"What did you say?"
Nidi's voice was so soft when she mentioned her online username that Ashley didn't catch it at all.
So, Nidi repeated herself, and this time Ashley heard it clearly—and burst out laughing.
"Ashley! I told you not to laugh!"
"Sorry, Nidi! I couldn't hold it in, hahaha…"
Fuming with embarrassment, Nidi retaliated by tickling Ashley's sides, and the two ended up rolling around in the mailroom, giggling and wrestling.
"Ashley, you're such a letdown!"
"I didn't mean it! I really couldn't help it, hahaha…"
Their playful scuffle only stopped when another student entered the mailroom, prompting them to halt their unladylike tussle.
By then, Ashley was gasping for air from all the tickling. Nidi, having undergone the bloodline enhancement ritual, was physically stronger than most, while Ashley was just an ordinary girl.
"Ashley, you absolutely cannot tell anyone else about this username!"
"Phew! So it's okay to tell our friends, then? Can I tell Nancy?"
"No way!"
Nidi reached out to tickle her again, but Ashley dodged just in time.
In truth, only Jennifer and Roy knew about this username before Ashley, making her the third person in on the secret—a sign their friendship had grown closer.
After some more playful banter, Nidi gathered the invitation letter and server components, ready to head back to the dorm.
"Ashley, would you come with me to this escape room game on Sunday night?"
Ashley looked at Nidi, a bit surprised. She was naturally cautious.
"Nidi, are you sure this 'Puzzlemaster' person is legit? What if it's some kind of scam?"
"Hmph! With my brains, who could possibly trick me?"
Nidi puffed up with confidence, always proud of her intelligence.
"Alright, I don't have any plans for Sunday, but we should probably tell Roy and Jennifer first!"
"Of course!"
As they carried the server parts back to the dorm, they ran into Roy on the way.
"What are you two hauling?"
Roy stepped forward and effortlessly lifted the heavy equipment they were struggling to carry.
"Server hardware. I'm upgrading my server," Nidi explained, her face lighting up with a sweet smile the moment she saw Roy. Seeing him daily always put her in a great mood.
"Server hardware? Isn't your current server good enough? What are you up to?"
"I'm building a personal portal site. If traffic spikes, the old server won't cut it."
Roy's lips twitched. He knew Nidi's plan. Her so-called "personal portal" was basically a blog where she could share things online she wouldn't dare say in real life.
A site like that would be lucky to get a few hundred visitors, but Roy didn't want to burst her bubble.
"Ahem, Nidi, instead of a small site like this, why not build something big that could attract college students nationwide? That way, your server upgrade would actually be worth it."
Nidi's eyes lit up with interest.
"Roy, what do you mean by a site that college students nationwide would care about?"
"Right now, the best internet access is at universities and federal government facilities. College students have plenty of time to surf the web, so they're the perfect users for internet companies."
Roy was talking about something like Facebook, which launched in 2004 and became the pinnacle of social networking in the PC internet era.
America's infrastructure wasn't great in 2000, so internet coverage wasn't as widespread as people might think. It was mostly limited to major cities, with the fastest connections at top-tier universities. Roy was spot-on about college students being the ideal target.
"Roy, are you saying I should start an internet company? But how would I do that?"
Nidi's big eyes sparkled as she looked at Roy, genuinely intrigued by the idea of entrepreneurship.
"I'm no expert in building websites—that's your domain. The basic idea is to let users register and list their university, then connect with others from the same school to form a social network. That's the foundation. The key is to have a killer hook to draw people in, something that gets college students to join voluntarily."
"What kind of hook?"
Nidi leaned in, eager for Roy to elaborate.
"How about a nationwide vote for America's hottest college guy and girl?"
Nidi frowned, thinking it over. She wasn't great at socializing, so the idea didn't immediately click with her.
But Ashley, standing nearby, was instantly hooked.
"That sounds like fun! If I joined, I'd totally get my friends to vote for me!"
"Exactly, Ashley's got it! An event like this spreads organically. It's way better than TV ads. If you see someone less attractive than you getting votes, wouldn't you want to sign up, upload your photo, and join the contest?"
Nidi's expression shifted to one of realization.
"I get it now!"
"The toughest part is getting that initial traffic. Maybe start with a few California colleges and expand from there."
California's Los Angeles and San Francisco were economic hubs with tons of universities—multiple UC campuses, plus private schools like USC and Stanford. If Nidi could make it work in California, going nationwide would be much easier.
Ashley chimed in again.
"I've got an idea to drive traffic! We could put Roy's picture up. With his fame in America, it'd boost the site like crazy!"
"Great idea! Let's do it! Roy, I'll start working on the site when I get back. But I'd need the school's BBS to funnel traffic to it—think that's possible?"
Roy thought for a moment and nodded.
"I can talk to the administration. They'll probably give me some leeway. If not, a donation should smooth things over."
The hardest part for any internet company is the initial breakthrough from nothing to something. But with Roy's support, Nidi had a head start compared to someone like Mark Zuckerberg.
"One more thing—what should I call the site?"
"How about Facebook?"
Roy suggested the original name, but Nidi wasn't impressed.
"That name's kinda ugly! Ashley, any ideas?"
"What about RedBook?"
Nidi considered it.
"That's actually pretty good—catchy and memorable! It's settled, RedBook it is!"
Roy's expression turned odd.
RedBook? Will there be a mobile version called Little RedBook later? Good grief, is this Little RedBook invading America early?
Still, seeing how much Nidi liked the name, Roy let it slide. His goal was just to keep her busy and happy when he wasn't around.
After helping Nidi carry the hardware to her dorm and watching her get to work, Roy thought she looked even more radiant in her focused state.
"By the way, where's Jennifer? Is she in class?"
Roy glanced around the four-person dorm and noticed Jennifer was missing.
Ashley answered for him.
"Nidi mentioned Jennifer's been busy with sorority stuff."
Top-tier sororities were no less intense than fraternities. The wealthy and elite women in them were often wild—Madison was a prime example. Though, after joining the witch school and meeting Roy, Madison had changed completely.
Roy wasn't worried about Jennifer being led astray—he trusted her completely. Jennifer, Nidi, Heather, and Penny were the four women he trusted most, the only ones who'd undergone the bloodline fusion ritual.
His concern was Jennifer's temperament. She might face bullying in the sorority. Fraternities and sororities were notorious for internal hazing, sometimes so severe it led to student deaths.
"Should I check on Jennifer?"
Ashley hesitated but stopped him.
"Roy, I wouldn't. If the sorority girls find out about your close relationship with Jennifer, it could make things worse."
Ashley hadn't joined a sorority, but she understood women's psychology. She'd once been jealous of Jennifer herself, to the point of being manipulated by an evil spirit in a cursed box.
Roy took her advice.
"Alright, maybe you're right. I won't go for now. But if anything comes up, call me right away."
Ashley nodded.
"I will."
Roy glanced at Nidi, engrossed in her work, then said goodbye to Ashley and left the dorm.
That evening, Roy, Jennifer, Nidi, and Ashley gathered for dinner at Madison's Beverly Hills mansion.
Ashley, with some free time lately, had taken up baking. They were now sampling her creations.
To put it kindly, Ashley's baking skills were… average. After days of practice, her desserts looked bizarre and tasted either overly sweet or bland.
Roy, Jennifer, and Nidi ate with blank expressions.
"Is it bad?"
Ashley looked at Roy expectantly.
Roy didn't want to be harsh, but lying could lead to even scarier desserts in the future.
"The flavor's a bit off, and the presentation's not great."
With Roy being honest, Jennifer and Nidi chimed in with their real thoughts.
"The taste is uneven—some parts are too bland, others too sweet."
"The texture's off, like it's a bit burnt."
Disappointed, Ashley took the desserts away.
"Guess I need more practice."
Luckily, Roy had brought food from a restaurant, and Jennifer had made some homestyle dishes, so no one went hungry.
After dinner, things naturally progressed to the next stage. But during a "friendly match" with Jennifer, Roy noticed she seemed distracted.
"Jennifer, what's wrong?"
Sensing his concern, Jennifer snapped back to the moment.
"Nothing, just some school stuff."
"Sorority stuff?"
Jennifer paused.
"How'd you know?"
"Ashley mentioned you've been busy with the sorority."
Jennifer nodded.
"Yeah, it's related to that."
Roy gently stroked her hair.
"Jennifer, if it's making you unhappy, you don't have to do it. I want to see you happy, not stressed or upset."
Touched, Jennifer hugged Roy tightly, nuzzling his neck.
"But I want to do something for you!"
Jennifer was a proud woman. She'd always relied on Roy's help but felt she hadn't given much back. After starting at UCLA, she wanted to support him in her own way.
But that wasn't easy. Coming from an ordinary Texas family, she lacked the polished skills—like etiquette, piano, or equestrian training—that the elite sorority girls had grown up with. Even if she joined a top sorority, she'd likely be at the bottom of the pecking order, a target for bullying.
Roy cupped her face.
"Jennifer, listen to me. I want the confident, untouchable Jennifer, not someone who bows to others. If anyone tries to bully you, fight back. I've got your back."
Hearing this, Jennifer kissed him passionately, tears of emotion welling up, leaving a salty taste on Roy's lips.
"Roy, love me."
Seeing her like this, Roy decided to cheer her up.
"Jennifer, you didn't tell me about joining a sorority? I think you need a little punishment! Ashley, Nidi, come help!"
Nidi hesitated at Roy's call, but Ashley didn't miss a beat. Though her relationship with Jennifer had improved, she wasn't above a chance to mess with her.
"Roy, what do I do?"
Ashley looked eager, and Roy grinned mischievously.
"Do you know Jennifer's ticklish spots? Come here, I'll show you!"
(End of Chapter)