Chapter 247: Rounding Up, Is Zhou Yi About to Go In?

Upon hearing Zhou Yi's words, the flash of embarrassment on Liu Yun's face, who had been about to stand up to help serve the coffee, vanished—it truly vanished in a flash.

She immediately maintained her professional smile and said, "That is certainly no problem; I will serve Mr. Zhou."

"By the way, bring a few more cups of coffee to our table; put them all on my tab."

That last sentence was directed at Dong Shu, the owner of the café.

Upon hearing this, Dong Shu looked at Zhou Yi, and Zhou Mouren flatly refused: "General Manager Liu, there is no need for that. Let's just pay separately."

It was not that he was being overly cautious, but that there were always people and matters in this world that required him to be careful.

Hearing Zhou Yi's words, a trace of a bitter smile appeared on Liu Yun's exquisite face: "Mr. Zhou, this... it's just a few cups of coffee, isn't that a bit much?"

Zhou Yi shook his head without speaking; this was not a question of whether it was "a bit much" or not.

Just then, the café door was pushed open, and a man with slightly thinning hair on the top of his head walked in, accompanied by a woman who was also exquisitely made up.

"Lawyer Fang, Xinran, over here!"

"General Manager Liu, and these two, this is my best friend, and also the defense lawyer I have entrusted with this case, Fang Xujing; this is Lawyer Fang's assistant, Lawyer Zhou Xinran."

"Lawyer Fang, this is General Manager Liu from Chengdu Company, and this is..."

After introducing both sides one by one, Lawyer Fang stepped forward to shake hands; in terms of etiquette, he was never lacking.

While shaking hands, Liu Yun suddenly spoke up: "Lawyer Fang, did you work in Modu before?"

"Oh, General Manager Liu, right? I was mainly in Modu before, but I have also handled quite a few lawsuits in the Imperial Capital."

Lawyer Fang said this casually, but it made the person sent by Ah Huang Company on the side raise their eyebrows—what does this mean? Why do I feel like there is a hidden meaning in your words!

The reason General Manager Liu asked this was because she suddenly remembered the words of the Company's legal director; although the other party hadn't said much, she could tell that the legal director was actually not inclined to go to court against this Lawyer Fang.

So now, Liu Yun was thinking of taking a good look at this Lawyer Fang, wanting to know just how capable the other party really was.

It was just a pity that, no matter how she looked at him, the other party remained completely unruffled.

This kind of demeanor was quite terrifying; he might be a rookie who knew nothing, or he might be a true heavyweight.

And judging from the legal director's previous reaction, it was clearly the latter.

But as she pondered this, the time she spent staring at the other party became a little too long.

People in the workplace all know that you can look at the other person while shaking hands; a few brief seconds is etiquette.

But if you stare intensely at the other person while shaking hands, that is not right.

Lawyer Fang didn't speak, but Zhou Xinran, who was behind him, suddenly stepped forward and said: "Hello, General Manager Liu, I am Teacher Fang's assistant, Zhou Xinran."

As she spoke, she had already naturally extended her hand.

Now Liu Yun had no choice but to let go of Lawyer Fang; shaking hands with two people at once was also a bit awkward.

Originally, this was just a simple handshake; after greeting the other two, Lawyer Fang had already sat down beside Zhou Yi, preparing to take out his vinegar bottle.

As it turned out, the first sentence Zhou Xinran said to Liu Yun immediately piqued the interest of both Zhou Mouren and Fang Mouren.

"General Manager Liu, your skin is well-maintained; you look quite young!"

Holy crap! The flavor was just right. The two men exchanged a glance, and Lawyer Fang didn't even bother to drink his own exclusive coffee, just watching intently.

Everyone, don't misunderstand; we two are just looking with an appreciative eye.

As everyone knows, a woman's age is an unsolved mystery and must absolutely never be asked.

And now, Zhou Cainiao had come out swinging with a big move; she didn't ask the age, but she said directly, "You look young!"

Friends, under what circumstances would someone say you look young? That means you are already old!

You have to read between the lines; clearly, Mengnan Zhou's combat power on this issue was a hundred times stronger than her combat power in law...

If it were any other time, for this sentence alone, Liu Yun would have had to counter with at least ten sentences, but for now, business was more important, and Liu Yun didn't say anything.

She turned to look at Zhou Yi and said: "Mr. Zhou, you see, your friends have arrived too, so let's talk first. Actually, companies have it very difficult these days."

"Take our company for example; ever since we were founded, we have been burning through money, and the discounts we offer are very generous. Now, the company's situation is truly difficult..."

Liu Yun was not habitually playing the victim; she was just opening the conversation.

She had encountered many such situations before; to tell the truth, they could actually all be settled with money!

I believe this point is not surprising to many people. Why do you seek Legal Aid? Of course, it is for money. If you are still not satisfied, then it can only be said that the money wasn't enough. No problem, right?

Of course there is no problem, which is why in many cases, whenever someone sees Legal Aid or a Lawsuit, they will say, "Aren't you just doing this for money?"

Zhou Mouren had encountered too many such things in the past.

So he was very disgusted. So what if I am doing it for money? Why can't I seek Legal Aid for money? Isn't everyone working and holding a job to make money?

For the sake of money, can it not be said out loud?

So he spoke directly: "General Manager Liu, let's skip this nonsense. Since you have come, and insisted on meeting even after I said it was unnecessary."

"And you also intend to make friends with me, then let's speak plainly: it is impossible for me to delete my posts and videos. There is no need to discuss this point."

There was nothing strange on the faces of Liu Yun and her two companions; they had heard such words too many times during their previous public relations work. For situations like this, money could solve any problem.

Thus, Liu Yun smiled: "Mr. Zhou, yes, we can understand your feelings, so we have come with sincerity this time."

"We have roughly calculated your video revenue; you don't usually take advertisements, but we can refer to other Up Masters. Therefore, as long as you delete the videos and posts, we can offer you 800,000 yuan in compensation. What do you think?"

After finishing, seeing that Zhou Yi was about to speak, she hurriedly added: "Mr. Zhou, if you are not satisfied with this price, we can discuss it further. Really, everything is negotiable."

This compensation was already considered a high price; usually, the advertisements for Up Masters with more followers than Zhou Yi were basically around this level.

"General Manager Liu, can you let me speak? If you only want to talk yourself, then I think we had better not talk at all."

"I will state again: I will not delete my videos and posts. No matter how much money you offer, I will not delete them. Let alone 800,000, even 80 million is impossible."

Upon hearing this, General Manager Liu hurriedly said: "Mr. Zhou, don't say that. I know our company did indeed cause you trouble, but this was truly an accident."

"So if you feel the compensation we offered is not enough, you can propose a reasonable figure yourself; all of this is negotiable."

"That's right, Mr. Zhou, everything is negotiable; there is no need to make things so tense." The middle-aged man from Ah Huang on the side also chimed in.

A strange look appeared on Zhou Yi's face: "General Manager Liu, and this gentleman, I am now very curious: are you unable to understand what I am saying?"

"I said, it is impossible for me to delete my videos and posts. How many times do you need me to say it? If you don't believe me, then I am leaving now."

Having finished speaking, Zhou Yi gestured to Lawyer Fang, then immediately stood up and left directly.

I've been talking to you for so long, are you playing games with me?

You don't mention a single word about your current Big Data Price Discrimination problem, yet you keep opening and closing your mouth about deleting videos and deleting posts.

You don't solve the problem, you just want to solve the person who raised the problem.

It's only because this is a society ruled by law now, otherwise Zhou Mouren feels that if he did this, he might really be shot in the back at any time...

Polite words are indeed polite, and because the other party was very polite, Zhou Yi had not turned hostile.

As a result, I've said it so many times here, and you still don't believe it, then forget it.

At first, Liu Yun thought the other party was joking, or was holding out for a better price, just like when you go to the market to buy something, you tell the boss this thing is too expensive, make it cheaper.

The boss says it's impossible to make it cheaper for you, so you turn and leave, but in your heart, you actually really like this thing, so you hope the other party will call you back.

So Liu Yun didn't say anything, but then she watched as these three people stood up without a hint of hesitation and walked straight toward the door, their speed so fast it was practically like they were fleeing, and she was instantly stunned.

"Mr. Zhou, Mr. Zhou, don't be in such a hurry, let's discuss this some more!"

Unfortunately, Zhou Mouren didn't listen at all, and Lawyer Fang couldn't be bothered to pay attention; he had originally come here intending to haggle with the other party over the Big Data Price Discrimination issue.

As it turned out, they didn't even mention that topic, so Lawyer Fang just let it go.

As a result, the man beside Liu Yun got anxious.

Compared to the degree of the situation, Ah Huang was the most anxious one.

He and Xiao Lan combined could already be said to have a monopoly on the food delivery market!

Back then, burning money in all sorts of ways—what did you think it was burning for? Once all the competitors were killed off, then how to set prices and what to price things at was naturally up to them.

This kind of tactic is actually something even the Keyboard Warriors on the internet can talk about a bit now; it's an open conspiracy, just relying on having more money than you.

So, regarding these internet companies crying poor and playing the victim, claiming they are doing it for the public good, Zhou Yi isn't interested in the slightest.

To emphasize one point: no one does business at a loss!

So, seeing that Zhou Yi was about to leave, the man said in his desperation: "Mr. Zhou, do you know that your behavior is actually already illegal? If it continues to spread, it could even be a crime!"

"Mr. Zhou, you've filmed so many videos, you wouldn't want to end up inside one day yourself, right?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yi suddenly stopped, not because he wanted to stop, but because Lawyer Fang had stopped and turned around to walk back.

Thus, Zhou Yi could only follow him back.

He was now starting to get curious too: does this person know what he is saying?

Lawyer Fang had analyzed it before, including potential Tort and crimes; although Lawyer Fang had dismissed it with disdain, the other party actually had some preparation!

So if the soft approach doesn't work, they go for the hard one?

Coercion and bribery—it's nothing more than those few words.

The man regretted it a little after he finished speaking; he had come this time with a mission, and no matter what, he had to make this Zhou Yi delete the videos and posts.

So when Zhou Yi was about to leave, he got anxious and directly resorted to threats.

The middle-aged man from Xiao Lan next to him and Liu Yun looked at him with expressions of astonishment.

Threatening tactics are generally only used when the other party is insatiably greedy for money, or when the other party won't eat the soft approach at all.

But thinking about it, saying it now seems quite normal too.

And at this moment, seeing that Zhou Yi had already turned back, Liu Yun also spoke up: "Mr. Zhou, since you brought a Lawyer, you should understand that your current behavior has already affected the Company's reputation."

"If this impact is too great, you really might be breaking the law or even suspected of a crime..."

Before she could finish speaking, she saw that Lawyer Fang, who had been drinking coffee and hadn't said a word, had already spoken: "Breaking the law—what law is being broken? A crime—which crime is being committed?"

The tone was actually quite normal, but the sheer presence made even Liu Yun feel dazed inside.

The middle-aged man next to her had already spoken: "Lawyer Fang, is it? If Mr. Zhou still doesn't delete the videos and posts, then he will be infringing on the Right of Reputation of our three companies."

"And there are also the comments from his fans; Mr. Zhou must bear joint and several liability."

"As for the crime, that would naturally be the crime of damaging commercial credit and product reputation, because of Mr. Zhou's posts, our Company's APP has already been maliciously given bad reviews by many people."

"So if Mr. Zhou still refuses to delete the posts and videos, then our side will adopt methods including but not limited to a Lawsuit to protect our legal rights and interests!"

Hearing this, Lawyer Fang shook his head; he had originally thought the other party would propose some new line of thinking, but after all that, they were still approaching it from this angle.

"Zhou Yi, it seems your previous responses were all in vain." Unexpectedly, Lawyer Fang didn't engage in a Debate and turned his head to say this directly.

Zhou Yi shrugged; during this time, he had been educated by Lawyer Fang regarding the Right of Reputation and related charges, so now that he heard the other party say they were going to file a Lawsuit and even wanted to send him inside, he really wanted to laugh.

"Alright, since you have all decided to file a Lawsuit against me, then file it. By the way, I welcome you to call the police, I welcome you to send me inside!"

Having finished speaking, Zhou Yi turned and left again.

His posts and videos had all been vetted by Lawyer Fang; there was no Tort, and it was even less possible for there to be a crime.

He trusted Lawyer Fang, just as Lawyer Fang trusted him!

Because from beginning to end, he had never engaged in reckless talk about any issue, unlike a certain medicinal liquor incident where that article directly named names and called it poisonous liquor.

The three people behind, including Liu Yun, didn't try to keep them any longer; they looked at each other—there was no other way, they could only go through legal channels.

Although they were currently at a disadvantage in public opinion, it didn't matter; for companies like theirs, it could basically be said that public opinion crises erupted every month.

And they were often cursed at by people...

But having a status in the market has this benefit: you can curse all you want, but if you want to order food delivery, you'll end up back at one of our few companies.

Don't look at how fiercely they curse online; when they turn around in reality, they still have to order food delivery through our platforms.

And they still have to book hotels through our platforms—just ask yourself, isn't that infuriating?

Therefore, going through legal channels is more about demonstrating an attitude: we will absolutely not tolerate this kind of behavior!

And so, very quickly, a notice that had been prepared long ago was released.

"Serious Statement!"

"Regarding the current behavior of a certain well-known Up Master on the internet, after multiple communications, there is still no result..."

"Currently, our Company has filed a Lawsuit with the People's Court and has already called the police. The internet is not a place outside the law; please be cautious in your words and actions!"

This was not released by one company, but by three companies together.

The timing was identical, and the content only had the names changed; for a moment, the viewers of Zhou Mouren were stunned.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, the police had already been called; was this saying that A Yi had committed a crime?

Rounding it up, is A Yi going to jail?

A celebration for everyone!

…………

The wedding is complete, thank you all for your blessings.

I am extremely grateful for everyone's blessings. I have received many donations over these past two days, so I won't list the names one by one. I can only say that Jiu Jian is truly grateful to everyone. Yesterday was the wedding, today was the return to the bride's parents' home; I have been busy for two whole days. I am not sure if it will be four thousand or eight thousand words today, but I will be able to resume normal updates starting tomorrow. Stopping updates is indeed very damaging, but truly, my wife and I were junior high classmates. We had a long-distance relationship, got engaged last year, and kept postponing it because of the pandemic. We really couldn't delay it any longer; after all, you only get married once in a lifetime (laugh).

Moving forward, Jiu Jian will resume normal updates and start paying off the debt. Everyone says that rounding it up equals one hundred thousand words; I accept it, we will pay it back one by one.

(End of this chapter)