Chapter 309: Washing Machine's North American Grand Show

Before the heavy artillery of North American reporters, 51-year-old Schmidt and 24-year-old Lu Kuan shook hands, smiling at the cameras to accept interviews and photos.

Schmidt, as the host, gave the opening remarks first.

"Today is both a signing press conference and a fan meet-and-greet."

"Friends, we are honored to have the internationally renowned director and Mytube President, Mr. Lu Kuan, along with his two partners Chen Shijun and Soloman, come to Mountain View to participate in and witness this historic signing!"

Mr. Lu and the other two waved to the audience; Chen Shijun and Mike Soloman were seeing this kind of spectacle for the first time, their emotions surging and difficult to calm.

Schmidt smiled and announced: "Recently, Google has reached an agreement with the Mytube board of directors to acquire the latter for a total price of 2.3 billion dollars."

"This acquisition has been submitted to the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission and has received antitrust approval; the transaction will officially take effect today!"

The audience at the scene, the Mytube livestream, and the bullet comments on the Wenjie Video livestream all exploded instantly.

With a total price of 2.3 billion dollars, even if Mr. Lu only held a 51% stake, he had already leaped onto the throne of the richest person!

Netizens were not clear about how many billionaires and hidden tycoons were not on the list, but the clear, calculable number before their eyes brought a massive impact.

A 24-year-old Chinese richest man—don't brag about the American Dream anymore, brag about the Chinese Dream.

More than a week ago, when Mytube and Google reached a memorandum of understanding, the acquisition application process had already been submitted to various federal departments.

For the American side, there were no policy obstacles for a domestic internet company to acquire a video enterprise founded by a Chinese person.

Especially since this video enterprise was currently a leader in the internet track, a target pursued by Viacom, AOL, and News Corp.

Of course, if the acquisition subject were reversed, it would not be a green light; perhaps they would need to employ K Street lobbying firms to do some targeted work.

Entering the reporter interview segment, domestic and foreign media scrambled to raise their hands.

The Wall Street Journal: Mr. Schmidt, the acquisition price of 2.3 billion is about 15% higher than the news previously released by the media. What were the considerations for Google being willing to offer such a high premium?

Schmidt was well-versed: "Google is currently in a dominant position in the search field, but is still in an exploratory state in the content field. Mytube's UGC model can complement Google's professional content."

"At the same time, Mytube's massive user base and high traffic bring new growth opportunities for Google's advertising business. We can use advanced ad-serving technology and user data to achieve precise push notifications."

The questions Schmidt was asked were naturally pre-arranged; having spent a huge sum to acquire the industry leader, he naturally wanted to get feedback in the secondary market.

Today's press conference was a hype event, a storytelling event.

With 2.3 billion dollars spent, perhaps the investment could be recouped quickly through Google's stock price, even if only in book value.

Schmidt continuously answered reporters' questions, painting a big picture to build confidence for shareholders and investors, while the Chinese media in the audience were already truly itching to ask questions.

Today's press conference had been notified in advance to the Xinhua News Agency Los Angeles branch.

In 1983, with the approval of the central government, Xinhua News Agency began its path toward becoming a global news agency, ranking alongside the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse as one of the world's four major news agencies.

Among them, Xinhua News Agency had branches in the US at the United Nations, Washington, and Los Angeles, and in the last two years had successively opened branches in Chicago, Houston, and others, almost capable of capturing first-hand North American news material at any time.

The Xinhua reporter present today was named Qi Heng, a 1993 graduate of the Lanzhou University Journalism Department, and also a specially invited reporter for the 2006 North American Chinese Spring Festival Gala.

The microphone finally reached his hand, and Qi Heng couldn't wait: "Director Lu, may I ask when you founded Mytube, what were the initial motives and reasons, and now that Mytube has almost become the leader in video media, why give it up?"

Facing a fellow countryman, Mr. Lu's attitude was still very relaxed: "There are many questions, I will answer them one by one."

"Mytube was officially registered and started in the US at the end of 2004, a development history of about 15 months to date."

"The reasons and motives for founding it were very simple. My main profession is a film director, but I also know there are many photography enthusiasts who love life and friends who like to share, without a platform for inspiration and creativity to run wild, so Mytube came to be. This was the initial idea."

Qi Heng followed up: "So your Wenjie Video in China is the same logic? Did you also consider technical development reasons?"

"Yes, in the last two years with the rise of broadband networks in both China and the US, although speed and stability are not yet enough, it has been able to support the usage needs of some users and provide a basic network environment."

"Coupled with the emergence and development of Flash technology, as well as the cloud hosting technology developed by our Mytube technical team, it can reduce costs and transmit and store with high efficiency. This is the key to success."

Mr. Lu switched hands to hold the microphone: "As for the 'giving up' that Reporter Qi mentioned, I think it's not quite appropriate. This is not giving up; this is a strong alliance with Google."

"Google possesses richer resources and a powerful platform, which is beneficial for Mytube's later development."

"And Mytube's brand image among young user groups makes Google look younger, more fashionable, and full of innovative spirit, further consolidating its leading position in the internet industry."

"I believe this will be a win-win!"

Schmidt on the side looked at Mr. Lu and nodded frequently.

After several rounds of negotiations, plus this young director's wit and humor at the Oscars last year, he did not doubt at all that he could hold his own in this small scene today.

In the negotiations, Mytube's difficulty in making a profit, the skyrocketing copyright costs, and the extreme lack of high-end advertising business were, of course, all tools for Google to drive down the price.

But in today's interview, Mr. Lu, who had sold his company, would not mention these topics; after all, he still held over 1 billion dollars in Google stock, so he definitely had to say good things.

The press conference ended quickly, but the discussion in the online media in both China and the US had just begun to rage.

For American netizens, Mr. Lu's name and image were not unfamiliar.

From "Drummer" to the big hit "Exotic," to the Oscar awards ceremony that received much attention from North American fans and audiences, the image of such a dashing, wealthy, and handsome genius director had long since gone mainstream.

In the international perspective, the label of Mr. Lu being Chinese would be inadvertently downplayed.

Because his entrepreneurial experience in the US and his creation of foreign-language films were endowed with the status of a world citizen.

This was very beneficial for his subsequent attempts at cultural output; at least he would not be subject to discriminatory scrutiny by the authorities when acquiring some sensitive enterprises.

Starting from the 1776 "Declaration of Independence," for over two hundred years, Americans have loved to talk about the American Dream, as if it had become the common spiritual opium for people on this land.

From the westward movement and land expansion starting at the end of the 18th century, to the subsequent industrialization and urbanization, and the prosperity after World War II, countless immigrants of different ethnicities came to the US just to create value and realize the American Dream.

Take the Google acquisition event as an example: an internet enterprise with a value of 2.3 billion dollars created in 15 months—what could better interpret the American Dream than this example?

Of course, no matter what he thought in his heart, Mr. Lu naturally had to express agreement with this concept to the media.

This was a great opportunity for him to crazily harvest fans among young North American entrepreneurs and establish his personal image.

In terms of the macro situation, the first strategic dialogue between the two countries was held in Beiping this August.

Next April, the leader would visit the US, and in 2008, Bush would attend the Olympics. In these few years, the relationship between the two countries was in a honeymoon period, which was very convenient for him to use the American Dream label to enter the enemy's heartland, acquire and infiltrate more core cultural industries, and prepare for the future.

When the news reached China, domestic netizens mostly felt a sense of honor, and the effect brought was comparable to the later Geely acquisition of Volvo.

One was the going-out of a domestic enterprise, the other was the going-out of a domestic entrepreneur.

A pure-blooded Chinese person, in 15 months, created an internet enterprise worth 2.3 billion dollars from scratch on American soil, fiercely earning a huge sum of money from the American devils.

Even if this money couldn't be given to everyone, it was still happy to watch!

Mr. Lu's titles as a filmmaker and artist were certainly dazzling, but the universal evaluation system for adult men worldwide was undoubtedly asset scale and level.

In the two days that the Mytube news fermented, netizens and onlookers seemed to have forgotten his main profession and began to bury their heads in studying the numbers.

Domestic "Finance" Lang Xianping column: In October, the author scribbled a calculation of Mr. Lu Kuan's assets, and it seems there were still omissions. According to reliable sources, Mr. Lu Kuan holds more than 85% of Mytube. Coupled with the valuation increase of the domestic benchmark Wenjie Video after Mytube sold itself, I will recalculate the net worth of this "suspected richest man in China," so please stay tuned.

Xiangjiang "Oriental Daily News": The scene two years ago when Mr. Lu Kuan announced his investment in Golden Harvest at the Xiangjiang press conference is still vivid in my mind. At that time, the genius director who was busy building a film empire in the Greater China region seems to have suddenly extended his tentacles to North America. Is this ultimately the Chinese Dream or the American Dream?

The largest circulation financial magazine in the Bay Province, "Business Weekly": Today we compare two numbers: Mr. Lu Kuan's total asset scale of approximately 26-30 billion, which is nearly half the net worth of nearly 50 billion of Mr. Cai Hongtu, the richest man on the island and head of the Linyuan Group. But at the same time, his age of 24, compared to Mr. Cai's age of 55, seems to be not even half. Where is the younger generation on our island?

This time, Lu Kuan chose not to be low-key, but instead grandly stepped onto the world stage, confidently declaring the Chinese voice, gradually covering up the turmoil of the joint letter.

Over the next two days, he uncharacteristically continued to accept interviews from North American top financial media such as "Time," "Fortune," "CQ," and "Wired."

On January 10th, the North American professional PR team hired by Harvey for Mr. Lu contacted CNN's flagship program "Larry King Live," preparing to do an exclusive interview.

The PR team provided many programs to choose from, such as "The Oprah Winfrey Show," NBC's "The Tonight Show," David Letterman's "Late Show," etc.

But Mr. Lu had a little scheme; the day after he had a falling out with Xiao Liu, he had already arranged for the organization and operation of the Weibo team.

And one of the styles of "Larry King Live" is that it likes to engage in so-called surprise attacks, with host Larry King taking the interview team directly to the guest's location for an on-site interview.

Since the existence of Twitter could no longer be hidden, it was better to use this excellent advertising opportunity to make a big splash.

Poor Xiao Liu, his first entrepreneurial project seemed to be about to become a ghost under the blade.

"Larry King Live" belongs to the CNN television station of the Time Warner Group and has been the highest-rated talk show in North America since 1992.

Whether it was presidential election debates or news hotspots such as the O.J. Simpson murder case or the Clinton incident, they all pushed Larry King and this program to the peak.

South of San Francisco, the original Mytube startup center in Santa Clara Valley has now been officially renamed Microblog.

The genius architect Mike Soloman wrote the server architecture for Weibo without much effort, based on understanding the general concept.

He is now also known as the number one architect in Silicon Valley. Mr. Lu doesn't know much about it, but he believes that Weibo must be superior to Xiao Liu's Twitter architecture.

After all, Mytube, which sold for a sky-high price of 2.3 billion, was something he had spent only a little over a day writing.

Mr. Lu stood in front of the door to welcome Larry King's team, seeing from afar an old man with a slicked-back hairstyle and suspenders, holding a microphone and talking while walking toward the camera.

"Hey, hello Lu, it's great to see you."

"Hello Larry, welcome to Microblog."

The advertisement starts now; this is "Larry King Live," which has 18 million viewers at its peak across the US!

Larry King had done his homework before coming, and as soon as they met, he said something shocking: "Lu, you really are an entrepreneurial maniac, starting all over again in such a short time."

"Can I understand that you sold Mytube to the sucker Google just to raise funds for this project?"

Larry King's style is bold, sharp, and gets to the bottom of things, grabbing a loophole or a point of interest to launch hysterical interrogation.

He himself is also widely knowledgeable; topics about supernatural phenomena, religion, UFOs, and aliens in the program are endless, and he even invites so-called psychics and skeptics to debate.

Mr. Lu smiled and responded to him; Larry King did his homework, and he naturally did his homework too.

"I don't think Mr. Schmidt is the sucker you describe. Just on the third day of the acquisition, Google's increased market value was almost equal to their acquisition amount."

"Very good, you are a sharp interviewee. Please show me around the new company?"

Lu Kuan reached out to invite him, leading the interview team into the "American-style big factory," introducing the concept and gameplay of Weibo, and inspecting the relaxed and pleasant working environment.

"You must be a good manager. According to my investigation, Mytube's employee turnover rate is less than 5%. They actually didn't choose to go to Google and all stayed here."

Mr. Lu laughed: "Thanks to the guys for their trust in me, but Google's strict selection criteria are also one of the reasons."

Under the guidance of the staff, Larry King registered a Weibo name, and after being verified, he posted his first Weibo, accompanied by a photo of himself and Mr. Lu.

"First meeting with Lu, at the Weibo company in Silicon Valley, looking forward to interaction, please leave me a message."

It is worth mentioning that "Larry King Live," a program that pioneered a brand-new type of interview, is generally broadcast live.

At this moment, nearly 14 million viewers across the US were watching the live broadcast, and the registered user data in the Weibo team's backend surged.

Larry King was chatting with Lu Kuan about Chinese tea by the coffee machine when his mobile phone suddenly vibrated violently, with as many as 40+ message visits.

"My God! Are they trying to turn my Nokia into a bomb?"

Mr. Lu leaned over and saw that they were all Weibo reply notifications. He asked someone to log into Larry King's account backend and turn off the notifications.

He then took his mobile phone and started to demonstrate the functions of mobile internet.

"This is too convenient! My show doesn't necessarily have to use hotlines in the future; I can use your Weibo to interact with the audience!"

The two chatted enthusiastically for a while, preparing to officially begin today's interview in the CEO's office.

Chen Shijun walked over with an excited look on his face and whispered a number into his ear: 150,000.

In just the 20 minutes since the show started, they had gained 150,000 registered users; although it was unclear how many would ultimately be retained, it was a hit nonetheless.

Since the chariot and cannon were already set on doing Weibo, they had to build up the user base in the shortest time possible, raise data and technical barriers, and prevent the big sharks from entering the field.

"Go contact Lily—no, Little Liu—and continue talking to her about the acquisition. Throw the data at her."

Twitter's user count had already reached 350,000, basically all fans of *Twilight*. The interaction frequency and retention rate were extremely high, so it still held a certain value.

The most critical thing was that he did not want other companies interested in entering the field to get Twitter.

In the conference room, the show's assistants had already finished setting up the lighting and the set.

Larry King's assistant had brought his customary chair, water cup, and other items from the Los Angeles studio, and they had been arranged well in advance.

"Alright, this is *Larry King Live*. We have just toured Lu's new company. First, congratulations to him, this authentic Chinese person, for realizing his American Dream."

"Lu, tell us about it. How did you do it?"

The young director's style today was slightly more casual, which could narrow the distance with North American viewers and weaken the impression of him being a big tycoon.

"The spirit of the internet is sharing. When I was still a novice director, I often thought that it would be a tragedy if no one saw my films or short videos."

"Therefore, I founded video websites in both China and the US, hoping to provide a platform for more video enthusiasts to share."

Larry King asked skeptically: "As of the day of the transaction, MyTube's registered users exceeded 32 million. To be honest, this number is astonishing." "With so many users, as a Chinese person, have you ever accepted instructions from officials to infiltrate certain fields in the United States?"

Boss Lu raised an eyebrow: "Yes."

The staff on site were all stunned. This was a live broadcast!

Larry King was also somewhat tongue-tied. His original intention was to continue interrogating him if Boss Lu denied it, but he just confessed like that?

"Infiltration certainly exists, for example, in the fields of tea and gourmet food."

"Everyone should have seen the videos by the Asian blogger Crystal on MyTube. She was the lead actress in my previous film."

"The two videos she did on Chinese tea ceremony and gourmet food both had over 8 million views. This is what you call infiltration."

Boss Lu laughed: "I think many North American viewers are already obsessed with Chinese cuisine, right?"

Larry King had been played, and he felt quite displeased. How could he let a guest take the initiative on his own show?

"Lu, we have all seen your *Tangshan*. Regarding the superhuman behavioral characteristics of the soldiers in it, can I interpret it as your political propaganda film?"

"No, I don't think so." The young director's expression was solemn.

"In the American film *Saving Private Ryan*, the soldiers are heroic images who are brave, steadfast, and loyal."

"In the process of searching for Ryan, they faced the fierce enemy artillery fire without flinching. In the scene of the Omaha Beach landing, they charged forward through a hail of bullets, showing extraordinary courage and a spirit of sacrifice."

Boss Lu spread his hands: "In American films, you label your own country's army as the savior of the European battlefield, but those familiar with history know that the Soviet Union actually shouldered this task during World War II."

"Larry, can I interpret *Saving Private Ryan* as your country's political propaganda film?"

Without waiting for Larry King to answer, Boss Lu continued to talk eloquently: "Currently, globalization is intensifying, especially with more and more integration and exchange in the cultural field."

"We hope more Western friends will discard their prejudices and go to China to see for themselves. The 2008 Beijing Olympics is a very good opportunity!"

"Just like me, before I came to the United States, I was also full of unknowns and anxiety about you, but I realized the so-called 'American Dream' on this land, and now I have left all the profits on this land, continuing to serve everyone through internet enterprises."

Mentioning the Olympics by seizing every opportunity and advertising on the top talk show in North America was certainly popular with his countrymen, and it was also his main countermeasure against stigmatizing behaviors like the joint letter.

For the officials, all their channels of expression could be maliciously misinterpreted by Western media, and the reach of their propaganda methods was extremely low.

But for Boss Lu, who carried the titles of artist, international director, and achiever of the American Dream, these words spoken from his mouth were different; they could be directly output to the 15 million viewers in front of the cameras and even more people.

This was the importance of mastering the discourse power of public opinion, and it was also the purpose of his high-profile self-promotion this time.

Compared to his international prestige and reputation, could those messy, petty squabbles back home still become an obstacle in the eyes of the leaders?

Larry King frowned; he had no hostility toward Boss Lu.

But today he had been led by the nose the whole time, and all topics had been resolved with reason and evidence, which was a bit below his standard.

Taking the topic of the Beijing Olympics, Larry King went a step further: "Lu, it is rumored that you might be selected as the general director of the Olympics or for other positions."

"I want to ask, many foreign artists who participated in the bidding said that the official censorship is very strict, and there are often administrative orders where the layman instructs the expert, bringing huge pressure to you artists. Does this really exist?"

Boss Lu looked righteous and stern: "This kind of statement is a generalization."

"Pressure certainly exists; after all, this is a grand event facing audiences all over the world, and it is the pride of every country."

"But this pressure does not come from above, but from below, from the thousands upon thousands of ordinary viewers and our own people."

"I often think, if I became the general director of the Olympics and ended up messing it up, maybe I could only find a place where no one knows me to spend the rest of my life, hahaha."

Larry King opened his arms: "Welcome to North America. The people here like artists like you."

"Thank you, I was just joking."

"I once communicated with a film master, and he told me that an artist must ultimately be rooted in the cultural soil of their own nation; that is our reverence and faith."

"If I came to Hollywood, I might become a mediocre film craftsman."

Larry King was best at getting to the bottom of things by following the guest's words, and he keenly captured a topic often used to criticize people of Chinese descent.

"Speaking of faith, I have interviewed many people of Chinese descent, and I have also chatted privately with Yao from the Rockets. You Chinese people don't seem to have any faith?"

"With no reliance in your hearts and no faith to govern your behavior and purify your souls, aren't you afraid?"

Boss Lu remained silent.

If this kind of rhetoric were put on the internet of later generations, it would guarantee that you'd be flamed until even your mother wouldn't recognize you.

But it is very sad that in this era, based on the long-term weak position in culture and economy, not only do foreigners use this excuse to attack us, but there is also a group of 'public intellectuals' leading everyone to reflect.

"Chinese people have faith, and our faith is much older."

"What?"

"History and culture."

Larry King waved his hand: "I can understand culture, but how can history become a faith?"

"How can history not become a faith?"

The young director looked as if it were a matter of course: "Aren't the *Quran* and the *Bible* both records of religious history?"

"The *Bible* was written in the 2nd century BC, at which time China was in the Western Han Dynasty. As for the appearance of the content of the first official historical records, it goes back several hundred years further."

"The *Quran* was written in the 7th century AD, at which time China was in the Tang Dynasty. It had brilliant achievements in culture, politics, economy, and diplomacy, and was one of the most powerful countries in the world at that time."

"Your religious classics are, in our country, the books compiled by official historians. In the 5,000-year history of the vast China, we can find traces of the people, events, and things of every dynasty."

"From history, we can see all explorations and studies regarding the operation of this world, and even the ultimate truths of all things in the universe."

"How does this not count as faith?"

Larry King was left tongue-tied. The number 5,000 years shocked him, and it also shocked countless viewers in front of the screens.

They were mainly comparing it unconsciously to their own 200-plus years since the founding of their country.

At this moment, there were very few Westerners who understood China, and they knew even less about its history.

But through the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* in *Exotic Lands*, Little Liu's two viral videos on MyTube, and the kung fu films imported from Xiangjiang, even though it was a slow and difficult walk, there were still many people working hard to explore.

Boss Lu pressed his advantage: "Larry, I don't know if you have seen the video of the Olympic proposal from my team that was leaked to the internet some time ago."

"Yes, a very beautiful and grand scene, it is a pity."

"In these programs, the context of Chinese history and culture is contained, which is why they are so wonderful."

"As an ordinary Chinese person, I acknowledge the American Dream and the freedom on this land, but I also sincerely hope that more friends can go to China, go to Beijing, and go to the Olympics."

"This will definitely be a grand event that integrates Chinese and Western cultures and fully displays the spiritual and cultural treasures of all mankind."

Larry King smiled: "I don't know what others think, but if it's convenient, I hope Lu can give me a few tickets. I really haven't been to China yet."

"No problem! Leave it to me."

After all, it was a top-tier North American talk show, and the effect it brought was significant.

Not only did the mention of *Tangshan* in the conversation boost the popularity of the film, which hadn't yet finished its run in North America.

In the promotion of the Olympics, Boss Lu also spared no effort, seizing every opportunity.

After the live broadcast of the show, Wenjie spent 50,000 US dollars through Harvey to buy the broadcast rights for this episode and uploaded it overnight to the domestic Wenjie Video, with excellent repercussions.

Previously, the storm of the joint letter had not yet ended, and many senior anti-fans influenced by it had also raised questions:

You, Lu Kuan, didn't you keep saying you wanted to do cultural output and guard the cultural front?

Why sell a video website like MyTube, which is so convenient for cultural output, to Americans so easily?

In the final analysis, it was just as those sixty or seventy industry insiders said: their mouths were full of principles, but their hearts were full of business.

When the video content was released, topics about Chinese people's faith, history, and culture, about the external output of gourmet food and tea, and about changing the world's view of us through the Olympics...

All kinds of topics that filled the countrymen with a sense of pride flooded the internet. Not only were there anti-fans turning into fans, but there were also countless passersby turning into fans.

The joint letter that had been rampant before was still hanging lonely on the official blogs of various directors, looking so pathetic and ridiculous. The blogs of Chen Kaige and others were spontaneously occupied.

"Director Chen, your foul mouth can only show off in the country. When you go out, you only do shameful things!"

"Lu Chuan, why don't you and your dad shut up? You've been scolding for so many days, have you seen that washing machine pay any attention to you? You silly dogs!"

In the municipal committee office, Leader Liu patiently finished watching the video downloaded by his secretary and recalled the young director's confident response on the phone that day.

Looking at this handsome Chinese youth in the video, sparring with the American "national mouth" Larry King in fluent English, and bringing up the Olympics and Chinese culture every few sentences.

"Good lad, if this were in the revolutionary era, he would be a great hand at propaganda work!"

The secretary chimed in: "It's still the leader's discerning eye that recognizes heroes. Even when the internet was in an uproar, you didn't change your mind."

Leader Liu nodded. With this video, it seems the submission of the selection proposal can be put on the agenda.

For the Beijing Olympics of later generations, the official difficulty in external propaganda was very great, and there were many distortions and false statements by hostile media and forces in the US and the West.

Many incredible remarks caused a huge uproar under the fermentation of hostile forces and media.

For example, the Catholic News Service in the United States reported that the list of prohibited items for the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee included the *Bible*;

For example, Reuters claimed that the Chinese side required all foreign students to leave the country temporarily during the Olympics;

For instance, the German newspaper *Die Welt* publicized that every foreign reporter entering Beiping would be entered into a database and have a dedicated person tailing them.

There was also the well-known Darfur issue, which was linked to the Olympics; this was the main excuse Spielberg used to withdraw halfway through, and the international impact was very poor.

I’m not afraid anymore, because we have our own human-shaped, full-server loudspeaker!

The most crucial thing is that he walks in the international community under the identity of a film director and artist; without an official government status, he won't be restricted or viewed with suspicion.

The far-sighted Liu Leader keenly sensed that this so-called Weibo in the video was another one of his brilliant moves, and it might play a significant role in the upcoming Olympic promotion.

Seeing the look of appreciation and affirmation about to emerge on Liu Leader’s face, the secretary seized the opportunity to present a piece of news that was neither too heavy nor too light.

"Leader, I heard that the massacre film script Lu Kuan submitted to the Film Bureau for filing was rejected for revisions due to the recent controversy; it didn't pass the review."

"Oh? There’s such a thing?"

"Little Li, help me connect..."

Liu Leader habitually wanted to understand the situation; in his eyes, checking to see if he should show concern for this kind of "small matter" could also be considered opening a back door for this young comrade.

After all, his stance and ideology were absolutely sound.

But just as the words reached his lips, Liu Leader, who was accustomed to thinking a few steps ahead, called a halt to Little Li.

He was somewhat puzzled; given Lu Kuan’s influence in the film industry, or just his relationship with Han Shanping, surely he wouldn't be unable to resolve such a small matter?

Having experienced the Zhou Army and the joint letter incident, Liu Leader had some understanding of Lu Kuan’s style of habitually playing a seemingly idle move to capture the main force; there might be something fishy here.

Perhaps...

Was this another move he had played?

Better to stay still than to act; Liu Leader abandoned the idea of intervening: "Let it be for now. Treat this matter as if you don't know about it; don't talk about it and don't get involved."

"Yes, Leader."

Liu Leader guessed correctly; the time for the Taro father and son to jump around was not long.

In the court of public opinion, the best way to displace a trending topic is to create another one.

From the sale of Mytube and Boss Lu becoming the richest man in the mainland, to the wild output of Olympic topics on *Larry King Live*, the successive positive trending topics had already cooled the heat of the joint letter to freezing point.

In fact, if it weren't for the need to maintain the neutral stance of the blog network, this group of people might not have been able to post a single word at the time.

Boss Lu maintained relative and absolute control over both Xinlang and the blog network.

It’s just that blocking is not as good as diverting; such malicious rumors still need to be brought out into the open to be exposed to the sun, dehydrated into dust, and scattered by the wind, leaving no future trouble.

The scales of victory tilted sharply to one side, and the various parties who organized the frame-up and put up big-character posters could no longer sit still.

They knew very well that, based on Lu Kuan’s style, clarifying the facts and eliminating the influence was the first step, and the second step might be...

As the side that provoked and started the trouble, they might not even have a place to reason by then, and no one would sympathize with or pay attention to them.

Chen Kaige was doing alright; *The Promise* had failed completely, and he no longer had the spirit to continue the struggle.

Of what use is a scholar? How could he fight against the insidious and ruthless richest man?

Now he could only rely on the face of his late father to block his script.

Of course, this was the fact as he perceived it.

His wife Chen Hong, however, was truly worried in her heart.

If you strike a snake and don't kill it, given that person’s character, endless retaliation will follow like a shadow; they must think of a way in advance.

Lu Tianmin and his son harbored much more sinister intentions, preparing for a final gamble.

(End of chapter)