twenty four
On the bus, Shen Ning scrolled through Weibo while listening to Zhang Xinjie explain the whole story.
"The incident started when a school held a campus e-sports competition. A student cheated by using a mouse with macro editing capabilities from Lieguang Company. This involved using preset macro commands to achieve unfair operations such as automatic aiming and rapid shooting. The student was caught on the spot and reported by his opponents."
"Hunter Light is our sponsor, so that's how we got involved?"
"Yes, someone posted this online and found that we are using Hunter Light mice and keyboards, and they look similar. Some people questioned whether we also used macro editing functions, but the alliance clearly stipulates that it is not allowed."
"I understand. The public opinion on Weibo has blown up, and I don't see that the club has issued a statement yet." Shen Ning quickly responded to the topic, which was mostly filled with questions from netizens.
—No, Tyranny's win rate this year is indeed a bit too high. We strongly urge the official team to conduct a thorough investigation and restore fairness to Glory!
—Would Han Wenqing cheat? If this is confirmed, my worldview will be completely shattered…
—I knew it! Tyranny's performance in these last few matches has been far too abnormal. There was definitely something fishy going on! What has become of the esports scene? Everyone's so bad?
—Aren't Tyranny's fans still gloating over this? Don't they know their own limitations? Stop making excuses, it's cheating, it's truly shameful!
—Surely not? Wasn't there an equipment check before the match? Let's wait for an official statement.
—I believe my idols wouldn't cheat!!! Don't believe or spread rumors!!!
Looking at these words, Shen Ning felt an indescribable sense of frustration.
Others may not know, but she knows how hard they work, how much Han Wenqing sacrificed for the sake of the Tyranny, and how much data Zhang Xinjie analyzed and spent on developing tactics.
She felt a tightness in her chest, but the most urgent matter was to resolve it as soon as possible; there was no time to dwell on it.
"Is the public relations department in contact with Lieguang?" Shen Ning asked.
"Yes, the specific results will probably have to wait until the meeting."
When did we sign the sponsorship agreement with Hunter Light?
Four years ago.
"A long-term sponsor, it's not easy to switch them..."
After careful consideration, I have a preliminary assessment. The general direction of public relations is to work together to clarify and dispel public misunderstandings, rather than severing ties. After all, our team is currently using Hunter Light equipment, and we have been used to it for four years. Suddenly changing to something else would be very disadvantageous for the team.
Shen Ning's home is very close to the club, and driving is even faster. In no time, she arrived at the parking lot. There are still more than 20 minutes before the meeting starts.
"I'll go to the warehouse first to check the existing mouse and keyboard models, the models that are in use, and all the test reports. I'll compare them with the models that had the problem later."
"Here's the warehouse key." Zhang Xinjie readily handed over the key, and the two quickly walked towards the elevator. At the same time, Zhang Xinjie was also thinking about his arrangements. "I'll go to the office to retrieve the previous contract with Lieguang, and then I'll share a copy with you later. I mainly want to take a look at the rights and obligations clauses and the liability for breach of contract."
"Okay. By the way, please reassure everyone in the group chat as well, so as not to affect the subsequent matches and training."
"rest assured."
After roughly assigning tasks, Chen Ning didn't dare to delay and quickly ran to the warehouse to take inventory.
Zhang Xinjie had previously managed the warehouse very well, with items clearly categorized and easy to identify. For the same model, only one box needed to be checked. Therefore, Chen Ning quickly figured out all the product models in use and in the warehouse and shared the information with the two team leaders.
Seeing that time was running out, she rushed to the general office conference room.
The executive meeting seemed to be continuing. A bunch of colleagues from the public relations, sales, publicity, legal, technical and office departments had gathered at the door. Shen Ning glanced at Zhang Xinjie, who was wearing a team uniform and communicating with the sales team, and quickly went over to meet him.
Before anything could be said, the door to the general office conference room opened, and Wu Meng and other senior company executives sat in front, the atmosphere quite somber.
Everyone filed in, and Wu Meng got straight to the point: "The organizers and investors of the Glory event, as well as General Manager Zhao from headquarters, have all called to ask about this. We need a response plan tonight, and a statement must be issued to stabilize public opinion. You should all have a general understanding of the situation, so let's start with the public relations."
"We and the publicity department have drafted a basic statement, which mainly aims to clearly state the team's position and give the public an initial explanation within the critical four hours to prevent the spread of rumors. A more detailed investigation statement will be added later."
As he spoke, the head of public relations projected the statement onto the screen, and everyone looked at the large screen, holding their breath as they stared intently at the document.
【statement】
Recently, the Tyranny eSports team has noticed online claims that our team used a mouse with macro editing capabilities to cheat. We hereby solemnly declare that this information is completely false. Since its inception, the team has always adhered to the principle of fair competition, strictly abided by the competition rules, and participated in various competitions based on our own strength and hard work. We have never used any cheating devices.
We strongly condemn this false information and reserve the right to pursue legal action against those spreading it. We hope that netizens will view this rationally, refrain from spreading unverified information, and work together to maintain a clean and healthy online environment. Our team will continue to dedicate itself to esports with a professional and impartial attitude, proving itself through its strength.
Wu Meng asked, "Everyone, please take a look and see if there's anything that needs to be changed."
The statement looked standard and steady, with no major issues.
But at the same time, it is completely unconvincing.
Chen Ning sent a message in a small group of three: Wouldn't it be better to add some factual evidence?
After sending the message, Shen Ning tapped her phone on Zhang Xinjie's left, gesturing for him to check it.
Zhang Xinjie: It's not very convincing.
Zhang Xinjie: I just checked the product model with the sales team, and it is indeed different from the cheating mouse. It seems we didn't have time to communicate this to the public relations department.
Han Wenqing: Is there anything else?
Chen Ning: We need to talk to Lieguang as well, since it involves their products.
Han Wenqing: Xin Jie?
Zhang Xinjie: No, the basic statement should be simple and straightforward; the main thing is to be timely.
Han Wenqing: Okay
At a meeting of this caliber, with leaders present, there's no need for Zhang Xinjie and Shen Ning to be the first to speak out.
Han Wenqing directly suggested adding the preliminary investigation results, namely the comparison results of mouse models.
Mr. Zhao, who was in charge of sales, also thought it made sense. In particular, the head of the sales department immediately said that he had just checked with Zhang Xinjie outside the meeting room. Although the mouse with macro editing was indeed a product of Lieguang, the model was not the same as the one that sponsored our team.
The technical department echoed this, stating that all equipment had been tested before being put into storage and that there were no problems. They also provided electronic versions of the inspection reports, which could be stamped and attached to the announcement at any time.
There's no reason not to use the firsthand, core supporting data, so the publicity department made on-site modifications, adding that the equipment used by the team was inconsistent with the equipment mentioned in the public opinion, that none of the team's equipment had macro editing functions, and that all of them had technical testing certification.
Meanwhile, the public relations department urgently contacted Lieguang to confirm the content of the statement and subsequent forwarding. After all the senior executives nodded, the office immediately scanned the document with its official seal, and the official Weibo account immediately issued a statement announcement.
It was 11:15 p.m., three hours after the incident escalated, and the comments section had been brought under control after the statement was released.
But this is not the time to relax. The emergency declaration is just the beginning; the real work is yet to come.
Wu Meng instructed the public relations department to keep a close eye on public opinion trends, while the others continued to discuss what needed to be done next.
First, the investigation needs to be further refined, and a complete clarification report should be released within 48 hours. This requires coordination with Hunter Light, the alliance headquarters, and authoritative third-party investigation agencies.
Hunter Light provides more detailed equipment models and testing data, the alliance cooperates to issue equipment testing safety reports for each event, and third-party organizations provide supplementary safety evidence as independent parties.
Second, reassure partners and try to avoid revenue losses.
Third, strengthen the management of online games, paying particular attention to behaviors such as inciting conflict, attacking others, and taking advantage of chaos among players, as well as the loss of guild members. After all, online games are the foundation of a team and must not be allowed to be disrupted.
Fourth, continuously monitor public opinion and nip any emerging secondary public opinion issues in the bud.
Fifth, pay attention to the dynamics of competing companies to prevent malicious attacks or attempts to steal potential business partners from the chaos.
Sixth, stabilize the team members' mentality, especially at this critical juncture. It is essential to maintain the team's performance. A significant decline would give malicious individuals an excuse to claim that "the team's performance cannot be good without cheating."
Seventh, devise a positive publicity strategy to drive a reversal of public opinion from a proactive perspective.
Each and every task is crucial, and many require close cooperation from multiple departments.
Each department quickly took on its tasks. Han Wenqing took on tasks involving the online game department and esports teams, and also promised to cooperate with other departments to do a good job in customer communication and event execution.
The meeting didn't end until 1 a.m. Everyone looked exhausted. They turned their necks slightly, stretched their arms, and then followed the two team leaders to the online game department without stopping.
Because it was the peak time for Glory, the person in charge, Jiang You, did not attend the meeting and was focusing all his attention on dealing with the chaotic situation.
Guild members are still restless. Those who are not interested in doing dungeons are considered better off. Many who believed the rumors have left the guild, and the screen full of quit messages is annoying.
Other guilds also took the opportunity to stir up trouble, using all sorts of methods to gain fans. Many even joined forces to launch surprise attacks on the Tyranny guild, causing many fans to be too afraid to show their faces or speak up, for fear of being ganged up on.
After the announcement was released, Jiang You quickly pinned it to the top of the guild page and pushed it to all members, and coordinated with other members of the online game department to post the announcement message on various maps. Only then did the situation stabilize a little, and the number of people applying to leave the guild also began to stop.
Busy and overwhelmed, Jiang You looked up and saw Han Wenqing at the front. Never before had he felt that his captain was so kind and benevolent, like a reincarnated Buddha. He stood up abruptly and spoke in a loud voice.
"Captain, you've finally arrived! Our home was about to be destroyed!"
"What's the panic!"
Han Wenqing was stern in his voice and expression, but in the eyes of some of his friends in the online game club, he was a true pillar of strength.
As Han Wenqing and Zhang Xinjie logged in with their official account cards, the fans of the Tyranny Guild instantly felt reassured when the system popped up a notification that "Desert Lone Smoke" and "Stone Never Turns" were online.
It's worth noting that these two official accounts rarely appear in online games; they are among the top players in the entire league.
No matter how much the other guilds acted up, no one dared to cause trouble in front of Han Wenqing and Zhang Xinjie themselves. Although they all had their own ulterior motives, they all restrained themselves considerably. The guild leaders also pretended to be burying their heads in the sand, acting as if they had just discovered someone making a fuss, and promised to manage their respective guild members well and maintain order in the online game.
In short, after half a night, we attracted quite a few new users and got a taste of success.
Besides, this matter is most likely not a solid piece of evidence. It will be clarified later. If things turn out badly now, it won't be appropriate since we'll be running into each other again.
So, taking advantage of Han Wenqing and Zhang Xinjie's actions, the various labor unions also backed down, preventing the situation from getting too ugly.
Shen Ning then asked Jiang You and other responsible colleagues for the latest data. She directly used the data formulas she had prepared beforehand to create a chart showing the fluctuation of the number of members in each guild, the number of attacked teams, and the statistics of items lost during the day by those who took advantage of the chaos.
She held her laptop and reported to Han Wenqing and Zhang Xinjie, who had already quit the game.
"Currently, 437 people have withdrawn from the association, which is 4.2%. The peak was between 10:30 and 11:00, reaching 7.3%. After the statement was issued, the trend has clearly declined and it seems to be under control. Some people have also applied to rejoin."
Jiang You pounded his fist in anger: "These opportunists!"
"You can't say that, after all, they don't know the inside story. If they want to add it back, they can just approve it all," Zhang Xinjie said, pushing up his glasses.
Jiang You was just venting his anger; at this critical juncture, they desperately wanted to regain more fans, so naturally they wouldn't stop him.
Han Wenqing said, "As mentioned at the meeting, we must stabilize online games. Everyone, please work hard these next two days, especially today and tomorrow. Keep a close eye on things and let us know if there are any problems."
"Understood. We will definitely keep a close eye on it 24 hours a day. Once the statement is released, things should be stable and there shouldn't be any major problems. We'll add some more incentives, but to be honest, we'll have to rely on subsequent specific statements to reverse the situation."
All three agreed that as long as the matter was clarified, the current chaos in the online game department would naturally subside.
Han Wenqing gave a few more instructions, and the three of them left the online game department and returned to the team office.
Han Wenqing tossed various documents onto the table, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh. Zhang Xinjie took off his glasses, closed his eyes, and rubbed his temples. Chen Ningmu stared blankly for a few seconds, then got up in one go and grabbed a can of coffee.
Just as I pulled the tab, Zhang Xinjie spoke up, his tone weaker than usual: "Don't drink coffee tonight."
The coffee was practically at his lips; he didn't know whether to drink it or not. He gave a wry smile and finally put the coffee down.
"Everyone, hurry back. We'll see how public opinion is tomorrow morning before we discuss anything further. Right now, the most urgent issues are public relations, sales, and online games. I'll keep an eye on online games tonight. You guys should leave."
Zhang Xinjie put his glasses back on, glanced at his watch. It was around 2 a.m. He thought for a moment and said, "Let's take turns tonight. Each of us will keep watch for two hours. By daybreak, there won't be much pressure on them, since it's a weekday."
Shen Ning leaned on the table, looking helpless: "Captains, you have a competition in a couple of days. Are you even going to train if you're going to stay up this late? I heard it too, the higher-ups said we can only win, we can't lose. Isn't that more pressure than other departments?"
Competition is inherently full of uncertainty; achieving the goal of always winning and never losing is more difficult than any public relations or sales effort.
“I’ll keep an eye on it. It’ll only be a matter of the next couple of days. Besides, you two just came online and managed to keep those people in line. There won’t be any major trouble. Go back to sleep. It’s already 2 a.m., and you’ve already sacrificed 3 hours of sleep, Vice Captain.”
"The team hasn't collapsed to the point where you, a girl, have to shoulder the burden."
"That's incredibly disrespectful to women. Does your wife know how much you favor boys over girls?"
Stop chatting idly! Go back now!
"I'm not going back. Anyway, besides online games, I have a lot of other things to do, so I have to endure it all. If you want to endure it with me, then we can endure it together. At least I'll have company. I don't mind."
"You think I can't control you anymore?"
"You two, stop arguing." Zhang Xinjie, through his glasses, continued to rub his throbbing temples. "It's all for work, and you all mean well. There's no need for this."
Knowing that neither Han Wenqing nor Shen Ning were the type to compromise, he simply took out a pen and paper, made a simple list of tasks, and tapped the pen on the paper, trying to plan a reasonable allocation of work.
"Shen Ning is right. The competition should indeed be the priority. If problems arise during the competition, it will affect more than just public opinion for a short period of time."
Zhang Xinjie looked up at Han Wenqing and, seeing that he had no objection, continued, "The captain and I will prioritize the stability of the team. We just dealt with the online game situation, so there shouldn't be any more intense incidents. Jiang You and the others should be able to control the situation without any problems, so the two of us will go back to rest first."
Han Wenqing pointed at Chen Ning: "You're just going to make her stay up all night and then work non-stop the next day?"
“Chen Ning will keep watch until 5:30, then we’ll come and relieve her.” Zhang Xinjie then turned to Shen Ning, “You get up at 11:30 to eat, then cover her shift. The team leader and I will take a lunch break. There are any empty dorm rooms available in the team, I’ll apply for one for you.”
"But there are a lot of things to do this morning?"
"Prioritize your tasks and decide what's urgent and what's not. Either resolve them within the next three hours, or when you wake up tomorrow at noon, or assign them to the team leader or me," Zhang Xinjie said solemnly. "Don't think about working non-stop tomorrow. This is the basis of our trust."
Under Zhang Xinjie's firm gaze, he nodded solemnly.
"team leader?"
"Be careful, and tell me immediately if your body can't take it."
"good."
Han Wenqing took an account card from the drawer and handed it to Shen Ning: "This is my alt account. The heads of those big guilds all know it. If you need help, just use this account to log in. As for other things, as long as they don't involve any core content, you can decide for yourself. You don't need to wait for us to go through the procedures."
"Borrowing the tiger's power? Acting first and reporting later?"
"Suit yourself. That's enough, let's head back."
"Okay, I'll get to work right away."
"There's fresh milk and ham in the break room fridge, don't forget to eat something." Zhang Xinjie added before leaving, "I'll bring you some more food tomorrow morning... Also, don't forget to take your anemia medication."
He smiled thoughtfully: "Okay."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
