ut after glancing at Yang Dingsheng, the leader of the provincial supervision team standing by his side, he didn't say anything.Before heading upstairs, he turned around to glance at the樟樹 outside the...Chapter 141: Moral Dilemma

After the party, Donald personally paid a visit to Facebook's headquarters in Palo Alto. Although he had mentally prepared himself, all of the core employees housed in the makeshift office beside Stanford University campus were pleasantly surprised by the CEO of The Washington Post Group's arrival.

The atmosphere within the company immediately became hectic. A desk was cobbled together using two IKEA tables, alongside a blackboard contributed by Dustin from Grande Island and a laptop, to give Donald a business presentation.

During the process of plugging in wires and explaining things, the employee responsible for this, Cole, appeared extremely nervous; however, it did not detract from the appreciation shown by Donald sitting on the opposite sofa along with his personal secretary after listening to everything.

"This presentation was necessary. It has allowed me to understand better what you're doing and why it is valuable." Donald smiled and patted Mark's shoulder.

His arrival even caused minor ripples within The Washington Post Group, with some believing that such matters could be handled by sending commercial negotiators instead of the CEO himself. From a business negotiation standpoint, this might lead the other side to feel emboldened, perceiving themselves as rare commodities and thereby raising their investment price.

Donald was aware of all these concerns but firmly suppressed internal dissenting voices. This individual who had originally planned to give a speech in some city square quietly arrived here under California's sunny skies and scorching heat, witnessing the rise of a company starting from an apartment dormitory.

Donald admitted that these two young people brought him a previously unseen feeling. Everyone in this small apartment was working towards their vision, making Donald feel that his investment might indeed be necessary.

Zuck and the engineering team led by Katherine were explaining some technical outlines unrelated to core functions to the secretary brought along by Donald. Meanwhile, Fe employees noticed that Donald differed from previous venture capitalists: he focused more on what they were currently doing, how they planned to proceed in the future, their long-term goals, and aspirations.

It was said that during the same day of financing at The Fairmont Hotel, there was also a Chinese girl's involvement that facilitated this investment. This news spread as swiftly as the gossip among San Francisco's aristocrats, and Donald's arrival無疑增強了這件事的真實性。現在，蘇燦都可以看到這件事的影響還在持續，Facebook成員在上下班的時候，目光把蘇燦和唐納德聯絡起來時都帶著一種奇怪的神情。

Su Cen leaned back on the sofa, feeling more relaxed than ever before. Zack took this moment to approach Su Cen and whispered, "If we agree with Donald, what will happen to Sean Parker and the Red Leaf Fund behind him I've already promised him..."

"Zack, around you and your surroundings"

Zack looked around upon hearing Su Cen's words. Everyone here had an expression of excitement and enthusiasm. Even Katherine, who was talking with Donald's secretary in the distance and harbored some resentment towards Su Cen, occasionally glanced over at them.

"Everyone is delighted because our company will grow stronger. I, you, and everyone else from this dormitory company are all connected to Facebook. They understand that what they're doing has never been done before, and perhaps aside from this, it's difficult for them to find another meaningful cause worth fighting for. You are a CEO now, representing us all; every decision you make needs to consider the greater picture. Everyone’s interests are tied to yours. So with each step we take, we must strive to strengthen our business. There is no right or wrong here, no compassion or sympathy—our goal is simply to do better."

Su Cen sighed. Victorious or defeated, it was but this simple. Sean Parker believed that Su Cen and Zack would ultimately capitulate and choose Jay Wang due to his precise grasp of venture capital's bottom line. However, there are no absolutes in life; after Donald, the unpredictable card player, met with these two founders full of potential flaws, he might very well play a hand this winter that would shake Silicon Valley.

Sean Parker didn't lose to Su Cen but to Facebook—the enormous value and worldwide influence of an entity that Su Cen knew from his future memories.

After the breakthrough with Donald, all core members of Facebook were at a loss when it came to Sean Parker. They hadn’t contacted him proactively for days, as nobody knew how to break this news to him; there was no good way to handle it. Though they respected Sean immensely, in that moment, they seemed to be collectively turning their backs on him.

Perhaps only Zack himself would be the most suitable person to tell Sean this reality.

That night, Donald hosted a lavish banquet for the upper echelon of FE at Palo Alto's finest restaurant, The Country Club. This restaurant was famous for its wine cellar, and Donald ordered a bottle of Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, priced at $400 on the menu.

Like Zack, Su Cen only ordered Sprite as they began their investment negotiations.

“Adding three million on top of thirteen million, you should know that this is a considerable sum. I am confident that my offer is higher than any venture capital firm or internet company in Silicon Valley right now.” Donald frowned.

"Sixteen million is necessary. Between 2002 and 2003, it might be a period of rapid growth for us, during which we will need money." Su Zhan said.

Donald nodded eventually, "Yes. Maybe I have been convinced by you guys. What attracts me the most is not your so-called Facebook's future development but rather your youthful vigor and sharpness in only offering a 5% share. It reminds me of my youth. Actually, when I came to your dorm company today, I thought if I were as young as you guys, I might also choose to join you in this venture. Fortunately, it’s not too late now."

Donald laid a stack of documents on Su Zhan and Zuckerberg's desks, "These are the investment terms by The Washington Post Group for one hundred and fifty-seven million dollars, meaning that Fei's market value is around three hundred and eighteen million four hundred seventy thousand dollars. If you have considered everything clearly, we can sign now."

At this moment, even Su Zhan with a deep facade had an expression of excitement on his face; Zuckerberg was even more incredulous as the company he and Su Zhan founded at Exeter High School had reached a market value of three hundred million dollars, which was already a substantial entity.

The VieeAge Pub in Palo Alto regularly has a beautiful DJ singing. Many people come just to listen to her songs.

Under the sorrowful melody, Su Zhan and Zuckerberg signed off without any hesitation or delay on the agreement, making it official.

"Fei's account will soon receive our first investment... Do you know what this means" After putting away the agreements, Donald raised his glass to them. "Your carpet is not fireproof, and your apartment isn't a good place to work from; you should choose the tallest building in Palo Alto as your office location, hire a team of professional lawyers, lay down real fire-retardant carpets, expand your team members, and start establishing a company with true corporate culture."

After this investment was finalized, Zuckerberg seemed absent-minded and distracted. He finally got up to go to the restroom.

He didn't come back for quite a while.

Daniel and the Facebook executives were a bit uneasy. Su Cen stood up and said, "I'll go."

Zach was not missing as in a thriller movie; he wasn't hard to find either. He was sitting on the floor of the men's restroom with his knees drawn up to his chest and sobbing quietly.

Su Cen crouched down in front of him. Zach looked up, his eyes red from crying, "We signed it. But this isn't right! I promised someone else!"

Su Cen let out a sigh. Every stage of life involves going through certain things, such as letting go of stubborn attachments and persistences. It takes countless trials to transform them. Although Zach looked relatively mature, he was still an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old youth like himself. This was his first time accomplishing something so great that it could put him on par with the Silicon Valley idols he admired, enduring immense pressure from endless venture capital companies and rumors. He felt guilty for eating koala meat, lost in the glitz and glamour of nightclubs, and now faced a moral dilemma due to breaking a promise to Sean by choosing The Washington Post.

All this was part of his painful transformation into a billionaire of global stature. Su Cen was his internal guide and role model, but at that moment, he couldn't rely on his two lifetimes' worth of experience to counsel Zach. Some things, some inner struggles and dilemmas, required their own unique solutions.

Su Cen leaned down beside him, supporting himself with his hands. The floor in this upscale Village Pub restaurant was spotlessly clean, even the restroom. Su Cen didn't mind sitting there next to Zach. He sat down beside him and let out a soft sigh, "Call Sean and tell him about this. Ask for his opinion."

This would undoubtedly inform Sean immediately of Su Cen's and Zach’s decision to choose The Washington Post. It would also alert the person behind Sean, Jian Hua, who would react with shock initially but then take various measures, or try to persuade Zach to reconsider.

But Su Cen felt that letting Zach make his own choice was better than holding his hand and rushing him through it. Zach wasn't as steadfast as he was; he'd hesitate, waver, even falter.

Zach looked at Su Cen blankly and then said, "This might render all your efforts in vain..."elt that their relationship could now break free from the constraints of time and be wild and unrestrained before others, having the audacity to disregard public opinion.因此，他想要以這種方式確立與唐嫵真正的關係，並讓所有議論者、...