Chapter 195: Conversation (Part 1)
lden industries emerge earlier, bring economic systems into prosperity, thereby uplifting more regions, cities, industries and markets, structures and orders. Like Xiahai City before him, rapidly tran...Chapter 714: Dialogue (Part 1)
"Bro, when are you coming" Li Han's voice was loud on the other end of the phone. He was currently standing in a bustling main thoroughfare at Nan University, making a call. Cyclists rushed past him, tugging at his long, wavy hair as it fluttered under the shade of paulownia leaves.
While talking on the phone and nimbly dodging cyclists who were zipping by on mopeds in a spirit of competition along Nan University's main thoroughfare seemed to be an essential skill that Li Han had honed over many years at Nan University, having grown his hair from a short crew cut to its present wavy length.
Next to him was Zhang Xiaqiao from Room 602. Xiao Xu was discussing the handover of responsibilities for a computer club with an attractive senior sister who would be graduating this year. Zhang Xiaqiao, in sync with his friend's intentions, watched as he made no headway and kept giving her exaggerated winks. Xiao Xu subtly punched him several times under the table; Zhang winced but continued to make silly faces. The girl, a candidate for "Flower of Mathematics," who had been keeping an eye on everything, spoke in a businesslike manner but with a hint of amusement playing at the corners of her eyes.
The crowds were bustling and moving about in clusters of three or five, without any sense of order.
There were girls wearing headbands and carrying books who smiled as they chatted. One of them was Wang Dongjian's secret crush from two years ago, whom he often helped by fixing her computer, moving fans for her, or even acting as a temporary plumber. It was said that there had been some progress recently; the residents of Dormitory 13 often saw Wang Dongjian riding a secondhand Giant bicycle donated by Su Can, picking up and dropping off the girl at the cafeteria. She would carry one large stainless-steel container and another plastic Mickey Mouse-shaped box while riding pillion, as if it were a symbol of their youthful romance.
There were also groups of seven or eight men and women gathered together; occasionally, among them could be found some famous figures from Nan University, such as hosts at school events, individuals honored for contributions to the university's celebration party on its 83rd anniversary, teaching assistants assisting graduate students in research institutions, or promising administrators within student organizations.
Mostly, however, there were these talented individuals who could be found across Nan University.
This was a common sight, like the crowds at the club fair on campus every year, or purchasing necessities from commercial streets and dormitory areas. Or when various departments organized events, concerts in auditoriums would also attract such crowds.
Today was no exception; most of the people were heading towards Yifu Building's technology conference hall for a report that had been scheduled there. Bicycles zoomed past on their way to secure a spot; otherwise, if they arrived late, it might be impossible to find any space left in the bike racks.
Due to some exchange and meeting activities often sparking students' enthusiasm, after such events ended, countless bicycles would frequently be seen locked together with chains outside lecture halls. Some even claimed that romances had been ignited there; coincidences at the library were now somewhat outdated. The new trend was for someone who fancied a girl to bring a lock over and chain her bicycle's wheel, then feign innocence or cluelessness...
Thus, many class beauties and departmental queens found themselves wishing they had fire extinguisher cutters when they arrived at their bicycles after studying or attending reports.
Su Can was currently in the self-service restaurant of Merlion Mall, having breakfast with Tang Wu, Qiao Shuxin, Zhang Guo from the Technology Department, and Zhao Yifan from the Marketing Department. He was talking about Facebook China's open platform strategy. In 2004, the number of websites on the Chinese mainland was still rapidly growing, but the landscape had largely been set by major Internet companies.
The positions of the three leading portals—NetEase, Sina, and Sohu—were unshakable. Baidu search engines were basically the domestic standard. Morgan Stanley had been in frequent contact with Qiao Shuxin to discuss the possibility of Goldman Sachs investing in Facebook China's shares.
There were also whispers about when Facebook China would submit its IPO application. But that didn't seem like a short-term issue for Su Can, as Facebook China currently had sufficient cash flow and financial strength to acquire most mid-sized companies engaged in social networking, instant messaging, and emerging businesses in China. The largest investment last year might be seen as an iconic acquisition of World of Warcraft shares in hindsight; now, with no plans for larger acquisitions, ordinary expansion was enough.
In other words, Facebook China wasn't like the American version; it didn't lack funds.
Upon receiving Li Han's call, Su Can hurriedly stood up with Tang Wu and quickly informed him on the phone, "I'll be there soon. I almost forgot what we were talking about."
Last night, Su Can hadn't returned to Nan University dormitory; in fact, after expanding Shangdao Joint Forces and Facebook China in Shanghai, he often had to leave campus for meetings that lasted until late at night. Sometimes he stayed overnight at the company or in his apartment in Manhattan Premier. Tang Wu was picked up by her father's car this morning from Snow Sea Retreat. She had been absorbed in discussing the platform's linear planning with Zhang Guo and Zhao Yifan, so they only remembered now that they needed to return to Nan University.
"Su Can hasn't arrived yet..." "What about Tang Wu Should she come first Isn't she on her way" This was what Li Han's roommate Cheng Congcong and Tong Tong were asking from the other end of the line, obviously having already met up with some of Tang Wu's roommates and friends at Nan University.
Li Han seemed to have reached a noisy area. "I'm now outside the Third Teaching Building conference hall. There are too many people here. What should we do Should we wait for you or go in first"
The number of people at the entrance of the Third Teaching Building's conference hall was overwhelming, and the on-site order had already been stretched to its limits. However, a student who currently worked as an assistant teacher at the university's general affairs department managed to catch Li Han, one of the students helping with crowd control. He recognized Zhang Xiaqiao, Li Han, Xiao Xu, among others, and passed out cigarettes to them.
The phone was picked up by Zhang Xiaoqiao, with the sound of her lighting a cigarette. "Yo, Little Panda."
A voice from Li Han muttering and igniting a match to light his cigarette could be heard on the other end of the line. He answered his senior’s question, "Where’s Su Cen... When will he arrive"
"That's exactly what I’m asking him now. He’s in the process of hurrying over."
The teaching assistant at the venue must have given them a special treatment and bypassed the queue for entry, opening up a back entrance for them and saying, "Why wait We don’t do such trivial things here; you guys go right ahead."
Li Han was about to hang up when he yelled into the phone at Su Cen, "You guys hurry up then! We’re going in already!"
Beyond Nankai’s Yuifoo Building, luxury cars began to stream towards both underground and outdoor parking lots. A silver-grey imported Cadillac CTS-V sedan slowly drove through the main entrance, making a stark contrast with the surrounding Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs.
Two men were sitting in the back seats of the car. From outside, one could see Nankai’s somewhat shabby campus buildings through tinted windows that prevented any light from passing through. The man on the far right was tall, even in his current calm state; one could sense an intimidating presence about him.
Zhan Hua turned to the thirty-something man seated next to him and said, "Little Gao shouldn’t be unfamiliar with Nankai University, should he The vice-president of China Bank once asked me for information on Little Gao. When the Financial Research Institute was established at Nankai, they even wrote an invitation letter to you. As a deputy director of the institute as well as a deputy director of the Social Sciences Advanced Research Center… are none of these positions interesting"
High Constant looked out the window and said indifferently, "Thinking about that person being here at Nankai makes me feel very uncomfortable…"
The extremely fashionable woman seated in front next to the driver knew why High Constant felt this way. She was called Chen Yan; she had single eyelids but her appearance exuded a haughty pride that could easily hurt others. She was High Constant’s niece and since their Cadillac entered Nankai University, she had been listening to Zhan Hua and High Constant talking about Su Cen.
She knew this man was connected with the HanTang Securities and New Century Securities liquidation case from two years ago; that liquidation caused assets and overseas wealth of nearly 5 billion yuan to evaporate behind the High Family, leading to the disappearance of two relatives on their side. Other minor players suffered even worse fates. This incident was the source of the deteriorating relations between the High Family and Wang’s faction over the influence they exerted in the liquidation process.
And Su Cen himself had a tight connection with the Wang family; he could be seen operating behind the scenes in many areas within Sichuan Province. In fact, his name was not unfamiliar among some core members of the High Family now.
To her, this man should be one she detested. From the information that had leaked out from the High Family, they deeply envied this person’s rise to prominence on one hand, while being extremely wary of him on another due to his influence. It was probably because two years ago that liquidation case involving HanTang and New Century Securities had hurt the High Family’s interests deeply. Listening to Zhan Hua and High Constant’s conversation, Chen Yan turned around as her lips curved into a line: "I really want to see him myself and find out whether he truly has three heads and six arms like some people claim."
As Song Zhen drove into the parking lot, she got off the car wearing a red evening gown today. She was statuesque in her attire, with an alluring chest that poked out proudly. In her hand was a small clutch bag matching the color of her outfit. After closing the door to her sports car, she leaned against it.
Next to her business car walked a powerful figure from SenChuan China—her mother Tao Qing and the former general manager who had stepped down to become the vice president of the Chinese region for SenChuan Group after handing over the position to Song Zhen. Accompanying them was also a professional manager from SenChuan China.
Everyone did not look at Song Zhen, who got out first from the sports car, but rather turned their gaze towards an E300 Mercedes-Benz that was shakily following behind her. The Benz found a spot next to them and out stepped a tall man with sharp features; he was actually of Chinese American descent with a family in the rubber business, having strong ties with Song Zhen’s overseas branch even before they had plans for their children to marry. Back when she was still at home, the intention was to view him as her future son-in-law.
However, after she returned from abroad and received her diploma, coupled with how SenChuan Group handled some crises in China a year ago, this thought began to fade away.
To Tao Qing’s surprise, the young man still had feelings for Song Zhen. A month prior, he was responsible for business at their Chinese company and transferred here as a result. Tao Qing actually liked him very much but when looking at her own daughter, she worried whether this youth fancied her while she did not feel the same way. After experiencing last year’s events, Tao Qing knew it wouldn’t be right to advise Song Zhen on such matters.
The young man saw that Song Zhen didn’t mind him standing next to her sports car covered in dust; he hugged his arms and watched as her black hair blew gently with the wind over the red dress. For a moment, he felt like his heart had slowed down, struggling to form coherent words: "I don’t drive much domestically, so I’m not used to it."
He was apologizing for his poor driving skills earlier and looked around as if explaining why he followed them over today, saying, "I know Nankai University is one of the top universities in China with high quality lectures. Knowing that you guys will be attending a lecture here, I thought it would be good to refresh my mind and see how the academic reports and viewpoints differ from those I’ve heard before."
Song Zhen looked at him for some time, then gave her charming smile: "Alright, let’s go in. The timing is almost right."
Seeing Song Zhen’s rare smile directed towards him, the young man felt an indescribable joy swelling up inside his heart and quickly nodded as he followed her into the lecture hall.
Lin Luoran and her Beijing friends had spent two days in Shanghai, and today's schedule was a report speech at the Yifeng Building's Science Lecture Hall of Nan University. The hall was already crowded with people. Then, Lin Luoran and company just happened to meet Su Can and Tang Wu and others right at the entrance.
At this time, the weather in Shanghai was still cold. Lin Luoran wore a black coat and long legs in jeans; her face looked sharp and立體的美麗。看到蘇燦唐嫵的時候，她如遠山一樣的秀眉就輕輕挑了起來，然後笑起來擺擺手，“好呀。我還以為你們都進去了。”
Lin Luoran came with three men and two women this time. Su Can knew a little about her friends from Beijing. After Lin Luoran and Wang Weiwei, among others, graduated high school and went to college, because most of her family members were in Beijing, they would usually return to Beijing during holidays or the Spring Festival.
The interpersonal relationships left behind gradually continued to be connected. Lin Luoran's mother, Lu Jiaying, worked for the Ministry of Public Security, while her grandfather was one of the Sixteen Locomotives; she came from a famous diplomat family. Once she returned to Beijing, there were always many people around her.
This time, those who came from Beijing naturally belonged to the best friends among them. They could be categorized as young men from noble families in popular jokes and rumors. Of course, they didn't appear like playboys or arrogant individuals on the surface; some of their personalities were quite honest and down-to-earth, which made them very likable to Lin Luoran.
After brief introductions, these friends from Beijing couldn't help but look at Su Can with strange expressions.
This was because anyone who wasn't ignorant had heard about the events involving Lin Luoran and Wang Weiwei in Xia Hai and Chengdu during their high school days. No matter where the rumors came from, they would all be familiar with this person named "Su Can."
There were many remarks and evaluations about him in Beijing, such as a derogatory term, "a toad who wants to eat swan meat," or more positive phrases like, "he's an interesting guy" or "just another petty bourgeois." There was also the dismissive comment that he wasn't someone they had heard of.
In recent years, some people even said, "Can this person compare with Wei Yuanhu and others"
Of course, there were many who admired Lin Luoran over the years, but relatively few could get past Wang Weiwei and Lin Zouwu's initial screening.
This year during Spring Festival, on something like the 10th day, everyone gathered in Houhai Bar. A friend with a promising future and background hugged Wang Weiwei and said, "Brother, I want to tell you that I fancy Lin's little sister. Can I have your blessing" The reason he asked was because of his knowledge of Wang Weiwei and Lin Luoran's past relationship, knowing now they were completely unrelated; however, it still required a formal request out of politeness first. With Wang Weiwei's support, there would be a significant edge against Wei Yuanhu.
But Wang Weiwei was ruthless in rejecting him, "Crawl away, don't even think about pursuing her, this has nothing to do with you, stop meddling." Knowing that Wang Weiwei could maintain his solemn protection of Lin Luoran, he knew persuasion would be useless and simply smiled, dropping the matter.
Even someone like Wei Yuanhu, who was widely acknowledged as a promising young talent even by Lin Zouzhu's father, didn't impress Lin Zouwu. When asked about Wei Yuanhu's approach towards Lin Luoran, this known "Fat Lin" of the Lin family simply said, "He's daydreaming."
Everyone knew that Wang Weiwei and Lin Zouwu had no qualms with a certain person.
"Hello," after exchanging polite greetings with Su Can, a woman among Lin Luoran’s friends named Luo Lijia turned to her smilingly and said, "I heard this year Wei Yuanhu is planning a large-scale birthday celebration for you in secret. How thoughtful of him! He's also very promising and quite good-looking... I'm just wondering why didn't I meet someone like that back then..."
Lin Luoran was somewhat surprised, "Who told you this" She glanced at Su Can with her beautiful eyes and frowned slightly, saying angrily, "Why would he celebrate my birthday in the first place"
Luo Lijia stuck out her tongue, "He asked for opinions from his friends on Facebook secretly. Of course, it's meant to be a secret, so don't tell anyone I leaked this information."
Lin Luoran said, "Oh," looked at Su Can and said, "I never use Facebook."
Su Can felt awkward and looked at his watch; there was still some time before the lecture began.
A man called Luo Tianyi noticed the expression on Luo Lijia's face and spoke with understanding, "Luoran, be honest. After graduating from Fudan University, you always go back to Beijing, right We have so many friends here who will take care of things for you. I'm telling you... Beijing is your home; Shanghai is just another world and level. Isn't that true"
Even though he had heard the rumors about Su Can in Beijing, as a person from the other side of the world to Lin Luoran's friends, he believed that if someone was smart enough, they would understand the gap between their worlds.
Su Cen smiled slightly and seemed indifferent to these insinuations, just like the rumors and storms coming from Beijing.
At this moment, a man in black西裝 walked over. He was from the same car as Su Cen that came from Facebook. It was Zou Qiang, the director of Facebook's operations department. He whispered something to Su Cen and pointed towards the auditorium where school officials were handing over to assistants on Facebook’s side. Su Cen’s department head was also there, anxiously staring at him. Tang Wu walked over, nodded to Su Cen, and pointed at her beautiful streamlined wristwatch. "It's almost time."
Lin Luoran stepped forward, stretched out both hands, and patted on either side of Su Cen’s broad shoulders. Her eyes curved as if autumn water was about to spill out. "Cheer up! I disregarded my friends' gathering today specifically to listen to your speech with my family."
The people around them were stunned for a moment, seemingly not having heard clearly.
"Speech What speech" A man asked in confusion, staring at Su Cen with an even more bewildered look.
Then including figures like Lu Lijia slowly lifted their heads to see the central dragon hall above Yifu Building auditorium behind this man who was smiling awkwardly. The theme of the event in white base and blue letters read: "Dialogue with Facebook China CEO: Challenges Everywhere."
Succinct yet powerful, it instantly conveyed its authority.
From within the packed technology auditorium, the murmurs and whispers among the crowd hinted at a force about to burst forth in this almost suffocating atmosphere.
The bewildered Lu Lijia and Luo Tian and others seemed like carp thrown onto shore, mouths gaping open as they stared dully at the young man standing beneath the grand auditorium base.
"I'm off then," Su Cen waved to Lin Luoran and pressed his hand over his heart, pretending he was very nervous. This amused Lin Luoran who gestured dismissively, "We should go in; otherwise we might not get a seat. Do you want me standing the whole time while listening to your speech"
Su Cen smiled and turned around, heading towards Tang Wu dressed in her suit and black skirt, looking ethereal.
The university side and Facebook’s special assistants immediately surrounded him as two robust guards in white shirts led the way. Su Cen strode into the technology auditorium through the main entrance.
Inside the fan-shaped auditorium, it was packed with people. Because the front few rows were reserved for Nan Da university officials and invited guests, they formed a relatively orderly arrangement, but as one moved further back in the hall, more and more standing spectators gathered together, making the back of the room increasingly congested.
People huddled in small groups whispering among themselves. However, any slight noise from the podium would immediately draw their attention.
The Nan Da university officials were also exchanging conversations. Jian Hua turned to Chen Yan beside Gao Heng and said, "You’ll see him soon."
Among the front few rows of guests seated next to Song Zhen was a man who seemed to sense something as he pursed his lips without speaking, while the woman on his side with a profile like a Greek goddess gazed intently at Song Zhen on stage. Her lips curved slightly, and her eyes shone with anticipation.
Zhang Xiaqiao, Li Han, and Xiao Xu clenched their fists as they sat in the auditorium steps; never before had they felt such excitement. Even when Zhang Xiaqiao represented his class to accept an award certificate on stage at a school-wide model collective commendation conference, he hadn't been so stirred up by emotions from below.
The incident of the Nan Da student group hunting down and hanging individuals who posted online condemnations against them under a bridge raised questions about whether this was indeed a tragedy and crisis caused by social networks infringing on privacy rights.
Some people even boldly requested to take photos with Su Cen after the meeting. Su Cen didn't know how to politely decline.
A student asked, "What is your youngest manager’s age at Facebook China"
Su Cen answered without hesitation, "22 years and 3 months old, Zhang Baoliang; he's sitting down there." stood up holding a whistle, "Beep!" He blew it shrilly and came to them, "Are you being punished or enjoying yourselves No drinking allowed!""If we're not even allowed to drink water, what about heat...