Chapter 205: The Bottom Card

ose who are used to pondering day and night. Right now, they no longer needed to overthink such things. A week before this moment, Su Cen had just ended or buried a chapter of his life that belonged t...Chapter 205: The Ace in the Hole

Mu Xuan, who had been sitting beside Tang Father's car all along, had red-rimmed eyes and kept wiping them with tissues. The atmosphere inside the car was so heavy that it seemed like it would collapse.

However, when they returned to Snow Sea Retreat, Mu Xuan did not erupt as expected; instead, she quietly changed her shoes and sat down on the sofa while Tang Wu watched silently from behind, putting away her bag. Then, she accompanied Tang Zongyuan into the kitchen where both of them busily prepared a sumptuous meal that seemed to exhaust all the ingredients stored in their Bosch French door refrigerator. Mu Xuan kept chopping at the cutting board, and Tang Father handed over materials as needed, occasionally exchanging trembling smiles.

The dishes served included Mapo Tofu, Garlic Steamed Yellow River Bream, Shredded Pork with Preserved Vegetables, Fragrant Fried Crab in Butter Sauce, Twice-Cooked Meat, Chopped Pepper Fried Ribs, Tiger Skin Peppers, and Garlic Baby Bamboo Shoots. Eight dishes were set on the table under a beautifully lit chandelier, steaming hot and fragrantly inviting. However, the meal was not as lively as expected given the richness of the dishes.

During dinner time, besides the steam rising from the dishes and the occasional clinking sounds of chopsticks and plates, there was an awkward silence.

Af ter finishing the meal, Tang Wu cleaned up and washed the dishes. Tang Father helped her out and held his daughter's slender hand tightly, gently comforting her, "Your mother is just like that; I've been living with her for decades and know her well. She doesn't hold grudges overnight, don't take it to heart."

Tang Wu was amused by Tang Zongyuan's humorous tone and nodded obediently.

Tang Zongyuan sighed; both mother and daughter were stubborn, committing fully to what they believed. They would never turn back once they had decided on something, even if it meant walking headfirst into a wall. These two women had an unwavering resolve that made Tang Zongyuan feel truly blessed.

For dinner, they combined the soup from lunch and made noodles for the family of three. Before bedtime, Mu Xuan heated some milk out of nowhere and brought it to Tang Wu's room. Upon seeing the dried blood on her lips, Mu Xuan hesitated but ultimately said nothing; Tang Wu drank it before going to bed early. The two did not communicate or engage with each other, maintaining a sense of stubbornness.

Mu Xuan returned downstairs and sat beside Tang Zongyuan to watch TV. Her nose was still red, her eyes slightly puffy due to the day's events. She held a thermos cup in one hand while casually wiping her runny nose with tissues.

"Is your daughter asleep" asked Tang Zongyuan with a sigh. "You should also..."

Mu Xuan turned and said, "Today I thought about it over and over again. Do you think Tao Qing is putting on such a big act behind my back"

Tang Zongyuan glanced at her and reached for an apple on the coffee table, peeling it for Mu Xuan as he spoke, "Oh Today, Mu Guiying enters court, discarding her iron armor light as a swallow, changing battle skirts for silk gauze You’ve noticed something..." After finishing the apple, he handed it to Mu Xuan and then shifted his body slightly, saying, "In my opinion, today's incident aside from what your old friend might be scheming in secret, Su Can is probably truly clueless about the situation; purely accidental."

Mu Xuan placed the apple to one side and took a sip of the hot tea he was holding. He nodded and said, "If he stayed silent today or echoed Tao Qing's family, I would genuinely think that my judgment in the past was off. To be honest, back then, I was angry. You know how few people have ever dared to argue with me—there’s an old lady at the Central Party School who is one of them and you used to be another; now there's this person here too. But after calming down and thinking about it, I still don't know where my anger should be directed, realizing that we've all been caught in Song's wife's trap. Tell me, what are Tao Qing’s real intentions with her daughter"

Tang Zongyuan tasted the meaning behind her words and pursed his lips, asking, "So you think your mother-in-law is increasingly fond of her son-in-law Are you worried that he's not putting on an act but really stepping forward boldly"

Mu Xuan glared fiercely at Tang Zongyuan. Tang’s father immediately softened and gently waved his hand.

Mu Xuan slowly lifted a thermos cup she had been using for five years, withstanding the scrutiny of numerous meetings as a representative; it was more seasoned than an average civil servant's. She raised it to her lips for a sip, twisted on its lid, and suddenly smiled despite her red nose, saying, "But you're right, this boy really does have remarkable spirit; he reminds me of when I first met him in Xiahai five years ago. Thinking about the changes that happened over these past five years... it's quite moving."

"To understand what a person lacks, look at what they flaunt. To see what a person fears, observe what they hide. This boy daringly criticized me for excessively emphasizing my authority today is actually hiding his own inner weakness. It’s the same principle... How can I deal with someone who dares to say such things in front of me Should I continue to make life difficult for him and confirm that he views me as extremely selfish"

Tang Zongyuan smiled, "I know you well. Back then there was a female lawyer at the city-level legal aid conference who stood up to challenge the judicial bureau; she argued that 'people should not be distinguished by wealth or status but only by their societal roles and deserve justice.' She fought for migrant workers’ rights for two years and almost faced physical threats before you stepped in to supervise the case. When the chief, Zhang, proposed city-wide judicial reforms and was criticized negatively by many people at the provincial level, you said ‘such officials are a blessing for the legal system,’ and supported his efforts all along, leading to high praise of your personal charisma when he was transferred to Jiangnan province's court... Tell me, what kind of person are you We’ve been married decades; could I not know such things"

Mu Xuan turned around and patted her father-in-law’s hand that had come over to embrace her shoulder. With the other hand, she rubbed the cup thoughtfully and said softly with a smile, "Reflecting back on it objectively, if Su Can had been submissive and compliant towards me in today's situation... he would never have passed my standards or pleased me."

"Oh, you’ve learned to find brilliance in mediocrity; that’s not the style of Commander Mu Guiying," Tang Zongyuan said with a smile.

"Don’t interrupt..." Mu Xuan gave him a look and continued, "But he stood up for Tang Wu by directly accusing me of depriving her of choice and freedom. What should I do Should I hate him for embarrassing me in front of Tao Qing’s family or be relieved that Tang Wu found reliable support"

Tang’s father remained expressionless but concealed his shock through the gesture of patting his thigh. He half-encircled Mu Xuan and nodded seriously, exclaiming happily, "I told you so; having such a sensible wife and our Tang Wu in our family makes my life truly worth it."

"But I haven’t said I’ll forgive that boy yet... just observing for now..." Mu Xuan put down the thermos cup, crossed her arms over her chest, and crossed one leg over the other.

"I won't forgive, I absolutely won’t forgive," Mr. Tang nodded repeatedly with a look of indignation, "That's extremely impolite. How could someone speak to you like that Your authority is unshakable; it certainly wasn’t an expression of weakness..."

The two couldn’t help but laugh.

The next day, Mr. and Mrs. Tang sent Tang Wu back to Nan University. Su Cen was already at the door very early in the morning. He felt that no matter how he thought about it yesterday, he hadn't been able to control his impulse, although he didn’t regret it. He had expressed his views but there was no need to sulk and break things off over it; that would have been an immature reaction. Su Cen naturally understood the principle of neither being arrogant nor submissive.

Tang Wu came out of the car, followed by Mr. Tang and Mu Xuan who took out her luggage and some local specialties she needed to bring to school. Su Cen took them over and waited for Mu Xuan to say something reprimanding before leaving, but he never did. Su Cen helped carry Tang Wu’s things and said goodbye with a few words about taking care of their health.

Su Cen was acutely aware of the word "you" in those parting remarks. He saw Mu Xuan give him a meaningful look before turning back to get into the car and drive away.

Tang Wu took half the load from Su Cen’s side. She wasn't the kind of girl who would watch as he carried all the bags like a servant and feel indifferent about it, even though there wasn’t much weight involved. This way, at least she wouldn't be moved to pity or concern.

As she entered Nan University with her things, Tang Wu mentioned those items that needed to go to her dormitory such as the shadowed beef jerky, imperial city roast duck, and Emei Snow Bud tea. "The things you're carrying include some for you."

Su Cen thought carefully before raising an eyebrow with a strange question, “Your mother”

Tang Wu shrugged her shoulders with bright eyes as she nodded at him; the corners of her lips dipped slightly despite the scabs on them, radiating a charming and captivating beauty under the summer light.

Qiao Shuxin left Shanghai on Tuesday. The news immediately caused an uproar in many newspapers, speculating about significant changes within the company's internal personnel or rumors that things might be changing due to public opinion issues both internationally and domestically regarding the two facebooks.

On his way to Mei Luo Building, Lin Guangdong from Pineapple Media called Su Cen and asked, "What exactly is going on now Everyone’s gossiping about your conflict with American Zuckerberg over the dual kingship, intense internal personnel struggles. Can you explain this How should I guide our finance section to report on this news Why was Zuckerberg able to come to China and remove you from being CEO"

Su Cen sighed and said, "Before Qiao Shuxin came to China, he had signed a contract with the US that stated he would only temporarily serve as domestic CEO. Our CEO contract is subordinate to any conflicts of interest with the American Facebook agreement. After all, Qiao Shuxin already has an American green card; his employment relationship is in American Facebook. Strictly speaking, he isn't Chinese national. As for Zuckerberg's interference in the CEO matter, it’s been temporarily quelled and now we have internal staffing arrangements.

"The situation of the dual kings' chaos seems to be escalating. It's no longer just news within the internet technology and finance sectors; a relatively famous fashion magazine has even dissected your internal personnel relationships and reported on it. You should be wary of those reporters who might follow you around."

Information about Su Cen being the internal leader of Facebook China had been kept under wraps until now, with no media interviews conducted solely with him. There were still some aggressive media outlets trying to work their way through the outer layers, like when Liu Changhui once asked if Su Cen would consider a solo interview with a significant publication in southern China. After Su Cen's refusal, Liu Changhui never mentioned it again.

Even during his previous speech at Nan University, all possibilities of reporters entering were strictly controlled; apart from limited invitations and some covert entries, the audience was mostly made up of students and teachers from Nan University.

The high-profile appearances of CEO Qiao Shuxin in various settings drew most of the attention. To external mainstream media, Su Cen was known simply as the vague name of the Chairman of Facebook China. In 2004, online and offline media coverage was still not as extensive as it would later become; this year, only a relatively small catppuccino.com had been acquired by Qianrou Interactive Group, while the earliest famous internet phenomenon "human flesh search" wouldn't emerge until two or three years later.

Right now, Su Cen's true identity was known only to people related to companies such as Senken Group and Redwood Investment, those in the pineapple (a metaphor for major tech firms) industry chains who had interacted with him, certain political figures, and a few insiders. To most ordinary citizens, he was merely a symbol of creating the Facebook China social network empire. Of course, there might still be an even larger portion of people who hadn't even heard his name.

Su Cen assured Lin Guangdong that he knew how to avoid reporters; apart from Li Pengyu and others blocking them, regular journalists would hardly enter Facebook's headquarters. The employees were strictly prohibited from giving interviews with external media, and Su Cen’s age and attire meant that even if there were reporters at the Merit Tower watching for him, they wouldn't pay much attention to him.

"If American Facebook insists on selling their shares in Facebook China, what will you do" Lin Guangdong worriedly asked.

"As original shareholders, there are no restrictions on selling shares in the initial company agreements between Facebook and Facebook China. It's more about whether it would cause a moral dilemma. Only the clear IPO agreement stipulated that within ninety days after a public offering, any shareholder or founder cannot sell their stocks. Since Facebook China hasn't gone public yet, if American Facebook were to sell its 40% shares through private placement markets theoretically, it should be feasible." Su Cen sighed and continued, "But from many business histories, we know that if American Facebook sells the shares without reaching a consensus with us, the end result would likely be litigation. You could use commercial law suits in America to charge them for profiting from trade secrets, but that's only when all else fails. This kind of situation shouldn't occur unless absolutely necessary..."

Any legal confrontation can have serious consequences. It is the final step; if it comes down to this with Zuckerberg, it would mean a complete break. Su Cen hoped that this never happens. The days he and that boy in sneakers spent drinking butterscotch beer under the winter skies of Exeter were like an oil painting frozen in time—Su Cen didn't want this scene to become just memories deeply etched within his heart years later.

"Wish you good luck," Lin Guangdong said finally before hanging up.

Qiao Shuxin's early return to the US became a crucial card for Facebook China, one that could not be lost. The situation was brewing like turbulent waves. his "opposing one’s will" attitude, and it was quite surprising he managed to become a class advisor before retiring.Earlier, when Wang Guiwen declared he wouldn't return until the goal was achieved,...