tonishment as she looked up and down at Su Cen before handing him the report card. "Wow! How did you manage to get 645 In my opinion, you are our class's biggest dark horse in the past three years!"Ho...Chapter 112: Emotions Return to the Hometown
In the winter of 2002 in Pudong, while preparing for his own academic year's coursework at Nan University, Cen also needed to manage the dual development of his business studies. This year, Dunhuang Group planned to open new stores in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, but further research was required before deciding which city would host them. Countless management-level meetings were held early morning in conference rooms and late night in coffee shops to finalize these plans.
As a result, Cen had many documents to deal with, but for now he temporarily put aside the end-of-term workload.
The fashion magazine was sailing smoothly. After launching simultaneously with his university enrollment, it quickly gained significant influence during this period. Every day, investors and potential partners reached out through various channels to contact Lin Guangdong.
Many people wanted to invest money in the magazine, thanks largely to the heated discussion about the dinner auction event orchestrated by Zhan Hua in Shanghai's social circle earlier on. Regardless of how this dinner was commented upon, it undoubtedly brought substantial development opportunities for Cen’s company.
In the past, well-established consumption magazines from the Yangtze River Delta and Beijing-Tianjin regions had a stronghold; newcomers could hardly find their footing. Now, however, Powerlo Media's magazine had broken through this barrier with its strong momentum. Its distribution volume and customer reception levels left all recently emerging magazines far behind.
Cen also heard from Lin Guangdong that some consumption magazines directly presented Cen’s magazine at internal meetings in front of department heads for thorough research, while company executives even advised their subordinates to emulate the style as closely as possible.
This was a significant shortcoming within the industry. Many periodicals lacked innovation, and those that managed to start up with consensus from some online magazines and regulatory bodies often struggled due to issues such as insufficient funding or outsiders directing insiders, leading to few being able to survive during market cultivation periods. Most were marked by poor imitation and a lack of creativity, swiftly eliminated by the market. Late payment of author fees and editor salaries was also common, so aside from some truly branded magazines with their own set rules, many others were loose and sluggish.
In Cen’s view, his magazine's success lay in two points: accurate positioning—something only proposed later within China's journal market—and innovative advertising marketing. The magazine did not broadly engage in commodity advertisements or hype up luxury items that seemed irrelevant to ordinary people. Instead, it delved into everyday life, advocating for tech-savvy and technical fashion consumption concepts that resonated with a general audience.
The second point was its outstanding advertising strategies, such as featuring Bentley at an auto show and hosting Zhan Hua's exclusive dinner atop the Bvlgari Hotel, which had already been widely publicized. These factors contributed to the magazine’s sudden popularity.
Cen believed that Zhang Wu’s family members' attitude towards him changed because of this reason. Although his name was not mentioned in media reports about the meal with Zhan Hua and the press, Cen personally informed Mr. and Mrs. Tang about the magazine to clarify matters for them. It likely spread quickly within their social circle after that, and many people probably considered it normal for wealthy second-generation entrepreneurs like him to start companies.
Of course, this was before Zhan Hua's dinner event; afterwards, "Fashion Culture" became a mysterious topic in media circles.
In contrast to reporters scrambling to gather information from various sources, the two families of Cen’s and Lin Guangdong were aware that the owner of “Fashion Culture” magazine was Cen. They also knew that he was the enigmatic boss who dined with Zhan Hua in the press reports. Consequently, they could not but think highly of Cen's value and restrained their gossip about him.
"I have an invitation for a business year-end gathering on the 'Holiday' cruise ship next week. Would you like to join me" Lin Guangdong’s phone call continued as usual with his encouragement towards Cen.
The Holiday cruise ship belongs to Shenzhen Zhongda Cruise Company, featuring 204 rooms and various facilities such as a cinema, Western restaurant, bar, meeting hall, shopping center, etc., accommodating up to three hundred people. It is currently the largest and most luxurious cruise in Shanghai and nationwide.
Since its renovation and launch in 1999, it has been chosen for many major business events, fashion shows, and product launches by world-class brands in Shanghai. Therefore, hosting commercial activities on the Huangpu River has gradually become a trend.
To be invited to such an event on this ship symbolized that Cen’s magazine had officially entered mainstream society.
"This time, the organizers directly recruited bar staff from universities like Songjiang University Town, Shanghai International Studies University, and Shanghai Conservatory of Music. They are all gorgeous girls. Are you interested in this, Mr. Su"
Su Can ignored Lin Guangdong's chuckling on the other end of the phone and asked, "What do you think Is this invitation truly something we willingly accept"
"You always stay vigilant," Lin Guangdong chuckled on the other end of the line. "No matter how deep reporters dig, they can only get to my level. Everyone knows I'm the general manager of Fashion Culture Magazine. To put it in trendy terms, I’m just a foil. They know it's me and the provincial newspaper group’s shareholding that drives things forward, but behind this, there is still a big boss whom they are very interested in."
Su Can thought to himself that media wasn’t as insidious as people often made out; for instance, regarding magazines, many media outlets paid attention and wanted to dig deeper, but through various measures and confidentiality agreements, Su Can's information never leaked. However, this didn't mean they wouldn’t resort to underhanded tactics behind the scenes, like in this case.
"In the eyes of the media, we can't be considered low-key; true low-key would imply having strong confidence and strength. In comparison, we are merely a news point."
Lin Guangdong agreed earnestly and said, "Indeed, they're just curious about you. They sent an invitation to me in order to find out who is actually behind the management of the magazine; whether I go or not makes no difference—it's all just a backroom operation by some people."
Not only did many media outlets want Su Can to give them a positive spin, but there were also those trying to follow in Zhan Hua’s footsteps and enter the world of magazines. Without connections, this invitation might be their chance to meet him face-to-face.
But Su Can had no interest in such things; it was merely the residual heat from his dinner with Zhan Hua. He didn’t want to bask in its glow. If he wanted to leverage on Zhan Hua’s influence, he wouldn't portray himself as completely dependent on that image. Such backdoor publicity wasn’t something he planned to seek out.
Regarding the year 2002, Su Can remembered a few things but not too many. As time passed, even though it was approaching his original timeline, his memories felt more distant.
The most significant political event of 2002 would be the convening of the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China where Hu Jintao would be elected as the General Secretary of the Central Committee. This truly cleared ideological obstacles in Chinese economic reform, and all previous debates would conclude. From this year onward, everything previously debated about would become common knowledge.
Towards the end of the year, Shanghai will fiercely compete with four other cities for hosting rights to the 2010 World Expo in Morocco’s Monte Carlo. This was a major international victory following Beijing's successful bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Su Can remembered that in his original timeline from 2002 to 2008, he lived aimlessly; skipping classes every day, either staring at unattainable beauties at the music college or wasting time playing video games in internet cafes, eventually graduating without much to show for it.
In 2008 during Beijing’s Olympic Games, Su Can vaguely remembered gathering with friends on a beer square, watching live broadcasts of the games. Some friends had become successful in their respective fields, while others hadn't even attended class reunions. That year, China was energized by the Olympics, but Su Can didn’t participate in that reunion either; at that moment, he felt insignificant and pitiful.
Those people who couldn’t be forgotten and those who had walked parallel paths but missed out on each other’s lives would, in the short few years of his original timeline, become strangers.
In an era before Mark Zuckerberg became the youngest billionaire on Forbes' list, Su Can—the only person in all of China knowing the names of future top leaders—was currently in a cold dorm room at Nanjing University using tepid water to warm his feet, appreciating the rare comfort amidst the biting cold.
With the cold weather and Su Can’s usual laziness about buying an electric blanket, every day he spent between taking off clothes and getting into bed to stay warm was the most painful part of his routine.
Thinking back, the sleep he got at Tang Wu's house—though he had drunk alcohol beforehand—he slept deeply. Whether or not he had a vivid dream was unclear, but it was certainly one of the best nights of sleep since university. Unfortunately, such enjoyment was fleeting; if he were to try again, he might receive Mu Pan’s icy stare with the words, "You're dreaming!"
However, for next semester, Tang Wu's father, Mu Hui, would be less frequently in Shanghai, which meant a place that Su Can found memorable could become his and Tang Xiaowu’s little haven.
Humans really do make it so easy to fall into decadence.
On Wednesday, Su Cen received a call from Lin Zouwu. The moment he picked up the phone, the guy started yelling, "Su Cen, how dare you bully my little sister She’s now getting angry with me. If you mess with her, I’ll go all out to take care of you."
Just as Su Cen was at a loss for words, Lin Zouwu suddenly made an elegant turn in the conversation, "Forget it. I’m about to be bored out of my mind at school. This winter vacation will be quite lively with many people coming over. You better clean yourself up and get ready to be served."
Su Cen almost forgot that Lin Zouwu was someone unpredictable.
After some teasing and joking, Lin Zouwu’s tone suddenly softened, "Su Cen, regarding the matter with Wei Dingding, even if Lin Geran is unhappy, we are still on your side."
Su Cen paused for a moment. He always knew that neither Lin Zouwu nor Wang Weiwei were as simple as they appeared. Whether it was them or the rather intelligent Lin Luoran, each of them had some understanding of social etiquette. It’s said that struggles shape one's mindset; growing up in an environment filled with conflicts made them more mature and better able to connect with Su Cen, a soul from two lifetimes.
When interacting with them, Su Cen didn’t feel like he was dealing with naive young men but rather felt a sense of camaraderie with those who grew up similarly.
In reality, Su Cen was just an ordinary person without much background. Wang Weiwei and Lin Zouwu might not be able to see the benefits that Su Cen could bring them.
However, Wei Dingding’s relationship was very real. From a purely family standpoint, perhaps Wei Dingding had much deeper background and greater influence than him, Su Cen. In terms of interests, when faced with such conflicts, if mediation failed like it did on Christmas night, Wei Dingding would clearly have more advantages.
But Lin Zouwu and Wang Weiwei undoubtedly chose their side without hesitation. Regardless of whether this might hurt the "feelings" within their circle, Su Cen suddenly felt a desire to pinch Lin Luoran’s chubby round face like she did with Lin Zouwu.
After Lin Zouwu's call, Wang Weiwei followed up, "Liu Mouyan is not easy to deal with; neither are most women."
Su Cen didn’t understand what Wang Weiwei meant and waited for him to continue.
Absolutely as expected, Wang Weiwei introduced the main point, speaking in a deeply concerned tone, "I can understand. I’ve been to a few gatherings here, and there’s always some pretense involved. I can empathize with your feelings, but you made a mistake by provoking Liu Xiaojing. My friends have asked around, and they confirmed that Liu Xiaojing is the daughter of the chairman of the Great Yu Group; she has high aspirations and is quite scheming. This isn’t just what my friends told me; it was directly from one of her close friends. When I heard you were in trouble with her, many of them felt sorry for you—even though they haven’t met you yet, your name Su Cen is well known to many people. However, what happened at the competition club still surprised me. The Wei Dingding I knew before isn’t like this."
"Stop reminiscing; I’ve already tangled with both difficult women and men. When will it be your turn Alright, study hard for your exams, see you later."
Final exams were approaching.
Although Nan University has a saying that "If you don't cheat on the exam, you'll become an underclassman next year; better to lose your dignity than fail," only someone naive would truly believe it.
After Christmas and a series of activities leading up to the end-of-term exams in 25 days, both platform courses and major-specific classes began their tests. In Nan University’s exam results, one often sees people who usually skip lectures, copy homework, or even engage in entrepreneurship outside school, internships, or social activities; yet these individuals often have excellent grades with GPA above average.
This involves unique learning methods and approaches. Their revision styles are logical and systematic, so even if they don’t study much during the semester, they still become experts when it comes to exams.
For Su Cen, this month’s blitz review allowed him to grasp most of the key points. Every night before bed, he recited summaries and potential examination questions for public political courses. His daytime revision was systematic, so taking the tests felt relatively stress-free.
This method of systematic review might sound abstract; using Zhang Xiaoqiao’s elective course in communication as an example: analog circuits, high-frequency electronics, electromagnetic fields, microwave circuits, optical communications—these courses simply increase the frequency of what they study. Signal systems, digital signals, principles of communication, and digital communication—these courses merely apply theoretical knowledge to practice. Although freshmen don’t encounter these subjects yet, the logic connections between many courses are still quite strong, especially in management for Su Cen.
Fortunately, it wasn't overly burdensome; thanks to his solid foundation and a revision framework established since day one of entering school, he achieved twice the results with half the effort.
Recently, his mother Zeng He in Rongcheng kept calling to ask about the situation and叮囑蘇燦要注意營養，保證體力和睡眠，這讓蘇燦有種回到中學時期的錯覺。他的父親蘇立成打電話來主要是讓他協調好商業和學業的關係；現在他從最初的驚訝到支援蘇燦在大學期間經商。畢竟看到了蘇燦在這方麵的天賦，蘇立成的思想也開明瞭許多，明白正麵引導的重要性，當然如果蘇燦為了經商輟學，他是絕對不會允許的，這也是他對蘇燦的最大底線。
劉睿說他大概會在25號考完試，到時候從重慶到Rongcheng，然後返回夏海。薛易陽會更晚一些，無疑會在Rongcheng與劉睿和蘇燦彙合，然後再坐火車回夏海。
王威威和林縐舞回家的具體日期還冇有確定，事實上兩人的家都不在Rongcheng；王薄在Rongcheng擔任市委書記，在Rongcheng花園有一套購置的小彆墅。而王威威的母親在北京，所以王威威會先在北京待一陣子再回Rongcheng，林縐舞也是如此。對他們來說，“家”這個概念並不強烈，因為他們幾乎冇有固定的居住地，所以朋友纔是他們看重的友誼。
至於林落然是否真的如那天給蘇燦發送的資訊所說不再回到Rongcheng，似乎總是一個懸念。
"Did you buy the tickets When is your flight" Zeng He on the phone wanted to confirm when Su Can was coming home.
We'll finish our exams around the 23rd, but I haven't got my plane ticket yet. It's supposed to be early morning on the 25th and I should arrive in the evening. Then I will head straight back; you and dad don’t need to come pick me up." Su Can explained about his travel plan.
And then there was a round of parental instructions: "Make sure to bring everything with you, don't lose anything. Do you want to bring the computer back If not, make sure it's stored properly."
Marc Zuckerberg told Su Can that because of his outstanding performance, Harvard University had already approved his admission application; he would enter Harvard in August this year (2002) and study psychology. There was a small anecdote related to this: the interviewer at Harvard also frequently uses Facebook and thinks it's cool; they want someone like Zuckerberg who can create social media.
The original concept of Facebook wasn't unique; there were similar sites in America before. When Facebook expanded from Exeter High School, another high school in New Hampshire had initially refused its entry because they already had a student directory online named "Blinkx." However, instead of directly confronting this issue, Su Can and Zuckerberg collected data from neighboring schools using Facebook and presented it to the school's administration.
The school immediately realized that they needed Facebook rather than just wanting it. And so, barriers were removed.
Since Su Can started developing Facebook in America less than a year ago, he could already see its enormous potential. The initial $300,000 investment was used for renting apartments, hiring programmers, expanding servers, and preparing to lease a studio near Harvard University.
Zuckerberg said that there were now venture capitalists keeping an eye on them, some of whom represented software companies or internet firms, hinting at substantial financial support. Yet so far, no one had actually put money down.
Su Can and Zuckerberg agreed they would sell shares but not yet.
Zuckerberg trusted Su Can because he believed the website would be worth a lot of money. As the semester was about to end, both American and Chinese students were starting to plan for their next steps.
Raising capital wasn't Su Can's ultimate goal; whether it was bringing in Duan Jiahua or others. His real aim was to use venture capital investment methods to inflate Facebook’s stock price through a series of maneuvers, sacrificing short-term gains for long-term benefits. For him, the losses might be some shares held by him and Zuckerberg, but the gain would be an immense market value akin to what he saw in his future timeline.
Because his rebirth made all this happen earlier than expected, Su Can had no choice but to start preparing early before Facebook became too large to control. It was still relatively vulnerable at this stage and faced potential rivals. He and Zuckerberg needed to distance themselves from these competitors so they wouldn't threaten the position of Facebook.
On the 25th, Shanghai was very cold.
About this time, universities across the country began their winter break; countless students started heading home along with the Spring Festival travel rush, returning to their hometowns scattered across the land.
Su Can packed his luggage and, in Mr. Li Lan's company car, left for Rongcheng with Tang Wu.
In the airplane cabin, seeing the rosy-cheeked Tang Wu beside him after taking off her scarf, Su Can wondered if this could be called a romantic return homel given that she was a known beauty at the university.In fact, many data enthusiasts have made comparisons. Schools like Shanghai International Studies University and Nanjing University, as well as Ji...