Awakening of Insects
The "gift" promised by that mysterious overseas force was like a quietly planted time bomb, making Li Ming feel like he was walking on a knife's edge every minute for the next three days. He went to the company as usual, dealing with the daily affairs that had been "optimized" beyond recognition by Lei Yao's technical team, attending various compliance meetings, and even calmly reporting the company's "stable and positive" situation during a routine call with Zhang Lei's assistant.
But only he knew how taut the string in his heart was. He couldn't predict how the other party would deliver this "gift," nor could he foresee the chain reaction it would trigger. Would it cause Zhao Zhen a huge headache, thus temporarily diverting Zhang Lei and the "Seventh Research Institute's" attention? Or would it ignite an even bigger crisis, dragging him into a deeper vortex as well?
On the third day, a seemingly ordinary weekday afternoon, signs of a storm began to appear in an unexpected way.
Wang Hao was the first to notice the anomaly. During a routine check of the platform's logs and external data interfaces, he discovered several extremely subtle, probing scan records originating from an overseas IP address, targeting the core database of "Zhenhua Commerce and Trade." The method was so sophisticated that it was identical to the previous attack on "Mingyu," but the target was completely different.
“Li Ming,” Wang Hao sent a message using encrypted code through the internal work system, “a guest has gone to the ‘neighbor’s’ house to knock on the door, and the method looks very familiar.”
Li Ming's heart skipped a beat. Here it comes! Is this the prelude to that "gift"? Is the other party using this method to demonstrate their decisiveness and targeted approach?
He immediately replied: "Keep observing, record all traces, but absolutely do not intervene in any way."
Almost simultaneously with Wang Hao's discovery of the abnormal scan, anonymous posts began to appear sporadically on several local tech forums and financial chat groups in Jinyang, alleging that "Zhenhua Trading" was using big data for price discrimination and exploitative practices. The posts were detailed, listing screenshots of significant price differences when different users searched for the same product at the same time. The analysis was clear and logical, directly pointing to the monopoly and unfairness behind "Zhenhua's" algorithm.
These posts didn't initially attract much attention, but soon they were shared by several tech bloggers with large followings, and their popularity began to quietly rise.
Li Ming closely monitored the unfolding public opinion. He noticed that these revelations were very cunning, avoiding more sensitive topics such as "data sources" or "relationship with Lei Yao Capital," instead focusing on the two points most likely to resonate with the public: "consumer rights" and "algorithmic fairness." This was clearly a meticulously planned and clearly defined attack.
The storm intensified suddenly the next day.
A prominent domestic financial media outlet published an in-depth investigative report on its website, prominently titled "The Algorithm Dilemma: Unveiling the Price Maze Behind Zhenhua Trading's Big Data." The report not only meticulously corroborated online allegations but also delved into how Zhenhua leveraged its market dominance to maximize the extraction of consumer surplus value through complex user profiling and dynamic pricing models. The article cited extensive data and expert opinions, presenting rigorous arguments with significant impact.
One stone stirs up a thousand waves!
This report, like an ice cube thrown into boiling oil, instantly ignited a massive online uproar. Terms like "Zhenhua Trading," "big data price discrimination," and "algorithm unfairness" quickly became trending topics. Countless consumers flooded Zhenhua's official website and app with comments demanding explanations. Competitors also began subtly fueling the fire, and Zhenhua Trading was quickly engulfed in a massive media storm.
Zhao Zhen was clearly caught off guard. Zhenhua Trading's public relations team hastily responded, issuing a statement denying "price discrimination" and arguing that the price difference stemmed from a "complex combination of coupons and promotional strategies." However, this weak explanation proved utterly ineffective in the face of overwhelming public opinion. Its stock price plummeted, and its market value evaporated dramatically in a short period.
Standing by the office window, Li Ming watched the online attacks against Zhao Zhen and "Zhenhua," feeling little satisfaction, but rather a heavy heart. The power of this "gift" exceeded his expectations, and it also made him alarmed by the strength of that overseas force. The fact that they could launch such a precise media attack, choosing such a perfect time and angle, demonstrated intelligence capabilities and planning skills far beyond those of ordinary hacker groups.
How will Zhang Lei and Lei Yao Capital react? Will they protect Zhao Zhen, or sacrifice him to save the king?
Sure enough, that very evening, Li Ming received a call from Zhang Lei himself. On the other end of the line, Zhang Lei's tone was unreadable, but carried a palpable sense of impending doom:
"Li Ming, have you heard about what happened with Zhao Zhen?"
"I saw it, Mr. Zhang. It's causing quite a stir in the media," Li Ming replied cautiously.
"Hmph," Zhang Lei sneered, "The bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it, and some people will try to take advantage of the chaos. What do you think?"
Li Ming felt a chill run down his spine, knowing this was Zhang Lei testing him. He pondered for a moment and said, "'Zhenhua's' model is indeed aggressive, and it was inevitable that they would be caught red-handed this time. For us, perhaps... it's an opportunity to further highlight our 'Mingyu's' stable and user-value-focused differentiated approach."
He didn't kick someone when they were down, nor did he show any signs of being involved. Instead, he steered the conversation toward the development of "Mingyu" itself, which was in line with the "well-behaved" persona he had recently cultivated.
Zhang Lei was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the phone before slowly saying, "It's good that you think that way. Remember, sometimes, the fastest runner doesn't necessarily finish in the end. A peaceful and stable life isn't necessarily a bad thing."
“I understand, Mr. Zhang,” Li Ming replied respectfully.
After hanging up the phone, Li Ming knew that Zhang Lei probably hadn't contacted him about this matter for the time being. The "gift" had successfully drawn attention, buying him valuable time and space.
However, just when he thought he could breathe a sigh of relief and continue to advance his idea of a "decentralized ecological network," the encrypted communication channel of the overseas force once again lit up with a notification.
The message from the other party was still brief: "The gift has been delivered. How was it? The week is almost up, how's the architecture draft coming along?"
Li Ming frowned as he looked at the message. The other party was urging him, putting pressure on him. He wasn't ready with the so-called "complete framework" at all; the idea was still just a concept. Moreover, he was extremely unwilling to hand over this core idea, which concerned the true future of "Mingyu," to this mysterious and dangerous "partner."
But he couldn't afford the consequences of refusing.
He must find a way to delay, or... turn this crisis into some kind of opportunity again.
He replied, “The results are remarkable, thank you. The architecture involves core ideas and needs time to sort out and ensure its value. Could you grant me a few more days? Also, to ensure smooth cooperation in the future, I need a more stable way to contact you, and... a basic understanding of my partners. Otherwise, I cannot confidently hand over core ideas that concern the future.”
He tried to bargain again and probe the other party's background.
This time, the other party's reply was surprisingly quick, carrying an undeniable air of authority:
“Mr. Li Ming, our patience is limited. The architectural draft must be delivered in five days. This is the deadline.”
"As for understanding and trust... when you temporarily grant us access to a specific, harmless API interface of the 'Mingyu Life' platform to a designated test IP address, you will get a preliminary look at our 'sincerity' and 'capability'."
Granting access to the API interface?!
Li Ming's pupils suddenly contracted! This was tantamount to handing over the key to his own house to a stranger whose identity he didn't know! Even a "specific, harmless" interface contained enormous risks! The other party could use it to probe the platform's underlying architecture, or even plant backdoors!
This is an even more outrageous and dangerous demand!
To submit or to refuse?
Submitting might invite trouble and lead to utter ruin.
Refusing would immediately lead to utter disgrace and ruin.
Just as Li Ming was caught in a dilemma, staring at the cold text on the screen, feeling as if his blood was about to freeze, there was a gentle knock on the office door.
Li Ziqing pushed open the door and walked in. Her expression was strange, a mixture of doubt and a hint of...excitement?
“Li Ming, I just received a notification…” she lowered her voice, her tone filled with disbelief, “The city just announced the first batch of ‘data element market-oriented reform pilot enterprises’ list… and our ‘Mingyu Technology’… is on the list!”
Li Ming suddenly looked up, almost thinking he had misheard!
A pilot program for market-oriented reform of data elements? This is a brand-new qualification with strong policy implications! Obtaining this pilot status means that "Mingyu" has received initial official recognition in terms of compliant data application and value mining! This will bring huge policy dividends and brand enhancement!
At this delicate moment when Zhao Zhen is deeply embroiled in a media storm and is being relentlessly pressured by overseas forces, this sudden "official certification" is like a beam of light piercing through the dark clouds!
Is it a coincidence? Or... is there a higher force quietly intervening in this intricate game?
Li Ming looked at the photocopy of the list stamped with an official document handed to him by Li Ziqing, then glanced at the ultimatum-like message from overseas forces on the computer screen, and a complex glint flashed in his eyes.
The fog ahead seemed to have thickened even more. But the path beneath our feet also seemed to have a new, unexpected fork in the road.
What should he do?
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