Chapter Fifty-Four: New Year's Eve, Gazing at Ninety-Eight

December 31, 1997. Evening.

Zhou Xuan stood atop the weathered ancient city wall at the South Gate, gazing intently at the surging Yangtze River, its waters never ceasing even in the depths of night. On the opposite shore, the mountain silhouettes loomed majestically, while the night air was as cool and clear as water. Beside him, a graceful figure stood quietly, saying nothing, simply sharing the silence by Zhou Xuan’s side.

Though fatigue lingered on Zhou Xuan’s face, his bright eyes shone with a sharp, penetrating light. There was a trace of unease in his gaze, but it was far outweighed by excitement. Since his rebirth, it had been just over three months. Though he had changed many things, much of Zhou Xuan’s former character still lingered within him. True transformation, after all, is never the work of a single day, but rather the slow and silent influence of time.

Since his return, he had become a top student, written articles, and earned a considerable sum of money. Yet, deep down, Zhou Xuan was still, in essence, the same ordinary young man he’d always been. After a month of meticulous planning, his supermarket and clothing store were set to open the next day. Despite all his preparations and the borrowed wisdom of years to come, he could not say he felt entirely calm—such a claim would have been a lie.

In three short months, Zhou Xuan had achieved much and, in the eyes of others, seemed a natural-born genius. Yet, on the eve of launching two new businesses—the true start of his career—he found himself lacking in confidence.

“Having never done business in my life, can I really succeed in this? Will tomorrow’s opening be profitable? And if I fail, what then?” Again and again, Zhou Xuan questioned himself in silence, his mind a tangle of confusion, hesitation, and anxiety.

At length, Zhou Xuan released a gentle sigh. “So, 1997 is passing just like that.”

Next to him, Liu Yixue looked at Zhou Xuan’s weary, anxious face with a pang of concern. “Zhou Xuan, you must be exhausted this month. I don’t know exactly what you’ve been busy with, but you don’t need to drive yourself so hard. Remember, we’re still young, and we have so much time ahead of us.”

Such a simple phrase, yet it startled Zhou Xuan awake.

Yes! We are still young, with so much time before us. Even if I fail—so what? I possess the most precious wealth in the world.

With so many opportunities ahead, how could he not allow himself to stumble and strive?

How splendid it is to be young, to be among one’s peers in the prime of life! Bold and passionate, unafraid to wield one’s spirit and ambition. The year 1997 was ending; the first year of the internet era in China was drawing to a close, and the dawn of the portal era was at hand.

So much had happened this year—events that would not soon be forgotten. On February 25, after about a year, Zhang Chaoyang renamed iTsign to “Sohu,” officially launching its product and heralding the advent of China’s portal era in 1998. On March 10, “Titanic” swept cinemas worldwide, becoming the first film in history to gross over a billion dollars. It premiered in China on April 3, moving countless audiences to tears and becoming one of the most beloved films of all time.

In his previous life, Zhou Xuan had neither the time, the money, nor the company to watch it—he could only devote himself to his studies for the high school entrance exam. Now, glancing at the beautiful girl beside him, Zhou Xuan resolved that, when the film opened, he would watch it with Liu Yixue. Even if the exams were near, it would be a welcome respite from study.

And when 2012 arrived, he would see the 3D version once more. He remembered the saying: if you watched “Titanic” together in 1998, and were still watching it together in 2012, then that was true love. Though it sounded like a joke, who didn’t wish to grow old with the one they loved, together forever?

On June 4, China’s internet users surpassed one million, marking the nation’s entry into the age of millions online, advancing swiftly toward tens of millions. On June 18, “Dong Ge” founded JD.com in Zhongguancun, which would, a decade later, become another legend in e-commerce, earning him a place among China’s wealthiest and the admiration of many as he won the heart of a beautiful woman.

That same June, the Yangtze and Songhua river basins suffered once-in-a-century floods, claiming countless lives and causing economic losses exceeding a hundred billion. For the first time, nationwide attention turned to environmental issues, prompting a deeper awareness of the Yangtze’s fragile ecosystem. At the time, the flood peak had even risen above the riverside avenue, inundating the gates of the county’s top high school. After the waters receded, Zhou Xuan and his classmates had gone to see the marks left behind.

On September 4, the future tech giant Google was born, introducing the concept of keyword bidding for online ads, making advertising accessible to small enterprises and individuals seeking to reach the world. Google thus seized the lead in internet advertising.

On November 12, Pony Ma, Zhang Zhidong, Xu Chinhua, Chen Yidan, and Zeng Liqing founded Tencent in Shenzhen. On February 10, 1999, they launched the Chinese version of OICQ. Years later, Tencent would become the most prominent internet company in China, valued at $300 billion—far surpassing the other two members of the BAT trio.

Zhou Xuan would always regret not having a seven-digit QQ number, envying those with six or seven digits. Though he considered buying one later, tales of scams online kept him from trying.

In December, SRS and the American Huayuan Information Network merged to form a new site, “Sina,” which would become China’s most influential news portal.

The year 1998 was truly a tempestuous one for the internet: many companies that would later become giants were founded or began to rise, launching the era’s great wave. Yet within that surge, some reached the summit only to fall by the wayside due to strategic errors, while others quietly gathered strength, eventually standing alone atop the peak.

All these thoughts crowded suddenly into Zhou Xuan’s mind, and in that moment, he no longer feared success or failure tomorrow. After all, he had done all he could. Yet this experience had taught him something: being reborn did not guarantee everything would go his way. He still had many shortcomings; without true ability, how could he take on great tasks?

Only by constantly improving and preparing himself could he hope to seize the opportunities ahead.

Turning to Liu Yixue, Zhou Xuan looked at her with deep affection and said, “Yixue, thank you.”

Hearing his heartfelt gratitude, Liu Yixue smiled—a smile like wintersweet blooming in the cold, its fragrance dispelling the chill and filling the night with warmth.

Zhou Xuan gently drew Liu Yixue into his arms and whispered in her ear, “Happy New Year.”

For some reason, in those four softly spoken words, Liu Yixue felt a deep and abiding tenderness. She sensed Zhou Xuan’s feelings for her, his hope for the future, his unshakable confidence in each day to come, and his anticipation of the beautiful days they would share.

“Happy New Year!”

“Bang… bang… bang…”

Fireworks blossomed over the riverbank, celebrating the arrival of a new year. People, undeterred by midnight’s chill, laughed and played, welcoming the promise of 1998.

In this new year, Zhou Xuan’s career would embark on a fresh chapter, full of hope. His supermarket and clothing store were but a small part of his plan—a way to ease his family’s burdens and provide his parents and uncle with a livelihood.

His earlier anxiety seemed now a needless fuss.

Beyond all this, as a coder with decades of experience, Zhou Xuan knew the internet was the true field for his ambition.

Let us meet in 1998, beneath the golden moonlight, in the radiant youth of our lives.