17: Chapter 17 went viral, trending on social media!

Baili Heavy Industry Group, Chairman's office.

"Xu Hao!! You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, huh?!?"

Listening to the beeping sound on his phone, Chairman Dong Baili's face, which had been smiling just a moment ago, immediately turned gloomy.

He had not expected that Xu Hao would reject him time and time again.

This time, he was even insolent, making him give up on this idea entirely.

Wasn't this a slap in the face for him?

"Have those studios been taken care of?"

Chairman Dong Baili asked the secretary standing beside him.

"They have been taken care of..."

The secretary replied.

She stood obediently beside Chairman Dong Baili, but her eyes were looking sharply out the window.

The various black materials exposed online regarding Xu's Heavy Industry were naturally done after Chairman Dong Baili's approval; she had invited various internet gossip hunters and then had online marketing accounts publish articles to expose them.

Chairman Dong Baili nodded.

Now, after their maneuverings, the internet was full of discussions about Xu's Heavy Industry.

But!! This was far from enough!!

Chairman Dong Baili's gaze was vicious, and his face was full of malevolence.

Wasn't Xu Hao dead set against selling Xu's Heavy Industry?

Since that was the case, he would first ruin Xu's Heavy Industry, and then step in to take it over.

"Notify them to keep hyping up the popularity, the hotter, the better!"

"Especially regarding the tax evasion point, increase the intensity for me. This label of 'tax evasion'—Xu Hao has to wear it whether he wants to or not!!"

He didn't believe that under the dual pressure of the public and the authorities, Xu Hao could withstand such pressure.

No company could remain unscathed under the big label of 'tax evasion'!!

"Yes!"

The secretary nodded in agreement, acknowledged the order, and began to launch the second wave of online encirclement against Xu's Heavy Industry.

...

The next day.

After fermenting for a whole night, the popularity of the Weibo topic *Xu's Heavy Industry: A Heartless Enterprise Without Any Bottom Line* not only did not decrease with time but instead began to rise gradually, reaching third place on the popularity chart.

Yesterday, it was just some big influencers writing short essays, accompanied by various pictures, exposing Xu's Heavy Industry's black materials through posts.

Today was even more ruthless.

Influencers, marketing accounts, second-rate media, studios, etc., all began to repost and expose Xu's Heavy Industry's black materials one after another.

Among them, some were paid by Baili Group to do so.

And others did it voluntarily for the sake of traffic.

With so many media outlets driving the narrative, more and more netizens began to participate in the discussion of the topic.

Yesterday, the number of participants in this topic was only a few tens of thousands.

Now, it had soared all the way to over a hundred million.

Even... this data was still rising linearly, and a deep red 'Explosive' character appeared so shocking.

And the posts within the topic were all uniformly cursing and accusing Xu's Heavy Industry.

"Xu's Heavy Industry's conscience has truly been eaten by dogs. Because of their agricultural machinery, the farmers couldn't plant their seeds in time; how great must that loss be..."

"Pah!! And this was once a top 100 enterprise? Who gave them that title? Under what criteria was it selected?"

"Damn it, they are even delaying workers' wages; if Xu's Heavy Industry doesn't go bankrupt, everyone is responsible!!"

If these posts' comments were merely condemning and cursing Xu's Heavy Industry's immoral and irresponsible behavior.

Then, regarding Xu's Heavy Industry's 'tax evasion' behavior, the netizens were merciless, saying all sorts of nasty things.

"Fuck, such a large enterprise is actually evading taxes; they have no shame at all!!"

"My monthly salary is six thousand, and I honestly pay taxes every month. Yet Xu's Heavy Industry is trying every possible way to evade taxes; is this the responsibility of an enterprise?"

"Enjoying the dividends brought by the country, yet unwilling to take on the responsibilities of a large enterprise; such an enterprise... is better off not existing!!"

"Long Tax Bureau, hurry up and investigate this company; if it doesn't work, just shut them down."

Tax evasion is a very vile act in Long Country.

Especially since this was a large enterprise, which at the time was enjoying policy dividends brought by the country.

Undoubtedly, such behavior completely incited the anger of netizens.

Netizens were arguing endlessly online, while media outlets with keen senses captured the powerful popularity within this.

Hotspot Tracking, a local hot news website.

It specialized in tracking and reporting on current hot news and social news.

It had over ten million followers across the web and possessed huge traffic.

At this moment, inside the news agency, Reporter Li Fei was intently scrolling through posts online about Xu's Heavy Industry.

Next to her was a computer, which was recording the popularity of this topic in real-time.

As a reporter, she was always paying attention to any news online.

Watching the gradually soaring popularity and the linearly rising number of participants, Reporter Li Fei took a deep breath, her eyes shining, and joy appeared on her brow.

"Editor Niu, we cannot let this hot news go."

Reporter Li Fei turned her chair and said to a bald, middle-aged man sitting next to her.

"What? You want to go interview them?"

Hotspot Tracking's editor, Niu Guli, asked with a grin.

He had naturally seen this topic about Xu's Heavy Industry Group.

Not only that, but he had also paid extra attention to it.

After all, in just one night, the popularity of this topic had exploded.

In this, either the matter itself had aroused widespread discussion among the audience.

Or it was...

Based on his years of experience working in news.

He could see the trickery inside at a glance.

But he saw through it without exposing it, especially since this was a large heavy industry enterprise.

The intricacies involved were not something a news website editor like him could talk about carelessly.

Reporter Li Fei nodded, "The topic's popularity is too high, and as of now, no media organization has interviewed or reported on it yet. If we go to interview on-site at the first opportunity and get first-hand information, it will definitely attract more attention, and by then, we will surely be able to harvest a huge wave of traffic."

"I briefly checked the information on Xu's Heavy Industry; it was once a key heavy industry enterprise in Long Country's enterprise directory."

"Now, it has actually had such a scandal exposed; if we dig deeper, there will definitely be more revelations."

"Especially regarding the tax evasion point, if we could ask something out, wouldn't it be..."

Reporter Li Fei raised her eyebrows, her hand holding the microphone gesturing continuously.

Traffic... this is all traffic...

What is it that a news website needs the most?

It's traffic...

Niu Guli watched Reporter Li Fei, who was lost in her own excitement, and shook his head with a smile.

However, thinking about it carefully.

Although anyone with a discerning eye could see that there was a problem with this matter regarding Xu's Heavy Industry.

But as a news worker, having a problem meant having a topic, and having a topic meant having traffic.

So... he still supported Reporter Li Fei going to interview.

"Go ahead, leave early, get there before other media, and try your best to dig out some explosive material."

Niu Guli no longer hesitated and immediately nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Reporter Li Fei was overjoyed and stood up from her seat in a flash.

'Click, click, click,' she ran out in her wedge heels.

It was hard to imagine that she could run so fast while wearing high heels...

Niu Guli watched Reporter Li Fei leaving, his heart also full of anticipation.

Whether they could seize this traffic dividend depended on Reporter Li Fei.