Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 498 Public Opinion Is Very Strange
On April 19, the day the Forbes China Celebrity List was released, the internet seemed to be celebrating a grand carnival.

The trending topics on Weibo were almost entirely dominated by related terms: "Forbes China Celebrity List", "Liu Shishi's Income", "Annual Income of Top-Tier Celebrities"...

Clicking on any topic reveals a lively discussion among netizens.

Envy, jealousy, amazement, debate, comparison... a variety of complex emotions intertwined, fermented, and collided on platforms such as Weibo, Baidu Tieba, and Mtime.

The entire cyberspace is permeated with a collective fascination with and complex interpretations of celebrities' enormous wealth.

It reflects both a yearning for success and a subtle dissatisfaction with the wealth gap.

The glamorous lives and unattainable incomes of big stars were magnified infinitely by concrete numbers on this day, stimulating the nerves of every netizen.

However, on April 20th, an earthquake struck southwest China, and this sudden turn of events instantly extinguished all entertainment news. The trending topics list changed at an astonishing pace, with the disaster firmly occupying the top spots.

Shock, grief, and prayers became the dominant emotions online, with netizens deeply concerned for their compatriots thousands of miles away.

However, as time went by and information continued to bombard them, public sentiment quietly shifted.

After the initial shock and sadness, an indescribable sense of anticipation began to grow and spread in the hearts of many.

People's attention almost involuntarily turned back to the group they had been talking about the day before, praising or criticizing them: the entertainment industry stars who made a fortune every day.

Several hours have passed since the disaster, but apart from a few celebrities who have always had a good public image and immediately took action, most celebrities have been slow to act.

Their latest Weibo posts may still be advertisements or event photos from the past two days, or just a simple "prayer" or "wishing for peace".

At this moment, any silence or delay seems particularly jarring. Netizens' patience is being slowly worn down by their anxious wait.

Scattered voices, tinged with uncertainty and discontent, began to appear in the comment sections of related news articles and forum posts:

Where are all the big stars who were on yesterday's Forbes list? They've all disappeared.

"The money an ordinary person earns in a year is more than they could earn in several lifetimes. Shouldn't they show their support when the country is in trouble?"

"Are they all playing dead? They're usually so active on the trending topics, but now that they need real money, they've all disappeared?"

Public opinion, like a spark, has begun to ignite quietly with the help of yesterday's celebrity list, foreshadowing the arrival of a prairie fire.

The longest night is finally over.

The next morning, at Jingyuan Private Residence, the sky was overcast.

Song Ci went to the company early in the morning to take charge.

Liu Shishi sat on the soft sofa at home, her face, unmade-up and showing signs of fatigue, holding an iPad and checking the latest situation in the disaster area and public opinion through Weibo.

The top trending topic today is "China Charity Federation thanks Song Ci for donating 2 million yuan." The official announcement was carefully worded, but the number "2 million" itself carries immense power.

Following closely behind were entries such as "Liu Shishi donated 5000 million yuan" and "The richest couple donated a total of 2.5 million yuan".

Opening the comments section, the top row is almost entirely filled with praise and respect:
"Holy crap! 2 million! That's true entrepreneurial spirit! The richest man has such a grand vision!"

"Shishi is beautiful inside and out! She truly is a role model! This move was brilliant!"

Seeing this, Liu Shishi breathed a sigh of relief.

The impact of the enormous sum is obvious, and her and her husband's actions have been widely recognized by society.

It's not just about seeking praise, but it's always good if doing good deeds can be understood.

Just as I felt a little relieved, my phone, which was lying to the side, suddenly started buzzing, and the name of my agent, Cai Yinong, appeared on the screen.

"Hey, K-sister."

"Shishi!" Cai Yinong's voice came through the receiver, filled with rare anxiety and exhaustion, completely lacking his usual composure and competence.

"Have you checked Weibo? Check the live feed and the latest topics. Something seems off about the online sentiment right now."

Liu Shishi was slightly taken aback, her heartstrings tightening again: "What's wrong? I saw the comments under the donation news seem pretty good?"

"I'm not talking about you! I'm talking about others! You and Chairman Song donated 2.5 million, which is of course a great act of kindness. No one can say a word against it, everyone praises it."

Cai Yinong spoke faster, "But the problem is, your 5000 million is like an extremely high benchmark, instantly raising the passing grade for other celebrities' donations to a whole new level!"

He paused, organized his thoughts, and tried to make Liu Shishi understand the key point: "Shishi, your identity is too special. You are the top-ranked person on the Forbes Celebrity List and the wife of the richest man!"
Most rational voices are indeed saying that you can't be judged like an ordinary celebrity; this is a matter of your personal integrity and shouldn't be used as a tool to manipulate others. But!

Cai Yinong suddenly raised his voice: "The psychological impact of the amount you donated is very real! Now, netizens' expectations have been raised to a certain level by your example!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi frowned, her voice filled with rationality and restraint: "Donating is a matter of goodwill, not an obligation. Just do what you can. Every amount is an act of kindness, so why compare?"

This is her most genuine and simple thought.

"Hey, netizens don't listen to reason! This is no time for logic!"

Cai Yinong said helplessly, "At this point, the Weibo comment section of almost all the celebrities on the Forbes Celebrity List, as well as those recognized A-list stars, has been flooded!"

Because of your exemplary actions, now whatever they donate seems wrong; donating late is a mistake, and donating too little is an even bigger mistake!

Liu Shishi held her phone, her fingertips icy cold, her mind blank for a moment, completely stunned.

When she donated the huge sum of money, all she was thinking about was helping the disaster area.

Who would have thought that this "unconventional case" arising from his special status would stir up a huge wave of public opinion and greatly raise the public's expectations of all celebrities.

What was originally a charitable act has now become a test, making it possible for colleagues to be caught in a vortex of public opinion, regardless of whether they donate or not, or how much they donate.

This situation made her feel powerless!
On the other end of the phone, Cai Yinong sighed softly, "The internet is now in complete chaos."

Adding to the chaos, celebrity haters and rival fans seized the opportunity to stir up trouble, fabricating screenshots and spreading false information, further muddying the waters and making the entire battlefield even more chaotic.

Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi could only offer a bitter smile.

Things have escalated to this point, far deviating from the original intention of charity and evolving into a frenzied media battle, which is completely beyond her control.

Composing herself, she couldn't help but ask about the company's situation: "Sister K, how's Tangren doing right now? We haven't been too badly affected, have we?"

Cai Yinong sighed and softened his tone: "Tangren is doing alright. The company donated 2000 million, so the response was relatively timely."

I then had Hu Ge donate 200 million yuan, following the standards for top-tier artists at Tengda Culture.

While the amount isn't top-tier, it's still significantly higher than most of the A-list celebrities whose figures have already been announced.

For now, they've passed the test and haven't become the focus of netizens' criticism. But then the tone shifted, becoming heavy: "Currently, the most miserable are Jay Chou and Fan Bingbing."

They all donated 200 million, which is a considerable amount, and in previous years it would have been praised to the skies.

The problem is that they are the second and third on this year's celebrity list, respectively, and their annual income of over 100 million yuan is too eye-catching.

At this critical juncture, given the already ridiculously high expectations of the public, 200 million is simply a 'failing grade'!
Their Weibo comment section is now unreadable; it's flooded with insults.

As Liu Shishi listened, a growing sense of unease intensified in her heart. She interrupted Cai Yinong, her tone becoming unusually serious: "Sister K, something's wrong! The speed and direction of this public opinion's escalation are too strange!"

Having been around her husband Song Ci for a long time, she also came into contact with and learned a lot about the undercurrents of business competition.

At this moment, I keenly sensed something unusual. This seemed to be more than just a simple emotional outburst from netizens; it was as if a force was deliberately guiding and accelerating this confrontation.

"I don't know." Cai Yinong was slightly startled upon hearing this. "The entertainment industry is a deep and murky place. There are always many envious people, and even more who would try to stir up trouble or kick someone when they're down."

In short, we should remain cautious for now, keep a low profile and protect ourselves; we must not invite trouble.

The two briefly discussed the follow-up work arrangements before ending the call.

Putting down her phone, Liu Shishi was still upset, so she picked up her iPad again and continued browsing Weibo, unwilling to give up.

Clicking on the comment sections of several trending celebrity topics, she was secretly alarmed by what she saw: a heated debate.

A Jay Chou fan argued vehemently: "This is moral blackmail! Donating is an act of kindness, not an obligation! Whether Jay Chou donates a lot or a little, it's all out of his love and compassion. Why should you criticize him?"

A passerby immediately retorted sharply: "A token of appreciation? Someone with an annual income of over 100 million only offers 2 million as a token of appreciation? How cheap!"

Other passersby chimed in with mockery: "Go back to your fan groups and fawn over them! This is a place to demand justice for the disaster area! You're inhuman!"

The comments section was a chaotic mess, almost turning into a full-blown war between fans and casual observers, completely squeezing out any space for rational dialogue.

Liu Shishi was horrified as she watched, and just as she was about to exit, a newly rising trending topic caught her attention: "Celebrity Donation Ranking".

Upon clicking in, a surge of anger immediately welled up inside me!

Some marketing accounts and media outlets have even created a list that ranks celebrities who have announced their donations from highest to lowest amount.

Her name and 5000 million topped the list, followed by Cheng Long with 2000 million, Huang Xiaoming with 1000 million, and Zhou Jielun, Fan Bingbing, and others with 200 million each.

This is blatant incitement; these media outlets have no bottom line when it comes to traffic!
Liu Shishi could no longer sit still.

After much deliberation, although she knew her husband must be extremely busy at the moment, she still decided that she had to make the call, so she quickly dialed Song Ci's number.

The atmosphere in the chairman's office on the top floor of the Tengda Technology Building was different from usual.

Song Ci had just hung up the phone with his wife. His face showed little emotion, but a cold, sharp glint flashed in his deep eyes.

His gaze calmly shifted to Liu Yan, the president of Weibo, who was sitting opposite him and remained highly tense.

In fact, as the person in charge of the Weibo platform, he bears the heavy responsibility of monitoring public opinion across the entire network. Even Liu Shishi noticed the abnormality, so how could Liu Yan not have noticed it?

I've long felt like I'm sitting on pins and needles when faced with Song Dynasty poetry.

“Chairman Song,” Liu Yan said with a worried expression, “the situation is very bad.”

The focus of the entire internet now seems to have shifted significantly from the disaster relief efforts themselves, turning into a frenzied outburst about the wealth gap, the original sin of celebrities, and so-called 'internet justice'.

Disaster relief information is being ignored.

Song Ci nodded slightly, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the smooth tabletop: "Is it just moral blackmail? Forcing celebrities to donate more money?"

“If it were just simple coercion to donate, it might be easier to handle,” Liu Yan said, his voice becoming more serious. “But now a very dangerous and very bad viewpoint has emerged online!”

"What viewpoint?" Song Ci's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"Some people are deliberately stirring up trouble and spreading the idea that celebrities donate money not out of kindness at all."

It's not because they enjoy unreasonably high incomes and possess enormous social resources that they are obligated to pay 'indulgences' at this time!
"Donating money is not for doing good deeds, but for atonement!" Liu Yan said through gritted teeth.

"Absurd! Utter fallacy!" Upon hearing this, Song Ci slammed his fist on the table, unable to contain his anger even with his composure.

The situation was clearly far more serious and complex than he had imagined! This was no longer a discussion about charity; it was incitement and provocation, a denial of the legitimacy of the entire entertainment industry!
Suppressing his anger, he immediately pressed, "Investigate! Who? Who spread such fallacies that tear society apart during a major disaster? Has the person behind this been found?"

Liu Yan shook his head: "The time was too short. The other party did it very secretly, using a large number of zombie accounts and proxy IPs."

The persuasive language used was also very clever, blending seamlessly into the emotions of genuine netizens, making it difficult to discern. The technical department is still tracking it, but has not yet identified the source.

"I understand." Song Ci pondered for a moment, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. She gave Liu Yan a wink, signaling him to remain absolutely silent.

Liu Yan immediately understood, and even softened his breathing, making the office so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Song Ci took out another encrypted phone, dialed a number, and the call was answered after ringing twice.

"Director Jiang, is this a convenient time?" The person Song Ci contacted was Jiang Tao, who had just been transferred from CCTV to the Internet Office to assume an important position.

“It’s convenient, Mr. Song, please speak.” Jiang Tao’s voice was steady and powerful.

Without any pleasantries, Song Ci concisely and clearly reported on the abnormal changes in public opinion online, especially the emergence of dangerous rhetoric.

"...The public opinion is raging, and it may not be simply the will of the people. There may be a force behind it deliberately trying to undermine the overall stability. I would appreciate it if Director Jiang could help investigate."

On the other end of the phone, Jiang Tao was silent for a few seconds, clearly also quickly processing and assessing the importance of this information.

His tone then became unusually serious: "Thank you for the timely report, Chairman Song! This matter is of utmost importance; it could very well be an attempt to exploit the disaster to create social conflict."

I will immediately arrange for a thorough investigation and report this matter to the superior!

"Thank you for your trouble, Director Jiang." Song Ci breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Jiang Tao then solemnly instructed, "Chairman Song, before the investigation is completed, please have the platform closely monitor public opinion and do everything possible to curb the spread of this fallacy."

It must be emphasized that as long as the income of celebrities is legal and compliant, it is a market behavior and should be recognized and respected.

Kindness has its principles; judge actions, not intentions!

Regardless of the motivation, donating is an act of kindness and should never be maliciously misinterpreted or stigmatized! This principle must be upheld.

Song Ci solemnly agreed: "Rest assured, this is my duty, both publicly and privately. Tengda will also use all its resources to investigate."

(End of this chapter)