Chapter 3 | The First Cash Machine (Starting in College)

Nancheng is much larger than the county town.Skyscrapers stand tall, subways crisscross, and the flow of people seems endless.When Lin Mo stood at the gate of Nancheng University of Finance and Economics, he felt no excitement, only a sobering sense of oppression.The students here had more resources than anyone he had ever met.Some came from families with businesses, some had parents working in the system, and some had grown up in the city.He had no connections.He only had 63,000 yuan in savings.Su Qing was admitted to the same city, but to a different university.The two made a pact—To work hard individually.—I. The First Judgment of UniversityIn the first week of school, many freshmen were busy with clubs, dinners, and buying electronics.Lin Mo did only one thing—observe.He discovered three things:Freshmen were extremely anxious about information (course selection, GPA, scholarships, postgraduate admission)Campus information was extremely fragmentedWeChat groups were traffic portalsSelling study materials in high school was hard work.University needed an upgrade.He no longer focuses on one-off transactions.He wants to create an "entry point."—II. Free is the Most ExpensiveHe first established a group—"Nanjing University of Finance and Economics Freshman Study Support Group."Free of charge.He spent a week compiling:Course Selection GuideGPA CalculationScholarship RulesGraduate School Recommendation Rate Dataand creating clear tables.He distributed it for free.The group grew to over 300 members in three days.Over 1,000 in seven days.Many people added him as a friend to consult.He wasn't in a hurry to sell anything.He wanted to build trust first.—III. First Product UpgradeA month later, he launched his first product—"GPA Improvement Practical Handbook"Content includes:High-scoring senior students' experiencesTeacher's question-setting preferences statisticsReview time allocation modelPast exam questions categorizedPriced at 59.Someone questioned, "It's all online."He replied:"The information is online; I'll help you filter the structure."37 copies sold on the first day.Over 200 copies sold within a week.Net profit approached 10,000.He didn't celebrate.Instead, he did something more crucial—He invested all his income in his second product.—IV. Community GrowthHe began collaborating with the top ten students in each college.Profit sharing.They provided study notes; he handled packaging and sales.A matrix was formed.Three months later, he mastered:Five core professional notesTwo certification exam preparation packagesAn intensive English CET-4 courseA stable monthly cash flow of 20,000.His bank account balance exceeded 100,000.Nineteen years old.100,000.He didn't tell his parents.He went home for winter break, only saying he was doing part-time work.He installed air conditioning in his house.Father frowned:"Why spend so much money?""It's hot."His younger sister ran around the room happily.At that moment, he felt all the models were worthwhile.—V. The Real UpgradeFirst year of university, second semester.He realized—The ceiling for the information business was limited.He had to find a "high-frequency, essential need."He set his sights on one area—Certification exams.Accounting certificate, teacher's qualification certificate, securities practitioner certificate.College students are anxious about the future.Anxiety is the market.He didn't teach himself.Instead, he contacted online training institutions.He negotiated revenue sharing with campus agents.Others distributed posters as agents.He was different.He used targeted promotion through social media.He started with free lectures.Then he directed traffic to paid classes.The first lecture had 300 online viewers.Conversion rate: 18%.Single lecture commission: 30,000 yuan.He was eerily quiet.It wasn't excitement.It was confirmation.He had found the real model—The traffic was in his own hands, and the product could be changed at any time.—VI. Subtle Changes in FeelingsOne evening, Su Qing came to see him.The two sat by the river in Nancheng.She asked:"How much do you earn a month now?"Lin Mo was silent for a moment."Not bad."She looked at him:"You're becoming less and less like a student."He smiled:"Then what?""Like a boss."She paused:"But I'm a little scared.""Scared about what?""Scared about you moving too fast."Lin Mo gazed at the river."I'm not doing this for speed.""It's for stability."She said softly:"Then take me with you to stability."He didn't promise much.He just said:"You'll study finance, and help me with the accounts in the future."She smiled.—700,000 to 200,000Freshman year ends.His accumulated profits exceeded 200,000.No cryptocurrency trading, no speculation.All cash flow.He made a crucial decision—He took out 100,000 and began learning about investing.Not short-term stock trading.But industry research.He realized—The real money isn't in school.But in capital structure.University is just a training ground.He wrote a sentence in his notebook:"Cash flow nurtures equity."At night, the sports field was brightly lit.Lin Mo stood on a high point.No one knew that this ordinary freshman had quietly completed the first stage of accumulation.Making a fortune quietly.Never something you shout about.—