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Chapter 270 The Only Strategy for Responding to Public Opinion: Lee Boo-jin's Dramatic Change in Attitude

"Dududu-"

When Zhang Yang hung up the phone, Xu Xiang was stunned for a moment, then wondered, "Why wasn't he afraid?"

His original plan was to first make some harsh words to suppress Zhang Yang's arrogance, and then seek the possibility of cooperation between the two.

Why was Xu Xiang able to let go of his grudges?
The reason is very simple: Zhang Yang's trading talent is so terrifying that even he admires him!

According to Tao Yuang, Zhang Xiaolong and others, Zhang Yang dared to leverage his investment with only 20 yuan six months ago, and made tens of millions of yuan in just one month.

With a principal of 20 yuan at the beginning of the year, he became a "mysterious financier" who stirred up the financial market in Hong Kong by the end of the year. If given another two years, Xu Xiang was not sure if he could see the taillights of the other party.

To say you're afraid, right?
It's not really true.

Xu Xiang felt that if he could join forces with Zhang Yang, the efficiency of harvesting retail investors would be greatly improved, and they could even harvest large amounts of retail investors.

Zhang Yang did not give Xu Xiang a chance to cooperate, or rather, he was not afraid at all that Xu Xiang would expose the matter.

Seeing Xu Xiang's astonished expression, Xu Haiou asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Hearing the sound, Xu Xiang came to his senses, put away his phone, and said with a puzzled look, "Zhang Yang hung up on me, seemingly not worried at all about ruining his reputation."

“Zhang Yang couldn’t possibly be unaware that Fuchun Road is extremely disliked by retail investors. His Caiyan.com mainly relies on retail investors for its livelihood.” Xu Haiou first analyzed and summarized, and then concluded: “Maybe he has already decided to give up Caiyan.com, or simply give up and wait and see how things develop.”

“Given Zhang Yang’s rapid profit-making in the stock market, abandoning Caiyan.com is a necessary sacrifice,” Ma Xinqi added.

"Then let him go?"

Shu Yimin asked.

"Of course we can't let him go. We should repay kindness with kindness and avenge wrongs with wrongs. He can certainly make money in the stock market, but who would complain about having too much money?"

As soon as Xu Haiou finished speaking, he added, "In addition, as far as I know, Xueyu Securities' license will soon be auctioned in Yanjing. Eastmoney and Tonghuashun are desperately seeking capital backing. Zhang Yang has been so aggressive lately, he must have something in mind. By exposing Fuchun Road now, we can not only get revenge, but also ruin things."

"Brother Xu is right."

Shu Yimin was the first to speak out.

Ma Xinqi thought for a moment and then added, "He must also suffer a bit."

"How should we expose it? Should we step in, or should we leak some insider information first?" Sun Guodong glanced at Xu Xiang, then looked at Xu Haiou.

"This needs further consideration."

Xu Haiou shook his head.

If they come forward to expose this, it seems like they can't handle the situation, which would damage retail investors' impression of the "Ningbo Limit-Up Daredevils".

How to spread the news while preserving their reputation is the question they need to consider now.

After careful consideration, Xu Xiang said, "The father of Jackie Chan Adventures once said that magic must be used to defeat magic. I think that companies like Eastmoney, Tonghuashun and Sina Finance would be happy to do things that harm the interests of Caiyan.com."

Upon hearing this, Shu Yimin immediately gave a thumbs up and flattered him, saying, "Brother Xiang, this is a great idea! Using someone else to do your dirty work without leaving a trace! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"

“That’s a great idea,” Ma Xinqi chimed in.

Xu Haiou: "Let's do it this way."

"That bastard Zhang Yang deserves to pay the price," Sun Guodong said sternly.

Among the Ningbo limit-up daredevils, he was the first to dig into the details of "Fuchun Road" and even treated Sun Yiheng to dinner several times.

The results of it?
They were completely fooled.

"Stop talking, come with us to the station to give your statements. The car is here."

At this moment, the reinforcement police cars had arrived downstairs at the hotel, and the police officers on duty raised their voices, urging Xu Xiang, Xu Haiou, and the others to hurry up.

As for Tao Yuang, who is suspected of extortion, he kept trying to defend himself, but the police wouldn't listen to his side of the story and repeatedly emphasized that they would talk about it at the station.

……

Huashan Hospital parking lot.

The driver's seat of a Mercedes-Benz S600.

After receiving Xu Xiang's call, Zhang Yang did not rush to drive away, but instead opened the notes app on his phone.

[The "joker" IP is already highly intertwined with Caiyan.com, and severing this connection is virtually impossible. To minimize the negative public opinion impact of the "Fuchun Road" alias being exposed, the only option is to turn the tables and leverage retail investors' desire for wealth by launching financial services related to the "Fuchun Road" IP, such as market research reports and stock selection techniques.]
This memo was sent by Xu Zhirou two days after Zhang Yang contacted her to discuss unbinding the IP address.

It has to be said that, by exploiting the desire of retail investors to make money and launching financial services related to the "Fuchun Road" IP, this is almost the only solution.

What if we just let it go and give it the cold shoulder?

Leaving aside whether retail investors will remain calm, industry peers certainly won't. They will most likely be stirring things up behind the scenes, amplifying the impact of negative public opinion.

The most classic example is Lotus MSG; failing to respond promptly is tantamount to "death."

In 1908, Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda extracted monosodium glutamate from kelp, which was the world's first monosodium glutamate. It was introduced to China in 1920. Due to its high price, it was a luxury seasoning that ordinary people could not afford for a long time.

Lotus MSG was established in Xiangcheng, southern Henan in 1983. In just 15 years, its annual MSG production soared from 400 tons to 8 tons, and it was exported to more than 70 countries at home and abroad, making it the world's number one MSG company.

In the 90s, MSG, along with salt, vinegar, and soy sauce, became an essential seasoning for cooking in every ordinary family.

However, the turning point came in March 1997 when the Health News suddenly published a report that "MSG causes cancer at high temperatures," which sparked public doubts about the safety of MSG consumption.

How is Lotus MSG made?

Instead of responding immediately, it commissioned a relevant laboratory to conduct food safety tests on its MSG products, hoping to use authoritative data to refute the rumors.

The detection process takes time, and Lotus MSG's lack of timely response and cold treatment have only led to more rampant rumors.

For example, rumors about MSG causing cancer, hair loss, and spermicide suddenly spread on the streets. The source can be traced back to a non-academic reader's letter to the New England Journal of Medicine in 1968 that fabricated the "Chinese food syndrome." By then, when Lotus MSG tried to refute the rumors, no one believed it anymore.

In 2001, several foreign chicken essence brands jointly released the "White Paper on Seasoning Habits of Chinese Families," deliberately associating MSG with cheapness and unhealthiness, and claiming through advertising that chicken essence is more natural. However, in fact, MSG is the first ingredient on the chicken essence ingredient list, usually accounting for 40%. Consumers do not have the habit of looking at the ingredient list, and their understanding has gradually been misled.

Starting in 2001, Lotus MSG's performance began to fluctuate, and in 2003 it suffered a huge loss of 1.45 million yuan, with its market share evaporating from a peak of 43.4% to less than 5%.

In just six or seven years, rumors destroyed a world-class company; this is the explosive power of public opinion.

Even today, many people still regard MSG as a dangerous substance, but in fact, as long as you don't eat MSG like rice, it is absolutely safe, because the main ingredient of MSG is monosodium glutamate, which is a natural extract of grains.

"If public opinion is in turmoil, we must respond immediately. The internet will greatly accelerate the spread of information. Now it depends on how the other party responds."

Zhang Yang muttered to himself.

Caiyan.com is not Lotus MSG, and he cannot make Caiyan.com become Lotus MSG.

(I believe I am who I am)

(I believe in tomorrow)

Suddenly, the phone rang.

The original memo page has been replaced by an incoming call page.

"An unfamiliar number." Zhang Yang muttered to himself as he looked at the caller ID, which had no name saved in his contacts and was registered in Shanghai.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he pressed the answer button and said, "Hello."

"I am Lee Boo-jin."

The person on the other end of the phone gave a fluent self-introduction, and it was in Chinese.

"President Li?" Zhang Yang was somewhat surprised, but then he suddenly remembered something and quickly asked, "Is there a result regarding the Samsung screen supply?"

Lee Boo-jin understands Chinese and can grasp what Zhang Yang means, but instead of replying in Chinese, she switches to English and says, "Things have taken a slight turn. Pick a time, and we can sit down and talk."

"Why not seize the day instead of another?"

Zhang Yang asked tentatively.

Lee Boo-jin's phone number is registered in Shanghai, which suggests that she may be in Shanghai.

In 2009, phone cards were not yet subject to mandatory real-name registration. Unregistered phone cards could be purchased at both authorized service centers and street-side mobile phone shops.

"Now?"

"If you have time, or if you are in Shanghai, I hope it is now."

"can."

So you mean you're in Shanghai?

"Yes."

"Well then, Peace Hotel, I hope we can reach a peaceful agreement on cooperation."

"I am going now."

"Okay, keep the phone accessible."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yang casually turned off the Nokia screen, placed it on the car's center console, and fastened his seatbelt.

Ordinary people need to make reservations at the Peace Hotel, but Zhang Yang is clearly not an ordinary person. His repeated high-spending has led the Peace Hotel manager to give him a privilege card, allowing him to dine at any time without a reservation.

"boom--"

Zhang Yang started the car with practiced ease and drove towards the Peace Hotel.

He didn't know what the outcome would be for Lee Boo-jin, but judging from her tone, it probably wasn't very optimistic.

……

Peace Hotel.

The private room in the Nine Heavens Hall.

Zhang Yang arrived before Lee Boo-jin. As soon as Lee Boo-jin stepped into the private room, Zhang Yang immediately stood up to greet her, saying, "We meet again, President Lee."

The other person was wearing a black V-neck suit with a white shirt and tie underneath, a minimalist and clean style, and a buckled belt at the waist, which precisely outlined a slender waistline.

Even without looking at her facial features, you can feel her elegance just from her outfit.

"Mr. Zhang, how have you been?" Lee Boo-jin reached out to break the ice, her previous disdain gone.

Lee Kun-hee's arrangements for Samsung Group's business forced her to try to recruit Zhang Yang into her camp, since a net profit of 100 billion Chinese yuan over 5 years could give her considerable influence within the Samsung Group.

Looking at the fair and slender right hand that was extended proactively, Zhang Yang was somewhat surprised, but still shook hands calmly and said, "How have you been?"

After a brief handshake, he said, "Please take a seat first, try some local Shanghai cuisine, and enjoy the night view of the Huangpu River."

The Jiuxiao Hall is located on the 11th floor, and each private room is equipped with a balcony, offering a direct view of the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Huangpu River at night.

"Thank you."

Lee Boo-jin thanked him and then sat down.

Zhang Yang was surprised by the sudden change in the other party's attitude. He muttered to himself, "Could this woman have taken a liking to me?" It wasn't that he was narcissistic, but he couldn't understand what Lee Boo-jin was up to. She was a completely different person from the last time they met.

Furthermore, given Lee Boo-jin's choice to marry her bodyguard, she certainly wouldn't develop any feelings for him; the marriage was merely to preserve the Lee family's status.

Most importantly, Li Fuzhen was born in 1970 and is now 39 years old, which is exactly the peak of his demand. The yang energy of the 20-year-old young man at the picking site is very reasonable.

To be fair, although Lee Boo-jin is 39 years old, her figure and face are no different from those of a woman in her 20s. On the contrary, she has a more elegant and sophisticated air about her.

"They come, the security."

Zhang Yang didn't think much of it and instead called the manager outside to serve the dishes.

Not a moment.

The private room tables were laden with dishes.

"President Li, please try this steamed shad with aged Shaoxing wine. It is made with Yangtze River shad, and the scales are preserved during steaming. It is then seasoned with 20-year-old Shaoxing wine. The fish meat is as tender as tofu, and the scales are crispy and fragrant."

Zhang Yang turned the lazy Susan on the dining table and served the steamed shad with aged Shaoxing wine to Li Fuzhen.

China, Japan, and Korea all belong to the same cultural sphere, so Lee Boo-jin was very skilled with chopsticks. She picked up a small piece of fish and put it in her mouth, immediately praising it: "It's delicious. The fish scales largely ensure the tenderness of the fish meat. It's a truly amazing dish."

"Try this wild mushroom, scallop, and conch soup. It's a seasonal dish, only available in autumn and winter, not in spring and summer."

Zhang Yang introduced the dishes.

The so-called wild mushroom, scallop, and conch soup is made by stewing an old hen for 48 hours, adding matsutake mushrooms and dried scallops, which is not only warming to the stomach but also nourishing.

Lee Boo-jin, who was standing next to her, took a bite and nodded slightly, saying, "It's very fresh and sweet."

"Try this sous-vide cod, it's the same dish served at state banquets. The cod is cooked at a low temperature and then drizzled with honey sauce..."

Zhang Yang continued his explanation.

He has two hobbies: cooking and swimming.

From a chef's perspective, the dishes at the Peace Hotel are impeccable except for their high price; at least Zhang Yang felt that the cooking time was just right.

Listening to Zhang Yang's professional explanation, Li Fuzhen asked in confusion, "Mr. Zhang likes to cook?"

"I guess so, it's just a little hobby."

Zhang Yang smiled.

"Sure enough, I was wondering why you were so familiar with every dish. Turns out you're a chef." Lee Boo-jin looked at Zhang Yang with newfound respect. She hadn't expected that a well-known young entrepreneur like Zhang Yang would have a hobby of cooking.

Looking back at South Korean chaebols of the same age, they're probably discussing philosophy with female celebrities in the entertainment industry right now.

"I wouldn't dare call myself a chef; I'd say I'm more of a cooking enthusiast," Zhang Yang replied modestly.

"I've heard that China has eight major cuisines. How many of them can you cook?" Lee Boo-jin asked.

"As I said before, I wouldn't dare say I can cook everything, but I've dabbled in a few things. Besides Chinese food, I can also cook some Western food."

Have you lived abroad?

"That's it."

Do you know how to cook Korean food?

"know a little."

Zhang Yang and Li Fuzhen chatted while eating, and before they knew it, they had grown closer.

After eating until she was about half full, Lee Boo-jin put down her chopsticks. To maintain her figure, she never eats too much at night. Only by maintaining a feeling of hunger can she burn useless fat.

Seeing Lee Boo-jin pick up a tissue to wipe her mouth, Zhang Yang also put down his chopsticks, took out two tissues to wipe the grease from his mouth, and then asked, "Did the food suit President Lee's taste?"

"Yes, each has its own characteristics," Lee Boo-jin replied casually.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang got to the point, saying, "That's good. By the way, President Li, I haven't asked you about the Samsung phone screen yet. What aspect are you referring to as the subtle changes?"

When Zhang Yang mentioned it, Lee Boo-jin didn't hide anything and frankly said, "My father is going to hand over Samsung Electronics' business to Lee Jae-yong, who is my brother, which includes Samsung Electronics' product business in the Chinese market."

She didn't rush to continue, but instead observed Zhang Yang, waiting for his reaction.

However, when Lee Boo-jin said those words, Zhang Yang knew why her attitude had changed so quickly.

The battle for business succession is a contest of who has the strongest business acumen and can bring more net profit to the group.

Despite being a woman, Li Fuzhen is truly qualified to compete.

The reason is simple: Samsung Group has a very complex equity structure, and its major shareholders include Wall Street capital firms such as BlackRock, Vanguard, and Blackstone. Capital doesn't discriminate based on gender; it only cares about who can create more value.

After figuring out the reason for Lee Boo-jin's change of attitude, Zhang Yang said, "So, I need to talk to President Lee Jae-yong again?"

Before Lee Boo-jin could speak, he changed the subject, saying, "No, if you need to discuss cooperation details with President Lee Jae-yong again, you don't need to contact me, President Lee Boo-jin."

"clever."

Lee Boo-jin smiled faintly and replied, "As long as you firmly choose me, there's no need to talk anymore. I can even offer you some concessions."

"Firmly choosing you?" Zhang Yang smiled, unable to resist teasing, "Is there any other meaning behind that sentence?"

"What's the meaning?"

Lee Boo-jin was so focused on the Chinese market that she didn't notice the inappropriate wording.

But then she suddenly realized something was wrong and said coldly, "Mr. Zhang, please don't misunderstand. Choosing me means you're standing on my side, there's no other meaning."

Although Zhang Yang is handsome, even more so than most of the surgically enhanced male celebrities in the Korean entertainment industry, she doesn't want to be involved in any scandals during this crucial period.

She has painstakingly built her career over ten years; she cannot let it crumble because of a man's charm.

Seeing Lee Boo-jin's serious expression, Zhang Yang said with a faint smile, "Just kidding, don't take it seriously. How much of a discount are you planning to give me?"

Name your price.

Lee Boo-jin wanted to strike back later.

However, Zhang Yang, who held the initiative, was not in a hurry. He pretended to ponder and said, "Well... actually, I don't really need to make concessions. I just hope to stabilize the supply."

Japanese and South Korean companies are notorious for starting fires and then raising prices arbitrarily.

Furthermore, Lee Boo-jin clearly violated the rules this time, going against Lee Kun-hee's arrangements by unilaterally discussing cooperation with Jang Yang.

The supply disruption issue needs to be resolved.

Lee Boo-jin didn't really want to be honest with Zhang Yang, but the news that Lee Kun-hee wanted to focus on cultivating Lee Jae-yong couldn't be kept secret. Now, she could only exchange sincerity for sincerity and interests for interests.

After understanding Zhang Yang's concerns, Lee Boo-jin responded, "I will push Samsung Group to build LCD screen factories in selected cities in the Yangtze River Delta region to ensure a stable supply of goods."

"Choose a city?"

Zhang Yang's eyes lit up; this was a great opportunity to get to know the city's leadership team.

"what happened?"

"It's nothing, it's just that I wish I could settle down in Shenzhen."

"You want me to go to Shenzhen Urban Construction?"

“Shenzhen has low labor costs and a mature electronics-related industrial chain. I’m mainly thinking about you; I don’t care about myself.”

Zhang Yang did not admit it; some things were only known to himself.

Lee Boo-jin wasn't stupid; she naturally knew what Zhang Yang was thinking. However, she didn't expose him but pretended to be confused and said, "Okay, I can arrange it, but you must refuse Lee Jae-yong and only sign with me. I will find time to take you to see my father."

"Meeting the parents so soon?" Zhang Yang teased in a low voice.

Lee Boo-jin: "What did you say?"

"It's nothing." Zhang Yang shook his head and casually made up an excuse: "I've admired Chairman Li for a long time. I'm just very excited to be able to meet my idol so soon."

“My father is very easy to talk to, but he has to consider the bigger picture. Anyway, just remember, don’t agree to Lee Jae-yong’s requests. What he can give, I can give; what he can’t give, I can also give,” Lee Boo-jin emphasized again.

Although it's unclear how Zhang Yang will achieve a net profit of 100 billion yuan in 5 years, as long as he signs the contract, there's no need to worry about him defaulting on the debt. After all, with Caiyan.com as a cash cow, he should be able to compensate if he fails to meet the target.

Zhang Yang glanced at the time and agreed, "No problem, I'll wait for your notification."

He's not an honest man. Who knows if Li Fuzhen can keep his promises? We should try to contact him and agree to his requests.

There are only two months left until 2010.

The emergence of the Chinese version of the iPhone 3GS has already drawn the attention of internet companies to the mobile internet field. In the future, 3G smartphones will gradually eliminate stagnant mobile phone companies, such as Nokia.

……

Shanghai Public Security Bureau.

Because Tao Yuang was involved in extortion exceeding 1000 million yuan, which constitutes a major extortion case, the police station, after a preliminary investigation found that it met the conditions for criminal prosecution, transferred the case to the criminal investigation department of the Public Security Bureau.

After a series of interrogations of Xu Xiang, Ma Xinqi, Sun Guodong, Tao Yuang, and others, as well as the reconstruction of the recordings using criminal investigation methods, the police also discovered the suspicious circumstances.

"The recording shows signs of editing."

"Xu Xiang has submitted new evidence."

"What is it?"

"Call recording".

The two previous phone calls, in which Xu Xiang explicitly demanded money, led the criminal investigators to their conclusion. Even with his silver tongue, Tao Yuang was unable to explain why he accepted Xu Xiang's transfers, and the bank account records completely blocked his path.

However, the most important thing was the Bugatti Veyron. Ge Weidong came to testify that he himself had been blackmailed by the other party, which added to the credibility of the story and blocked Tao Yuang's escape route.

The evidence led the criminal investigation team to decide to detain Tao Yuang for one night and transfer him to the procuratorate for review and prosecution the next day.

After the matter was settled, Xu Xiang, Ge Weidong, Ma Xinqi, and others walked out of the police station.

"Is that really so flamboyant?"

Ge Weidong couldn't wait to ask.

“It was him from beginning to end; we were all completely fooled by him,” Xu Xiang said in a deep voice.

"I suspect that guy has a split personality, playing so many identities, especially when he's the Joker God, and he even righteously protects retail investors. Damn it, who would have thought that he's the one who ruthlessly harvests retail investors from Fuchun Road?" Shu Yimin started off with a string of Chinese classics.

"I'll go to Eastmoney tomorrow; they'll definitely be happy to expose that guy."

Sun Guodong continued.

Xu Haiou, who was standing to the side, glanced at the building behind him and said, "Alright, alright, let's leave here first, lest someone overhears us."

Ge Weidong glanced around, then shook his head and sighed, "I never expected Zhang Yang to be so shrewd at such a young age. I really underestimated him."

(End of this chapter)