Chapter 28: Expensive Servers

Li Pingan and his counselor walked out of the office one after the other. Once outside, the counselor strode off with vigorous steps, heading directly toward the Dean’s office with a clear sense of purpose. Her urgent demeanor made it seem as though she were the one applying for the space. Seeing his counselor so actively and effectively running errands for his sake, Li Pingan mentally gave her a thumbs up.

With his backpack on, Li Pingan slowly returned to his dormitory, only to find Room 602 silent and completely empty. This did not surprise him; at this critical stage of their junior year, nearly every student with plans to pursue a postgraduate degree spent every spare moment buried in their studies at the library. Among these students, there were even a rare few outstanding individuals who had already completed all their undergraduate requirements and applied for early graduation.

Graduating early from Shuimu University was no easy feat! It was as daunting as navigating the narrow, treacherous paths of Huarong Road. The difficulty level was significantly higher than that of a standard graduation.

Li Pingan gently set down his bag, opened his computer, and began the process of purchasing storage servers. Before the New Year, due to a lack of funds, many things had to be temporarily shelved. But now, with ample capital in the company account, he did not hesitate for a moment regarding equipment that required such high stability and the ability to operate continuously for long periods. He had a clear target in mind and immediately selected the top-tier configuration of Huawei’s OceanStor 2220 storage server.

The performance of this server was exceptional, fully capable of meeting both daily needs and the preliminary training requirements for his artificial intelligence project. However, the price was quite steep, with a single unit costing nearly 500,000. Nevertheless, considering the massive user base of "Pet Spirit" and the upward trend of future growth, Li Pingan deliberated and decisively purchased four units at once. Two million was spent just like that, without a whisper. He calculated internally that if the server performance proved insufficient to support the development of his AI in the future, he could simply buy more then.

No sooner had Li Pingan completed the order and processed the payment through the company’s corporate account than a Huawei after-sales representative called him, with such speed it was as if they feared their client might slip away.

"Hello, sir. This is your after-sales representative for Huawei servers. You can call me Xiao Sun," a polite and enthusiastic voice said on the other end.

"Hello," Li Pingan replied.

"Sir, we provide free installation and testing for the initial setup of these servers. If you encounter any issues later, you can contact me immediately, and we will work as quickly as possible to identify the cause and provide a proper solution," the representative explained patiently. "I see the delivery address for your order is at Shuimu University. When would you like us to deliver the units and provide the installation service?"

Li Pingan thought to himself that since his office space hadn't been secured yet, installation was impossible. He replied concisely, "I'll let you know."

"Understood, sir. I won't take up any more of your time then. Have a wonderful day," the representative said politely.

Ten minutes earlier, on the other side of campus, Wang Jingwen walked into the Dean’s office. Seeing no one there but the Dean, her previously somewhat cautious expression relaxed, and she became as comfortable as if she were in her own home. She went straight to the desk, efficiently poured out the tea that was sitting there, and brewed a fresh, steaming, fragrant cup for the Dean.

This sudden display of flattery caused Dean Wang, who wore deep-set eyes behind his glasses, to frown slightly, his expression full of wariness. As the saying goes, "He who offers gifts without a cause has a hidden agenda." The Dean guessed that this girl certainly wasn't up to anything good.

Ignoring his guarded look, Wang Jingwen casually placed the documents in her hand right next to the Dean’s elbow and said bluntly, "Help a student in my class apply for a studio in the incubation base. The bigger, the better."

Dean Wang, with his graying temples and a countenance that was kind yet dignified, gave Wang Jingwen a faint glance and replied unhurriedly, "This is a university. Everything must be done according to regulations; there is no such thing as pulling strings." The implication was clear: he was warning her not to try to use personal connections to gain advantages.

Upon hearing this, Wang Jingwen looked surprised and said, "I'm not trying to pull strings, I'm just applying normally. Dean Wang, why don't you look at the documents first?" Her face was full of confidence, as if she were absolutely certain of the material.

A few minutes later, Dean Wang slowly put down the documents, adjusted his glasses, and asked softly with a look of astonishment, "Are the data points here real?" His tone carried a hint of undisguised surprise.

"Uh-huh, of course," Wang Jingwen replied crisply. She immediately took out her phone and handed it to the Dean, letting the old man see for himself. The Dean took the phone, his gaze lingering on the download numbers for "Pet Spirit" displayed on the screen for a long while.

After a moment, Dean Wang nodded slightly, a look of approval on his face. "Although this is an applied project rather than a formal research outcome, for a junior student, such an achievement is truly rare."

As he spoke, he picked up the fountain pen on his desk and signed his name with a flourish at the bottom of the application. He pushed the signed document toward Wang Jingwen, making sure to remind her, "Don't forget to get the others to sign as well."

Overjoyed, Wang Jingwen took the documents as if they were treasure, turned around, and hurried away without looking back.

In the subsequent stages of the process, because the Dean had already signed off, the Dean of Academic Affairs and the heads of the incubation base merely gave the documents a quick glance before adding their own signatures. In less than two hours, Wang Jingwen had successfully obtained the key to a 60-square-meter studio in the incubation base.

Since she didn't have Li Pingan’s phone number, Wang Jingwen looked up his QQ and called him through the app. Just as Li Pingan was preparing to head to the cafeteria for dinner, he heard the notification, pulled his phone from his down jacket pocket, and saw it was his counselor. He answered immediately.

"Teacher Wang," Li Pingan said respectfully.

"Li Pingan, I've successfully applied for that studio in the innovation and entrepreneurship incubation base for you. I'm over here at the base right now; come over, and I'll give you the key and go over the usage guidelines with you." Wang Jingwen’s voice was filled with undisguised excitement and pride.