Hiss!
The three Dorm Leaders all sucked in a breath of cold air almost simultaneously.
Thirty million.
Registered capital.
Suihuo Technology.
Even though they all knew, rationally, that registered capital did not mean liquid cash sitting in an account, seeing that number written so clearly on an official government system still carried a terrifying weight.
For a moment, the private room fell strangely quiet.
Only the soft sound of boiling soup from the hot dish broke the silence.
Dorm Leader Deng Jun was the first to recover. His expression turned serious, completely different from his usual easygoing demeanor.
"Fourth Oldest," he said slowly, "you're not joking, are you?"
Lu Xingye put away his phone and smiled faintly.
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Zhao Dawei stared at him for several seconds, then suddenly laughed.
"Damn… I knew it."
"I knew you weren't simple."
He leaned back in his chair, eyes shining.
"Selling a software tool for thirty million… registering a company the same day…"
"This isn't luck."
"This is preparation."
Wu Bai, who had remained silent the entire time, pushed up his thick glasses.
His gaze was sharp, almost frighteningly calm.
"Fourth Oldest," he asked directly, "what exactly are you planning to do with Suihuo Technology?"
The question cut straight to the core.
Lu Xingye waited for this.
He picked up the teacup in front of him, took a slow sip, then set it down.
"I'm not playing house," he said evenly.
"I'm building a technology company that can truly stand on its own."
"Not outsourcing."
"Not copycat development."
"Not chasing scraps behind big companies."
He paused, then continued:
"I want to build core technology."
"Operating systems."
"Chips."
"Artificial intelligence."
The room went silent again.
This time, the silence was heavier.
Deng Jun frowned slightly.
"That's… very big," he said honestly.
"Big to the point of being unrealistic for a startup."
Lu Xingye nodded.
"I know."
Zhao Dawei chuckled dryly.
"Fourth Oldest, do you know how many companies die every year shouting slogans like that?"
"I know," Lu Xingye replied calmly.
Wu Bai stared at him, unblinking.
"Then why are you so confident?"
Lu Xingye looked at his three Dorm Leaders one by one.
These were the people he had lived with for four years.
The people who had shared instant noodles at midnight.
The people who had complained about assignments and cursed professors together.
If he didn't tell them now, he never would.
"I already have a direction," Lu Xingye said.
"And I already have the core."
"The first project," he added, "is a mobile operating system."
Zhao Dawei's eyebrows shot up.
"A mobile system? From scratch?"
"Not exactly from scratch," Lu Xingye said vaguely.
"But it will be something the market has never seen."
Deng Jun leaned forward unconsciously.
"What do you need from us?"
That sentence made Lu Xingye smile.
He raised his glass.
"That's exactly why I invited you here today."
The dishes were served one by one, filling the table.
But none of them were really focused on eating anymore.
Lu Xingye spoke plainly, without exaggeration.
"I can't do everything alone."
"Suihuo Technology needs people I trust."
He pointed subtly.
"Dorm Leader Deng Jun."
"You're good at coordination, management, internal structure."
"I want you to handle company operations and logistics."
Deng Jun was stunned.
"Me?"
"Yes," Lu Xingye nodded.
"COO, if you want to put a title on it."
Deng Jun didn't answer immediately.
He lowered his head, staring at the table, fingers clenched slightly.
Zhao Dawei whistled softly.
"Damn, that escalated quickly."
Lu Xingye turned to him.
"Second Oldest, Zhao Dawei."
"You have strong communication skills and emotional intelligence."
"In the future, we'll need negotiations, partnerships, financing, external coordination."
He smiled faintly.
"You're perfect for that."
Zhao Dawei laughed, half-joking, half-serious.
"So I'm going legit now?"
"No more freelancing?"
"You'll be dealing with people who decide billion-level projects," Lu Xingye said calmly.
"Way more exciting."
Zhao Dawei's smile slowly faded.
His eyes became sharp.
"…I'm in."
Finally, Lu Xingye looked at Wu Bai.
Wu Bai already knew.
He didn't dodge.
"I'll be in charge of R&D," Wu Bai said directly.
"As long as the technology is real."
Lu Xingye nodded.
"It's real."
Wu Bai pushed his glasses up again, a rare spark of excitement flashing in his eyes.
"Then I'll follow you."
Four glasses were raised.
They clinked together with a crisp sound.
No oath.
No dramatic declaration.
Just four young men sitting in a private room, unknowingly standing at the threshold of a new era.
At that moment—
No one else in the world knew.
That the prototype of a future technological empire had just been formed over a ten-thousand–dragon-coin dinner.
Outside, the neon lights of the city flickered.
And deep in Lu Xingye's left hand—
The circular tattoo, now faint and dull gray, pulsed almost imperceptibly.
As if waiting.
Waiting for the next ignition.
Waiting for Suihuo Technology to truly light its first fire.