Chapter 133 - That Girl, This Girl

tudent supplies but only a mixed variety with few items. Good pens can be found at bookstores or department stores, which is inconvenient for many people. Nobody does this type of business here either...Chapter 133: That Girl, This Girl

As it was Sunday, Su Cen and Dustin signed the joint CEO agreement at the hot spring hotel. Tang Wu, Cheng Congcong, and others did not return to school; they spent the afternoon at the hotel, and there was a dinner party in honor of Dustin that evening.

The dinner wasn't enough for them, especially with all the girls from Tang Wu's dorm present. Although none of them could match Tang Wu's brilliance, each one was pleasing to the eye.

Dustin often frequented clubs filled with beautiful women in America as well, but due to Harvard University's atmosphere and Zach's influence, he harbored a special fondness for Chinese girls. With four girls present this time, Dustin felt quite distracted, even daydreaming about settling down in China after making Facebook Chinese successful once it went public and finding himself a Chinese wife.

Not long after dinner, everyone proposed going to eat seafood. Cheng Congcong, the local expert, accompanied them; she led them to a stall selling seafood barbecue near Nanpu Bridge on the Huangpu River. Including the high-level executives of Facebook China, Su Cen, and Li Pengyu, they dispatched three cars.

During this outing, Su Cen had actually been discreetly instructing Li Pengyu to keep an eye on the activities of the middle and upper-level staff. He heard that some people were using their network connections to investigate their movements and conversations, but most did not engage in such activities. It was somewhat reassuring.

Since many of the middle and senior executives at Facebook China were newly hired, with a mix of capable individuals and others of questionable character, Su Cen needed to understand the personalities of many people below him—such as who was adept at scheming, who harbored resentment, or who excelled in strategy. Appointing Li Pengyu as his deputy assistant wasn't just about appearances; it genuinely served a purpose as he needed these details to control his staff. If Su Cen truly acted like an absentee landlord, indulging himself while oblivious to the university life around him, reaching where he was now could only be considered miraculous.

Among all the girls present, Dustin was particularly attentive and charming; with high emotional intelligence, as a Harvard graduate, and wide-ranging hobbies—such as clay pigeon shooting, skiing in snow mountains, golfing, and horseback riding—he initially seemed somewhat unrefined and slow to react. However, once he sat down and conversed, his wit and humor immediately won over the girls.

As the vice president of Facebook China responsible for website architecture and mobile strategy as well as technology development, Dustin was also invited to join one of America's top clubs, Harvard Club.

Without delving into whether Cheng Congcong, Ruan Sigo, or others knew what Harvard Club was about, the prestige of Harvard University alone was enough to nearly disarm several girls mentally. In an era where everyone thrived in academia, while a single university might not amount to much, as a global academic pinnacle like these world-renowned universities, it equated to the mythical terms repeatedly mentioned in fantasy novels.

So when one is used to hearing such things casually and then suddenly faces a high-achieving graduate from an elite university, the mindset becomes quite different.

People like Cheng Congcong openly listened with wide eyes, maintaining as much ladylike decorum as possible while Dustin recounted his American experiences. The ladies occasionally chuckled at his humorous anecdotes, causing nearby groups of students from a local university to cast envious and curious glances their way.

Dustin, however, remained oblivious and continued to try his best to charm the women with his humor. Even Tang Wu was occasionally amused, leaving those who usually saw her as an elegant and somewhat reverent figure at the headquarters of Chinese FaceBook in a daze.

Su Can thought that people like Dustin, who work on technology out of Silicon Valley, might have weak social skills. With several men present but limited female resources, it was unfair for him to monopolize all the attention.

The girls' intermittent inquiries included: "Do you usually horse-ride and compete on the school lawn" "Most Harvard alumni become politicians or business tycoons, right" "How did the popular Harvard Club approach you after you became a vice president at Chinese FaceBook" And so forth.

Eventually, Qiao Shuxin could no longer bear to see these lovely girls monopolized by Dustin. He dragged him aside for drinks and began recounting some embarrassing stories from when FaceBook was just getting started in Palo Alto, successfully shifting the conversation elsewhere.

The whole time, Li Pengyu alternated between smiling and asking questions; at his height of 188 cm, he displayed a warm side. Unexpectedly lively for her usual reserved self, Ruan Sige crossed her legs and stared intently at Dustin with large eyes while asking him several questions, but then she glanced over at Li Pengyu as Dustin spoke.

They occasionally met each other's gaze before quickly looking away, their cheeks slightly flushed by the warmth of autumn. Amidst this lively yet romantic setting of a street restaurant.

*After dining and drinking to satisfaction, Su Can sat in a wicker chair beside Tang Wu, watching the tranquil night scene of the river; along the shore, lights glittered brilliantly while high-rise buildings stood closely together, their LED-lit boats weaving back and forth. The only place where things weren't quiet was nearby where Dustin and Qiao Shuxin were recounting stories about these men and women from Stanford's engineering department when FaceBook first moved to an apartment near Stanford with a swimming pool.

Laughter continued unabated.

The fashionable men and women nearby, who had just finished a late-night seafood feast, seemed to be somewhat envious or resentful. They disdainfully climbed into their flashy luxury cars parked on the street and sped away with revved engines. Perhaps they have already deemed them as people who can only settle for second-best in this time slot, unable to go to those top nightclubs on Huanshan Road. Unaware of the fact that one person among them is currently a hotshot in Silicon Valley, California, USA, and the other, Qi Shuxin, who looks somewhat familiar, has already entered the mainstream視野 of Shanghai's finance and business magazines.

Su Chen stretched and said to Tang Wu beside him, "Looking back at the Bund and up at Jin Mao Tower and the International Finance Center, how pleasant it is! In a few more years, after renovations along the riverbank are completed, these night food stalls will be removed. The days of blowing the river breeze while eating seafood and admiring the night view will become luxuries that will never return." Actually, no matter how pleasant the scenery, it could not compare to sitting beside her.

Su Chen did not say this, nor was there a need for him to do so. Some emotions are simply beyond words; they have no corresponding language.

For example, the first time he saw Tang Wu in the turning point of an era and the shiver that coursed through his body when he pushed her down in her new room with its large windows, it was blood-boiling but speechless.

Around them came another bout of laughter. Su Chen looked at Tang Wu and said, "It seems Dustin is quite popular. I may have underestimated him; although he usually isn't very active, he's actually quite capable behind the scenes. The way he handled our meal tonight was impressive—he had a good grasp of the rhythm and could accurately understand what you girls were thinking or wanting to know. All your roommates asked questions about Harvard University; is its allure really that great"

Earlier, Dustin's performance even made Tang Wu lean in to listen intently. When he said something interesting, she chuckled too, making Su Chen rather annoyed that he hadn't become the focal point of everyone’s attention but instead had been upstaged by Dustin.

"No interest," Tang Wu shook her head gently and said, "My family only wanted me to get into Tsinghua or Peking University. They didn’t think as far ahead as that. To me, it seems too ethereal and impractical. Although I used to consider studying abroad in a distant place…" At this point, she turned her head towards Su Chen, smiling, "But you know how it is… Anyway, seeing Dustin now makes me curious about what kind of people come out of the places that cultivate world-class political, military, and financial experts."

Tang Wu was still straightforward without any circumlocution; she directly stated her appreciation for Dustin's excellence and humor.

Although Su Chen knew that Tang Xiaowu’s words were justified, even if she said Dustin embodied every girl's ideal big brother or blue-collar friend, it would not shake his position in her heart. It was purely admiration for an outstanding man and had nothing to do with love.

However, despite having the advantage of two lifetimes' worth of experiences due to his ability to restart life, Harvard University's reputation still made him feel a bit stressed at this moment.

In particular, when Dustin was talking eloquently and making Tang Wu chuckle nonstop just now, Su Cen felt particularly uneasy seeing the boy's inspired and triumphant expression. He even darkly thought about kicking this brat back to America as soon as possible so that he wouldn't spread his charming influence here, thinking himself quite dazzling without any humility.

Su Cen was sulking.

"I hope Dustin can be more outstanding and stand out even further," Tang Wu’s beautiful eyes flashed with mischievousness. Without revealing anything on her face, she spoke softly, "I also hope there are many people like him, those who have exceptional abilities or graduates from prestigious universities like Harvard, or those who truly possess talent and knowledge, can be attracted to work under you. If that happens, I will be very happy."

Su Cen was stunned. He stared blankly at the girl in the dark night, thinking that Tang Xiaowu, you have succeeded; you just successfully completed a subtle yet imaginative flattery that resonates deeply with me. Seeing Tang Wu’s dismissive and slightly alluring smile, Su Cen felt like, if not for the presence of others, he would have an urge to embrace this stunningly beautiful girl.

Then without shame, Su Cen pushed further, "What does it matter to you that more outstanding people work for me"

Tang Wu surprisingly didn't give him a blank look but instead placed her gaze on the dim lights across the river. The night wind scattered her hair and it gently danced in front of her chest. After being silent for a while, she said, "When you have nothing at all, I hope you can be confident in your progress and efforts. A man may lose, but he must not become disheartened; he should not be ordinary yet mediocre. When you prove yourself to the point where you can control everything with ease, I wish that everything remains as it was when we first met. I don’t care about what you give me—whether it is a life of luxury and honor or a world full of splendor or a lifestyle that makes others envious. Su Cen, all I care about is whether being together with you still feels the same after many years."

This sentence was like some sharp object striking a profound part of Su Cen’s chest.

Many years ago, she had said to him that she hoped he would become an unparalleled hero breaking through ordinary people's limitations and trajectory, appearing in front of her with grandeur.

Many years later, this girl told him the same thing: What she wanted for happiness was not a life full of luxury and power but just simple and profound longevity.

In life, there are lost beauties; life can never remain as it did at first sight. Will we still be like we were ten years ago after another decade Will we pay attention to each other over details, have默契in doing things together, share the same laughter over an unimportant entertainment movie, prepare hot meals for each other when one comes home late, argue over trivial matters, or even lose the energy to argue.ry-general also passed away not long ago due to illness. Recalling those times when he was surrounded by a group of people in glory, seeing the satisfaction in the eyes of his old secretary-general wh...