Chapter 1366: The Test

"I'm really sorry, Zhao."

After a long while, Zuckerberg looked at Zhao Fusheng with an apologetic expression.

Being a genius, he quickly realized after some thought just how much Zhao Fusheng stood to lose in this matter. After all, Facebook's future potential was evident; in other words, if not for wanting to protect his control over Facebook, Zhao Fusheng could have sold his shares at a much higher price.

This made Zuckerberg feel very guilty; he felt he had let down his friend.

Seeing Zuckerberg's guilty look, Zhao Fusheng sighed and shook his head: "Mark, it's not what you think. You don't need to feel guilty about this at all; it's unavoidable."

Although he could have taken advantage of Zuckerberg's guilt to gain some benefits, Zhao Fusheng felt that doing so would be exploiting their friendship on one hand and insulting Mark Zuckerberg's intelligence on the other.

This was no joke. Though Zuckerberg was still commercially inexperienced, that didn't mean he would always be a business idiot.

Many reincarnators like to act clever, fooling those seemingly wise but simple-minded big shots, thinking it's a great achievement.

In fact, this is a very foolish act.

Yes, foolish.

What happens when an ant provokes a lion?

The answer is obvious.

Those who treat others as fools for no reason are the real idiots. A person capable of great achievements cannot be stupid; even if deceived temporarily, they will eventually catch on over time.

What then?

So Zhao Fusheng would not do such a thing. Even if it brought some short-term gains, he would not do it.

In business, one must be shrewd, but one cannot treat competitors or partners as idiots. Those who do will end up the worst off.

"I understand, but Facebook wouldn't be where it is today without your help back then," Zuckerberg said to Zhao Fusheng with a smile.

Zhao Fusheng did not deny this. After all, without his initial investment, Facebook certainly wouldn't have achieved its current success. That was a fact that couldn't be denied.

This was also why Zhao Fusheng, though never emphasizing it, felt confident when dealing with Zuckerberg.

"Zuck, I hope you understand that no matter what, I will always be your friend," Zhao Fusheng said with a smile to Zuckerberg. "So even if I plan to sell my Facebook shares, please don't mind."

Zuckerberg smiled and nodded: "I understand. Tell me, who do you plan to sell the shares to?"

Zhao Fusheng currently held over thirty percent of Facebook's shares, no small number. Zuckerberg naturally paid close attention to Zhao Fusheng's future plans.

"What do you think of Sequoia Capital?" Zhao Fusheng said to Zuckerberg.

Sequoia Capital?

Zuckerberg was taken aback, then laughed: "You've worked with them?"

Zhao Fusheng didn't hide it: "Yes, we've cooperated several times in China."

There was nothing to hide; he might as well tell the truth. Zuckerberg had channels to find out anyway, so hiding it would be pointless.

"I trust you," Zuckerberg said with a smile, nodding to Zhao Fusheng.

He paused, then said solemnly: "But you must promise me, don't sell too many shares."

This was crucial, as it involved many factors. A misstep could easily lead to losing control of Facebook, something Zuckerberg absolutely could not accept.

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "Don't worry, that's definitely not a problem."

After a moment's thought, he smiled and said: "As for the specifics, let the financial team handle the negotiations. What do you think?"

Zuckerberg nodded. Personal friendship was personal friendship; no matter how much they admired each other, when it came to deals worth hundreds of millions or more, he had to be cautious.

...

...

The meeting with Zuckerberg wasn't particularly interesting; they just chatted. Simply put, Zhao Fusheng informed Zuckerberg of his intentions.

As for other matters, as Zhao Fusheng had said earlier, there were legal and financial teams to handle them. Bosses didn't need to get involved.

After arranging to have a meal together sometime, Zhao Fusheng left Boston with Wu Sijie.

"Boss, why don't you keep the shares?" Wu Sijie clearly didn't understand Zhao Fusheng's approach. In his view, Zhao Fusheng could have taken out a bank loan.

Zhao Fusheng smiled lightly and shook his head: "Have you considered whether Zuckerberg wants a major shareholder like me?"

Wu Sijie was stunned, then his expression became interesting.

Zhao Fusheng was right. No one likes having an overlord above them. In other words, although Zuckerberg seemed indifferent on the surface, deep down he probably hoped Zhao Fusheng would step down as a major shareholder.

"So, you're going with the flow?"

Wu Sijie exclaimed with admiration: "Impressive. Boss, you're really impressive."

Zhao Fusheng smiled, unimpressed by the guy's flattery. Wu Sijie, though clever, was not good at flattering people; his praise was utterly lacking in skill.

It felt like a translator in a wartime drama.

Shaking his head, Zhao Fusheng tried not to turn into the legendary idiot with negative IQ. He glared at Wu Sijie and said: "Keep a close eye on the Facebook matter. I've notified the group headquarters; Future Investment will send people soon. While I'm in the US, get it done as quickly as possible, understand?"

Wu Sijie quickly nodded. This was his first task, and he had to do it well. It was crucial to whether he could establish himself by the boss's side.

After spending this much time with him, Wu Sijie had figured out that his boss was informal and didn't care much about many things, but when it came to work, Zhao Fusheng was meticulous.

Normally it was fine, but if he messed up the boss's instructions, Wu Sijie was sure that no matter how good he was at talking, Zhao Fusheng would fire him without hesitation.

With that thought, Wu Sijie took a deep breath. He knew his test had come.