618: Chapter 618 Fairness Breaks the Bottom Line

The Tiandao OS is a product under Starry Sky Technology; it might be fair to other products, but Tencent is a major competitor of Xinghai Technology, so it naturally receives special treatment.

On the Tiandao OS app store, the recommendations and rankings of Tencent's products have been manipulated.

While they aren't completely hidden, they are certainly not as prominent as other similar software.

Chu Qianlan flipped through the briefing, a cold smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth: "Fair treatment? He must have forgotten how Tencent united with other manufacturers to boycott us when StarChat first launched. Now that they are in trouble themselves, they suddenly want to talk about fairness."

Du Guangbai nodded slightly upon hearing this, his fingertip tapping on the core data in the briefing, his tone steady: "CEO Chu sees it clearly. This is a classic cornered beast struggle from CEO Ma.

Right now, Tencent is beset with internal and external troubles. They can't gain any advantage in a direct confrontation, so this reconciliation is merely a stalling tactic.

They want to stabilize their stock price and partners, while also using the ceasefire period to patch platform vulnerabilities and restore user reputation.

Once they catch their breath, they will likely make a comeback."

There is never reconciliation in the business world without a reason; it is only a compromise made after weighing the pros and cons.

CEO Ma bowing his head now is simply because the losses have exceeded expectations, not because he truly wants to let go of the grievances.

More importantly, Tencent and Xinghai Technology are absolute competitors. Unless one side exits the social software field, there is no possibility of peaceful coexistence.

In this counterattack against Tencent, Chu Qianlan's initial idea was to suppress Tencent, weaken its influence, and lay a foundation for future competition.

Xinghai Technology is already in the upper hand, so naturally, it won't stop easily.

Chu Qianlan tapped his fingertips lightly on the desk, his eyes deep and solemn: "Reconciliation is possible, but not now.

We currently hold the advantage in public opinion. Every day we maintain this, StarChat gains a large number of new registered users; it is all benefit and no harm to us.

Let's drag it out for now. If there are no other developments, we will talk about reconciliation in a week."

Du Guangbai tapped his finger on the briefing, his expression grave: "CEO Chu has considered this thoroughly; delaying for a week will indeed maximize our consolidated advantage.

However, we must beware of Tencent pulling any tricks. Recently, Tencent has stopped digging up our negative news and has started fabricating it directly.

If it weren't for the fact that they use internet trolls without real-name verification when spreading news, I would have already had the Legal Department sue them!"

Chu Qianlan's eyes turned cold, and the force of his tapping on the desk increased suddenly: "Fabricating? They really have less and less of a bottom line."

But soon, he gave a light hum: "Forget it, this isn't the first time they've done this. Just have the Public Relations Department handle it as usual.

While we are in a standoff with Tencent online, you need to increase the promotion of StarChat and strive to further erode Tencent's market share."

A flash of realization crossed Du Guangbai's eyes, and he quickly responded: "Understood! I will arrange for the Public Relations Department to continuously monitor Tencent's movements, and at the same time, take advantage of the public opinion heat to expand market share."

On the other side of Shenzhen, in Tencent's conference room, CEO Ma looked at the latest operational data, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

"StarChat's growth rate is too fast. If this continues, our core social foundation will completely fall!" the Operations Director said, his tone filled with irrepressible anxiety.

The PR Director added: "The intermediary has contacted them twice more, but Xinghai Technology keeps stalling, citing the need to 'evaluate public opinion impact.' It's clear they want to take advantage of us being entangled in public opinion to expand their lead.

Now, the pressure from partners is growing. Three top advertisers have already proposed suspending cooperation, the stock price continues to fall, and investors also need us to provide an explanation."

CEO Ma's eyes churned with unwillingness and ruthlessness: "Chu Qianlan wants to drive us to extinction!"

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down: "We cannot wait passively anymore.

Notify the Technical Department to speed up the functional iteration of our app, copy StarChat's 'Quick Report Processing' and 'Interest Group Risk Control' functions; they must be online within 72 hours.

The Operations Department should immediately launch the 'App Membership Benefits Upgrade' campaign, offering double duration for top-ups, exclusive sticker packs, and other perks to win back lost users.

In addition, please have the consultants hired by the Public Relations Department take action and strive to get government departments involved to quell this matter."

Tencent's Public Relations Department had a group of consultants who usually just collected a salary without working; they were all relatives of government officials and could play a big role at critical moments!

A glimmer of hope flashed in the PR Director's eyes, and he quickly responded: "Understood! I will contact the consultant team immediately, focusing on connecting with internet regulatory departments, emphasizing 'vicious industry competition affecting market order,' and striving to get officials to step in and call a halt to the public opinion war."

He paused and added: "It's just that the consultant team's operations take time, and the possibility of official intervention is hard to predict. We cannot pin all our hopes on this."

"I know." CEO Ma tapped his fingertips heavily on the desk. "Taking multiple approaches is better than sitting and waiting for death.

Technical iteration and user retention must be pushed forward simultaneously, and the consultants must also be expedited. We must break the deadlock as soon as possible."

After the meeting ended, Tencent's emergency actions were upgraded again.

The entire Technical Department worked through the night, preparing to copy StarChat's "Reporting Function."

However, the very first step stumped them.

Xinghai Technology and Starry Sky Technology have the assistance of the Nuwa System and have already developed a low-profile version of AI software, and the core of the "Reporting Function" is an AI program.

It is precisely for this reason that Tencent's technical staff simply cannot copy StarChat's "Reporting Function."

After all, developing an AI program is not something that can be completed in a short time.

On the other side, the Public Relations Department consultants, while also quickly contacting relevant government departments, knew that getting officials to intervene directly was not something that could be achieved overnight.

Even so, Tencent still launched a fierce public opinion attack against Starry Sky Technology and Xinghai Technology.

Internet trolls swarmed Weibo, Zhihu, Tieba, and short video platforms, crazily flooding the screens with pre-fabricated dirt.

First, they spread rumors that Xinghai Technology had misappropriated Xingliao Wallet user deposits and privately frozen large sums of funds without returning them, accompanied by a few blurry, forged chat logs that didn't even match the account information.

Then, they smeared the Tiandao OS app store, claiming it maliciously suppressed competitors and charged exorbitant listing fees, fabricating false inside stories like "delisting if protection fees aren't paid" and "prioritizing the recommendation of their own products."

What's more, they directly splashed dirty water on Chu Qianlan himself, fabricating baseless rumors that Xinghai Technology evaded taxes and started up through gray methods, attempting to fundamentally shake the trust of users and investors.

For a time, over a dozen malicious topics such as "StarChat misappropriates user funds," "Tiandao OS app store dark secrets," and "Xinghai Technology tax evasion mystery" were forcibly pushed to the top of the trending searches, creating an overwhelming wave of negative sentiment.