Chapter Summaries

Su Can’s clash with Guo Mingrui ended without punishment after university leaders intervened, prompting others to speculate about the university’s special regard for him. Su Can suspected that his appearance beside Zhan Hua had influenced the university, but he knew that he and Zhan Hua were enemies and worried that this distorted protection could one day turn against him.

• Students across South Campus spread rumors that Su Can had fought Guo Mingrui, while Guo’s threats to have him expelled came to nothing after senior university leaders intervened.
• Li Han told Su Can that students at the Film and Television Arts College wished he had hit Guo harder, and Su Can denied laying a hand on him.
• Zhang Xiaoqiao remarked that Su Can had even brought the stern associate dean Lu Chuanming to heel, leading others to wonder whether Nanjing University was grooming him for success.
• Su Can considered that Lu Chuanming and the Academic Affairs Office might have changed their attitudes after seeing him beside Zhan Hua at the Financial Research Institute’s inauguration.
• Su Can recalled that he had opposed Zhan Hua in disputes involving Facebook and Southern Sichuan Airlines and concluded that they were enemies, leaving him wary of the university’s unusual treatment.

Su Can studied Blizzard’s plans as he pursued a stake in World of Warcraft, then drank too much at a late-night gathering with Tang Wu and his roommates. The next morning, he learned he had called Tang Wu’s name in his sleep—and Lin Luoran’s even more often.

• Su Can reviewed Blizzard’s financial records and World of Warcraft plans, considering the value of securing an equity stake and drawing lessons for his economics paper.
• Su Can and his roommates went for late-night food and drinks, and Tang Wu and her friends joined them.
• After drinking heavily, Su Can told Tang Wu that he missed her and had her, then she supported him back to the dormitory.
• Su Can woke the next morning and learned he had repeatedly called Tang Wu’s name while being brought back.
• Li Han revealed that Su Can had also called Lin Luoran’s name seven times, and Su Can fell from the ladder in shock.

After his roommates teased him about mentioning Tang Wu and Lin Luoran while drunk, Su Can reflected on his unresolved feelings for Lin Luoran and presented Tang Wu with his plan to invest in World of Warcraft and link Blizzard's Battle.net with Facebook. Tang Wu said he had not said anything while drunk, leaving Su Can without an answer about what had happened but strangely relieved.

• Su Can stumbled on the stairs, and Li Han and Xiao Xu teased him about supposedly calling out Tang Wu and Lin Luoran while drunk.
• Su Can recalled Lin Luoran's impact on him and wondered whether their relationship might have been different if she had met him before Tang Wu.
• Su Can showed Tang Wu the preliminary agreement with Blizzard Entertainment and explained his plans to acquire World of Warcraft equity and integrate Battle.net with Facebook.
• Su Can asked Tang Wu whether he had said anything while drunk, and she told him he had said nothing before asking what he had wanted to say.

Facebook Chinese completed its instant messaging tool, and Su Can warned the team that its real goal was strengthening the social network rather than confronting QQ directly. As Nanjing University prepared for its homecoming, Zhao Hao arranged for Su Can to meet Song Zhen, leaving Su Can concerned that she would see the meeting as his backing down.

• Zhang Guo’s team celebrated completing Facebook Messenger, and Su Can praised its potential while cautioning that it should support Facebook Chinese rather than compete head-on with QQ.
• Su Can explained that Facebook Chinese needed to build user loyalty through social networking, since instant messaging alone would not ensure success.
• Nanjing University prepared for its homecoming, drawing alumni and luxury cars to campus as students discussed the event.
• Zhao Hao told Su Can that Song Zhen had brought the second-phase Shangmai and Xuntong Technology agreement to Nanjing University and had arranged for them to meet.
• Su Can realized Zhao Hao had already told Song Zhen about the meeting and worried that she would think he had backed down after their conflict.

Su Can revisited the path that had brought him from Xiahai to Facebook Chinese, then met Song Zhen at Nanjing University to discuss their business partnership. He was left waiting with her acquaintances until Professor Mu Guotao revealed Su Can’s connection to Facebook Chinese, shocking Li Zhi and Chen Yuedong.

• Su Can woke before dawn, saw Facebook Chinese’s financial statements, and reflected on his past quarrel with Song Zhen and their continuing business ties.
• Song Zhen summoned Su Can to Nanjing University’s Administrative Building plaza, where he joined her circle of acquaintances and waited for Liu Li to bring an agreement.
• Song Zhen introduced Su Can only by name, and Chen Chen and the others treated him as an unimportant university student while Song Zhen enjoyed his discomfort.
• Song Zhen told Su Can that Liu Li had been delayed and invited him to accompany the group inside the Administrative Building while he waited.
• Mu Guotao recognized Su Can as Facebook Chinese’s president, and Li Zhi and Chen Yuedong were stunned by the revelation.

Su Can met Facebook Chinese COO Mu Guotao at Nanjing University and discussed the company’s campus expansion and membership growth. After signing Song Zhen’s agreement, he joined her group for dinner, where his presence drew unexpected attention and changed the group’s mood.

• Mu Guotao explained that Facebook Chinese was recruiting university staff and using academic connections to secure portal links at universities across East China and North China.
• Su Can asked Mu Guotao about membership growth, and Mu said Facebook Chinese had gained fifty thousand members since July and expected to reach eighty thousand by the end of November.
• Song Zhen gave Su Can the agreement, and he signed it before she invited him to dinner with her friends on Hengshan Road.
• At Xijia Garden Restaurant, Chen Chen poured Su Can tea, prompting her friends to stare and Song Zhen to bristle at Chen Chen’s growing interest in him.
• During dinner, the group listened closely whenever Su Can spoke, leaving Song Zhen confused because her attempt to unsettle him had instead made him the center of attention.

Su Can joined Song Zhen’s dinner at Xi Family Garden, where Lin Luoran unexpectedly arrived with friends. After noticing the attention Su Can received, Lin Luoran sat beside him and called him “Honey,” leaving the gathering stunned.

• Su Can reflected on his past fundraising experiences and his unfamiliarity with Shanghai’s fashionable Hengshan Road.
• Lin Luoran arrived at Xi Family Garden and unexpectedly spotted Su Can through the restaurant window.
• Cai Heng greeted Lin Luoran, while Chen Chen redirected attention to herself and framed Song Zhen’s dinner as a gathering for Su Can.
• Lin Luoran noticed how Song Zhen and the others treated Su Can, then winked playfully at him.
• Lin Luoran sat beside Su Can and called him “Honey,” shocking everyone at the table.

Lin Luoran pretended to be Su Can’s girlfriend at dinner, unsettling his female friends and driving off other men who were pursuing her. After Song Zhen recognized the act and left, Lin Luoran called her a difficult rival as she and Su Can waited for the bus.

• Lin Luoran called Su Can “Honey” and acted affectionately toward him, leaving David and her university acquaintances stunned.
• Lin Luoran explained privately that she was pretending to be his girlfriend to keep him from making mistakes, while Su Can teased her about taking the act further.
• After dinner, Li Zhi and Chen Yuedong exchanged contact details with Su Can, and Chen urged him not to let Lin Luoran down.
• Song Zhen praised Lin Luoran’s performance, then drove away in her Jaguar.
• Lin Luoran watched Song Zhen leave and called her a difficult rival while she and Su Can waited for the bus.

Lin Zouwen reflected on his friendship with Su Can and asked him to bring Li Pengyu to Facebook Chinese. Su Can then joined the company’s senior executives for a videoconference with Mark Zuckerberg about acquiring equity in World of Warcraft, as they waited tensely for the connection.

• Lin Zouwen told Su Can about his uncertainty over the future, his hopes for an ordinary life, and how much he and Wang Weiwei had learned from their friendship with Su Can.
• Lin Zouwen asked Su Can to hire Li Pengyu, who was leaving military academy for a guard assignment, and Su Can considered how Li Pengyu could strengthen Facebook Chinese.
• Su Can arrived at Facebook Chinese headquarters for a videoconference with Facebook in the United States about the World of Warcraft equity acquisition and Facebook’s second-round financing plan.
• Facebook Chinese’s senior executives prepared for the meeting and worried about Mark Zuckerberg’s reputation for being harsh and difficult to work with.

Su Can defended acquiring a stake in Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft as the opening step toward expanding Facebook into social gaming and interactive entertainment. Mark Zuckerberg agreed to proceed with financing, and a new U.S. funding round began.

• Su Can and Facebook Chinese's executives joined a video conference with Mark Zuckerberg to discuss the World of Warcraft acquisition and its financing.
• Mark Zuckerberg challenged Su Can to justify the $25 million investment and questioned whether Facebook could afford to tie up funds before the game launched.
• Su Can presented surveys showing strong anticipation for World of Warcraft and argued that social gaming and an entertainment platform could give Facebook new revenue sources.
• Su Can argued that partnering with Blizzard was safer than trying to build an entertainment platform through scattered acquisitions, and Mark Zuckerberg agreed to proceed with financing.
• Qiao Cunxin praised Su Can after the conference, and a U.S. funding round led by Greylock formally launched with Merritech Capital, Thiel, and Accel among its investors.

Su Can advanced the World of Warcraft investment plan while balancing the interests of Facebook Chinese and American Facebook, as Nanjing University’s homecoming drew prominent visitors. The chapter ended when a basketball cracked the window of Song Zhen’s Jaguar, setting off its alarm.

• Su Can arranged for American Facebook to receive compensation for helping fund Facebook Chinese’s planned World of Warcraft share acquisition.
• Lin Guangdong reported that he was mobilizing funds and coordinating with Ren Ying and Jiang Ming to raise the eighty million yuan needed for the acquisition.
• Su Can repeatedly noticed Song Zhen’s Jaguar parked at Nanjing University and approached it to check whether she was inside.
• Xiao Xu told Su Can that the car belonged to Song Zhen, the daughter of Senchuan Group head Song Siming.
• Li Han threw a basketball toward Su Can and Xiao Xu, and Xiao Xu’s touch deflected it into the Jaguar’s window, cracking it and triggering the alarm.

Li Han and Xiao Xu accidentally smashed Song Zhen’s sports car window, but Su Can stepped in and said he would handle the damage. Song Zhen later dismissed Fu Hang for overstepping and speaking on her behalf.

• Li Han and Xiao Xu broke Song Zhen’s car window while throwing a ball, drawing university officials and a crowd to the scene.
• Fu Hang told Li Han and Xiao Xu that replacing the imported window could cost tens of thousands, while Song Zhen spoke with Su Can about their past encounter.
• Su Can gave Fu Hang contact details for someone who would handle the damage and left with Li Han and Xiao Xu.
• Song Zhen let Su Can leave without demanding compensation and rode back to Yushan Villa with Fu Hang.
• Fu Hang offered to apologize to Su Can, but Song Zhen dismissed him for acting as though he could make decisions for her.

Su Can met Zhan Hua on the Nanjing University campus and challenged his ruthless approach to capital. Zhan Hua revealed that he served Gao Heng and warned Su Can to stay out of Song Zhen’s affairs, leaving Su Can shaken by the power behind the financial conflicts.

• Su Can, Xiao Xu, and Li Han saw a four-car Benz convoy arrive on campus, and Zhan Hua stepped out to ask Su Can for a chat.
• Zhan Hua accurately described Facebook Chinese’s growth, while Su Can concealed the company’s secret plan to acquire World of Warcraft.
• Su Can rejected Zhan Hua’s claim that they were alike, arguing that he had a meaningful purpose and could control capital rather than serve it.
• Zhan Hua revealed that he had been acting for Gao Heng in the Han and Tang and Century Securities affairs, and Su Can was stunned by the name’s weight.
• Zhan Hua said Gao Heng had only noticed Su Can and warned him to stay out of Song Zhen’s affairs because her family had connections with Gao Heng.

Su Can welcomed Li Pengyu to Facebook Chinese and introduced him to Tang Wu and Lin Luoran at a dinner. The evening ended with Tang Wu asking Su Can who Song Zhen was after Lin Luoran warned her about the girl.

• Su Can considered Zhan Hua's warning about Song Zhen's powerful family and Gao Heng but chose not to involve himself in Song Zhen's personal life.
• Li Pengyu arrived in Shanghai after leaving the military to work for Su Can, who offered him a special assistant position at Facebook Chinese.
• Su Can hosted a welcome dinner for Li Pengyu, where Tang Wu and Lin Luoran met and chatted warmly.
• Su Can discussed Li Pengyu's role and salary, and Li Pengyu explained that he wanted to build a career on his own merits.
• After Lin Luoran left the dinner, she warned Tang Wu to watch out for Song Zhen, and Tang Wu asked Su Can who Song Zhen was.

Su Can explained his business relationship with Song Zhen to Tang Wu, who bought a magazine featuring her before they shared a tender moment on campus. At Facebook Chinese, Li Pengyu began his new role as Su Can’s assistant, while Su Can learned that influential figures were preparing a media campaign against Song Zhen and the Senchuan Group.

• Su Can told Tang Wu how he had met Song Zhen through his search for Facebook financing, and Tang Wu bought a magazine featuring Song Zhen after hearing his explanation.
• Su Can and Tang Wu walked back together, and he told her that building a future with her was what made him happy.
• Li Pengyu began studying Facebook Chinese’s source code and settled into his new role as Su Can’s special assistant.
• Su Can gave Li Pengyu the Bentley keys so he could drive him after lunch at the Meiluo Building.
• Lin Guangdong told Su Can that powerful figures were joining forces to use their media resources to attack Song Zhen and the Senchuan Group.
• Su Can asked Lin Guangdong to keep watch on the situation, then contemplated the news.

Su Can met Song Zhen at a lecture and was introduced to her mother over lunch, while Zhan Hua described Su Can’s achievements to Gao Heng and Director Luo. Gao Heng became interested in Su Can and planned to return to Beijing alone the next day.

• Zhan Hua welcomed Gao Heng at Pudong Airport, and they later met with Director Luo at a private club.
• Su Can spoke with Song Zhen at an economics lecture, and she invited him to lunch despite his attempts to decline.
• Song Zhen introduced Su Can to her mother, who had arrived from the United States.
• Zhan Hua recounted Su Can’s business successes and Facebook’s growth to Gao Heng and Director Luo.
• Gao Heng said he admired Su Can but still resented his role in shutting down Han and Tang and Century Securities.
• Gao Heng announced that he would return to Beijing alone the next day and told Zhan Hua and Director Luo not to publicize his departure.

Su Can met Song Zhen’s mother, Tao Qing, who assessed him as a potential partner for her daughter and judged him too mediocre and weak for the pressures of the Senchuan family. Song Zhen defended Su Can but remained silent after Tao Qing urged her to meet other men; the next day, Nanjing University’s homecoming celebrations began.

• Tao Qing met Su Can while Song Zhen discussed her growing responsibilities in the Senchuan Group and introduced Su Can as a business partner.
• Tao Qing suggested Song Zhen spend time with other prominent young men, prompting Song Zhen to joke that Su Can might be her boyfriend.
• Su Can denied that he and Song Zhen were anything more than friends and business partners, while Tao Qing continued to scrutinize him.
• After the meal, Tao Qing asked Song Zhen whether she and Su Can were together, then criticized his perceived mediocrity and weakness.
• Song Zhen defended Su Can, but Tao Qing advised her to meet other people before deciding, and Song Zhen drove on in silence.
• Nanjing University’s homecoming celebrations officially opened the following day.

Nanjing University held its homecoming festival, where Su Can and Tang Wu reunited with former classmates from Rongcheng's No. 27 Middle School. The chapter left Su Can and Principal Cai Guotao sharing a familiar joke, their old rapport still intact.

• Nanjing University welcomed thousands of alumni to its five-day homecoming festival, and Wang Dongjian left Su Can and his friends to receive VIP guests.
• Su Can teased Tang Wu about her festival T-shirt, took her hand, and heard her say she wanted him to be both ordinary and extraordinary.
• Su Can and Tang Wu encountered former classmates from No. 27 Middle School, who brought them to meet Principal Cai Guotao.
• Su Can told Cai Guotao that his smile was unattractive, and Cai replied that Su Can's old recitation of a Pushkin poem had been poor.

Su Can and Tang Wu attended a dinner hosted by their former principal, Cai Guotao, where Nanjing University officials and other guests tried to learn more about Su Can’s business. After Gao Bingqi mocked Cai Guotao’s praise of Su Can, Cai directly asked whether Su Can had founded Facebook, and Su Can confirmed that he was one of its two founders.

• Dai Cunxin invited Su Can and Tang Wu to Cai Guotao’s dinner at the Holiday Inn, where Lin Guangdong and Nanjing University officials would also attend.
• Su Can and Tang Wu discussed why Cai Guotao had invited them and shared a private moment before heading to the dinner with Lin Guangdong.
• Cai Guotao praised Su Can for saving Li Ying and succeeding at Nanjing University, while Gao Bingqi tried to belittle the praise and promote his daughter’s education.
• Lu Chuanming voiced the university’s support for Su Can, and the guests’ reactions made Gao Bingqi suspect he had misjudged the gathering.
• Cai Guotao asked Su Can whether he had started Facebook, and Su Can confirmed that he was one of its two founders.

After Su Can confirmed Facebook’s success, Nanjing University’s officials treated him with newfound respect, and he later encountered Zhan Hua and his associates at the hotel. Xie Si Gan tried to court Tang Wu before learning who Su Can was, while Su Can returned to campus wondering how Zhan Hua’s group planned to move against Senchuan Enterprises.

• Su Can confirmed Facebook’s success to Cai Guotao and the Nanjing University officials, who responded with admiration and greater respect.
• After the banquet, Su Can saw vice principal Sun Xuejin defer to Zhan Hua, whose prominent associates Lin Guangdong identified.
• Xie Si Gan approached Tang Wu and invited her for tea, but she called his attempt boring before Su Can came over to take her away.
• Li Pengyu blocked Xie Si Gan from pestering Tang Wu, and Zhan Hua introduced Xie Si Gan as the son of Ganghong Group chairman Xie Zhao and identified Su Can as Facebook’s Chinese founder.
• Zhan Hua led Xie Si Gan away, and Su Can returned to campus wondering where the group would begin its moves against Senchuan Enterprises.