in 2001, he enrolled at a university in nanjing to study tourism.conomic reforms and an open-door policy had made china the world's factory. the success brought a boom in domestic travel. >> translator: at the time i had just dreamed of finding a well-paid job when i graduated. and maybe even a girlfriend. >> reporter: but sun soon lost interest in studying and dropped out of college. he made a living through part-time work in delivery and security in nanjing and shanghai. temp work at a mobile phone company also proved short-lived. finally in 2006, he returned home to dongfeng. >> translator: when i quit work to come home, my parents weren't happy. they wanted me to go back and find a job in the city. but rather than work for a company, i wanted to do something myself. >> reporter: he borrowed money from his parents to buy a computer. the internet was beginning to take off in china and sun decided to try and start an online business. the following year he returned to shanghai to scope out potential business ideas. on the trip he came across a well-