Chapter 9 I'm Just a CEO, Bitch

t was just a kid in one of the stalls... Well, he's quite big for a child… But I don't think it will be a problem..."Su Cen stepped out of the restroom; his previous composure revealed a hint of anxie...Chapter 9: I Am Just a CEO, Bitch

"Higher-ups have already noticed the situation. You must act quickly; we need to complete the entire transfer process by year-end," Gao Canghai walked into the conference room and said to Gao Heng, who was lounging in a chair with his legs crossed, "How much more money can you put in"

"Rallying several billion within a short time isn't an issue. The critical question is whether your sell-off plan can be implemented across every company," replied Gao Heng.

"Of the seven listed companies initially identified, four have already designated your two securities firms as sell-off targets under our intervention. This includes Huasansi and Xinyuan Refining among others. The remaining three are just a matter of time. But we must be relentless with every second. Your hidden stock market operations need to move swiftly."

"Not counting the initial buy-in phase, merely executing the steps of shell transfer, slimming down, capital injection, and share reform requires eight to ten months non-stop without any errors. Most importantly, can the internal approval process for the seven companies' shell takeover plans proceed smoothly"

Currently, Gao Heng's thousands of fund accounts were already investing in stocks of the four listed companies under Xinyuan Group’s control. After the seven companies’ shell scheme is approved, they would deploy even more funds to invest in these companies. This was a significant collective interest body where the Gao family was merely one major player among many sharks ready to share the spoils. Besides overcoming regulatory hurdles, the aim was to leverage Xinyuan Group's extensive control over listed companies.

For example, with Xin Yuan Refining, before the shell transfer, hidden stock market operations would buy stakes leading to a post-reorganization P/E ratio potentially soaring to 100 times. Shareholders could see returns exceeding tenfold, and after that, maintain high profitability levels. Then there was the matter of the sell-off party allowing the listed company to repurchase shares for cancellation.

The profits before and after were substantial enough to multiply many times over any initial investment. Even with an initial billion-dollar investment, it could potentially result in a significant increase on paper.

It was clear that through such sophisticated maneuvers, Gao Canghai expected Gao Heng's net worth to skyrocket to unimaginable heights.

"Having controlled Xinyuan Group for so long, I can ensure its dominance. The shareholders' meeting will overwhelmingly pass the shell transfer plans under my guidance. Seven companies’ restructuring and share reforms are inevitable, thus this isn’t a concern. Although higher-ups initiated self-examination, there’s no reason to worry; not only our Gao family but many other interest groups won't allow me to fall. They'll leverage all resources for lobbying. Central leaders wouldn't dare overstep."

Gao Canghai was full of confidence and said, "After your return from the U.S., you should have obtained shares in FaceBook China."

"This time, I will propose it through a joint board resolution. However, I believe Zuck wouldn't go back on his word; he has personally promised this already. Even if he hesitates, using Redwood Capital's influence, he would still agree. The structure of FaceBook China shares is complex even for Zuck to explain clearly. Given the connection with Cai Su and his associates, why shouldn’t I doubt Wang Bo’s involvement"

Gao Canghai was silent for a moment then nodded decisively, "This might be Wang Bo's weakness. Overthrowing him would stabilize the situation. In the final moments of this game, making Wang Bo fall could even be more beneficial than securing hundreds of billions!" With Wang Bo out of the way, Gao Tao and Wang Bo’s Politburo competition would end, paving the way for another high-ranking position in the central government.

On Saturday, Gao Heng flew to California. At the airport, his U.S.-based subordinates were waiting along with a stretched Hummer. After getting into the car, he looked around and asked, "Where is Moritz from Redwood Capital Shouldn't he be here by now"

"We're not sure. Many board members of FaceBook headquarters in Palo Alto are already here. Perhaps Redwood has informed him," said Gao Heng’s vice president in the U.S.

Gao Heng shook his head, frowned, and got into the stretched Hummer with his deputy. Inside, he opened a bottle of wine, personally pouring a glass for the American deputy who was visibly excited.

Sitting quietly in a luxurious suite at the Sheraton hotel in Palo Alto, Gao Heng sipped on red wine. Despite being there several hours, he wasn't eager to enter FaceBook headquarters yet.

After some time, several well-groomed men walked in. One of them was an American who bowed slightly and said, "I checked, no issues so far. Moritz from Redwood had surgery last week and is still recuperating; his family probably cut off business ties to keep him resting. However, Valentino came earlier and is discussing ad campaigns with VP Sheri. Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg is in the game room playing games while waiting for the board meeting. Axel’s Jim is nearby negotiating a new investment deal, while Donald from Washington Post Group is still on a Gulfstream jet en route."

Gao Heng's face twitched slightly; he laughed silently.

FaceBook's relaxed atmosphere suggested that Zuck wasn't secretly forming alliances against him. Therefore, he had his board observer secretary investigate the internal situation. With most directors not being contacted by Zuck, Gao Heng realized he was overly anxious before.

Gao Heng stood up, adjusted his collar, and walked out with poise, "Let’s go."

Outside FaceBook's building, a crowd had gathered. Some drove from Texas or Los Angeles; others were still on California highways. Many watched silently at the King Avenue headquarters.

Gao Heng dismissed them all as troublemakers, recalling how a year ago, when he ousted Su Cang from Facebook, protests erupted in Silicon Valley. People held signs like "The price of two billion users is driving away all my friends!" and "Think about what you've done." He had driven through the crowd with regret for people's complaints.

He heard that at one point there were a thousand protesters outside FaceBook’s building, more often no employees dared to come out. Yet here they were again due to today's board meeting.

The other founder of FaceBook was a foreigner, and these American citizens' fanaticism towards him surpassed their concern for social security benefits.

However, Gao Heng felt the influence in America was indeed powerful. If used wisely, it could be an incredible tool.

Upon entering Facebook, Cox, the Vice President in charge of products at Facebook, patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Hey, you're here." Then he looked towards the crowd outside and said, "Often times it's like this: when we release new programs that aren't well-received by people or when we touch upon certain political issues. We've gotten used to it..."

Guo Heng nodded his head and instructed someone beside him to bring a bottle of high-quality Rémy Martin, beautifully packaged, with a smile, "It's for you." Cox happily accepted it.

Jane Sherill, the Vice President in charge of advertising business at Facebook, and Valentine Tanne from Sequoia Capital just happened to walk out at that moment. The two of them greeted each other in surprise. Valentine Tanne shook hands with him, saying, "Moritz is hospitalized; he had an operation on his pancreas. I hope he'll recover soon. Why didn't you inform us when you arrived Did you come by yourself"

Guo Heng shook his head and smiled, "It's okay, coming alone was also fine. Where’s our Zack”

Valentine Tanne had a strange look on his face as he pointed towards the far end of the hall with his mouth but didn't say anything.

The two of them turned to see that the curly-haired youth was playing a game sitting on a sofa in the middle of the room, surrounded by others. Not only were there people seated on the couch, but also standing around him were quite a few techies who would occasionally scream when they saw the races happening on screen.

Jane Sherill expressed her dissatisfaction and said towards them, “Zack! The directors and observers have arrived!”

Zack quickly turned his head to glance at them before waving his hand and turning back around to finish the game. He then stood up unsteadily.

"Hi Zack, it's been a long time," Guo Heng walked over with a smile on his face as he thought to himself, laughing inwardly: Such a young kid could have talent but how can someone like him become the CEO of such an expansive social network

Then he saw another person beside Zack holding onto the sofa and standing up. It was a radiant smile that was almost blinding under the lights in the hall as it waved at him.

Su Cen!

This couldn't be possible!

The footsteps of Guo Heng stopped, he felt his heart stop for an instant, as though something had slipped through his fingers that he hadn't noticed and was ultimately missed.

If one move is wrong, a thousand moves will follow suit!

"How could he be here" Guo Heng forcefully suppressed the turmoil in his mind and tried to stay calm. However, due to the intense fluctuations of his voice, droplets of spittle flew out.

“Me” Su Cen smiled and faced the board saying, "I just happened to pass by and heard you all were going to have a board meeting, so I came in to play some games."

Catherine beside him wanted to laugh but dared not; she thought this would definitely drive others crazy.

“I’m asking why he’s here!” Guo Heng ignored Su Cen's nonsense and turned towards Zack with a question.

"Don't forget," Su Cen raised his voice, slowly stating his reason, "to date I'm still the second largest shareholder of Facebook. Although Facebook hasn’t been listed yet and there are no such things as shareholders’ meetings, but I still have the right to attend this board meeting as an observer."

Before the start of the board meeting, Guo Heng saw through the window a crowd gathering outside with reporters’ vehicles.

The crowd kept growing until it seemed like King's Way around Facebook headquarters was completely filled up. People were whispering to each other but did not put up any slogans or banners. Some people had faces that showed eager anticipation, while reporters were hurriedly setting up satellite antennas and interviewing the surrounding crowd.

Guo Heng then realized he must be wrong; he bribed others to investigate the movements inside Facebook before the board meeting but overlooked why these people gathered here, and it didn't look like they were protesting or demonstrating either.

A reporter down below was still doing an interview, "The public has gathered on King's Way in front of Facebook. It seems that news about the founder returning is hard to hide their excitement..."

"Such a mood even makes us feel moved too..."

“Facing you there is Facebook’s headquarters building. We know that this means something for the founders who came from afar and have returned. There are three thousand people in California waiting for the final results. No matter what, people do not want to see a situation where the original trio eventually go their separate ways. This may be an opportunity for the founders to reconcile.”

Guo Heng pulled down the blinds and clenched his fists tightly before calming himself, entering the meeting hall.

The board meeting was finally about to begin!

"I propose that Su Cen be immediately expelled. He has already left the Facebook board, and without retroactive power means he has abandoned his seat. Moreover, the arbitration bill he introduced to the Federal Trade Commission is maliciously damaging to American Facebook interests; such a person has no qualifications or right to re-enter the board," Gao Hengbu launched an attack as soon as the board meeting started, giving Su Cen no chance to plead his case and elicit sympathy.

"It's just for show, even what you see is fake," said Su Cen coolly.

The room fell silent instantly.

Su Cen continued, "Facebook Chinese frequently contacts the Federal Trade Commission and provides testimonies, but if you look closely, you'll find that our evidence is insignificant. I believe that the judges at the FTC would rather eat pizza than listen to our appeals."

This elicited a round of laughter.

Gao Heng glared at Su Cen with storm clouds gathering on his face and said, "If my memory serves me right, it’s not your place to grandstand here. You have no administrative power, no voting rights or exercising privileges."

"Alright then," Su Cen shrugged and looked around the room, saying, "Let's vote then. If you all want to follow his demands and kick me out, cast your precious decision votes."

Zuckerberg leaned against a chair at an angle of forty-five degrees with a slight smile on his face, unmoved, just like he had been when Su Cen smashed a laptop on his desk a year ago. As the board member following Dustin after his departure, Katherine merely looked at Su Cen with her azure eyes and smiled but said nothing. Jim from Axel Partners turned to Gao Heng and said apologetically, "Sorry, as the second largest shareholder, we don't have the right to kick him out. I don't think I'm qualified for that."

Gao Heng scanned Washington Post's Donald Graham, Tesla’s Greelock from Greylock, and Meritech observer Trey. Either they avoided his gaze or gently shook their heads.

Finally, he looked at Don Valentine of Sequoia. This ally of Sequoia cleared his throat and said, "I think we should…"

Gao Heng's face turned ashen with rage, staring uneasily at Don Valentine of Sequoia while his mind raced to analyze the current situation and discern how much support Don Valentine still had for him.

Zuckerberg then made his routine speech as chairman of the board, summarizing the development plans before and after. His tone was fluent and quick, filled with passion or perhaps a certain excitement he couldn't hide at this moment.

Su Cen flipped through the proposal in front of him and looked around, saying, "To cope with the IPO we might face in the future, we propose restructuring the board's equity structure to initiate the 'Super Voting Rights' plan."

The sound of people flipping pages echoed as they opened up thick stacks of equity restructuring plans.

After carefully reading Su Cen's so-called "Super Voting Rights" plan, Jim from Axel Partners rubbed his temples, thinking that this guy was too ruthless. Don Valentine of Sequoia looked at Su Cen with a faint smile, already beginning to appreciate the returning founder in his heart.

Gao Heng flipped through the proposal and felt as if he were plunged into icy water.

Su Cen’s voice rang like a death knell: "To cope with our future IPO, I suggest the board redefine equity. Facebook will structure internally using A, B, and C classes of stock, all having the same market value. However, each share of Class A stocks only has one voting right, while each share of Class B stocks holds six voting rights; each share of Class C stocks possesses sixty voting rights..."

"How many" Gao Heng cut in before Su Cen could finish.

“Even if I didn't explain clearly, the agreement you hold already details it,” said Su Cen. "In short, starting from now on, all our stocks except Zuckerberg’s will be converted to Class B stock, including employee shares within Facebook. After the IPO, incoming investors will use ordinary shares for voting rights calculation. The stocks in Zuckerberg's hands will become Class C... meaning as CEO of Facebook, his stocks will have sixty times more voting power than ordinary shares. Compared to shareholders with Class B shares, he has ten times their voting power."

“Three-tier equity!” Someone understood and sucked in a cold breath.

Gao Heng's brows furrowed deeply, his face twisting visibly. "Are you mad To skip the dual-class equity structure and adopt a three-tier system!" In fact, dual-class equity structures were not uncommon among tech companies like Google or Baidu, where management held ten times more voting power than ordinary shareholders. However, this kind of architecture still carried risks and couldn’t guarantee an entrepreneur's absolute control over the company since equity dilution would occur during financing rounds. Should a founder’s stock be diluted to a critical level, other shareholders could potentially overthrow their absolute control.

But this crazy Chinese person had adopted a three-tier equity structure! That was a 60:6:1 voting rights structure.

This was absolute control.

Near certainty of success!

"There are special appendices below," Zuckerberg said. "Half of the shares Su Cen owns will be converted to Class C for maximum voting power, mainly because Facebook holds 40% equity in Facebook Chinese and needs to ensure that Su has decision-making authority over it," he looked at Su Cen and continued, “and oversight rights.”

“At the same time, the 3.3 percent stake co-invested by Sequoia and IDG Capital will be separated. The 1.5 percent equity belonging to IDG Capital will become ordinary shares as a precaution because IDG Capital has recently been under investigation for possible international money laundering due to fund source issues, potentially threatening Facebook’s reputation.”

“So, let's proceed with this plan then,” Zuckerberg concluded.

No discussion, no resolution! No discussion, no resolution! Gao Heng's mind repeatedly flashed with this thought, but when he saw everyone raising their hands one by one, he realized that he had been thoroughly ambushed. Even Redwood had already been convinced; in reality, Redwood didn't need to listen to him anyway. As the world’s leading venture capitalists, they would largely act on their own interests. A year ago, Gao Heng was dragged along only because of their promise to remove a co-founder who faced criticism from the US Congress, thereby taking over Facebook and increasing its valuation for greater profits. Now that there is a more perfect equity structure with greater benefits, why should they go out of their way for an investment fund embroiled in money laundering scandals

This wasn't their style.

Crash! Gao Heng slammed his hand on the table, causing the coffee cup and saucer in front of him to shatter due to the tremor. The IKEA table was simple, but its quality fell far short compared to the valuable large wooden tables in Gao Heng's domestic company or the meeting room corner at Gaocanghai New Energy Group.

"This is a complete conspiracy! This is an abhorrent act that harms the interests of all investors!" Gao Heng pointed at everyone present, his face contorted with inner rage. Su Cen saw for the first time how a person of noble bearing could turn feral and unleash their fury like a demon god. It was the release of Gao Heng's inherent malice in his aristocratic behavior, an almost unprecedented state that left people shivering.

"I will return! I can afford the best legal team on Wall Street! But when I come back, I won't just want my small share; I'll want more—more than you could ever imagine!" Gao Heng's hands were still waving in the air. Everything seemed to fall apart at this moment, and he was likely to lash out violently.

Zuckerberg was clearly startled, not daring to refute Su Cen as he once did.

Next to him, Stanford’s Katherine remained calm. As one of Facebook's early elders, she said, "Please choose your words carefully. If your fund weren't involved in money laundering scandals, none of us would have taken away your power."

"Shut up," Gao Heng surveyed the room and pointed at everyone present, "You'll soon find out if I can reclaim my power."

Seeing him about to leave the meeting room, Su Cen couldn't miss this chance. He added from behind, "I want to remind you one more thing, old Gao—don’t forget BJR (Business Judgment Rule)."

Gao Heng's body trembled; he felt his brain was deprived of oxygen and almost fainted. Slowly turning around, he knew that as long as the BJR existed, it would be nearly impossible to overturn Facebook’s decision, since the IDD Fund in its current predicament had no effective leverage to persuade a state court to reclaim their rights.

Subsequently, Gao Heng kicked over the nearby trash bin with great force. The sound reverberated throughout the room as he left, with his American managers and staff forming a protective circle around him.

The board meeting concluded, and the new equity structure was announced, causing excitement among Facebook’s employees from top to bottom. On King Street outside Facebook's headquarters, which was packed tight, a Wall Street Journal reporter carrying a notebook containing the latest board meeting minutes hurriedly approached in a news vehicle. He wanted to get on the vehicle as quickly as possible and perhaps even edit his article during the ride so that he could deliver it immediately upon reaching his office.

The founder has returned! This is not a story of betrayal, but rather what loyalty means!

They are knights who hold their spears high and spur on their horses. They accelerate, accelerate, accelerate! They face challenges head-on with their dragon lances raised, piercing through the darkness toward a bright future. It's a Hollywood-style tale that will surely be adapted into a classic in the future.

"We can't wait to know the final answer!" "Why do major newspapers have the privilege of getting first-hand information We must protest!" "We welcome our founder’s return!"

However, this feature reporter miscalculated. The crowd, anticipating such a scenario, surged towards him.

In the transparent room of the CEO suite, Zuckerberg sat in front of his computer screen. His light blue eyes scanned comments from across America about him. Previously, he could only see derogatory terms like "egghead," "lonely person," "sadness," and "depression."

But now, during the board meeting's intermission, Zuckerberg kept refreshing Facebook’s page over and over.

His face showed no emotion, nor did his eyes. But he was still refreshing it like a solitary traveler waiting for dawn to break.

Krash! The door swung open. Gao Heng's suit jacket flung open, revealing the untidy blue shirt underneath. He loosened his bow tie, crossed his arms and glared at Zuckerberg. Security tried to intervene but was stopped by his men.

Gao Heng paced back and forth, "Why Why! Don't tell me you set this up! Don’t insult my intelligence—don’t say it’s impossible! When we talked before, I knew you were determined to sell him out! So why did you change your mind now Why is he back"

For a while, Mark Zuckerberg, with his lips tightly pressed together, finally spoke softly, "Because his return benefits Facebook. No one wants a founder who betrays friends to lead a social network where people connect through genuine emotions and trust. People wouldn't trust Facebook otherwise. So he must come back... And there's another important reason I told you earlier."

"What" Gao Heng paused, turning his head sharply.

“Because I’m just an e,” Zuckerberg said as Gao Heng’s eyes widened, “Just an e, a b*tch!”

The previous chapter had Wang Weiwei's mother's name wrong. Sorry about that. It has been corrected and doesn’t affect the reading.

I love the dialogue between Su Cen and the Five Bulls. It’s so stylish. I also like Zuckerberg’s “e” line, which is equally stylish. All of this makes writing enjoyable for me. I really enjoy writing for you all.

Twenty thousand words today! I feel that I am at my peak with this book and have the confidence to write more great stories. I need your support! R&R!in the future.""I'm honored. Speaking out like this is not common around here. I admire you very much; I've been annoyed by these idle students for a long time. The school needs educational reform, an...