balance."
Han Lu opened her notebook: "After the down payment and the first milestone acceptance payment have been received, minus two months of operating expenses and equipment purchases, the current available balance is 378,000."
"Three hundred and seventy-eight thousand sounds like a lot, but with the combined personnel costs and operating expenses for the next two milestones in Sky Dome, that amount is just enough. There's no surplus." Zuo Cheng looked at Liu Wei, "So we can't rely solely on the Sky Dome project. How many clients are you currently in talks with?"
"Three." Liu Wei counted on his fingers. "The Huaxia City Transportation Bureau's signal optimization project, budgeted at 150,000 yuan, is already in the quotation stage. A local IoT company is customizing communication modules, 80,000 yuan. And then there's the one Zhao Kai introduced—RuiLian Technology is looking for someone to develop a sensor data transmission protocol, 50,000 yuan."
Zuo Cheng raised an eyebrow. Zhao Kai had only been with the company for half a month and was already trying to drum up business for his old classmate; he was much more proactive than expected.
"The Transportation Bureau's order is the highest priority, as it offers the best profit. The IoT order is next. Although Ruilian's order is small, IoT is an area that 402 plans to focus on in the future, so establishing contact now won't be a loss. Accept all three; submit your quotations this week for my review."
"Received." Liu Wei replied.
After the meeting, Zuo Cheng sat alone in his office for a while. Outside the window, graduates strolled along the Ginkgo Avenue in twos and threes, the setting sun painting the entire road golden, casting long shadows of their graduation caps on the ground.
He glanced at the technology tree in his mind—eleven leaves, one branch, and ninety-five points. The outline of the canopy during the growth phase was clearer than when it had just evolved, and the positions of those dark branches were vaguely discernible.
The Internet of Things (IoT). Two of the three clients Liu Wei mentioned are related to this area. Sensor data transmission involves low-power communication protocol design, and customized communication modules involve embedded signal processing—these two technologies have a high degree of overlap with 402's existing communication engineering capabilities, making entry low-cost and rapid accumulation. If sufficient project results and technological breakthroughs are achieved in this direction, unlocking the second branch will no longer be a pipe dream. Evolving from the growth stage to the flourishing stage requires five branches—the road is still long, but the direction is becoming increasingly clear.
The phone rang. Yu Ying sent a photo—a candid shot she took at the ceremony, showing Zuo Cheng's profile as he received his certificate on stage, the sunlight falling perfectly on his shoulder.
The photo was captioned with four words: "My boyfriend."
Zuo Cheng stared at those four words and laughed for a long time. He replied, "You'll be a guest at the farewell dinner tonight."
"Are you sure? My roommates won't think I'm stealing their Cheng-ge (a nickname for a guy)?"
"Zhang Lei couldn't be happier for you to come. He said he's been wanting to ask you in person what made you fall for me."
Yu Ying sent a facepalm emoji: "Then I'll go."
The farewell dinner that evening was arranged at a roadside food stall outside the east gate of the school. The outdoor tables were set up under the sycamore trees, with strings of small light bulbs hanging overhead. The four boys and Yu Ying, the five of them, sat around a round table, which was piled high with grilled skewers, edamame, and crayfish, with five bottles of ice-cold beer standing upright in the middle.
Zhang Lei was the first to raise his glass: "To 402! To Brother Cheng! To our four years of university!"
The five glasses clinked together, and beer foam overflowed.
Liu Wei took a big gulp and wiped his mouth: "Honestly, I never dreamed that I would be a shareholder in a tech company when I graduated four years ago."
"I didn't expect this either." Chen Hao was unusually sentimental. "I thought I'd work as a programmer at a big company after graduation, and then get laid off at thirty-five. Now I think by the time I'm thirty-five, 402 should already be listed on the stock exchange."
The whole table burst into laughter.
Zhang Lei did indeed ask the question: "Sister-in-law, what exactly did you fall for Cheng-ge?"
Yu Ying thought for a few seconds, then answered seriously, "Because he is the person I've ever met who wastes the least time."
This echoed her assessment of Zuo Cheng in the library last year. Zhang Lei paused for a moment, then raised his glass: "Just for that, sister-in-law, I toast you!"
The night breeze rustled through the sycamore leaves, causing the string of light bulbs to sway gently. The food stalls were bustling with noise, and in the distance, someone was singing, their off-key melody drifting across half the street.
Zuo Cheng held his beer glass, looking at the rosy faces of his three brothers across from him, and feeling the quiet warmth of Yu Ying beside him.
Graduation is here. A new path begins tomorrow.