Public Opinion

In the Web 2.0 era, online communication became a "zero-barrier" way to spread information. Any internet user could become a content creator.

Technologically, podcasts had advantages such as non-linear distribution, zero barriers, and low costs. These very features of the internet meant that the content users published was not entirely under the control of websites.

Traditional media's ability to filter information and set the agenda would face unprecedented challenges.

"Self-media" was a term that had emerged in recent years alongside the spread of the internet.

Self-media was also known as "personal media" or "public media."

Self-media was based on individuals or businesses providing content or services of a certain value to their followers in order to build influence. Common platforms included WeChat Official Accounts, short-video apps, Weibo, Bilibili, BBS forums, and other online communities.

Feng Mishan was a self-media professional. In his three years in the industry, he had amassed hundreds of thousands of followers across several major online platforms, making him a moderately successful content creator.

Today, while Feng Mishan was making a news video according to his usual work schedule,

"Only loving you in the dark, secretly infatuated..."

his phone rang.

He picked up his phone and saw the caller ID: Distant Mountains Like a Painting. The caller was a friend who worked in self-media just like Feng Mishan, but had far more online followers than he did.

What could this be about?

Setting aside his work for the moment, Feng Mishan answered the call. "Hey, what made you think of calling me, big shot? Is something up?"

As soon as the call connected, the other person got straight to the point. "There's a job here. Are you interested?"

Feng Mishan asked curiously, "What kind of job?"

"Samsung's business. They want help publicizing Shenma Technology Company's patent infringement online."

"Shenma Technology Company, patent infringement? What's this juicy story about?"

Since Feng Mishan was curious, the person on the phone explained in detail. "It just broke. They're saying Shenma Technology Company's Phantom Projector was actually made using technology stolen from Samsung's lab.

"Samsung is now calling out Shenma Technology Company online, demanding compensation for its losses. It's also pursuing legal action and intends to sue Shenma Technology Company for patent infringement.

"Samsung needs online public opinion on its side, so they're paying some PR fees. You just need to step forward and spread the word."

After hearing him out, Feng Mishan asked, "Sounds like a pretty good gig. How much are they paying?"

The person on the phone continued, "Ten thousand yuan upfront, and another fifty thousand once the job's done. You'll need to use your most popular account on your main platforms to post at least three video or text news pieces about this patent infringement dispute between Samsung and Shenma Technology Company. You should also do your best to present Samsung in a positive light. The deadline is two days."

"So, interested?"

"Sure!" Feng Mishan agreed without a second thought.

Sixty thousand yuan was a considerable sum, equivalent to several months of his self-media income. The job was quick and likely to pay off fast, and Distant Mountains Like a Painting, the intermediary who had vouched for it, was a big name in the industry with a solid reputation.

As for whether there might be more to the story, whether it could take a turn, or whether it might affect him somehow—come on, in the self-media business, even if you got something wrong, it wasn't a big deal.

In this line of work, truth and lies weren't all that important!

Put simply, self-media involved taking something you knew about, dressing it up with a bit of spin and some persuasive wording, and getting more people to pay attention to it, thereby generating traffic and income.

As long as something attracted traffic and generated buzz, plenty of people would even deliberately distort the facts to grab attention and make money.

Everything was about making money!

Of course, there were also many people in the industry who worked hard and earned a living through their good reputations.

Samsung paid quickly, too. Just a few minutes after Feng Mishan ended the call, the money had already arrived.

After accepting the job, Feng Mishan quickly looked up some information about the patent infringement allegations Samsung had just posted online and began working on a news video.

He had to be quick. News had a shelf life. Once everyone knew about something, it was no longer news.

As an experienced professional, Feng Mishan worked with practiced ease. In less than half an hour, he had finished editing a written news piece.

Feng Mishan uploaded the material to his Bilibili column, Weibo, and other platforms.

[Shocking scandal: Shenma Technology Company stole Samsung's laboratory technology to make huge profits. Pictures and proof included!]

Next came the video news, which wouldn't take long either. He clipped some of Samsung's Weibo video footage, added a few of his own interpretations, and posted it online.

Feng Mishan hoped more easy-money jobs like this would come along!

News about Samsung suing Shenma Technology Company flooded the internet from every direction.

Weibo news shot up to the top of the trending list in no time.

[Now I finally understand why several companies tried to acquire Shenma Technology Company a while back—they were after Samsung's technology!]

[Case solved! So the Phantom Projector succeeded thanks to Samsung's technical support!]

[What is Shenma Technology Company—some kind of god, or just a thief? Stealing technology is absolutely shameless!]

One article and video after another about the scandal sprang up online like mushrooms after rain, attracting a massive number of netizens in no time! The news was everywhere. It was hard not to notice!

Soon, countless comments and discussions about Shenma Technology Company and Samsung appeared online.

"I'm a college graduate, and I've only been out of school for a year. Ning Yifan, the sole owner of Shenma Technology Company, I mean. I thought he was some kind of genius, like Elon Musk or even Tony Stark in the movies, making products all by himself. I never imagined this was the truth!"

"You really can find every kind of juicy story online. I just bought a Phantom Projector a few days ago. The product's great, no question, but I never thought it was stolen from Samsung. I thought our domestic products had finally overtaken the competition and risen to prominence."

"I thought it was weird from the start. A company with no technical foundation had just been founded, yet it had already made such an incredible product. It was unbelievable. Now that I've seen Samsung's announcement, everything makes sense. This is much more plausible."

"Samsung's projectors have always been pretty good. They're right up there with the ones Sony makes!"

"A shining example of domestic products? More like a disgrace! Shenma Technology Company is a bunch of tech thieves!"

"I'm dying. I just remembered that Weibo post where Shenma Technology Company turned down several companies' joint acquisition offer. Back then, it acted so high and mighty. The company's sole owner, Ning Yifan, was supposedly making products to fulfill his dreams. Hahaha, looking back, what a huge joke!"

"I used to have a really good impression of Shenma Technology Company. What a shame. Turns out you really can't trust anything you see online. Anyone and anything can be packaged to look completely different."

"Could Shenma Technology Company go bankrupt after this? I just bought a Phantom Projector recently, and I'm really worried. I wonder if it's too late to return it."

"Good thing I tried for several days and couldn't get my hands on a Phantom Projector. Looks like I dodged a bullet!"

"I said it before: it's not necessarily a good thing for a company boss in his twenties to get his hands on a fortune so young. Look at him now—he's about to go bankrupt, and might even end up behind bars!"

"I wonder if Shenma Technology Company's boss regrets it now. If he hadn't turned down those big companies' acquisition offers, he could've taken the money, gone into hiding, and moved overseas to enjoy life. Then he wouldn't be in this predicament."

"I watched him build his tower; I watched it collapse."