Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1573 Taking the Initiative

"Hey, have you heard? Sun Yumei and Qin Hao are having an affair."

"How is that possible? Who told you that?" Another girl with a ponytail stopped in her tracks, her face full of surprise.

“I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be fake?” The girl with glasses lowered her voice and said mysteriously, “Sun Yumei ran to the boys’ dormitory early this morning to deliver breakfast to Qin Hao. I happened to be passing by and saw it clearly.”

"No way?" The girl with the ponytail widened her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "I remember Qin Hao is an orphan, penniless and powerless. Why would Sun Yumei be so eager to date him? Isn't she always very picky?"

The girl with glasses looked around to make sure no teachers were nearby before leaning close to the girl with the ponytail and whispering in her ear, "You don't understand, do you? Qin Hao recently made a lot of money, I heard it's tens of thousands."

"Tens of thousands?" The girl with the ponytail opened her mouth wide in an "O" shape. "Are you kidding me? When we graduate and get assigned jobs, we only make two or three hundred yuan a month. He earns tens of thousands a month?"

No secret stays hidden forever. The story of Sun Yumei bringing breakfast had spread throughout the entire Literature Department before noon. From classrooms to the cafeteria, from the library to the sports field, everyone was talking about it. Some were envious, some jealous, some disdainful, some curious—a mix of voices made it the hottest topic at the end of the semester.

Compared to Han Ling, a cool and aloof beauty, Sun Yumei, an outgoing and hot beauty, is more popular with boys.

Qin Hao went from being an unknown marginal figure to becoming a "celebrity" in the department.

What made Qin Hao even more dumbfounded was that his counselor actually came to talk to him.

"Qin Hao, I heard you started a company in Zhongguancun, and business is doing quite well?" Instructor Li pushed up his glasses and looked at Qin Hao with a smile.

Qin Hao remained expressionless and nodded: "Just small-scale operations, enough to make a living."

"You're being modest." Counselor Li patted Qin Hao on the shoulder, his tone becoming even more friendly: "The department leaders have also heard about your achievements and are very proud of you. It's an honor for our literature department to have produced someone like you."

Qin Hao already knew what was going on; they were here to freeload. He smiled but didn't reply.

Seeing that Qin Hao didn't respond, Counselor Li had no choice but to continue: "It's like this, the department recently wanted to set up an activity room for a literary society, and needed to purchase some equipment and books, but the budget has been quite tight. The leadership's idea is that since you are a graduate of our department and now have certain abilities, could you consider making some contributions to the department?"

Qin Hao sneered inwardly, but put on a troubled expression and sighed, "Teacher Li, it's not that I don't want to donate, it's just that I'm willing but unable. My company is just starting out, and I need money everywhere—office rent, printing costs, labor costs, everything costs money. I still owe the printing factory a mountain of debt, and I'm even having trouble eating."

Counselor Li's smile froze for a moment, but quickly returned: "Don't you earn tens of thousands a month? Donating a few thousand shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Qin Hao waved his hands repeatedly, his expression becoming even more distressed: "Teacher Li, that's a rumor. You believe it? I'm just a college student who hasn't even graduated yet. How could I have such great abilities? All the profits are invested in the company. I can't even afford to buy myself a decent piece of clothing."

Seeing Qin Hao's appearance, Counselor Li knew it was unlikely that he would get money out of Qin Hao's pocket, so he had to change his strategy: "How about this, you can donate some books to the department."

Qin Hao continued to plead poverty: "Teacher Li, I have a contract with the printing factory. There are minimum quantities for everything I print. If I print too little, they won't give me the price. How about this, once my company is more stable next semester, I'll see if I can help out?"

Seeing that Qin Hao wouldn't budge despite being persuaded, Counselor Li left angrily, saying, "Then think it over carefully."

"Good heavens, they're even trying to take advantage of students now. Is this still a university?" Liu Yuan had been lying in bed pretending to be asleep, but as soon as the counselor left, he sat up and complained incredulously.

Wang Meng looked up from his book, curled his lip in disdain: "Before I went to university, I always thought it was a sacred place. But after I got in, I realized it's just a microcosm of society, with all the bad habits of the outside world. Look at those professors, when they're getting promoted, they're either giving gifts or pulling strings. What's the difference between them and the outside world?"

Qin Hao didn't reply. He glanced around the dormitory; Chen Qiming's bed was empty. Since that day, Chen Qiming had moved to another dormitory and completely fallen out with Qin Hao and Liu Yuan.

Liu Yuan followed Qin Hao's gaze and sighed, "That Chen Qiming is so petty. It's just that Sun Yumei didn't like him, is it really worth making such a fuss?"

Wang Meng: "He was really into Sun Yumei, pursuing her for almost two years, spending money, time, and energy, but she didn't even give him a second glance, and then she got together with Qin Hao..."

Liu Yuan shook his head and said nothing more.

"So, Lao Qin, you really managed to win over Sun Yumei?" Wang Meng suddenly changed the subject.

Zhang Wei got interested as soon as he heard this, jumped off the bed, squeezed next to Qin Hao, and grinned lewdly: "I have to say, Sun Yumei's figure is really... and she's a dancer, so her temperament is undeniable. Old Qin, you're quite the lucky one."

Qin Hao rolled his eyes at the two of them, annoyed. "What's it to you? Instead of daydreaming, why don't you take the initiative? You've been single for four years, don't you feel ashamed?"

Wang Meng asked earnestly, "How do I take the initiative? I also want to find a girlfriend, but I don't know where to start."

"That's easy. If you see someone you like, just go over and ask for their phone number. If you get it, ask them out for dinner or a movie. If you can't get them to go, move on to the next one. Cast a wide net and catch as many fish as you can."

Wang Meng immediately shook his head upon hearing this: "Isn't that too direct? It would be so embarrassing to be rejected."

"Rejecting you won't cost me anything," Qin Hao interrupted him. "What if it works out? You're not even trying, how do you know if it'll work out?"

"But what if she has a boyfriend..."

"With your fear of everything, you deserve to be a single dog for four years," Qin Hao said with a laugh. "With so many girls in our department, you still can't find a partner. You'll be even more of a waste when you enter the workforce."

Upon hearing this, Wang Meng gritted his teeth, his expression suggesting he had made a momentous decision: "That makes sense, I'm going all in!"

After saying that, he put on his cotton-padded coat and rushed out of the dormitory against the cold wind.

Liu Yuan looked at Wang Meng's fearless back, opened his mouth, then closed it again, and after a few seconds of silence, said, "Won't something happen to Wang Meng? He's the kind of person who can do anything when he's in a moment of impulse."

"Don't worry, at most I'll get a beating, nothing serious will happen," Qin Hao replied casually.

Liu Yuan rolled his eyes inwardly: Is this how you speak?

"You finally have a day off today, why don't you go and fawn over Han Ling?" Qin Hao looked up and asked in confusion.

Liu Yuan sighed helplessly, plopped down on the bed, put his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling, saying, "Han Ling went home and won't be back until after dinner. She said her mother isn't feeling well and she's going back to take care of her for a couple of days. I wanted to go with her, but she absolutely refused."

Qin Hao glanced subconsciously at Xiao Ran's empty bed. Xiao Ran wasn't there today either; she was probably working at the furniture store. He couldn't help but remind her, "You've been dating Han Ling for so many years and still haven't won her over. Be careful someone else snatches her away halfway."

Liu Yuan's expression was full of confidence: "Han Ling is not that kind of person."

Qin Hao shook his head inwardly. A well-behaved girl like Han Ling needs a little stimulation; conventional methods of pursuing her are unlikely to move her.

To put it bluntly, Han Ling's attraction to Xiao Ran was partly due to Liu Yuan's relationship with Xiao Ran's roommate, which gave Han Ling a thrill of a secret relationship. This feeling was fatally attractive to a seemingly well-behaved girl like her.

……

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was the first day after university vacation.

In front of a small building on Baiyi Road in Zhongguancun, a brand-new plaque gleamed in the winter sun—"Haoran Technology." The characters, personally chosen by Qin Hao, were in regular script, gilded, and hung on the right side of the entrance, appearing simple yet sophisticated. The shop downstairs was the chubby boss's computer store, while the second floor housed Qin Hao's newly renovated office.

"Old Qin, this place is pretty good." Wang Meng pushed open the door and walked around the office, touching and looking at everything with great interest. "The decoration is quite decent. From the outside, it looks no different from those regular companies."

Liu Yuan slapped him irritably: "If you can't speak properly, you don't have to. What do you mean by 'no different from a legitimate company'? We are a legitimate company, with all the necessary licenses."

Wang Meng chuckled and scratched the back of his head: "Hey, I was just saying it offhand."

Xiao Ran ignored their bickering, his gaze sweeping across the office. The 30-square-meter room was divided into two sections. The outer section was a large office area with four brand-new desks and several chairs, and a row of metal filing cabinets against the wall, filled with several folders. The inner section was a small office with a boss's desk and a leather chair, along with a telephone and a desk lamp.

For a moment, Xiao Ran's eyes were filled with envy.

As they were talking, Sun Yumei and Han Ling walked in one after the other. Sun Yumei was wearing a black turtleneck sweater with a camel-colored coat over it. Her long hair was loose over her shoulders, and she wore light makeup, making her look radiant and beautiful. Han Ling was wearing a beige down jacket and a light gray scarf. She was without makeup, but still looked elegant and refined.

"Qin Hao, here, I wish you a prosperous business." Han Ling handed a bouquet of lilies to Qin Hao with a gentle smile.

Qin Hao took the flowers, lowered his head to smell them, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

After thanking him, he turned to Wang Meng and the others and laughed and scolded, "Look at them, all they know is to come here and freeload off me."

Wang Meng and the others teased Han Ling and Sun Yumei: "Look at you, why did you bring a gift? We're already giving him face by bringing him here. Now he's gotten too big for his britches, hasn't he? If we come empty-handed again, he probably won't even let us in the door."

"Ha ha--"

Everyone looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Qin Hao glanced at the wall clock; it was almost 11:30. "Alright, there's nothing else to do at this hour. Let's pack up and go eat. Wang Meng and the others need to catch their train back after we eat, so let's not be late."

The group left the office in a large entourage, went downstairs, and walked along Baiyi Road for a few minutes before arriving at a hot pot restaurant. The restaurant wasn't big, but it was very popular; steam was billowing out from under the door, and the aroma of mutton could be smelled from afar.

Qin Hao had booked a large private room in advance. Everyone took off their coats and sat down. The waiter brought out a large copper pot with a blazing charcoal fire. The clear soup in the pot was boiling and steaming.

Just as Liu Yuangang was about to sit down next to Qin Hao, he was glared at fiercely by Sun Yumei.

Seeing this, Wang Meng started to jeer, laughing so hard he almost fell over: "Liu Yuan, have some sense, okay? That's where you should be sitting!"

"Fine, I can't afford to offend this lady, okay?" Liu Yuan wasn't angry. He chuckled and sat down next to Han Ling.

After Wang Meng and the others took their seats, Xiao Ran hesitated for a moment before sitting down in the seat to Han Ling's left.

Liu Yuan was completely oblivious, and continued to considerately help Han Ling put on her coat, get the tableware, and pour her tea, while muttering, "Han Ling, are you cold? Is the heating in this room enough?"

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Sun Yumei gracefully set out the table for Qin Hao and poured him a full glass of wine, her movements as practiced as if she were at home. As she poured the wine, she leaned slightly forward, her long hair falling down until the ends almost touched Qin Hao's shoulder, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"I can't eat this anymore, it's too sour!" Wang Meng couldn't help but tease, exaggeratingly covering his face and making a face that looked like it was so sour it hurt his teeth.

Sun Yumei glared at him fiercely and said in a menacing tone, "Fine, don't eat then. The door's over there, and we can save some money this way."

Wang Meng joked, "Sun Yumei, you're not even married yet, and you're already trying to save money for Lao Qin? If you do marry him, will we not even be allowed to enter the house?"

"Mind your own business." Sun Yumei rolled her eyes at Wang Meng, then secretly glanced at Qin Hao out of the corner of her eye to see his reaction.

Just as the two were bickering, the hot pot arrived. The waiter brought out more than a dozen plates of mutton, beef, tripe, vermicelli, and tofu, filling the entire table. The broth in the copper pot boiled even more vigorously, and the mutton changed color as soon as it hit the pot, filling the air with its aroma.

Liu Yuan stood up, holding his wine glass. He cleared his throat, his voice tinged with excitement: "Come on, everyone raise your glasses. Today is our last get-together of the first semester of our senior year, and also the grand opening day of Lao Qin's company. Let's raise our glasses together and wish our friendship lasts forever, and Lao Qin's company great success!"

"cheers!"

"cheers!"

Everyone stood up, their glasses clinking together with a crisp sound. They tilted their heads back and drank it all in one gulp, making gurgling sounds in their throats.

After a few drinks, everyone started talking.

Wang Meng and Liu Yuan drank and complained at the same time, their faces red and necks thick, their tongues almost tied in knots. Wang Meng patted Liu Yuan on the shoulder, his face full of emotion: "Liu Yuan, do you remember how Qin Hao taught us how to pursue girls last time?"

"I remember." Liu Yuan picked up a piece of mutton with his chopsticks, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it twice, and swallowed it. "Didn't you use this method to woo one? What was that girl's name again, Liang..."

"Liang Sisi." Wang Meng's expression softened instantly when he mentioned this name.

“Yes, Liang Sisi, a girl from the South, petite and delicate.” Liu Yuan raised his glass and clinked it with Wang Meng’s: “She’s quite pretty, you’ve really struck gold.”

Wang Meng looked at Qin Hao and complained, "Do you know how many beatings I got before I won over Liang Sisi?"

Qin Hao laughed and scolded, "You deserved to get beaten up. Her boyfriend was sitting right next to you, and you stupidly went up to ask for his phone number. Who else would you beat up if not you? It's a mercy that you weren't sent to the hospital."

"Ha ha--"

Everyone burst into laughter, and Wang Meng scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

Amidst the burst of laughter from the crowd, Xiao Ran continued to eat his hot pot meat in silence. He ate slowly, chewing each bite carefully, as if trying to etch the flavor of the mutton deep into his memory.

He rarely gets to eat meat, maybe once a month. The deliciousness of the hot pot meat surged through his mouth, awakening his taste buds and making every cell in his body cheer. But he still forced himself to eat slowly, afraid that others would notice.

Han Ling's gaze unconsciously swept over Xiao Ran, but she quickly had to look away because of Liu Yuan.

After the joke, Wang Meng suddenly felt a little sad. His hand holding the wine glass froze in mid-air, his eyes became hazy, and his voice lowered: "These years of university have gone by so fast, it's all in the blink of an eye. I remember when we first came here as freshmen, we didn't know anyone. We would lie in the dorm at night and chat, talking about our hometowns, our ideals, and our futures, feeling like we had a long time ahead of us. But now? In just a few months, we'll really be entering society, going our separate ways, and I'm afraid we'll have very few chances to see each other again."

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the private room became somewhat heavy.

Seeing this, Liu Yuan quickly smiled and tried to lighten the mood: "Luckily, I don't have to worry about work. From now on, I'll be working for our CEO Qin."

Wang Meng laughed and scolded, "Look at your pathetic self."

After saying that, he turned to Qin Hao and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "President Qin, why don't you take me on as well? Just give me the same treatment as Liu Yuan, I'm not picky."

"Get lost. One idle person like me is enough for our company. I'm afraid the company will collapse if there are more." Liu Yuan waved his hand and made a disgusted expression.

"Ha ha--"

The crowd burst into laughter again, and the atmosphere became lively once more.

Seeing that the atmosphere was good, Sun Yumei took Qin Hao's arm and said in a coquettish voice, "How about I be your secretary?"

Qin Hao said half-jokingly, "You all want to come and freeload, and ruin my company, right? Liu Yuan is already a free man. If you all come, how will my company stay in business?"

Liu Yuan chimed in, grinning mischievously at Sun Yumei, "Sun Yumei, isn't it a waste of your talents to be a secretary? The boss's wife's position is vacant, so why don't you give it a try?"

Sun Yumei glared at Liu Yuan, who had ruined her plans. Others might not know the current state of their relationship, but she knew very well that Qin Hao was just playing around with her and didn't really take her seriously.

Just as they were chatting enthusiastically, Han Ling used a slotted spoon to scoop a large spoonful of hot pot meat from the pot.

"This beef is overcooked and too tough to chew. Xiao Ran, you should finish it off."

Little did she know, it was this very action of hers that drew Liu Yuan's attention. Liu Yuan was clinking glasses with Wang Meng when he caught a glimpse of Han Ling serving food to Xiao Ran. His hand paused for a moment, but he quickly resumed his normal movements, his smile still on his face, but a strange feeling welled up inside him.

Xiao Ran immediately put down his chopsticks and pushed the bowl forward: "You eat, I'm already full."

Han Ling wanted to persuade Xiao Ran to accept, but Liu Yuan had already taken the strainer and said with a smile, "Give me the overcooked ones, and I'll scald them for you again."

Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Xiao Ran felt like he was being roasted over a fire, and he was extremely uncomfortable. He quickly changed the subject: "By the way, Qin Hao, I just saw your company's job postings, and all the positions require computer skills. Are all companies like that now?"

Sure enough, everyone's attention was drawn to it.

Qin Hao put down his wine glass, his tone becoming more serious: "Not all companies require this, but it's definitely the trend. If you want to get into a big company, especially a foreign company, being proficient in computer use is absolutely essential."

"But computers are ridiculously expensive, over ten thousand yuan apiece. I couldn't afford one even if I sold myself." Wang Meng's words echoed the sentiments of everyone present. Besides Qin Hao, who else here had that much money to buy a computer?

Qin Hao: "My company will be providing computers soon. If you want to learn, you can come over after get off work."

Upon hearing this, Wang Meng and the others raised their glasses, their expressions shifting from somber to excited and grateful: "Old Qin is a true friend! If you ever need our help, just let us know, and we'll go through fire and water for you!"

"cheers!"

Xiao Ran hesitated for a moment, wanting to raise his glass to say a few words of thanks, but swallowed the words back.

The soup in the copper pot was still boiling, plates of mutton were being added to the pot one after another, and bottles of beer were being opened one after another.

It wasn't until Wang Meng glanced at his watch that he exclaimed, "Oh dear, it's 1:30! I have to catch my train, or I'll be late!"

Zhang Wei quickly stood up, stuffed the last piece of mutton into his mouth, and mumbled, "I have to go too, my train is at 3:30."

Everyone stood up, put on their coats, grabbed their bags, and went to pay the bill. Qin Hao went to the front desk to settle the bill.

After everyone left, Sun Yumei took Qin Hao's arm and said sweetly, "I bought a ticket for tomorrow, so I can stay with you for another day."

"Shouldn't I be spending the whole day with you?"

"How annoying." (End of Chapter)