Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 500 The Clown
Liu Xiaoxian walked briskly out of Academician Xia's office, carrying the signed document.

The corridor was quiet. As I turned a corner and approached my office, I saw a beautiful figure pacing nervously in front of the door.

Upon closer inspection, it was her student, Chen Duling.

"Du Ling, you were looking for me?" Liu Xiaoxian called out affectionately.

The aloof-looking girl immediately turned around, as if relieved, and quickly stepped forward, her voice clear and respectful: "Professor Liu."

Liu Xiaoxian had a special fondness for this student, who bore a striking resemblance to her daughter-in-law Liu Shishi in both temperament and appearance.

As he took out his keys to open the door, he chuckled and joked, "Why didn't you play some games with your friends and relax this weekend?"

Chen Duling's pretty face flushed slightly.

In my spare time, I would occasionally team up with a few familiar graduate students to play a few games of LOL. I never expected that this little hobby would reach the professor's ears.

He explained in a low voice, "I just play around with it occasionally to balance work and rest."

The two entered the office, where bright sunlight streamed in, making the room warm and cozy.

Liu Xiaoxian placed the documents on the desk and casually asked, "I heard that the movie you starred in, 'The Left Ear,' is about to be released?"

Chen Duling nodded slightly, her expression becoming more natural than before when the topic came up: "Yes, Professor. The director called me a few days ago and said it's scheduled for release during the summer vacation."

"Then I definitely have to go see it." Liu Xiaoxian said with great interest. The movie was not only a student's big-screen debut, but also the first novel adaptation of her beloved son, Song Ci. She wanted to see it.

After chatting for a while, Chen Duling's gaze unconsciously drifted to the newly retrieved document on the table.

Taking a deep breath, as if making a firm decision, he raised his head, his eyes earnest and clear: "Professor Liu, has the location for the rocket hovering test been decided?"

"Yes, it's just been decided. The dean has already approved it, and it will be located in Ejina." Liu Xiaoxian pointed to the document.

Chen Duling's fingers curled slightly as she mustered her courage, her voice soft yet exceptionally clear: "Professor, may I participate in this test?"

Liu Xiaoxian was taken aback upon hearing this, and glanced at the young girl without showing any emotion. In those clear eyes, there shone an almost pure longing and expectation, as if yearning for the unknown and grand projects.

After a moment's hesitation, he slowly shook his head, his tone gentle yet undeniable: "Du Ling, I understand your thoughts. But you're only a sophomore, and your main courses are still 'Advanced Mathematics' and 'University Physics,' so a solid foundation is the most important."

Rocket recovery technology is a global challenge; the complexity and risks involved are far beyond your current knowledge base.

She had already given this student a special opportunity out of favoritism, allowing a sophomore to work in the research group, organizing literature and exploring cutting-edge research. But the actual testing ground, especially the first high-risk test, was no joke.

Chen Duling did not back down.

Since experiencing a different life through her role in "The Left Ear," she resolutely refused to enter the entertainment industry and chose to dedicate herself to the aerospace industry, determined to make achievements in this hardcore field.

The young girl sat up straight and spoke earnestly: "Professor, you know my aspirations. I know very little, but that's precisely why I yearn for this kind of experience."

Being up close to the forefront of engineering allows me to truly understand how the formulas and laws in books apply to grand engineering practices.

He continued speaking, his voice filled with the enthusiasm unique to young people:

"I want to see firsthand how the aerodynamics, materials science, automatic control principles, and even programming languages ​​I learn in class are integrated to solve specific problems such as making rockets hover and land precisely."

This experience cannot be replaced by any simulation experiment.

Liu Xiaoxian seemed to understand something and had to admit that Chen Duling had some truth to it.

Allowing promising young learners to see the whole picture of the forest as early as possible plays an irreplaceable role in stimulating their learning motivation and clarifying their sense of direction.

Seeing that her mentor's expression softened, Chen Duling decided to be more honest: "Professor, I won't hide anything from you."

From a practical perspective, participating in this experiment will be an extremely valuable experience for my future postgraduate entrance exams, postgraduate recommendation, and career development; it will be an overwhelming advantage on my resume.

Liu Xiaoxian gave her a deep look, as if she had come to know this usually quiet girl in a new light. She realized that this girl was not only ambitious but also had a long-term vision.

The project team's experts, engineers, and core researchers at Dongfeng Aerospace City could all become valuable connections for her.

Thinking of this, Liu Xiaoxian nodded slowly. Suddenly, she remembered that this girl was a big fan of her son's Song Ci.

A thought flashed through my mind: perhaps we could focus on cultivating him and nurture him into a technical expert or spokesperson with both fame and ability for my son's commercial aerospace career in the future.
“Okay,” Liu Xiaoxian finally agreed, “you’ve convinced me. The research team is expected to travel to Ejina in mid-May, and will make preparations via the Dongfeng Space City.”

You should coordinate your coursework in advance and make the most of your time to learn about attitude control and the fuel system. Once you get there, it's not just about observing, but about learning diligently; you might also be assigned some basic auxiliary tasks.

"Thank you, Professor Liu! I will definitely be prepared and will not cause you or the project team any trouble!" Chen Duling's joy was evident, and her clear eyes brightened.

She knew that the door had finally been opened a crack.

This trip will provide her with unparalleled academic background, resume capital, and a starting point for a bright future.

On the top floor of the Tengda Technology Building, in the chairman's office, Song Ci sat back on the sofa.

His relaxed posture naturally exuded an air of control, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest as he listened intently to his subordinates' work report.

Holding a folder, Jiang Tiantian, the director of the group's general office, reported in a steady and clear voice: "Chairman Song, the railway group has given a formal reply."

The visit is scheduled for the morning of April 26th. They have agreed to accept your delegation. At that time, Mr. Sheng, the first General Manager of the Railway Group, will personally receive you.

He paused briefly, then looked up at the chairman and asked, "From the company's perspective, which leaders and department heads would be most suitable to accompany you?"

After a brief moment's hesitation, Song Ci spoke almost without thinking: "Please have Mr. Wang accompany us. Also, Wu Yi and Lin Haifeng should come along."

Suddenly remembering something, he added, "Oh right, there's a director at EasyPay named Ling Tianyu, bring him along too."

For other accompanying personnel, the General Office will draft a list based on the meeting agenda and coordination needs, and submit it to General Manager Wang for approval.

“Okay, Chairman Song.” Jiang Tiantian quickly made a note of it, paying particular attention to the name “Ling Tianyu”.

For a subsidiary's director to be personally selected by the chairman to participate in such a high-level visit, this person must have exceptional abilities or be in charge of a key project, requiring extra attention.

"Oh, right," Song Ci suddenly remembered another important matter, "Has the bidding announcement for the 12306 APP of the Railway Group been issued?"

"It's already been released." Jiang Tiantian was very knowledgeable about the various affairs of the group. "Chief Engineer Xiao of the group's cloud computing center is leading the entire technical solution for this tender."

"When is the bidding presentation meeting scheduled?" "Tentatively scheduled for May 20th."

Upon hearing this, Song Ci nodded and instructed, "This bidding process is of great significance. The General Office must fully cooperate with Engineer Xiao's team to ensure that everything goes smoothly, including the use of official seals, qualification certificates, and various performance materials."

"Don't worry, I've already arranged for someone to provide full support to Chief Engineer Xiao's team," Jiang Tiantian immediately agreed.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the office door. After Song Ci was given permission to "come in," the door was opened, and COO Wang Jing and Weibo President Liu Yan walked in together.

"Chairman Song." "Chairman."

"Have a seat," Song Ci gestured to the sofa opposite her.

The two sat down, and without exchanging pleasantries, Wang Jing handed Song Ci a document with a solemn expression.
"Chairman Song, I just received a notification from the relevant department via special line that the leader is scheduled to lead a delegation to visit the United States in early June, and after selection, you are requested to accompany him as the representative of Chinese entrepreneurs."

Specific itinerary, meeting arrangements, and other important information will be discussed in detail by a dedicated working group later.

"Go to America?" Song Ci was momentarily stunned, instinctively taking the document and quickly glancing at it. The notification was indeed as Wang Jing had said, in black and white, indicating a very high level of formality.

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as he considered various options, including a degree of caution based on his own safety.

Wang Jing, observing the chairman's thoughtful expression, sensed his concerns. She leaned forward slightly and calmly offered words of comfort:
"Chairman Song, this trip to the United States is different from any previous business visit. This is a business activity under the framework of the highest-level visit, with the highest level of security and protection."

Even if the Americans are domineering, they would absolutely not dare to, and would not, do anything that would damage the atmosphere of the talks or bilateral relations at this time, defying public opinion. Your personal safety is absolutely guaranteed.

After listening, Song Ci nodded slightly, the doubt in his eyes dissipating, and he regained his usual composure. "You're right, I was overthinking it. Security is naturally the top priority at high-level meetings."

He glanced at the notification again, his eyes deep. "This is a crucial opportunity. Sister Jing, you will personally oversee all subsequent coordination work to ensure everything goes smoothly."

"understand!"

The sunlight still quietly filled the office, but it seemed to carry a heavier weight because of this news.

Song Ci then looked at Liu Yan, who was sitting to the side: "How is the investigation going?"

Liu Yan perked up: "Chairman Song, there's been progress!"

Wang Jing and Jiang Tiantian, standing nearby, immediately held their breath and focused their attention on the situation, both wanting to know which force was stirring up trouble on Weibo.

Song Ci's expression turned serious, and his tone suddenly became stern: "Who is instigating this?"

"Based on the technical department's analysis and the tracking of massive amounts of data, we have results," Liu reported quickly and clearly.

"The origins are quite complex, involving a mix of forces working together in succession. It started with several large charitable foundations that deployed a considerable number of online trolls to stir up trouble online."

He paused, glanced cautiously at the chairman's expression, and then continued in a low voice:

"Initially, the idea was simply to use public opinion to force celebrities to donate more money to replenish the charity pool. Incidentally... incidentally, the idea was to elevate the wife and make her the target of public criticism."

Song Ci's expression remained calm and composed, as if he had expected this all along. Only a faint hint of cold mockery flashed deep in his eyes.

It turns out that his wife directly transferred 5000 million yuan to the Han Hong Charity Foundation, bypassing certain traditional channels, which touched the vested interests of some people and made some people who were used to sharing the spoils resentful.

Although Liu Yan did not explicitly name which companies, he already knew in his heart that there were very few in the industry with the power and courage to do so.

"go on."

"Yes." Liu Yan nodded. "After the public opinion was initially stirred up by the online trolls of these foundations, the traffic and attention skyrocketed."

Soon, the platform detected a large number of new accounts with very different behavior patterns. Technical tracing of these accounts showed that most of their IPs came from overseas or used highly anonymous proxy servers.

They frantically steered the narrative, precisely directing the focus of the discussion towards extreme topics such as the wealth gap and the "original sin" of celebrities, deliberately inciting antagonistic emotions.

It was the entry of this group that caused online public opinion to spiral out of control, taking a sharp turn for the worse and deviating from the scope of a simple discussion about charity.

"I understand." Song Ci sighed, with a clear understanding of the essence, and snorted coldly: "An ideological struggle! Domestic parasites set the stage, while foreign forces perform the play."

Liu Yan immediately asked for instructions: "Chairman Song, what do you think we should do now? The public opinion is spreading extremely fast. Should we activate the emergency plan immediately?"

Song Ci's eyes flashed, and without the slightest hesitation, she gave the decisive order: "Do two things immediately."

First, the platform has taken action: all accounts that clearly incite or seduce others, regardless of whether they are internal or external, will be permanently banned! Special attention will be paid to overseas IP addresses and proxy accounts. Second…”

He paused slightly, his voice revealing a cold decisiveness: "Those foundation accounts that started the trouble, every single one of them, ban them all!"

Liu Yan was startled and blurted out, "Blue Society's accounts are also banned? Could it be...?"

Concerns are palpable, and the banning of certain organization accounts has triggered a backlash and poses significant potential risks.

Song Ci raised an eyebrow slightly and asked calmly, "What's the problem?" Her tone was extremely calm, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Chairman Song, I'm just worried about the negative impact. After all, there are some things that can't be discussed openly, and everyone knows about them, but if we publicly break off relations, it might damage our reputation..."

Liu Yan hesitated, trying to organize his thoughts and remind the chairman of the implications.

Song Ci snorted coldly, her aura carrying a hint of disdain: "It's just a lesson, what can you do to me?"
They're just a bunch of clowns from before, who've forgotten their place after a few years of comfortable living. If they really have any objections, they're being ungrateful…”

His eyes flashed even colder: "Then let the media department 'accidentally' dig up some old, beautiful stories from a few years ago and let netizens 'revisit and learn something new'."

Liu Yan was instantly shocked and immediately replied, "I understand, Chairman Song!"

These organizations are indeed not qualified to go head-to-head with a tech giant like Tenda, especially since Tenda also controls Weibo, a powerful public opinion platform.

Given his status and influence as the richest man in Song Dynasty poetry, he certainly doesn't need to pay attention to those seemingly respectable but actually corrupt institutions.

After giving their instructions, Liu Yan, Wang Jing, and Jiang Tiantian respectfully took their leave and left the office.

As soon as the door closed, Song Ci hesitated for a moment, then picked up the encrypted phone again and skillfully dialed Jiang Tao's number.

He can forcefully suppress the domestic part of this matter by leveraging the power of his platform, but the incitement by foreign organizations requires the intervention of relevant departments to conduct a deeper investigation and crackdown.

(End of this chapter)