356: Chapter 355 The Impact of Rumors

"I've already checked."

She was a professional in this area, so Wang Li handed over another report.

"According to the investigation, the company registered under the account 'Home Appliance Observer' is a public relations firm in Guangzhou.

The legal representative of this company is named Li Jian, who is the nephew of Zhang Zhiqiang, the general agent for the South China region.

The information for several other bloggers also shows similar connections; they are all either individuals associated with distributors or public relations firms they have long-term partnerships with."

Li Qing smiled helplessly again. He had thought these people's methods would be more sophisticated, but it turns out...

Just how much have they embezzled internally this time?

"Organize the evidence. I'm going to find General Manager Shen to report on the work."

Meanwhile, Shen Fei finished reading the report in his office.

He picked up his Smartphone again and pulled up a few comments from "experts."

A teacher wearing a white lab coat was sitting in a set arranged to look like a laboratory, with a radiation detector placed in front of him, saying to the camera:

"We tested Transsion Home's smart central control screen. The short-range electromagnetic radiation reached 12 volts per meter, which is double the national standard.

Prolonged exposure to this environment may cause headaches, insomnia, memory loss..."

"Who is this 'expert'?"

Shen Fei said, looking at Li Qing.

"I've checked. His real name is Zhang Guoping. He used to be the deputy director of a prefecture-level city's Center for Disease Control and Prevention and has been retired for several years.

Now he does endorsements for all sorts of health products and household appliances. His fees are quite reasonable, and his schedule is almost completely booked with endorsements."

Li Qing said with a smile.

"The force behind this is likely the distributors' team, but are there also appliance manufacturers pushing this?"

"Let's play with them first. Have the legal department send them lawyer's letters, but hold onto the evidence for now; no need to release it yet."

"Understood!"

"Also, don't report that radiation video. Have our technical team release a debunking video that lists the real national standards and presents the actual test data.

Don't let those fake data points mislead actual consumers."

...

Meanwhile, on the other side, 28-year-old Cheng Song works as a product manager at an internet company in Hangzhou.

He had just received his new house, and the renovation company had already started moving in.

He had planned the whole-house smart solution early on. He chose a customized package... the smart home setup alone cost 198,000.

This included the door locks, curtains, lighting, security, and mattress. He had scheduled them to come for measurements on July 27th.

When his mom heard this news over the phone, she didn't say anything at the time, but the next day, she took the high-speed rail from their hometown of Shaoxing.

As soon as she entered the door, she started wandering through every room, as if looking for something.

"Mom, what are you looking for?"

Cheng Song followed behind her.

"Looking for those radiation gadgets."

His mom said, searching through various corners and even constantly poking around with her hands.

Cheng Song felt his head spin. He knew his mom had been duped by those "so-called experts."

"They haven't even been installed yet; the designer isn't coming until tomorrow! Besides, that radiation is all within controllable limits."

Wang Guilan is 54 years old. She worked at the Shaoxing Cotton Textile Mill for most of her life, was laid off 10 years ago, and had been helping out at the neighborhood committee ever since.

She is warm-hearted and loves to help out whenever someone has a problem. She isn't quick to accept new things, but she isn't a stubborn old fogey either.

She uses her Smartphone reasonably well and knows how to use wechat and Alipay.

The reason she reacted so strongly this time was because someone in her group of old friends shared an article:

"Smart Home Radiation Poses Great Danger; For Your Family's Health, Please Stay Away."

Wang Guilan forwarded it to the family group after reading it, and then kept sending messages in the group.

"Little Su seems to want to install some whole-house smart system. Everyone, help me persuade him."

Then, the other elders in the family chimed in, one after another, processing various rumors into even more terrifying content.

But Cheng Song didn't pay it any mind.

He thought his mom was just making a fuss.

His lack of response only made Wang Guilan more anxious, which led to this scene.

"Mom, I've already explained to you that those articles are rumors. The radiation from smart home devices is even lower than that of a Smartphone, and there are regulations for national standards."

"National standards are national standards, but your body is your own."

Wang Guilan took her Smartphone out of her bag, pulled up that article, and pointed at the results of the expert's test.

"Do you really think those unscrupulous manufacturers will follow national standards?

Look, the expert tested the smart central control screen, and the short-range electromagnetic radiation is 12 volts per meter, which is double the national standard.

Prolonged exposure may cause headaches, insomnia, and memory loss."

"That's fake! Transsion has already released a debunking announcement. The detector in that video was tampered with.

Besides, their video includes the results of national testing, and that so-called expert has already been sued."

Wang Guilan shook her head, then stuffed her Smartphone back into her bag with a look of disdain.

"How could a test done by someone in a white lab coat in a laboratory be fake?

Besides, those national standards and such are too fake. I heard that those manufacturers can just pay money to pass the tests."

Cheng Song closed his mouth. The generation gap between him and his mom couldn't be bridged by a single debunking announcement.

Plus, he felt these elderly people were really something—they wouldn't believe official documents issued by the state, but they insisted on believing the tests posted by those bullshit experts on the internet.

So, he unleashed his ultimate move.

"Mom, I've already paid the deposit. 20% of the order."

To ensure his mom had a clear idea of the price, he stated an exact figure.

"40,000 yuan. It would take you two years to save that up..."

Wang Guilan immediately looked at him furiously: "Why are you in such a rush, you brat? That's 40,000 yuan! How could you not discuss it with the family first! Is it really impossible to get it back?"

"The contract says if I give it up for personal reasons, the deposit is non-refundable."

"Didn't you say they haven't come over yet? They haven't even started production."

Cheng Song didn't speak, just shook his head.

"Listen to Mom. Forget about this 40,000 yuan; your health is what matters. And from now on, don't buy products from that manufacturer. Such unscrupulous manufacturers deserve to go out of business."

"Mom!"

Cheng Song was out of options. He had even pulled out the 40,000 yuan card, and yet his mom still...

It seems this group of experts really has some influence.

And Wang Guilan showed no sign of compromising; she took out her Smartphone again.

"Read that article carefully. It says smart homes are full of WiFi and Bluetooth sensors. Mom doesn't know what those technologies are, but the experts said this is equivalent to living inside a microwave.

Your dad passed away early, and you're my only son. If something happens to your health, what should I do? When I go down there later, how am I supposed to face your dad?"

Hearing this, Cheng Song hurriedly ran to the small bedroom. Facing his mom's nagging, he had no choice but to flee for now.

"Mom, I've scheduled the designer to come for measurements tomorrow morning. Don't worry for now. After I finish talking with the designer, you can decide then, okay?"