Chapter 35: A CD Vendor

Lin Ruoyan was a little confused about this man's intentions. During the era described in the book, public security within Beijing's Second Ring Road was relatively good during the day, so robberies shouldn't have happened.

The young man in black clothes and sunglasses pulled up his windbreaker, his arms spread wide. Inside his coat were CDs. He pushed his sunglasses up on his nose and asked politely, "Miss, would you like to buy some discs? The latest Hong Kong movies, with perforated soundtracks, all fresh and authentic from Jinshi. They're the cheapest here within a ten-kilometer radius."

It turned out to be selling CDs.

In the era of the book, the internet wasn't as developed. Ordinary people used dial-up internet, and students used the campus network, but download speeds were slow. Films and TV shows were typically distributed via videotapes or, more recently, CDs. Of course, legitimate copies were sold over the counter in stores, costing tens or even hundreds of dollars each, more than ten times the price of pirated copies.

If the products sold by mobile vendors like this one are not pirated, then they are "authentic" products that come from illegal sources.

Lin Ruoyan's villa had a dedicated audio-visual room, stocked with nearly every legitimate audio-visual product she could find. Naturally, she had no interest in low-quality pirated discs. However, a quick glance revealed that the young man wasn't just selling audio-visual products; he was also selling pirated software.

Office, drawing, anti-virus software, system installation disks and the like, this served as a reminder to her.

Her company already had office computers installed, and she needed to equip them with all the software. She ran a legitimate real estate company, so how could she use pirated software? She had to use genuine software of all kinds, and it would be best if she could develop an OA office system as soon as possible.

This way, she doesn't have to sit in the office every day reviewing paper documents and procedures. When she's out, about, traveling, or staying in a hotel, she can find a business service center with internet access and take the time to review work documents.

"Do you know anyone who sells genuine office software?" Lin Ruoyan asked.

Hao Heshan was stunned for a moment, then smiled awkwardly, "I'm sorry, but do you see that West D Book Building over there? There's a floor dedicated to selling genuine software, with all sorts of software. My stuff here is cheap, but it's definitely easy to use, and the most comprehensive and up-to-date."

"Can pirated products be useful?" Lin Ruoyan couldn't help but be curious.

Hao Heshan flipped up the black lenses of his sunglasses, revealing the myopic lenses behind them. He stared at Lin Ruoyan and said seriously, "I'm not bragging. As long as the system or cracked software is made by me, I guarantee the quality and will upgrade it for free for three years."

“Why only three years?”

Hao Heshan asked in return, "Software programs change very quickly nowadays, including systems that are upgraded at least once a year. Do you think you'll still be using outdated systems and software in three years?"

Lin Ruoyan knew this, of course. However, computers and the internet were just beginning to become popular in this era, and most people didn't have such a clear understanding. Many people thought that buying an electronic product would last a lifetime, so she skipped those basic questions and went straight to her point of interest: "It sounds like you also understand programming?"

"Of course. I graduated from K University with a degree in Computer Science and Information Technology. I'm proficient in both hardware and software. I installed hundreds of computers in the internet cafe over there." Hao Heshan fished a wrinkled business card from his trouser pocket and handed it to Lin Ruoyan, continuing, "This is my business card. I can assemble and repair computers, maintain programs, and customize software. My technical level is no worse than those of the big companies."

Lin Ruoyan took the business card and saw that the person was actually Hao Heshan.

This is the miserable second male lead in the original book, the one who loves Li Yiqi wholeheartedly but cannot get her.

Hao Heshan's self-introduction just now was indeed not an exaggeration. Not only did he graduate from the key university K University, he also loved to study technology. Cracking system software and programming were naturally no problem for him. Later, he founded a technology company specializing in software and mobile app development.

According to the book, Hao Heshan, driven by ambition, gave up a stable, state-owned enterprise job after graduation, hoping to make a name for himself. However, his family was poor, his connections were limited, and his acquaintances were all impoverished. These people had no idea what a tech company was, and they didn't have much money to lend him to start a business.

Eventually, he was reduced to selling CDs on the street. He registered a shell company and planned to earn money through his technology, hoping to gradually build up his fortune. Unfortunately, after just over a year, his company's biggest business was assembling computers for internet cafes. The pirated software he cracked wasn't selling well, and he was constantly threatened with being reported and expelled by urban management officials. His life was precarious.

When Li Yiqi started his company, in order to save costs, he asked Hao Heshan to get a batch of second-hand computers, all of which were pre-installed with his cracked versions of operating systems and software.

It was only then that Hao Heshan invested in Li Yiqi's company through technology and became the head of the information department. Initially, he was a lone commander, but Li Yiqi's company focused on the research and sales of medical aesthetics and medical devices. He developed an online website and sales channels, capitalizing on the then-popular online e-commerce market, which immediately expanded the company's sales channels and made significant contributions.

Now that Lin Ruoyan has met such an elite scientific and technological talent, how can she let him go easily?

At present, Lin Ruoyan heard that Li Yiqi has almost completed all the procedures for studying abroad and may fly away in the next few days. She has not been obstructed as described in the original book, so her company may not be able to open in the short term.

Should Hao Heshan continue to wander the streets selling CDs? It would be better to recruit him to work for his company for a while.

Lin Ruoyan's real estate company didn't have an information department, but why not set up a new department specifically for such talent? After all, she was the boss, and she had the final say.

Since there was no suitable office OA system on the market, Hao Heshan was asked to develop his own after joining the company. The company's official website also needed to be built, and online publicity channels needed to be opened up. With so many things to do, it was absolutely impossible for Hao Heshan to be idle.

Thinking of this, Lin Ruoyan hurriedly took out her business card and gave it to Hao Heshan, saying politely, "Mr. Hao, our company's information department is still short of a director. Are you interested?"

Hao Heshan stared suspiciously at the elegant, gold-stamped business card in his hand, a little confused. He was just stopping friendly-looking passersby to sell CDs as usual, so how did he get the job?

This is a real estate company, why does it need an information department? Is it the kind of network administrator who is only responsible for maintaining the company's computers?

He had already turned down a similar position at a large state-owned enterprise, so why would he choose to work for a small private real estate company? His major was clearly not suitable, and the high salary would require him to show up every day to get paid, which was far from his ideal.

He doesn't have to work in the office now. When he's in a good mood, he goes out to sell CDs and can also take on one or two website development jobs. When he's in a bad mood, he stays in his rental house to study technical issues in software development. Although his income is unstable, he lives a much more comfortable life than ordinary office workers.

So he shook his head and said, "Thank you, Mr. Lin, for your appreciation, but I'm used to being free and don't like sitting in an office. To be honest, when a large state-owned enterprise offered me a position as a staff member, I refused. It was because I didn't like sitting there from nine to five doing nothing but managing a few computers."

Lin Ruoyan knew Hao Heshan's concern, so she smiled and said, "It's up to you whether you want to work in the office or not. As long as you are willing to come to my company, I can equip you with the most advanced computers and equipment, allowing you to freely research the projects you want to do after completing your regular work."