ight years old can already wear two stars and one bar on their shoulders I see that Captain Li not only in the military district but also nationwide is among the youngest high-ranking officials," Tao...Chapter Thirty-One: Lost

Zhang Xiaqiao, Li Han, Xiao Xufan, and others couldn't understand Lin Luoran's relationship with herself. Even if Chu Chubai were present, they might still indulge in wild speculations, which could be forgiven.

Lin Luoran was the type who didn't need to look at someone she barely knew, such as when she first met Wang Weiwei and others with Su Can back then in that small CD room in Summer Sea. With acquaintances, however, she always showed her calm and approachable side, like how she once came to Nan University for an invited debate competition, appearing formidable on stage but surprisingly amiable off it, dining at a "canteen" with Xiao Jia as they tried their best to corner Su Can, causing everyone to worry about him secretly. When they found out that she was different from her debating persona, they couldn't help praising her.

As for people like Su Can and Wang Weiwei who were close friends, Lin Luoran naturally displayed her warm and lively nature. In the past, Su Can often hung around at her place in the city's compound, drinking beer at night, eating barbecue, playing cards, video games, chatting, or watching TV while dressed casually. And because she was always so casual herself, it was perfectly reasonable for her to insist that Su Can stay with her.

But others might not understand this.

The atmosphere became awkward, and Zhang Xiaqiao swallowed nervously before getting up and saying, "Then we'll take our leave."

"Right, right, let's go," Li Han and Xiao Xufan stood up as well, their complex gazes at Su Can making him laugh and cry at the same time. They then added earnestly, "We won't disturb your rest."

Su Can felt that there was profound resentment in their eyes.

Years later, when Li Han mentioned on a TV interview program that "Su Can is undoubtedly one of their most outstanding alumni," he looked very upright and righteous but his eyes flickered with something hidden.

Su Can received a call from Lin Zuran asking him to buy some late-night snacks and drinks outside the hotel.

When he returned, two pretty girls, Lin Zuran and Tang Wu, were talking in the room. It seemed they were discussing girl stuff as they sat on the bed's edge, their slender waists and graceful figures contrasting with the flickering lights from the balcony beyond, making Su Can feel that everything looked particularly surreal.

"What are you guys talking about" Su Can put down what he bought and handed each of them a bottle of tea before setting the food on the coffee table. Lin Zuran was quite bold in her gratitude towards him, smiling as she said, "We were talking about the last time Li Luo met you and how much praise he gave you afterwards, saying that whenever you go to Beijing next, he'll have good Maotai waiting for you."

Su Can thought of that tough-looking man. He had a good impression of him as well. Although initially, Li Luo assumed Su Can was using Lin Zuran's connections and thus looked down on him, it might be because both were straightforward with each other that Su Can could see his sincerity, winning the respect of this military officer.

In fact, individuals like Li Luo, who come from a line of military red offspring, after receiving proper education and enduring hardship as well as strict family discipline, rarely turn out to be good-for-nothings. Even if they don't succeed, most are harmless mediocre talents at worst.

Most of those who rely on family background and personal efforts are still quite impressive. For example, the young Major Li Luo is one such person, as well as Tao Zhang from Shanghai Construction Bureau's Planning Department of the Tao Family. They are not ordinary people; it would be a heavy burden to be their enemies. Usually, nobody here fights for justice, nor are they world protectors. There’s no absolute right or wrong in this world either. The difference lies in their different social standings.

For instance, Tao Zhang could become an enemy, but what Su Cen excels at is turning the situation to his advantage and even making them allies. In certain situations, enemies can also be friends. Su Cen doesn't feel that his struggles are for some lofty goal.

Since he was reborn until now, everything he has done is to avoid regret, and to ensure a bright future for those around him. However, he always unintentionally changes many things, such as bringing Lin Guangdong's magazine into people’s vision, or seeing stationery chains under the banner of 'Shushan' everywhere in major cities across the country. For example, the Dunhuang Shopping Mall is about to open a branch in Shanghai and compete for this vast market. Or how its founder’s name list used to be full of English names but now includes a Chinese pronunciation.

In today's perspective, Su Cen can no longer see himself as just an individual; everything he has done is like paddling upstream. If he doesn’t fight for it, the initial advantage he had over grasping the pulse of the era will gradually fade away in the future.

At that time, many people who are bound to him will lose their footing, so from now on, Su Cen's struggle can no longer be seen as a personal one. Countless people eagerly wait for his guidance and direction.

"Also, Wang Weiwei and some of my friends in Beijing occasionally mention you, many of them think highly of you. You know these are usually boastful folks; sometimes when there's less strict supervision at home, they'd earn extra money in certain fields. But when it comes to the amount of money made by your age group, they can't say a word," Lin Luoran smiled and said.

"It’s rare for you to praise me once or twice; I don’t mind hearing it occasionally, as an affirmation of what I’m currently doing," Su Cen replied with a smile.

Lin Luoran glared at him and asked Tang Wu, "Tang Wu, does Su Cen always have such thick skin in Nan University"

Tang Wu smiled, "From the beginning, he's never been thin-skinned."

Lin Luoran pondered for a moment with an enlightened expression before nodding seriously. "That’s true," she said.

The two girls spoke in earnest, one complementing and the other agreeing, leaving Su Cen feeling slightly embarrassed.

"So what's your next step Are you going to expand your social network domestically" Lin Luoran paused for a moment before continuing. "I heard that Facebook reached a million users this month; is that considered a large group"

"In April, it had already hit one million users. Now there are 1.5 million users, and by the end of this year, it might break two million," Su Cen added.

Lin Luoran made an "oh" sound as if she was calculating in her mind; in reality, Su Cen knew that she was just processing the information internally.

Lin Luoran found it hard to believe at first when she heard from Wang Weiwei that Su Xiaocan was behind such achievements. Her family environment exposed her to things vastly different from what ordinary people experienced, but this made Lin Luoran have a more objective view of Su's career. In an era where even millionaires were rare and impressive, having a friend who is potentially a billionaire is not just about the value itself, but also about what kind of business that value represents.

What kind of business was Su Xiaocan engaged in Was he already ahead of them

Lin Luoran recalled her first encounter with Su Xiaocan. At that time, she didn't see anything unusual; he just seemed like an ordinary boy in a small city. However, Lin Luoran couldn’t have imagined at the time that this unremarkable boy would have such potential.

"Next, we plan to establish a social network adapted for the domestic market. Some companies are already ahead of us on this front. Among them will be giants in China's future Internet industry. Therefore, it’s an era where everyone is racing to stake claims. Establishing FaceBook Chinese version is urgent," Su explained. "Unless something unexpected happens, Facebook will lead the way into the era of internet social networks and become the world's largest social network platform. To achieve this scale, we need to establish ourselves as a key player in China’s increasingly fertile Internet soil."

It would be a pity to lose such an important battlefield. Su didn’t want domestic companies to eat into his market share, leaving him only with leftovers. In the future, websites like Renren and Kaixin Network wouldn't match their American counterparts' glory.

Su continued to talk about his current business ventures, revealing quite a few details. Many people spend their whole lives searching for what they want to do; luckily for him, he didn’t have to worry about that after two lifetimes.

Seeing the slight glimmer of interest in Tang Wu's eyes when she looked at Su, Lin Luoran felt a subtle sense of disappointment. However, when Tang Wu turned her head and noticed her, she quickly put on a normal smile again.

She leaned back against the bed, pressed some buttons on the remote control, and said, "My dad knows about your matter. He has an uncle named Gong Shouren who is in charge of a department at China's Ministry of Information Industry. They have close ties, so when you go to Beijing next time, he will arrange for you both to meet."

Su was taken aback and then nodded, "Okay."

This almost amounted to Lin Guozhou expressing his support behind the scenes. For a long time after being an official in the Foreign Ministry's Press Department, Lin Guozhou hadn't contacted Su anymore, but now he had extended a hand of assistance at a critical moment.

"My dad thinks highly of you. He said that even though he has worked for most of his life and only saved 600,000 yuan to buy us houses in the future, you managed to raise $16 million in America. It’s really great face for our country," Lin Luoran pouted slightly as she glanced at Su.

Su thought that this was indeed how Lin Guozhou would speak, but saying it brought him too much pride now. The year was only 2004 after all; it wasn't time to move the Central Committee yet.

In this era, many future internet tycoons were neck and neck in a race. If he couldn’t run fast enough, he would always be at the back of the pack.

"Alright, let’s get down to business. I’m going for a shower now." Lin Luoran stood up, picked her things up, and went straight to the bathroom. Before entering, she stuck her head out to smile at both of them and said, "Now you two are alone; don’t bother about me."

Closing the door, Lin Luoran leaned against it. She just listened to what was happening outside quietly for a while before shaking her head, trying to shake off some idle thoughts from her mind. Then she went to the bathroom, turned on the faucet and took off her clothes, letting her fair skin soak in the warm shower.

Although Su Can had imagined scenarios where there might be mice or other creatures that could scare Lin Luoran into jumping out regardless of everything else, it was clear that such a scenario was highly unlikely to happen in reality.

Even if there were any mice present, Lin Luoran would either handle them calmly or kill them and throw their bodies out the window. She was incredibly fierce.

The atmosphere inside the hotel room became even more heated with Miss Lin taking a shower behind closed doors, Tang Xiawu sitting in front of Su Can, the faint fragrance of youth in the air, the night view of the Nan University campus outside the window, and the incandescent light from the all-night study rooms giving off a chilly vibe.

Tang Xiawu turned her head to look at the bathroom door. Her ponytail hung down behind her delicate neck, long eyelashes covering eyes with complicated emotions. "Lin Luoran has helped you a lot."

Lin Luoran had used the most tactful way to praise Su Can and informed him in the lightest manner possible about their family's support that would be provided. After Su Can had a conflict with Tao Family, Lin Luoran contacted Li Luow to mediate. What efforts did this girl put in throughout

Su Can wondered if Tang Xiawu was jealous But it looked more like she was upset.

But if it were the case that Tang Wu was upset, it would be understandable but she couldn't show it to Lin Luoran.

Su Can could only say, "Yes, I will definitely repay her with a big red envelope or shares in return for all her help. This way, Mr. Lin can rest assured."

At this moment, Tang Xiawu should give him an annoyed look for his carefree words but instead she looked down with slightly pained eyes.

Su Can felt a little heavy-hearted seeing the high and mighty Tang Xiawu showing such an expression because of him. He felt a stirring in his heart and wanted to move closer to comfort her in action rather than words.

The bathroom door opened, making sounds as it was pushed open and drops of water splashed.

Tang Xiawu looked up at Su Can with deep black eyes that seemed slightly lost. Her voice soft, she said, "I should go take a shower; you better sleep early." I will try my best to continue updating daily despite the difficulty in doing so these days. Everyone can see how crucial every step is and it's reached a critical juncture for the development of this story. This novel has been written with great effort towards achieving an ideal direction, and Su Can's rebirth has stirred something inside everyone’s hearts. So far, I'm relatively satisfied that nothing major has gone wrong in the big picture. I hope to create more exciting chapters; I am constantly striving for it.

If you guys can understand this situation, I would be very grateful. If not, feel free to vent your frustration—I accept everything because it's all for creating a better story.aid, "That's perfect. Every morning I get up early to memorize German to avoid you getting stuck in university CET-4 exams later on. From now on, mornings will be foreign language time. I'll wake you...