123: Chapter 224 Crisis Public Relations and Its Costs

The night was as dark as ink, but the lights in certain corners of the city were destined to burn through the night.

Yu Bo's study had become a temporary crisis command center. The air was thick with the scent of coffee, cigarette smoke, and a suffocating tension stretched to its limit.

On the massive curved screen, real-time public opinion monitoring data, trending lists from major social platforms, and constantly popping-up new leaks or rebuttals were displayed in split views.

Several core assistants and crisis management experts hired overnight from top PR firms wore grim expressions, their fingers flying across keyboards, while phone rings and whispers from walkie-talkies rose and fell.

Yu Bo stood before the screen, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his collar slightly open, his eyes burning with suppressed crimson and cold, sharp light. He had already shed the pain and urgency he showed before Yin Tianxue, reverting to that decisive, cold-blooded decision-maker in the business world.

"What's the progress on deleting the posts?" His voice was hoarse, but every word seemed tempered with ice.

"70% of the exposés and popular reposts on major platforms have been forcibly deleted or had their reach limited through technical means and platform connections. But screenshots and spread within small group chats cannot be completely stopped, and the source accounts keep switching to alt accounts to post." The assistant in charge of technology spoke rapidly.

"Have the legal notices been sent out?"

"Sent! Legal notices have been simultaneously issued to the twelve marketing accounts and three entertainment forums that first published and most widely spread the content, accusing them of fabricating facts, defamation, and invasion of privacy, demanding immediate deletion, public apologies, and compensation. The legal department has initiated litigation proceedings, but the process takes time." The head of the legal department replied.

"What is Tianyu Group's stance?" Yu Bo looked at the assistant specifically assigned to liaise with them.

"Chairman Yin (Yin Tianxue's father) personally stepped forward to pressure several major cooperating media outlets and investors, demanding that they neither repost nor follow up with reports. The group's PR department is also fully cooperating with us, having released a strongly worded joint statement condemning the rumors and supporting you, CEO Yu, and the eldest Miss. But…" The assistant paused, "there are some dissenting voices internally, expressing concern about the project's prospects."

Yu Bo's eyes darkened. This was expected. In the business world, profit comes first; scandals are always the biggest uncertainty.

"The second round of leaks, that 'pregnancy check' part, how is that being handled?" This was the most critical and troublesome point.

The PR expert stepped forward and adjusted his glasses: "We have contacted the 'Anhe' Medical Center. They initially refused to cooperate on the grounds of protecting client privacy. But after we presented some 'evidence' and applied sufficient pressure, they agreed to issue a statement claiming that on that day, Miss Tang was accompanying another client for a routine gynecological exam as a 'friend's family member,' not for a pregnancy check herself, and that the results were completely normal. At the same time, we found several women with similar figures to Miss Tang and arranged for them to appear near 'Anhe' at different times and in different outfits, 'accidentally' getting photographed to create information confusion. On the internet, counter-voices like 'the women in the photos are not the same person' and 'it's a malicious composite' have already started to appear."

Creating confusion and shifting the focus is a common tactic in crisis PR, but its effectiveness depends on the opponent's follow-up moves and the public's patience.

"What about the internet trolls and positive guidance?"

"We have activated the Level 3 contingency plan. Hired professional internet trolls and some cooperating KOLs have begun to enter the fray, focusing on several main directions: First, emphasize your immense contribution to the 'Yin Angel' project and your deep affection for Miss Yin, crafting a victim image; Second, dig into the black history of the accounts leaking the information, question their motives and authenticity, and characterize the incident as 'malicious smearing by competitors'; Third, release some positive material regarding your past participation in charity and care for sick children to hedge against the negative image; Fourth, appropriately mention the strength and background of 'Tianyu Group,' hinting that the rumor-mongers will face serious consequences."

Yu Bo listened quietly, his brain spinning rapidly. This combination of moves was the optimal solution he could think of to control the situation in the shortest possible time. Throwing money, applying pressure, confusing, guiding, deterring. Simple, crude, but often effective, especially in this era of fragmented information and short memories.

"Is everything arranged regarding Tang Guo?" He turned to his most trusted private assistant.

"She has been picked up and is currently heading to a resort villa we control in a neighboring province, following the route you instructed. The environment there is enclosed, the staff is reliable, and doctors and nursing staff are already on standby under the guise of 'recuperation and rest.' Miss Tang's emotional state… is not very stable, but she is cooperative." The assistant reported in a low voice.

"Watch her closely. Without my permission, she is not allowed to touch any communication devices or have any contact with the outside world. That includes her parents; find a suitable excuse to handle them." Yu Bo's tone was icy. "Also, have the accompanying doctor give her a comprehensive check-up as soon as possible to assess her physical condition. Especially… the solution for that 'problem'; prepare at least two contingency plans and keep them on standby at all times."

"Yes." The assistant felt a shiver, understanding what that "problem" referred to.

Just then, a red alarm suddenly flashed on the public opinion monitoring screen. The staff member in charge of monitoring exclaimed: "CEO Yu! There's another new wave! This time it's… screenshots of chat records! And… transfer records!"

On the screen, what was being enlarged and displayed were a few blurry but recognizable WeChat chat screenshots. The profile pictures were blurred out, but the conversation content was explicit and flirtatious, carrying a clear sense of coquetry and demandingness. The speaking style of one party highly matched the impression "Shen Nian" gave people. And the other party's response, while not enthusiastic, did not clearly refuse either, and even mentioned "coming over later" at one point. Even more fatal was the attached screenshot of a bank transfer record; although the recipient's information was hidden, the amount was not small, the time was just recently, and the transfer note field contained only a simple character: "Nian."

This was simply the "hardest of hard evidence"! It directly confirmed both the "monetary dealings" and the "ambiguous relationship"! Previous photos could still be defended as being about angles or misunderstandings, but the chat records and the transfer almost tore away the last shred of decency!

The air in the study instantly solidified. Everyone looked at Yu Bo.

Yu Bo's face, illuminated by the cold light of the screen, was terrifyingly gloomy. He hadn't expected that stupid woman Shen Nian to not only keep chat records but actually dare to accept money and leave a trail! He also hadn't expected Young Master Yang to be able to get his hands on these things! Was it Shen Nian who gave them herself, or did Young Master Yang use some means?