I was exposed for adding my female boss to my group of female friends.

He continued, "We have carefully studied the blue book on the strategic plan for new energy vehicles released by Beichen, and we have come to the same conclusion that if Beichen's plan is implemented, the domestic car market will shrink by more than 50% in the next 5 years, and 75% of the companies will die out, becoming nourishment for large companies."

His expression was somewhat solemn: "It's fair to say that the automotive industry will undergo a radical transformation."

"So, you're going to smear Beichen and completely nip their automotive strategy in the bud?"

“Yes.” Li Jia nodded.

Chen Ya looked at Li Jiayi with the same expression he had when looking at a constipated thief straining in his own toilet.

He wasn't surprised.

This isn't the first time Beichen has been betrayed by domestic "competitors." He's almost become immune to such tactics from his rivals.

"I don't think Beichen released the relevant technology to you so that you could betray us at this time, right?"

"Backstabbing? Explain yourself, what do you mean by backstabbing?" Li Jiayi was annoyed by the question and squinted at him.

"The new energy technologies that Beichen has developed have saved the Chinese automotive industry at least a billion yuan in R&D funding. Now, car companies are turning around and criticizing Beichen. Isn't that a bit like... Mr. Dongguo and the wolf?" Chen Ya asked with a smile.

"Mr. Dongguo and the wolf, who is Dongguo? Who is the wolf?" Li Jia slammed his wine glass down on the table. "It's the 21st century, how can anyone still think about business with this kind of江湖恩怨 (jianghu enmity) mentality?"

Miao Aoxue nudged him and said, "Don't pay attention to him, he's not very educated anyway."

Then, she turned to Chen Ya and said, "Chen Ya, don't interrupt. This isn't your race track, you have no right to speak here."

"Pfft, okay." Chen Ya laughed.

Lu Qingxuan looked at Chen Ya and found that his face did not show the resentment and anger that an ordinary person would have.

A normal person would immediately show their identity to the other party and tell them that they are the actual controller of Yunshang Jinghua.

But Chen Ya seemed completely unconcerned about such things.

Chen Ya gently moved his leg next to her feet, bumped it against her leg, and shook his head almost imperceptibly.

He meant that Lu Qingxuan should not interrupt.

Now is the perfect opportunity to find out the truth. He wants to hear how these car companies plan to unite and crush the fledgling Beichen Automotive.

Li Jiayi turned to look at Lu Qingxuan and said, "Miss Lu, come, let's continue our conversation."

Lu Qingxuan instantly understood Chen Ya's signal and started chatting with Li Jiayi:

"With just Yunshang Jinghua, you probably can't smear Beichen, right? Why don't you try contacting more authoritative media outlets?"

Li Jiayi smiled and said, "Beichen is a company that is registered with all the central government-owned enterprises. They are protected by all the central government-owned enterprises. Even if you have acquaintances in the mainstream media, you can't get the topic in. You can only find independent media."

He added, "Of course, we didn't just contact Yunshang Jinghua."

Lu Qingxuan leaned down and asked, "How many have you searched?"

Li Jiayi smiled wickedly: "I can only tell you a lot."

Chen Ya asked, "How do you plan to smear Bei Chen?"

Li Jia glanced at him and said, "I'll tell you after we reach a cooperation agreement with Yunshang Jinghua."

Miao Aoxue placed her fair fingers on her leg and gently rubbed them; her long, colorful nails were as sharp as blades.

And the look in her eyes as she looked at Chen Ya instantly became as sharp as a blade.

Miao Aoxue frowned and said, "Chen Ya, don't cause trouble and interrupt. We're talking business here, and you don't have the space to speak."

Lu Qingxuan glanced at her; she didn't like this woman, and changed the subject:

"Just to smear Beichen like this, I think it's very risky. Beichen is a national star company with a very good reputation among the people. Rashly attacking such a company could very likely backfire."

Li Jiayi said with a smile, "We're not short of money."

Lu Qingxuan said, "This isn't about money. It's about the fact that if bashing Bei Chen triggers a public backlash, the credibility of our account could be ruined..."

“Then it still comes down to money,” Li Jiayi interrupted her. “My offer to Yunshang Jinghua is 105 million yuan for 3 videos and 5 advertorials.”

Upon hearing the price, Lu Qingxuan slightly opened her mouth.

Her first reaction was—this is far too little!

For Yunshang Jinghua, which generates 40 million yuan in revenue in just two days, this figure is far too small.

However, she has a natural talent for numbers, and subconsciously did some mental calculations. She discovered that this number was exactly three times the price Yunshang Jinghua had ever charged for soft advertising in the past.

Chen Ya gently tapped Lu Qingxuan's foot under the table. Lu Qingxuan looked up and saw Chen Ya winking at her.

Although she didn't know what he meant, she still subconsciously gave Li Jiayi an ambiguous answer:

"We need to think about it some more, after all, this project is very risky..."

“What else is there to consider? This price is already three times the previous price quoted by Yunshang Jinghua,” Li Jiayi said. “Even if it causes a backlash from the public, you can just sell the account, or change the skin, and stay quiet for a while. People will forget about it, and it will all be over, right?”

Lu Qingxuan was still a little hesitant, so he continued:

"Moreover, this time it will definitely not cause a backlash from public opinion. To be honest, the plan we came up with this time was proposed by Wu Liangzhi."

Lu Qingxuan was taken aback; she had heard of this name before.

Wu Liangzhi is a godfather-level figure in China's marketing industry, with countless classic cases of planning hit products, viral marketing, and soft advertising.

He is particularly adept at agenda setting, and he has been instrumental in promoting issues such as women's rights, vegetarianism, and gender antagonism.

It can be said that whoever he wants to become famous may not necessarily become famous, and it also depends on the ability of the person being promoted, but whoever he wants to become infamous will definitely be thoroughly vilified.

Lu Qingxuan said, "If it's Teacher Wu Liangzhi who's going to take charge, then we'll just have to act as henchmen, right? After all, we're not KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) in the automotive field."

"Yes, but the responsibilities of Cloud Jinghua are still very important. You are in charge of the Beijing part, which involves the integration of regional topics."

The two were gradually getting into more complex topics, using more and more technical terms, which Miao Aoxue, who wasn't a media studies major, was starting to have trouble understanding.

But she knew that what they were talking about concerned the future of the entire Chinese auto industry, and the livelihoods and lives of millions of people.

The woman's fingernails traced patterns on the empty wine glass, making a soft, rustling sound. She looked at Chen Ya, a sudden sense of superiority washing over her.

The reason Chen Ya's first words to her were that she had "realized her dream" was because, since she was a student at Peking University, she had longed to climb to higher places, until she climbed into a wealthy family.

She sees herself as someone born to be superior to others; she wants to think ahead of everyone else and enjoy life in front of everyone else.

The reason she clashed with Chen Ya so many times back then was this—she couldn't stand that Chen Ya could only think like an ordinary person, being swept along by the currents of the times, living without understanding why, and dying without knowing what was going on.

Time has passed, and in just a few years, due to their different personalities, the gap between her and Chen Ya's status has widened considerably.

Therefore, she craved recognition and wanted to gain a dominant position in front of Chen Ya.

Li Jiayi continued, "Actually, this time it's not really a smear campaign against Beichen, it's just the truth. Beichen's current actions have seriously hindered the development of the domestic car market."

Lu Qingxuan asked, "What do you mean?"

Li Jiayi said: "Currently, the domestic auto industry is basically divided into five parts. Although everyone seems to be financially strong and has even acquired some foreign automakers, their foundation is far less solid than that of foreign automakers."

"If the current strong momentum continues, sooner or later domestic automotive capital will dominate the market. But the problem lies with Beichen. If Beichen becomes the spoiler and damages the vitality of domestic car companies, and the domestic market becomes a chaotic mess, we will lose to foreign companies."

Chen Ya chuckled softly and said, "So, your purpose, Dirty Beichen, is actually for the vigorous development of the domestic automobile industry?"

Li Jia looked at him and said, "What brilliant idea do you have?"

Chen Ya said: "Twenty years ago, 95% of the world's DVD technology patents were concentrated in the hands of Japanese manufacturers. In that era, Japanese manufacturers made a fortune. Panasonic, Sony, and Toshiba became industry leaders."

"But 20 years later, who's still playing with DVDs? In the global DVD market, only Japan is left playing with itself. It has shrunk so much that it's about to be phased out."

"Do you know why? Because back then, China was known as the world's factory. When it exported a DVD to the United States that sold for $135, the profit was only $2. All the remaining profit had to be paid to Japan for patents."

"Because Japan has a first-mover advantage in technology, it erects barriers and imposes technology blockades on latecomers. As a result, once a new technology that can replace it appears, latecomers will flock to it, and the market will quickly be divided up by a hundred different technologies."

"Beichen made the relevant technology open source for this reason, because it didn't want to follow in the footsteps of DVD."

Li Jia narrowed her eyes and said, "After all that talk, it's all nonsense. Doesn't what you've said prove that Beichen is only releasing its technology to domestic automakers for its own benefit? It's because it needs all domestic automakers to work together to make the pie bigger!"

"No, what is the purpose of saying all this?"

Chen Ya sat up straight and leaned over, saying, "Domestic car companies? That's laughable. Apart from a few long-established domestic car brands, can the other car companies even be called car companies? They're just joint ventures of 'automotive capital'."

"They don't have the technology or the brand; they only have money and manpower. Such joint ventures are nothing more than compradors. How dare they talk about the pie?"

After saying that, he sat back down, the oppressive feeling lessening slightly, and said:

"Have you considered that the technology Beichen possesses is actually enough to revolutionize the entire domestic auto market? It's only for the sake of the orderly development of the industry that the previous technology was made open source? If your public opinion manipulation succeeds, it could lead to even more serious consequences?"

"Hmph, utter nonsense." Li Jia waved her hand dismissively. "I don't talk to people who know nothing about this industry."

"Tch." Miao Aoxue sneered.

"I wanted to interrupt you when you were speaking just now. What do you, Chen Ya, know? What right do you have to offer such profound opinions? Just shut up."

After saying that, she turned to Lu Qingxuan, crossed her legs, and said:

“Miss Lu, we’re only talking to you. Here’s what I’m doing: I’ll take the liberty of adding another 20. Isn’t that a sincere enough price? What do you think? It would be best if you could give us your answer right here. Otherwise, we can’t just find other KOLs in Beijing.”

Lu Qingxuan's pretty face gradually turned cold, as if covered in frost.

“Apologize,” Lu Qingxuan said coldly to Miao Aoxue.

A beautiful girl like Lu Qingxuan can be quite intimidating when she gets angry, and Miao Aoxue suddenly felt flustered.

She merely called herself a socialite, while Lu Qingxuan was a true socialite. Faced with Lu Qingxuan, her aura collapsed in an instant, as if swept away by a flood.

"Why...why should I..."

“I don’t want you to apologize to me, I want you to apologize to Chen Ya,” Lu Qingxuan said. “I’ve been very unhappy with you since just now because you have been very disrespectful to Chen Ya.”

Miao Aoxue squinted at Chen Ya, then suddenly realized something, and looked up, saying, "Oh—so you are..."

She assumed that Lu Qingxuan and Chen Ya had that kind of relationship.

That's why Lu Qingxuan defended him.

Lu Qingxuan said coldly, "Chen Ya is the actual controller of Yunshang Jinghua. He is the real boss."

Miao Aoxue suddenly fell silent.

“Furthermore,” Lu Qingxuan said, “the money you gave us is too little. Yunshang Jinghua earned more than 43 million yuan in just two days. The mere one million yuan you provided is not even a fraction of our revenue in two days.”

Chen Ya picked at his ear and said, "That's not right."

Lu Qingxuan turned to look at him.

“Making over 43 million in two days is a thing of the past,” Chen Ya said. “According to the latest data, our revenue on the third day was 37 million, so our current record is 80 million in three days.”

Chapter 241 No woman can refuse

Miao Aoxue crossed her arms, opened her mouth slightly, and looked slightly embarrassed.

Since hooking up with Li Jiayi, she has rarely been confronted like this. Her current mood is like the Seventh Fleet sailing arrogantly on the sea when it is suddenly located by a satellite.

"Miss Lu, you're really amazing! Your revenue is so high, I..."

Lu Qingxuan corrected her, saying, "No, it's not because I'm capable. As I said, Chen Ya is the one who makes the final decision in Yunshang Jinghua."

Li Jiayi's expression stiffened: "But the data we have shows that Yunshang Jinghua's data is far from that high?"

Lu Qingxuan said, "The information you have is outdated. Three days ago, the entire team at Yunshang Jinghua was replaced. The data I'm talking about is the result of our new team's work in the last three days."

Li Jiayi was completely stunned.

Revenue of 80 million yuan in three days is something only a national-level media outlet could achieve, and it rivals the sales figures of top influencers.

Most importantly, this media team had only undergone a personnel change three days prior, and had just changed leaders, yet they had already achieved a breakthrough in revenue. Doesn't this mean that these two people are very capable and have the ability to turn the impossible into the possible?

Li Jiayi looked at Chen Ya, wondering if he really had that ability, and fell silent.

Lu Qingxuan continued, "Miss Miao, let's get back to the topic. Just now, you rudely interrupted Chen Ya three times. I hope you will apologize to him for that."

"Apologize? Me and him??" Miao Aoxue felt a tightness in her chest, feeling extremely wronged.

Li Jia pulled the aggrieved Miao Aoxue into her arms, her expression turning somewhat serious:

"Miss Lu, is there any need for us to completely sever ties like this?"

"How can this be considered a falling out? Young Master Li, I haven't started a falling out with you. If I wanted to, my tone wouldn't be so calm right now." Lu Qingxuan wore a fake smile.

"I just want your girlfriend to have basic respect for Chen Ya. Otherwise, we wouldn't do business with someone who doesn't respect our boss. Is what I'm saying so hard to understand?"

Lu Qingxuan's words did indeed make sense. Even Li Jiayi couldn't refute them.

Miao Aoxue looked at Chen Ya stiffly, raised her chin, and said, "I'm sorry, okay?"

Her apology was clearly insincere, and Lu Qingxuan was unwilling to let her off so easily.

But remembering that Li Jiayi had just spent hundreds of thousands of yuan to help her out of a difficult situation, she felt embarrassed to go too far and stopped talking.