E-Ladies: Navigating the Wired World

"Hmm... Zhou Xueyin, right? Don't be nervous, have a seat!" A man, under 40 years old, with glasses and greying temples, looked at Zhou Xueyin with a professional smile.

"Hello, Investment Officers, I am candidate number 1123, Zhou Xueyin..." Zhou Xueyin replied, showing a practiced business smile she had long rehearsed in her dorm room.

"Before you present your project, I want to ask, how old are you this year... Are you an adult yet?" The interviewer on the left, looking at the resume and then at Zhou Xueyin, asked with great confusion.

"I am 22 years old, about to graduate from my senior year..." Indeed, Zhou Xueyin, who had a baby face, wore an outfit today that really didn't match her persona, making her look like a child who had secretly worn adult clothes, which was particularly humorous.

"About to graduate from your senior year, huh... Not planning on pursuing a master's degree? Oh right! It's practically useless for girls to get a master's degree, isn't it? With such high qualifications, it will be hard to find a boyfriend later!" The same interviewer on the left continued unabashedly, "Oh right, do you have a boyfriend?"

"No!" (Can't be bothered to look for one) Zhou Xueyin muttered to herself, "May I start introducing my project plan now?"

"You see, what did I tell you, what's the use of such high education for a girl? Four years of university and not a single boyfriend?" That person seemed to have no interest in Zhou Xueyin's project, and he casually tossed the investment plan onto the table, "In my opinion, we really aren't interested in reading this plan."

The other two also flipped through it dismissively and tossed it on the table as well.

"As a girl, don't try to mimic others. Just find a boyfriend after you graduate, date, get married, and be a full-time housewife, wouldn't that be better?" The man on the right agreed completely with the one on the left.

"... Huh..." Zhou Xueyin took a deep breath, "I say, you appear so young, how are you already so close to the grave? What era is it now? Still clinging to the idea that a woman's best option after graduation is marriage? Do you think in your eyes, we shouldn't even attend university?"

Before the investors could react, Zhou Xueyin continued, "Moreover, you didn't even look at my business plan. You just started judging me relentlessly! Do you know the commercial value of this business plan? Such deep prejudices! It was simply redundant for me to come here to discuss investments with you!"

Finally, she took a deep breath, and yelled, unleashing her anger, "Goodbye then! No! It should be never see you again! When one day, my website takes off, I will make you three regret not listening to my business plan today!"

Zhou Xueyin, furiously, gathered her well-crafted three copies of the investment plan, slammed the door, and left, leaving behind three disdainful investors.

"No real capability, yet such a temper. That plan is just packed with words, who would read it..." The person seated in the middle sneered.

"That's what they say, right? Women have long hair but short sight. Nowadays, who still uses Word for a business plan, everyone has moved on to PPT! Her, she won't be able to attract investors anywhere!" The person on the right chimed in.

"Just out of the ivory tower, so haughty, pretending to be so mature, but actually, she's just a clueless young girl!" The person on the left glanced towards the door, also speaking disdainfully about Zhou Xueyin.

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

What's wrong with being a girl?

Why should a girl discussing investments be despised?

Just because she missed an elevator?

The person who should have been candidate number 1122 grabbed it before me and wouldn't switch!

It's fine not to switch, but it was clearly him, causing me to wait for the next elevator!

After leaving the investment company, Zhou Xueyin was seething with rage internally.

This whole morning seemed to predict the failure of her investment discussions, as nothing went smoothly for Zhou Xueyin since she got up.

First, she misread the time, mistaking 6:40 for 8:20. It was only after hurriedly getting dressed and applying her makeup that she realized her error.

In 2004, in the underdeveloped urban rail network of Beijing,

Zhou Xueyin adhered to her principle of leaving home 5 minutes early to arrive at the investment company half an hour early. She had set off for Zhongguancun from her school, Agricultural University, at 7:30 AM.

However, things don't always go as planned. Despite three buses arriving consecutively, Zhou Xueyin had failed to board any of them.

"Come on, can't you guys line up to board?" Facing the Beijing rush hour for the first time, Zhou Xueyin could only watch helplessly as the crowd swarmed onto the buses.

Finally, a less crowded bus arrived, and Zhou Xueyin ran onboard without hesitation.

"Phew… I finally got on... But why are there so few people on this bus?" Zhou Xueyin was still puzzled by the low number of passengers.

From the bus's speaker system came, "This is a short route bus that only goes as far as Wudaokou. Passengers headed to Zhongguancun, please transfer to the next bus. Thank you for your cooperation."

So that's why there were so few people… it was a short route...

But fortunately, it was going to Wudaokou; she had more options from there!

The idea was pleasant, but the reality was harsh. Zhou Xueyin, after various incidents including a bus breakdown, catching a thief on the bus, and a major traffic jam on the Fourth Ring, finally reached the investment company in Zhongguancun at 10:30 AM.

Inside the lobby of the building that housed the investment company, Zhou Xueyin saw her disheveled appearance reflected in a mirrored surface; her wig was askew, and her makeup had smeared.

She definitely couldn't meet with them looking like this! That would certainly not work!

Zhou Xueyin turned around and went straight to the restroom on the first floor of the building to tidy up before heading to the elevator.

It wasn't even mealtime yet. Why were there so many people? When an elevator arrived, people swarmed into it, and Zhou Xueyin followed suit.

By the time she entered, the elevator was packed, and unexpectedly, a chubby man wearing an anime T-shirt also squeezed in.

No sooner had this chubby man entered than the elevator alarm sounded for being overweight.

However, it seemed he had no intention of getting off, leaving Zhou Xueyin no choice but to graciously step out and watch the elevator doors close as it ascended. She then waited for another elevator with fewer people to take her to the investment company.

The most aggravating thing was that the guy in the anime T-shirt was also there for an investment talk, right in front of her, and he had snagged the number 1122, which was coincidentally Zhou Xueyin's birthday.

"Um… can we switch numbers? The number you have is my lucky number…" Zhou Xueyin said politely.

"If you're late, you wait. I could say it's my lucky number too! Don't even think about it, no chance!" the man in the anime T-shirt bluntly refused her.

What followed was Zhou Xueyin being mercilessly mocked by three investors, who looked at female entrepreneurs through a biased lens. Frustrated and angered, she stormed back to her dormitory.

"Jixiang~~~ I need some comfort…" Zhou Xueyin returned to her dormitory, just in time to see Li Jiniang drying her hair after a shower.

She threw herself onto Li Jiniang's impressive 36G chest: "It's always Jixiang's tenderness that heals the most…"