I'm back in 1990

Chapter 328: They're all ordinary people

It took Wu Duo a while to calm down.

He still couldn't quite believe it.

"Xiao Chuan, is what Old Zhang just said true?"

"It's true, but because it involves some confidentiality agreements with my partners, there are some details I can't tell you yet. Please don't mind!"

Upon hearing Huang Xiaochuan confirm the matter, Wu Duo blurted out a series of "Holy crap!"

"We've been talking about the Gaze browser that suddenly appeared last year, and we use it a lot. It's so good. The browser displays images directly, making it easy for users to understand at a glance. The idea is brilliant."

Then he regretted not having encountered such a good thing.

"Old Zhang, that's not very nice of you! Why didn't you tell me about such a good thing? I would have invested some too!"

Zhang Gaolei poured cold water on his enthusiasm: "If I told you that investing $800,000 would have a high probability of failure, would you invest?"

Wu Duo thought about it and immediately understood. Under those circumstances, how could he possibly invest? He had heard a lot about venture capital since he came to IT. Admittedly, there are successful cases, but there are also many failed cases. The difference between the two is huge, and successful cases are few and far between.

Moreover, he only has a little over six hundred thousand US dollars in his hands right now. The rest has either been converted into houses or used to purchase other items. He can't come up with eight hundred thousand dollars even if you ask him to.

It wasn't his destiny to have such good fortune, and Wu Duo soon came to terms with it.

Huang Xiaochuan asked, "Old Wu, which deity did you invite tonight?"

Wu Duo waved his hand: "What kind of gods are they! They're all poor students. Among them, I'm the only one with better financial conditions. I see them scrimping and saving every day, and their faces are as pale as vegetables. So I treat them to two meals a month under the guise of a gathering to improve their diet."

Huang Xiaochuan patted Wu Duo on the shoulder silently.

In the 1990s, the entire Chinese society was focused on making money, and intellectuals were not given much attention. As a result, the students studying in the United States were all struggling. In the eyes of the Chinese people, studying abroad was glamorous, but only the students themselves knew the hardships they endured.

It was these people who, upon returning to China, accelerated the development of various technologies in China. Therefore, it can be said that this group of returned students in the 1980s and 1990s made indelible contributions to the construction of China.

Since the reform and opening up, more than 58 Chinese students have gone abroad to study, distributed in more than 100 countries and regions around the world. The number and distribution of such students are unprecedented.

Generation after generation of students who have studied abroad have played an important role in China's progress and development, achieving great success in fields such as materials science, bioengineering, internet applications, superconductivity, and aerospace.

It is undeniable that a considerable number of them did not return to China after completing their studies for one reason or another, but quite a few students still chose to return to China after completing their studies.

Though separated by mountains and rivers, nothing can hinder the deep affection of a child.

Besides, are people who can study IT abroad just ordinary people?

In Huang Xiaochuan's eyes, these people are all talented!

Hearing about how hard their lives were here, Huang Xiaochuan, like Wu Duo, felt compassion for them.

"Old Wu, you're amazing!" Huang Xiaochuan gave Wu Duo a thumbs up.

"Don't praise me like that. I'm not good at being praised. My abilities are limited, and I'll help as much as I can."

Huang Xiaochuan then asked, "Are most people not well-off?"

"Of course! Look at the exchange rate now. If you're not on a government-sponsored scholarship, you can't afford to pay for it even if you sell your house and land. The damn tuition at American universities is 20,000 to 30,000 a year, which is equivalent to 100,000 to 200,000 RMB, not including living expenses. And that's just for one year."

Fortunately, most people have scholarships, but scholarships are divided into different levels. The number of top-level scholarships is limited, and only the most outstanding people can get them. Those who are slightly less outstanding will have to accept lower-level scholarships. As a result, they cannot cover their tuition fees, so many people have to find a job outside, and some even have to work two jobs.

Summer vacation, winter vacation, and spring vacation are all spent working to earn tuition and living expenses. Think about how lucky I am. As long as the vacation comes, I can easily buy a plane ticket and go home to rest. But there are so many people who can't go home.

I recently donated some money to a female student from China who was robbed on her way back from working. She was shot while protecting her money. Do you know how much it was? Sixty-three US dollars! That was her daily wage plus tips.

"Damn it!"

Wu Duo cursed angrily.

The topic was somewhat heavy, and all three fell silent.

After a long pause, Huang Xiaochuan asked, "How is he?"

Wu Duo wiped his eyes: "She's still in the hospital! But she's out of danger. However, the follow-up treatment and physical rehabilitation will cost a lot more. I plan to donate some more to her, just to do what I can and have peace of mind!"

"Old Wu, do you know how much more money we need?"

"It'll probably cost another 170,000 to 180,000!"

"Then you don't need to pay for it, I'll cover it!"

Zhang Gaolei also chimed in, "Count me in, I can get 50,000."

Huang Xiaochuan laughed and said, "Don't argue with me. I may not be as good as you in many ways, but I'm definitely better at making money. Give me some face, and let me do this good deed!"

Wu Duo stared at Huang Xiaochuan for a long time, then finally leaned over and hugged him: "Damn it, a rich family is a rich family!"

People who were going to have dinner tonight arrived one after another, and Wu Duo introduced the people he had invited to Huang Xiaochuan and Zhang Gaolei one by one.

"Xu Zhongxian, Lao Xu, PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from MIT."

"He Hong, Lao He, holds a Master's degree in Computer Engineering from MIT."

"Zhang Xiangguang, Lao Zhang, is a postdoctoral fellow in physics at MIT."

"Yu Xingluo, Lao Yu, PhD in Chemistry from MIT."

"This lady's name is Xie Xinyue, I call her Sister Xie, she has a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT."

"Kong Zi, don't listen to me. It's the 'Zi' in 'purple,' and she's a month younger than me. Don't let her young age fool you; she's a finance master's student at MIT."

Huang Xiaochuan and Zhang Gaolei hurriedly shook hands and greeted each of them.

Huang Xiaochuan didn't forget to flatter him: "Wow, Lao Wu, you're amazing! You truly have the reputation of having learned scholars among your acquaintances and no uncultured people among your friends!"

Wu Duo feigned modesty and said, "It's just so-so!"

At this point, Wu Duo introduced Huang Xiaochuan and Zhang Gaolei to the group.

"My classmate Zhang Gaolei, who graduated in the same year as me, is now studying at Stanford."

"My classmate Huang Xiaochuan, nicknamed 'Big Boss,' is a top student at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. He's already guaranteed a place in graduate school and will be studying under Academician Wang Deyi. Besides, this guy is a money-grubber. There are countless stories about him, which I'll tell you about later."

Upon learning that Huang Xiaochuan was from China, the group exchanged pleasantries and hit it off immediately.

Soon, a long table was filled with various delicacies, and pitchers of fresh beer were also brought over.

Wu Duo, holding a beer glass, said, "Come on, we were originally just having a small get-together today, but Xiao Chuan and Lao Zhang showed up. In that case, let's treat this meal to them as a welcome back party. Cheers!"

"welcome!"

"Welcome, let's have a drink!"

"Let's go!"

The group clinked glasses and then gulped down a pitcher of beer. The ladies drank casually, while Xie Xinyue and Kong Zi only took a small sip.

Then everyone started devouring the lamb, and the two girls were not to be outdone. They each grabbed a lamb chop and started gnawing on it.

Yu Xingluo was a bit more refined. He smiled and explained to Huang Xiaochuan, "Don't mind us! We're all a bit strapped for cash. Wu Duo knows we don't eat very well, so he always invites us out every month under the guise of a get-together so we can treat ourselves."

"It's alright. I think twice a month is a bit too little for your gatherings. At least twice a week. Old Wu is rich; you won't bankrupt him by eating him."

"That's unnecessary. According to the body's needs, eating too much at every meal is an extra burden on the body. Eating out twice a month is fine." Xie Xinyue said this.

"Sister Xie, you're trying to maintain your figure!"

Xie Xinyue joked, "My body gains weight even from drinking water, I'm like a water barrel, what kind of figure can I possibly maintain!"

Huang Xiaochuan listened to them talking with a smile. At this moment, regardless of whether they were PhDs or Masters, they were just like ordinary people, complaining and cursing, but with a more open and honest attitude.

Remember this name: Cola Novels. Remember this domain name: [domain name missing]. Good books won't lead you astray.