If everyone is reborn, who will work for capital?

Chapter 3 The worst possible outcome

Following the sound, Geng Zhi saw eight people of different temperaments chatting and laughing as they slowly walked towards the judges' table in the front row.

One of the young women, holding a microphone and dressed in a well-fitting suit, was clearly the host, while the other seven were the judges who held the power of life and death today.

He squinted slightly, scanning the seven faces from afar.

The distance was too far to see clearly, and there didn't seem to be any familiar industry leaders. I couldn't find any famous figures in my memory who had attended this school-level competition.

But this scene easily evoked memories of countless roadshows from his past life, especially those of the investment firm called "Qitong"...

An overwhelming sense of indignation welled up in his heart, and he silently bestowed upon it a condensed essence of Chinese culture.

At this time, the judges were all seated in the front row.

The poised and capable female host, wearing high heels, calmly walked to the center of the stage, faced the audience, and flashed a professional yet warm smile before beginning her clear and resonant voice:

"Respected leaders, judges, contestants, and dear students, good afternoon!"

"Welcome everyone to the 'Young Eagle Program' Entrepreneurship Competition roadshow at Shanghai Jiao Tong University!"

"To ensure fairness and impartiality in the competition, before the roadshow officially begins, we would like to invite one representative from each of the nine participating teams to come up on stage and draw a roadshow order."

As soon as the words were spoken, the representatives of each team stood up one after another, and Ma Chunmei's team was naturally represented by Ma Chunmei herself.

As a newcomer with a strong sense of purpose and the only one from another school, Ma Chunmei was extremely nervous at this moment.

Her legs were trembling slightly as she passed by Geng Zhi.

The lottery process ended quickly, and Ma Chunmei, who returned to her seat, had a relieved smile on her face.

Geng Zhi remembered that in her past life, she had drawn the last lot, but as Geng Zhi passed by, she deliberately asked, "So, what lot did we get?"

"I'm lucky, number 9, the best possible draw." Ma Chunmei raised the number plate in her hand, her tone carrying a hint of happiness.

"Oh dear, bad luck with the draw, what a pity." Geng Zhi shook his head slightly and pretended to sigh.

"What, isn't number 9 an easier draw?" Ma Chunmei plopped back into her seat, then couldn't help but lean over again. "Going last means the most time, and I can observe the first eight groups, adjusting my strategy on the spot. Isn't that the biggest advantage?"

Meeting her gaze directly, he said firmly, "Number 9 is the worst possible draw; the real golden spots are numbers 4, 5, and 6."

"Why?" This time, even Niu Baoguo, who had been listening in, couldn't help but interject, almost in unison with Ma Chunmei.

Ma Chunmei's expression shifted from confusion to obvious tension, her fingertips unconsciously tightening around the number plate in her hand.

"By the time it's your turn to perform, it will be at least three hours later." Geng Zhi analyzed in a seemingly logical manner, "By then, the judges will be exhausted from sitting for so long, their attention span will be soaring, and they will be more likely to give perfunctory scores."

He paused, then delivered the fatal blow: "Especially if a few outstanding projects emerge first, creating a 'beautiful precedent' effect... well, subsequent projects will be more easily overshadowed, and their impression score will naturally be discounted."

Actually, the draw does have an impact on this kind of competitive roadshow, but only a very small one.

It's just like writing a novel. Even a platinum author can be abandoned by readers if they write a mess; even an ordinary author can keep reading and voting if they write well and put their heart into it, and the book can still go viral.

Therefore, no matter what position you draw, as long as the project itself is good, the judges' score will not be low.

But being straightforward means exaggerating the impact of the draw.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Ma Chunmei's heart sank.

The fleeting sense of luck I felt when I drew number "9" was completely shattered by Geng Zhi's "reasoned and well-founded" yet cold and ruthless analysis.

She recalled that when she went up on stage to draw lots earlier, she noticed that there were indeed several professors with gray hair on the judging panel. Sitting for a long time can easily lead to exhaustion.

If there are truly good projects ahead, the judges' appetites will be whetted, and then they'll start looking at their own projects...

Upon closer examination, Geng Zhi's analysis turned out to be damnably reasonable!

But this damn "reasoning" was, at this moment, nothing short of a precise finishing blow to her.

What started as just nervousness has now escalated into doubled anxiety and overwhelming pressure, as if I can already see the judges' impatient eyes and low scores.

At this moment, the host's clear voice on stage drowned out the subtle noises from the audience, and the roadshow officially began.

"This is the launchpad for dreams, the collision ground for creativity, and the best embodiment of the pioneering spirit of Jiaotong University!"

"Today, on this stage, nine dynamic teams will present their blueprints for changing the future!"

After a few enthusiastic opening remarks, the host turned his gaze to the judges' panel, his tone suddenly becoming solemn: "For this competition, we are very honored to have invited a dream-like judging panel, who are—"

She slowed her pace and emphasized her words as she began to introduce them one by one:

"Researcher Yang Jinqian, Vice President and Doctoral Supervisor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Professor Gou Youqian, Vice Dean of the School of Economics and Management; Professor Qi Chuqin of the School of Computer Science; Professor Kong Fanqin of the School of Medicine; Mr. Jin Zhilong, Head of the Jiao Tong University Science and Technology Innovation Foundation; Wang Jianshuo, a successful entrepreneur and founder of Baixing.com; and Mr. Zhu Xiaohu of Jinshajiang Venture Capital!"

Each time a name was called, a round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.

Especially when "Mr. Zhu Xiaohu of Jinshajiang Venture Capital" was announced, the applause instantly rose several decibels, mixed with some low gasps of amazement.

Compared to previous competitions judged solely by school judges, this time the addition of external venture capitalists as judges certainly caused a sensation among students.

However, the students' applause was actually more for "Jinshajiang Venture Capital" than for "Zhu Xiaohu".

Because after Zhu Xiaohu joined Jinshajiang Venture Capital in 07, he only invested in one relatively successful website, Baixing.com, and at that time he did not have much fame.

His title of "unicorn hunter" came after he successfully invested in Lashou.com, Ele.me, Didi, ofo shared bicycles, Xiaohongshu, LightInTheBox, and Inke.

Zhu Xiaohu actually came too?

Upon hearing his name, Geng Zhi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Perhaps in my past life, I was just a clueless student in the world of capitalism, with only my postgraduate entrance exam and code in my eyes, completely unaware of this person's arrival.

"Today, nine teams will take the stage in turn. Each team will have 10 minutes to present their project and 8 minutes for a Q&A session with the judges, after which the judges will score them on the spot."

After announcing the rules, the host gracefully extended his arm: "Now, let's give a warm round of applause to the startup team that drew number 1—the 'Fanjisong' project team—to come to the stage for their presentation!"

Food delivery?

Upon hearing this name, Geng Zhi was slightly taken aback.

Food delivery project... Shanghai Jiaotong University... the timing also matches up... the name of a product instantly flashed through my mind.

He squinted and looked at the stage.

At this moment, a slightly chubby, round-faced young man wearing black-rimmed glasses stepped onto the stage, his face radiating youthful passion, but also revealing a hint of nervousness.

Geng Zhi carefully observed the still somewhat immature face on the stage until the other person took the microphone and began to introduce himself:

"Good morning, judges and fellow students! My name is Zhang Xuhao, and I come from the Graduate School of Mechanical Engineering. Our startup project is called 'Food Delivery'."

Zhang Xuhao. It really was him!

Upon hearing this name, the last trace of uncertainty in Geng Zhi's heart vanished.

This "food delivery service" was the precursor to the future food delivery behemoth "Ele.me".

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PS: Three chapters today! Please read on, leave comments, vote, and give monthly tickets to help this seedling grow strong. Thank you so much!