Fixed Pattern

Chapter 185 Fixed Pattern

Wang Yu looked out the window and flipped to a number. Her apartment was on the 23rd floor of a high-rise building in Shanghai's Gubei New District, high enough to see the taillights of taking off and landing planes on the runway of Hongqiao Airport, yet she couldn't hear the roar of the engines. Through the windowpane reflecting the midday sun, she could also see the fork in the Yan'an Road elevated highway connecting the outer ring road and the direction of Jing'an Temple. But at this moment, she was looking at her laptop, the screen displaying her prepared public opinion assessment for the launch meeting. The reason she chose to work from home instead of finding a workstation at NetEase's Shanghai branch was because she knew very well that stepping into the Shanghai branch at this moment would be tantamount to stepping into an interrogation room with no escape. But she wasn't avoiding it out of fear; she just thought it was dirty.

There are only two kinds of people in that building now: one kind is terrified by Chen Zhengyuan's blunder at the launch meeting and pretends nothing happened; the other kind is waiting to see him make a fool of himself and gossip about what happened that day. Both kinds of people cast inquiring glances at her when she appears, as if she, the representative of the strategic development department parachuted in from headquarters, is naturally there to clean up the mess and wipe Chen Zhengyuan's boots.

She didn't want to wipe it. And she couldn't wipe it clean anyway.

Or to be more precise, from the moment she first saw that Southern Weekly report, she vaguely understood what lay behind this matter. It was a quagmire she had already touched but was powerless to stop.

Chen Zhengyuan had already signed a three-month pledge, and should theoretically be focusing resources on building his own SP platform. However, at this crucial juncture, he instead expended considerable energy on a university-enterprise cooperation launch meeting unrelated to core business, even personally attending and speaking on stage. This makes no sense from a business perspective. The most reasonable explanation is that this launch meeting wasn't about business at all, but rather a meticulously designed hunting ground. Wen Jie's sister, Wen Shuyan, was undoubtedly the prey.

Did Chen Zhengyuan intend to influence Wen Jie through Wen Shuyan, and ultimately influence Qingniao? Or was it more about personal motives?

The report said Han Fei attended as a friend. So, the person who invited him was probably Wen Shuyan. Does this mean Wen Shuyan has already sensed danger? Why did Wen Shuyan invite Han Fei and not someone else? What is their relationship? Could it be...? Well, that's not the point. The point is that Han Fei's appearance may have more or less affected Chen Zhengyuan's original plan.

2-

It was either a deliberate plan or a change in strategy by Chen Zhengyuan that led to the final outcome.

Of course, this is purely speculation; behind every crazy act lies a very clear logic. But that's enough to justify her reluctance to step into the Shanghai branch. She couldn't pretend to be ignorant of the truth under the inquiring gazes of others—it's that simple.

An airplane is taxiing on the runway at Hongqiao Airport. Wang Yu moves the cursor to the "send" button in the email, clicks the mouse, and simultaneously calls Ding Lei.

"This is Ding Lei." A deep, emotionless voice came from the other end of the phone. He answered only what was necessary.

"Mr. Ding, I just sent the public opinion assessment report to your email. The core conclusion is that the impact of the launch event on the Wangyi brand is short-term and controllable, but the impact on Mr. Chen personally is greater. The Education Commission's attitude is definitely biased towards Han Fei, but a formal official cooperation has not yet been formed."

Wang Yu heard the sound of fingers flying across the keyboard.

Do you think Han Fei's plan is feasible?

"He can," Wang Yu said firmly, but immediately regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth. "Uh... my judgment is based on the fact that they are not starting from scratch, and I think Han Fei... is capable of doing it. Also, the Education Commission does have this need."

"Hmm, how's the salon?"

"It went quite smoothly. The main discussion focused on trends in the content industry. Han Fei clearly articulated his 'content is king' logic and also shared Qingniao's thoughts on the author ecosystem. Regarding the risk of authors being poached, his response was: 'Money can poach people, but it can't steal the sense of belonging authors find at Qingniao.' Mr. Ding, I think this isn't just empty talk. Qingniao may indeed offer authors something beyond money—perhaps a sense of recognition, or the sense of accomplishment from reader feedback. This kind of thing is difficult to replicate in the short term."

Ding Lei was silent for a moment: "What is his attitude towards the launch meeting?"

"I've already apologized to him privately." Wang Yu pondered for a moment, wondering if what she was about to say would make her seem like she was siding with someone else. But there was nothing she could do about it, because that was the truth. "He's a very clear-headed person and doesn't let his emotions get the better of him, so he didn't take it too seriously at all. He didn't complain or make a fuss about it. I think even if I hadn't brought it up, he wouldn't have connected the launch meeting with the NetEase headquarters."

"Based on your assessment of Han Fei, what do you suggest we do?"

"At this time, I do not recommend any aggressive actions. Maintain contact and observe. Han Fei's willingness to sit down and talk today shows that he hasn't closed the door on NetEase. But if we show any aggressive stance now, he will immediately shut the door. I suggest we continue contact under the guise of industry exchange, while simultaneously tracking Qingniao's content direction, author signings, and channel expansion through public channels. They are moving very fast, and perhaps... problems will soon surface, such as management, technology, and cash flow. These will gradually emerge during their rapid expansion. We can reassess whether to cooperate when they are under internal pressure."

Is it a wait-and-see approach, or something else?

"I understand," Ding Lei said. "You handled the salon matter very well. Also, Chen Zhengyuan's behavior at the launch meeting has gone beyond the boundaries of normal competitive behavior. Based on your understanding of his past decision-making style, is this an occasional misjudgment, or a pattern he uses to cope with pressure? If he continues to act so independently in Shanghai, disregarding our stance on Qingniao, how do you think the outside world will view NetEase? How much trouble will we be dragged into?"

Wang Yu took a breath, knowing he was walking on thin ice and had to be extremely careful with his words. The fact that Ding Lei still chose to keep Chen Zhengyuan at NetEase despite his actions was simply because, given his current state, directly taking action against him might be riskier than leaving him alone. Chen Zhengyuan's contract, his connections in Shanghai, and his entanglements with certain external relationships were not things that could be broken in the short term.

However, if she were to reveal Wen Shuyan's situation now, given Ding Lei's sensitivity to risk, he would most likely immediately launch an investigation into Chen Zhengyuan, and might even fire him outright. This is because it's not just a matter of uncontrolled business competition; it involves female teachers...

This could be an individual act that crosses legal boundaries. Wangyi cannot afford such a scandal. However, she has no evidence, and speaking out would only make her appear to be using this as an excuse for personal vendettas.

"Mr. Ding, I have two observations," Wang Yu began. "First, I don't think this is an isolated misjudgment; it's a consistent pattern he uses when dealing with pressure. During my time working with him at the Shanghai branch, I noticed that when things are going well, he excels at resource integration and relationship-driven strategies. But once he enters a competitive environment beyond his control, his first reaction isn't to adjust his strategy, but to find an enemy. Right now, he sees Han Fei as an enemy. His behavior at the kickoff meeting was essentially an attempt to publicly humiliate his opponent, but he completely underestimated Han Fei's reaction. This shows that under pressure, his risk assessment ability drops drastically, and his decision-making shifts from 'how to win' to 'how to make the opponent lose.'"

A brief silence followed.

"Okay, please continue," Ding Lei said.

"Secondly, if he continues to act independently in Shanghai, the interference from the external environment will be significant for NetEase."

The problem is that not everyone is as clear as Han Fei about that Chen Zhengyuan's actions don't represent NetEase's strategy. If something similar happens again, the media will turn "NetEase's suppression of Qingniao" into a soap opera. When NetEase tries to clarify that it was an individual act, no one will believe it. The media only believes recurring patterns they see. The Education Commission will also likely distance itself from NetEase, because those within the system hate trouble. They won't distinguish which "Chen" is on which side of NetEase; they'll only label NetEase as a controversial partner. This will negatively impact any future plans we make in the education sector. Furthermore, the public, partners, and even competitors will exploit this narrative. Seeing NetEase continuously attacking Qingniao in public will make them think NetEase is desperate. A desperate opponent is most easily manipulated in the capital market. Therefore, Mr. Ding, my assessment is that Chen Zhengyuan's fixed pattern of dealing with pressure essentially prioritizes personal gain over company interests. If he continues to have autonomy in Shanghai, the interference he causes to NetEase is a high-probability, low-to-medium intensity risk that could suddenly escalate. "

"What is your advice regarding this matter?"

Wang Yu took another breath: "My suggestion is, without provoking him, to reduce his opportunities for public appearances representing NetEase, while also getting him to focus on that three-month pledge, even if... it's just for show. This has nothing to do with his personal evaluation, only with NetEase's risk exposure."

"Yes, very good. Your analysis just now clearly explained the transmission relationship between personal patterns and organizational risks. This is more valuable than any of your previous briefings because you are not only describing the phenomenon, but also extrapolating the consequences. As for Chen Zhengyuan, I will still let him complete his three-month leave. This is an explanation to himself and to the company. But if he behaves similarly in public again, I will initiate accountability procedures directly without you writing a report. Let's leave this matter here for now. Don't discuss it with anyone else, and don't think about it anymore. From now on, focus your energy on strategic observation and content preparation."

"I understand, Mr. Ding."

The two hung up the phone.

At 2:40 PM, Han Fei and Lu Hai's plane landed at Lukou International Airport. They boarded an airport bus and headed directly to downtown Nanjing, meaning they immediately joined the slow-moving traffic of early autumn. Han Fei was no stranger to Nanjing, and the city scenery rushing past the window did not evoke any nostalgia in him. The skyline lacked vibrancy, the low, silent factories, and the plane trees yet to turn red. Inside the bus were rows of unhurried, expressionless faces, unlike in Shanghai, where everyone seemed to be in a hurry.

At this moment, the diesel-powered bus encountered a minor rear-end collision on the ring road and came to a stop in the hazy afternoon sunlight.

Although Jiangsu Mobile warmly welcomed them and booked a hotel for them in advance, this was a non-public bidding negotiation, not an official inspection or signing ceremony, so they did not send a car to pick them up from the airport.

"President, aren't the trees in Nanjing a bit too exaggerated?" Lu Hai said, looking out the window. "Both sides of the road are lined with plane trees, and their branches are almost growing together, like a canopy."

Han Fei smiled and said, "Isn't it beautiful? I heard that more than 20,000 trees were planted along the road to welcome the funeral of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. You don't even need an umbrella to walk under them in the summer."

"When all the leaves fall in winter, won't it look especially bare?"

"Then come and see for yourself in winter."

"Hey, look at that little restaurant by the roadside," Lu Hai said, pointing, "the sign says 'Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup Six'."

"Yuan." Six yuan! In Shanghai, it would easily start at ten yuan, right?

2

Han Fei glanced at him: "What, you want to eat as soon as you get off the car?"

Lu Hai swallowed hard. "I was mainly hungry. The meal on the plane was just a packet of pickled mustard greens and two mouthfuls of rice, and I wasn't even full."

"Bear with it. Once we get to the hotel and drop off our luggage, I'll treat you to a proper bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup, and I'll also give you two duck fat sesame cakes."

"Okay! But President, can you understand Nanjing dialect?" Lu Hai said, glancing around before lowering his voice to say, "The bus driver was on the phone just now, and he mumbled a string of words that I didn't understand a single one of."

"It's basically like, 'I'm on my way,' 'I'll be there soon,' 'Don't rush me,' etc. Nanjing dialect is actually easy to understand; it's much gentler than the dialect of northern Jiangsu."

"So how do you say 'hello'? Have you eaten yet?"

Han Fei sighed helplessly, "That's 'Have you eaten yet?' Brother, you might not be able to say it, but you should at least know how to count, right? It's not mealtime yet. Alright, stop learning nonsense. If you tell people later, they'll think you're here to visit relatives."

The bus swayed and moved forward again. Sighs rose from the passengers, some expressing relief, some frustration, and others lingering fear.

"President, look over there," Lu Hai said, patting Han Fei's arm. "What a long city wall! How come the city walls of Nanjing are still standing?"

Han Fei turned his head and looked: "The Ming Dynasty city wall, it's over six hundred years old. Shanghai also has an ancient city wall, but only a small section remains, hidden over Renmin Road. You haven't noticed it, have you?"