MC Bookstore Chapter 115 completely ignited public opinion.
Chapter 115 completely ignited public opinion.
Chapter 115 completely ignites public opinion (6k)
After the press releases from several major websites yesterday, I've been closely monitoring the online feedback, staying up very late into the night.
As the number of views and comments climbed little by little, the little flame in his heart burned brighter and brighter.
This is the first time he's made a major public appearance since his rebirth, and it looks like it's about to be a success.
At 10:30 a.m., Geng Zhi, forcibly awakened by his biological clock, reached for his phone, squinted as he unlocked it, and found that the "MM Project" QQ group had exploded with over 99 unread messages, and several of them were tagging him.
Clicking in, the screen is almost entirely filled with Yang Mingxia's roaring style.
[Yang Mingxia]: "Boss!! The sun's high in the sky and you're still sleeping?"
[Yang Mingxia]: "The power of capital is too damn strong! Our news coverage last night was completely crushed by Century Home Network. What should we do next?"
[Yang Mingxia]: "Boss, your personal Weibo followers are skyrocketing, almost doubling! But Weibo is still a baby platform; its influence can't compare to that of portal websites at all!"
Geng Zhi quickly climbed the stairs and figured out the situation.
Yesterday I was so busy having fun with myself that I forgot that Century Family Network, a big and powerful company, also promotes itself, and it does so everywhere!
The publicity we generated last night only lasted one night.
This morning, Century Family Network's heavily invested media matrix began to exert its full force, deploying across all portal websites and mainstream media, instantly drowning out all other voices.
"Century Home Network Receives Major CCTV Report, Aiming to Become the First Listed Company in the Online Dating Industry, Demonstrating Industry Leadership"; "Gong Haiyan: Solving the Lifelong Matter of Chinese People with Internet Efficiency"
Press releases like these, accompanied by Gong Haiyan's capable image as "Little Dragon Girl," began to flood the technology and finance sections of major mainstream media outlets.
Geng Zhi got up to wash up, splashed cold water on his face to wake himself up completely, and then sat back down in front of the computer.
He quickly browsed several major portals and technology channels, and his mood gradually calmed down.
Sure enough, it wasn't just press releases; many online influencers and columnists also joined in, cheering for Century Family Network, praising it as "the first stock in the future industry," "a darling of capital," and "a technology-driven revolution in marriage and dating."
Having money really does allow you to do whatever you want.
Compared to the overwhelming amount of money spent on advertising, sentiment and cleverness still seem too weak.
Geng Zhi posted "Don't worry, I have a brilliant plan" in the group, reassuring a few group members before going to wash up and thinking about what brilliant plan he should use.
As Yang Mingxia said, although the number of users on the Weibo platform is growing rapidly, it is far from being a significant force and has little online influence.
While CCTV's endorsement is powerful, the number of viewers watching live television broadcasts is limited, and many are not active online, making it impossible to generate a sustained wave of discussion on the internet.
To gain wider recognition, it needs secondary online buzz after the fact.
But now we have no money, no people, and we're being beaten down by Century Family Network with huge sums of money—how do we break this deadlock?
As he brushed his teeth, he searched his memory for classic marketing cases from his past life that demonstrated how "using minimal force to achieve maximum effect".
Leveraging trends, creating contrast and conflict, reversing topics, evoking emotional resonance, and triggering emotional outbursts—these are all key elements that collide and combine.
The overwhelming number of male users on Century Family Network might actually be a good thing for me.
Forty minutes later, Geng Zhi rode his bicycle to his office in the science and technology park.
It was now the end of the semester, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University had entered exam week.
Shu Beibei and Zhao Jie, who were recently transferred, both had exams today and didn't come to the office. Sun Xiaowen also works upstairs and it's usually inconvenient for her to come over.
Song Qing, Huang Haitang, and Lü Sifeng were all taken away by Professor Qi to attend a laboratory meeting and did not attend.
In the room, there were only Yang Mingxia and Lu Zhijie, a newly hired operations manager.
Lu Zhijie was holding a small notebook, humbly seeking advice from Yang Mingxia. Seeing Geng Zhi enter, he immediately stood up, looking slightly reserved: "Good morning, boss!"
Good morning, boss!
"Hey, Zhijie's here!" Geng Zhi waved with a smile. "Sit down, sit down. We don't have many rules here. Do whatever makes you comfortable."
"Okay, boss." Lu Zhijie agreed verbally, but his body was still a little stiff.
Lu Zhijie was personally interviewed and recruited by Geng Zhi. He had worked at Kaixin.com for over a year and had some experience in social game operations, but he didn't know much about media operations.
Geng Zhi's role was to help incubate the Momo project and be responsible for the social and gaming sectors in the future.
He first gave Lu Zhijie a brief overview, introducing the company's current situation and Momo's future prospects, before steering the conversation back to the current predicament.
"Mingxia, the mainstream media is flooded with posts, so how are our posts getting attention on forums and online communities?" Geng Zhi asked.
Yang Mingxia replied, "My two apprentices upstairs and I posted some threads on dating forums like Tianya, Douban, and Tieba. The discussions generated some buzz, and the feedback was generally positive, but it wasn't exactly a hit."
"Most importantly, these forums are quite fragmented and only have some discussion within the dating and marriage circle. Compared with the publicity effect of mainstream media, they are far inferior and cannot reach the level of popularity across the entire network that you require, boss."
After a moment's thought, Geng Zhi asked, "What are the main points of discussion in the forum?"
"That's the original intention of our Jiaotong University matchmakers, and those memorable quotes you made in the interview really resonate with netizens," Yang Mingxia said.
"It seems netizens are buying into this." Geng Zhi nodded in satisfaction and continued, "What's the latest news from Mr. Ma's side upstairs regarding the publicity?"
"My apprentice told me that the woman surnamed Ma is also planning to spend a little money to buy a few news articles, mainly to promote herself for appearing on CCTV." Yang Mingxia pursed her lips, "But I guess it'll be nothing special, it won't make any waves at all."
"Okay, I understand." Geng Zhi turned to Lu Zhijie, "Zhijie, what are your thoughts on creating a trending topic?"
Can I use my previous experience on Kaixin001?
Lu Zhijie thought about it carefully for a while and said cautiously, "Boss, I have no prior experience in media operations."
"But based on my experience in social media marketing on Kaixin001, to generate buzz, you either need content that triggers spontaneous sharing and viral spread among users, or you need strong support from influential figures, such as celebrities or KOLs."
"We definitely can't afford to hire celebrities, and they wouldn't be a good fit," Yang Mingxia pursed her lips, then quickly pressed on, "Zhijie, how can we let netizens spread this spontaneously?"
Lu Zhijie explained, "Back then, we mainly used MSN contact lists and email imports to allow users to send invitations to friends or promote through QQ Space. But that doesn't seem quite right for our current situation."
"Sigh—" Yang Mingxia sighed, then turned to look suspiciously at Geng Zhi, whose expression was serious. "Boss, what was that brilliant plan you mentioned in the group chat? You weren't just trying to fool us, were you?"
"Who said that! When have I, your boss, ever lied to you guys when I'm so honest?" Gengzhi said with a righteous expression.
"What my sister Wan Ning said is true, you're a big liar," Yang Mingxia chuckled.
Geng Zhi: "—You've completely ruined my reputation."
Lu Zhijie was initially quite reserved, but seeing Yang Mingxia joking with Geng Zhi like this, he gradually relaxed.
Geng Zhi cleared his throat and steered the conversation back to the main topic, beginning to explain his solution: "Actually, the underlying logic of marketing has never changed, and Zhijie has already given the answer."
Yang Mingxia and Lu Zhijie both looked puzzled, waiting for what would happen next.
"Boss, we can't just send out emails everywhere announcing that you were interviewed by CCTV, can we?" Yang Mingxia asked tentatively.
Geng Zhi shook his head and smiled, saying, "This time, my preparation for the postgraduate entrance exam in politics wasn't in vain; it gave me a new understanding of the methodology of 'encircling the cities from the countryside.'"
"We can't compete with Century Family Network in the mainstream media, so let's use our own advantages to establish bases in rural areas and launch a counterattack."
"Boss, please speak like a human being," Lu Zhijie joked, now completely uninhibited.
Geng Zhi and Yang Mingxia: "————??"
They adapted to local customs way too quickly.
"In plain terms: on the front lines of print news, we can't compete with the ammunition of capital. So let's leverage our strengths, shift to the 'enemy's battlefield' of images and videos, establish a base, and then launch a counterattack."
"Hmm? How exactly do you do it?" Yang Mingxia pressed.
Geng Zhi paused for a moment, then explained in detail: "I edited together a video comparing my and Gong Haiyan's answers to similar questions from CCTV. She talked about algorithm efficiency, I talked about human warmth; she envisioned an IPO, I emphasized responsibility."
"Take the conflict and drama to the extreme and upload it to video websites like Youku, Tudou, and 56.com."
The headline needs to be catchy, and a small amount of money should be spent on promotion to generate buzz.
"Oh my! How come I didn't think of that!" Yang Mingxia slapped her thigh. "The video comparison is absolutely stunning!"
"What about the picture?"
"The approach to the images is the same," Geng said directly. "We made comparison images of my and her posts and posted them not only on forums like Tianya, Douban, and Tieba, but more importantly, on QQ Space."
"Our Jiaotong University matchmaker" has accumulated a large number of loyal users. By encouraging them to share on their QQ spaces and leveraging QQ's powerful social network, viral growth and expansion are not a dream.
"Yes! That's it!" Lu Zhijie exclaimed excitedly. "It's exactly the same logic as how Kaixin.com promoted its games through email and QQ social networks! We've just changed the game invitations to opinion-based referrals! Boss, that's a brilliant move!"
Yang Mingxia got excited, but then she thought of a practical problem: "Beibei and Sister Haitang are experts at graphic design and video editing, but they're both not here today—the result I produce will probably be less than ideal."
Just as Geng Zhi was about to suggest calling Hao Pengxiang to fill in, Lu Zhijie volunteered: "I can give it a try! When I was at Kaixin001, I often had to create promotional materials for game launches, and I'm proficient in editing software and graphic design!"
"Great! Then I'll leave it to you, Zhijie!" Yang Mingxia immediately beamed with joy.
Geng Zhi explained the specific creative ideas for the video and pictures, as well as the points of contrast he wanted to highlight, to the two people in detail.
Finally, he lowered his voice: "There's one more crucial step—don't we still have a lot of case data on users being defrauded by other platforms? It's time to pick one or two of the most representative and with the most solid evidence and release them."
"Boss, you mean—" Yang Mingxia's eyes widened.
"Go and contact Li Haipeng, ask him to provide two of the most typical cases, contact the parties involved, obtain their consent, and then..."
A conference room in a hotel near the headquarters of Baihe.com in Beijing.
Having just finished the company's annual meeting, Mu Yan called over C00 Han Yulu and Marketing Director Li Li. The door closed, and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy.
"Why is Century Family Network able to release so many press releases? And keep calling itself the industry's number one stock?" Mu Yan's voice was low, even calm. "Their brand momentum has been completely devoured by their competitors. Why?"
Before Han Yulu could even organize her thoughts, Li Li quickly chimed in, "Because they're willing to spend money, President Mu! I heard that just this morning's media placements alone would be enough to keep our marketing department busy for half a year."
Mu Yan: "————"
-
Han Yulu:
Mu Yan: "Who doesn't know they spent money to buy news! I'm asking, why did they get the opportunity to be interviewed by CCTV? Why did CCTV interview Jiaotong University's matchmaking service, but not our Baihe.com?"
Han Yulu glanced at Li Li speechlessly and explained, "President Mu, as far as I know, the reason why Century Family Network was able to appear on CCTV was because Ms. Xu Xiaoping from ZhenFund helped to make the connection."
"Xu Xiaoping is their investor, that makes sense." Mu Yan tapped his fingers on the table. "What about Jiaotong University Matchmaker? Why did CCTV interview them but bypass our Baihe.com?"
"I spoke with Ma Chunmei about the 'Jiaotong University Matchmaker' program, and her feedback is that they didn't proactively invite CCTV for an interview, the reason for which is unknown," Han Yulu said.
"Ma Chunmei?" Mu Yan snorted lightly. "How much inside information could that girl possibly know? You have to ask the person actually in charge, Geng Zhi, about this."
"President Mu is right, I'll ask Geng Zhi now." Han Yulu said, and was about to take out her phone to call Geng Zhi.
"No need," Mu Yan raised his hand to stop him. "Geng Zhi himself doesn't have that kind of power. I guess Zhu Xiaohu might have pulled some strings behind the scenes. I'll ask him directly."
After Mu Yan finished speaking, he took out his phone and called Zhu Xiaohu.
[Mu Yan]: "President Zhu, are you busy? Did you help arrange for Geng Zhi and the others to be interviewed on CCTV?"
[Zhu Xiaohu]: "CCTV? This kid's on CCTV? Haha, that's great! But I really didn't know, I didn't arrange it. His fame is even more beneficial for our investment."
[Mu Yan]: "It's a good thing. But Gong Haiyan is involved too, thanks to Xu Xiaoping's connections. Now Century Family Network's press releases are flying everywhere, and they're loudly proclaiming their ambition to become the industry's first listed company. They've completely seized the brand's momentum. You can't possibly not know about this, Mr. Zhu, can you?"
Mu Yan's tone carried a hint of accusation.
[Zhu Xiaohu]: "A deluge of press releases? I haven't noticed that yet. I'm in Hong Kong these past few days discussing other matters. Let me take a look—"
While making the call, Zhu Xiaohu opened Weibo, wanting to check if he had made it onto the news list.
After Fanfou disappeared, he moved to Weibo and even followed the account of "Gengzhi Tongxue".
As soon as he opened the homepage, he saw the account of "Gengzhi Tongxue", who had posted a long graphic message forty-five minutes earlier: "What exactly do we want to say during the two hours of CCTV interview?"
At this point, the account already had over seventy comments and more than eight hundred likes.
Huh?
How come this guy, Gengzhi, has gained so many followers in the last two days? More than ten times as many as me!
Zhu Xiaohu immediately opened the email and read it carefully with curiosity, seemingly having forgotten that Mu Yan was on the other end of the phone: "President Zhu, Old Zhu, are you still there?"
[Zhu Xiaohu]: "Old Mu, wait a minute, let me see what Geng Zhi wrote in his behind-the-scenes reflections————"
Zhu Xiaohu's voice became somewhat focused, as if he was captivated by the article.
[Mu Yan]: "Huh—what do you mean?"
A minute later, the perceptive Zhu Xiaohu couldn't help but frown.
[Zhu Xiaohu]: "Old Mu, I feel like something might be wrong. Let me read you some of my honest interview notes."
After saying that, Zhu Xiaohu picked out a few key points and read them to Mu Yan, especially emphasizing the keywords "real marriage and love" and "alum in the industry".
As Mu Yan listened, his brows gradually furrowed.
He keenly sensed something beyond simple brand promotion.
[Mu Yan]: "Does President Zhu mean that his words, while seemingly a veiled criticism of Century Home Network, actually inadvertently targeted the entire online dating industry?"
[Zhu Xiaohu]: "Yes. Once public opinion takes hold, it could get out of control. You need to contact Geng Zhi as soon as possible and tell him to be mindful of the boundaries of his speech, so that he doesn't ruin the industry just for personal fame."
[Mu Yan]: "Understood, I'll handle it immediately."
[Zhu Xiaohu]: "By the way, how's the strategic collaboration between 'Jiaotong University Matchmaker' and Baihe.com going?"
[Mu Yan]: "Not bad. The expansion speed in Jinling has exceeded expectations. Li Haipeng is quite capable. We plan to open a store in the capital before the new year, hold a few events, and connect with the offline store that is currently under construction in the capital."
[Mu Yan]: "By the way, Mr. Zhu, I've basically completed the due diligence on 'Jiaotong University Matchmaker,' and the company is clean. If you have no problems on your end, I think we can proceed with the payment process as soon as possible; things can get complicated if we delay."
[Zhu Xiaohu]: "Okay. I'll go back and push it through."
In the 48 hours following the CCTV interview with Century Home Network and Jiaotong University Matchmaker, although Century Home Network released many press releases, the impact was not significant.
Because the press release was too official and its content was mostly related to business, technology, and listing, it only sparked some discussion within the tech community, but did not generate much buzz among the general public.
What truly propelled the topic of marriage and relationships to the forefront of online discussion was a montage video on Youku titled "CCTV Interviews Two Representatives from the Marriage and Relationship Industry on the Same Day, and I Remain Silent —"
The video cross-cuts together Gong Haiyan and Geng Zhi's answers to similar questions, creating a stark contrast:
One side touted "advanced algorithm matching" and "high efficiency of online matching." The other side earnestly stated, "Algorithms are cold, but people are warm."
One company talked at length about market share, revenue, user growth, and its upcoming IPO application. The other, more understated, indicated a preference for "not matching the market rather than making a false match."
One interviewee was excited and enthusiastic, seemingly focused solely on going public and boosting the valuation. The other, however, was cautious and reserved, stating that he wanted to "become a benchmark in the industry," his face radiating sincerity and a sense of responsibility.
Gong Haiyan's statement may be justifiable in itself, and may even represent mainstream business logic.
However, under this deliberately created contrast and editing, her image is simplified and labeled as "efficiency-oriented" and "capital spokesperson," while her straightforwardness is highlighted as an idealist who "stays true to her original aspirations" and "represents users."
This simple and direct contrast between "good and evil" and "warmth and coldness" instantly struck a chord with many netizens.
The video went viral with shares and comments, with the screen filled with "Support Geng Zhi!" "That's so true!" "The other one is all about business."
In less than half a day, the video, after being remixed by many netizens, spread wildly on Tudou.com and 56.com.
On online communities such as Tianya Gossip, Douban Group 8, and Renren, technical analysis posts and long articles comparing images and text began to emerge, shifting the discussion from simple emotional venting to deeper questions about the business model of online dating, user privacy, and consumer traps.
Another day later.
With the promotion of Yang Mingxia and others, the users of Jiaotong University's matchmaking service took action, and a series of well-made "Geng's Sayings" pictures and jokes began to sweep across QQ Space.
At this time, QQ had over 1.2 million daily active users, and with such a massive amount of advertising, its straightforward and memorable quotes had begun to sweep the internet.
"Better not to match than to fake match," "Become a valuable asset in the industry," "Data is cold, people are warm"—these phrases have spread wildly in the form of images, signatures, and status updates.
"Academic high achiever entrepreneur," "idealistic youth," "a breath of fresh air in the industry"—these positive labels were spontaneously applied to Geng Zhi by netizens.
As the year draws to a close, online discussions about marriage and relationships have long since transcended the personal duel between "Geng Zhi vs. Gong Haiyan" and have spread to a scrutiny of the entire industry.
"My cousin found his other half through an offline event hosted by Jiaotong University's matchmaking service, and he said it felt incredibly real!"
"I was a former member of Baihe.com and was tricked into upgrading my plan several times, spending tens of thousands of yuan, but it was all for nothing!"
"Upstairs, is it possible that the problem is with you? (doge)"
"A lesson learned the hard way: Never recharge your account on any dating website!"
"There's no harm without comparison—I used to think they were all about the same, but now I see they're really different."
However, what truly propelled this public opinion storm to its peak and drew widespread attention across society was a post that appeared on Tianya Community four days later.
Post Title: "A Crying Accusation: I Was Scammed Out of My 370,000 Yuan Life Savings Through a Blind Date on XX Website, Who Will Do Something About This?"
In the post, the woman described how she met an outstanding male member on one of the three major dating websites.
After establishing a romantic relationship, she was swindled out of as much as 37 yuan by a male member under the pretext of "helping with connections" and "investment and financial management." Only later did she discover that he had concealed the fact that he was already married.
The woman posted all her chat logs with the man, bank transfer statements, and other data in the thread, with every detail appearing remarkably authentic.
The post quickly garnered hundreds of replies, with countless users who had experienced similar scams or were dissatisfied with dating platforms sharing their stories.
Sympathy, resentment, and anger gathered and swelled online.
The problems in the online dating industry have completely ignited the entire internet and attracted widespread attention.
Some were encouraged, some were alarmed, and some began to take secret action.