Very Pure and Ambiguous: The Prequel

Even when I’m normally at home, I could hear the aunties from the neighborhood committee say: could the newspaper print lies!?

The reputation of a corporation was too important for its future development! If the business’s reputation falls, then no matter how good the products produced are, or how advance they are, no one would use it.

“Uncle Zhao…” I said softly. “I read it!”

“What do you think about this?” Uncle Zhao didn’t hang up this entire time, and waited for me to finish reading the newspaper.

“They saw a large tree would attract the winds. A human should be scared of being famous, a pig should be scared of getting fat, now that the business got big, there will always be people that get envious, and since they can’t beat us properly, they use some hired writers to write a few articles of ‘false news’ to fatally wound Shuguang. Our business is not the first. Both of us are very clear about whether Shuguang Input Method was original or copied from Microsoft,” I said. In my previous life when I was the CEO of Microsoft, I have seen quite a few articles slandering Microsoft, but I could ignore it completely. That’s because Microsoft was already huge, and monopolized the market. Although Shuguang was also very large, and had a lot of funds, and advance technology. It was still a business that haven’t even been established for half a year, and could not withstand this sort of issue.

“That’s right, I also understand this. I already got friends in the media we have in contact with to investigate, and figure out who was responsible for this,” Zhao Junsheng said.

“Uncle Zhao, who do you think is the mastermind behind this?” I thought about it and raised this question.

“I considered this as well, this person definitely isn’t someone from within Shuguang Corporation. Firstly, our employees have signed an NDA with the company, and would no just say stuff like that. Secondly, everyone in the company knows that our company gave Microsoft the rights to use Shuguang Pinyin Input Method. They can’t be stupid enough to go to the media and say that we stole Microsoft’s work. Isn’t that picking up a rock to smash their own feet? Therefore, it is very likely that it is someone that isn’t very familiar with us!” Zhao Junsheng analyzed.

“Not a bad analysis!” I said in admiration. This Zhao Junsheng did have quite a bit of leadership abilities, this was also the reason why I was fine with handing the company over to him. Zhao Junsheng was right, from the moment I picked up the newspaper, I already refuted the possibility of the author of this person being from within the company.

“However I don’t think it’ll be easy to find out who the mastermind is. This article should have been sent to the press anonymously or under a false name, unless the author comes forth himself, we have no other solutions,” Zhao Junsheng sighed and said.

What Zhao Junsheng said was true. This damn press would report anything for their own profits, I have seen a lot of false newspaper reports that have caused damage to a person or company, in the end the newspaper couldn’t even be bothered to apologized, and the situation was just left as it was.

“The most important thing right now is making Songjiang Morning Post make a clarification on tomorrow’s newspaper, and have a positive report, and try to protect as much reputation as we can. If we really can’t do it, then throw the contract between us and Microsoft out!” I said in an ordering manner.

“Clarification is definitely fine! The press doesn’t seem to know direction if we don’t show them some colors, I’ve already contacted people from the government to take care of these bullshitting grandsons. Fuck, they dare to print anything!” This was the first time Zhao Junsheng said swear words in front of me, it was clear that he was already furious. “However it might not be suitable to publish Microsoft’s contract…”

“We can’t use this last resort unless we have no other choice. Try to use your relationship to pressure other media as well, don’t let them share the news, and we can’t let the situation get escalate. It’ll be hard to handle if the entire country knows about this. Deal with the situation while it is still within the borders of Sujijang city,” I said.

“I understand. I’ll call my dad later,” Zhao Junsheng said.

I hung up, and fell into deep thoughts. Ever since Shuguang Corporation was established, it was all very smooth. The government supported us from above, and the public supported us underneath, it could be said that we never wronged anyone. Furthermore, the business of Shuguang Corporation was in the leading technology of the country, or even the world, it was impossible to have any direct conflict of interests with other company. Who could do this for no reason, and plot against Shuguang?

The editorial department of Songjiang Morning Post was already in chaos.

“Wang Deyi, you’ve got guys! Who told you to change the headline to this!” A glasses wearing middle aged man around forty years old roared while throwing a copy of Songjiang Morning Post in front of the journalist named Wang Deyi.

Wang Deyi dipped his head, and stood on the sides, afraid to even make a single sound.

“Say something? Idiot!” The middle-aged man scolded.

“Editor Chen, I-I just wanted to increase the sales of our newspaper, so I took the initiative in changing the headline…” Wang Deyi said while trembling.

“Increase sales? Is there anyone that increase sales like you? Do you want everyone at our office to be laid off? Did you get bored of this job and want to go back to farming at home? Reporting anything was fine, but reporting Shuguang Corporation? Did your brain get kicked by a donkey?

What’s Shuguang Corporation! It is the star business of our country, ignoring how powerful their relationship is, just the fact that Shuguang Corporation has solved the employment issues of six thousand something people in our city since it was established is enough to make it impossible for the government not to help Shuguang Corporation! The most important in media is facts!

You’ve done it, listening to reasons, catching at shadows! You dared to print this article that doesn’t even have an author! You could have looked more carefully when you decided to print it, you didn’t print about those cats and dogs, flowers and grass, celebrities of sports or music, you just had to pick on Shuguang Corporation! Our newspaper company is most likely screwed!” Editor Chen was so angry that his body trembled.

Wang Deyi was also covered in sweat due to fear, his heart was regretting it to the max. He received a foreign number while he was on duty at the office the previous night, and it faxed this article to Wang Deyi, asking it to be put onto the headlines of tomorrow’s Songjiang Morning Post, then he promised that Wang Deyi would be paid twenty thousand Yuan as thanks. Wang Deyi didn’t think it was any big deal, isn’t that just an article attacking someone else, it’s not like he hasn’t written any false news like this in the past, it won’t cause any big deal, and so he agreed. Yet, after this newspaper was printed today, that stranger didn’t contact him, and he didn’t even get 1 mao.

At this time, the door to the editor’s office was opened, and several people walked in.

“Editor Chen, I am from the Press and Publication Bureau, I have to conduct some investigation of the truthfulness on the article about Shuguang Corporation that was printed on today’s Songjiang Morning Post, please cooperate!” The person in the lead said.

Editor Chen sighed, he didn’t think someone would come to investigate so quickly, although the person that came spoke with courtesy, but his editor position might still be removed.

Editor Chen glared at Wang Deyi sharply, then stood up to shake hands with each and every one of the people that come in.