Chapter 134: Really Satisfying

gh up and brought them down with great force, smashing into Chen衝’s back. A dull sound reverberated in his chest cavity, causing him to stagger forward three steps.Then, Chen衝 turned his head sideways...Chapter 134: Feeling Great

Dustin, who was like a lackey, stayed in Shanghai for three days and his return flight was booked for Wednesday.

Jiu Shuxin originally wanted to keep him longer to discuss recent funding rounds and technical aspects of Facebook. However, it seemed that the situation back in America was urgent; Dustin had signed a pledge and completed agreements as co-president and needed to immediately return. Staying an extra three days in China was already pushing the limits.

In Pudong International Airport, Su Cen and Jiu Shuxin watched this young man, who was close in age to Zuckerberg, pack up his belongings, wave vigorously at them, pat his carry-on bag to confirm that everything essential was packed, then turn around without looking back and enter the security checkpoint.

Outside the waiting hall glass wall, the aircraft's nose retracted as it backed away from the terminal. Su Cen and Jiu Shuxin began walking back after Dustin left.

Jiu Shuxin said, "It looks like Zuckerberg is determined to fight a tough battle despite their preparations. They will face formidable competitors such as Greylock Partners, Mayfield Fund, and Axel Springer in Silicon Valley, whose reputations I've known since my time at Stanford. Over the past decade, these venture capitalists have been behind the rise and fall of many companies in Silicon Valley."

"They might possess what we need most, but beneath their offers could be pitfalls. You must especially emphasize this point to Zuckerberg during tomorrow's teleconference."

Su Cen nodded, "Extreme caution is necessary. Capital operations are inherently speculative and often involve ruthless methods that people look down upon and despise—anyone who pursues a path of industry shuns them as if they were enemies. Yet, all companies ultimately have to deal with capital operators; almost every domestic industrial company introduces capital during their stock listing for various maneuvers. Therefore, capitalists are in an awkward position—they face endless criticism from moralists while being indispensable and even necessary for the functioning of society. One can only say that it's a double-edged sword—use it carefully but wisely."

Qiao Shuxin nodded and then said, "I heard that your situation at Nan University is not very optimistic"

"Oh, did Elder Mu mention this" Su Cen raised his eyebrows. Qiao Shuxin knew that the matter concerning Nan University was not surprising; many employees of Facebook China were students or faculty members from there. Although the university administration had handled the incident during the alumni homecoming festival and minimized its impact, if all information could be sealed off when necessary, the world would likely be much quieter.

The radiating effect of this event was significant; everyone knew about it and discussed it. In summary, everything that should have been gossiped about had already been talked about except for making a big fuss.

"Tell me what Zhang Shao, Sun Sizhe, Qian Feng, and the others in the company said since you're still my senior at Nan University," Su Cen asked.

"I heard them talk about it when we were in the company cafeteria. They all say that you acted out of passion for a woman—some people discussed Song Family's girl. Since I'm not familiar with domestic matters, this is my first time hearing about the Sengchuan Corporation under the Song Family. Even though I studied at a university near Silicon Valley, which is considered the birthplace of information consulting services, it seems that my knowledge has its limits. It turns out that some brands I knew before are actually subsidiaries of the Sengchuan Corporation."

Qiao Shuxin self-deprecatingly added, "This might be because I've been in America for too long. After leaving college and obtaining my doctorate degree, there were also seven or eight years where I lived abroad; almost forgetting how much China has developed since then. Coming back, I can still do business in America, which I think is great. But you should understand what I'm worried about: the internet industry updates so quickly that many successes seem replicable but eventually prove to be unreplicable. What works in one place doesn't necessarily work when transplanted elsewhere—it's like trying to replicate South Korea’s success in China. The soil for Internet development in China isn’t mature enough, and we are not pioneers; unfortunately, our predecessors haven't achieved results that inspire optimism. Zhu Jun established the first social networking platform on the Chinese mainland called GameNow back in 1999, and Sohu acquired Chinaren. Compared to America's booming social network scene, it feels stagnant here...

The life in America is enjoyable and full of opportunities; every day, Qiao Shuxin and his US Zack team can seek new breakthroughs, feeling the thrill of riding a wave to success. That’s why Facebook grew so rapidly from just over a thousand members at Boston University to five million San Francisco college students and then expanding past several hundred thousand, one million, reaching five million.

This is a feast; Qiao Shuxin worries that due to the different soil conditions, China's version of Facebook might miss this bandwagon, making life difficult.

If the American team knew that Qiao Shuxin was borrowed and assigned by Su Cen to work in the mysterious eastern country with a Great Wall, a Forbidden City, and a population of twelve hundred million, which is striving towards modernization, and if he achieved less than one percent of what their American counterparts did on Facebook's annual meeting in America, Qiao Shuxin would probably have no face to show.

"Enhance user functions, improve user experience, speed up platform construction. If these three points are well done, I don't think there will be no progress at all. When the servers aren’t enough, I’ll find ways to raise money and expand them. I also do not suggest spending too much on public relations fees; this is of utmost importance. People need interaction with one another after all, which isn't about human sentiment's inherent weaknesses. I believe that your American society also has these characteristics inherently as well because humans are emotional animals in nature. More understanding and communication will naturally lead to smoother cooperation over time. If there’s no communication for a long time, relations will inevitably become distant. When you need help from others but they can't assist, it's not about bad luck or society; ultimately, it’s an issue of one's own.

After leaving the airport waiting room, Qiao Shuxin was still pondering over Su Cen's words. Actually, what Su Cen said wasn’t particularly innovative or astonishing.

In his regular work at Facebook China, if someone had mentioned this to him, Qiao Shuxin wouldn't have expected it to be taken seriously; he would have dismissed it as something he heard with the left ear and out through the right. However, these words coming from Su Cen were different. The person in front of him was the founder of Facebook, and the idea came solely from a game of chess between him and Zuckerberg in an American high school dormitory.

Later on, some American media dug up this event, which appeared on a local Sunday talk show and was teased by the host. Since then, various versions of this story have emerged endlessly. Although Qiao Shuxin did not ask the founder for verification regarding the actual situation, he could imagine that this chess game between two strong minds in the summer afternoon must have been full of intensity and drama.

Although Qiao Shuxin lived in America for nearly eight years after leaving China, he had read Jin Yong's wuxia novels during his high school days. The concept of a battle between experts was roughly similar to what the grandmaster described.

In fact, Su Cen naturally wouldn’t tell him that they played chess until nightfall on that afternoon for over four hours and then went out hungry to eat. There wasn't any chivalrous demeanor as seen in wuxia novels. Both of them wore slippers or jeans, not exactly resembling figures of expertise. Wandering around American small towns didn't fit the typical setting for a wuxia story's high-level combat; if it did, then they would be called cowboys, not grandmasters.

But that day in New Hampshire, USA, the wind wasn’t as cold as usual but felt warm and comfortable.

"The influence of networking is very powerful in China," Qiao Shuxin smiled, his eyes twinkling as he looked at Su Cen. "I heard that you went up on stage during the homecoming festival and asked questions that left many people speechless. The person who debated with you was also exposed, unable to rouse the crowd's emotions, leading to any smear campaigns being stopped in their tracks. Now, who doesn’t know about Su Cen at Nan University And for the Senkawa Corporation and the Song family as a whole, this is a significant favor," Qiao Shuxin continued, "Debts of gratitude are something that the Song family, as a prominent clan, always remembers and repays..."

The two walked side by side while talking. Li Pengyu followed behind them, chatting with two of Qiao Shuxin's executive assistants; they soon exited the terminal.

"Actually, I’m not too concerned about whether Senkawa Corporation will have further cooperation with us. Like many people in my company, I’m more interested in practical issues," Qiao Shuxin paused, his eyes flickering suddenly. "For example, how will Song Zhen, the general manager of Senkawa’s China branch and the eldest Miss Song of the Song family, react"

After finishing his words, Qiao Shuxin realized that his usual image as a wise and straightforward person who didn’t gossip seemed to crumble under Su Cen's gaze. He could only say, "Don't look at me like that. It’s inevitable; the magazine featuring her special report is circulating in the company and has been read nearly to pieces. We are just a profit-driven company; we can’t control freedom of thought or action. Even if I wanted to stop such things, it would be impossible... Besides, there's another key reason behind my curiosity. I want to know what kind of tangible benefits women can bring to men—whether in career advancement or physical pleasure. Given that I believe Senkawa Corporation won’t have major opportunities for cooperation with us anytime soon, the only remaining possibility is..." If it were about beauty, Miss Song definitely fits the bill."

Su Cen was somewhat annoyed, "Do I need to always have a backup plan every step of the way in order to be considered normal I know that seizing an opportunity when it presents itself is an ultimate truth, but you must also allow me to occasionally make mistakes—I’m human too. You must allow me to sometimes act impulsively and do things only immature young men would do."

"I explained it like this to them..." Qiao Shuxin said with a smile. "But no one believes it."

"Everyone is so unscrupulous," Su Cen was frustrated after some time, heading towards the parked cars.

"But I believe it." Qiao Shuxin squinted his eyes and smiled. This turn of events made Su Cen pause in opening the car door and turned around to face him.ly ask softly, "Are you angry with me"Su Cen thought to himself that he had guessed correctly; she wanted to apologize. He found her pitiful appearance quite cute and smiled slightly before nodding ge...