Looking at the crucial clues he had compiled, Meng Yanchen said firmly to everyone, "This is our weapon for counterattack. Now, everyone, act according to the plan and be sure to turn the tide in one fell swoop." Fan Shengmei also clenched her fist, encouraging everyone. The group quickly divided up their tasks, preparing for this difficult counterattack. Whether they could succeed was still unknown, and the conference room was filled with a tense yet hopeful atmosphere.

After the meeting, Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei walked side by side down the corridor back to their office. Fan Shengmei frowned slightly, a hint of worry in her eyes: "Yanchen, although we have these clues, those people from the industry association certainly won't give up easily. What should we do next?" Meng Yanchen glanced at her, his gaze steady and firm, and gently took her hand: "Xiaomei, we can't just react passively; we need to take preventative measures in advance."

The two entered Meng Yanchen's spacious and bright office, sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto his desk. Meng Yanchen released Fan Shengmei's hand, walked to his desk, picked up a pen, and wrote the words "Public Relations Team" on the whiteboard. "First, we need to strengthen the company's public relations team." He turned to Fan Shengmei, his expression serious. "Industry associations may use public opinion to smear us, and the public relations team is our first line of defense against a public opinion crisis."

Fan Shengmei nodded thoughtfully, walked to the whiteboard, picked up a pen, and wrote the words "training" and "resources" next to "public relations team." "That's right. We need to provide the public relations team with professional training so they can quickly and effectively deal with various negative public opinions. At the same time, we also need to give them ample resources to ensure they have sufficient ammunition in the public opinion battlefield." Meng Yanchen looked at what Fan Shengmei had written, a slight smile of appreciation appearing on his lips: "You've thought it through very well, Xiaomei. I will arrange for professional media public relations experts to train the team and improve their response capabilities. In addition, in terms of resources, whether it's human or material, we must provide full support."

Then, Meng Yanchen wrote the words "Old Forces of the Industry Association" on the whiteboard and circled them heavily. "Besides the PR team, we also need to collect evidence of the misconduct of the old forces in the industry association." He put down his pen, crossed his arms, and his gaze was cold. "Since they want to attack us, we can't just sit idly by. Once they take action, we'll use this evidence to fight back and expose their ugly faces." Fan Shengmei's eyes lit up, and she walked to Meng Yanchen's side: "That's a great idea! I can contact some old connections and see if I can dig up some useful information." Meng Yanchen nodded and gently patted Fan Shengmei's shoulder: "Thank you for your hard work, Xiaomei. This needs to be done secretly; we can't let them know what we're doing."

The two then arrived at the public relations office of the Fu Group. The office was a hive of activity; staff were working diligently at their desks, computer screens flashing with data and information. Meng Yanchen cleared his throat and said loudly, “Everyone, I’m sure you’re all aware of the current situation the company faces. The old guard in the industry associations may launch a media attack against us at any time, and we must prepare in advance. From now on, we need to strengthen our team and improve our response capabilities.” He looked around, his gaze firm and resolute. “Next, professional media relations experts will be here to provide training. I hope everyone will study diligently and master the skills for handling media crises. At the same time, we must closely monitor industry trends, and if we discover any comments detrimental to the company, we must report them immediately and take appropriate measures.”

The PR team members nodded in unison, their eyes revealing unwavering determination. Fan Shengmei walked to the center of the group, smiling, and said, “Don’t put too much pressure on yourselves. We are a team, and as long as we work together, we will definitely be able to handle this crisis. If you have any questions during the training, feel free to ask me or Mr. Meng.” At this moment, a young staff member raised his hand and spoke, “Mr. Meng, Ms. Fan, we will do our best. But what if the industry association colludes with some media outlets to smear us?” Meng Yanchen walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder, “That’s exactly what we need to guard against. We will collect evidence of the misconduct of the old guard within the industry associations. If they dare to collude with the media to spread rumors, we will fight back with evidence and let the public see their true colors. At the same time, we will also strengthen communication and cooperation with major media platforms to gain their support.”

Over the next few days, Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei devoted themselves entirely to preventative measures. Meng Yanchen arranged training for the public relations team while personally collecting evidence of misconduct by established figures within the industry association. He leveraged his connections in the business world, gathering information from all sides and leaving no stone unturned. Fan Shengmei was also busy, secretly gathering relevant information through former colleagues and friends.

One afternoon, Meng Yanchen sat in his office, carefully reviewing a stack of documents—evidence he and his team had collected regarding the old guard within the industry association. His gaze was focused, occasionally furrowing his brow, sometimes revealing a cold smile. Just then, Fan Shengmei knocked and entered, holding a document and looking excited. "Yanchen, I've made a new discovery!" Meng Yanchen looked up, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Tell me quickly, what is it?" Fan Shengmei walked to the desk, placed the document on it, and pointed to a section, saying, "I contacted someone through a friend who had previously participated in internal industry association meetings. He revealed some details about the industry association colluding with certain small companies to engage in unfair competition." Meng Yanchen quickly picked up the document and read it carefully. After finishing, a slight smile appeared on his lips. "Excellent, Xiaomei! This is crucial evidence. With this, we're much more confident in dealing with their smear campaign."

However, Meng Yanchen did not lower his guard. In between handling company affairs, he continued his secret investigation of the mysterious investment group. He knew that this hidden force could pose an even greater threat to the Fu Group. He gathered information about the mysterious investment group through various channels, attempting to unveil its secrets.

Persistence pays off. After a painstaking investigation, Meng Yanchen finally uncovered some clues. He discovered that the mysterious investment group seemed to have intricate connections with industry associations. In some business activities, certain actions of the mysterious investment group closely aligned with the interests of the industry associations. Moreover, through analysis of some fund flows, he found that the mysterious investment group might be secretly supporting some of the industry associations' actions. Sitting in his office, looking at the investigation results displayed on his computer screen, Meng Yanchen's expression became extremely grave. He knew that this discovery meant that the crisis facing the Fu Group was far more complex than he had imagined.

Meanwhile, Fan Shengmei devoted herself entirely to assisting Meng Yanchen in dealing with the industry association, completely unaware of Meng Yanchen's investigation into the mysterious investment group. She spent her days communicating with the public relations team, following up on training progress, and constantly gathering evidence against the old guard within the industry association. Meng Yanchen saw her efforts and felt deeply for her.

As time went on, the Fu Group's preventative measures made significant progress. The public relations team, after professional training, greatly improved their ability to handle public opinion crises. They developed detailed contingency plans with corresponding countermeasures for different types of negative public opinion. Meanwhile, Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei collected increasing amounts of evidence regarding the old guard within the industry associations. This evidence was like a series of time bombs, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the industry associations at a critical moment.

However, Meng Yanchen knew in his heart that although they had made thorough preparations, the combined power of the industry association and the mysterious investment group was still not to be underestimated. Could they successfully prevent the industry association from smearing them? What bigger crisis would the connection between the mysterious investment group and the industry association bring? All of this was like a fog, shrouding the minds of Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei, making them dare not relax their guard in the slightest.

On a quiet night, Meng Yanchen stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, gazing at the brightly lit city lights outside, his mind filled with countless thoughts. Fan Shengmei quietly entered, stood beside him, and gently took his arm. "Yanchen, don't overwork yourself. We've made so many preparations; everything will be alright." Meng Yanchen turned to look at Fan Shengmei's gentle face, a warm feeling welling up inside him. "Xiaomei, with you by my side, I feel full of strength. But this crisis is no small matter; we can't let our guard down." Fan Shengmei leaned on Meng Yanchen's shoulder and said firmly, "Yes, no matter what difficulties we encounter, we'll face them together." The two stood quietly by the window, watching the night view outside, as if gathering their strength to meet the challenges to come.