Chapter 121 Unexpected Surprise

f Eckmuth High School exposing her genuine object of affection would surely shock everyone's eyes.Su Cen didn't have such awareness. He wiped away a cold sweat and looked at the Ginny before him. The...Chapter 121: Unexpected Encounter

Song Zhen's clear and crisp voice came through the sound system set up in the auditorium, bringing a refreshing and invigorating sensation to everyone who had been listening to male baritones for some time. Gazing at Song Zhen on stage, dressed maturely yet unable to hide her youthful beauty, Su Can felt an unreal sense.

He recalled their meeting on the plane heading to California, USA, and the coincidental encounter that followed, even the stroll along a highway lined with magnificent palm trees outside Stanford University.

He remembered her sharing insights about growth and small worries with him. She talked about her concerns and anxieties while he complained about his discomfort in America and the uncertainty of this process. They got along so well it was as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other for years.

Yet, in reality, they were just strangers. Acquaintances who met by chance due to a flight connection and business ties while abroad.

Song Zhen came from a traditional family with wealth, and her potential role as the next female heir endowed her with an identity that allowed her to easily obtain what she pursued, adding an air of nobility to her appearance and demeanor that ordinary people could not possess.

On the other hand, Su Can was a gold seeker eager to turn his dreams into reality. He wore a white shirt, slung a backpack filled with all necessities over his shoulder, and flew across the ocean alone to land in sunny but mellow California, squinting at an unfamiliar land while waiting for an unknown fate, whether it would be thrilling or disastrous.

Both of them should have had strict defenses around their hearts; few people could knock on their heart doors.

Possibly, Song Zhen might never tell another person about the regrets in her heart, not even a man she shared a bed with for some interest connection later on.

Yet she poured out these feelings to someone who was barely an acquaintance along a vast highway lined with magnificent palm trees outside Stanford University.

Might it be simply because they were just strangers

After spending the California "spring," they went their separate ways, each returning to their own lives and trajectories, with no further contact.

In the end, Su Cen boarded a plane back home, while Song Zhen continued to stay in America to pursue an MBA degree.

Yet life is unpredictable, often catching people off guard.

Song Zhen's crisp voice delivering her report reverberated in Su Cen’s ears, pulling him out of his reminiscence. He recalled meeting this girl when Facebook was seeking its first round of funding; and now, less than a year later, the platform had expanded several times over after that financing, with registered users surpassing five million. This rapidly growing giant was hungry for more investment, quickly securing its second round of funding and becoming Silicon Valley's hot new star.

The rapid pace of events made Su Cen feel like things were changing too fast.

While he had secured many things in his hands, there were also increasing aspects slipping out of his control, leaving him unable to predict or manage them. His advantage as a reborn individual would inevitably diminish with the passage of time and the accumulation of彌補這裡的翻譯錯誤，正確的處理方式應該是根據上下文來調整句子的邏輯和流暢性。繼續進行未完成部分的翻譯：

With the passing of time and the accumulation of experiences, his unique foresight was gradually declining. Once that advantage disappeared, it wouldn't return.

But this is often what gives life its true meaning and value.

To Su Cen's surprise, throughout Song Zhen’s entire presentation, there hadn’t been any of the disruptions or interruptions he had anticipated. This made him look closely at Xie Siqian and his group; however, they were either smiling while listening to her report or occasionally whispering among themselves.

There was nothing unusual about their behavior, which left Su Cen wondering if his estimation was wrong

The presentation concluded with Song Zhen's last crisp statement, and the audience broke into applause. Though the ten-minute presentation seemed exhausting for her, it marked a promising start to her career.

Just as Song Zhen was waiting for the host to deliver his standard closing remarks before stepping down, during a momentary lull in the applause, a soft voice suddenly came through the microphone: "Ms. Song, I have a question regarding your presentation; may I ask if it's possible to clarify my confusion with you"

The crowd looked around, focusing their gaze on a spot in the fourth row from the west side. The first six rows at the front of the auditorium were reserved for guests; these people were either government officials or scholars and professors invited by certain organizations.

The person seated in the fourth row was none other than Xie Siqian, whom Su Cen had seen earlier. No one knew where he got the microphone used to ask questions of the guests just now, but he stood up and looked directly at Song Zhen on stage.

Song Zhen's mother Tao Qing and others in the third row below also turned around with expressions of surprise when they saw Xie Siqian. They probably knew who he was and were aware that his question wouldn’t bring anything good, so their faces instantly darkened.

The host appeared somewhat troubled at this moment; from the eye contact with someone backstage, it seemed like the Q&A session wasn't part of the planned agenda for today’s report. Song Zhen had already calmed down and looked at Xie Siqian calmly, adjusting the microphone on the lectern before saying, "Okay, go ahead. If there's anything you don’t understand or have any doubts about, feel free to ask."

Su Cen thought privately that a woman’s confidence could sometimes be a foolish thing. At this moment, it was obvious that Xie Siqian had come prepared, and no matter how confident Song Zhen felt in her ability to handle the situation, the best way would be not to give him an opportunity to challenge her. Even if she spoke eloquently, it wouldn’t help if there wasn't a target for him to attack.

Indeed, Xie Siqian chuckled and said, "Ms. Song’s report mentioned that integrity is the lifeblood of modern market economy, an essential element in business operations with real economic value. I wonder if your company has fully embraced integrity as its corporate culture and philosophy, something to be passed down to all customers"

Song Zhen's delicate eyebrows furrowed bit by bit until they were knitted together, showing some anger as she asked Xie Siqian standing there, "May I ask what your surname is."

"My humble surname is Xie. This isn’t important; I just want to get a clear answer from Ms. Song. You’ve given us an impressive report on how Senchuan Group has set an example of integrity and responsibility for Chinese companies, so you must think that your company adheres very strongly to these values"

"Mr. Xie, I don’t understand what exactly you’re trying to say with this question, but I’ll answer clearly: No company or individual is perfect in everything; even Senchuan Group hasn’t achieved perfection in all aspects and still has much room for improvement. That’s why today we are here to present advanced ideas and seek mutual progress."

"Then may I ask if your company has ever violated the principle of integrity you hold so dear, going against your conscience" Xie Siqian's tone suddenly became sharp, causing many in the auditorium to hold their breath as they watched this unexpected confrontation.

“To my knowledge, there is absolutely no such case. Senchuan Group has always prioritized integrity building and understands that it’s an important intangible asset. While we may be lacking in other areas, running a business without trustworthiness is impossible, which is the core value of our 56-year-old company.” Song Zhen said loudly, showing no sign of backing down.

"Given this, can you explain the facts as stated in that Southern newspaper Two years ago, the Senkan Group initiated a fundraising campaign overseas for over a hundred mountain village primary schools on the mainland. It was reported to have collected more than ten million dollars from various foundations, but to date, the 'Award Teaching and Scholarship Fund' tasked with handling this donation has only received one-tenth of the amount. I want to ask on behalf of those children in the villages: where did the money that was supposedly meant for them go"

At these words, everyone present was shocked.

The uproar continued unabated. Xiao Xu, who was from a rural background and had personally experienced the poverty there as well as some of its unfairness, felt his blood boil. He spat out, "I knew this woman only has an attractive face but her conscience must have been eaten by dogs long ago. It’s shameful that she put on airs last time in front of us like a high-and-mighty rich girl. If I had known then, I would've slapped her silly."

Tang Wu and Su Can exchanged glances, their brows furrowed as they remained silent. She had heard from Su Can and Lin Guangdong that someone might frame Song Zhen, so she was unsure if this situation was true or a deliberate attempt to smear the woman’s reputation.

Su Can immediately understood what tactics his opponent was using.

"If you don’t believe it, I have here a certification document issued by the foundation that confirms only one million out of ten million US dollars raised by the Senkan Group has arrived. The whereabouts of the remaining nine million US dollars are unknown; we cannot determine at which stage these funds were withheld or intercepted. Therefore, I have the right to speak up today and demand justice on this platform. I want to ask Miss Song: how much of your company’s credibility and sense of responsibility has been compromised by corruption"

Xie Sigan gave a signal, and the man beside him waved the certification document in the air with an indignant look. This undoubtedly put Song Zhen on the spot; although many people hadn’t seen the details of the document, its mere presence proved its validity.

Su Can turned around to meet Lin Guangdong’s gaze behind him. Lin Guangdong leaned over and whispered, "This is a very vicious move indeed. To pull something like this at the Nan University Economics Forum... This could tarnish both the Senkan Group and Song Zhen's reputation severely."

I said it would be late today. Here’s the first update; the second will come even later tonight, so those who can’t wait will have to read it tomorrow morning.

Goodnight.ng ladies would inquire about his well-being, perhaps leading to some romantic encounters, which was quite considerate.Despite her persistence, Su Can still declined with a mix of laughter and frustra...