ularity had increased significantly, with business improving by over thirty percent and still continuing to grow.Their initial attitude of "not understanding it but willing to give it a try" had shift...Chapter 58 Preparing for Battle

"Let's go eat first." Su Can approached from behind and took the bag of personal items from Tang Wu's hand. Tang Wu was clearly startled, turned to see Su Can, her expression calmed slightly, "You appear out of nowhere."

"Hey, you two seem pretty cozy. Is Tang Wu's boyfriend here" Ruan Sige, Tong Tong, and the others passed by. There were some girls who took this opportunity to look at Su Can, making Tang Wu's cheeks turn red.

"No need for any words now, let's fill our stomachs first. You must be hungry too." Su Can took advantage of the situation to grab Tang Wu's hand and walked straight towards the cafeteria. Tang Wu gently tried to pull away but naturally couldn't break free; she also allowed him to lead her.

When they arrived at the cafeteria, Su Can ordered a table full of small dishes and bought a bottle of water for Tang Wu before sitting down on the stool next to Tang Wu who had already prepared rice for him. Su Can picked up his bowl and shoveled in several mouthfuls of rice while Tang Wu picked some vegetables and ate them slowly, watching Su Can's ravenous eating manner as she said, "The day after tomorrow, my family is hosting a gathering. My mother especially mentioned to me that I should also bring you along."

The cafeteria was noisy with people, causing Su Can to be stunned for a moment before he looked up at Tang Wu and asked, "Is this your mother's idea"

Tang Wu’s father had indeed personally talked about it to him, but that didn’t mean Mu Xuan favored him. It really did come as a surprise to Su Can when Mu Xuan said it herself. He originally thought Mu Xuan’s attitude was neither supportive nor encouraging, and such things wouldn't be more widely publicized. But Tang Wu's gathering had relatives and friends present; this wasn’t the same as letting Su Can accept a full family inspection.

There seemed to be an intention of bringing him into their home.

Tang Wu nodded, picking up some vegetables and then softly said, "You can also choose not to go. It's actually nothing."

"Okay." Su Can continued to pick up food and eat rice; the cafeteria was still bustling with people. The fact that he could sit beside Tang Wu instead of opposite her increased their sense of closeness. However, Tang Wu felt as if her heart were being cut by a knife because of Su Can’s lukewarm response.

"Are you angry" Tang Wu raised her head and asked softly. Seeing that Su Cen did not respond but continued to eat, she bit her lip gently, the pain reminding her to continue speaking: "I didn’t mean it like that; I just don’t want anyone to make you unhappy."

When Tang Wu came to visit their relatives and friends in Shanghai before coming to college, there were quite a few of them. Some of these people she found difficult to like due to their indifferent attitudes, which could extend towards Su Cen as well.

This was different from when Su Cen had celebrated her birthday for her in Chengdu; she did not want him to be under the scrutiny of this group. She preferred a formal dinner just between the two of them and her family members. The presence of others wasn’t important.

Su Cen turned his head with a faint smile, which somewhat eased Tang Wu’s slightly pained heart. He reached out to hold her hand and caress her smooth skin: "I know; it doesn’t matter. This is your family gathering, and your mother specially invited me. Of course I should go. Is your man so easily despised How are we going to live after that"

Tang Wu smiled gently. She was used to Su Cen’s bold advances, but at times his playful remarks could alleviate her gloomy mood.

She felt a twinge of worry for him; no matter what pressure he faced, he seemed able to face it calmly and continuously inject confidence into others. However, few people knew the true state of his inner world or whether he ever felt sad.

Tang Wu stared at Su Cen intently, observing his profile closely.

Su Cen’s heart skipped a beat; though he was still busy eating, even he could feel flustered with such an attractive beauty staring at him so openly. His blood circulation quickened as well, but he had to appear professional and focused on his food.

Tang Wu sniffled and said, "If you’re unhappy that day, we’ll just go back to school."

Su Cen found himself unable to concentrate after Tang Wu spoke those words. He originally planned to sit quietly and read some books but ended up playing a few rounds of StarCraft instead. That night in bed, he felt much more at ease. What Tang Wu said made his heart stir; perhaps he would just hold her hand and take her far away, seeing scenes never seen before, walking paths never walked before, watching the scenery pass by with them, two people together for a lifetime, without regrets.

But after all, they are not old yet; this year they remain young. Before Su Cen, who has been reborn into a new life with the surname Su, unfolds is a slowly painted scroll of his life.

The day Su Cen opened his eyes was sunny and cloudless.

After running early in the morning, Su Cen picked up a newspaper, bought a loaf of bread, sat on a chair, and read the news from the morning paper.

Tang Corporation's Hou Tang 3000 City had its opening this day. This month, there were quite a few new residential projects coming to market, as well as numerous commercial activities and grand celebrations across Shanghai.

The newspaper reported that the price of Hou Tang 3000 City was 6700 yuan per square meter, which was already considered high for the Xujiahui business district. However, after Su Cen looked at the location of Hou Tang 3000 City, he believed it had tremendous potential to appreciate in value due to its future commercial district development.

Nevertheless, Su Cen could clearly recognize that real estate is one of the most expensive single commodities in any country's cities and often represents the largest expenditure for many people throughout their lives. However, this industry has rarely produced great companies.

This was also a drawback and vicious cycle because of its unique geographical and non-homogeneous nature; this industry could not produce economies of scale, nor could real estate groups grow significantly in size. Therefore, starting with real estate and aiming to earn big profits required controlling the years of land reserves and using high asset return rates to secure capital, thus pursuing a path driven by financial operations.

Su Cen called Wang Yue again in Dunhuang. When she answered the phone on the other end, she smiled cleverly and said, "The big boss finally decided to call and ask."

"Didn't I call you last month I saw your report in Chengdu's media; it was well done." Dunhuang had been holding events throughout the second half of the year with excellent sales. Although it wasn't the strongest in all of Chengdu, it ranked second and closely followed Wangfujing's largest store in Southwest China.

"I am so tired. The money you asked me to prepare has already been deposited; you can check at any time, big boss Su."

Su Can smiled and asked, "Will this affect Dunhuang's upcoming plans"

"There's nothing to be done about it. You're biased after all, the funds have been redirected. First, there was Shushan Stationery, now you want to support Boruo Media. We can only delay everything and hope to open another branch in Guangzhou or Shanghai by March next year."

"Oh, are everyone at Dunhuang doing well You've worked hard."

"Oh, what are you saying. If you know we're working hard, why don't you come back and reward us for our efforts" Wang Yue giggled on the other end of the phone before hanging up. She was increasingly displaying the demeanor of a professional manager, being efficient in her work and rarely showing her former naivety around Su Can anymore. Those days were now secrets deep within their hearts, including that small city's evening when they made vows to venture out into the world.

Su Can sat on a chair in the misty early morning campus, where many people were exercising. Some ran into the fog while others emerged from it; occasionally he would catch sight of a graceful female student. In the distance, there was basic training for the baseball team and even the Taekwondo club had come out to practice early in the morning. A few elderly professors, wearing thin sweaters, were practicing Tai Chi in the forest.

Su Can got up from his spot, walking under the soft light dressed in sports shoes and a short-sleeved hoodie, lively and clear-cut.

He stretched widely and felt invigorated all over.

The funds were now in place, it was time to make a big move.

The life of a freshman was so mundane yet still full of surprises. This day deserved a memorable mark, albeit not extravagant but certainly worth remembering.pposite—warm on the outside and cold within. Just like when he first saw her, she could easily get along with anyone near her, whether it be playing or socializing, yet very few people could truly ent...