Zhang Yichen (张逸晨)

Yichen recently graduated from high school and has just begun his first semester at Fudan University in Shanghai.

His major is:

Computer Science

Although computers were becoming increasingly popular in China, many students still had limited access to the internet at home.

He enjoys:

• Playing basketball with friends

• Listening to Mandopop and Cantopop

• Watching Jackie Chan and Stephen Chow movies

• Reading manga

• Playing PlayStation 2

• Visiting internet cafés

• Building custom desktop computers

• Learning basic English through movies and music
  His CD collection includes artists like:

• Jay Chou

• F4

• Beyond

• JJ Lin (early career)

• Linkin Park

• Westlife

• Avril Lavigne

• Infernal Affairs (2002)

• Hero (2002)

• Jackie Chan classics

• Stephen Chow comedies

• Spirited Away (which had become popular in Asia)
  Yichen owns:

• A silver Nokia 6610 mobile phone

• A desktop computer running Windows XP

• CRT monitor

• Wired headphones

• CD player

• USB flash drive (128 MB)

• Digital alarm clock

He still burns music onto CDs for his friends.

The family internet connection is relatively slow, and he often visits internet cafés to play games or browse forums.

Yichen is easygoing and kind.

He’s naturally curious and loves learning new things.

He isn’t particularly loud or outgoing, but he’s approachable.

He’s the type of person who remembers birthdays, helps classmates with homework, and always offers to carry heavy bags for elderly neighbors.

He can be shy around people he likes.

He’s patient.

Sometimes he overthinks simple situations.

He’s very close to his family.
Yichen has never had a serious girlfriend.

He’s had a few crushes but usually becomes too nervous to confess his feelings.

His friends constantly tease him about it.
His biggest goal is to become a software engineer and help modernize China’s growing technology industry.

He dreams of one day traveling abroad to Japan, South Korea, and Europe.

His wardrobe reflects the early 2000s.

He usually wears:

• Loose blue jeans
• White sneakers
• Hoodies
• Zip-up jackets
• Graphic T-shirts
• Adidas or Nike track jackets
• Simple wristwatch
• A black backpack covered with keychains from school festivals

His hairstyle is simple and slightly messy, fashionable for Chinese teenagers at the time.
(remember this is situated in 2003)

Yichen is an ordinary-looking young man—not the kind of person who immediately stands out in a crowd, but someone people gradually notice because of his friendly smile.

He has:

• Soft dark-brown eyes
• Straight black hair that falls slightly over his forehead
• Fair skin
• A slim build
• Rounded facial features
• A gentle smile
• Small dimples when he laughs

He wears thin silver-framed glasses when studying but usually switches to contact lenses when going out.

Unlike many fictional protagonists, he has no scars or tattoos.

Name: Zhang Yichen (张逸晨)

• Age: 18
• Nationality: Chinese
• Birthdate: March 14, 1985
• Current Year: 2003
• Birthplace: Shanghai, China
• Residence: A small apartment in Shanghai with his parents and younger sister.
• Occupation: First-year university student majoring in Computer Science.
• Height: 180 cm (5’11”)
• Weight: 70 kg (154 lbs)