Rebirth 04: Starting from Taking an Unconventional Approach

Zhang Ruiyi picked up a pen, crossed out the words "Southern Weekly" on the list, and continued speaking.

"Regarding industry media, we'll definitely invite *Dragon Kingdom News and Publishing Journal*. Although their readership is narrow, they have a lot of influence in this circle. In the future, when we deal with the publishing system, we may need them to speak on our behalf. In addition, local TV stations in Shanghai and Eastday.com can also be considered, but there are also risks involved. If not handled properly, it could turn into a press conference."

"TV stations and online media are too formal and public," Han Fei said. "We'll hold off on inviting them for now. Otherwise, it will seem like we're actively amplifying the event, attracting unnecessary attention and questions."

"Okay, then it'll be four print media outlets in total. Uh..." Zhang Ruiyi took a breath, "You...you won't let me appear in front of the media, then you'll be in charge of inviting reporters by phone and hosting the briefing. Lu Hai can be your silent assistant. I'll prepare the formal invitations, and I can eavesdrop on the phone calls after the briefing starts."

"Okay, this arrangement is very sound. Let's set the time for Wednesday morning from 10:00 to 11:30, giving law enforcement two days to respond."

"Is the venue set at the publishing house?"

Han Fei pondered for a moment. "Let's find a business center nearby and rent a shared meeting room. The publishing house's bias is too obvious; if we report on it, people will think we're not neutral or professional enough, and there's also the risk of information leaks and future harassment."

"The Shanghai Culture and Commerce Building on Fuzhou Road is pretty good," Zhang Ruiyi said. "I went there for a book launch when I was in school. The decor is simple, without any obvious commercial logos, which naturally gives it the feel of a cultural event. Most importantly, they provide a separate media check-in area and interview rooms. Reporters can pick up materials at the check-in area first, and if they need a one-on-one interview, they can go into the back room to talk privately without affecting the main venue's flow."

"Okay, let's go with that. I'll have Lu Hai place the order tomorrow morning, and he can also check it out and make sure the equipment works."

Zhang Ruiyi turned to the next page of her notebook: "I've already found all the phone numbers for you. Now you can start making calls, and I'll go prepare the formal invitations."

"Yes, remember to prepare another draft of the press release so that we can quickly adjust it based on the situation and feedback from reporters after the briefing and release it as soon as possible. Whether the media uses it or not is not important, but at least we have a unified message for them to refer to."

"it is good."

Han Fei returned to his desk, lit a cigarette, picked up the phone, and began dialing numbers. The first number was to a Mr. Zhou, an editor of the culture section at the Xinmin Evening News. Han Fei got straight to the point, stating his main objective and extending an invitation.

"I'll think about it and get back to you by Wednesday."

"Okay," Han Fei said. "I'll have a colleague send you a formal invitation to your email later regarding the time and location. This is a private event, so please don't spread the word."

The second call came from a reporter from Wenhui Daily's cultural news section. The caller first spoke in a lively, almost laughing voice, saying that the content of "Bluebird" was quite controversial within the newspaper. After Han Fei told him that this briefing would not discuss literary debates but only talk about market order, the caller immediately said that he would submit a topic proposal to the editor-in-chief and attend once the leadership approved it.

Han Fei dialed the third phone number. A reporter from the "Dragon Kingdom News and Publishing Daily" expressed great enthusiasm for Qingniao and the incident, saying that he was honored to attend Qingniao's briefing.

Finally, the fourth group of calls was made. Yang Zheng, a reporter from the Morning Post, answered the phone immediately, his tone lively and cheerful, as if he regarded each call as a new and exciting opportunity. This time, in some ways, he was right.

"President Han? I've heard so much about you. You must have seen the two previous reports, right?"

"We saw it, and it's very well written. We even studied it internally, especially your keen observation of industry changes, which is more insightful than many financial journalists."

"You flatter me. The reason I called this time is..."

"We would like to invite you to a small media briefing on Wednesday morning at 10:00 AM in the shared conference room of the Fuzhou Road Cultural Commercial Building."

"What's the theme?"

"Recently, a magazine called 'Stories of Ordinary People' has been pirating our content, publishing it illegally, and aggressively distributing it. We have evidence and have already formally reported it. I would like to have a private conversation with a few journalist friends who are concerned about the order of the cultural market."

Are you planning to go public?

"Background information: We will not be holding a press conference. We can provide information, but whether or not you choose to have it reported is entirely up to you. If you find it valuable, we will also provide materials accordingly."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Please wait a moment," Yang Zheng said.

Han Fei heard him stand up and waited quietly. Soon he returned to the phone. "President Han, regarding the violent distribution you mentioned, do you have any photos, videos, or witness testimonies? Also, after you reported it, did the relevant department issue a formal acceptance receipt, or just a verbal agreement? If it's convenient, could I speak with you privately for twenty minutes before the briefing on Wednesday? I want to confirm the seriousness of this matter so I can report the topic to the editor-in-chief."

"It's good that Reporter Yang is so serious. Regarding your two questions: First, we don't have photos, but we do have witness testimonies. Second, we have received the acceptance receipt from the Press and Publication Bureau. As for your request for a private 20-minute talk beforehand, that's possible, but I prefer it to be after the briefing. I don't want you to feel like I'm using you, nor do I want you to be led astray beforehand. During the briefing, I will lay out the facts and evidence on the table in their entirety. If you still have questions after listening, or feel there's anything worth exploring further, then we can talk privately. I won't avoid asking you anything."

Yang Zheng groaned, "President Han, what you're saying... makes me a little embarrassed. To be honest, I did initially want to talk to you privately first. It's a habit in our line of work; before getting an exclusive angle, we always want to get to the bottom of things first. But from what you just said, I can tell you're someone who truly understands the media. In that case, okay, we'll do it your way. I'll attend the briefing on Wednesday on time, and if I find it interesting, I'll talk to you privately then. Don't think I'm being too inquisitive then."

Yang Zheng hung up the phone.

"How is it?" Zhang Ruiyi asked.

"Yang Zheng is indeed quite capable," Han Fei said, leaning back in his chair. "Overall, there shouldn't be any major problems. Let's send out the invitations as soon as possible."