Reborn in 08, a heretical cultivator starting a business

Chapter 235 Vipshop's scam goes viral, life-or-death crisis looms! (Bonus chapter for monthly votes)
Ning Fengze said with great enthusiasm, "If cloud computing fails in the future, Alibaba will immediately step in aggressively and go all in on cloud computing!"

"It's possible to poach Dr. Wang Jian again, or even acquire Wanwang!"

"And we can also take advantage of the opportunity to recruit all the talent that cloud computing will be scouting everywhere in the future!"

"Let the future of cloud computing be Alibaba Cloud!"

Jack Ma's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea, absolutely fantastic!"

"In that case, we have to crush Vipshop even more."

"Only if Vipshop dies will we have a chance!"

"Rest assured, Chairman, while we are going viral on Weibo, we are also making all the necessary preparations."

Ning Fengze laughed and said, "Right now, the 315 consumer rights day is all the rage. If we take action now, we won't be able to overshadow the 315 day. Instead, it will make the Vipshop subsidy fraud case less influential."

"However, after a few days, once the 315 incident has passed, we will expose the fraudulent subsidy scheme in the rural appliance subsidy program, which is as high as 10%, thus obscuring the fact that Vipshop's fraudulent subsidy rate is only 2%, and misleading the public into believing that Vipshop's fraudulent subsidy rate is 10%!"

"If Vipshop were to commit subsidy fraud like this, it would go viral online and become a continuation of the 315 consumer rights day, leaving a lasting impression on people."

Jack Ma readily agreed: "Great, let's do it that way."

"At that time, while focusing on Weibo's trending topics, we should also exert our efforts on other platforms simultaneously!"

"Don't worry, we're all prepared, just in case Weibo restricts trending topics immediately."

"But as long as we exert our efforts on other platforms and make Vipshop's subsidy fraud a big fuss, so that the whole internet knows about it, even if Weibo removes the trending topic immediately, it won't matter, as it will still be exposed across the entire internet."

"If Wang Junshan really removes the trending topics, it will only highlight the lack of freedom of speech on Weibo, and that the trending topics list is manipulated by future technology."

"At that time, we can not only ruin Vipshop's reputation, but also ruin Weibo's reputation!"

"Excellent, this is a perfect open strategy, leaving Wang Junshan with no way out!"

Jack Ma was in high spirits, as if he could see the wonderful scene of Weibo and Vipshop coming to an end in disappointment, the early demise of cloud computing, and the strong take-off of Alibaba Cloud!

The next day, Weibo continued its rapid growth.

After harvesting and stealing crops, many people open Weibo to follow the latest happenings.

The companies exposed by 315 on the trending topics list are shocking, infuriating, and indignant.

People shared, commented, and liked the post.

The bloggers who were initially exposed also became the focus of attention, and their number of followers skyrocketed.

For example, a local news platform that exposed a Nissan 4S store gained 50,000 followers in one day!
In 2009, this was absolutely a miracle!
What's even more interesting is that, seeing this surge in traffic, Southern Weekly couldn't sit still.

They mobilized all their reporters and editors to publish a series of Weibo posts on the topics exposed on March 315th.

It features exclusive reports and in-depth commentary.

This move attracted many fans, causing Southern Weekly's fan base to quickly surpass 100,000.

Such a terrifying growth rate gave Southern Weekly a boost.

He posted on Weibo more and more frequently, and was determined to post all the latest news on Weibo as soon as possible!

Seeing that Southern Weekly was doing this and gaining 10 followers in a single day, other media outlets couldn't sit still any longer.

They also followed suit by posting on Weibo, reporting exclusive news and providing in-depth commentary.

Undoubtedly, they have all achieved great success and gained followers rapidly.

There's even a sense of open and covert competition among several similar media outlets, with each vying for the most followers and the highest level of engagement!
The number of followers directly reflects the quality of a media outlet!
Some media outlets have even established dedicated Weibo departments to manage their operations on Weibo, selecting appropriate news and information and publishing it on Weibo as soon as possible each day.

Unfortunately, the Southern Metropolis Daily had the same news, but instead of posting it on Weibo immediately, they planned to publish it in their print media the next day.

Before the next day even arrived, just fifteen minutes later, other media outlets such as Caijing also learned of the news and immediately posted about it on Weibo!
As you can imagine, the headline that should have belonged to Southern Weekly was snatched up by financial and other media outlets!
Southern Weekly has nowhere to cry!
By the time Southern Weekly published the article the following day, it was too late; the news was already widely known.

News is all about timeliness!
It's all about who reports first and who reports early!

This forces all media outlets to post on Weibo immediately to be the first to publish!
As a result, the media outlets that have joined the platform have begun to adjust their strategies and regard Weibo as their primary platform.

They even set up a special department to be responsible for the operation of Weibo.

It's fair to say that the competitive landscape has completely changed!

Seeing this scene, the staff of Southern Metropolis Daily were filled with sorrow.

"Editor-in-chief, we're in big trouble. The news we prepared to report on tomorrow during tonight's 315 Gala has already been reported on Weibo by Southern Weekly, Caijing, and other platforms."

"And tens of millions of netizens have already noticed this. It's too late for us to report it in print tomorrow."

"Yes, editor-in-chief. By the time we report it tomorrow, our firsthand news will have become secondhand news from other media outlets. The public will see the report on Weibo tonight, so who will wait until tomorrow to buy our newspaper?"

"If this continues, our Southern Metropolis Daily will be finished!"

"The emergence of Weibo has changed the development model of media, transforming us from the gentle competition of print media to the rapid competition of internet platforms!"

Upon hearing this, editor-in-chief Wei Zixu also frowned deeply:

"I miscalculated. I never expected Weibo to develop so quickly. It was only established, but it became a huge hit by leveraging the traffic from 'WeChat Farm' and the 315 Gala. I really miscalculated!"

"If we had known this would happen, we would have joined Weibo immediately. Otherwise, why would we have let Southern Weekly and Caijing gloat?"

"Editor-in-chief, it's not too late now."

“We still have a few exclusive reports. I suggest we open a Weibo account immediately and publish them right away, so that other media outlets don’t get them.”

"Yes, they've already given us a lot of headlines, we can't wait any longer."

"It's not just about grabbing headlines, it's also about the fans!"

"Look, Southern Weekly already has over 10 followers, and its financial section has 8. Our Southern Metropolis Daily hasn't even opened a Weibo account yet. If this continues, we'll be left far behind, even though we're currently at the same level!"

"Yes, editor-in-chief, if we keep waiting, even our prestigious Southern Metropolis Daily will fall behind!"

Hu Zixu nodded: "What you said makes sense. We absolutely cannot let Southern Weekly and Caijing magazine leave us behind!"

"Open a Weibo account now and post our exclusive news. Gain followers quickly!"

"At the same time, we contacted Weibo's operations team to get us official verification!"

"Yes!"

It is no coincidence.

Many mainstream media outlets, who were initially lukewarm about joining Weibo, hesitated even when the Weibo operations team proactively invited them.

Now it's great, no invitation is needed, everyone opened Weibo accounts overnight.

They actively begged Weibo's operations team to expedite the verification process.

On the night of March 315th, not only were those counterfeit companies disrupted, but the competitive landscape of the media was also shattered, and the perceptions of media organizations were challenged!
That night, all the media witnessed the power of Weibo, its popularity, and its future!

If any media outlet continues to act as it did in the past, waiting until the next day for the print media to publish the report, then its own headline will become someone else's headline, with them reporting it first!
In a short time, many mainstream media outlets changed their strategies.

Even the 315 program team couldn't remain calm.

The party I organized went viral on Weibo!
It's incredible.

Wang Yufei was overjoyed: "Chairman, now all the major mainstream media outlets have opened Weibo accounts and have contacted us to expedite the verification process!"

Wang Junshan laughed: "These media outlets have seen the reality clearly."

"That's right, Weibo won a huge victory in this 315 campaign. From now on, local media and mainstream market media will no longer be a problem; they will all actively join Weibo."

"The only ones with some problems are CCTV, People's Daily, and Xinhua News Agency."

Wang Junshan nodded: "Yes, we don't need to worry about other media outlets; they've all been certified. As for top mainstream media like CCTV, we're being more cautious. We'll stick to our old strategy and test the waters first."

"Start by inviting program teams, such as the 315 program team, which is a good starting point."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Our Weibo account became incredibly popular thanks to the 315 Gala, so we should definitely invite them to join us. This would make future cooperation more secure. It would also set a good example. With the 315 Gala as a model, it would be much easier to invite other CCTV program teams in the future."

"That's right, invite them immediately, invite them tonight. They'll discuss the application, and maybe it'll be approved in the next couple of days, allowing them to join Weibo. We can also ride the wave of the 315 consumer rights day and become popular again. Our Weibo platform will then expand further and become more authoritative!"

Wang Junshan said, "With Weibo becoming so popular, our competitors are bound to be envious and will definitely try to follow suit. As long as we establish comprehensive cooperation with major mainstream media in advance, we will become the most authoritative platform, making it difficult for our competitors to catch up!"

“Okay.” Wang Yufei immediately made the arrangements.

To Wang Junshan's delight, it didn't take two or three days at all.

The next morning, the 315 program team reported to the central station and submitted an application.

In response, CCTV held a high-level meeting:
"What do you think about Weibo inviting 315 (China's consumer rights day) members to join its platform?"

"I think it's a good thing. The internet age is developing faster and faster, and many things will change. Our CCTV also has to keep up with the times."

"That's right, the 21st century is the age of the internet. The government is actively developing the internet, and as the most authoritative media, CCTV has no problem responding to the call."

"Moreover, it's just a 315 program group, which can be used as a trial run."

"If 315 joins Weibo and develops well, proving particularly effective for publicity, then that's a good thing, and the right path. Other CCTV programs can follow suit."

"If these program teams are doing well on Weibo and playing a positive role in publicity, and Weibo is a very responsible platform, then CCTV can also consider joining Weibo."

"Yes, let's test the waters with 315 and see the public's reaction and the reactions from all sides."

"Even if there is a problem, it's just a program group, so it's preventable and controllable."

"But if there are no problems and the cooperation between the two sides is very good, it will be a brand new exploration for both the program team and CCTV."

"Especially Southern Weekly and Caijing, they have all joined Weibo and gained 100,000 followers a day. If CCTV doesn't take action, we will be at a disadvantage."

"If in the future tens of millions of Weibo users only recognize Southern Weekly, financial media, and other media, and not CCTV, then that will be a problem."

“What you said makes sense. Let’s approve 315’s entry into Weibo and test the waters. We’ll wait and see.”

"Great! And right now, it's the 315 Gala, so I suggest we join immediately to maximize the impact of the 315 anti-counterfeiting campaign!"

"Okay, let's do it."

At noon, the 315 program team received approval from CCTV to open a Weibo account.

The 315 program team was thrilled and joined Weibo that very afternoon.

Weibo immediately gave it official verification.

This wave of 315 hype is something that CCTV, the 315 Gala production team, and Weibo all don't want to miss!

Undoubtedly, the arrival of 315 has further enhanced the value of Weibo.

The controversy surrounding 315 has become even more captivating.

As a result, the controversy surrounding the 315 consumer rights day crackdown continued for the next five days.

The number of Weibo users has also continued to increase, reaching a total of 9000 million.

The daily active users have remained at 4000 million for the past few days, mainly due to the buzz generated by the 315 consumer rights day crackdown and the game players who came for the sign-in gift packs in "WeChat Farm"!
But a week later, Weibo's user base reached 9300 million, while its daily active users dropped to 3000 million!
A quarter of it evaporated!

Simply put, the hype surrounding March 315th has died down.

The group that used to spend every day on Weibo to expose counterfeits on 315 (Consumer Rights Day) has started to leave.

Neither Wang Junshan nor Wang Yufei could do anything about it.

Traffic comes quickly and goes even faster.

The 315 Gala exposes counterfeits once a year, and it's already quite remarkable that it can maintain high popularity for five or six days. Trying to sustain it indefinitely is unrealistic.

There's nothing we can do about it.

However, Wang Yufei has already prepared for new topics that will generate buzz.

Even if its influence is not as great as 315, it can still have some effect.

With Wang Yufei in charge of these matters, Wang Junshan can relax.

The night is like water.

Wang Junshan returned to the courtyard house in Dongzhimen.

Unlike the courtyard house near Zhongguancun Plaza, this courtyard house is located in Chaoyang District, very close to Wanwang Building.

Wang Junshan has been visiting Wanwang Building quite often lately, so he's decided to stay there.

It is also a three-courtyard house with a building area of ​​800 square meters. During the financial crisis, Cui Qian bought it at a low price of 2000 million yuan.

The future value is at least ten small goals.

If it is commercialized, its value can be significantly increased.

Moreover, the renovation should be carried out as early as possible.

In recent years, it was still possible to apply for temporary renovation, but after 2014, the policy tightened, and it became difficult to renovate.

It is precisely for this reason that many dilapidated courtyard houses have applied for emergency renovation in recent years and have been transformed into business clubs, science and technology salons, and so on.

This caused the value of the courtyard house to increase several times over again.

For example, the courtyard house in Zhongguancun Square has applied for emergency renovation.

Its location near Zhongguancun is ideal for developing into a technology salon and hosting small to medium-sized technology summits.

At that time, the spacious courtyard will be the core open-air venue, capable of accommodating several hundred people.

The numerous rooms inside can be used as exhibition halls, private meeting rooms, or even accommodations, all without any problem.

The detailed renovation plan has been designed and implemented by a professional team, as requested by Wang Junshan.

However, Wang Junshan has no plans to commercialize this courtyard house in Dongzhimen for the time being.

After some renovations and upgrades, it can be kept for owner-occupancy.

The other courtyard houses, on the other hand, were bought at bargain prices, and there weren't enough rooms for them all.

Wang Junshan plans to take advantage of the current policy allowance to apply for emergency renovation and commercialize the area.

Even if it's turned into a clubhouse, its location within the Third Ring Road could appreciate in value dozens of times over in the future!
In reality, the appreciation rate of residential courtyard houses is not high.

However, courtyard houses converted from commercial and residential properties are of immeasurable value.

This courtyard house in Dongzhimen is also a three-section courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard are the residences of the nanny, driver, and housekeeper.

The main house of the core second courtyard was where Wang Junshan and Shen Huaijin lived.

Several female bodyguards lived in the side rooms on both sides.

The three courtyards behind it housed a team of male bodyguards.

Although the capital is safe, Wang Junshan is not the same as before, so he needs to be more careful.

Upon seeing Wang Junshan return, Shen Huaijin immediately served him fruit and gently massaged his shoulders.

Wang Junshan closed his eyes contentedly: "Hmm, Secretary Shen's technique is becoming more and more skillful."

"Hmph, I've made you feel good again!" Shen Huaijin sneered.

Wang Junshan chuckled and pulled Shen Huaijin into his arms.

Shen Huaijin was no longer nervous, only her heart was beating slightly faster. She then closed her eyes and waited for Wang Junshan to attack.

Since that moment when they broke the ice, their relationship has progressed rapidly.

Although we haven't reached a state of perfect harmony yet, kissing and hugging have become a daily occurrence.

"Let's not sleep separately tonight, shall we?"

After the kiss, Wang Junshan whispered in Shen Huaijin's ear.

Shen Huaijin sized up Wang Junshan and said arrogantly, "Theoretically, it's possible, but you can't do anything reckless. I'm not ready yet, give me some more time."

“Okay!” Wang Junshan agreed with a smile.

Wang Junshan was not in a hurry to deal with Shen Huaijin; he would proceed step by step and gradually increase his demands.

For example, on this particular night, the two of them lay together.

Wang Junshan would never act recklessly, which put Shen Huaijin at ease.

Then next time, I can take advantage of the situation.

Then everything else will fall into place naturally...

Just as Wang Junshan was sleeping soundly with Shen Huaijin in his arms.

Alibaba's headquarters, however, was brightly lit.

“Chairman, the 315 hype has died down, the time is ripe,” Ning Fengze said.

Jack Ma nodded: "Yes, the time is right, everything is ready, right?"

"Rest assured, Chairman, everything is ready and we can act at any time."

"Very good, then let's do it tonight. We'll have all night to work on it, catch Future Technology and Weibo off guard, and give Wang Junshan a surprise tomorrow morning!"

"Okay, that's what I was planning too."

Ning Fengze was in high spirits: "Tomorrow morning will surely be a morning that Wang Junshan will never forget!"

"Haha, I look forward to your triumphant return!" Jack Ma laughed.

I've been looking forward to this day for so long!
With Jack Ma's approval, Ning Fengze gave the order, and the prepared teams quickly sprang into action.

Early in the morning.

It started raining in Hangzhou, a light drizzle that drowned out the city's hustle and bustle.

Outside of Alibaba's headquarters, there were also hidden organizations lurking in other places and even other cities, all brightly lit and working through the night.

This night was destined to be sleepless.

Especially in the latter half of the night, posts are published one after another, and news breaks one after another.

The content is different, but the topics are highly consistent.

Vipshop is accused of fraudulently obtaining subsidies under the rural appliance subsidy program, with the fraudulent amount reaching up to 10%!

Within just a few hours, it was all over Tianya Forum, Baidu Tieba, and other major platforms.

I didn't start browsing Weibo until 4:30.

Everyone focused their firepower on attacking Weibo.

One post after another appeared, all with the same topic.

In the era before cloud computing and big data, Weibo's operators could not fully control all content, let alone discover it in real time.

Given the technological limitations, this is not feasible.

Until this news reached the fiftieth spot on the trending topics list.

The person in charge of operations and maintenance saw this and immediately broke out in a cold sweat, then quickly reported it to their supervisor.

Operations supervisor Zheng Yan was also stunned. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, he decisively contacted Wang Yufei.

At five in the morning, Wang Yufei was startled awake by the ringing of his phone. Seeing it was the operations manager, his expression changed drastically, and he instantly became fully awake.
"What's wrong, Lao Zheng? Did Weibo's servers crash?"

"No, Mr. Wang, something terrible has happened."

"The topic of Vipshop's subsidy fraud has reached the fiftieth spot on the trending topics list, no, it's already the thirty-seventh, and it's still rising!"

"what?"

Wang Yufei was shocked: "The topic of Vipshop's subsidy fraud is trending on the hot search list?"

"Yes, the trending topic is #Vipshop is defrauding subsidies, with rural appliance subsidies fraud reaching up to 10%#!"

Zheng Yan reported truthfully: "It suddenly went viral in just half an hour. It must have been an organized and premeditated deliberate act."

"I came here specifically for Vipshop or Future Tech!"

Wang Yufei nodded: "They're really targeting our Weibo account. They're using Weibo to expose Vipshop's subsidy fraud, their internal manipulation, and their self-destructive behavior. It even made it to the trending topics. Whether we handle it or not, we'll be in a very passive position."

"If we don't suppress the trending topics, Vipshop will be in the eye of the storm and suffer heavy losses. If the Weibo post exposes Vipshop, everyone will laugh at us."

"At that time, it will not only be a loss for our sister companies, but also a loss for the entire group."

"If we suppress trending topics, then Weibo, which is just starting out and has a great start, will lose its impartiality and freedom of speech, and its future will be in jeopardy."

Zheng Yan nodded: "Yes, five o'clock is when there are the most Weibo users online. Now, a lot of users get up at five o'clock to steal vegetables, and after they finish stealing vegetables, they will browse Weibo, check the trending topics, and then go to sleep."

"Many people have seen and shared the trending topic about Vipshop's subsidy fraud. Even if we try to suppress it, we're still in a passive position. But we can't just leave it unsuppressed. I don't know what to do."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yufei's expression turned even more unpleasant.

Yes, 5 o'clock is the morning rush hour!

Stealing vegetables during the morning rush hour!
After stealing some vegetables, scrolling through Weibo for a while, and then taking a nap, that's all basic stuff.

The other party deliberately chose to act at 4:30, which was a meticulously planned move, taking advantage of the perfect opportunity during the 5:00 morning rush hour!

That makes things even more difficult.

"Whether or not to remove it from the trending topics list, let me ask Chairman Wang. This is no longer something we can decide."

"Okay." Zheng Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't want to be in a dilemma.

Wang Yufei decisively dialed Wang Junshan's number and explained the situation.

"What? Vipshop is committing subsidy fraud, with the home appliance subsidy program in rural areas involving fraudulent subsidies of up to 10%!"

Wang Junshan, who was sleeping soundly with Shen Huaijin in his arms, was completely flustered:
"There are definitely cases of fraudulent subsidies under the 'Home Appliances to the Countryside' program, with some reaching 10%, but most of it is done offline. Vipshop's fraud is probably less than 2%."

"The other party created such an ambiguous trending topic, which is just a word game to mislead the public into believing that Vipshop's offline home appliance subsidies are as high as 10%!"

"It takes only a mouth to spread rumors, but it takes a lot of effort to refute them!"

"Damn it, they're trying to kill Vipshop by smearing us like this!"

(End of this chapter)