Chapter 443: Meeting the Pioneer of the Internet (Part 2)

Their internal internet implemented a fee system and issued China’s earliest virtual currency – ‘Credit Points.’

Netizens could purchase Credit Points to access forums, email services, and chat rooms provided by Wei Hai Wei.

Zhang Yuxin even envisioned online shopping, drawing all her inspiration from foreign networks, aiming to turn Wei Hai Wei into a giant ISP company like ‘America Online’ abroad.

Unfortunately,

The dream was full, but reality was skeletal.

At the beginning, Zhang Yuxin thought of all the beautiful things, where to plant trees, where to plant flowers, where to watch the tide rise and fall.

But in 1995, it was really hard to work on the internet.

As Jack Ma’s famous saying goes, ‘In 1995 in China, those working on the internet were LONELY. No one believed in it, and sometimes, even they didn’t know what they were talking about.’

This was precisely the dilemma Zhang Yuxin faced.

Many ordinary people were too unfamiliar with the term ‘internet.’

What is the internet, a fishing tool?

However, despite struggling to survive and leading through the fog, she still refused to give up.

After witnessing Yahoo go public within a year, with its stock price soaring from $13 to $53, Zhang Yuxin couldn’t sit still anymore.

She planned a big move, spending a huge amount of money to lay network lines, preparing to establish network nodes in 8 major cities across the country within 3 months of construction, and announced that in the next three years, Wei Hai Wei would invest 500 million to build more than 60 nodes nationwide, with a slogan that echoed loudly – ‘A single spark can start a prairie fire.’

The beginning was always good.

At its peak, Wei Hai Wei even collaborated with Microsoft.

But by 1997, with the support of the state, several major moves in the internet world quickly outpaced her company, leading to a complete defeat within half a year.

With the national internet wave rising, platforms like Sohu, Baidu, NetEase, etc., emerged, making Wei Hai Wei’s fee system almost overnight a joke, and free access became the norm.

Wei Hai Wei invested a total of 600 million, expecting to recoup 90 million annually, but in the end, the actual revenue was only over 8 million.

By early 1998, Wei Hai Wei experienced its final major upheaval.

Fifteen executives announced their resignation simultaneously, leaving behind a sorrowful resignation letter.

Zhang Yuxin was powerless, accompanying Wei Hai Wei as it fell on the eve of the internet wave.

Since then, Wei Hai Wei was completely dissolved, Zhang Yuxin also divorced, disappearing into obscurity.

Until two months ago, when the Information Industry Bureau sent her an invitation, she once again paid attention to the internet, which she had dared not face for a long time.

And it was this attention that led her to discover Zhao Qingfeng, a genius.

She felt he was like her, always ahead in everything.

But,

As someone who had been through it all, she really wanted to advise Zhao Qingfeng to be careful not to overextend, lest he stretch himself too thin.

Of course, she couldn’t be so crude. After introducing herself, Zhang Yuxin smiled and said, “Mr. Zhao, I admire you very much. I wonder if we could have a short chat before the meeting starts?”

“Sure.”

Zhao Qingfeng also held great respect for Zhang Yuxin, a senior pioneer at the forefront of China’s internet, indeed a trailblazer.

Just as they finished speaking, a leader from the Information Industry Bureau hurried down the stairs, pulling Zhao Qingfeng aside for a chat for over ten minutes, with a very polite attitude, leaving Zhang Yuxin puzzled.

When Zhao Qingfeng returned, she was eager to ask what they talked about.

But at that moment, a loud voice suddenly came from behind them.

“Mr. Zhao? Is that Mr. Zhao? I’ve heard so much about you, it’s a great honor to meet you today!”

Turning around, a young man wearing transparent glasses was briskly approaching, accompanied by several people.

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