Chapter 828 - 796: Countermeasures
The sudden cooling off of Dongzhou Barbecue is due to two main factors: one is Wang Tiejun pointing out that the iron skewers do not meet food hygiene regulations, and the other is the report from CCTV’s "Focus" program.
To be fair, some barbecue vendors in Dongzhou indeed use iron skewers that do not meet regulations, but honestly speaking, which city in the country doesn’t have this phenomenon? If a nationwide survey were conducted specifically on this matter, I’m afraid no city would be spared.
Why did Wang Tiejun target Dongzhou instead of other cities? It’s because Dongzhou Barbecue is too popular, standing out always attracts attention.
Wang Tiejun is different from others in the way he fights fraud; most people do it out of fairness, wanting to punish wrongdoing, glorify the good, and preserve authenticity, but his motivation for fighting fraud is profit-driven.
He was among the first professional fraud-busters in the country. In the past, his methods were quite straightforward and crude, like buying counterfeit goods, demanding huge compensations, and even resorting to legal actions, seeking support from the law.
Now, it’s an era where traffic is king, and many fraud-busters no longer rely on compensation from goods to make money; their goal is to gain traffic, some do it through live broadcasts or short videos.
Wang Tiejun was somewhat slow to catch on to the flow of traffic, but he too wished to keep up with the times. Finally, with Dongzhou Barbecue, he came up with a big plan; for the first time, he tasted the benefits of traffic through his fraud-busting actions against Dongzhou in the past few days.
Compared to Wang Tiejun’s civilian fraud-busting actions, CCTV’s "Focus" program is more official; it can be said that what really caught the Dongzhou leadership’s attention was their feature, and their influence and destructiveness are greater.
Setting aside all external causes, there are indeed issues with Dongzhou Barbecue, but who dares say their barbecue has no issues at all?
Xu Chunliang believes that Fu Guomin missed the point in handling this matter; the issue has arisen, and simply admitting mistakes won’t solve it. The leaders won’t decide your fate based on how well you admit your mistakes, but rather on whether you can quickly control the impact of the incident, eliminate negative influences quickly, and even reverse the situation to turn it to your advantage.
Xu Chunliang shared his views with Fan Lidada.
Fan Lidada sighed and said, "Resolving these two issues isn’t easy. First, Wang Tiejun has his teeth sunk into Dongzhou, and he won’t let go until he gets what he wants. Furthermore, the CCTV’s ’Focus’ program didn’t even notify us, clearly not intending to show Dongzhou any face."
Xu Chunliang said, "Things need to be resolved one by one. Haven’t you noticed a significant issue? Wang Tiejun is fighting fraud, but what was his angle this time?"
Fan Lidada said, "Iron skewers, right? Saying some of our vendors’ iron skewers don’t meet food hygiene standards, not using 304 steel."
Xu Chunliang said, "At first glance, this seems fine, but upon deeper thought, it appears rather ridiculous. Isn’t he a professional fraud-buster? Why isn’t the issue fake lamb, fake beef, or fake cumin, but rather iron skewers not meeting hygiene standards?"
Fan Lidada scratched his head, "So, it means there’s no problem with the ingredients."
Xu Chunliang laughed, "Old Fan, you’ve finally figured it out; it’s like picking flaws in the packaging when you can’t find them in the product itself."
Fan Lidada suddenly realized, "Oh heck, how did we not think of this? Doesn’t this from another angle prove that our Dongzhou Barbecue is genuine? Foolish indeed, we should have launched a counterattack immediately."
He was extremely annoyed, having missed the first opportunity for crisis management; Xu Chunliang really has a nimble mind.
Xu Chunliang continued, "CCTV’s ’Focus’ program targets hygiene issues of individual vendors and mentioned capsaicin extract. Many people were scared by capsaicin extract, but it’s also known as chili oil resin, which is a product extracted and concentrated from chili itself, with a strong spicy flavor used for food seasoning. Capsaicin extract contains not only the spicy component of chili, but also capsaicin alcohol, protein, pectin, and various complex chemical substances. Capsaicin extract isn’t an illegal additive, but an extract of natural food ingredients."
Fan Lidada said, "Yes, they didn’t say the meat had issues either. I must quickly inform Director Fu; we can’t sit and wait for death, action is imperative."
Xu Chunliang said, "You were right earlier, you should have launched a counterattack immediately; now it’s a bit late."
"Better late than never; we can’t let them continue smearing Dongzhou Barbecue," Fan Lidada showed unprecedented fighting spirit, not only fighting for Fu Guomin but also for his own future. If Fu Guomin fails, he’s definitely going down with him.
Xu Chunliang contacted Three Two Three that same night, and Three Two Three also felt very regretful about Dongzhou Barbecue’s current predicament. After all, he was the one who brought Dongzhou Barbecue to prominence, and it’s like the saying goes, watching him build the tower, watching him feast, and watching the tower collapse.
Xu Chunliang convinced Three Two Three with just one sentence: Wang Tiejun’s troubles aren’t just aimed at Dongzhou, but also at Three Two Three himself. If Dongzhou Barbecue goes under because of this, outsiders will think Wang Tiejun has defeated Three Two Three.
This is not just a battle of honor for Dongzhou Barbecue, but also a battle of honor for Three Two Three; if Three Two Three defeats Wang Tiejun, his personal brand and reputation will reach unprecedented heights.
Xu Chunliang gave Three Two Three a few suggestions, all targeting Wang Tiejun’s weaknesses; Xu Chunliang could originally face it directly himself, but his presence wouldn’t carry the same popularity or impact as Three Two Three.
Three Two Three formally declared war on Wang Tiejun that night, launching three moral confrontations at Wang Tiejun.
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First question: Wang Tiejun, when you came to Dongzhou for barbecue, the vendor sold you meat, not the metal skewers. How did you obtain the skewers for testing? Was it theft?
Second question: Wang Tiejun, you are a professional whistleblower. You couldn’t find faults with the meat, so you targeted the skewers. Does this imply that Dongzhou Barbecue’s ingredients themselves have no issues? How long have you been contemplating this skewer tactic?
Third question: Wang Tiejun, how much money have you made since you started exposing fraud? Is your frustration this time due to a failed extortion attempt?
Once the "Three Moral Questions" from Three Two Three were released, the popularity surged rapidly.
The netizens nowadays are not so easily fooled and possess the ability to distinguish right from wrong, and immediately some began to comment.
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Exactly, Wang Tiejun, you’re supposed to expose fraud. In terms of food hygiene, you should focus on the meat and materials. What’s your obsession with skewers? Did you go to Dongzhou to eat skewers or meat?
Everyone can feel assured to go to Dongzhou for barbecue. Wang Tiejun couldn’t find faults with the meat, so he chose the skewers. This guy is just not a good person.
This incident is causing a stir, my family’s iron pot has been used for decades, and it’s not 304 steel. Should I throw it away?
My aluminum pot has been used for thirty years and doesn’t meet food hygiene standards either. I’m reluctant to discard it, what should I do?
You’re invited to Dongzhou to enjoy skewers, not the skewers themselves, you fool. Do you eat skewers with salt?
According to Wang Tiejun’s logic, the iron hooks for roast duck, the iron griddle for pancakes, the pots and spatulas we use at home are all problematic. Do you want to come to my house to expose fraud? Want me to flatten you with a spatula?
This guy is just trying to make money. Since extortion failed, he resorted to such lousy ideas to slander others, as they say, there’s no benefit without early rise, isn’t it all about making money?
Wang Tiejun, if you weren’t earning through such disgraceful methods, I’d really believe you’re a moral model.
...
Even Three Two Three did not expect the overwhelming support from netizens, supporting him equates to supporting Dongzhou Barbecue. The "Three Moral Questions" were conceived by Xu Chunliang, being beyond Three Two Three’s ability.
Professional whistleblower Wang Tiejun originally thought he stood on a moral high ground, but he never anticipated the backlash would come so suddenly and fiercely. Facing the overwhelming doubt, he’s now questioning life, as the issues he exposed are genuinely existent. What’s with these netizens? Why are they mocking and ridiculing him? It’s simply absurd!
Initially, Wang Tiejun thought Dongzhou hired internet trolls, but as the situation continued to escalate, even his past fraud-exposing history was dug up completely. The internet has memory, and pinpointed when he exposed fraud, how much compensation he sought, all listed neatly.
Besides, rumors continuously suggested he first attempted extortion from the barbecue vendor unsuccessfully, hence opting to expose it on the internet.
To prove he’s not lying, and to stubbornly oppose Three Two Three, Wang Tiejun even published test reports online. However, he was immediately met with more rampant mockery and jeers.
Wang Tiejun doesn’t deeply comprehend today’s internet traffic dynamics, thus the internet handed him a lesson in online violence. Wang Tiejun thought he’d been through every storm, even having faced threats to personal safety in the past, which he survived, but the influence of online violence is pervasive and unimaginable to him.
Everything about his past, including family secrets and marital status, was thoroughly exposed. By the second evening after the "Three Moral Questions," Wang Tiejun was already terrified and disoriented. The public whistleblowing profession carries considerable risk, so maintaining privacy is essential to protect his family’s well-being. Yet, he’s facing universal condemnation this time, with countless netizens now investigating him, probing him. The power of unity intensifies scrutiny, he himself is far from perfect, the more they delve, the bigger issues arise.
Wang Tiejun swiftly realized the reality that persisting on this path would soon leave him utterly exposed. He chose the wrong entry point in targeting Dongzhou Barbecue, initially Dongzhou didn’t respond, but now they understand, their counterattack is fatal, targeting his weaknesses directly.
Three Two Three knows this guy has chickened out, adopting a very tough stance, telling Wang Tiejun, either apologize to the people of Dongzhou or withdraw from the internet, otherwise, each time you show your face, I’ll take you down.