Watching Su Ran's departing figure, Meng Yanchen secretly vowed that no matter the cost, he would make sure Su Ran stopped bothering Fan Shengmei. He knew that this battle to protect their relationship had begun, and he absolutely could not lose. He turned and walked towards his car, preparing to go back and carefully plan how to deal with Su Ran. At this moment, his eyes were firm, as if he already had a solution.
Back at the company, Meng Yanchen had barely stepped into his office when his assistant rushed in, placing a stack of documents on the table. "Mr. Meng, these are the latest industry updates. Take a look; things seem a bit off." Meng Yanchen frowned slightly and quickly picked up the documents to read them. The contents of the documents made his expression even more grave. The old guard within the industry associations, seeing the Fu Group's rapid recovery from the previous crisis, were resentful and began to stir, plotting new actions.
Meanwhile, in a secluded meeting room elsewhere in the city, several old-guard members of the industry association sat around a conference table, their faces grim as they discussed their case. "The Fu Group has recovered too quickly this time. If this continues, our profit margins will be further squeezed," a portly middle-aged man said, frowning. "That's right, we need to find a way to suppress them. We can't let Meng Yanchen have it so easy," another man wearing gold-rimmed glasses chimed in. After a heated discussion, they decided to unite with some smaller companies that had long been squeezed out by the Fu Group's business to launch a smear campaign against the Fu Group within the industry, attempting to damage its reputation and hinder its development.
Meng Yanchen keenly sensed the unusual activity within the industry association. He knew these old forces wouldn't give up easily and would inevitably take action. He looked at the industry news materials on the table, lost in thought. Just then, Fan Shengmei knocked and entered. Seeing Meng Yanchen's serious expression, her heart tightened. "Yanchen, what happened?" Meng Yanchen looked up, gestured for Fan Shengmei to come over, and handed her the materials. "Look," he said, "the old forces within the industry association are preparing to take action against us. They've joined forces with some smaller companies and seem to be trying to manipulate public opinion."
Fan Shengmei quickly scanned the documents, a sense of unease rising within her. The office was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard; the hum of the air conditioner seemed particularly jarring. "How could they do this? Isn't this unfair competition?" Fan Shengmei said angrily. Meng Yanchen stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the bustling city streets outside. The vibrant traffic did little to alleviate his current anxiety. "The business world is like a battlefield. They'll use any means necessary for profit. We need to devise a strategy as soon as possible." Meng Yanchen turned to Fan Shengmei, his eyes resolute.
The two sat back down on the sofa and began to carefully discuss their countermeasures. Meng Yanchen analyzed, "Since they want to smear us in the media, we must first closely monitor major industry media outlets and social media platforms. If any unfavorable comments appear, we must respond quickly. At the same time, we need to prepare some positive promotional materials in advance for a possible counterattack." Fan Shengmei nodded in agreement, "Hmm, besides that, could we also investigate these small companies to see if we have any leverage over them? Maybe we can use that to deter them from making any rash moves." Meng Yanchen narrowed his eyes slightly, thought for a moment, and then said, "That's a good idea. I'll arrange for someone to investigate. In addition, we need to strengthen our connections with some neutral companies in the industry and gain their support. This way, we'll have more assistance when the media war begins."
Over the next few days, Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei were extremely busy. Meng Yanchen instructed his public relations team to closely monitor public opinion and prepare response plans, while simultaneously sending people to investigate the small companies colluding with the industry association. Fan Shengmei, on the other hand, used her connections to contact neutral companies within the industry, explaining the situation and seeking their support. However, just as they were busily preparing their countermeasures, the industry association acted much faster than they had anticipated.
One morning, Meng Yanchen turned on his computer to check the news as usual. Instantly, several glaring headlines caught his eye: "Dark Deals Behind the Fu Group," "Fu Group Suspected of Unfair Competition, Squeezing Out Competitors' Survival Space," "Fu Group's Product Quality in Doubt"... Similar negative news flooded in from various industry media and social media platforms, quickly attracting widespread attention and discussion. Meng Yanchen's face turned ashen. He immediately called Fan Shengmei, "Xiaomei, this is bad! The industry association has taken action, and the negative news is everywhere." Fan Shengmei's heart sank upon hearing this news. "I'll be at the company right away. We'll figure something out together."
Fan Shengmei rushed to the company and went to the conference room with Meng Yanchen. The public relations team was already waiting there, everyone's expression grave. A tense atmosphere filled the conference room; the air seemed to freeze. "Mr. Meng, Ms. Fan, these negative news stories are coming on strong. Our initial assessment is that someone is deliberately pushing this up behind the scenes. The fact that the hype has risen so quickly in such a short time clearly indicates an organized and premeditated effort," the public relations manager said anxiously. Meng Yanchen clenched his fists. "Don't panic. Follow our previously prepared plan: quickly release a statement to clarify the facts, and contact all major media platforms to demand they remove the false reports." Fan Shengmei added, "Yes, and also, release the positive publicity materials we've prepared to guide public opinion."
The public relations team sprang into action immediately; however, things didn't go as smoothly as they had anticipated. Despite their swift release of a statement, some malicious individuals stirred up trouble online, questioning the statement's authenticity and even fabricating more rumors. Furthermore, smaller companies colluding with industry associations stepped forward, adding fuel to the fire in their accusations against the Fu Group. Suddenly, the Fu Group was caught in a media storm.
Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei were extremely anxious as they watched the negative public opinion data climb. Meng Yanchen knew that if things continued this way, the Fu Group's reputation would be severely damaged, and it might even affect the company's business. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and said to Fan Shengmei, "Xiaomei, it seems we need to change our strategy. Statements and positive publicity alone are not enough. We need to find evidence against those spreading rumors and sue them directly to resolve the issue through legal means." Fan Shengmei nodded in agreement, "Okay, I'll contact the legal department right away and have them prepare the relevant materials. At the same time, we also need to increase our efforts to win over neutral companies and get them to speak up for us."
In the following period, Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei directed the legal department to collect evidence and prepare to sue the rumor-mongers, while actively communicating with neutral companies. However, the industry association seemed to have noticed their actions and began to intensify its media offensive, even bribing some smaller media outlets to conduct in-depth smear campaigns against the Fu Group. The Fu Group's stock price began to fluctuate, some partners called to inquire about the situation, and there was widespread anxiety within the company.
Meng Yanchen stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, looking down at the bustling street below, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew this crisis was more difficult than any he had faced before. Fan Shengmei walked to his side and gently took his hand. "Yanchen, don't worry, we'll definitely get through this." Meng Yanchen turned his head, looking into Fan Shengmei's determined eyes, a warm feeling welling up inside him. "Yes, with you by my side, I have confidence."
Just as Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei were fully engaged in dealing with the crisis, the investigators from the small companies reported discovering some crucial clues. It turned out that these small companies had engaged in illegal operations and bribery in their collusion with the industry association. Upon hearing this news, a glint flashed in Meng Yanchen's eyes. "This might be the key to our counterattack." He immediately arranged for people to compile the evidence, preparing to release it at the appropriate time to deliver a fatal blow to the industry association and those small companies.
However, the public pressure remains immense, and the Fu Group's reputation has already been severely damaged. Will Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei be able to utilize these clues in time to successfully uncover and counter the industry association's smear campaign? And how much impact will this smear campaign have on the Fu Group? Everything remains to be seen.
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