88: Chapter 89: The Ticket to the Ten-Year Throne! A Single A4 Sheet and a Hidden Butcher's Knife in All-Cash Settlement

Shen Du stood up, walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window, and overlooked the dazzling neon lights of the Magic City. His voice was deep and filled with penetrating power:

"The commercial war that has begun now is no longer purely about 'profit-seeking'."

"Dumping these tens of billions in isn't for the year-end dividends."

"It is to decide the next ten years."

"Who, exactly, will be able to rightfully ascend to the absolute throne of Short Video, social, and livestreaming platforms!"

Shen Du turned around. With a near-god's-eye view, he unfolded a magnificent blueprint of the era for General Manager Chen Shengqiang:

"Look at the calendar now, 2011. This is still a savage era where smartphones haven't been fully popularized, and the mobile internet is still crazily accumulating resources."

"Do you think the cost of the current subsidy war is too high?"

Shen Du sneered, every word piercing the heart:

"Then have you ever thought about what would happen if we retreated and gave up now just to protect that little bit of profit on the books?"

"Wait another three to five years, when smartphones are fully popularized. The streets will be filled with the era of Douyin and Tencent-affiliated software supported by Northern Capital..."

"When they have completely finished their closed-loop ecosystem, used the money they burned to monopolize the highest-quality streamers and the most core content creators on the entire web, and hoarded massive amounts of capital sufficient to crush everything..."

Shen Du stared fixedly at General Manager Chen Shengqiang:

"At that time, do you think Jiyuan Technology would have even the slightest chance if we wanted to re-enter the market with capital?"

"Impossible. By then, the iron gates to entry will have long been welded shut by them! We won't even be left with the qualification to drink the soup!"

These words, like a great bell, struck hard into the depths of General Manager Chen Shengqiang's soul.

The mental limitations that had originally trapped him in financial statements were completely shattered in this instant by Shen Du's terrifying foresight of the era!

He finally understood that the boss's crazy money-burning and self-cutting of profits right now was not some impulsive act of mutual destruction. It was using money to buy out the opponent's future, it was preemptively seizing the entry ticket to the next era!

At this very moment, Jiyuan Technology's Xinghuo had already taken the first step in developing an embryonic ecosystem. If they didn't take the opportunity to strike a fatal blow while the opponent was not yet firmly established, that would truly be a waste of a great opportunity!

The reception area was silent for a full minute. General Manager Chen Shengqiang took a deep breath, his originally anxious eyes becoming completely clear and firm.

He straightened his back and nodded heavily at Shen Du:

"I understand, Boss Shen. My vision was too limited before. Rest assured, since this is a life-or-death battle to decide the throne of the era, even if I, General Manager Chen Shengqiang, have to drain my brains dry, I will unwaveringly help you fight this battle to the end!"

Seeing General Manager Chen Shengqiang's complete transformation, Shen Du nodded with satisfaction.

Just as General Manager Chen Shengqiang took a deep breath, turned to leave the office, and prepared to execute this unprecedented ten-billion money-burning plan, Shen Du suddenly spoke again, his voice deliberately lowered a few degrees:

"Shengqiang, wait a moment! I have one more thing for you to handle. This matter is extremely sensitive, and in the entire company, you are the only one I trust to handle it."

General Manager Chen Shengqiang immediately stopped, turned around, his expression suddenly solemn:

"Boss Shen, please give your orders."

Shen Du didn't speak immediately. Instead, he turned and walked to his large desk, pulled out a blank sheet of A4 paper, and picked up a fountain pen to write on it rapidly. The nib glided quickly across the paper, making a fine, rustling sound that seemed particularly harsh in the quiet office.

Two minutes later, Shen Du stopped writing and handed the A4 sheet of paper, filled with densely packed company names and addresses, to General Manager Chen Shengqiang.

"This is a detailed public opinion blitz plan targeting the physical industries of the Northern Capital business circle in Shanghai."

Shen Du's eyes were as cold as ten-thousand-year-old ice:

"Some time ago, I had 'Know-it-all' Chen Fei cast a net across major nightlife venues and gray areas. Now, I have a massive, targeted database of public opinion material in my hands."

General Manager Chen Shengqiang looked down and scanned the list on the paper. It prominently listed several real estate developers and chain restaurant giants that had been in the spotlight recently, backed by Beijing Circle capital and acting under a disguise.

"Boss Shen, are we going to use internet trolls to spread rumors and smear them?" General Manager Chen Shengqiang asked in a low voice.

"Spread rumors? That is the lowest and most stupid method. Once the other party catches hold of evidence and sends a lawyer's letter, not only will they bite back, but it will also destroy Xinghuo's credibility."

Shen Du sneered, extended his finger and tapped heavily on the A4 paper, completely correcting his limited thinking.

"Remember, all the material involved here is based on real, existing facts! There is not a shred of malicious distortion, and we don't need to fabricate anything out of thin air."

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Shen Du's eyes:

"The highest level of black PR is killing with facts. What we want to utilize are exactly those 'minor flaws' in their physical operations that are originally inconspicuous, but once exposed, will absolutely ignite social attention and public anxiety!"

To ensure General Manager Chen Shengqiang fully grasped the core of the tactic, Shen Du pointed directly at two targets on the paper as examples:

"For example, this real estate development, a new district project that Northern Capital forcibly moved into and took over. Fatty found out that their construction team, in order to rush the schedule, omitted two steel bars in the pouring of the balcony edges. From a structural standpoint, this doesn't affect the actual lifespan or main safety of the entire building at all. But what if these internal construction drawings were thrown onto the internet? In the eyes of ordinary people who have emptied their six wallets to buy a house, this is corner-cutting that treats human lives like grass, an unforgivable 'shoddy project'!"

"Take this chain restaurant for another example." Shen Du's finger slid to another line:

"There is long-accumulated grease in the corner of the back kitchen. Although their overall hygiene barely meets the standard and won't kill anyone, as long as our lens is slightly aimed at that dead corner, once this image gets out, it will be a disgusting food safety crisis!"

Listening to Shen Du's tactical analysis, General Manager Chen Shengqiang felt a chill down his spine. This was the true bloodless butcher's knife of public opinion! No rumors, just stating partial 'facts'. Utilizing the public's natural safety anxiety and anger to carry out precise explosions. Once this knife swings down, it would be enough to instantly slash into pieces the social trust that Northern Capital had worked so hard to build in the Yangtze River Delta!

General Manager Chen Shengqiang looked at the lightweight A4 paper in his hand, yet felt it was heavier than a lead block. He could completely imagine what kind of terrifying public opinion tsunami would be stirred up throughout the Magic City when these real, yet highly inflammatory 'partial flaws' were thrown into the spotlight.

"How specifically should we operate?" General Manager Chen Shengqiang's expression became solemn, immediately entering the role of an executor.

"Don't you have a Short Video team under you that specializes in gossip and local curiosities? You raise soldiers for a thousand days to use them for a moment; this time I need them to go on a precise hunt."

Shen Du methodically issued tactical instructions:

"Immediately distribute all the company names, construction sites, and chain restaurant locations on this paper. Send the people with the cleanest hands to conduct secret filming and evidence gathering."

"After obtaining the preliminary material, spend money to hire a group of completely unrelated 'laypeople' in society to go and experience/consume on-site. Let them film these glaring hygiene and quality issues from the first-person perspective of ordinary people. Finally, use our matrix of accounts on Short Video platforms to carry out overwhelming, viral-style publicity."

Speaking up to this point, Shen Du's voice suddenly paused, his eyes becoming abruptly sharp:

"But there is one red line you must hold on to for me at all costs!"

General Manager Chen Shengqiang's heart tightened:

"Please speak."

"All hiring costs and PR expenses involved in this operation must absolutely, absolutely not touch even a single cent from Jiyuan Technology's public or private accounts!"

Shen Du warned word by word:

"Later, go directly to find Red Phoenix. All activity funds will be handed over to you by her in person in the form of cash."

"I want you to be physically isolated throughout the whole process, using only cash for settlement. You must absolutely not leave even the slightest trace of an electronic transfer in any banking system, corporate account, or third-party payment platform!"

Shen Du's vigilance was extremely high, ensuring his defense was airtight:

"I want those people in the Beijing Circle, even if they are left in a state of chaos and want to trace the source after the fact, to be unable to find any source of funds. They can only face a group of online ghosts who cannot be found!"

Completely cutting off the capital chain—this was a perfect hacker-style assassination that left no flaws!

Taking this order that could be called vicious, General Manager Chen Shengqiang carefully folded the A4 paper and tucked it into the inside pocket of his suit.

He looked up at Shen Du standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he asked in a low voice:

"Boss Shen, how should I control the heat? To what extent should we take this public opinion storm?"

Hearing this question, Shen Du slowly turned around, his back to the thousands of lights outside the window. In this dimly lit office, the corners of his mouth slowly curled upward, outlining a cruel sneer, and he lightly spat out a few words:

"Since we've lit the fire, then of course... the bigger, the better!"