ed a sigh of relief. It was true that there were bad relations between Wang Weiwei, Su Can, and other spoiled young men from their driving school class, especially after they had humiliated these men...Chapter 158: Refusal

Er Fu told Su Can that the club had officially invited him and Tang Wu to become probationary members of the club, with a one-year trial period. In reality, this probationary period was just a formality; it was almost certain that they would be admitted into the club.

This situation surprised Su Can somewhat. The three men and one woman in front of him were undoubtedly among the youngest members of the organization. Considering their ability to enter the club during their second or third year, each one must have had significant qualifications. They concealed themselves so well that even roommates who lived together for four years might not know their backgrounds.

Liu Menghui and Mo Qinghe didn't reveal any hidden emotions regarding this matter on their faces; they maintained the same polite distance as when they first met Su Can, smiling all the while. Since Mo Xue was playing up her role by welcoming Su Can into the club, even if they were unconvinced, no one would notice.

Only Zhang Ping openly showed his irritation towards Su Can.

Tang Wu sat calmly on the stand; earlier when Su Can was playing soccer and Mo Xue suggested this to her, she responded with a ridiculous answer that she didn't have the energy to deal with such matters.

Mo Xue then explained in detail to Tang Wu about the benefits of joining the club for networking and career development. This explanation included their family connections as well as the advantages it would bring to her personal and professional life.

Mo Xue was usually very perceptive when it came to reading people, and she believed that a person like Tang Wu, who was so outstanding, wouldn't be content with finding a good job in an international company or even a top domestic enterprise after graduation, working hard while having a happy family life. She would not simply live out her days as a housewife.

Even if Tang Wu were willing to accept such an ordinary lifestyle, Mo Xue knew Tang Wu's family wouldn't agree; they had high expectations for their daughter. As a family with three generations of distinguished female lineage, they would undoubtedly secure a promising future for her. The club at Nan University was only one step towards achieving the exalted life she deserved.

Tang Wu's refusal was merely an excuse, and there might have been a factor related to Su Cen. Mo Xue's action was also intended to alleviate Tang Wu's concerns; this conversation aimed to demonstrate that the club had already planned to invite Su Cen long before, and the events of the previous semester期末發生的事情絲毫冇有影響到俱樂部內部做出的決議。

"I've heard that the conditions for joining are strict, and it's unlikely for a regular graduating student to get in. How many people want to join but can't And yet, they approve me" Su Cen asked.

Mo Xue smiled and said, "It’s not 'approval', but an 'invitation'. Regardless of your age or the time you joined us, we are all equal here. We could be friends or potential future business partners. There are shared entrepreneurial exchange activities, as well as investments made by older, successful members into new members' ideas and startup plans. Everyone here is focused on exchanges and cooperation, and this alumni-based trust mechanism effectively lowers the cost of mutual trust."

Su Cen keenly picked up on the keywords "cooperative trust", thought about it carefully for a moment, then shook his head, saying, "Never mind. I’m not really interested in this."

Everyone was taken aback by this. Liu Menghui and Mo Qinghe chuckled dryly and said, "That’s indeed a pity; we had hoped to see future cooperation."

Zhang Ping scoffed, "Arrogant."

Su Cen frowned, "What does that mean"

Mo Xue gave Zhang Ping a look, but he ignored it. Liu Menghui and Mo Qinghe watched the exchange between Su Cen and Zhang Ping with interest, waiting for what would happen next. There were always some grandstanding individuals in any place. During his third year, Zhang Ping developed a sales management software system and started a company to promote it; today, his business was worth five million yuan. He tended to be arrogant due to his talents and often debated product design and promotion with the club's seniors. He had deep insights into management and financing strategies. He naturally abhorred Su Cen from day one and came here to suppress him regardless of whether he joined or not.

"Not very interesting. Dignity is given by people; I've seen many who think highly of themselves like you, waiting for a good offer—there are plenty such individuals in NanDa. You aren’t unique. Your way of passing through without entering and waiting for the right price isn't particularly clever. I don’t understand why you believe you’re so sought-after Is it because of that fashion magazine about Yangtze River Delta or your fame in Chengdu Do you want to raise your身價出名？倒也不失為一種手段。但往往得不償失。”

Zhang Ping's gaze flickered as he took a puff of the Zhonghua cigarette held between his slender fingers, speaking with a somewhat profound tone. "Of course, you're still in your first year and lack some experience. It’s understandable that you have high aspirations. Let me tell you a story. A frog and a spider were friends who shared an interest in eating flying insects. When young, the agile frog could move freely both on land and water, which made the spider envious. However, as time passed, their situations reversed. The old frog had lived a hard life barely scraping by, nearing starvation due to its declining health. In contrast, the spider was well-fed and comfortable. The frog felt that fate was unfair and asked the spider why. The wise spider replied: 'You struggle because you rely on four legs, while I thrive with just one web.' Do you understand This story is before you now; whether you choose to be a frog or a spider is entirely up to you."

Implicitly, this statement refers to the prevalent circle culture today. Everything revolves around your social group. Whether opportunities open for you depend on how well you fit in and act appropriately.

Zhang Ping then turned to Liu Menghui and said, "Tao Zang from the Tao family has returned to Shanghai. Recently, we should invite him out for a meal; otherwise, he’s always too busy. Next month, he's going to Australia for research. I also have plans to visit Dalian and may not find time then."

Now Su Can understood why Nankai University's club had approached him. Indeed, it was quite impressive how influential they were. However, given that Su Can drove a Bentley around the school with many witnesses and had visited several advertisers for his magazine’s promotion in Shanghai, some channels must have hinted at their relationship with him. Thus, he couldn’t hide his close ties to the emerging fashion magazines from the Yangtze River Delta region.

Furthermore, news about events happening in Chengdu had likely reached Shanghai due to its broad social circles. For instance, when Su Can was dining at No. 19 Guo Jing Road, there were students from Yangpu University nearby; information traveled quickly among that circle. With his growing background, many people must now know about him, making him a potential player in their network.

Zhang Ping’s final remark subtly hinted at using Tao Zang's cousin as leverage, suggesting they could facilitate connections for Su Can behind the scenes—only if he showed initiative.

After grasping the gist of what was said, Su Can nodded and smiled, "Is that all"

The four men stared at the impassive Su Can in astonishment. Zhang Ping’s burnt-out cigarette butt fell from his hand as he couldn’t believe that Su Can remained unaffected by their words.

"The story is very intriguing; indeed, the spider has a more sustainable approach compared to the frog's constant struggle. However, for me, your network... seems too extensive."

Su Cen said, and no longer looked at them; he took Tang Wu's hand.

Tang Wu had long been disgusted by Zhang Ping's words. At this moment, she obediently stretched out her hand for Su Cen to hold. She then turned sideways to pick up Su Cen’s clothes. Although the action was natural and casual, it still carried a subtle charm under everyone's watchful eyes.

The two of them held hands as they got up and left, leaving behind three men and one woman who were standing there in astonishment, along with a crowd on the stands that envied their backs.

"Refused the匪Club’s invitation That's normal. If it weren’t normal, would that be something Su Cen would do" This is how Xiao Xu, who had heard about this from his dormitory mates, calmly responded. He knew a little bit about the club and generally didn't have good feelings towards it because it was too far removed from students like him. Besides, there were mostly resource exchanges happening inside; since he believed himself to be without any backing, he felt there was nothing he could exchange with others. In Nan University's male dormitories, suits and pornographic films were commonly used as barter items.

"What good is that I heard that last year a senior in the School of Economics and Management did their graduation project on several economic programs and sought investment from people inside, but it all ended up failing. Those guys are all tight-fisted iron roosters; not a single penny can be squeezed out of them. If Tsinghua University and Peking University managed to establish such clubs, we should probably save our energy and focus on getting more certifications instead." Li Han was naturally firmly standing by Su Cen's side.

Nan University was Zhang Xiaqiao’s territory, so he knew more about this than Li Han and Xiao Xu. Right now, what surprised him was why the club would approach Su Cen. The fact that Su Cen had turned down the invitation wasn't something divulged by the club itself but came from a student union member who spread it around upon returning to their dormitory. Wang Dongjian specifically confirmed this with Su Cen as well. Now, the matter was causing quite a stir within the student union. However, Zhang Xiaqiao was an introverted person; he always believed that everyone had secrets and thought that uncovering others' private matters went against his personal principles.

So why Nan University’s匪Club would invite Su Cen remained a mystery for a long time. It wasn't until years later that Zhang Xiaqiao figured it out, feeling the complexity of the world at the same time.

(To be continued)his hands. However, he patted Su Can on the shoulders with both hands and earnestly said, "I came out secretly just so I wouldn't make you wait long. Brother, it's really me who can't do it; my stomac...