Chapter 904
: Central Radio and Television Station Discussion and Interview Broadcast
It was already dark when Bai Song's interview vehicle drove away from the headquarters of Galaxy Technology.
He sat in the back seat, the city lights of Tangdu shining brightly outside the car window, but his mind was not on the city's night view at all.
His mind replayed every detail of the interview, every word Wang Donglai said, every expression, and every pause.
"Teacher Bai, is this footage... really okay to broadcast?" the young director sitting in the passenger seat asked cautiously.
Baisong did not answer.
He certainly knew the significance of this material.
In his 30 years of professional experience, he has interviewed countless people, from grassroots cadres to ministerial-level leaders, from entrepreneurs to scholars and experts.
He knew all too well what he could say and what he couldn't say.
Almost every word Wang Donglai said today was testing the limits of danger.
But ironically, those words were so true and so powerful.
"Let's go back to the capital first," Bai Song finally said.
The next morning at nine o'clock, the atmosphere in a small screening room at the main station was so heavy it seemed like water could drip from it.
On the big screen, Wang Donglai's image is playing.
When he said, "If wealth becomes increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, and most people cannot even guarantee their basic livelihood, can this society be stable?" someone in the screening room coughed lightly.
When he said, "Those bosses who get rich by exploiting their employees, those platforms that make money by monopolizing the market, and those investors who reap profits through capital games will all hate me," some people frowned.
When he said his last sentence, "I'm not setting new rules, I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do," the entire screening room fell into an eerie silence.
Bai Song stood to the side, observing everyone's expressions.
Liu, the deputy editor-in-chief of CCTV, was the first to speak: "Bai Song, what do you think of this footage?"
"Mr. Liu, my opinion is not important."
Bai Song cautiously said, "The key is what kind of reaction will occur after this footage is broadcast."
Old Liu nodded, then asked Old Zhang, the editor-in-chief of the station, who was standing next to him, "Old Zhang, what do you think?"
Old Zhang pondered for a moment and said, "From a news value perspective, this interview is very valuable. As a world-leading scientist and the founder of Galaxy Technology, Wang Donglai's views are worth paying attention to in themselves. What's more, he talked about wealth distribution, employee treatment, and corporate social responsibility, all of which are topics of great social concern."
"But that's also where the problem lies."
In the corner of the screening room, a middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses spoke up.
He is Lao Li, the director of the editorial office of CCTV, who is mainly responsible for content review.
“Some of the things he said were too sharp. For example, the phrase ‘bosses who get rich by exploiting their employees’ was clearly pointed at, even though he didn’t name names. Will broadcasting it cause unnecessary controversy?”
Old Zhang shook his head and said, "The controversy itself is not the problem."
"The problem is whether these controversies will get out of our control."
Another silence followed.
"besides,"
Old Li added, "His last statement about the 'golden spirit,' although it was about history, inevitably made people think too much by comparing the past with the present. It's hard to strike the right balance."
Bai Song then spoke up: "Leaders, I have an idea."
"explain."
“We all know Wang Donglai. He’s not the kind of person who talks a good game, but what he says is always based on evidence. Everyone has seen what Galaxy Technology has done over the years. Giving employees high salaries, giving them shares, and providing them with good benefits are all real things. So when he says these things, he’s not just talking; he has the confidence to back them up.”
He paused, then continued, "Moreover, the context of this interview is also very important. The Century Academic Conference has just ended, and the world is paying attention to Wang Donglai, Galaxy Technology, and Chinese technology. Releasing such an in-depth and substantive interview at this time is actually a positive way to shape Wang Donglai's image."
"More importantly, the issues he raised are indeed societal pain points. Just because we don't address them doesn't mean they don't exist. If we can get more people to think about these issues, it might not be a bad thing."
After listening, Lao Liu did not express his opinion, but only said, "This matter is too big for me to make a decision on my own. It needs to be reported to higher authorities."
That afternoon, an urgent report was delivered to the desk of the propaganda department leader.
The report included the full transcript of the interview video, as well as internal discussions within the CCTV headquarters.
After reading the report, the leader of the publicity department remained silent for a long time.
He certainly knew the significance of this video.
Wang Donglai's words touched upon the deepest issues in society—wealth distribution, the value of labor, and the relationship between capital and workers.
These issues have been discussed in theory for a long time, but few entrepreneurs, people at the top of technology and business, have spoken about them so frankly and openly.
But the question is, will this frankness and openness be misunderstood? Will it be exploited? Will it cause unnecessary unrest?
He decided to hold a small meeting.
The next morning, seven or eight people were sitting in a conference room in the publicity department.
There were leaders from the publicity department, several expert consultants in related fields, and Lao Zhang and Lao Liu from the main station.
Strong disagreements arose from the very beginning of the meeting.
One advisor spoke first: "My opinion on this video is that it's too risky. Wang Donglai's remarks, especially his comments about 'bosses who get rich by exploiting their employees,' are essentially labeling the business community, even though he didn't name names. This will provoke resentment from the business community and could even be interpreted as the government encouraging a certain kind of antagonism."
Another advisor disagreed: "I think this is exactly the kind of voice we need. Wang Donglai is not an official; he is an entrepreneur, a scientist, and someone at the top of his industry. His words precisely demonstrate that there is reflection and progress within the entrepreneurial community. This in itself is a positive force."
"Positive energy?"
The first consultant countered, “Listen to what he’s saying—‘Are the rules of the game in capital really right?’ ‘Has our distribution kept up?’ How much of a public outcry would these words cause online? What would those workers who feel exploited, those young people who are dissatisfied with the status quo, think?”
“They were already thinking about these issues.”
The second advisor said, "It's better to guide than to block. Rather than letting these problems fester in the shadows, it's better to bring them out into the open for discussion. Wang Donglai provided his answer—the approach taken by Galaxy Technology. This answer itself is a form of guidance."
The two argued back and forth, getting into a heated debate.
The publicity department leader remained silent, simply listening attentively.
After the two had finished speaking, he finally asked, "Old Zhang, what's the opinion from headquarters?"
Old Zhang said after careful consideration, "There are also disagreements within the station. Some people think it should be broadcast, believing it to be a positive example; others are worried about the risks and think it needs to be handled with caution. But everyone agrees on one point: this interview has high news value and cannot be simply abandoned."
The propaganda leader nodded and then asked, "If it's broadcast, what are your plans for handling it?"
Old Zhang said, "We considered several options. One was to broadcast it in its entirety without any commentary. The second was to edit it appropriately, removing some potentially controversial segments. The third was to add expert commentary to guide the audience to a correct understanding."
Which one do you prefer?
"I prefer the first option."
Old Zhang said, "Wang Donglai's viewpoint is a whole; after editing, the logic may become incomplete. Moreover, his expression itself is already very rigorous, without any extreme language; he simply expressed his thoughts frankly. Adding expert commentary might actually weaken the power of his expression."
The propaganda leader did not immediately express a response.
He stood up, walked to the window, and stood with his back to everyone, as if he was thinking about something.
The meeting room fell silent, with only the faint sound of traffic outside the window.
After a long while, he turned around and said, "I need to make a phone call about this."
He walked out of the conference room and dialed a number.
A calm voice came from the other end of the phone: "What is it?"
The publicity leader gave a brief report on the situation and concluded by saying, "This interview is rather unusual, and we need a clear opinion."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then someone asked, "What do you think?"
“There are internal disagreements. Some think the risk is too great, while others see it as a positive example.” “So what’s your opinion?”
The publicity leader thought for a moment and said, "Personally, I don't think Wang Donglai's words were wrong. He's using his own methods to push for the resolution of some issues. Galaxy Technology's approach also proves that his ideas are feasible. As for the controversy... controversy itself is part of social progress. As long as it's guided well, it's not a bad thing."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then someone said, "Then let's broadcast it."
"but……"
There was a pause on the other end of the phone, followed by, "No need for deliberate promotion, no need to make headlines, no need for special features, no need to arrange expert commentary. Just put it in the regular program slot and let it happen naturally."
"What if it causes a public outcry?"
"Then let's see which way the waves go. If everyone is discussing the issues Wang Dong mentioned, how companies should treat their employees, and how to make wealth distribution fairer, what's wrong with that kind of discussion?"
The propaganda leader understood.
"in addition……"
The person on the other end of the phone concluded, "Have Wang Donglai write a detailed report on what Galaxy Technology has done over the years. Not a 'singing song' or 'praise,' but a concrete summary. How we treat our employees, how we distribute profits, how we conduct technological research and development. These things will be more effective than any words he utters."
The phone hangs up.
The publicity leader returned to the meeting room and said to everyone, "It can be broadcast. But there's no need for deliberate publicity; let it happen naturally."
Everyone looked at each other.
Old Zhang tentatively asked, "What about the editing..."
"Uncut, broadcast in its entirety."
The propaganda leader said, "Every word Wang Donglai said was carefully considered. If we cut it out, it would make us seem guilty."
"What about the expert commentary?"
"No need. Let the audience see for themselves and think for themselves."
Old Zhang nodded, understanding in his heart.
After the meeting, the publicity leader kept one young staff member behind.
"Xiao Wang, could you write this down for me?"
He sat at his desk, tapping his fingers lightly on the surface, as if organizing his thoughts: "I'll pass on a message to headquarters later. It's not a formal notification, just some of my personal opinions."
The young staff member quickly took out his notebook.
"First of all, Wang Donglai is not an ordinary businessman. He is a scientist, an academician, and a person who is truly engaged in technological innovation. What he says is based on his practice, not just empty talk. Everyone needs to understand this point."
"Secondly, the problems he mentioned do exist. Avoiding them won't solve them. But the way to solve them is not through confrontation or division, but through concrete actions to bring about change. Galaxy Technology is a good example. This is something we need to guide people on."
"Third, his last words about the 'golden spirit' are very important. It's not about going back to the past, but about inheriting that uplifting spirit. Times are changing, technology is changing, but that spirit cannot be lost. This point is worth mentioning."
He paused, then said, "Finally, tell Bai Song that he did a good job this time. But in the future, when interviewing someone of Wang Donglai's stature, he should be more careful. Not all questions are appropriate to ask, and not all answers are appropriate to broadcast. A sense of proportion is very important."
The young staff members took notes one by one.
"Go ahead," the propaganda leader waved his hand.
Three days later, Bai Song's interview with Wang Donglai was broadcast on a regular news interview program on CCTV.
There were no announcements, no trending topics, and no massive publicity.
It appeared on television quietly at 10 p.m.
But Bai Song knew that those who were meant to see it would see it.
The morning after the program aired, Bai Song's phone kept ringing.
The first call was from an old friend of an entrepreneur: "Old Bai, you guys really dared to broadcast that interview with Wang Donglai?"
Bai Song smiled and said, "What's there to be afraid of?"
"Wasn't he afraid of offending people by saying those things?"
"Hasn't he offended enough people already?"
Bai Song continued, "But have you ever seen him afraid of anyone?"
There was a pause on the other end of the phone, then a voice said, "That's true. But to be honest, he's right. There are some issues we should be thinking about."
The second call was from an old colleague: "Teacher Bai, the discussion has started online. That trending topic on Weibo has already climbed into the top ten."
Bai Song opened his phone and glanced at it.
On Weibo's trending topics list, "Wang Donglai talks about wealth" has already ranked eighth, followed by the word "new".
Clicking in, I saw that there were already over 10,000 comments.
"Wang Donglai is absolutely right! I've worked in the factory for ten years, my salary has increased by two thousand, while the house price has increased by twenty thousand..."
"The employees at Galaxy Technology are so lucky. When will our company be able to be like that?"
“Those who say ‘companies have no obligation to pay their employees high salaries’ should take a look at Galaxy Technology’s financial statements. Their profits are still high.”
"Wang Donglai's last words about the spirit of gold brought tears to my eyes. That spirit is something we must never lose."
There are also dissenting voices:
"Wang Donglai is talking without understanding the situation. Galaxy Technology can make money because of its technological monopoly, which is something that ordinary companies cannot learn."
"He's putting on a show, trying to portray himself as a moral exemplar."
"What businessmen can talk about common prosperity? They should pay their taxes first."
But most of the comments were supportive.
Bai Song put down his phone and let out a long sigh of relief.
The broadcast of the interview meant that everything was settled and that he had won his gamble this time.
He recalled Wang Donglai's last words: "Whether you broadcast it or not is your business. Whether I talk about it or not is my business."
Now that he's said it, they've broadcast it.
As for the outcome, let time tell.
That same afternoon, in a quiet office in the Western Hills of Beijing.
A leader is looking at a document.
The document contains a complete record of Wang Donglai's interview, as well as a summary and analysis of online public opinion.
He looked at it very carefully, spending a long time on each page.
After reading it, he looked up at the secretary opposite him and said, "This person is interesting."
The secretary asked, "Are you referring to Wang Donglai?"
"Ah."
The leader nodded and commented, "Some of what he said was very direct, but it was all very practical. Most importantly, he didn't just talk the talk. What Galaxy Technology has been doing over the years is indeed exploring a new model."
He paused, then said, "Tell your subordinates to pay close attention to this person and his company, and to offer them more support. As long as it's not illegal or against regulations, let him do whatever he wants. If he succeeds, it's experience; if he fails, it's a lesson."
The secretary wrote everything down.
The leader looked out the window; in the distance, the outline of Beijing could be seen, and the undulating curves of the Western Hills could be vaguely discerned.
He suddenly remembered a quote he had read when he was young: "Truth is not afraid of debate; the more it is debated, the clearer it becomes."
Now, some people are putting this statement into practice. (End of Chapter)