Episode Summary
Two college roommates bond over movies and endure a grueling PhD program under a strict professor. A medical emergency inspires them to invent a new sensor and launch a startup in Shenzhen. However, business stalls after two years, forcing the broke founders to take jobs delivering food.
Spoiler Alert
The College Years
We are taking a trip down memory lane. The timeline jumps back to 2010. It is the start of the semester at Hong Kong University. Housing in Hong Kong is notoriously expensive and cramped. Getting a dorm room is a total war zone.
Two students manage to secure a spot after a serious struggle. One is Chen Jiawen from Northeast China. The other is a local Hong Konger named Hu Xiaoyu. They end up as roommates.
They are an odd couple at first. Their personalities clash. Their habits are totally different. But they find common ground. They both love Chow Yun-fat movies. That shared obsession helps them bond.
Time flies. We jump to 2014. Both guys get into Professor He's Master's program. Two years later, they sign up for his PhD program. Suddenly it is 2018. Graduation is looming. They pull all-nighters to finish their thesis papers. Professor He is not impressed. He rejects their work. He says it lacks innovation.
The Professor's Health Scare
Jiawen and Xiaoyu go back to the drawing board. They burn the midnight oil to fix the papers. They hand them back in. Professor He rejects them again. He also gives them a harsh scolding.
Xiaoyu has had enough. He argues back. He points out that other tutors fight to get their students into American labs. This triggers Professor He. He flies into a rage and kicks them out of the office.
The guys walk out. Suddenly, they hear a loud crash from inside. They rush back in. Professor He has collapsed. They rush him to the hospital. The diagnosis is intestinal obstruction. The doctors say surgery is too risky because his intestines are too narrow. They have to stick to conservative treatment.
This crisis sparks an idea. The guys realize their sensor technology could help with surgical intervention.
From Students to Founders
They dive into research for three months. They successfully develop a six-dimensional force sensor. Professor He is impressed this time. He recommends them for the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Contest.
They do great. They take home the third prize. The Shenzhen government offers them support. They get free office space in a tech park. They officially launch their startup. They name it Iced Yuan-yang Technology Co., Ltd.
The Harsh Reality of Startups
Flash forward two years. The honeymoon phase is over. They are trying to adapt their sensors for surgery. Progress is stalled. They are stuck.
Xiaoyu is losing hope. His personal life is falling apart. His father is sick and needs expensive surgery. His sister is getting married and needs money. Xiaoyu is broke. Jiawen tries to cheer him up. It doesn't work. Jiawen is also out of cash. He doesn't want to ask his parents for help.
They have to survive somehow. They make a tough choice. The two PhDs decide to deliver food to pay the bills.
