Chapter 127: You guys have quite the seamless connection!

Beijing, the headquarters of one of the country's top video platform companies. Although it was a bit early, there were already quite a few staff members coming and going.

As for modern internet companies, they call that a flexible work mechanism.

What is a flexible work mechanism? Theoretically, it means as long as you finish your work, the time is yours to arrange.

But, anyone who works knows that the bull the HR department blows at you, unless it's written into the contract, don't believe it.

Because a flexible work system, in the end, turns into a mandatory overtime system.

You haven't finished your work, right? It's not like we made you work overtime. Oh right, we don't have overtime now, because we don't even have set start and end times!

Perfect.

Didn't some company have a statistic that after adopting a flexible work system, overtime pay for that year dropped by fifty percent...

However, inside the Douyin Company headquarters today, a few "uninvited guests" arrived.

General Manager Wu, who is in charge of public relations and administration, is currently receiving a few comrades from the Public Security Department.

Among them are Lao Xu from the Guangming District Criminal Police Team in Jingzhou City, as well as colleagues from the brother department in Beijing.

Although they are all police, when investigating a case in another region, one must definitely greet the local brother department first and ask for their help.

The brother department was of course very cooperative; they came today, and today they brought people directly to this Company.

"Comrade, do you mean to say that this account under our Company is suspected of committing a crime, right?" General Manager Wu said with a natural expression.

For a company like theirs, they often cooperate with the Public Security Department to investigate and handle some illegal activities.

For example, some Anchor shouting in a video, "Come and catch me, if you have the ability, come and catch me, see if I don't poke you, that's all there is to it," or something similar.

Then, this kind of behavior, which is almost equivalent to a provocation against the Public Security Department, must be responded to.

Consequently, the vast masses of onlookers will soon see that classic Photo: a certain Anchor who was very arrogant before is now taking a picture accompanied by two police uncles.

That feeling of being a total coward...

It's just that previously, these were all violations of the Public Security Administration Punishments Law; I haven't really seen any that were truly suspected of committing a crime.

However, exactly what crime was committed is unknown; the case is still in the investigation stage and will not be disclosed to any outsiders.

Knowing that asking would be in vain, General Manager Wu also quickly arranged for the staff below to start retrieving the information.

I have to say, a big Company is just fast!

Zhou Mouren had been reflecting through the Customer Service Department for a long time without any results, but once the police comrades arrived here, the personal information associated with this account called "Ayi" came out in minutes.

After getting the other party's personal information in hand, Lao Xu was also full of surprise.

"We ran all the way to Beijing to check for information, and it turns out the person is from our Handong." Lao Xu was a bit dumbfounded.

But since the information had already been obtained, Lao Xu immediately said goodbye. Once the comrades in other places gathered all the information, they would start the arrest directly!

Lao Xu and his group left. General Manager Wu looked at the Legal Department director beside him and said, "What's going on, Lao Zhao? Did you notice anything special about that account? Did he post any violating content?"

This is what General Manager Wu is more concerned about. If the other party really posted some violating content and they didn't detect it, that would be trouble.

Who knows, it might form a public opinion storm, and their public relations team would have their hands full.

Director Zhao beside him shook his head and said, "I had people look, but there wasn't any. And his videos seem to be reposts of videos from other websites."

"Reposts? Then how could something go wrong..."

Just as they were chatting casually, the Secretary beside them answered the phone and immediately said, "Director Zhao, the front desk downstairs says there is a Lawyer with an Investigation Warrant from the Court who wants to investigate some information about an account owner with us."

Huh? General Manager Wu and Director Zhao looked at each other, both completely bewildered.

The police had just left after retrieving personal information, and now another Lawyer had come to the door with an Investigation Warrant from the Court?

It couldn't be related, could it? Otherwise, your connection is just too perfect.

Just a moment ago, because a video creator might be suspected of a crime, the police comrades came to the door, so General Manager Wu came to receive them.

Now, it's just a Lawyer coming to investigate; logically speaking, there is no need for people like them to show up.

It only requires the Legal Department to step forward.

But because of what just happened, after General Manager Wu and Director Zhao looked at each other, the two decided to go and take a look.

Today's matter is a bit eerie...

Just at this time, in the reception room on the first floor of the Company, Fang Dazhuang and the other two were sitting quietly, and the administrative girl from the Company had already served coffee.

As a result, just after the girl put down the coffee, she saw that slightly balding middle-aged man take out a mysterious bottle.

Then he unscrewed the cap, and suddenly, a strong sour smell began to emerge.

He poured a little into the coffee and began to stir it slowly.

Holy crap! The administrative girl even forgot to leave. That's vinegar, right? And it seems to be authentic aged vinegar...

Is there actually such a way to drink it in this world?

Zhou Yi and Zhou Xinran beside him looked like they were used to it.

"Hey Fang Dazhuang, do you think they won't let us check? I just Baidu-ed it, and many companies have resisted Court Investigation Warrants before..." Zhou Yi finally couldn't help but speak up.

His Sports Camera had been on ever since he entered this Company headquarters, and he felt like he couldn't take it all in right now.

Before, with Tengda Company, he thought that chairman's office was very impressive, but after coming here and seeing this headquarters, he felt that place was just a dump...

There is no comparison between companies.

Fang Dazhuang took a light sip of coffee, and the eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses, which seemed like they would never get tired, closed, appearing very satisfied.

Only then did he open them and look at the administrative girl.

This finally made the administrative girl react, and she hurriedly said goodbye and left.

Only then did Fang Dazhuang say, "Zhou Yi, when we are out, don't talk like you used to, especially when there are outsiders around."

"As for whether the other party cooperates, that's fine. If they don't cooperate with the Investigation Warrant, there are naturally ways to make them cooperate. The law has provisions."

"If they don't cooperate, we call the police; either they get fined or they get Administrative Detention. However, we don't necessarily have to do that."

"I know a few people in Beijing, and there will be ways when the time comes..."

Fang Dazhuang was very calm. He was mainly in Modu back then, but many people also came from Beijing, so he naturally had some connections.

Moreover, this type of investigation does not involve any financial situation, so it is basically unlikely to be refused.

That's good; after going out once, Zhou Yi has already understood that it really isn't the case that he can do whatever he wants just because he has a system.

The prerequisite for everything is legality; the Lawsuit must be legal, and the investigation of evidence must be legal, otherwise, let alone being serious, he would be the one going inside first.

Just as they were chatting, there was a knock on the door of the reception room, and then General Manager Wu and General Manager Zhao walked in, led by an administrative girl.

"This is the Company's Deputy General Manager, General Manager Wu, and this is the Legal Director, General Manager Zhao."

After the introductions, Zhou Yi looked at Fang Dazhuang, just about to say something, when the Legal Director, General Manager Zhao, on the other side, already spoke up: "Eh, Teacher Fang?"

Huh? Does Fang Dazhuang have people he knows everywhere he goes?

"You are..."

"Teacher Fang, you surely don't remember me; you were once a Guest Professor at our school and gave some lectures, I certainly remember you."

They actually know each other...

Zhou Xinran, however, was quite calm; as an insider, she was relatively clear about Fang Dazhuang's situation in this industry.

Professional ability is one aspect, but for a lawyer, especially a top-tier lawyer, what is considered is no longer just professional ability.

Since they know each other, at the very least, things will be better on the surface.

After mutual introductions, they immediately began to sit down and chat.

"Teacher Fang, I heard that you came this time to investigate some things from our Company? And you even obtained a Court Investigation Warrant?"

Fang Dazhuang nodded and said: "That is correct, several cases I have here require your Company to provide some necessary information."

General Manager Wu is very sensitive to the two words "case" today, especially since General Manager Zhao just said that this Lawyer Fang is a top-tier Criminal Case lawyer...

"Teacher Fang, what you are referring to is..."

"Oh, it is information regarding the people associated with some accounts."

General Manager Wu took a sip of tea and almost spat it out, but fortunately, he managed to restrain himself.

"You also want the information behind the accounts?"

How could it be such a coincidence?

"I also want? Has someone else asked for it before?" Fang Dazhuang asked, very puzzled.

"Ah, no, no, I was just talking nonsense."

Case information cannot be disclosed, at least before the other party solves the case; General Manager Wu still has this basic awareness.

"Then General Manager Wu, General Manager Zhao, shall we start our procedure now?"

As Fang Dazhuang said this, he took out the Investigation Warrant, as well as his and Zhou Xinran's professional licenses.

This thing can only be applied for by a Lawyer, and it can only be investigated by a Lawyer; ordinary people cannot do it.

Moreover, it requires two lawyers to conduct the investigation together, and it must have the information of the lawyers themselves and the Law Firm on it.

After receiving the investigation document and looking at it, General Manager Zhao immediately found the legal staff below to start verifying the investigation document.

This doesn't mean that just because you brought it, it is necessarily correct; at the very least, one must contact and confirm with the Court that issued this investigation document.

And General Manager Wu asked with curiosity: "Teacher Fang, I wonder what case you are investigating this information for? Is it related to our Company?"

Such matters will be known to the other party very soon as the Court Summons is delivered in a couple of days, so Fang Dazhuang did not hide it.

"It is some Anchors under your Company who stole videos from my client to profit, and they refused to delete them, so we had no choice but to choose to file a Lawsuit..."

Once these words were spoken, General Manager Wu's expression changed.

What stealing and refusing to delete; the other party didn't delete them, and the platform didn't take them down either.

So you must have also sued the platform, which is our Company!

You sued our Company, and now you are holding an Investigation Warrant to conduct an investigation; how does this feel like you are bullying people!

General Manager Zhao on the other side already said: "Teacher Fang, there is actually no need for this; look, for such a small matter, you could have just contacted our Company, and after confirming, we could have taken them down; why the need to file a Lawsuit?"

Fang Dazhuang didn't speak, only looked at Zhou Yi.

So Zhou Mouren spoke directly: "It's not like I didn't try contacting your customer service before, and I even sent you a Lawyer's Letter, but there was just no response..."

Huh? You even sent a Lawyer's Letter?

There was not a hint of embarrassment on General Manager Zhao's face, he just smiled and said: "Mr. Zhou, right? This must be that the Lawyer's Letter wasn't delivered, or it was missed."

"How about this, you tell me what other accounts stole your videos, and after we investigate clearly, we will take them down immediately and permanently ban their accounts!"

Still the same point, the platform definitely has a responsibility for review, but because this review requires too many people, for some matters, the platform also plays it by ear.

If you just find a customer service representative and complain a few times without much weight, they naturally won't pay much attention to you.

The customer service representative speaks to you affectionately, drags it out, and slowly you lose the heart for it.

But this kind of direct Lawsuit, coming to the door to investigate information, is different.

Why do many companies and even individuals treat a Lawyer's Letter like waste paper? The reason is very simple: I can spend a little money and get a bunch of these Lawyer's Letters written out.

This doesn't even count as scaring the other party; it is equivalent to a written document, ah, telling the other party, "Kid, be careful, if you do this again, I will sue you!"

But it is different once a Lawsuit is actually filed; this means that the person has already started playing for real, not wasting words with you, and is smashing a fist directly at you.

In this case, one definitely has to be a bit softer.

Moreover, the account also depends on the situation; if it has value, they might be able to protect it, meaning only taking down the videos but not banning the account.

The banning of an account mentioned here is actually a permanent ban on the identity behind the account; this person cannot upload videos here in the future.

This is the real ban!

Otherwise, if this account is banned, that account will be opened immediately; it is useless.

It is just like plagiarized novels; if they have value, the website will protect them to the death, revising and editing them to release them and continue making money, unless they really fight to the end in a lawsuit.

It is not that Zhou Yi really must go to Court; if the other party bans the accounts and takes down the videos, and then makes those account owners apologize, that is also fine.

However, judging from the current situation, it should be quite unlikely; the platform has no way to force others to apologize...

However, Zhou Yi still provided the account information; the evidence has all been collected, so even if you ban the accounts now, it is useless.

After Zhou Yi provided the account information to the other party, people from the relevant department went to investigate very quickly.

They were all ordinary accounts, and there were even a bunch of marketing accounts.

None of them reached the threshold requiring compensation.

This was mainly because that top-tier "Ayi" was truly too popular, sucking away most of the traffic, so the rest naturally couldn't even get a sip of soup.

Furthermore, they were being bashed by everyone, accused of stealing other people's videos.

Yes, some onlookers believed these marketing accounts had stolen videos from "Ayi" on this platform.

Zhou Mouren fainted from crying in the restroom...

After Zhou Yi stated his demands, as expected, President Wu was very troubled and said: "Mr. Zhou, we are just a platform; the most we can do is ban the accounts, and they can still go to other platforms."

"We have no way to make them apologize."

"How about you... just let it go; banning the accounts is already very serious."

The implication in his words was that it was difficult to handle.

Therefore, Zhou Yi shook his head and said: "Ah, then there is no need to trouble the Company; I will just continue with the Lawsuit."

Second update, President Chen suggests that one should study foreign languages well.

(End of this chapter)