Chapter 424: Killing Two Birds with One Stone

“To make matters worse,” the Secretary-General added, as if remembering something,
“just today, the former president posted a new update on social media, specifically naming him,
“FaceWeb, that outdated thing, should have been in the trash long ago. The world needs a new platform where everyone can truly revel!”
“Why is that old guy jumping in to join the fray again?!” Aiden snapped irritably.
“Have you forgotten? It was Markberg who personally banned the former president's FaceWeb account, and even righteously criticized his thinking. That grudge is deep.”
These words were a wake-up call, and Aiden's thoughts raced.
Markberg, that tech upstart who was so eager to curry favor with him—wasn't his attack on the former president a testament to his loyalty?
"..."
Aidan's expression shifted, then a thought suddenly popped into his head.
"That kid Markberg... he's probably just waiting for us to come to his rescue, isn't he?"
"I think he's probably kneeling on the ground praying right now."
"Is there any way to save him?"
"Excuse me for being so blunt, Mr. President, no." The Secretary General shook his head.
"The European Union's revenue stream has dried up, Fruit Company has made a major update under the guise of personal information protection, and FaceWeb's advertising revenue has also been greatly affected.
If it weren't for that data breach scandal, we might have been able to find a reason to help him, but now..."
"It's not legitimate, it's not convincing?"
"Exactly. And... even if there were a way, I personally suggest we stand by and not help."
Aidan was stunned. Even if there were a way, they wouldn't help? What kind of move is this?
“Not only should we not help, we should go with the flow, even put some pressure on Markberg, so that Fanghuan Investment can easily swallow ‘FaceWeb’!”
“You want me… to be Fanghuan Investment’s henchman?” Aiden’s face darkened.
“No, Mr. President, you misunderstand! This isn’t being a henchman, it’s luring them into a trap!” The Secretary-General explained calmly,
“This is precisely our golden opportunity!
Because, once Fanghuan Investment acquires ‘FaceWeb,’ coupled with ‘picpic’ in their hands, it will constitute a de facto industry monopoly!
Then, we can rightfully wield the anti-monopoly stick and smash them over the head!”
“!!!!”
President Aiden’s eyes lit up instantly, like a lightning bolt flashing in the dark night.
Brilliant! This is simply a brilliant two-birds-with-one-stone strategy!
“What do you think?” He glanced around at the other advisors in the conference room.
"A flawless plan, Mr. President!"
"This way, we'll have a legitimate reason to act, and we can completely uproot Fang Huan's influence in the US!"
We'll deliberately let you acquire things, waiting until you're large enough to control everything, then use "anti-monopoly" charges to slowly and agonize you down, dismembering and devouring you!
Is there a more insidious, more ingenious scheme than this?
"To be honest, the power of social media has become too great, too powerful to be controlled. It's truly time to put it on the reins."
“Once we file a lawsuit on monopoly grounds, we can not only forcibly dismantle their social media business, but we can even include all their businesses in the crackdown, wiping them out in one fell swoop!”
A sinister smile finally appeared on President Aiden's face.
Finally, he had found an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to Fang Huan Investment and his cronies!
Moreover, he could also eliminate the long-standing thorn in their side—social media.
A double whammy, killing two birds with one stone!
This opportunity absolutely could not be missed!
“Good! That’s it!” Aiden slammed his hand on the table, making a dull thud.
“Act immediately! We’ll put pressure on Mark Berg here too! Make sure he hands over the company to me as quickly and gracefully as possible!”
***
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world.
Su Hao stared silently at the precipitous drop in the K-line on the screen, as if admiring a collapsing oil painting.
FaceWeb, a symbol of an era, a behemoth that pioneered the global social networking craze.
A once-mighty super-empire, its market capitalization exceeding one trillion US dollars, has now, under the world's gaze, plummeted below one hundred billion and is plunging into an abyss.
While the European Union's regulatory legislation was the final straw,
how to put it... personally pushing a trillion-dollar giant down from its pedestal evokes a bittersweet feeling, a sense of triumphant triumph mixed with a subtle sense of shared loss.
After all, this transcends mere business competition; it resembles a meticulously planned, ruthless hunt.
"Chairman Su, it seems the US is also preparing to take action against FaceWeb. Looks like they're trying to help us."
A subordinate's report interrupted his thoughts.
“Oh? That’s a bit unexpected.” Su Hao raised an eyebrow. “I thought they would fight tooth and nail to save FaceWeb.”
“Yes, very unexpected. Not only did they not save it, but they started making things difficult for FaceWeb legally, and now they’re going all out to destroy Mark Berg.”
This move is truly insidious.
FaceWeb is a legitimate, homegrown company. Logically, the US should have intervened to prevent it from being swallowed up by Fang Huan Investment, this “outsider.”
But the reality is quite the opposite; they seem to want FaceWeb dead more than anyone else.
“This means Mark Berg is completely finished.
If the US is determined to dredge up old grievances, that kid might end up behind bars. Even if he’s bold, he wouldn’t dare gamble that.”
“But why are they helping us?” Su Hao asked.
"Our analysis suggests this matter... is likely related to the chip industry plan that Aiden is currently preparing."
The Aiden government is betting everything on a massive project—the chip repatriation plan.
"Fang Huan and Jiang Jin Group know their strength in the chip field better than anyone.
Even with a few competitors, to put it bluntly, the tech giants on the market right now can't even run their machines without our high-end products."
Therefore, the people of the US are anxious.
Desperate to escape this choking predicament, they must rebuild a complete industrial chain domestically.
"For President Eden, this project is a matter of his political career.
Success is not an option. Failure would not only cause his approval ratings to plummet, but also make it impossible to control the domestic unemployment rate."
The logic of this strategy instantly became clear.
Boosting the competitiveness of M country's domestic industries, while simultaneously creating massive amounts of jobs and appeasing the lower classes—this was Eden's core objective.