lerbook Chapter 280 Anti-Discrimination Fighter
Chapter 280 Anti-Discrimination Fighter
The clock on the wall points to 10:15.
"Sue them," Ling Yun said. "Not only sue the two media outlets, but also the so-called 'anonymous experts'—if they are indeed Microsoft's consultants, then sue Microsoft for commercial defamation and unfair competition."
Carter raised an eyebrow. "Suing Microsoft? That would be a war."
"The war has begun." Ling Yun stood up. "What we need to do is not hide, but escalate. Let Microsoft know that the opponent they've chosen is not afraid to make things bigger."
"This requires more evidence..."
"Then let's go find them," Ling Yun said. "Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have connections on Wall Street and in Washington, and they can help investigate the connection between Microsoft and these 'experts.' We also have our own technical team that can analyze the posting patterns of those forum trolls and track down their IP addresses and the companies behind them."
He looked around the room.
"What I want is not just a lawsuit, but a signal: Xingchen Technology will use all legal means to protect its reputation. Money is not an issue, time is not an issue. If we're going to fight, we'll fight to the end."
The lawyers exchanged glances, then nodded one after another.
"Then we'll draft the complaint this afternoon," Carter said. "We could submit it to the court as early as tomorrow morning."
"it is good."
After the meeting, Ofina caught up with Ling Yun. "Mr. Ling, the litigation budget..."
"Use the funds from Xingyu's financing," Ling Yun said. "Establish a special litigation fund with an initial amount of ten million US dollars. Add more if that's not enough."
"Ten million..." Ophina gasped.
"This is an investment, not a cost," Ling Yun said. "If we win, or even if we only reach a favorable settlement, the increase in brand value will far exceed ten million. Moreover, this will deter other media outlets that want to follow suit and smear us."
"But what if we lose?"
"Then appeal, all the way to the Supreme Court." Ling Yun walked into the office. "But I don't think they'll let us lose."
Why?
"Because Representative Thompson needs this lawsuit." Ling Yun opened his computer. "This is his opportunity to demonstrate his political stance—to protect minority entrepreneurs and fight against the bullying of large corporations. He will use his political resources to ensure the case gets attention. And attention itself is a form of pressure."
Ofina was silent for a few seconds. "Politics is really..."
"Complex," Ling Yun replied, "but useful."
At noon, Ling Yun ate a sandwich in his office. It was chicken and lettuce, and the bread was a bit dry. He ate while checking emails and replying to a few urgent ones.
At 1 p.m., there was a product team meeting.
Carly, the product manager of Xingyu, and Elsa, the newly appointed marketing director, gathered in the conference room.
"What's our strategy for ICQ's press conference tonight?" Ling Yun asked.
David turned on the projector. "We're also hosting an online product demo at the same time. We'll be highlighting several new features of Xingyu: end-to-end encryption, message self-destruction, and a privacy sandbox mode. Simultaneously, we'll release an independent third-party security audit report—we had PwC's cybersecurity team conduct a comprehensive review of Xingyu's code, and the conclusion was 'no backdoors or unusual data collection behavior found.'"
When will the audit report be released?
"Tonight at 8 PM, an hour before the press conference starts," David said. "We will send it to major tech media outlets in advance. At the same time, the full text will be published on the Star Language website and user community."
"That's not enough," Ling Yun said. "We need more proactive measures. Elsa, what are the marketing department's ideas?"
Elsa is a woman in her early thirties who previously worked in marketing at Yahoo and joined StarCraft Technology last month. "We're preparing to launch a user advocacy campaign called 'My Chat, My Control.' We'll invite celebrity users to share their stories of using StarCraft, emphasizing the product's ease of use and privacy protection. At the same time, we'll be placing GG ads in subway and bus stations in major cities. The GG slogan is simple: 'Chat, no borders.'"
"What's your budget?"
"Five hundred thousand dollars, covering five cities: San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle, for two weeks," Elsa said. "If it works well, we can add more."
"Approved," Ling Yun said. "In addition, contact our investors—Abu Dhabi and the French National Investment Bank—and ask them to issue statements as shareholders supporting Star Technology's global vision and commitment to privacy protection. The endorsement of international capital can offset the label of 'Chinese company'."
"it is good."
"Also," Ling Yun said, looking at Eric, "on a technical level, we need to immediately launch several features. First, a data storage transparency panel—allowing users to see in real time which server their chat data is stored on and in which country. Second, a function to export all data with one click. Third, to publicly display our server distribution map, showing the physical location of all data centers."
"These features... will take time to develop," Eric said.
"Let's start with a simplified version," Ling Yun said. "We can showcase the prototype at tonight's demonstration. The focus isn't on perfecting the features, but on conveying the message: we're not afraid of transparency, and we welcome scrutiny."
"Understood."
The meeting ended at 2 PM. Ling Yun returned to her office, and the phone rang again. It was Richardson.
"Ling, I heard you're going to sue The Wall Street Journal?" Richardson's voice sounded somewhat surprised.
"Yes."
"Goldman Sachs' legal team does not recommend doing this. The chances of winning a media lawsuit are low, and it would offend the entire press."
"I don't need Goldman Sachs' advice, I need Goldman Sachs' resources," Ling Yun said. "Can your connections in Washington help us find out the backgrounds of those 'anonymous experts'?"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone. "Sure. But it will take time, and... it might require using some informal channels."
"The costs will be covered by the litigation fund."
"Understood." Richardson paused. "Also, news came from Morgan Stanley that Microsoft is lobbying Congress to push for a 'technology supply chain security review' proposal. If passed, all foreign technology companies operating in the United States would need to undergo additional security certifications. It's clearly aimed at you."
"How's it going?"
"It's still in the early stages. But Microsoft's lobbying team is very strong, with former members of Congress and Department of Defense officials," Richardson said. "You need stronger political allies."
"Is Senator Thompson enough?"
“At the state level, it’s fine, but at the federal level, it’s not enough,” Richardson said. “You need people in Washington. Goldman Sachs can introduce a few, but… that also requires deals.”
"What kind of deal?"
"Political donations, committee seats, promises of future employment," Richardson said. "The rules of the game in Washington are more complex and the stakes are higher."
"Arrange a meeting," Ling Yun said. "I need to meet with someone who can influence federal legislation before the end of next week."
"it is good."
After hanging up the phone, Ling Yun stood by the office window. He felt exhausted, as if something was burning inside him, draining his energy and willpower.
My phone vibrated. It was a text message from An Shiyu: "I saw the news. Are you alright?"
He typed: "It's okay. I'm dealing with it."
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No need. Take care of yourself."
"You too. Don't overwork yourself."
A simple conversation. He stared at the screen, his fingertips hovering above the keyboard, wanting to say more, but unsure what to say.
In the end, he only replied with one word: "Mm".