Chapter 36

The paper "My Views on China's Entry into the WTO" was published in a well-known domestic journal and received considerable attention within a certain circle.

What did "My Views" say?

First, "Within 10 years of joining the WTO, China could become the world's largest goods exporter. However, with the increasing scarcity of resources and the growing emphasis on global environmental issues, how to better utilize the opening up of the service sector, capital, and investment to promote the transformation and upgrading of China's economy and society will be the key to China's future development."

Some people commented: "Wow, that's bold! In 2001, China's total trade exports were $249.2 billion, ranking seventh in the world. Could it really become the world's largest goods exporter by 2011? Is it that easy to go from seventh to first?"

Second, "After joining the WTO, if Chinese companies cannot quickly integrate into WTO rules, China will soon become the country most frequently investigated for anti-dumping, and this phenomenon will persist for some time."

Some people commented: "Most? What gives you the right to say 'most'?"

Third, "Chinese companies that lack relevant knowledge and talent, fear trouble, fear spending money, and have a narrow perspective are likely to not actively defend themselves when facing international trade disputes and frictions. This will stimulate more and more countries to initiate anti-dumping investigations against China, leading to a sharp rise in the anti-dumping duties imposed on Chinese export products. The range of Chinese export products and industries accused of dumping will become increasingly wide. Chinese companies must be trained in relevant laws and regulations, and they should also actively cultivate specialized talent to handle trade frictions."

Some people commented: "To judge whether others will defend themselves or not, that's just scaremongering!"

Fourth, "After joining the WTO, Chinese companies need to establish three concepts: learn to operate according to international rules; foster the idea of leveraging comparative advantages; and establish import and export chambers of commerce and industry associations as soon as possible to mediate."

Some people commented: "Are these views novel? Not at all! I've said them too!"

Some experts and scholars praised or criticized "My Views" in various media. Recently, Professor Yan's phone calls have increased several times, with many media outlets hoping that Professor Yan would find time to discuss topics related to China's entry into the WTO.

After years of academic research, Professor Yan finally became a media darling. He had many thoughts: "No wonder so many people like to talk nonsense and make bold statements. It's all about taking risks to gain fame!"

Professor Yan bought more than ten copies of the journal that published "My Views" and placed them at home and in his office. Whenever he had time, he would flip through them. As he read, he would pick up his teacup, twist the lid left and right, and lean back in his chair, feeling frustrated: "I should have been bolder in a few places, making it more sensational. That way, the effect would have been even better."

After leaning back in his chair for a while, Professor Yan's mood improved. He stroked his hair, straightened his back, and rocked his chair: "This is good, this is good. We need to proceed steadily and make progress steadily!"

"This issue should be sent to student Bian," Professor Yan thought. He picked up the phone, found Bian Xuedao's number on a piece of paper, and dialed it.

Bian Xuedao held the journal Professor Yan had given him, still hearing Professor Yan's words in his ears: "Xiao Bian, our paper has been published. I bought a copy for you. Keep it well; it will be useful in the future."

Thinking about the "Xiao Bian" and "our" in Professor Yan's words, Bian Xuedao wanted to laugh but couldn't.

In the past few days, Wen Congqian had called Bian Xuedao several times, saying that the house was rented, the computer was bought, and the staff was in place, just waiting for him, the major shareholder, to find time to come and provide guidance.

Bian Xuedao laughed and said to Wen Congqian, "Brother, you know, it's just the start of the semester, and I have a lot of things to do. I failed two courses last semester, and the teachers are chasing me to retake them. I trust your judgment, so go ahead and arrange everything. I have a special situation, so you'll have to take care of our business."

After hanging up, Bian Xuedao put the matter of going to the studio aside. It was just starting, and it was the perfect time for Wen Congqian to establish his authority. He didn't want to fight for power, so why get involved?

Moreover, the studio was in Wen Congqian's territory, and Bian Xuedao would have limited influence. Guidance? For someone running an unauthorized server, it wasn't like running a business where you need to consider customer traffic and feng shui. The staff would definitely be Wen Congqian's old friends, so what was there to guide?

Since he had given the money to Wen Congqian and wasn't trying to seize power, if Wen Congqian was smart, he would know what to do.

Bian Xuedao decided to observe for a while. If Wen Congqian proved to be worth deeper cooperation, he would help him with ideas, and they could make money together. If not, they would go their separate ways, and if they met again, it would be a different story.

Dong Xue seemed very busy, always replying to messages late. Bian Xuedao realized that almost every time they met, Dong Xue asked him about his life, but he knew very little about hers and rarely took the initiative to care about her life.

Bian Xuedao had already decided to visit Dong Xue in Tianjin during the National Day holiday to see where she studied and lived!

In the evening, he had an elective class to attend. He had chosen this course, "Nutrition and Culinary Arts," at the end of last semester, which no food lover or aspiring food lover could resist.

For the first class of the new semester, Bian Xuedao arrived not too late, but he still miscalculated. The large lecture hall was already half full, more people than at the opening ceremony.

There was an empty seat on the third row on the right side. Bian Xuedao walked over and sat down. The three seats to his left were empty, but there were tablecloths, books, and yogurt and other snacks on the tables, indicating that three girls were there.

Bian Xuedao thought maliciously: "Did they all go to the bathroom with stomach trouble? What if they come back with a smell? Should I change seats now?"

As he turned to find a seat, the three girls returned and stood next to him, waiting for him to stand up and let them in. But Bian Xuedao was focused on finding a seat and didn't turn around.

One of the girls couldn't help but push him, and Bian Xuedao saw that they were waiting for him to let them through. He smiled and said, "Sorry," and let the three girls in.

When he sat down, he realized that the girl next to him was none other than Liao Liao, the female student who had slapped the driving instructor and was transferred to their group.

Bian Xuedao wanted to turn and find another seat.

Not long into the class, his phone vibrated. It was Li Yu calling.

Li Yu's enthusiasm for running the forum was extremely high, and he couldn't stop even if Bian Xuedao didn't let him. Bian Xuedao cursed himself for being cheap, giving him a salary and recording songs for him for no reason.

On the phone, Li Yu asked Bian Xuedao how to handle a post.

Bian Xuedao was dizzy and said, "Bro, I'm in class. You decide."

Li Yu said, "Okay."

Less than 10 minutes later, Li Yu called again, saying, "I tried to handle a post, but I didn't do it well. Boss Bian, help me out."

Bian Xuedao had no choice and said, "Read it to me."

Li Yu read it, and after listening, Bian Xuedao said, "Delete it and block the user."

About 7 or 8 minutes later, the phone vibrated again, and Liao Liao looked at Bian Xuedao curiously.

The girl next to Liao Liao thought: "Another rich guy trying to get close to Liao Liao, with one call after another. He looks so busy and successful, he must have planned it with his dorm mates."

Bian Xuedao answered the phone and, before Li Yu could speak, said harshly, "Block all uncertain users, and I'll dock your salary if you call me again."

Hearing this, the girl next to Liao Liao was even more convinced of her thoughts. Docking someone's salary? That's a bit too much, isn't it?

The phone vibrated again...

This time it was Dong Xue.

Bian Xuedao gathered his things and looked for an opportunity to leave. He couldn't continue the class.

Thanks to the source code for the unauthorized server provided by Bian Xuedao, Brother Wen's studio was almost up and running on the day it was established. The studio, mainly composed of students from the university, was full of talented individuals. The previously scattered individuals now gathered with the goal of making money, and the energy they unleashed was astonishing.

Brother Wen was surprised, and Bian Xuedao was even more surprised.

In just one week, the "Tianji Unauthorized Server" created by Brother Wen's studio, due to its convenience, power, and stability, surpassed all the old unauthorized servers, including the one written by Bian Xuedao.

With the studio members having extensive online connections, many of their classmates and seniors had their own websites for fun, and their friends were scattered all over the internet. The promotion of the unauthorized server was extremely fast.

In just one week, 100,000 yuan was deposited in the bank.