Plan B
Fifteen minutes later, all core members of the joint command had been connected to the online conference room, and the images of Meng Yihe and Cui Yu appeared side by side in the upper left corner of the screen.
The background of Meng Yihe's photo is his home study. He has changed into a shirt, and his expression is even more stern than usual. Cui Yu, on the other hand, is already in the company's conference room, with a huge whiteboard behind him, on which several key points he has just summarized are written.
"Everyone's here, let's get started." Meng Yihe's voice came through the microphone, clear and without a trace of unnecessary emotion.
"Lin Xueyue, provide the latest updates."
"Yes." Lin Xueyue's window lit up.
"Negative public opinion has continued to escalate in the past half hour, with an increase of about 25% in related discussions, mainly concentrated in financial and local forums. Currently, we have detected that three small and medium-sized investment institutions have shifted to a wait-and-see attitude. Although the shadow of 'Dingsheng' is very obvious, the chain of evidence is not yet complete."
"Zhao Lei," Cui Yu continued, "What about your end?"
"The legal department has intervened and sent lawyer's letters to several of the most active rumor-mongering accounts and platforms, mainly as a deterrent. The operations department has compiled the first batch of positive data packets, which can be released at any time." Zhao Lei spoke quickly.
"In addition, according to the model provided by Wu Haogang, if the public opinion continues for more than three days, it may affect our pre-investment valuation for the next quarter."
“We can’t wait three days,” Meng Yihe said coldly. “Xu Rui, how many of the core arguments and data loopholes in the other party’s report have you found?”
Xu Rui's window suddenly lit up.
"Found it! Director Meng, Director Cui! The so-called 'authoritative' population inflow forecast report for the North District that they cited is a five-year-old version! The new data was updated at the beginning of last year, and the growth rate is nearly 40% higher than what they cited! This is a fatal flaw!"
“Very good.” A sharp glint flashed in Meng Yihe’s eyes.
"Gao Yuan, immediately turn this data comparison into the most intuitive infographic. Be quick, make it eye-catching, so that people can see at a glance that they are changing the subject."
"Received! First version within half an hour!" Gao Yuan responded immediately.
“Shen Xinyi,” Cui Yu called out, “risk assessment.”
"The risk is currently under control, but there is a risk of it spreading," Shen Xinyi calmly reported on the risk situation and suggested countermeasures.
"We recommend a two-pronged approach: the overt approach is to release positive information and legal statements through official channels to stabilize market sentiment; the covert approach is to communicate one-on-one with the largest and most volatile partners as soon as possible, with 'Global Capital' and 'Zhaolong Group' being the highest priority. If they waver, it will cause a chain reaction."
“Okay.” Cui Yu nodded, turning his gaze to Meng Yihe on the screen. Their eyes met, and they had already made their decision.
"Director Meng, you will take the lead in the main line of action, be responsible for organizing materials, and directly refute the rumors to discredit them."
“I’ll handle the negotiations with ‘Huanyu’ and ‘Zhaolong’.”
Clear division of labor.
Meng Yihe had no objections and said succinctly, "Okay, Lin Xueyue will cooperate with me. Xu Rui, send me the details of the vulnerability you found. Gao Yuan, send the completed diagram directly to the group."
"Zhao Lei, get the emergency contact information for the project leaders of 'Huanyu' and 'Zhaolong' and make sure my schedule is clear for today." Cui Yu immediately made the arrangements. "Wu Hao, I need a report on the project progress and abnormal cash flow of 'Dingsheng' for the past three months, the sooner the better."
Before the meeting ended, Cui Yu added: "Everyone, our opponents want to see us panic, but we'll make them see it. These little tricks will only make our team more efficient."
The online meeting has ended.
Meng Yihe looked at the screen that had suddenly fallen silent, his gaze falling on the sky outside the window, which had now fully lit up. He took a deep breath, sat down in front of the computer, and immersed himself in the battle. The cold light from the screen reflected on his expressionless face.
Lin Xueyue's shared document was covered with his annotations. He replaced all the weak words like "clarification" and "explanation" in the original draft from the public relations department with strong offensive words such as "refute," "crush," and "undoubtedly."
[Comment: The data vulnerability discovered by Xu Rui is highlighted in bold red font here.]
[Attachment: Screenshots of the old report vs. the new report]
Meanwhile, inside the Star Tower.
Cui Yu has moved to a quieter, smaller meeting room.
Zhao Lei was extremely efficient. He not only retrieved the private number of Mr. Li's assistant at "Global Capital," but also found out that Mr. Li himself happened to be in the city this morning and had a meeting scheduled for 10:00 AM.
"Help me arrange a meeting with Mr. Li, right now. Use the excuse that the 'Beichen Zhiguang project has urgent progress and requires face-to-face communication,' and set the meeting place at a coffee shop near his company, where it will be convenient for him."
While giving instructions quickly, Cui Yu browsed through the summary of recent abnormal fund flows of "Dingsheng" that Wu Hao had just sent, his gaze lingering for a moment on several suspicious overseas related accounts.
Zhao Lei responded and left.
Cui Yu picked up her phone and dialed Meng Yihe's number.
Meng Yihe was focused on revising the closing statement when she saw the caller ID. She answered immediately, her tone purely professional: "Go on."
“I have an appointment with Mr. Li from ‘Huanyu’ in an hour. Wu Hao has some issues; there have been several suspicious fund flows at ‘Dingsheng’ recently, seemingly used to pay for irregular marketing activities. Let’s hold off on this for now and not include it in the public statement until I’ve finished talking to him.” Cui Yu spoke quickly.
"Understood. In public, we'll only present data and facts." Meng Yihe instantly grasped the strategic intent.
The overt strategy must be swift, accurate, and ruthless; the covert strategy must have a backup plan.
He typed the final, definitive statement on the keyboard: "[Starry Sky Group has absolute confidence in the success of the 'Northern Star Light' project. Any attempt to mislead the public with false information will be subject to corresponding legal liability.]"
"Okay. When will you release your statement?"
Cui Yu asked, and in the background came Zhao Lei's voice confirming the appointment was successful. "After Gao Yuan's drawing is finalized, it will be completed within five minutes."
Meng Yihe glanced at the progress. "Lin Xueyue has already contacted key media channels for simultaneous distribution."
"Okay, keep in touch."
Meng Yihe sent the final version of the statement to Lin Xueyue: [Sent.]
His gaze then returned to the vague clues about "peak" on the screen.
Clearly, the information war is just the beginning.
On the other side, Cui Yu put away his phone, straightened his suit and tie, and gestured to Zhao Lei: "Let's go meet with President Li. On the way, bring me the latest asset appraisal report from 'Zhaolong' again." He stepped out of the conference room, his expression calm and composed.
It's not about putting out a potential fire, but about conducting a negotiation that's already won.
...
The atmosphere in Ji Nan's office at Dingsheng Capital was far from relaxed and confident. Dressed in a sharply tailored suit dress, she stood before the huge floor-to-ceiling window, listening to a video report from her public relations manager.
"...That's roughly the situation. Xinghuan's reaction was much faster and more forceful than we expected."
The person in charge on the screen spoke cautiously.
"Their official statement was very sharp, directly accusing us of 'information being false' and reserving the right to pursue legal action. Moreover, they precisely seized on the data loopholes in the old report we cited, creating a highly viral comparison chart, which has now been released on their core channels, and is beginning to show signs of a counterattack."
Ji Nan tapped lightly on the window frame with her fingertips.
She anticipated Xinghuan's counterattack, but she hadn't expected it to be so swift and aggressive, striking right at her weak point. This didn't seem like a hasty, panicked response; it was more like a well-prepared strike waiting for the right moment.
"Understood." Ji Nan's voice was devoid of much emotion. "Continue monitoring, paying close attention to the reactions of their core partners, especially the direction of their actions with 'Huanyu' and 'Zhaolong'."
Just as the video call ended, her assistant knocked on the door and came in, looking somewhat nervous: "President Ji, we just received news that Cui Yu, the operations director of 'Xinghuan,' urgently met with Mr. Li of 'Huanyu Capital' half an hour ago at the coffee shop downstairs from Mr. Li's company. The meeting lasted about forty minutes and just ended."
Ji Nan turned around.
"result?"
"It's unclear what exactly was discussed, but Mr. Li's secretary revealed that after the meeting, Mr. Li canceled an internal meeting scheduled for the afternoon and asked the team to reassess the risk model of 'Beichen Zhiguang'. It doesn't seem like he's planning to withdraw his investment."
Ji Nan's lips pressed into a cold, hard line.
Cui Yu is indeed a difficult person to deal with.
The propaganda war failed to disrupt their plans; instead, it allowed the other side to consolidate its rear.
"It seems that small-scale tactics won't scratch their itch."
Ji Nan walked to the desk and pressed the internal communication button.
"Notify the project team that a meeting will be held in Conference Room One in five minutes." The voice was calm and decisive, showing no sign of defeat, but rather as if it had been ignited by an even stronger competitive spirit.
"That's enough with the public relations maneuvering. Now it's time to activate Plan B and show them something real."
Meeting Room Number One.
"The goal remains the same: to disrupt 'Northern Star's' rhythm and seize the initiative. But the method must change. I need you to act immediately, starting with both resources and rules."
She didn't explain what specific resources or rules were involved, but everyone present understood and looked serious.
"The action must be swift and precise, striking at their most vulnerable and unprepared points. I want those two directors from 'Starworld' to understand that some games cannot be won simply by issuing a few statements and meeting with a few investors."
"Meeting adjourned. Go and carry out your duties."
Starworld Group, Joint Command Center.
The high-efficiency operation continued throughout the morning, successfully suppressing the public opinion storm. Before they could relax, a sense of stagnation quietly crept onto the wheels of the project's progress.
First, Wu Hao came to find Cui Yu with a frown.
“Mr. Cui, something’s strange. Xinda Building Materials just called to say that the delivery date of a batch of special glass they supplied to us will be delayed by two weeks due to production line adjustments.”
Wu Hao's tone was one of confusion.
“This batch of glass is not used in large quantities, but it is used in key parts of the lakeside viewing platform in the west district. We cannot find a completely identical substitute, and the delay will affect the scheduling of several subsequent processes.”
"And...their tone was a bit harsh, not as easy to talk to as before."
Almost at the same time, Meng Yihe received an internal call from Lin Xueyue.
"Director Meng, 'Dot and Line Design Studio' has officially rejected our cooperation invitation."
Lin Xueyue's voice sounded somewhat regretful.
"The reason given was that 'the project schedule is currently full and we cannot allocate core personnel.' But just a week ago, they showed great interest and even sent us some concept sketches."
Two seemingly unrelated matters were delivered to Cui Yu and Meng Yihe almost simultaneously.
Cui Yu had just sent Wu Hao away, instructing him to immediately investigate whether other small suppliers faced similar risks. As he looked up, he saw Meng Yihe peering over from his glass cubicle.
Cui Yu stood up and walked directly into Meng Yihe's office.
"Are you having problems too?" Cui Yu asked bluntly.
“A design studio that had previously expressed strong interest in collaborating suddenly rejected us,” Meng Yihe said succinctly. “The reason given was far-fetched.”
“One of my key small suppliers suddenly wanted to postpone delivery, and his tone was unusual,” Cui Yu added.
He leaned against Meng Yihe's desk.
"The propaganda war has just been quelled, and problems are already arising from these easily overlooked details..."
What a coincidence!
“…It doesn’t seem like an accident.” Meng Yihe coldly finished his sentence, her eyes sharpening.
“It is at its peak.”
It's not a question, it's a certainty. Only a competitor of "Dingsheng's" size and style would use such a seemingly piecemeal approach, but in reality, it precisely targets the vulnerable parts of a project.
They don't care about winning or losing in the short term; instead, they want to create trouble for the project little by little, delay the progress, and increase costs.
Until quantitative change leads to qualitative change.
"Plan B?" Meng Yihe looked up at Cui Yu.
"Looks like it." Cui Yu smirked. "Starting with the scraps, that's really their style."
The two instantly reached a consensus: the previous propaganda war was an open attack, while the current one was a hidden arrow that needed to be carefully guarded against.
"Have the team conduct a comprehensive self-examination," Meng Yihe immediately decided. "Reassess the stability and alternatives of all partners, regardless of size. Keep a close eye on all approval processes."
“I’ll go follow up with Xinda and see if I can uncover anything else,” Cui Yu nodded.
"It seems we need to prepare for a 'logistics defense battle'."
The air in the command center seemed to thicken. The constant ringing of telephones, the hushed, hurried conversations, and the occasional soft sighs amidst the clatter of keyboards.
Cui Yu's gaze shifted from Meng Yihe's cubicle back to the abnormal report on "Xinda Building Materials" submitted by Wu Hao. His fingertip hovered over "General Manager Wang's" contact information for a moment, but instead of immediately using the company landline, he picked up his personal cell phone and dialed the number.
The phone rang a few times before being answered. A slightly hesitant voice came from the other end, belonging to Mr. Wang of Xinda: "...Hello? Who is this?"
"Mr. Wang, this is Cui Yu."
Cui Yu's voice instantly switched to a relaxed and even familiar tone, as if it were just a casual chat between old friends.
"Did I disturb you?"
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