Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 222 Controlling Public Opinion
On the last day of August, which should have been a normal Sunday off, Tengda Group was holding an emergency meeting.

The meeting room was coldly lit, the atmosphere subtle, while outside, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and a storm raged.

Weibo's female CEO, Liu Yan, stared at the chairman, looking somewhat nervous: "President Song, Sanlu Group has sent a lawyer's letter to the company, with a very tough stance."

They demanded that Weibo immediately remove and block all false statements targeting their products, or they would immediately sue them.

Sitting at the head of the table, Song Ci looked down at a document, her expression indifferent, seemingly oblivious to Liu Yan's concerns.

Zhang Yong glanced at the chairman, then turned his gaze to a middle-aged man with an eager expression: "President Peng, what is the legal department's opinion on this matter?"

Peng Nuo, the group's chief legal officer, toyed with the lawyer's letter in his hand, a playful expression on his face. Since its inception, Tengda Group's legal department has been renowned, never losing a case. Sanlu Group is truly courageous!
It's good to file a lawsuit; only by filing a lawsuit can their legal department demonstrate its value and presence.

Upon hearing the CEO's question, Peng Nuo smiled contemptuously: "This kind of lawsuit has no technical content at all. Even if the case goes all the way to the Supreme Court, Sanlu Group has no chance of winning."

After a brief pause, a shrewd glint flashed in his eyes: "Not only that, we can countersue them for commercial fraud, for attempting to promote products with security risks on our company's internet platform."

Zhang Yong nodded upon hearing this, and seeing Peng Nuo's confidence, he was no longer worried. Lawsuits were commonplace; Tengda fought over a dozen every year, and had never lost.

Song Ci closed the document in her hand, looked up at Liu Yan and asked, "Mr. Liu, is the content of this investigation report in my hand true?"

“Absolutely true!” Liu Yan’s expression was extremely solemn. She had received guidance from the chairman last time and had conducted an in-depth investigation into the three milk powder brands. The results were shocking.

That's why Weibo hasn't dared to advertise Sanlu milk powder to this day.

Song Ci countered with a question: "Then why are you nervous?"

With the Olympics recently concluded, Weibo lacks breaking news and its user growth is sluggish. This presents a perfect opportunity to leverage the power of the Sanlu Group to build its reputation and solidify its victory in the Weibo battle.

Liu Yan still had some reservations. After hesitating for a moment, he advised, "President Song, Sanlu is, after all, a private giant in Hebei Province with revenue exceeding 10 billion yuan. The forces behind it are complex and intertwined. We still need to treat it with caution."

Song Ci sneered, a chilling glint in her eyes: "I understand, it's just that someone above is protecting you!"
But the truth cannot be hidden forever. Once the truth is revealed, no interest group can withstand the wrath of the people across the country!

The group will hold a press conference tomorrow to release these materials and seek justice for the victimized children.

Zhang Yong was shocked. He hadn't expected Song Ci to be so radical. This move was tantamount to a complete break with the Sanlu Group.

He wanted to offer some advice, but the chairman's murderous glare made him swallow his words.

After careful consideration, he suggested, "President Song, if we really want to do this, we must make a final decision. It would be best to have an authoritative figure in the medical field speak out to strengthen our persuasiveness."

Song Ci nodded: "That's natural. Since Tengda has decided to take action, it must make thorough preparations!"

Seeing that the chairman was determined, COO Wang Jing immediately replied, "Then I will arrange the relevant matters for the press conference right away. President Song, will you be attending?"

"I will personally preside over this!" Song Ci's voice was resolute and determined.

Just then, a bolt of lightning flashed across the window, seemingly foreshadowing an impending storm.

On September 1st, while primary and secondary schools and universities across the country were busy with the start of the new semester, Tengda Group suddenly invited major media outlets in Beiping to hold a press conference.

At 10:00 a.m. sharp, the press conference hall temporarily set up at the headquarters of Tengda Group was packed with reporters from major media outlets, all eagerly anticipating this unexpected press conference.

As the host announced the official start of the press conference, the lights in the room were dimmed slightly, and the spotlight shone on Song Ci, who was standing in front of the podium.

Today he was wearing a very formal dark suit, his expression serious and solemn, his eyes revealing a firmness and awe.

Once the room quieted down, Song Ci spoke in a low voice: "Good morning, fellow journalists. Welcome to this press conference. I imagine you are all curious about the topic of today's press conference. Now, I'd like to show you some materials."

After speaking, Song Ci walked to the side of the stage, where the large screen in the center lit up and began to play a series of heart-wrenching pictures and detailed investigation data.

On the screen, the infants and toddlers all looked pained, weak, and crying incessantly from their illnesses. Their once pure eyes were now filled with fear and helplessness as they suffered terribly from their ailments.

Upon seeing this, the reporters in the audience immediately recognized the significant news value involved and quickly picked up their cameras, capturing the scene with a flurry of shutter clicks.

After about fifteen minutes, the short film ended quickly, and Song Ci reappeared in the center of the stage, his expression becoming increasingly gloomy: "I think you must all be very curious as to why I showed such a short film."

I want to tell you reporters that those children could have grown up healthy and happy, but because of the greed and malice of some people, who, in pursuit of profit, disregarded the laws of the country and harmed these innocent children in this way.

The reporters in the audience immediately erupted in an uproar, whispering and discussing among themselves.

If what Song Ci said is true, it would be a heinous incident that would shock the entire nation. The severity of its impact and the seriousness of its consequences are simply immeasurable.

Song Ci's expression was very heavy. He pressed his hands down slightly, signaling the reporters to be quiet. After a moment of hesitation, he continued:

"Here's what happened. Initially, Sanlu Group wanted to cooperate with our Tengda Group and intended to spend a huge amount of money on advertising on the Weibo platform."

However, they made an extremely unreasonable demand: that they help the Sanlu Group block all unfavorable news.

As a company with a strong sense of social responsibility, Tengda Group has always adhered to the business philosophy of integrity and honesty, and naturally would not agree to such an unreasonable demand.

At this point, a hint of disdain appeared in Song Ci's eyes. "However, the Sanlu Group did not stop there. Instead, they intensified their efforts, attempting to force the Tengda Group to compromise through despicable means such as intimidation and extortion."

As Song Ci recounted the entire story from the stage, she observed the reactions of the reporters below. The reporters' curiosity was now completely ignited; they never imagined that this matter would involve Sanlu Group, a giant enterprise in Hebei Province and a leader in the dairy industry.

Song Ci paced back and forth on the stage, seemingly giving the reporters ample time to process this astonishing news.

"Something is amiss. After Sanlu Group made unreasonable demands, our company quickly discovered some anomalies. Since the first half of this year, users have been continuously exposing the quality problems of Sanlu milk powder on Weibo."

With a high sense of responsibility to society and users, Tenda Group immediately organized professionals to conduct an in-depth and detailed investigation, and the results were alarming.

We have discovered that countless babies have developed various deformities and diseases due to consuming third-party formula. These poor children may never recover their health, and their future has been ruthlessly destroyed.

What was shown in the short video is just the tip of the iceberg. The toxic milk powder from Sanlu Group is still circulating in the market. If it is not stopped as soon as possible, who knows how many more children will suffer the same harm.

Here, I urge all journalists to join Tengda Group in conducting a more extensive and in-depth investigation into the Sanlu Group tainted milk powder incident, to reveal the truth to the public, and to seek justice for the children who have suffered as a result.

The reporters were stunned. They had never imagined that Tengda Group would directly wage war against Sanlu Group. Things had clearly escalated to a point where it was a matter of life or death.

Some timid reporters were so scared that their hands were trembling slightly. The clash between two large corporations with assets of tens of billions of yuan was bound to be a major event that would shock the entire country.

If they are not careful, these ordinary people who report and follow up on the events could be caught up in it, or even crushed to dust.

Song Ci's powerful statement continued: "I hereby guarantee that everything announced at this press conference is true. If there is any inaccuracy, I and Tengda Group are willing to bear all legal responsibilities."

On the day of the press conference, Tengda Group launched a full-scale, aggressive campaign across several of its influential products, including Toutiao, Weibo, and TT Voice, to promote the Sanlu Group's tainted milk powder scandal.

In an instant, the online world was in an uproar, stirring up a huge storm. Tengda Group and Sanlu Group were both thrust into the eye of the storm, becoming the focus of national attention.

Countless netizens, filled with shock, anger, and curiosity, flooded Weibo, following the latest developments. The trending topics were dominated by news about the Sanlu Group.

Topics such as "Three Routes of Poisonous Milk Powder," "The Dark Side of the Three Routes Group," and "The Current Situation of Victim Infants" have seen a surge in popularity, with Weibo's registered users experiencing explosive growth in a short period of time, rivaling the fervor surrounding the recently concluded Beijing Olympics.

"How terrifying, is the tainted milk powder real or fake? Has any official or authoritative organization come out to clarify this?"

"I suspect it's true, otherwise Tengda Group wouldn't need to do this. If it's not true and it's a frame-up, Sanlu Group could sue Tengda into bankruptcy."

"They're heartless! The Sanlu Group makes money this way through such unethical means; they'll surely be struck by lightning and suffer retribution."

"Tengda Group would never make baseless accusations. With so many photos and documents to corroborate our claims, we strongly urge the relevant departments to thoroughly investigate Sanlu Group and give those victims justice."

The matter has been blown out of proportion and has become a major event that has attracted the attention of 13 billion people. No one and no force can cover up the truth.

That very afternoon, feeling the urgency of public pressure, the national food and health departments responded swiftly. They announced that a special task force would be immediately formed to investigate the Sanlu Group and provide an explanation to the public.

The matter had reached a temporary stalemate, with everyone waiting for the results of the investigation by the relevant departments. However, Song Ci had a far-sighted plan and had already prepared a foolproof strategy, playing a trump card that would be fatal to the Sanlu Group.

The following morning, just one day after Tenda's press conference, the official Weibo account of Peking Union Medical College Hospital released a major announcement.

The news revealed that Peking Union Medical College Hospital has admitted more than a dozen children whose health has deteriorated rapidly due to long-term consumption of Sanlu milk powder.

These children have been fed three-way formula since birth and now face varying degrees of urinary system problems, including kidney stones and bladder stones, causing great suffering to their tender bodies and young minds.

What is even more heartbreaking is that some children are critically ill, even showing symptoms of acute renal failure, and can only be kept alive by hemodialysis.

Meanwhile, Peking Union Medical College Hospital stated that it has established a dedicated medical team to be responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of such children, and is actively cooperating with other medical institutions to jointly explore the best treatment methods.

They pledged to continue to do their utmost to treat every sick child and to cooperate with government departments in their investigations and evidence collection.

The news from Peking Union Medical College Hospital was almost a definitive statement, effectively sealing the Sanlu Group's place in shame.

What is the status of Peking Union Medical College Hospital? It is the No.1 medical institution in China, the most authoritative and professional medical institution in the country. Now that it has released a series of cases and evidence, directly confronting Sanlu Group, it means that there are definitely serious problems with Sanlu Group's milk powder.

At this point, netizens had no more doubts about the information released by Tengda Group, and the evil deeds of Sanlu Group were completely confirmed.

Immediately, public sentiment was aroused, and people were furious, denouncing the Sanlu Group and demanding that relevant departments severely punish the Sanlu Group and restore a clean society.

The influence of Peking Union Medical College Hospital is self-evident. After it publicly expressed its support for Tengda Group, influential celebrities in the entertainment industry, such as Cheng Long, Gong Li, Fan Bingbing, and Huang Xiaoming, also stepped forward to support it.

People condemned the despicable actions of the Sanlu Group and called on all sectors of society to pay attention to the tainted milk powder incident and food safety issues.

Seven days later, on the 39th floor of the Tengda Technology Building, Song Ci stood in front of the window, gazing at the bustling streets of Beiping in the distance, with Wang Jing and Liu Yan standing respectfully behind her.

"President Song, public opinion has completely sided with us. Sanlu Group has become a rat that everyone wants to kill, and there is no possibility of it turning around."

Wang Jing was overjoyed. After a week of investigation, the authorities had preliminarily determined that the three milk powder brands had serious safety issues, and the truth was gradually coming to light. This life-or-death clash between the two major groups ended with a complete victory for Tengda Group.

The Sanlu Group incident, which took less than ten days, established Tengda Group's formidable reputation in the Chinese business community.

People from all walks of life have witnessed Tenda's formidable strength in the media field. Whether it is the speed and reach of its product promotion or its ability to guide public opinion, it is truly astonishing.

The ability to bring down a multi-billion dollar giant with a mere flick of the wrist made Song Ci's name instantly famous throughout the country, making him an idol for countless young people and deeply feared by many business people.

(End of this chapter)