111: Chapter 111 Public Relations: Nothing Happened Today!

Chapter 111: Crisis Management, Nothing Happened Today!

Su Yang's Spark Media naturally had crisis management capabilities.

Since the founding of Spark Media, his goal had been to build a top-tier MCN Company.

Furthermore, crisis management was a considerably important business function.

On the other hand, Spark Fitness was quite lacking in personnel skilled in public relations.

This time the issue wasn't major, but Su Yang felt it was better to involve the crisis management team.

Firstly, it was to train the team.

Secondly, it was to minimize the impact on Spark Fitness as much as possible—after all, the internet has a long memory.

If handled carelessly, it might be dug up by someone even five years later.

Su Yang called Yu Siying and the crisis management team into his office. After he gave a rough summary of what happened, Yu Siying looked at Su Yang with new respect.

After all, he was far too calm!

It was as if this matter were happening to someone else's company.

There was also Gao Qiang's act of hitting the man, which left Yu Siying somewhat puzzled:

"President Su, are you sure Gao Qiang didn't hit him out of impulse?"

"Anyone at the High-tech Zone Store might hit someone out of impulse, but Gao Qiang is the least likely!" Su Yang said with a smile. "He's one of my veteran employees and is trustworthy... I know him. He looks big and tall with a rough manner, so ordinary people might think he's just a straightforward brute, but he actually has some schemes of his own."

Just then, Su Yang's phone rang.

The employees at the High-tech Zone Store had sent two segments of surveillance footage to Su Yang's phone.

Su Yang used a projector to play the two videos.

The first video showed the male fitness coach molesting the female student... there was absolutely no way to spin it; he had directly touched her buttocks.

The second video showed Gao Qiang checking the surveillance and then brutally beating the male coach.

Many people at the scene were filming with their phones, or rather, they had already started filming before Gao Qiang stepped in.

Gao Qiang's strikes seemed vicious, but Su Yang could see that he was being measured!

Initially, the molested female student had a group of people backing her up, giving her a strong momentum.

But once Gao Qiang made his move, she was frightened.

In the end, she actually ran over to pull Gao Qiang back, shielding the coach and telling Gao Qiang to stop hitting him...

Everyone could see that Gao Qiang had used rough methods to obtain that female student's forgiveness!

While it shouldn't be encouraged, it was truly direct and effective!

If only that female student had been there, the matter might have ended right then and there.

The trouble lay with the other customers' phones!

"It was too violent; the influence is actually quite bad!" Yu Siying said, between laughter and tears. "And with him stepping in like that, the matter seems to have even more viral potential now."

Su Yang couldn't help but nod; Gao Qiang had taken a bit of a risk.

He had indeed satisfied the female customer.

But he also forgot that he himself represents a part of Spark Fitness's image.

And he had made the situation much more 'interesting'!

"Then should we mainly highlight Store Manager Gao Qiang's sense of justice and responsibility?" Hu Shiming, the leader of the crisis management team, asked. "That he acted primarily out of anger because his own employee molested a female customer?"

"Regardless, we need to buy time and release the results of our handling of the matter as soon as possible. This might make the news," Yu Siying told Su Yang. "Have your people stay at the police station. If any reporters show up, try to build rapport and give out red envelopes to stabilize them first!"

Yu Siying then said to Hu Shiming, "Write a press release on your end. It would be best if the reporters could use it directly!"

"Alright, President Yu!" Hu Shiming checked his computer and added, "Someone has posted the video of Gao Qiang hitting the guy on the Douyin platform. We might need to use the official Spark Fitness account to announce the company's handling of the matter there."

Su Yang considered it and said, "Announce it then!"

"Then I'll have people make a video immediately," Hu Shiming said. "President Su, please provide the contact information for the person in charge over at Spark Fitness."

"Okay!"

Su Yang tapped the desk lightly and suddenly asked, "What do you all think about simply firing Gao Qiang?"

Everyone looked at Su Yang.

They hadn't expected Su Yang to have such an idea!

Didn't he just say he was a trustworthy veteran employee?

At the police station, Gao Qiang and the molested female student were sitting on chairs together.

He was being treated reasonably well; even the female student was speaking up for him.

The police didn't make things too hard for him either, though they had put a pair of silver bracelets on him.

Female student: "He won't be seriously injured from your beating, will he?"

Gao Qiang: "That kind of scum deserves to be beaten to death!"

The female student said regretfully, "You were too impulsive!"

"..."

After Xu Zhiping arrived, he spoke with a policewoman and then led Gao Qiang to a corner.

Gao Qiang asked in a low voice, "What did the boss say?"

"He's already working on the crisis management!" Xu Zhiping asked suspiciously, "Did you hit him on purpose?"

"Did you guess that, or did the boss?"

"The boss!"

"I knew the boss would understand me!" Gao Qiang smiled craftily. "Is the boss going to give me a bonus?"

He was very confident in his control over the damage; the other guy should only have minor injuries!

At most, he would be detained for a few days.

But for an old hand like him, that wasn't a big problem.

He used to hang around the streets back in the day!

He also believed his boss wouldn't treat him poorly.

"No!" Xu Zhiping shook his head. "The boss said he's preparing to fire you!"

"Huh?"

Gao Qiang was completely dumbfounded!

At the entrance of the police station, seeing a reporter arrive,

Yuan Sisi took two female fitness coaches and proactively went to meet them.

An hour later, Su Yang received the results of the male fitness coach's injury assessment.

It was indeed a minor injury, not enough to constitute a criminal offense.

Consequently, Spark Media quickly posted the handling results for the male coach and Gao Qiang on their official account.

The video was naturally not edited to be vivid or interesting.

It was just a series of blue backgrounds and text; it looked very dull.

Dull was exactly how it should be.

If it were too exciting, he feared a bunch of self-media creators would repost it everywhere.

Spark Fitness summarized the event in one short sentence and stated they would actively cooperate with the police investigation and evidence collection, and that they had obtained the victim's forgiveness.

Spark Fitness decided to fire the male fitness coach and would be filing a lawsuit against him.

As for Gao Qiang, who had initiated the physical altercation, he was placed on suspension.

Whether to fire Gao Qiang would be decided by a meeting at the headquarters!

The press release was naturally ready as well. It was handed to the reporter by a Jiuxiang Catering employee, and the reporter left happily with the red envelope and the draft.

The reporter also understood what had happened.

The press release stated the facts, but it was dull and slightly biased.

But those who studied journalism understood how it worked!

Gao Qiang was released that same day because he had obtained the 'forgiveness' of the male coach he had beaten, which involved paying some medical and lost-work compensation.

On the other hand, the one who was beaten would need to be detained for a period of time!

Su Yang opened the official Spark Fitness account. As soon as the results for Gao Qiang and the male coach were posted, Spark Media employees began managing the comments.

However, they didn't take it too far; they couldn't really let this matter blow up.

Fish that Can Swim: "I think Store Manager Gao was just punishing evil and promoting good. Well hit!"

Clear Sky: "I often go to the High-tech Zone gym. Store Manager Gao is a good guy; there's no need to fire him!"

Xie Chengkong: "Exactly. Although Store Manager Gao is also responsible, which company doesn't have some scum? You can't fire a store manager with a sense of justice for the sake of one piece of scum, right?"

Proud Heaven Tyrant: "I just heard about this. I didn't expect Xinghuo to handle it so quickly!"

Durian Braving the Wind and Waves: "Store Manager Gao looks very imposing; he gives off a great sense of security!"

...

Before long, the molested female student also left a message on the account, pleading for leniency for Gao Qiang.

This was naturally the result of Gao Qiang and Xu Zhiping's efforts; she also didn't want Gao Qiang to be dismissed.

With dozens of likes, that comment was pushed to the very top of the comment section.

The remaining people began dealing with the related videos posted on various platforms, switching accounts to pose as Spark Fitness customers and leaving a comment or two stating that Spark Fitness had already released the handling results.

By the time work ended at six o'clock, the reporter had also published the related report on the news website.

It didn't cause any waves.

Su Yang took a close look at the press release; the reporter had completely copy-pasted it.

He used Business Deduction briefly, and still, nothing happened!

Spark Fitness's competitors weren't having a great time lately either.

There weren't any particularly intense conflicts between them.

It was also possible they simply hadn't reacted in time.

But nothing happening was the best result. Next, he would have to consider how to handle Gao Qiang... and the other fitness coaches!