New York, Zhou Yuandai’s office.

She was alone.

Looking at the diagram created by an analyst on her computer screen, Zhou Yuandai smiled rather exasperatedly. This diagram indicated the movements of a mysterious sum of money which originated in China. Only after taking nine full bends did it reveal its true intention. Its target was the phone systems developer, Symbian.

“Still dishonest, are we...” Zhou Yuandai smiled wryly and sighed, “Still, you’d never have thought, right. Of the nine organisations your money went through, two of them...are mine.”

Xu Tingsheng received a call from Hu Chen as he was informed that a large sum of money was currently being used to try to take over Motorola’s shares in Symbian. Xingchen lacked the ability to compete with them.

Even as Xu Tingsheng sighed regretfully into the phone, he was soundlessly pumping his fist in celebration.

In the year 2006, countless people knew how great a future the handphone market had, how great a pie it was. Still, someone like Xu Tingsheng who had foreknowledge aside, very few people could predict one thing. Most people would even mock it if it was said now-that was Nokia’s, the hegemon of the handphone industry’s, demise.

Meanwhile, Nokia happened to be the biggest and staunchest supporter of the Symbian system, being one of its possessors too.

So, what a great big ‘pit’ this was.

Xu Tingsheng knew that this ‘pit’ that he had dug was still far from sufficient to inflict enough damage on Zhou Yuandai. Still, it at least proved one thing, something he had been most worried about...

Now, he could basically conclude that Zhou Yuandai did not know the future.

“Do we continue with Apple then?” Hu Chen asked Xu Tingsheng over the phone, even sounding a bit guilty and apologetic.

“Are there many competitors? Are they strong?” Xu Tingsheng asked.

“There are quite a few of them,” Hu Chen said.

“Do your best. Try again with Symbian too,” Xu Tingsheng said.

He hung up.

“That’s good too. Come...this old man will slowly play with you. Find a big pit to bury you in,” Xu Tingsheng thought.

“The more it’s like this, the more I want to control you,” At the same time, Zhou Yuandai thought.

......

Besides these hidden undercurrents that people were unaware of, in late August 2006, during the time Xu Tingsheng’s fourth year of university commenced, the world belonged to Huang Yaming and Zhang Xingke.

First was Zhang Xingke.

To everyone’s major bewilderment, merely a little over half a year after joining Hucheng, having expanded its influence in the southwest extremely well, its new Vice CEO Zhang Xingke suddenly announced with any prior warning that he would be leaving Hucheng and starting a new company once again.

Half the team that he had established at Hucheng, the ‘Hucheng Southwest Expansion Troop’, would even be leaving with him. Chen Jingqi was amongst their number.

Everyone’s first thought was: Something’s happened at Hucheng again?

This ‘again’ referred to how Xu Tingsheng had only left not so long ago.

With such a major change happening when Hucheng was actively preparing to get listed on the market, Zhang Xingke had to step forward and be interviewed by the media.

“Besides the team that I’m familiar with, I will not take away any of Hucheng’s customers and resources. We have already finished handing things over to the company’s new southwest team. Please rest easy, everyone,” This was the first thing Zhang Xingke said to the media.

“Besides that, after hearing of my decision, Xu Tingsheng and Boss Lu took the initiative to call me...”

“What did they say?” The reporters asked.

“They said...they’d always known it was going to happen,” Zhang Xingke spread his hands apart, saying, “Then, they wished me luck in my venture and said they’ll welcome me back at any time. We still maintain a cordial relationship in private. Although, regarding how they appear very happy to see me go...it feels a bit bad, man.”

Zhang Xingke’s words evoked a wave of laughter.

“May I ask what your new company will be focusing on, Boss Zhang?” The reporters asked.

“That’s a secret for the time being,” Zhang Xingke replied, then said, “Next question.”

“I’d like to ask: Do you think your decision is correct, Boss Zhang? After all, right now, most people believe that Hucheng has very good prospects...”

“I agree,” Zhang Xingke directly interrupted the reporter.

“Why did you still leave then?” The reporter pressed.

“Because I will do better,” As the reporters were stumped by his statement and did not follow up with another question, Zhang Xingke stood up and continued, “Pardon my frankness, but in my professional life, ever since university, I’ve always been the boss. If you let me be somebody’s underling now, even having to ask for approval before making a decision, sorry, I have no way of getting used to that.”

These words were arrogant and domineering. Some more perceptive reporters were actually already able to sense that Zhang Xingke was begrudging Lu Zhixin for her overly strong control and individualistic style...this actually wasn’t a secret. Still, it couldn’t be called a mistake...most first generation entrepreneurs were like this.

Zhang Xingke did not give them any time to react or ask any further questions as he continued, “Forgive my arrogance, but the truth is that I can only be the CEO.”

Zhang Xingke’s popularity shot through the roof.

To be precise, these two extremely domineering phrases of his grew viral. Many other ‘pardon my frankness’ and ‘forgive my arrogance’ template copies began appearing on the internet.

For example: Pardon my frankness, but in my student life, ever since primary school, I’ve always flunked. If you let me properly study and be a top student now, having to feign some illness to the teacher if I fall asleep during lessons, sorry, I have no way of getting used to that.

Forgive my arrogance, but the truth is that I can only flunk.

When people are popular, gossip abounds. A female reporter soon uncovered an ‘unpleasant’ piece of news regarding Zhang Xingke.

The matter was directly laid out in front of him as that female reporter asked, “According to my sources, when you started a company in Shenghai before, Boss Zhang, it was ultimately because of a woman’s betrayal that you were forced to depart far away. Is that true?”

“Yes,” Zhang Xingke answered.

“So, I heard that you borrowed Hucheng’s power afterwards and suppressed the forces who moved against you at the time very severely. That woman as well...she is already bankrupt. Nowadays, she has to work at a factory for her livelihood. Is that true?” The reporter asked.

“One, yes. Two, I used legal methods,” Zhang Xingke answered.

“So, do you think that what you did is fine?”

“It’s totally fine.”

“Do you find what you did very glorious?” The female reporter was not happy with his attitude.

Zhang Xingke just stared at her.

“What, what is it?” The female reporter was a bit nervous.

“As you’re saying this to me, do you find that you’re standing on the side of justice?” Zhang Xingke asked, “Don’t forget I did this only after she betrayed me first...she took away what belonged to me and made me like a homeless stray.”

“But from what I know...”

“Yes, I slept with her before. So, are you trying to say that having slept with her before, the bonds between us are not the same? I should be magnanimous and forgive her betrayal?”

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The female reporter was stunned and lost for words.

Zhang Xingke continued, “It is only natural for men to be good to women. Still, we aren’t meant to be stomped on. My logic towards women is actually very simple. I love you, so I’ll work hard at treating you well. If you don’t love me, say it. It’s okay, we can still be friends. Still, if you don’t love me but act as if you do, fool me and betray me...sorry, but you’ll definitely pay a price for it.”

With that, Zhang Xingke flicked his sleeve and left with a swoosh.

The female reporter relayed his words in full.

On the internet, a ‘My logic towards women is actually very simple’ template appeared. For instance, someone said, “My logic towards women is actually very simple. If you let me sleep with you, I can guarantee that we will not just be sleeping together once.”

Zhang Xingke grew even more popular, and filled with contention too.

Some supported him, saying that he was domineering indeed. Some resonated a lot with his words. Some called him a bastard...the internet has always been a place with diverse opinions and various worldviews.

This group of people called Zhang Xingke ‘second bastard’, because they quickly discovered someone who was even more of a bastard.

At the centre of a maelstrom of public sentiment, Zhang Xingke called Xu Tingsheng.

“How is it? This cover-up is crazy enough, right? It’s just that I didn’t go far enough in expressing dissatisfaction towards Lu Zhixin. I originally still wanted to borrow that woman’s incident to disparage how she betrayed you...”

“Thank you,” Xu Tingsheng said painfully.

Zhang Xingke laughed twice and asked, “Tell me, what exactly do you want me to do? Rest assured, the people whom I’ve brought are the most reliable. Also, remember what you said. At the end of all this, I’ll be on Forbes for sure.”

“No rush,” Xu Tingsheng said, “Have all the fun you want with Huang Yaming first.”

“He will be involved in this operation too?” Zhang Xingke asked.

“No. It’s purely that he’s addicted to being a magnate,” Xu Tingsheng said.