If everyone is reborn, who will work for capital?

Chapter 118 3.15 Sending the East Wind

第118章 3·15送东风(4k，第1更)

"Mr. Ma, Lu Siyu from the white paper research team has come to the company and said she wants to see President Geng. I brought her to the company first so she can report to you. Is it convenient for you to meet her now?" Li Haipeng asked, standing at the office door.

Ma Chunmei had previously heard Li Haipeng mention that Vice Dean Liu Kangping was preparing an industry white paper, and Li Haipeng had been cooperating by providing some data and case studies.

This matter started before she took over the company, and since it was beneficial to the "Jiaotong University Matchmaker" brand, she never interfered too much.

"Okay, let her in." Ma Chunmei put down her phone and straightened her clothes.

A short while later, Li Haipeng led in a girl with a backpack and a neat and capable demeanor.

"Hello Mr. Ma, I am Lü Siyu, a student of Vice Dean Liu Kangping." Lü Siyu introduced herself in a poised and confident manner.

"Siyu, hello. What can I do for you?"

"Recently, the Jiaotong University matchmaking service has been very popular. Dean Liu's idea is to take advantage of this momentum and hold a white paper release conference as soon as possible to officially launch this industry research report," said Lü Siyu.

As she spoke, she respectfully placed two neatly bound copies of the "White Paper on Trust and Security in my country's Online Dating Industry (2010)" on Ma Chunmei's desk.

Ma Chunmei took the document, glanced at the table of contents, and her eyes lit up.

After flipping through a few more pages and reading carefully, she, with her formal training in marketing, quickly sensed the subtle implications.

This white paper is practically a promotional brochure tailor-made for "Chiao Tung University matchmakers"!

The various drawbacks of the industry pointed out in the book are almost all criticisms of traditional dating websites; while the positive examples cited in the book all come from the practice of "Jiaotong University Matchmaker".

A smile unconsciously crept onto Ma Chunmei's lips as she looked up at Li Haipeng.

Their eyes met, and they understood each other without saying a word.

"Siyu, this white paper is very substantial." Ma Chunmei closed the document and said in a gentle tone, "Please feel free to suggest any cooperation our company may need for the press conference, and we will fully support Dean Liu's work."

"Thank you, Mr. Ma!"

Lu Siyu quickly expressed her gratitude and then got to the point: "Dean Liu hopes to invite a senior executive from our Jiaotong University Matchmaker to give a brief speech at the press conference, to witness the white paper from the perspective of an industry practitioner."

Ma Chunmei and Li Haipeng were both stunned when they heard this.

One was genuinely stunned, while the other was just going along with the act.

The office was silent for a few seconds.

"Actually—we also wanted to ride on your company's current popularity so that this academic achievement could go viral and have a greater social impact," Lu Siyu explained with a slightly embarrassed smile.

Ma Chunmei, still smiling, asked, "Are there any requirements or restrictions regarding the direction of the speech?"

"Yes, and there are quite a few requirements."

Lu Siyu immediately started listing the points on her fingers: "The content absolutely cannot involve any specific competitive accusations, cannot mention any competitor's name, and cannot contain any obvious ————"

She rattled off a bunch of restrictions, making Ma Chunmei and Li Haipeng frown even more as they listened.

Li Haipeng frowned first, pretending to be puzzled: "Siyu, it's only a two or three-minute speech, why are there so many rules?"

'

"Because—we want to take advantage of the situation, but we are also afraid of making things too big and triggering an uncontrollable backlash in public opinion, which would put unnecessary pressure on your company and spokesperson."

"7

Lu Siyu spoke with a sincere expression, but as she spoke, her gaze inadvertently swept across Ma Chunmei's face, observing her reaction.

Ma Chunmei's expression became somewhat complicated, with joy mixed with obvious concerns.

She tapped her fingers lightly on the table unconsciously, clearly weighing the pros and cons quickly.

"Actually, I originally planned to contact President Geng directly, since he has a higher profile online," Lü Siyu added, as if suddenly remembering something. "But President Li said that this matter needs President Ma's approval first, so—"

Seeing Lü Siyu praising Geng Zhi in front of President Ma, Li Haipeng quickly winked at her. When she didn't react, he coughed lightly to remind her.

Lu Siyu turned her head and looked at him blankly, asking with her eyes, "What's wrong?"

At this moment, Ma Chunmei spoke up, her tone hesitant: "Siyu, I need to think about sending a senior executive to speak again. How about this, you go back first, and I'll give you a clear answer before eight o'clock tonight, okay?"

"Okay, okay, no problem! Thank you, Mr. Ma!" Lu Siyu's face showed just the right amount of joy, and then she asked, "Mr. Ma, can I add you on QQ? It will be convenient to contact you later."

"Of course." Ma Chunmei smiled and took out her phone.

As Lü Siyu walked out of the CEO's office and through the open-plan office area, she couldn't help but quickly glance at the male and female employees in the office out of the corner of her eye.

This floor alone already has so many employees. If we go by what Geng Zhi said, his future company will be "hundreds of times" larger than this place—wouldn't that mean it would have tens of thousands of employees?

Being a secretary to a boss like that, or a vice president of public affairs for a company of this size—it doesn't seem too outrageous, does it? She thought to herself with amusement.

Only after leaving room 315 and entering the corridor did she finally breathe a long sigh of relief. She immediately took out her phone and sent a QQ message to Geng Zhi.

Report the situation.

in the office.

"Haipeng, what do you think of what Lü Siyu just said?" Ma Chunmei asked, leaning back in her chair.

"Mr. Ma, this white paper project was initially decided upon by Mr. Geng, and I have been following up and coordinating with him ever since."

Li Haipeng continued his analysis: "I've provided a lot of information, and I feel that the content is very beneficial to us. Your attendance at the press conference will definitely be of great help in enhancing the company's brand image."

"Hmm—" Ma Chunmei pondered, "However, she just said that Vice Dean Liu originally wanted to invite President Geng. I think it would be more appropriate to let President Geng go instead."

"Hey, their research group doesn't know our internal situation. They thought Mr. Geng was the boss," Li Haipeng quickly explained with a smile. "So as soon as I heard about this, I brought him here immediately."

"What she said is true," Ma Chunmei waved her hand, a shrewd glint in her eyes. "This media frenzy was indeed generated by President Geng. Having him participate will attract more attention and better enhance the reputation of 'Jiaotong University Matchmakers.'"

She was already calculating in her mind: attending the press conference would definitely bring a new round of attention to "Jiaotong University Matchmaker" and enhance her influence and voice on Baihe.com.

She wasn't concerned about whether it would affect Baihe.com.

Mu Yan was already very dissatisfied with this public opinion incident. If I were to attend the press conference and provoke Mu Yan, wouldn't I be asking for trouble?

But sending Geng Zhi to the meeting would kill three birds with one stone.

"President Ma—this—" Li Haipeng wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Ma Chunmei raising her hand.

"No need to say anything more, it's settled then. Besides, Manager Zhao's website development is complete, isn't it? We can take advantage of the new buzz generated by the press conference to launch the new website in full force, and the results will definitely be good," Ma Chunmei analyzed.

"Understood, Mr. Ma!" Li Haipeng replied.

"Oh, right," Ma Chunmei remembered something else, "Baihe.com's offline flagship store in Beijing is opening soon, and President Mu invited me to attend. You can fly to Beijing with me then."

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Ma!" Li Haipeng said excitedly.

Beijing, the office of the "Finance Weekly" program team on CCTV's Finance Channel.

Zhou Haoran held a coffee in one hand and scrolled through the mouse with the other. The screen was filled with news reports, popular forum posts, and public opinion analyses about Geng Zhi and the online dating industry.

Just as she was engrossed in reading a sharply worded commentary, she suddenly heard the deep voice of Wang Jianjun, the program's production director, behind her:

-

"Xiao Zhou, come to my office for a moment."

Zhou Haoran's heart skipped a beat. He put down his coffee cup, got up, and followed.

As she entered the office, she keenly noticed that Director Wang's usual affable demeanor had vanished, replaced by a deep seriousness.

Her heart tightened slightly.

Could it be that the public outcry triggered by that candid interview put pressure on the station? Various speculations flashed through my mind in an instant.

Wang Jianjun pointed to the chair opposite the desk: "Xiao Zhou, sit down, and close the door first."

Zhou Haoran did as instructed, and his back straightened unconsciously as he sat down.

Wang Jianjun skipped the small talk and went straight to the point: "Xiao Zhou, the comparison interview between your role as a matchmaker at Jiaotong University and the one on Century Family Network has exceeded expectations."

Director Yin Dongliang reviewed it, as well as all the subsequent online public opinion, including that one—the legendary post on Tianya.

Zhou Haoran's heart sank.

It really is a matter of public opinion! Even the director himself is paying attention; what does that mean?

While quickly calculating in her mind, she nodded and cautiously replied, "Yes, the strong social reaction indicates that this pain point is very deep."

Wang Jianjun placed his hands on the table, his eyes gleaming, and said, "It's not very deep, it's already boiling."

He spoke slowly, but Zhou Haoran listened anxiously.

Her heart was racing, and she was already imagining whether she had done something wrong and messed things up.

"Director Yin just had a short meeting with me," Wang Jianjun continued slowly. "The core topic pool for this year's 3.15 Gala is the chaos in the marriage and dating industry, which has been listed as the highest priority candidate for attack."

Zhou Haoran's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer.

3.15 Gala!

This is CCTV's annual powerful tool for public opinion supervision, and the ultimate stage that every investigative journalist dreams of, but it also means unprecedented pressure.

The word "assault" further emphasizes the extreme urgency of the situation.

This is indeed the case.

The normal process for selecting topics for the 3.15 Consumer Rights Day often begins several months in advance with research, screening, undercover investigations, and securing of evidence chains, ultimately finalizing a few of the most significant main cases.

It is extremely rare for something to be urgently listed as an "alternative target" so close to the end of the year.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down: "Director Wang, do you need any background support from *Caijing Weekly*? I have complete interview materials and preliminary research here—"

Wang Jianjun waved his hand, interrupting her directly: "It's not about providing materials. Director Yin specifically requested a lean, discreet team with prior contact experience to be directly integrated into the core planning process of the gala. I recommended you."

Zhou Haoran: "Me? Directly into Group 3.15?"

She felt a surge of excitement rush to her head, but it was quickly replaced by even greater doubts and pressure.

The preparation for the 3.15 program was highly confidential. The team members, whether in planning, external investigation, directing, filming or post-production, were all core members drawn from various program groups.

Given my qualifications, being able to join Group 3.15 is an exceptional case.

Wang Jianjun understood Zhou Haoran's concerns and explained, "There are three reasons. First, your last interview was thorough, with stark contrasts, and the social discussion it sparked is the best proof. Director Yin acknowledges your professional judgment and perspective."

"Secondly, you have established a preliminary channel of trust with that upright person and Jiaotong University, which is the most scarce resource right now."

"Third, time is of the essence, and the conventional investigation process is not feasible. We need someone who can quickly find a breakthrough. You are the most suitable candidate."

Zhou Haoran quickly processed this information, feeling both professional excitement and an overwhelming sense of responsibility.

"Director Wang, what exactly do I need to do?" she asked succinctly.

"Your primary task is not to rush to the front lines for undercover investigations, but to go back and find Geng Zhi to restart the dialogue," Wang Jianjun said.

Zhou Haoran asked, slightly surprised, "Under what pretext should I contact Geng Zhi again? The last interview has already ended. Won't suddenly making in-depth contact this time arouse his suspicion?"

Wang Jianjun nodded and said seriously, "Good question. The official name is—'Finance Weekly' plans to do an annual in-depth report on this industry, which is currently under intense public scrutiny, focusing on the 'light' and 'dark' aspects of industry transformation."

"In this name, we should obtain more in-depth insights into the industry, potential clues, and—possible victim cases or information from insiders willing to speak out—from him as soon as possible."

Next, Wang Jianjun explained to her in detail the confidentiality rules, the colleagues to cooperate with in the undercover investigation, various evidence-gathering techniques, and the language and tact to communicate with Geng Zhi.

"Xiao Zhou, marriage and relationship issues are related to the happiness of millions of families. Those fraudulent activities can devour an ordinary person's life savings and hope for the future. Director Yin has made up his mind, and we must do this matter thoroughly and properly."

"Don't worry, Director Wang, I understand the importance of this and will do my best." Zhou Haoran nodded emphatically, his eyes filled with determination.

Back at her workstation, she pondered for a long time, carefully considering each word, before picking up her phone and sending a message to Geng Zhi.

Geng Zhi, who had just reached a pleasant consensus with Ma Chunmei and left her office, felt a sense of relief on his shoulders.

Ma Chunmei has formally invited him to represent the company at the white paper launch conference in a few days.

He was just about to call Shu Beibei to visit Vice President Liu Kangping again to finalize some details of the press conference when his phone vibrated.

He took it out and saw that it was a text message from Zhou Haoran.

After reading this very official brief, Geng Zhi felt a surge of joy.

Before it even came knocking, the long-awaited east wind finally arrived on its own.

PS: I'm updating 10,000 words today.