Chapter 43 The First Battle

ifficult problem.Taking stocks was Daji's hobby, and he was quite famous for it in his social circle. Daji loved to study stocks, stamp collecting, and other such activities, enjoying the game of the...Chapter 43 The First Battle

The final exams, from any perspective, are the cruelest thing for college students. Freshmen who have just managed to step into university life, preparing themselves for a wild and carefree semester of dorm hopping, visiting each other's campuses, sipping coffee in cafés or water bars around the universities, aimlessly wandering the campus, playing soccer without a care in the world, or indulging in romantic pursuits—this idyllic state is suddenly shattered by these exams.

Even seniors who are so nonchalant that they can calmly pick out a cricket from their food at the cafeteria and continue eating can't afford to ignore the final exams. They still have to maintain good relationships with professors, being humble in order to avoid any blemishes on their degree certificates. People may endure four years of university life under any circumstances, but academic credentials must shine brightly. Often, this is what society values.

For Su Can and the countless Nan University students battling through pre-exam preparations, however, it's a matter of whether they'll have to retake courses next semester and pay hefty re-take fees for their exams.

The various subject exams were scheduled during specific time periods. Perhaps due to exam preparation during the day causing mental tension and heavy brainwork, everyone got hungry quickly each night, so dinner was always relished, especially if it was a treat from someone else.

After Su Can's Chinese Facebook recruitment campaign at Nan University became more renowned, especially after visits by the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Committee and the Minister of Propaganda to his office in Merlion Plaza for "friendly" conversations, reports about Chinese Facebook frequently appeared in Shanghai’s major media outlets. Before this, people only knew of Facebook through hearsay; they guessed that one of its founders was at Nan University but few were certain. Now, discussions about it have become public and official.

Across Shanghai, college students and white-collar workers are the most sensitive to such news. It seems as if Liu Changsheng's slogan is coming true: Chinese Facebook has a promising future. Su Can's reputation at Nan University surged; people who once didn't acknowledge him now frequently greet him.

Among these individuals, some were freshmen when they met Su Can, while others are members of the Nan University Entrepreneurs Club or marginal figures in his activity circle. After greeting him, they often tell their companions about how he is one of the founders of Chinese Facebook.

Su Cen felt quite pleased inwardly about being treated this way, as in the past, such treatment was reserved for some of the風雲人物in the school, like the champion of the campus singing contest or leaders within student organizations.

However, he hasn't yet encountered a situation where pretty girls insist on getting his autograph. After Su Cen expressed his confusion about this issue, the three guys in his dormitory used blankets to pin him down and gave him a beating.

The Chinese version of Facebook was very popular in Shanghai; Wang Dongjian and his group would go around visiting dormitories every day, discussing things like "The barbecue at the living area is really good," or "I'm right, aren't I" or "The small dishes at Bawei Restaurant are getting better and better. We should consider going there." or "There are many beautiful girls in the Italian Western restaurant on the south side recently; it's a great place for watching them go by." Fed up with this, Su Cen could only say, "I'll treat everyone. Let's choose where to eat."

Thus, a large group gathered at the bustling street of snack shops every day. After final exams, the business would be relatively quiet during the holiday period, so the current exam period was like a last burst of prosperity before a lull. Many students returning home for the holidays took advantage of this time to indulge themselves. Those with better relationships or connections participated in various social gatherings at bars and restaurants.

But now it seemed that regardless of whether one had good relationships or any connection, they all collectively came to Su Cen's dining table to freeload on his treat.

Ahead were the people from Tang Wu’s dormitory along with many other girls he knew and didn't know. Beside him were Zhang Xiaqiao and Wang Dongjian’s roommates, making a crowd that filled three large tables put together by the restaurant老闆勉強湊夠了人數。人群浩浩蕩蕩，儼然一副公款吃喝的明星陣容。

"Wow! Even Cheng Congcong, the little flower of Class Seven known as 'Hot Pepper,' is here. It’s clear that you have great influence!" Two obviously inexperienced individuals who were following Wang Dongjian to freeload on his treat whispered to each other. They kept looking around and sizing up the girls at the table; Cheng Congcong was holding the menu, her sleeves rolled up, showing no sign of strangeness or awkwardness. This girl wearing branded clothing had quite a reputation among first-year students. In the different campuses of freshmen divided into several groups, she always stood out as the daughter or relative of someone influential. So her name spread far and wide.

Except for Tang Wu’s dormitory, many girls who came today were still quite reserved on the surface, acting like proper ladies. Occasionally, a couple would get along well with the boys, naturally making the atmosphere lively.

Many people naturally shifted their conversation to Su Cen and said that he had become an example of entrepreneurship among Nan Da University students now. They asked if he had any future plans or when his company could produce products for everyone's inspection. Su Cen simply told them that it was currently in the debugging phase, asking for their patience.

Suddenly, someone joked about a senior they knew being selected into Su Cen's company. They must be amazed and envious to know that their president is sitting so close to them.

Su Cen smiled and said, "That’s just a platform; what matters most is tapping into everyone's potential. I’m merely an intern in the company, but we often gather for meals like this with the staff. In the future, I’ll be able to do more of that." Li Han remarked, “Letting things take their natural course, you’re showing more and more leadership potential.” Everyone laughed heartily, making the atmosphere warm and lively.

The dishes from the restaurant arrived quickly at this point, filling up the entire table. They uncorked some wine and started to feast.

Su Cen had originally thought that after his identity was exposed, he would drift further away from such a life. Now it seems like he had been overly worried before. However, as his career deepens, there will naturally be fewer opportunities for university life experiences like this one. But each step forward is important; what matters most is who’s by your side.

While having these thoughts, Su Cen looked at Tang Wu through the bustling crowd. The lights made her face glow brightly and clearly. Tang Wu was chatting with a few girls but noticed Su Cen's gaze on her, turning to him with a smile. Perhaps due to drinking quite a bit of alcohol, Su Cen felt this smile incredibly alluring.

Su Cen knew that the incident at Meiluo Tower must have been caused by having dinner at Tang Wu’s home with her grandmother cooking. Some people wield such great influence, and it was clear that Tang Wu's grandmother was one of these hidden high-ranking figures. Su Cen thought to himself that now many individuals who might want to move against him would have to carefully consider their actions; this likely disrupted quite a few people's plans behind the scenes.

Individuals like Zhan Hua would certainly not take any reckless action again, as it was already a sign of danger. As for Liu Zhensheng, he might be preoccupied with worries over this matter for a long time to come. More small-minded individuals would be intimidated by this move and covertly observe the future developments of Su Cen’s enterprise instead of openly confronting him. This was an invaluable period of calm.

The two elders at Tang Wu's home had secured sufficient time during the initial stages for his business to take root, which was a precious developmental phase.

He needed to make use of this favorable wind and push forward with several project teams.

Since the first batch of projects were set in universities in Shanghai and Beijing, the project was divided into two groups. One group of five people led by Qiao Shuxin headed north with the aim to conquer three top-tier universities in Beijing, establishing the first officially recognized university networks for Chinese Facebook. The rest of the team handled the colleges in Shanghai.

Chinese Facebook did not blindly take a unique path but combined Su Cen's past experiences and replicated the road taken by American Facebook. After all, at this point, China's earliest community website had already been sold to Sohu.

The failure of ch仉arel should be quite simple: on one hand, it wanted to become a portal site like Sina.com.cn, which was an impossible challenge against established giants like Sohu and新浪 (Sina). On the other hand, there were financial issues; without a flexible and innovative revenue model, it burned through too much money. In fact, ch仉are's greatest advantage was gaining close to five million users in just one and a half years, which indirectly proved the huge potential of SNS websites in China.

Unfortunately, no one made it happen, leaving it as a sub-brand under Sohu instead of a proper social network, mostly a hodgepodge of features.

Later, Renren and Kaixin came into being after the social networking trend had been ongoing for some time in China. They failed to capture the peak of the online ecosystem. In other words, everyone was accustomed to the simple and direct QQ messaging platform, so why bother with a social network

Without providing assistance when needed, it could only add flowers to an already decorated brocade; however, such embellishments often go unnoticed.

Su Cen started by conquering universities, as the relatively private initial environment would increase loyal users. This strategy was correct in theory, but many people misused it or lacked the vitality to persist until success arrived.

The first step of Chinese Facebook began with universities, and once domestic college students felt this social network could become a part of their lives, they opened up external access ports at that time to attract members.

In essence, Su Cen’s team's strategy was to start like an antelope hanging from a horn before breaking through all obstacles. The popularity of instant messaging largely started with students; where it had been missed, they aimed to reclaim it. Chinese Facebook's first stronghold and battle would begin with the student demographic.with a cool "Mm," and quickly pieced together the context of what Su Cen was talking about. She, of course, knew about this school magazine; Su Cen's article had once won first place, and she had kept...