1novels Chapter 122 Forming a Group for Mutual Support, Public Opinion Reversal
Chapter 122 Forming a Group for Mutual Support, Public Opinion Reversal
Chapter 122 Forming a Group for Mutual Support, Public Opinion Reversals (6k words, 2nd update)
"Old Gou, why do I feel like this Sohu female reporter was contradicting Xiao Geng the whole time?"
Qin Hongfang stared at the live broadcast on Shanghai TV, her brows furrowed, her hand gripping the remote control so tightly it was almost sweaty.
"Yes, Xiao Geng was being deliberately targeted." Gou Youqian nodded slowly with a serious expression. "Fortunately, he reacted quickly enough, countering each move and resolving everything."
"Old Gou, are you saying—this female reporter was sent by our competitor to cause trouble?" Qin Hongfang turned to look at her husband in surprise.
"That's right. Public opinion is overwhelmingly in support of Xiao Geng right now. At this time, the only ones who would dare to jump out and sing a different tune are his opponents."
Gou Youqian's expression darkened, and he continued, "Moreover, this is probably just the beginning; the voices targeting Xiao Geng will only increase in the future."
Qin Hongfang's heart tightened, and she instinctively gripped the remote control: "What should we do? Xiao Geng is doing something righteous; we can't let them bully him like this!"
"Teacher Qin, don't panic." Gou Youqian patted the back of her hand, his gaze still fixed on the screen. "Let's see how the public opinion develops. If it's really necessary, I'll ask Liu Kangping for a solution."
He was trying to comfort his wife verbally, but in his heart, alarm bells were already ringing.
Judging from his professional intuition honed over many years in the political and economic spheres, the three giants of the marriage and relationship industry certainly wouldn't dare to openly criticize Liu Kangping's self-published book, nor would they dare to offend the US-affiliated departments behind it.
But to direct all the criticism at this straightforward person? That's something they feel no guilt about, and could even be considered welcome.
After the press conference, Geng Zhi first politely greeted the leaders and two vice presidents, and was then guided by staff to the media interview area.
After more than twenty minutes of bombardment from cameras, he finally broke free from the jungle of microphones and flashes, and reunited with Yang Mingxia, Shu Beibei, and others who had been waiting for a long time, ready to return to the office to review the proceedings.
"Boss, your answers to those questions were absolutely brilliant!" Lu Zhijie gave a thumbs up, looking completely convinced.
"What's even more amazing," Yang Mingxia exclaimed in amazement, "is that as soon as the press conference ended, most of the media's cameras and microphones were pointed at you, leaving those leaders standing aside. The scene—wow, it was incredible!"
"That's understandable, since all the buzz is going to be about our boss," Shu Beibei added with a smile.
"By the way, boss," Yang Mingxia suddenly lowered her voice, "Zheng Yuxi asked me to tell you that he went straight back to the capital, saying that he would avoid suspicion and wouldn't say goodbye in person."
"Hmm—he wasn't hurt, was he?" Geng Zhi recalled Zheng Yuxi's quick thinking when he fell down earlier.
"No, no, he's perfectly fine."
The group chatted as they walked toward the entrance of the lecture hall.
Just as she stepped out the door, Lü Siyu, who had finished tidying up the meeting room for Vice Dean Liu, jogged up to her, still a little out of breath: "Honest Boss!" She took a breath before continuing, "I've thought it over and agree to be your secretary."
secretary?!!
Yang Mingxia, Shu Beibei, and Lu Zhijie all widened their eyes in unison, their gazes shifting back and forth between Lü Siyu and Geng Zhi, their expressions collectively losing control.
Shu Beibei's inner monologue: Does the company really need secretaries right now?
Lu Zhijie's inner monologue: So being a boss really means you can do whatever you want! I need to work hard so that I can become a boss someday and find a beautiful secretary!
Yang Mingxia's inner monologue: Sister Siyu is actually a really nice person — but should I tell Sister Wanning?! Fellow readers, please advise, waiting online!
Ring ring—!
Just as Geng Zhi was about to say something, his phone rang.
He took out his phone and saw the caller ID: Mu Yan.
[Straightforward]: "Hello, Mr. Mu!"
[Mu Yan]: "President Geng, is the press conference in Beijing over? Come to Beijing as soon as possible to meet up with Chunmei and Haipeng. Let's have a board meeting to discuss the company's next strategic direction."
On the phone, Mu Yan's tone was calm, even somewhat friendly.
[Straightforward]: "Okay, Mr. Mu, I'll finish up my work and try to fly directly to Beijing first thing tomorrow morning."
As soon as Geng Zhi hung up the phone, Shu Beibei immediately came over: "Boss, President Mu is calling you over at this hour—is it a trap?"
"No," Geng Zhi said calmly, putting away his phone. "President Mu was quite polite on the phone."
polite.
Shu Beibei pondered these two words, always feeling that there was a knife hidden in this politeness.
At the white paper's release conference, Geng Zhi's straightforward answers to the questions posed by the three media professionals once again ignited public opinion, and praise for Geng Zhi and the "Jiaotong University matchmaker" once again flooded in.
At the same time, his Weibo followers jumped again, almost at a visible speed, approaching the 500,000 mark, making him a true big V.
On the surface, Geng Zhi has once again achieved a resounding victory.
at the same time.
Century Home Network, Baihe.com, and Zhenai.com, three fierce rivals who usually fight tooth and nail in the market, sat down at the same conference table for the first time ever.
This was a closed-door meeting on "industry self-rescue strategy" personally led by the chairmen of the three companies, Chairman Gong, Chairman Tian, and Chairman Li.
The meeting was short, lasting less than twenty minutes.
However, the meeting reached a consensus: we will never allow straightforwardness to speak on behalf of "Jiaotong University matchmakers," nor will we allow straightforwardness to represent the marriage and dating industry in its reflection.
Three business rivals who would kill each other in the business world temporarily shook hands and became allies because of Geng Zhi's name.
With their own ulterior motives, they all began to plan and launch public relations campaigns, dividing their forces to launch a joint attack and strangle Geng Zhi.
The industry leader, Century Home Network, is making every effort to go public, and what it fears most right now is regulatory action.
Century Home Network's public relations strategy is to muddy the waters, dilute the credibility of the white paper, and reduce its damage to the industry.
Baihe.com, the industry's second-largest player, is trying to clean up its image and maintain the prestige of its "Jiaotong University Matchmaker" brand, while also dreaming of one day making a comeback and reaching the top.
Baihe.com's public relations strategy is: precise segmentation. Protect Ma Chunmei, kill Geng Zhi.
The industry leader, True Love Network, has the simplest demands: stop the bleeding, save itself, and prevent the fire from spreading to its own backyard.
The public relations strategy employed by Zhenai.com is "inclusiveness"—repeatedly emphasizing that "the online model serves the silent majority."
Beneath the surface, a net targeting Geng Zhi is slowly tightening.
At 1:30 p.m., in the small office of the Momo team.
After the press conference, Geng Zhi forced the team to immediately switch gears.
Yang Mingxia and her newly hired "secretary" Lü Siyu were responsible for 24/7 public opinion monitoring, while everyone else—including Geng Zhi himself—poured into the sprint development of the Momo iOS version.
The only sounds in the office were the clicking of mice and keyboards.
"Mingxia, Siyu, what's the trend online right now?" Geng Zhi asked the two people behind him without turning his head after finishing debugging a positioning interface.
"Boss, everything is normal on social media right now. The comments are mostly positive, and there hasn't been the reversal of public opinion you mentioned," Yang Mingxia said in a relaxed tone.
"The three giants haven't made a move either," Lü Siyu added. "I've been watching their official Weibo accounts and related keywords; it's as quiet as if they're observing the Qingming Festival."
So calm?
-
Geng Zhi frowned slightly, sensing that things were going quite differently from what he had expected.
He suppressed the strange feeling and turned to continue discussing the logic of memory optimization with Song Qing.
1:35 PM.
"Boss! Boss!!"
Yang Mingxia suddenly raised her voice: "My apprentice upstairs secretly informed me that the newly launched website of 'Jiaotong University Matchmaker' has crashed! Manager Zhao and his team are working on it urgently!"
Her voice was filled with complex emotions, a mixture of secret joy and sadness.
The entire office froze, and everyone looked up at Yang Mingxia.
"So there really is a problem—" Song Qing muttered.
When the website technology was handed over, he discovered that Manager Zhao had an impressive resume but a very weak technical foundation.
"Sigh—the 'Seven-Day Couple' gameplay that I painstakingly designed is still up there—" Shu Beibei said with a pained regret.
Song Qing hesitated for a moment, then tentatively said, "Junior brother, how about I go up and lend them a hand? I have a general idea of where the problem lies."
Geng Zhi hesitated for two seconds, then shook his head: "The website crash won't affect the existing users of 'Jiaotong University Matchmaker.' Let's focus on doing our own thing."
"Okay." Upon hearing this, Song Qing didn't say anything more and buried himself in his work.
2:15 PM.
"Boss—" Yang Mingxia spoke again in a low voice, her tone subtle. The news of the "Jiaotong University Matchmaker" website crashing had made it into the news and trending posts on online forums. Apparently, they'd tried to fix it several times, only to have it crash several more times.
"Oh? How's the atmosphere in the comments section?" Geng Zhi asked instinctively, his hands still busy debugging the bug.
"How strange! The comments section is surprisingly peaceful!" Yang Mingxia exclaimed in amazement. "Netizens are unusually tolerant."
"Holy crap! Nobody's complaining?" Song Qing couldn't help but look up again, his face full of confusion. "When did users become so agreeable? Are these netizens even real?"
"Netizens speculate that it's because the 'Jiaotong University matchmaker' has become so popular recently that too many users have flooded in, which is normal for the server to be unable to handle it—" Yang Mingxia repeated the comments she saw.
"Uh—" Song Qing shook his head, "I can't understand why netizens can understand."
"Maybe it's because the boss has such a high image score that he's helped the 'Jiaotong University matchmaker' gain popularity among the general public," Lu Siyu said softly.
"Love me, love my dog".
3:30 PM.
An exclusive report from an authoritative financial media outlet states that Baihe.com led a Pre-A round of investment in "Jiaotong University Matchmaker," valuing the company at 1800 million.
The news, titled "Ten Thousand," began to circulate widely online.
In the news, Baihe.com announced that it has completed a strategic investment in "Jiaotong University Matchmaker," an industry innovation benchmark, emphasizing that Baihe.com and "Jiaotong University Matchmaker" share a high degree of alignment in their concepts, jointly advocating for genuine marriage and love and promoting an online-offline integration strategy.
This news first spread among the general public and netizens.
Many people who support being straightforward have become confused and even questioning.
"I don't understand! President Geng just finished criticizing them, and then he took their money? What's going on?"
"Look! Capitalists are shameless! If they can't argue with you, they'll just pay you to shut you up! This money from Baihe.com isn't an investment; it's hush money!"
"I feel this isn't a marriage alliance, it's a kidnapping. Baihe.com is trying to use the reputation of 'Jiaotong University matchmakers' to whitewash its image, and it will never allow President Geng to turn this fire on itself."
Thanks to his straightforward reputation and popularity recently, although netizens had some doubts and questions about the heated discussion that day, most of them still stood on his side.
8 PM.
Before leaving get off work, Geng Zhi strolled over to office 401 in the next building.
After the winter vacation started, Hao Pengxiang, Sun Xiaoguang, and Xu Youqing did not go home; they all stayed at the school to focus on developing [the program/project/etc.].
A special Chinese New Year edition of Fruit Ninja.
Geng Zhi has been busy with Momo and the press conference lately, and most of the basic development work for "Fruit Ninja" has been handed over to Sun Xiaoguang.
However, Geng Zhi promised that he would give half of the project bonuses distributed by Teacher Wang to Sun Xiaoguang in the future.
"Brother Zhi, you're here!" Sun Xiaoguang greeted Geng Zhi as he entered.
"Senior! Youqing and I have finished the art design. Xiaoguang said that once the materials are replaced, we can release the new version directly!" Hao Pengxiang said excitedly.
After holding back for so long, it's finally going to be released in China with great fanfare. How can I not be excited?
"Okay! Thank you all for your hard work. Once the new version is rolled out, domestic users will be able to play it during the Spring Festival."
He spoke frankly.
"Yay!" Xu Youqing chuckled. "Now that I'm going back to my hometown of Daqing for the New Year, I can finally brag to all my relatives and friends, hahaha!"
After chatting for a while, Sun Xiaoguang suddenly asked, "Brother Zhi, did Teacher Wang say when the Android version development will start?"
Geng Zhi shook his head: "Teacher Wang heard from the game company that the Android version compatibility adaptation is too complicated, and it's not cost-effective to outsource it to our Red Palm Studio."
"ah??"
"Huh?" Sun Xiaoguang frowned deeply upon hearing this. "Then—you didn't outsource it to another studio, did you? This—"
"Perhaps," Geng said vaguely. "We're only responsible for getting paid to do the work, and I can't ask too many questions about the specific arrangements."
"Oh, that makes sense."
In fact, from the very beginning, Geng Zhi never intended for Red Palm Studio to take over the Android version.
There are three reasons:
Firstly, the Android system was far from mature at that time, and the cost of adapting to various manufacturers' models was extremely high, making it a thankless and arduous task.
Secondly, the domestic Android market is a complete wasteland, rife with piracy and cracked APKs everywhere. As soon as a product is launched, a cracked version appears on the market, and all the hard work put into development goes to pirate sites.
Thirdly, Fruit Ninja has already gained considerable traction in the North American market and is about to launch in the Chinese market, where a breakout is almost a certainty. However, game operation is a massive undertaking.
Although Geng Zhi had experience in game operation in his previous life, he now has no one, no time, and no energy to operate it, and it's not safe for him to operate it himself.
Moreover, from the perspective of those who have experienced a rebirth, while the lifespan of the "Fruit Ninja" game was glorious, the limitations of a single IP are clearly visible.
Therefore, taking advantage of copyright licensing is the best solution at present.
Agency rights in the European, American, and Australian markets are relatively easy to negotiate. Just sign the contract with whoever offers the best terms and is reliable.
However, for domestic distribution partners, Geng Zhi has to consider more than just money and copyright fees; there may also be future plans.
This will require some brainpower and proactive action to stir up the waters of the domestic mobile game market, which is still in its exploratory stage.
When he got home that evening, Geng Zhi turned on his computer as usual and checked the sales backend of "Fruit Ninja": it was about to break 30 copies.
With a unit price of $0.99 and sales of less than $30, after Apple takes a 30% cut, only $21 remains.
It's not bad, but it's not great either.
At this rate, there's a risk that the $100 million invested in Ele.me might not be enough to cover the costs in two months.
We must speed things up; we must find a suitable distributor as soon as possible.
Geng Zhi came out of the bathroom after taking a shower, his hair still dripping wet, when his phone rang.
Caller ID: Gu Wanning.
[Gu Wanning]: "Geng, you big liar, I watched the replay of your press conference today. During the Q&A session, what you said actually sounded quite convincing."
[Straightforward]: "Right? I also think I played pretty well today."
[Gu Wanning]: "Pfft—I just praised you a couple of times, and you're already panting. Can't you be a little more humble?"
[Straightforward]: "The world is so chaotic, who am I supposed to impress with humility? Humility won't earn me any money."
[Gu Wanning]: "Money is just an external thing, why care so much about it?"
[Straightforward]: "Attorney Gu is absolutely right. Then please waive my legal fees!"
[Gu Wanning]: "—No way!"
A soft snort came from the other end of the phone, and Geng Zhi could almost picture her rolling her eyes.
After a few casual words, Gu Wanning's tone became serious.
[Gu Wanning]: "My uncle just messaged me saying that you might be attacked by the three giants together."
[Straightforward]: "Oh? What exactly did Uncle Gou say?"
[Gu Wanning]: "My uncle didn't say much, just that based on his professional experience, the three giants will definitely put a lot of effort into public relations next."
Gu Wanning paused slightly, then continued speaking with some concern.
[Gu Wanning]: "They may not dare to criticize Vice President Liu's white paper, nor the relevant departments, but they will focus all their firepower on you."
[Straightforward]: "Yes, thank you for your concern, Uncle Gou. But you know my whole plan."
[Gu Wanning]: "I know your plan, but you may have underestimated the power of capital. You're not just touching the edge of their cake, you're attacking the entire stove. I—"
Gu Wanning paused slightly.
[Gu Wanning]: "I'm worried about you, worried that you might not be able to handle the pressure—"
[Straightforward]: "Hahaha, Attorney Gu is worried about me, then I can die without regrets."
[Gu Wanning]: "Straightforward! Stop joking, I'm talking to you about serious matters!"
[Straightforward]: "It's alright. I've seen it all. I'll deal with whatever comes my way. There's nothing to be afraid of. Evil will never prevail over good."
"Big brother, what kind of world have you seen?" Gu Wan Ning thought to herself. But she didn't say it aloud.
[Gu Wanning]: "My uncle and aunt said that Baihe.com might target you first. They asked me to tell you that if needed, they can join forces with Vice Dean Liu to help you."
Geng Zhi was slightly taken aback.
Why didn't Uncle Gou and Aunt Qin tell me directly, but instead asked me to go through Wan Ning?
He was puzzled, but didn't think about it too much.
[Straightforward]: "Please thank Uncle Gou and Aunt Qin for me. If I really can't handle it, I will definitely ask for help."
[Straightforward]: "However, President Mu did contact me and asked me to fly to the capital as soon as possible to hold a board meeting."
"
There was a few seconds of silence on Gu Wanning's end.
[Gu Wanning]: "This is definitely a trap! Did Li Haipeng give you any information about it?"
[Straightforward]: "Yes, but not much. He suspects that Mu Yan doesn't trust him enough at the moment."
[Gu Wanning]: "Do you need me to fly with you?"
As Geng Zhi stared at the line of text, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.
[Straightforward]: "Can I save this time for next time?"
Gu Wanning was taken aback, feeling as if Geng the conman was trying to trick her.
[Gu Wanning]: "Okay—take care."
[Straightforward]: "Don't worry, I already have a plan in mind."
The next morning, Geng Zhi boarded a plane from Hongqiao Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport.
The plane broke through the clouds, and the sunlight outside the window was blinding. He closed his eyes and mentally rehearsed everything that was about to happen.
While he was still 30,000 feet above the ground, public opinion on the internet had exploded, showing a clear polarization.
-
Unlike the overwhelming support from ordinary netizens after yesterday's press conference, this round of action was taken by various influential figures, financial commentators, relationship bloggers, and industry analysts.
A financial commentator published a long article in a column titled "Being straightforward is not a preacher, but a businessman."
The core argument is as follows: "The timing of the white paper's release was impeccable. It came right after the funding round, and they immediately launched their attack. This isn't idealism, but a meticulously planned differentiated marketing campaign."
"Jiaotong University Matchmaker" can't scale up its offline model, and it can't compete head-on with industry giants, so it resorts to the shortcut of "moral criticism." Geng Zhi is an excellent entrepreneur, but packaging himself as a saint goes too far.
The commentator's sharp point is that he acknowledges the ability to be straightforward, but denies the purity of that ability.
He defined straightforward idealism as precise business calculation.
This viewpoint, which directly points to impure motives behind being straightforward, may cause some netizens who have been swayed by the narrative to experience a sense of disillusionment, realizing "so that's how it is."
A relationship blogger posted a long essay on a forum titled "Your authenticity is a luxury for ordinary people."
Her core argument is as follows: Who does the "Jiaotong University Matchmaker" service serve? Graduates from 985/211 universities and white-collar workers in first-tier cities! They can certainly pursue "slow matching and in-depth communication." But what about the vast majority of ordinary people in China?
"Young people in factories, divorced people in small towns, brothers who work hard to save money and want to start a family—no matter how chaotic online platforms are, at least they provide a low-cost way for them to meet members of the opposite sex."
"To use elite standards to negate the choices of the masses is a form of arrogant pity!"
The ruthlessness of this blogger lies in her attack on the elites as a spokesperson for ordinary people, which easily resonates with the grassroots and pushes her straightforwardness to the opposite side of social class.
An industry analyst published an article titled "On the White Paper on Marriage and Love: Everyone can criticize, but what we need more is a prescription."
His core argument is as follows: "The biggest problem with the white paper is that it only provides a diagnosis, not a suitable prescription. Real-name registration has been talked about for ten years, but how will it be technically implemented? Who will set the standards for credit scores?"
"Geng Zhi blames the problem on the will of capital, but a mature entrepreneur should bring a solution to the table, not overturn it."
The analyst's sharp point lies in the fact that, frankly, no truly feasible technical solution has been proposed, at least not in the white paper. Some in the tech community may indeed agree with this constructive criticism, creating a rational debate.
What further divided public opinion was the emergence of a large number of online trolls who started to stir up trouble, directly accusing Geng Zhi of being hypocritical.
One of the most popular opinions is: "I laughed out loud when I saw the pause during the candid press conference when he said, 'Choosing who to partner with is more important than simply getting money.' He acted so convincingly. If he's so high-minded, why didn't he seek out those tech-for-good investors when he was raising funds?"
"To put it bluntly, the valuation they offered wasn't high enough, so Baihe.com offered a higher price. They criticize investors to gain fame, and they take on investors to make money—they can do both."
It was precisely this simple viewpoint—accusing Geng Zhen of being inconsistent in her words and deeds—that caused neutral netizens to begin to waver.
When Geng Zhi's flight landed smoothly at Beijing Capital International Airport, the online public opinion landscape had clearly diverged into three forces.
The die-hard supporters, numbering around 40%, believe that "the more fanatical they are, the more it proves that General Manager Geng is right!"
Those who questioned his straightforwardness, comprising about 30%, argued that "idealists who have been co-opted by capital are nothing more than sophisticated self-interest."
The remaining 30% of netizens are either swing voters or confused, feeling that both sides have valid points and that the information asymmetry on the internet means they need to let things play out for a while.
After turning on his phone, Geng Zhi saw the public opinion briefing jointly sent by Yang Mingxia and Lü Siyu and quickly scanned the data.
Immediately following were messages from the two of them saying, "Go, boss! We'll always support you!"
He smiled slightly, put away his phone, slung his three-year-old backpack over his shoulder, crossed the arrival hall, and headed towards the taxi waiting area.
After hailing a taxi and giving the driver the address of Baihe.com's headquarters, he set off alone for the meeting.
Outside the car window, the sky over the capital was hazy and gray, like a blanket.
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