Chapter 11: The Future Remains Unknown

yway, if I win, the bet must still stand!"Ling Zouru hurriedly stepped forward and said without hesitation, "Of course! He can represent us all! If he loses, then you must call him a fool!"Then she gr...Chapter 11: The Future is Uncertain

In the tranquil airport, a middle-aged man dressed in an expensive custom-made suit and carrying a briefcase was welcomed by two beautiful ground crew ladies in uniforms. He entered the VIP lounge of the Boeing 747.

He walked into a private resting room and took out his phone to make a call. On the other end, Gao Heng's voice came through with some excitement, saying "Brother."

The middle-aged man sighed and said, "It’s okay, Heng. I’ll first go to Hong Kong and then fly to Vancouver the next day. My wife has already transferred our accounts ahead of time. Once I leave, you'll be safe; don’t worry, no one will do anything to harm you. Currently, Central only has my problem. As long as nothing happens to me, there won't be any issues with the seven companies selling their shells. The entire plan, after being drafted and approved by the shareholders' meeting, can't be altered or interfered with by external forces; Wang Bo is but an ant trying to move a tree.

Pausing for a moment, this impressive middle-aged man clenched his teeth and continued, "Nobody can stop our plan from being implemented."

Returning to the resting hall, he crossed his legs, keenly observing his surroundings. Seeing no issues, he began recalling past events one by one until he heard an announcement for boarding through the VIP channel.

He straightened his suit and picked up his briefcase as he headed towards the entrance when four men in black suits waiting there flashed their IDs at him, saying "Chairman Gao, sorry to inform you that we have been ordered to intercept your departure."

The man was taken aback but then shrugged lightly and said, "You must be mistaken. I am on a business trip to Hong Kong through the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Organization Department with special permission."

One of them smiled and patted him on the shoulder before pulling out a specially signed 'Double Regulation' order from his inner pocket.

Bam! In the bright hall, where people around him were moving slowly in shock, Gao Canghai's briefcase dropped to the floor as he lost all composure.

The next day, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that Gao Canghai was under double regulation. On July 22nd, the State Council and the Organization Department declared a restructuring of leadership at New Source Group, with new candidates taking over the positions of Party Secretary, General Manager, and Chairman. Simultaneously, New Source Group’s Board announced that Gao Canghai had resigned due to "personal reasons."

The more significant issues were still awaiting subsequent arrest and trial.

Wang Bo's reputation was growing daily, even gaining praise from the elder Wang in private. Half of Beijing's high-level circles were discussing his name with admiration. Correspondingly, both the Wang family and their faction felt a sense of pride when others mentioned him at banquets. This man from Sichuan had made such an imposing sound that he was clearly ascending steadily towards the leadership position within the faction. Even two other influential members of the Wang family held high opinions of Wang Bo and gradually diminished their ambitions to control the faction.

Just as Su Chan was about to leave Chengdu, news came that Lin Zouwu was returning.

Lin Zouwu arrived at Chengdu Airport on Tuesday. By then, Su Chan had not yet left Chengdu, but Lin Luoran had come earlier with relatives from the Lin family and her mother, Jia Ying Liu. The position held by Lin Guozhou wasn’t one that could be easily vacated when he wanted to.

When the relatives from the Lin family arrived, Lin Luoran's famous entrepreneur aunt in Guangzhou looked at Su Chan with confusion. Her second uncle in Beijing seemed to admire and scrutinize him carefully, as if examining the young man who had been a hot topic of discussion among certain circles in Beijing. The uncle who was vice president under New Source Group avoided looking at him slightly, evidently unsettled by the tremors at high levels; now he felt insecure inside. In summary, Su Chan seemed like an alien to everyone.

Lin Luoran smiled mischievously beside him. Su Chan grinned back, but she turned her head away, not meeting his gaze for too long.

Suddenly, it was as if he had returned to the moment they first met.

Calm and courteous, always maintaining a distance.

This made Su Chan feel a bit hurt inside.

When Lin Zouwu disembarked from his flight, he wore a hat. He came over in just two or three steps and hugged Su Chan tightly before saying with a smile, "I’ve missed you for these past two months. I've been keeping an eye on everything; you and Uncle Wang work together seamlessly. When I posted that exposé about Gao Canghai on Facebook while in the U.S., it was really the killer blow; I even left one of those hundred thousand comments."

Su Chan smiled back, asking, "Why are you back"

Lin Zouwu patted Su Chan’s shoulder generously and pulled off his hat to reveal a bald head. He laughed, saying, "No treatment anymore; I thought American technology was advanced but it nearly killed me. If they hadn’t cured me before I died, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the world's beauty in the end. I came back for Chinese medicine; Beijing is full of expert traditional Chinese doctors who can cure illnesses through medication."

Su Chan nodded as Lin Zouwu prepared to say more.

Lin Luoran approached and hooked her arm around his, wrapping her slender waist around Lin Zouwu's neck. She didn’t seem to notice Su Chan’s presence at all; she only looked at Lin Zouwu with a charming smile, saying, "It's so good that you're back. I must make the most of you because who knows if I’ll ever see you again."

"I traveled thousands of miles just to return to this land," Lin Zouwu said in a strained voice, "and then you greet me like this"

Lin Luoran obediently replied, "Alright. You must take care and I want to cherish you for life."

The city of Chengdu was swept by autumn; the golden leaves were stirred by the wind like waves on a sea.

Beech tree leaves fell and were carried away by passing cars. People still came and went daily, the sun rose as usual, tides of people surged to and fro, then the sunset descended once more and lights flickered on again; however, with the passage of time, undeveloped lands had been transformed into residential areas, and once rugged wastelands turned into bustling shopping districts or parks.

A city never grows old, for every day there are people striving towards a brilliant youth; Lin Zhouwu stayed in Chengdu for a few days, and Su Can and Lin Luoran accompanied him during that time. They strolled through shopping malls, ate from food stalls, and sat in coffee shops while walking around. They were content with whatever came their way.

The last evening, Lin Zhouwu suddenly expressed the desire to visit Er Qiu No. 27 High School again.

After they walked out of the school, facing streets lined with trees and that familiar internet cafe, Lin Zhouwu said, "We graduated from here."

In their last frenzied days before graduation, they had played StarCraft at this internet cafe. The room was filled with the shouts of women from rival teams back then, which marked a glorious era for the game. But now that seven years have passed since its peak, it won't be long until ten years have elapsed. No other game has ever enjoyed such a legendary lifespan, but like their youth, StarCraft's heyday is over. People are now immersed in World of Warcraft, and Lin Zhouwu grumbled to Su Can about not having received an account with god-like powers.

Lin Zhouwu said he was thirsty, so Su Can went across the street to a two-story McDonald's for him to buy some drinks. Due to his coughing, Lin Zhouwu couldn't drink cold stuff, so Su Can asked the staff to give him two cups of hot orange juice instead. For himself, he got coffee.

Lin Luoran held onto Lin Zhouwu as she suddenly heard him turn around and say, "When I was young, my dad used to call me stupid, but my mom would always tell me that only those who do foolish things are the real idiots. The same goes for you."

Lin Luoran pouted and said, "I'm not an idiot."

"But it seems like you're doing something that only an idiot or a fool would," Lin Zhouwu coughed and smiled.

Lin Luoran’s dark brown eyes stared at him intently, asking, “What do you mean”

“I remember one of the boys gave a speech about happiness. He said that being happy is when I go to the toilet before you, or when it's cold and I wear an extra layer while you don't; it’s also about having a bun to eat when I'm hungry,” Lin Zhouwu continued. “My happiness lies in seeing your happiness. And for you to be happy, you need to pursue your own happiness.”

“You've always loved reading and listening to the stories of your dad's travels around the world, so you’ve already been destined to have a broader horizon and more experiences compared to others. You also possess an adventurous spirit and bravery that is unmatched by anyone else. Don't look at me with such a gaze; I won’t flatter you in this lowbrow way. Apart from Wang Weiwei and Li Luoge, I've never seen you pay any attention to other men. Not until the arrival of that kid with too much luck. All these years we’ve been together, your eyes toward him have remained unchanged. Don't rush to deny it; I'm your brother, I've peeked while you were showering, so I know you better than anyone else.”

Lin Luoran blushed as she stared at Lin Zhouwu for a long time before saying, "I really want to kick you to death."

Lin Zhouwu continued with his thick-skinned demeanor and said, “I understand you; therefore, I know that no one else can be like him in your heart after all these years. If he's missed, then nobody will ever enter the place where your heart was buried under snow.”

“You're wrong. There are still many people who are better than him,” Lin Luoran smiled.

“Yes,” Lin Zhouwu nodded and continued, “But there isn't anyone else who can accompany you on public buses, help with your studies after school, spend all night playing games together, set off firecrackers, scream in the new year, or walk through life's vicissitudes without a care. We grew up together.”

Lin Luoran fell silent. Lin Zhouwu then said, "Life doesn't come with multiple choice questions; it can't narrow down to ever-narrowing paths. Back when Su Can was babbling on about what happiness is, I was so bored that I wanted to sleep. But now I finally understand this concept, and I want you to promise me: pursue your own happiness. That way, even if I leave the world one day, I will be without regret."

Su Can handed the drinks he bought to Lin Luoran and Lin Zhouwu; noticing that her eyes were slightly red, he asked, “What's wrong”

“Nothing,” she gave him a faint smile and said politely, "Thank you." She then walked forward with an orange juice in hand.

Su Can would always remember this image of Lin Luoran. Wearing a long sweater that reached her knees, he worried about the possibility of some pervert seeing her slender white legs if she bent down. As she walked alone ahead in thought, wearing Martin boots, she crossed over a narrow step on a flower bed while stretching out both arms to maintain balance. Her graceful silhouette was revealed in every detail as golden gingko leaves fell around her.

Su Can would remember this picture forever.

Lin Zhouwu's voice, reminiscent of an American rapper, suddenly sounded out of place like it came from the heavens: “Don't hide your powerful inner world. I know you and Tang Wu have a karmic bond from past lives, but if circumstances were different, we might have met on another day to play soccer. But since you were reviewing for exams that day and didn’t show up, we waited all afternoon without seeing any sign of your arrival. If you had come that day, would the final outcome be completely different”

“Su Can, you're different from us. You don't even know what you possess,” Lin Zhouwu looked at him seriously and continued, “You have two lifetimes' worth of soul, which is much more than just this, fundamentally representing a life that's destined to be unique. In another way, you might not even be human.”

Su Can spat out his coffee in anger: "Then what are you"

Lin Zhouwu continued with his shameless demeanor and said, “Of course, you're not a god either, but you’re something between gods and humans.”

Su Can was at a loss for words as he tentatively asked, "Are you saying I'm some sort of monster"

“Because your powerful soul and unique life allow you to accommodate both Tang Wu and Lin Luoran. This isn't about so-called monogamy or ethics; the most important thing is happiness. Because if any one of them leaves, they won’t be happy.”

If I have a final wish, it's that Lin Luoran should find her own happiness," Lin Zhouwu said.

The slightly plump and broad back of Lin Zhouwu was revealed in the city center as autumn arrived, standing out amidst the desolation brought by the chill of winter.

This was the last time Su Cen saw Lin Zouwu.

The early morning in Beijing. The air at Capital Airport was unusually fresh, due to a steady drizzle of rain.

When he rushed over from the plane that had flown thousands of kilometers, he could see the swift coverage of dark clouds over Beijing. Above his head, it was still clear skies with blazing sunshine, while below were the swiftly gathering dark clouds, like a thousand soldiers charging into every crevice.

The plane adjusted its flaps and changed direction at this moment, diving straight into those swirling clouds. Through the window, he could see that the wings of the aircraft, which had been baked by the sun, suddenly became wet and heavy, as if it had been plunged into a storm-tossed ship.

The plane safely landed at Capital Airport. When Su Cen walked out with Tang Wu's hand tightly clasped in his, Wang Weiwei and Lin Luoran were there to greet him, along with many other major figures from the Lin family and their entourage. Some of these people held black umbrellas that dripped onto the airport floor, leaving puddles of water.

Lǐ Pēngyǔ was helping Su Cen carry his luggage. Behind Wang Bó came out to shake hands with many who had come to greet him from the Lin family, followed by Lín Guozhou and Lín Rónghuán, several heavyweights of the Lin family successively shaking hands with Su Cen one by one. The people present did not seem surprised at all; now in their eyes, Su Cen's importance was such that it didn't seem strange for the Lin family to treat him with such high-level respect.

Those were very serious individuals, although there were military system officials and department-level government officials among them, many members of the Lin family were ordinary people without any high-ranking positions or titles. Some were university teachers, researchers, or medical workers. However, from their outward demeanor, they clearly displayed the quality of being part of a large family system.

Subsequently, everyone got into black Audi cars and set off for the journey.

They stayed in a luxurious hotel surrounded by mountains and clear waters, with villas scattered like stars across the landscape. Between each villa were lakes and ponds, as if they had entered an idyllic paradise.

The memorial service for Lin Zouwu was to be held at the funeral home near them tomorrow.

That night, Tang Wu held Su Cen's hand all through. Wang Weiwei, Lin Luoran, Lǔ Nán'nán, Lǐ Pēngyǔ, Zhāng Fěifěi, Zhang Xian, Zhuang Zhiyu and many others were also there. Everyone saw the photo of last year's landslide dam at Huángchéng; Lin Zouwu was in the middle of the crowd, smiling brightly against the backdrop of the green mountains and clear waters.

Someone then suggested that sending wreaths would be too cliché, and who knew if Lin Zouwu might even disdain such a thing. So they proposed to spend the whole night driving around town and drinking beer instead as a way to express their mourning, without falling into conventionality. This suggestion was unanimously approved by everyone present; they poured beer on the streets along the route like he was still there beside them, and drank all through the night until Tang Wu leaned against Su Cen, who in turn leaned against Lin Luoran, while she leaned against Wang Weiwei, all of them nodding off on a long bench.

Until morning came.

The venue was very luxurious and grand. Outside were parked numerous cars in dense rows.

In the center stood a photo of Lin Zouwu with an open smile, surrounded by several rows of people clad in black on all sides.

When they heard the eulogy inside, "Lin Zouwu was born February 1st, 1982. Male. He was intelligent and studious, enjoyed helping others, respected elders and cared for children. He excelled both academically and morally. In 1988 he entered Jing Shan School, then after four years transferred to Jing Shan Middle School and the First High School, subsequently entering Chengdu's No.27 Middle School where he was widely welcomed by teachers and students alike. Lin Zouwu’s death is a huge loss for his family. He had great ideals in life, worked hard at his studies, often studying late into the night, loved animals, actively participating in extracurricular activities,"

Su Cen, Tang Wu, Lin Luoran, and Wang Weiwei burst out laughing, "Who wrote this eulogy When did Lin Zouwu ever love animals or study until late at night He should have been playing StarCraft with friends like Lin Luoran, Wang Weiwei, Su Cen until the early hours of the morning."

But they soon composed themselves as it was their turn to pay respects.

Gao Canghai ultimately confessed to serious economic and disciplinary violations during his investigation. He also revealed how he used New Source Group's withdrawal from the market to plan a large-scale corporate restructuring, selling off seven A-share listed companies under his control to two securities firms, then using his influence at China’s Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) to facilitate High Constant and others' deep involvement in the stock market. They laid out hundreds of billions of dollars in stocks by prearrangement for sell-off companies, profiting handsomely on insider information.

Simultaneously, he was implicated in moving assets and laundering money through various channels. The associated company involved with Alistair Investment Holding conducted the transfer of funds via Hong Kong, making it difficult to trace its natural direction. Companies involved in overseas money laundering included IDD Fund, Guangming Communications, Exes Investment, among others.

All companies implicated in profiting from inside information were thoroughly investigated by the CSRC and other departments for asset verification and restructuring.

This dramatic stock market manipulation came to an end. Many who had been involved overnight found their hair turned white with stress. This included Gao Constant, who was embroiled in Gao Canghai’s case as a major suspect. Through his control of IDD Fund, Alistair Fund and other affiliated companies, he injected over ten billion into market manipulation activities. Several listed companies under him were hit hard by the fallout from Gao Canghai's case, halting reform plans temporarily. Gao Constant was in dire straits with tens of billions trapped.

Gao Constant had a vast network of securities and commercial banking relationships, using indirect financing methods such as rights issues on listed companies, legitimate commercial banks, trusts, securities firms, financial leasing institutions, etc., to raise funds while simultaneously misusing entrusted investment management funds, national bonds, and engaging in illicit borrowing and pledging equity. These strategies were costly at around 17%, trapping his tens of billions in a liquidity crunch with insufficient profits from his ventures to cover interest payments.

With the deepening investigation into Gao Canghai's case at New Source Group, relevant departments began uncovering evidence of Gao Constant’s illegal market manipulation. Several banks and associated companies launched joint debt collection lawsuits against Gao Enterprises, causing headaches for courts with paper-thin legal documents. Related offshore companies saw their valuations plummet overnight by potentially billions of dollars. To avoid a major impact from domestic entities collapsing, state-owned enterprises and local governments swiftly introduced management and restructuring plans to take over affected firms.

Gao Canghai, Gao Constant, and others were embroiled in lengthy investigations and lawsuits that could drag on for years until all issues are resolved. By then, the vast High Empire would likely have crumbled into pieces.

Many people will recount this empire's dramatic collapse for many years to come; it has become a part of history, etched in time.

Jiān Huá’s actions stirred up a prolonged tremor across the financial sector in the Yangtze River Delta. Redwood China Fund publicly announced news about terminating Jiān as founder due to his legal issues. Simultaneously, Jiān was arrested by Shanghai Public Security Bureau, becoming an infamous tale among Shanghai's financial circles.

Only years later would those who once followed Jiān and witnessed the event’s unfolding mature into influential figures, occasionally recalling obscure secrets from that day in vague conversations.

Saying that on the day he was arrested, Chan faced the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing into an unknown distance, with a cigar in his mouth, muttering a bitter smile and saying, "If I hadn't met you back then, would my ending be completely different"

It's as if a heavy stone has been placed on top of the Black Gold domain!

The legendary financial giant referred to this "you." Who exactly is he What kind of person is he What name does he have, and what kind of power!

This makes those who rose later and knew some inside information keep their mouths shut and dare not easily mention him, feeling lucky they didn't meet him and praying never to encounter this mysterious figure.

Three months after the new equity structure was established for Facebook's board of directors in America, a book suddenly appeared on the market.

The moment it hit the shelves, it immediately capitalized on the founder's civil war incident that had been circulating wildly across all social networks. It rose to number one on Amazon’s US bestseller list within its first week alone. Afterward, it consecutively ranked at the top of Barnes & Noble book sales charts, New York Times’ Best Seller List for non-fiction, Canada’s Amazon bestseller list, Target's unclassified books chart, and Eslite Bookstore in Taiwan. It also won the 2005 Pacific Northwest Independent Booksellers Association Award, the 9th Tōyama Ring of the Pacific Prize, and was named one of The Observer's Best Books of the Year for 2005. Its popularity rivaled that of Dan Brown’s "The Da Vinci Code."

The book is titled "Social Empire!"

Its subtitle reads: A story about desire, genius, conspiracy, betrayal, and telling you what loyalty means.

In the book, with simple yet profound language and a calm tone, it narrates like telling a piece of history. It tells the tale of how a Chinese youth crossed over 10,000 kilometers of the Pacific Ocean to reach Boston's Exeter High School dormitory filled with pine scent, and how he met the person whom he believed was trustworthy. Then it describes how they experienced Silicon Valley's relentless pursuit, turning a social empire with three hundred million users into a global phenomenon that changed the world. The book also delves into their separation, disagreements, divergent dreams, internal conflicts, power struggles, but ultimately only tells one story.

Power restrains power. Above power hangs the sword of Damocles. And when all betrayals and wars come to a close, it tells us the story of loyalty that shines like diamonds among the dust-ridden years.

"A unique biography of young people's struggles in historical waves, everyone should read this." This is what People magazine said.

"A modern epic. A tale about changing the world and friendship, also a story about culture that defies belief. Truly an unforgettable character biography," The San Francisco Chronicle commented.

“An enchanting story, one of the most moving works this year. A doomed friendship with no prospects, heart-wrenchingly tragic yet unexpectedly uplifting. This rise of the social empire is emotionally powerful while also examining real-world issues and connections in online networks based on genuine emotions such as religion, drugs, sex, politics, and nationalism. These stories about loyalty and dreams make it one of the most worthwhile reads this year." The Denver Post

“A thrilling read! Like a king, Mark Zuckerberg; like a knight, Su Can; like a wandering knight, Dustin Moskovitz; conspiring partners at IDG Capital with an ominous aura—all登場、退場，謝幕如同漫畫人物一樣！我都忍不住要為之歡呼！”出版人週刊評價。

“令人窒息的張力！停不下來的創業冒險傳奇，夢想就該這樣鑄就，難以忘記那些優秀的身影，年輕的小夥子們，你們已經創造了曆史！”

“從這裡我們可以瞭解社交網絡創始人蘇燦的成長勵誌故事。”北京日報評價。

In the memorial hall for Lin Zouwu, Su Can placed the book "Social Empire" into a burning urn in front of Lin Zouwu. As soon as it was put in, flames spiraled upward and burned fiercely.

At that moment, Zhang Feifei seemed to be saddened and said, "What can we do We'll never see you again."

The crowd who had been joking around earlier suddenly all started crying collectively.

Everyone took turns speaking in front of Lin Zouwu.

Su Can stood silently for a while and then approached to pat the coffin.

After Tang Wu finished, she stood beside Su Can with red-rimmed eyes, pinching her nose as tears continued to fall.

Lin Luoran stood in front of Lin Zouwu’s black-and-white smiling photograph, softly saying, "Brother, the things you told me earlier, I didn't agree because I couldn’t give you any promises. Just like how I didn’t know five years ago that you would leave like this. I know what you want to say is that life doesn't have a choice question and can't head towards narrower forks in the road. All I could tell you was that I would try my best, because I still don't know what the future looks like."

“我冇軟！我也有槍，也是爺們！”儘管以前的確遇到過寫不下去斷更少更讓大家苦苦等待的情況，但在最後的日子裡，我還是全力以赴了。我現在非常酣暢淋漓，我覺得這是寫這巔峰的一刻。

我也頂天立地的站在這裡，給你們碼字衝向最後的終點。

明天，我就將完結這個故事！

於是我感謝大家最後的陪伴！給所有投我月票的、給我訂閱讓我衣食無憂的兄弟姐妹們，我最後鞠倒數第二個躬！

希望在完結之後，我能聽到你們說，這是你們看過的最好看的重生文。 quietly under a curtain for others below to observe.Having been reborn for more than a year, Su Can still couldn’t stand atop the peak and stand at the world’s pinnacle.Might one day, someone from Xi...