Chapter 29: The Key Obtained

“Alright! Teacher Wang, I’m coming right away!” Li Ping’an called out excitedly.

At this moment, the thought of eating had long since slipped from his mind.

Eat? What food? Who cares about eating now!

Li Ping’an never imagined that the counselor would be so efficient.

So little time had passed, yet he had already received the key to the incubation base’s workspace.

He jogged briskly toward the university’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Incubation Base within the campus, his steps hurried and his heart eager.

In the biting cold wind, his breath turned into puffs of white mist.

From afar, he spotted the counselor standing tall, hooded in a down jacket.

Seeing this, Li Ping’an quickened his pace, almost flying toward her.

“Teacher Wang.”

He reached her, gasping for breath, but his face was lit up with a radiant smile.

Grinning broadly, he gave a thumbs-up and sincerely praised, “Amazing! You got the key so fast.”

Wang Jingwen waved her hand lightly, her expression calm and casual, and said, “Not at all. It’s mainly because you’ve already achieved quite impressive results. Otherwise, applying for this would definitely take a lot more time.”

“At our school, there’s no such thing as favoritism.”

Li Ping’an nodded earnestly, taking her words to heart.

The air outside was freezing cold, the chill piercing through clothes to the skin.

Wang Jingwen clearly didn’t want to linger outdoors even a moment longer; she pulled her collar up and said, “Let’s go inside. It’s cold out here.”

“Okay.”

Li Ping’an followed her into the incubation base. As soon as they stepped in, a wave of warmth enveloped them, instantly dispelling the cold.

Wang Jingwen took off her hood and, walking slowly down the corridor, began to explain to Li Ping’an:

“The workspace I applied for you is about 60 square meters.

It’s room 201 on the second floor.

Originally, I wanted to get you a bigger space, but as you know, the larger rooms have been in use for a while and aren’t available.”

They chatted as they moved along and soon reached the second floor.

Room 201 was the first one at the stairway, very conveniently located.

Most importantly, it was far enough from the second-floor restroom to avoid any unpleasant smells.

Wang Jingwen unlocked the door, but instead of the dusty, neglected scene Li Ping’an had imagined, the room was surprisingly clean and well-maintained, clearly cleaned regularly.

Entering, Li Ping’an looked around carefully and was delighted to find two small compartments inside.

The layout was perfect: one could be used to house servers, ensuring an independent and stable environment for their operation;

the other would serve as his private workspace, providing a quiet and focused area.

The larger main space could be reserved for future interns, facilitating teamwork and communication.

After a brief inspection, Wang Jingwen handed the key to Li Ping’an and said seriously:

“This is the place. There are three keys in total, all with you now.

Be sure to keep them safe. If you lose all the keys, you’ll have to change the locks yourself.”

“As for other matters, I mainly want to remind you of some rules for using the workspace here.

According to school policy, water and electricity costs are borne by the user, and if payments aren’t made on time, power will be cut off automatically.

Since you’re in software development, you surely understand the serious consequences sudden power outages could have on your work and data—I don’t need to elaborate, right?

So, I strongly recommend you purchase a large uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Don’t skimp on this expense.

Also, you’ll need to apply for wired broadband yourself.”

“Due to the unique nature of our school, theoretically, as long as you can pay, you can get a 10-gigabit broadband line. But… it’s a bit pricey.”

“That’s all I have to say.”

“Good luck, young man. Work hard.”

With a somewhat stern pat on Li Ping’an’s shoulder, Wang Jingwen turned and left.

After she was gone, Li Ping’an leapt with joy.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!!!”

Once his excitement settled, Li Ping’an contacted the after-sales team for his Huawei server.

“Hello, my server is ready for installation. It’s at room 201 in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Incubation Base on campus.”

“Also, I need to purchase a set of surveillance equipment. If you have it, please install that as well.”

The after-sales staff responded immediately, “Yes, we have them. We’ll come to install everything tomorrow.”

After arranging the server installation smoothly, Li Ping’an carefully locked the workspace door.

Then he headed straight to the campus telecom service center.

He entered steadily, walked directly to the service desk, and politely said, “Hello, I would like to apply for a dedicated 10-gigabit broadband line.”

The part-time junior attendant, initially looking a bit tired, immediately brightened as if energized.

To her, Li Ping’an was not a handsome guy but a walking commission.

Wearing a professional smile, she asked, “Will this be used inside the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Incubation Base?”

Li Ping’an nodded slightly and replied shortly but firmly, “Yes.”

She quickly checked the system and enthusiastically introduced, “According to our campus policy for innovation and entrepreneurship projects, the annual fee for a 10-gigabit dedicated broadband line is 4,500 yuan.”

Hearing the price, Li Ping’an was somewhat surprised; he had expected such a high-speed connection to cost at least tens of thousands.

He hadn’t anticipated it to be so affordable, which pleased him greatly.

“Alright, please process it as soon as possible. If you can, I’d like it connected by tomorrow.”

Without hesitation, Li Ping’an said this, fully aware of how crucial the network was for his work and the operation of his pet spirit software. The sooner it was online, the sooner he could progress.

The attendant responded confidently, “No problem at all. The fiber optic network for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Incubation Base has already been laid out, so installation won’t take long.”

“Then let’s schedule it for tomorrow noon. I have classes in the morning.”

Li Ping’an considered for a moment before adding.

Having it installed at noon wouldn’t conflict with his classes.

After leaving the service center, Li Ping’an immediately contacted the Huawei after-sales team again, informing them to come at noon for the server installation, ensuring everything would proceed smoothly and in order.

P.S.: As always, kindly recommend and vote!