Chapter 86: Friend or Foe

match where Tang Wu stood. She looked directly into his eyes with a tone that hinted at slight reproach, "Hey, don't forget you promised me that we'd get together for some fun."Chen Lingshan's manner...Volume 5: Towards a Happier Horizon Chapter 86: Friend or Foe

Perhaps, if one were to randomly select an undergraduate student from this era, very few would know who Zhang Chaoyang and Robin Li are, while the game "Legend" was sweeping across the country. Yet, it's not necessarily true that everyone knows Tianqiao Chen. ~~~~ The future giant of the home appliance industry, Gome Electrical Appliances, began to exert its efforts at this time to officially break away from being an agent and overturn the traditional domestic appliance sales model, shedding its burdens and soaring into success. But who knew about its founder

Many dazzling names that were even more famous than Su Can wouldn't attract attention either. Naturally, Su Can was no exception. The reason he became a topic of discussion within Nan Da University was due to the exposure of Facebook recently. Most people might not be aware of what potential Facebook had, let alone during the time when this network was sweeping America and ushering in an era of internet socialization.

Domestically, there were barely any individuals who knew about Facebook. What could attract attention was probably the funding rounds that Facebook went through with WPO during the previous spring break. The equity obtained from WPO immediately skyrocketed Facebook's valuation, thus forming the concept of Su Can and Zuckerberg being billionaires.

Just a couple of years after crossing the millennium, the imprint of the '90s hadn't completely faded away yet. A millionaire or a ten-millionaire could both describe wealth that would leave ordinary people in awe. However, billionaires were often seen as standing on an unprecedented level. Many people didn't have a profound understanding and only looked up to typical figures like Li Ka-shing who everyone knew.

They thought all billionaires could be categorized at the same level as Li Ka-shing, merely differing in their rankings within that tier.

Naturally, Su Can and Zuckerberg being discussed by media under the topic of "billionaires" could stir up quite a whirlwind.

However, once these news started to circulate, the PR department under Lin Guangdong quickly managed to control the spread within an acceptable range without making it too big a deal.

Being overly conspicuous wasn't necessarily beneficial, especially when facing the developing Chinese version of Facebook and Facebook itself. People in this era were quite adept at scheming; Su Can certainly couldn't treat potential rivals as fools. In the steel forest-like city with its myriad resources and wealth, these individuals hid very deeply.

Zhan's tactic of overpraising is simply because he doesn't want Su Can to develop smoothly in China, just as he did in the United States. This move indirectly disrupts Su Can's plans and forces him to accelerate the process of bringing Facebook Chinese into the domestic market.

The most ideal development method would be for Su Can to silently consolidate resources and lay out his network plans, allowing Facebook Chinese to gradually gain acceptance like spring rain nourishing everything without making a sound. Finally, he could surprise everyone with his success.

However, the exposure of Su Can has led many people to see the potential of social networks, sparking a series of thoughts and subsequent impacts. Su Can doesn't know how many competitors might emerge in this field like bamboo shoots after rain. Thinking about it makes him worry about those who will pick up this career in the future; what kind of competitive pressure would they face

When Zhang Xiaoqiao explicitly pointed out Su Can, everyone suddenly understood.

"I knew you wanted to compete with Su Can. Then let's not talk about it then. During Facebook Chinese’s recruitment at Shanghai company, the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel was almost filled with people. The queue was terrifying." Li Han smiled and said, "Try recruiting at this Rock Bar; apart from girls who are slightly more attractive doing part-time jobs during their vacations, how many Nan University students would be willing to work here Nowadays, companies compete on talent as the core resource."

"The levels are different right from the start. The fundamentals determine the upper structure, and both parties' development has been at different levels since the beginning."

Xiao Xiang glanced towards Qian Zhongyuan’s side and saw Sun Lei being surrounded by people as he entered. As he spoke to someone, his head turned toward them, and Xiao Xiang immediately said, "After all, we are still in their territory. Su Can hasn't bought this place; it just doesn’t feel right." His tone suddenly changed, saying, "Ah, I knew it! Within a ten-meter radius around Su Can is high-risk zone; trouble is coming!"

Zhang Xiaoqiao, Cheng Congcong, Tong Tong and others looked in the direction mentioned. They saw that Sun Lei actually moved away from Qian Zhongyuan, Qian Feng, and others, walking straight towards them.

The atmosphere immediately became tense.

Qian Zhongyuan and his group were clearly stunned by Sun Lei's unexpected move. Sun Lei did have some connections with Qian Zhongyuan’s circle, but they weren't close enough for him to be considered part of Qian Zhongyuan’s clique.

Qian Zhongyuan knew that he was not in the same league as Sun Lei. He understood that Sun Lei would never mingle with people like them who were just getting by. Ultimately, there was always a sense of estrangement between him and Sun Lei, with whom they could only exchange pleasantries when they met.

After telling Sun Lei about Su Cen, Sun Lei's sudden action left everyone puzzled and even made Qian Zhongyuan break out in a cold sweat. Although it was beyond his comprehension, the thought of Sun Lei suddenly going berserk and clashing with Su Cen was unimaginable.

Qian Zhongyuan had been repeatedly warned by his father about not overstepping boundaries. Even if he were to have another showdown with his father, such things weren't unheard of. But currently, Su Cen was at the peak of his popularity, and Qian Zhongyuan wasn’t reckless enough to push him too far. If it came to a confrontation where one must lose, life wouldn’t be easy for him in Nan University.

With his heart pounding, Sun Lei smiled broadly before Su Cen and the others, pointed at an empty spot next to a table, and said, "Is it okay if I sit here"

Although he asked politely, there was no chance for Su Cen to refuse. Sun Lei casually pulled up a chair as Xiao Xu and the rest automatically made room for him. After sitting down, Sun Lei introduced himself, saying, "Allow me to introduce myself; I'm the owner of this establishment. I sincerely wish to befriend Su Cen today, so everyone's expenses will be on my account."

As they say, one shouldn’t hit a smiling face. Although Zhang Xiaqiao and Sun Lei had conflicts with Qian Zhongyuan in the past, Sun Lei’s clear intention to make friends was hard to ignore, especially for someone as legendary at Nan University as Su Cen.

Without any pretense or fuss, Sun Lei pulled up a chair and sat down. Those who usually dressed impeccably and smoked like typical big bad wolves found themselves impressed by Sun Lei’s casual demeanor today, even taking their eyes off the enticing women beside them to look at him with more seriousness.

Qian Zhongyuan's group couldn’t help but feel crestfallen. This was too real for them to take in.

"Facebook China My fellow junior colleagues are discussing your company. It's said to have a comprehensive dividend system and incentive program, with the most notable being an annual option reward for new employees as part of a普惠製(Popular Welfare System). Even an assistant engineer at Facebook China can start with a salary over 7000 yuan, plus various housing subsidy funds—no wonder there was such a grand turnout during the recruitment event," Sun Lei commented with admiration.

Under the slightly purple-hued lighting, Su Can's clearly contrasting face wore an air of mystery as he said, "The headquarters of Facebook in America is an environment free from bureaucracy, highly capable in horizontal organizational strength, and brimming with dynamism and vitality. At its core lies people—Facebook China belongs to a high-tech internet knowledge-based enterprise where our core values and strategic value revolve around 'people.' It's the connection between individuals that led to the birth of social networking platforms, and the internal members' deep-seated enthusiasm for this cause makes everyone realize they are pioneering a new era. Integrating this significance into their lives is the ultimate ideal of Facebook China."

The influence of Facebook's recruitment on the outside world as mentioned by Sun Lei was still ongoing. Su Can also knew about it; its generous conditions compared favorably with those offered by some foreign-invested enterprises. However, no foreign enterprise would be so liberal in offering stock option incentives to employees right from their first batch.

The downside of stock options lies in the conflict between new and old employee interests when a company transitions past its start-up phase into steady growth. Also, if the company goes public and the stock value deviates from expectations and doesn't rise or even falls, it would deeply affect all employees' psychological expectations.

Of course, the advantage lies in the overall motivation effect on employees during the initial stage of a company's development, binding everyone's interests with those of the company. Naturally, such alignment leads to tremendous productivity.

In this era within China, stock option incentives were still uncommon. By comparison, Silicon Valley initiated the practice of using stock options as an incentive system in the 1970s, and by the year 1999, nearly all high-tech companies and over 90% of listed companies implemented such rewards.

It wasn't until around 1997 that some Chinese enterprises began experimenting with this area. For stock options to be widely accepted and recognized in implementation would still take several years from the current year, 2002 onwards—this is why Facebook China's enticing offer could create such a sensational effect.

This kind of effect transcended the era unexpectedly, bringing unforeseen results. Even Su Can didn't realize how much courage his actions demonstrated in Sun Lei's eyes at this level—that was also the reason why he chose to sit before Su Can today despite being an esteemed figure within his industry. The advancement of certain things can only be recognized by those who understand their value, seeing where their potential and vitality lie.

Without mentioning that Su Can was still a college student, if given several more years to establish himself, how far would he have comen shelves, causing a desire to buy a pen or other items upon sight.The three staff members clearly recognized Su Cen; they smiled at him and observed Tang Wu curiously, and he responded with smiles as...