Chapter 21
The online uproar was like a sudden downpour; while not fatal, it was enough to leave the fledgling "Mingyu Technology" mired in mud. Posts questioning the project's feasibility and mocking "student entrepreneurship as unrealistic" quietly circulated on several local forums and early tech blogs. Although not widespread, they precisely dampened the team's already somewhat low morale due to internal disagreements and were bound to influence the views of potential partners and investors (especially Zhang Lei).
"Have you found it? Where did it originate?" Li Ming looked at the screenshots of posts that Wang Hao had collected and compiled, his tone calm, but his eyes sharp as knives.
Wang Hao shook his head, his fingers flying across the keyboard: "The IDs that posted were all newly registered, and the IP addresses were hidden through multiple redirects. The other party is very careful." He pushed up his glasses and added, "However, judging from the writing style and the direction of the message, it doesn't seem like the crude methods that Zhou Ruilin's side usually uses. It's more... subtle, and they know better how to exploit the psychology of the masses."
Li Ming seemed thoughtful. If it wasn't Zhou Ruilin, then who could it be? Was it another potential competitor, or... Zhao Zhen's act of venting his anger? This thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly suppressed it. Although Zhao Zhen was dissatisfied, he still had a bottom line and wouldn't resort to such despicable means.
“No need to investigate,” Li Ming suddenly said, interrupting Wang Hao’s pursuit. “It’s a waste of time. Since it’s a war of public opinion, let’s resolve it through public opinion.”
He acted immediately. First, he contacted Shen Yan. This time, instead of asking Shen Yan to directly refute him, he provided a carefully prepared "background information" document about the entrepreneurial journey of "Mingyu Technology" and the vision of the "local life service platform," and "inadvertently" mentioned the targeted criticisms that suddenly appeared online.
Shen Yan, being a shrewd individual, immediately sensed the news value in the story—not just the entrepreneurial tale itself, but also the undercurrents of competition hidden behind it. He promised to write an in-depth report from an objective perspective, showcasing both the hardships and innovations of student entrepreneurship, as well as verifying and analyzing the doubts raised online.
Next, Li Ming made a bold decision. He instructed Wang Hao to publicly post the leaked, still very rough, platform prototype beta test address on the newly launched, equally rudimentary official website of "Mingyu Technology," along with a sincere open letter.
In the letter, Li Ming frankly acknowledged the project's early stage and imperfections, positioning it as "an exploration and experiment initiated by college students regarding future local life service models." He welcomed all interested users and developers to experience, comment, and even participate in improvements, promising to take every piece of feedback seriously. He cleverly transformed the "leak" into a "public beta test," turning skeptics into potential participants and oversight.
This move, turning the tables and taking the initiative, surprised everyone.
Sure enough, after Shen Yan's in-depth report, titled "A Business Experiment in the Ivory Tower: How Do a Group of High School Students Envision Their Future Lives?" was published in a local influential financial weekly, coupled with the open letter and open beta test on the "Mingyu Technology" official website, the public opinion began to quietly shift.
The report objectively describes the composition of Li Ming's team, the initial motivation for starting the business, the difficulties encountered (including the supply chain crisis and the recent media storm), and the rather forward-thinking platform concept. Shen Yan's writing is skillful, capturing both the ideals and vigor of youth, without shying away from the harsh realities and cruelty of competition. He presents the online criticisms as part of the story's conflict, which actually makes the entire narrative more authentic and believable.
Suddenly, "Mingyu Technology" and the name Li Ming became a small-scale sensation among local entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts in Jinyang City. Voices of support and encouragement began to outweigh the doubts, and some local software developers even took the initiative to contact Wang Hao, hoping to participate in this "interesting experimental project."
Just when the public opinion crisis seemed to have been resolved, Zhang Lei's feedback finally arrived.
There was no phone call, only a carefully worded email. In the email, Zhang Lei affirmed the "vision and foresight" demonstrated in Li Ming's business plan, but also pointed out many "idealistic assumptions" and "realistic execution risks." He stated that Leiyao Capital would not be making direct investments in such an early-stage project at this time, but he personally was willing to maintain communication with Li Ming as a "startup mentor" and invited Li Ming to visit Leiyao Capital's headquarters in Beijing for more in-depth discussions when convenient.
This outcome was both within Li Ming's expectations and brought him a slight sense of relief. The lack of direct investment avoided premature exposure to the spotlight and the risk of potentially losing control; while the title of "entrepreneurial mentor" and the invitation to visit the headquarters opened a door to a higher level of networking, leaving him with boundless room for imagination.
He shared the contents of Zhang Lei's email with the core team.
Upon learning this, Zhao Zhen merely gave a faint hum and said nothing, but his tense expression seemed to ease somewhat. The e-commerce business he led was growing steadily with healthy cash flow, giving him ample confidence. He seemed to have accepted the current situation of "developing independently" with Li Ming.
Li Ziqing was genuinely happy for Li Ming, as she saw the crack leading to a wider world being pried open.
Wang Hao and Liu Qiang were extremely excited, feeling that the company had a bright future.
However, Li Ming remained unusually calm. He convened a strategic debriefing meeting with everyone, including Zhao Zhen.
"This incident has served as a wake-up call for us." Li Ming stood in front of the whiteboard, his gaze sweeping over each face. "First, we are no longer nobodys; people are starting to watch us. We must be more cautious and professional in our actions from now on. Second, public opinion is a double-edged sword. If used well, it can help us move forward; if used poorly, it can hurt us. Third, and most importantly," he paused, his tone becoming more serious, "we must clearly define the core direction of 'Mingyu Technology' for the future, and we can no longer waver and waste resources internally."
He drew two lines on the whiteboard. One line pointed to the B2C e-commerce business that Zhao Zhen was in charge of, and was labeled "Cash Flow and Practical Training Ground"; the other line pointed to the platform project team that he personally led and that Wang Hao provided technical support for, and was labeled "Future Ecosystem and Core Value".
“These two lines are not contradictory, but complementary,” Li Ming said clearly. “E-commerce is our foundation. We must make it bigger and stronger to provide us with a continuous source of revenue and to hone our operational capabilities. The platform project is our future. It requires continuous investment and patient cultivation, waiting for the time window when the technology matures and the market explodes.”
He looked at Zhao Zhen: "Zhao Zhen, the e-commerce business is independently accounted for and responsible for its own profits and losses. You have full operational autonomy, but strategically you must coordinate with the company as a whole. You need to provide the platform project with the necessary initial financial support. This part of the funds will be considered as a loan from the company to the e-commerce business, which will be repaid with interest in the future, or converted into shares in the platform project."
This plan not only gave Zhao Zhen the independence and incentives he wanted, but also ensured the advancement of the company's core strategy, and bound the two business lines together through capital.
Zhao Zhen listened carefully, a thoughtful expression on his face, and finally nodded: "I have no objection to this plan." This can be seen as his approval of Li Ming's strategic direction to some extent, or rather, that they had found a cooperation model that they could both accept.
"Wang Hao, the platform project team needs to speed up the process and launch a more complete and better-featured Beta version as soon as possible. We don't need to be all-encompassing, but we need to address the core pain points."
"Understood," Wang Hao replied succinctly.
"Ziqing, manage the accounts and funds separately on two fronts."
“Okay.” Li Ziqing nodded solemnly.
"Liu Qiang, you need to take on more responsibility for logistical support and external coordination."
"Don't worry, Brother Ming!" Liu Qiang patted his chest.
After the meeting, the team seemed to have regrouped, and their goals were clearer. Although Zhao Zhen still maintained a certain distance, at least the overall direction was aligned.
As night fell, Li Ming remained alone in the temporary office. He turned on his computer, looking at the rough prototype of the platform on the screen, a prototype that embodied his dreams for the future, and then glanced at the email from Zhang Lei beside him.
The external crisis has been temporarily resolved, the internal rifts have begun to heal, and an unexpected channel for dialogue with future industry giants has been gained. Everything seems to be moving in a positive direction.
However, Li Ming felt no relief. He knew that the real challenges had only just begun. The platform's development was a lengthy and expensive process, competition in the e-commerce business would become increasingly fierce, Zhou Ruilin would not give up easily, and Zhang Lei's role as "mentor" was more like an exam, with even more challenges to come.
He picked up his phone and, as if possessed, dialed that familiar number from his hometown of Lincheng.
The phone rang for a long time before being answered. The father, Li Jianhua, spoke with a heavy sleepiness and a hint of fatigue: "Hello? Mingming? What's wrong so late?"
Hearing his father's familiar, slightly hoarse accent, Li Ming suddenly felt a lump in his throat. All the scheming, pressure, and backstabbing seemed distant and unreal in the face of this simple, heartfelt concern.
"Dad, it's nothing." He took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound relaxed. "I just... wanted to hear your voice. Are you and Mom alright?"
"Okay, all good." Li Jianhua paused, seemingly sensing something, and softened his voice, "Don't overwork yourself out there. Do you have enough money?"
"It's enough, it's enough," Li Ming quickly replied. "Dad, don't worry, everything's fine here...."
After hanging up the phone, Li Ming leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. The city lights outside the window shone brightly, like stars scattered across the earth.
He knew he couldn't stop. For the sake of rewriting his past life, for the proud smiles on his parents' faces, and for the companions around him who chose to believe in him and follow him, he had to continue walking this path full of thorns and opportunities.
And the next stop might be the one Zhang Lei invited, located in Beijing, representing countless possibilities and also hiding unknown risks—the headquarters of Lei Yao Capital.
A new journey has begun.
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