Chapter 158: Chapter 134

Back at Xifeng Electronics, Wang Tie asked Yi Feng, “Brother Feng, are you still training them this afternoon?”

“No need, after a week of onboarding training, they’re ready to start working. Prepare to take them to the repair center and get them used to the work environment there.”

“Also, have them bring the technical documents I’ve compiled and study them regularly,” Yi Feng said with a smile.

“Okay, I’ll do that right away,” Wang Tie nodded in agreement, about to leave when Yi Feng stopped him.

“Wait a second, don’t rush.”

“What’s up, Brother Feng? Is there something else?”

“Tomorrow, go rent the five shop locations we’ve decided on, and hand over my design plans to the construction company.”

“Also, open a store next to Zhao Xingyue’s place, right across from them.”

“I want him to experience what it’s like to have Xifeng Electronics in town; there’ll be no business for him!” Yi Feng said with a cold laugh.

The real counterattack starts now!

“Hehe, alright, Brother Feng, I got it!” Wang Tie replied excitedly, eager to get started.

“Alright, go on, the business of Xifeng Electronics still depends on you,” Yi Feng patted his shoulder, saying.

“Don’t worry, Brother Feng, I’ll take care of everything!” Wang Tie grinned broadly.

“I’ll get to it then!”

Turning around, Wang Tie left to start another busy day.

Yi Feng smiled and returned to his private office, booting up his computer.

Next, it was time to deliver a heavy blow to Shengde Company’s business!

Shengde Company was a computer parts distributor. The goal was to dissuade downstream distributors or stores from purchasing from them and even to return their goods to Shengde.

The best and quickest method was to tarnish Shengde Company’s reputation.

Once their reputation was tarnished, they would no longer have any business.

Therefore, Yi Feng’s specific tactic was online public opinion!

This method of manipulating public opinion had been foolproof in the past. To tarnish a brand, all one needed was to continuously hire internet trolls to spread negative information. Over time, as the message was passed from one to another, the brand’s negative image would be established.

Even if the negative point was fabricated, in the eyes of consumers, it would be perceived as true. This is known as “a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth.”

In fact, this involves advanced knowledge of media studies. Both tarnishing and building a brand rely heavily on guiding public opinion.

The most typical online public opinion war occurred between joint-venture and domestic cars, where both sides manipulated internet trolls and influencers to attack each other. However, the joint-venture car trolls were more aggressive, guiding the narrative that domestic cars had inferior technology. As a result, even if domestic cars performed well, many consumers would still prefer joint-venture brands.

Because when users search for information online or consult with others, those people are either internet trolls or influenced by them.

Once they adopt a certain viewpoint, it becomes difficult to change. If they think domestic cars are bad, then they are perceived as bad, and this viewpoint is spread to others.

Yi Feng had a deep understanding of online public opinion and had engaged in numerous online public opinion battles with competitors. He was well-versed in these tactics.

In today’s wild internet era, tarnishing a company’s reputation is easier than ever. Most internet users, new to the online world, are easily swayed.

After all, most internet users are not seeking the truth but rather a means to vent their emotions online.

Yi Feng began drafting a post.

“Exposure! The dark side of the computer parts industry! My personal experience, please beware!”

Yi Feng, posing as a victim scammed by Shengde Company, wrote the article.

In the article, Yi Feng, as the victim, accused Shengde Company and Nie Xin of selling inferior and even refurbished parts to individual users and distributors, making a tearful complaint.

After stating the facts, Yi Feng exaggerated further, adding how Shengde Company looked down on individual users, depicting the capitalists’ disdainful and ugly faces.

This part of the content would anger anyone who read it, making internet users easily empathize with the victim’s perspective.

At the end of the post, Yi Feng also attached some ambiguous evidence, some real, some photoshopped, to corroborate his story.

Moreover, he listed the names of stores and secondary distributors cooperating with Shengde Company, information that could be publicly obtained from Shengde.

Under the pressure of countless internet users, these partners of Shengde Company would likely distance themselves.

After finishing the article, Yi Feng smiled satisfactorily. His literary skills were not bad, expressing emotions vividly through text. He believed this post would cause a sensation.

With his bot software, no post could fail to become popular.

Yi Feng switched his IP and account, first posting the article on Tianya, then using his bot software to mimic internet users’ comments to bump the post.

Within half an hour, the post had received thousands of comments and tens of thousands of views, quickly becoming a featured post and pinned by the moderator.

Simultaneously, Yi Feng reposted the original article to Guangxi and other major BBS forums nationwide, again using his bot software for mass bumping, simulating supportive comments and additional victims “scammed” by Shengde Company.

Public opinion, once ignited, will be further exploded by countless users.

This is the theory of trending topics; once you make it to the hot search, if the issue is captivating enough, countless netizens will boost its popularity.

The post had already begun to appear widely and became a featured hot topic on major forums. All that was left was to wait for public opinion to ferment!

…

The next morning.

Nie Xin and Zhao Xingye were having morning tea at Tao Tao Ju teahouse.

“Damn, brother Zhao, you have no idea how arrogant those two kids were, especially that Yi Feng, even throwing documents in my face!”

“You don’t know, at that moment, I really wanted to slap him!” Nie Xin cursed, smoking.

Zhao Xingye poured him tea, smiling, “Don’t be angry. That kid Yi Feng is not far from bankruptcy. I bet there will be more people going to their stores to cause trouble in the next few days!”

“With so many defective parts sold, Xifeng Electronics’ reputation is doomed to stink!”

Nie Xin took a sip of tea, cursing, “Bankruptcy serves them right!”

“But, brother Zhao, do you think… they could cause us trouble?”

“I have a feeling that kid Yi Feng is not easy to deal with.”

Nie Xin’s face showed concern.

Since his interactions with Yi Feng, he knew Yi Feng was a meticulous thinker, not a fool. After secretly sabotaging him this time, could Yi Feng just let it go?

Probably not.

Zhao Xingye waved his hand, laughing, “Don’t worry, what can those two kids do? Even if they complain to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau or go to court, let them be. It won’t lead to anything.”

Nie Xin nodded, “Right.”

He thought about it and felt Yi Feng didn’t have any effective countermeasures, feeling somewhat relieved.

“Ha ha, come on, brother Zhao, let’s drink tea,” Nie Xin raised his cup.

This time helping Zhao Xingye had been quite profitable for him, feeling very pleased.

“Cheers,” Zhao Xingye said with a smug laugh.

As they were drinking tea, suddenly Nie Xin’s phone rang.

Opening his phone, it was a call from his boss, Pan Chengfu.

“Hello, boss!”

“Nie Xin, what the hell have you done?! The company’s phone lines are almost blowing up!”

“What? What’s going on, boss?” Nie Xin was completely confused.

“Just get your ass back here now!”

After the call ended, Nie Xin was bewildered.

What was going on? Why was the boss so angry?

“What’s wrong, Old Nie, who was that? Boss Pan?” Zhao Xingye asked curiously.

“Yeah, the boss wants me to rush back. Seems like something big happened, and he sounded quite… angry.”

Nie Xin suddenly felt uneasy, losing interest in morning tea, and quickly stood up to grab his coat.

“Brother Zhao, I’m afraid I can’t keep you company for tea today. I need to head to the office!”

Zhao Xingye was taken aback, “Er, okay then. Take care, bro. If there’s any issue, you can call me.”

Nie Xin nodded, about to leave when his phone rang again.

It was a call from his colleague He Raoguang.

“Hello, Old He, what’s up?”

“Old Nie, you’ve really done it this time!”

“What? What happened?!”

“Didn’t you see the post online? You’re gonna ruin the company, damn it!”

“What post?” At this moment, Nie Xin was still clueless.

“Don’t you know what you’ve done? A customer who bought defective parts has exposed you online! Now that post is too hot! The company’s phones are almost exploding! The calls are mostly to curse you, and some are cursing the company! You’re killing the company!”

“What?!”

Nie Xin’s mind went blank, completely dumbfounded.

———-

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