d tragically led to what can only be described as a love crime... No matter how you look at it, the once beautiful and independent woman ultimately met an untimely end. Even someone as strong and capa...Chapter 102: The Amazing Class President
Do business people have circles
In China, where circle culture is prevalent, there's no doubt that such circles exist around entrepreneurs and even extend to their children and successors.
In 2009, when Ning Guangong of COFCO Group teamed up with Nu Gensheng of Mengniu for a fundraising effort, the name "China Entrepreneurs Club" frequently appeared in public view, reaching unprecedented heights.
During the crisis when foreign capital was poised to take over Mengniu, many members of this organization came forward to offer assistance. Eight months later, when Ning Guangong and Nu Gensheng joined hands at a zero hour meeting, they were still surrounded by the "circle" field generated by the club.
Nu Gensheng should be grateful for joining this club in winter 2006.
The China Entrepreneurs Club, initiated by prominent business leaders like Li Dongsheng of TCL Corporation, Jack Ma of Alibaba Group, and Li Shufu of Geely Automobile, along with top economists and diplomats, is characterized to a large extent by mutual trust. When encountering crises or difficulties, members can rely on various forms of support from different angles—this is the power of their circle.
The shared trust and resources among club members also bring direct business opportunities and benefits.
Back in late 2001, before the establishment of this "jungle alliance" for Chinese entrepreneurs.
Su Can sensed a sense of college "club" brotherhood culture while studying in a prestigious university in this cosmopolitan city.
Ling Luoran was admitted into an elite club at Shanghai International Studies University, and Tang Wu was also undergoing interviews for the Nanjing University's Phi Club. Even though Su Can generally had no fondness for such clubs, he couldn't deny that top clubs indeed form powerful circles.
Similar to political factions, business people also form distinct cliques based on regional affiliations like the Shanghai clique, Beijing clique, Zhejiang clique, Sichuan merchants, Ningbo clique, and others. Or through associations like alumni networks from major universities, industry circles, Jiangnan Club, etc., each gathering a group of members with unique strengths and relationships. This is an indispensable aspect for the growth of Chinese enterprises.
Any person in power will try their best to bring people closer together to form alliances, as developing a business requires a team, and further development demands a circle of resources, connections, and various relationships—these are all essential components on the business stage.
This is why many successful individuals hope that their children can interact with peers from similar backgrounds. This is because those born into such families naturally possess greater social networks, wealth, and strategic resources than others.
Of course, people at high positions are not necessarily all gathered for the sake of benefits and resources.
The loneliness felt by someone in a position of power, along with their difficulty distinguishing between ordinary concern and care from those around them, makes these individuals yearn to find places where they can be among like-minded peers. They seek equal friendship and confidants who can understand and share their unique challenges.
When one reaches the pinnacle of a hierarchy, they only have subordinates but no equals. This awkward situation often leaves them unsure about others' true intentions—will that long-time chauffeur turn against him someday Will his bold and ambitious subordinate secretly cooperate with competitors Or what motivations do those who approach his children or grandchildren truly hold
Seen from this perspective, having one's own circle is indeed something quite necessary, if not somewhat sad.
However, such matters had little impact on Su Can. He remained rather indifferent to them.
A reborn soul like him already possesses the foresight and awareness of a prophet, allowing him to leverage three-dimensional resources across time and space. His resource acquisition is based solely on his understanding of the times' pulse, not through social circles. This itself surpasses many in their capabilities.
Thanks to Ling Luoran's reminder, Su Can suddenly remembered that he could openly invite everyone in the class for a meal or host a Christmas party. Since he had always appeared as a student and hadn't previously hosted grand feasts, it was understandable that he didn’t immediately think of this option.
He quickly made up for this oversight.
The news of Class 4 hosting a Christmas party at the Crowne Plaza Hotel spread through posters posted on campus notice boards, attracting curious passersby to stop and read.
The poster itself was quite exquisite. Su Can personally gathered ideas from his classmates and set the general tone for it based on consensus among class officers. When he presented the concept in class, everyone's enthusiasm reached unprecedented heights; even usually agreeable class leaders eagerly offered suggestions regarding the poster design.
Su Cen felt that this was good; previously, the entire class lacked vitality and seemed lifeless and depressed. This was due to his poor performance as a core member of the class committee, resulting in negative consequences. It also led to many criticisms from outsiders about his class.
People like Xiao Xue, Li Han, etc., had conveyed the dissatisfaction of their classmates towards Su Cen. Many times during joint classes with other classes, he was often pointed out and criticized.
The more gossipy groups would usually start conversations with something like, "Why doesn't your class organize any activities Public events and collaborations with the journalism department are all full of handsome men. You ask about our class Has our class monitor fulfilled his responsibilities"
Now, a notice widely posted on the bulletin board read: "All students of Class 4, Grade 2001, New Students College at Nan Da University: To enhance the sense of collective honor and team cohesion in our class, we have arranged for a Christmas banquet to be held at the conference hall of the Crowne Plaza Hotel outside Nan Da University on December 24th. This is the first major event organized by our class this academic year. Every student is requested to wear formal attire and arrive before nine o'clock. Additionally, families are welcome, and every attendee can receive a精美小禮品一份。四班班委會宣
There were some talented individuals on Su Cen's class committee who excelled in various fields such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. So the poster was written and painted by these capable people themselves, to Su Cen’s satisfaction. While they complained about their work not being good enough, they felt a sense of pride seeing Su Cen's approving expression.
When the poster was posted, it coincided with the period when students were returning to their dormitories after class to prepare for meals and hot water. Consequently, many people gathered around the bulletin board. People’s ears were filled with exclamations from those around them in disbelief, admiration, amazement, and exaggeration.
"The Christmas party of your class is held at a five-star hotel Is there something wrong" A student union member who was preparing to paste his own activity announcement with glue and posters immediately froze upon seeing this poster.
“Isn't it too extravagant Has the school funded this, or have they secured funding from outside”
"Damn, comparing oneself to others can be depressing. However, this is a creative idea."
A student of Class 4 couldn't help but stand in front of the announcement and exclaimed, "Isn't this our class's Christmas party When did it get scheduled at Holiday Hotel"
The entire dormitory area was filled with amazement. People began to discuss how Class 4 managed to secure a venue for their banquet in such a hotel, as if they were blessed by a deity. Under normal circumstances, Nan Da University would be pulling out red banners saying "Warmly Welcoming Relevant Leaders to Holiday Hotel," not an entire class occupying the grand hall of a five-star hotel.
The heads of the student union were initially astonished by this piece of gossip. They wondered what kind of class it was that could make such news worthy of school publicity.
New Student College started to have some doubts as well. Even counselors began discussing this issue privately. When Su Yi entered his office, he met a counselor who usually didn't engage much in conversation but asked, "Hey, how did your Class 4 manage to hold the Christmas party at Holiday Hotel" The overseas returnee looked at Su Yi meaningfully and said, “They are rich.”
The class fund collected upon enrollment was used for some class activities. Su Yi knew that the class funds were about one thousand eight hundred yuan when they enrolled. After several months of spending, there should be only around a thousand yuan left in the hands of the life committee member; it wouldn't be possible to spend more and less than two thousand yuan on a Christmas party at a five-star hotel's banquet hall. Wouldn't that amount to complete nonsense
Recently Su Cen had handled the issue of finding an event venue, yet he ended up securing a five-star hotel. Where did Class 4 find such a large sum No company would sponsor a class activity.
In response to the advice from school leaders and the envy from colleagues, it was difficult for young teachers like Su Yi to climb the ranks; their positions were very awkward. Among so many teaching assistants and lecturers in a university, truly standing out by working hard and achieving performance results that would be noticed by higher-level administrators wasn't easy.
Therefore, the actions of Class 4's counselor, Su Yi, immediately aroused envy and discussion among colleagues, with some even saying he was desperate to impress his superiors and had spent his own money on this event.
Hence, Su Yi turned red and pale in turns, summoning Su Cen to the office. Seeing Su Cen enter, Su Yi’s nervousness and anger were temporarily suppressed as he asked with a frown, "Su Cen, what's going on here Why did you choose a five-star hotel for the venue How could they agree to provide us space Where did this money come from Won't it have negative repercussions if people find out Yes, first explain where this money came from."
Su Cen helplessly said, "Coach Su, I paid for the hotel expenses myself because the class funds were insufficient. I wanted to save some money for the class. So this Christmas party is funded by me personally and not organized by the class committee. If you're worried about negative repercussions, you can explain it like that."
"You paid" Su Yi stared at Su Cen, recalling many students arriving on various fancy cars during the freshmen enrollment day. He remembered Su Cen's father as a rather plain middle-aged man who had brought him a box of local specialties. Back then, he felt quite fond of Su Cen.
But now his thoughts were blocked by Su Cen’s declaration that he personally funded the banquet for the entire class.
"Coach Su, do you have any other questions"
Su Yi recovered from the shock and nodded, trying to remain calm. "Oh, I see. You should've informed me beforehand."
“You told us that we could decide on our own. We just decided and didn’t get a chance to inform you,” Su Cen said innocently.
Su Yiyi was a bit at a loss for words. Indeed, he had let Su Can and the others decide on their own, but this was also because he had been somewhat disappointed with Su Can lately; they couldn't even secure classroom space for their events multiple times, so he didn’t have high hopes anymore, allowing them to make their decision independently. If things still hadn't worked out by then, it would be left up to fate.
But unexpectedly, there was such a reversal of events. After being stunned for a moment, Su Yiyi nodded vigorously, "Alright, you've handled this matter well, and I shouldn’t worry about the impact." He then walked over to the table, took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and chuckled dryly, "Haha, what's there to be afraid of Are the school leaders going to eat me or something!"
Su Can thought for a moment and said, "Teacher Su, our class Christmas party has also been confirmed. You and the college leadership have provided so much help; you must attend our gathering."
Su Yiyi was stunned for a moment before waving his hand with a smile, "It's your young people’s affair; why should we intervene"
"Teacher Su, it’s different this time. Holding Christmas Eve at a five-star hotel marks the start of our maturity. We've promoted quality education for so many years, but without a platform to support it, it wouldn’t be possible. Leadership skills, creativity, coordination ability, social skills—these can all be demonstrated in our class's Christmas party. Therefore, we sincerely invite the college leadership and Teacher Su to grace us with your presence and guidance."
Su Yiyi smiled, "This might not be appropriate."
"We will send out invitations to Teacher Su and the college leadership. I believe all classmates would be very excited upon hearing this news," Su Can continued.
Su Yiyi nodded, "Alright then. We’ll try our best to come over on that day; you must make sure the party is a success. Since we’re going to hold it, let’s make it unforgettable for everyone in the class and not waste this good opportunity."
Su Can thought to himself: What kind of good opportunity is this If I have time later, I can just invite them again. But he could only nod at this moment.
Seeing Su Can agree and leave, Su Yiyi couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration. This Su Can was quite profound. How should one describe him Sometimes, he didn't seem like an ordinary freshman. He made a great impression in the debate competition and could stand his ground against Li Changlong in class discussions. How could such achievements be accomplished by someone just entering university
However, what Su Can said resonated with him deeply; this event would certainly cause some commotion at school, making their class an object of discussion. They might even end up on those newspapers and media outlets that keep a close eye on them, while simultaneously inviting college leadership to attend their party. This completely changed the nature of things. Holding such large-scale events as these could rival those organized by some university clubs or associations in terms of organizational skills, planning ability, public relations capabilities, and demonstrating various results of quality education. There was no reason for the leaders not to personally guide them.
Now, his class under Su Yiyi's guidance had immediately attracted attention from the school leadership.
Su Yiyi suddenly thought that Su Can was very mature. "Tang Wu, did you see the notice" Ruan Sige entered with her backpack and spoke in a sharp tone usually reserved for ladylike behavior.
"Hmm" Tang Wu was washing her pink underwear in the independent bathroom at this moment. Upon hearing Ruan Sige's words, she lifted her head to look at her while gently wiping off foam from her chin, exuding an alluring demeanor.
The other girls in the dormitory, Cheng Congcong and Tong Tong, stared at Ruan Sige who charged in like a terminator.
Ruan Sige used her cup to fetch water from the drinking machine and drank two large gulps. It was rare for female students to drink so much; she then took a deep breath dramatically and exclaimed, "Su Can's class is actually holding their Christmas Eve party at a five-star hotel! Everyone’s talking about it now. There are only four classes in our first year who plan on having such parties, but many other classes would also like to have one if classroom space weren’t an issue. But this idea and scale… holding a party in a five-star banquet hall is too impressive for others not to be surprised."
Sitting with her Disney cup on the chair, Ruan Sige continued, "Moreover, they allow each student to bring one companion or relative. How can we possibly compete with this The students from other classes holding their parties in school activity rooms must feel quite envious."
Tang Wu smiled and said, "Since there’s no venue available on campus, it was decided to hold it off-campus. Whether inside or outside the university, it makes little difference."
Ruan Sige admired Tang Wu's indifference intensely. "You might think that way, but others won’t necessarily have such thoughts. Wow, it feels quite unfair. Should I switch classes to Su Can’s class"
Tong Tong and Cheng Congcong smiled successively.
Tong Tong teased with a smile, "Tang Wu, Christmas is coming; did you prepare anything for Su Can Come on, tell me what he plans to give you."
Cheng Congcong also spoke as usual. "Yes, yes. Last year, I got a necklace worth over four thousand yuan from a boy, and the previous year’s gift wasn’t very memorable either; it was just a friend bringing perfume from Hong Kong. What can I expect this year I’m quite looking forward to it."
"Are you preparing any gifts" Tang Wu gazed quietly at the water basin, her clear face reflected in the slightly rippled surface of the water. In high school for three years and now in university, Tang Wu truly thought about it: She had never really been alone with Su Can during Christmas. When she was a freshman, she just saw him as an ordinary friend; perhaps there were some faint mutual feelings but nothing significant—people who might meet at their school, exchange smiles a couple of times, and then part ways.
The year after, she left Xiahai for Rongcheng, believing that she would never see Su Can again. She was facing an uncertain future in high school three years ago.
During her final year's Christmas in America, Su Can was just a Chinese exchange student at Exeter who constantly made headlines and served as a source of amusement for American high school students. Tang Wu herself, due to her introverted nature, wasn't well-liked by the American students either.
The two people's Christmas was relatively simple, just listening to the band's performance and leaning against each other's shoulders, feeling each other's warmth. They looked at newspapers and books in their hands and spent a day that wasn't particularly lively for them.
Fu Yi knew it was time to prepare a good gift for Su Cen this Christmas.
The Big Bill Club at Nan Da University was also not inactive. Similar to the Essak organization at Shanghai International Studies University, these clubs usually held activities in a low-key manner; some students on campus didn't even know about them, let alone the specific details of their activities.
However, it's not surprising for high-level clubs within the university to obtain information regarding such matters.
The Big Bill members planned to collaborate with Shanghai International Studies University in order to expand both sides' social circles. After all, Nan Da's social system itself has certain limitations.
As elite members of the Big Bill Club, they could easily identify several drawbacks within Nan Da's social system.
The Big Bill Club is superior compared to other university organizations like the Entrepreneurship Investment Association and the Management Association. It’s not only because it’s one of the most prestigious clubs at Nan Da but also due to its high entry threshold. In certain circles, being a senior year student at Nan Da without receiving an invitation or recommendation from Big Bill means that it's unlikely you'll be able to join. Many people start joining in their third year; however, cases like Tang Wu being recommended during her first year are rare.
This is not only because the Future Entrepreneurs Club strictly controls its membership numbers and quality.
After all, many entrepreneurs and businessmen who have graduated from Nan Da through Big Bill often end up ranking in the top ten across various industries. Such high-success-rate university elite groups bring a sense of pride to their members. While they may appear indifferent and polite towards others, it’s more like maintaining a distance as if saying "we don't belong to the same world."
Therefore, for them, expanding social circles must involve dialogue between clubs representing alumni associations from both prestigious universities.
This time, the Essak organization's Christmas party at Nan Da was actually a joint social event held with Nan Da’s club.
The Essak organization at Shanghai International Studies University is well-known for its beautiful girls. Club council members hoped that outstanding boys in their club could come out of their classrooms and closed research rooms to get acquainted with more high-quality girls through wider channels.
Currently, the members of Nan Da’s Future Entrepreneurs Club were gathered at an English-run café outside the university's campus, discussing a sudden topic within the school.
"One of our classes in Nan Da actually coincided with the Essak club event. It was also held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel." A fair-skinned male student wearing gold-rimmed glasses said. He is Liu Menghui from the Big Bill Club Council.
"I heard it, it's from Class 4 of the freshmen college. The class president is Su Cen. It’s rumored that he paid for the ballroom himself," a woman with large breasts wearing tortoiseshell black frame glasses said with a smile. Her name was Mo Xue, vice-chairperson of the student council and Big Bill club member; she's the one who recommended Tang Wu to join the club.
The third person there is Liang Qinghe, another backbone member of the club. He smiled and said, "What’s going on Aren’t freshmen supposed to be organized How could they not know about the event"
"Shall I go tell them to leave After all, it's not fun for others to disturb a beautiful Christmas party. We can just communicate with their department and get them to change venues." Liu Menghui said with his white teeth showing. His words seemed to carry an invisible magical power and energy that leaves no room for debate.
Mo Xue frowned and smiled, "Don’t be so domineering, freshmen are quite tough as underclassmen; we should protect them."
Although Su Cen's class event coincided with the Big Bill and Essak joint party, unaware of this situation, he was still enthusiastically planning for his Christmas evening.
Little did he know that this action had stirred up some people inside Nan Da University. Indeed, paying out-of-pocket to hold a Christmas party outside is quite impressive; why didn’t anyone think of such an idea before Some criticized Su Cen for formality and showiness, but others admired his courage in hosting the class event at a high-end hotel right by the school gate despite all the scrutiny on campus. This pioneering spirit earned him admiration.
Now within the university grounds, a new nickname is starting to spread for Su Cen.
"The Most Impressive Freshman Class President."
Another thing: "Lucky Star and Illusory World" swings in autumn breeze, brothers’ monthly votes.
Thanks to book friends Qian Kou Jin Liang two. Zhe Xiao Ben, Feng Qing Wei Yun: Nine-tenths of a boy, waiting for friends' donations.
This chapter is 7,000 words today. Starting from mid-month, I will gradually catch up on the backlog; I'll maintain my level and increase speed slowly. This needs some time to醞釀 (brew). Everyone knows writing urban novels is exhausting. If you could give a little support, it would be greatly appreciated. 12-8overly lauded. The big boss in the newspaper industry doesn’t know how to be modest and reserved; he has some ambition and declared that we must spread magazines nationwide as quickly as possible, est...