Chapter 70

Chapter 17: The Show Begins

The next day, September 12th, Cheng Peijia returned to the company from Shenzhen with the contract. This also meant that Dingdang Network was about to start the relocation process, moving the company to Shenzhen.

However, the move couldn't be delayed any longer. Dingdang Network's daily page views exceeded one million, and the existing servers and network resources could no longer handle such high traffic. If the move wasn't made soon, the network resources would eventually collapse.

But who would take charge of Dingdang Network after the move to Shenzhen? Liu Yingying was the best candidate, and Lin Feng could personally oversee the operations. However, the market in Chu City kept Lin Feng from leaving.

Liu Yingying had previously suggested to Lin Feng that he abandon Chu City and focus on Dingdang Network as his main business, temporarily putting the fast-food restaurant project on hold. After all, the internet industry was lucrative and less susceptible to administrative interference. Moreover, in Shenzhen, Xia Qianhe would find it much harder to compete with Lin Feng. Shenzhen was a deep pool, and even with thirty million, one couldn't make a splash.

However, Lin Feng rejected Liu Yingying's suggestion on the spot, telling her, "I can avoid it for a while, but not forever. If he insists on challenging me, I will fight!"

After discussing with Liu Yingying, Lin Feng appointed Cheng Peijia as the vice president of Dingdang Network, temporarily exercising administrative authority on his behalf. To retain Cheng Peijia's talent, Lin Feng gave him 0.5% of Dingdang Network's shares. Although this was far less than Liu Yingying's 10%, Lin Feng believed that once Dingdang Network fully matured, Cheng Peijia would be delighted by the profits from his 0.5% share.

After handling the relocation of Dingdang Network, Lin Feng accepted an interview with Jiang Dan. Dressed in a professional outfit, Jiang Dan seemed as if the intimate incident that night had never happened, calmly and smilingly asking Lin Feng questions. This left Lin Feng, who had secretly hoped for something to happen, somewhat disappointed. However, Lin Feng was not the type to lose his composure at the sight of a woman, and he quickly regained his focus and took the interview seriously.

The interview was formal and mechanical. At this point, interviews with such news figures in Chu City always revolved around the same few questions, with only the answers varying slightly depending on the subject. They always ended with gratitude to the Party, the government, and the country.

Lin Feng had a sudden idea and suggested changing the pre-recorded, post-broadcast format to a live talk show. He believed the audience would enjoy it more, and the ratings would be higher.

Jiang Dan thought about it for a moment and found Lin Feng's proposal feasible. This was not a completely new format; CCTV's "Speaking Frankly" was the first to try it, and many local TV stations followed suit. However, in Chu City, there had been no such changes. One reason was the conservative mindset of the leadership, and the other was the poor ratings of the TV station. However, since the launch of "Chutian Style," the ratings had steadily increased, making this no longer an issue.

Thinking this over, Jiang Dan quickly called Meng Dong and relayed Lin Feng's proposal.

Meng Dong also found it feasible. However, thinking of how Lin Feng had outsmarted him before, he instinctively felt that there might be another trap. After hesitating for a moment, Meng Dong asked Jiang Dan to continue the interview and said he would hold a meeting to discuss it. If it was indeed feasible, they would adopt this new format in the future.

This time, Lin Feng had no ulterior motives, and Meng Dong was just being overly cautious. However, this was similar to how, after several years of A+ draft night trades, the other 29 NBA general managers no longer trusted Daryl Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, fearing they would be at a disadvantage or cheated.

Meng Dong was now in this mindset.

Putting aside Meng Dong's complicated thoughts, Lin Feng, after patiently answering the mechanical questions, politely declined Jiang Dan's dinner invitation and left. According to the agreement between Lin Feng and Meng Dong, the "Chutian Style" production team would send Wang Yun to conduct a live interview the next day.

To make the scene more impactful, Lin Feng had to do some small maneuvers.

That night, Lin Feng went to the hospital—after receiving the advance payment for "Counter-Strike," his financial situation had greatly improved—and promised the other injured residents that he would cover all their medical expenses, to be repaid once justice was served. In return, they were to participate in a sit-in protest in front of Daya Chemical Plant the next afternoon.

The families of the injured residents, who had long since given up hope, were overjoyed. They had thought they would have to accept their misfortune, but now there was a glimmer of hope, and Lin Feng was willing to cover their medical expenses. They were extremely grateful and readily agreed to his request.

Next, Lin Feng contacted the community committee of the coal chemical dormitory and informed the chairman that the "Chutian Style" production team would be interviewing about the controversial issue of the Daya Chemical Plant being built near the residential area.

The chairman, delighted, immediately notified several employees and contacted the retired and unemployed residents, asking them to participate in the collective protest the next day. The chairman, who had been intimidated by the security guards hired by Daya Chemical's owner, Hu Xiaobing, felt much safer with journalists present. He didn't believe they would dare to attack people in front of the cameras.

The next day, Lin Feng and Wang Meng arrived near Daya Chemical, waiting for the show to begin.

At 10 a.m., the families of the injured, grateful for Lin Feng's help with medical expenses, arrived early to protest in front of Daya Chemical Plant. Some of the injured, who could still walk, even came to the scene, bandaged from head to toe, standing at the front and shouting for the perpetrators to be held accountable and for medical compensation.

Hu Xiaobing had been on a winning streak lately. Not only had he punished Lin Feng, but he had also secured a new supply contract from an upstream manufacturer, bringing in nearly ten million in annual profit. This made him smile from ear to ear.

However, due to the increased orders, production could not keep up, so Hu Xiaobing had the workers work day and night. The smell and noise were inevitable during this rush. Although his cousin had warned him—initially, to save costs, he had built the factory near a residential area, which was against regulations—about the gas emissions and noise pollution, the now-successful Hu Xiaobing only saw money. Besides, the troublemakers had been dealt with by his cousin, and the timid residents wouldn't dare to cause any more trouble.

Unexpectedly, early that morning, just after having breakfast with Deputy Director Li, Hu Xiaobing saw another group of protesters in front of his factory, which made him irritable. Already drunk, his temper flared.

"Get lost, damn it! Don't interfere with my business!" Hu Xiaobing angrily pointed at the crowd and shouted.

Hu Xiaobing's outburst made the families of the injured feel intimidated, especially when they saw the security guards behind him, ready to pounce.

"Ha! You dare to demand compensation with just this much courage!" Hu Xiaobing spat in disdain at the group.

"Compensate for medical expenses, hand over the perpetrators, or we won't leave!" a trembling voice called out.

Hu Xiaobing glanced over and saw a man covered in bandages, which only fueled his anger. He hadn't learned his lesson last time, and now he was back.

Enraged, Hu Xiaobing slapped the man, stunning him, and then kicked him to the ground.

"Damn it, I didn't hurt you enough last time, so you're back. I'll beat you to death!" Hu Xiaobing, in a fit of rage, kicked the man repeatedly.