Blowing smoke

"Hey, over here, come here."

"Oh, Xiaopang, quite a crowd here."

"Stop calling me Xiaopang, I'm not that chubby. Come, let me introduce you. This is my cousin, Wang Chang, and this is my partner, Chen Yu."

"The gaming workshop you mentioned earlier, right?"

"Yes, that's right. Sister, what do you think? I'm trying to do something legitimate here."

"Well, if you insist."

After waiting for about ten minutes, Wang Pangzi's cousin, Wang Chang, arrived.

Unlike other college students, Wang Chang had short hair, giving her a confident appearance.

"Your gaming workshop might be making some money now, but it doesn't require much technical expertise, and the competition is fierce. There aren't many barriers to entry, and who knows how many gaming workshops will emerge in the future."

"Sure, but we've already seized the opportunity. You don't know that right now, we're the most successful business in Legend."

"Okay, okay, your gaming workshop is impressive. But, Xiaopang, with the time and effort you're putting into this, you might as well open a few more Internet cafes."

"Opening more Internet cafes? Sister, it's easier said than done. You're not unaware that the investment in a single Internet cafe, just for the computers, is a significant sum. Where would I get the money?"

"Ask your dad for some, and if that's not enough, take out a bank loan."

"Bank loan? No, no, I can't take out a loan. Am I someone who owes money to the bank?"

"Oh my, Xiaopang, what kind of thinking is that? What's wrong with taking out a loan? Nowadays, how many companies are there that don't take out loans? Effectively using bank loans, leveraging them, can save you decades of struggle."

"Well, I won't take out a loan."

Wang Pangzi shook his head.

"It seems that your cousin is very optimistic about the Internet cafe industry."

After listening carefully earlier, Chen Yu had a rough idea about Wang Pangzi's cousin. Like Wang Pangzi, Wang Chang's family seemed to be well-off, at least in Xinfeng, they could be considered rich second-generation. Additionally, Wang Chang had been admitted to the computer science department at WHU, showing much better foresight than Wang Pangzi.

From their conversation about opening more Internet cafes and taking out loans, it was clear that they were not discussions that an ordinary person could easily accept. However, this Wang Chang seemed quite proud and acted like everything would go as she planned.

Of course, regardless of Wang Chang's attitude, she was clearly very capable. With Chen Yu's perspective from his past life, Wang Chang's abilities exceeded her status as a fourth-year student.

Inwardly, Chen Yu had already planned to convince Wang Chang to develop a website for him.

"The Internet cafe industry is an emerging one, and the country is vigorously promoting and developing internet infrastructure. In the future, the number of internet cafes nationwide is expected to reach 50,000."

"50,000? That can't be right."

"It's not just possible, but likely, and I even predict that the number of internet cafes nationwide may exceed 100,000 in the future. With such a huge scale, the economic value it generates will be enormous."

After Wang Chang finished speaking, she glanced at Chen Yu but couldn't help thinking, why was she telling all this to this little kid? Could he even understand?

Then she smiled, "Little Brother, you enjoy playing Legend, right?"

"Sister, I don't agree with your statement."

Chen Yu naturally knew that Wang Chang looked down on him.

This was entirely normal.

He was just a high school student right now; what sort of economic insight could you expect from him? At most, he played some games. How could you discuss economic industries with him? However, Wang Chang's opinions could be easily refuted by him.

"The Internet cafe industry is indeed an emerging one, and we cannot conclusively predict its future. As for your statement that the number of internet cafes nationwide will reach 50,000 or even 100,000 in the future, I believe it's highly unlikely."

"Little Brother, what do you know?"

"Sister, please don't rush. Hear me out. First, I believe that while the Internet cafe industry will continue to grow on a large scale in the future, its growth will plateau in a few years."

"Why is that?"

"The reason is simple. The national telecommunications company started testing home broadband ADSL last year, and this year it's been rolled out nationwide. Moreover, the cost of broadband has already been reduced to 2,000 yuan per year. In the future, I believe broadband fees will continue to decrease significantly, possibly dropping to a few hundred yuan per year. Since personal home broadband will become so affordable in the future, why would people bother going to Internet cafes?"

"Oh, it seems like you've done some research, Little Brother. However, don't forget about the cost of computers. Nowadays, an average computer costs around 5,000 yuan, which most families can't afford, so they have to go to Internet cafes."

"Sister is correct; there is also the issue of computer cost. In recent years, most families indeed couldn't afford computers, but you must also know that the rate of computer updates and replacements is very fast. The faster the update speed, the greater the price drop. Last year, computers that cost 8,000 yuan per unit are now available for 5,000 yuan. These are brand-name computers; if you assemble one yourself, the price is even lower. Even if the average computer price this year is 5,000 yuan, what will the price be next year? 4,000? Or maybe it will drop to just over 3,000 yuan?"

"That's impossible; computer prices can't drop that much all of a sudden."

"It's not impossible. You must be aware of Shenzhou Computers, right?"

In 2001, Shenzhou Computer Company was formally established, and they advertised selling a computer for 3,000 yuan.

"3,000 yuan, that's Shenzhou's slogan. Although the industry thought Shenzhou was suicidal, I think they weren't just boasting. I believe this is a trend."

"This..."

At this point, Wang Chang dared not underestimate Chen Yu anymore.

"Furthermore, we should consider the country's GDP. Last year, the country's GDP growth was 8 points, and this year's employment and economic situation is even better than last year's, with a minimum of 8 points. Some experts predict that it might even exceed 9 points. Regardless of whether it's 8 or 9 points, it represents an increase in residents' income. Right now, some people can't afford computers, but in three years, computers might very well become common in households."

Having said that, Chen Yu didn't say anything more but took a sip of beer, allowing Wang Chang some time to digest his words.

Of course, despite all the talk, Chen Yu had immense confidence in the Internet cafe industry. However, being confident was one thing, and talking seriously was another.

"Damn, Chen Yu, what were you talking about? I couldn't understand a word."

Wang Pangzi was stunned.

"Yeah, Chen Yu, you said so much just now. While I heard every word you said, I still have no idea what you meant."

Zhang Jianming also inquired.

"I don't know what Brother Yu was saying, but it sounded very impressive."

Chen Li chimed in.

"Sister, do you still believe in the internet cafe industry after hearing all that?"

Chen Yu smiled as he looked at Wang Chang.

Watch me befuddle your mind.

"Chen Yu, what you said makes sense, but I still believe the internet cafe industry has great potential. I came back this time to write a paper on the development of the domestic internet cafe industry. I will include what you said in the paper for future reference."

"The future is too far away; let's talk about the present."

Unexpectedly, Wang Pangzi's sister was so stubborn.

This gave Chen Yu a bit of a headache.

If she left it for future reference, Chen Yu would surely lose. However, as a reborn individual, he had plenty of persuasive tactics up his sleeve. After Wang Chang finished speaking, Chen Yu threw in a trump card, "Since my Sister is so confident in the internet cafe industry, I assume you've conducted some research on it. Recently, there has been a document issued from higher-ups regarding the regulation of the Internet cafe industry. I wonder if my Sister has been paying attention to it?"