Chapter 520: A proud aunt's smile

Even with his thick skin, Su Hao felt his face burning.
This barrage of flattery made even him, the person involved, feel nauseous and ashamed.
"This thing... is it sure it's not just inviting criticism? It's so awkward, like a spam troll army."
"Criticizing? Look at these outrageous likes, and look at the comments below!"
Su Hui pushed the screen forward again,
"See? The likes have surpassed ten million!
Everyone's praising your youthful achievements and your humble humility.
The comments section is full of 'Su God is awesome,' 'A pillar of the nation!'
Plus, your foundation and the fact that you've personally donated billions to charity have been dug up.
Now your image is practically 'National Husband' 2.0, a flawless eligible bachelor, a walking moral paragon!"
To be honest, Su Hao's consistent dedication to charity was never for praise.
His logic has always been simple:
Since his wealth is accumulated from the masses, it's only natural to return it to society when he has more than he can spend.
After all, money is something you can't take with you when you die; rather than letting it become a string of cold numbers in a bank account, he'd rather it become a force that brings smiles to others' faces.
Whenever he thinks that the money he donated can feed a child or help a family out of poverty, the heartfelt satisfaction he feels is far more lasting and heartwarming than the dopamine rush from any successful investment.
“Brother, seeing how successful you are now, admired by everyone, I'm genuinely happy for you. But… there's a problem here,” Su Hui suddenly said seriously.
"Huh?"
"Ever since I foolishly clicked on a few of your videos, my data is completely corrupted by you!
No matter which app I use, the system assumes I have a crush on my own brother and keeps pushing your videos to me! I'm going crazy!"
Upon hearing this, Su Hao remembered that Huang Fengwen had indeed mentioned a while ago that the group's marketing department should plan a public relations campaign to promote his personal image.
It seems that with Chairman Huang personally overseeing things, the guys in the marketing department are going all out, flooring the gas pedal.
But... isn't this a bit too much?
Trying to mold him directly into a "national hero" image—this level of flattery is almost unsettling, even to himself.
***
Fanghuan Investment, conference room.
"Ah, Chairman Su, we've all seen your videos! Haha, they're really well-made!"
Liang Haiyuan and his employees were clearly loyal viewers of "Su Hao's Video Universe," their faces beaming with pride.
"However, Chairman Su," Liang Haiyuan reported,
"I heard from the marketing department that although we did promote some, according to data analysis, the vast majority of the viral videos were created spontaneously by netizens—the number is astonishing."
"Why?" Su Hao asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Well… how should I put it? It's what's called 'great power narrative,' you know?
Now, Fanghuan is recognized as a top-tier global conglomerate.
Those internationally renowned giants, their major shareholders are all us."
"We Chinese people are filled with pride and a sense of national pride.
And you, as the creator of all this, naturally become the perfect embodiment of that pride.
Those video creators have grasped this traffic code and are producing content like crazy.
They can satisfy public sentiment and reap huge traffic. It's already a mature industry chain."
To put it bluntly, making his videos is a way to make money, and a lot of it.
"Besides, Chairman Su, is anything said in those videos false?"
Liu Bo added excitedly,
"You defied all opposition and used national funds to turn the tide and solve a major national problem;
Your undefeated investment success story has lifted our Fanghuan, a purely Chinese company, to the top of the world!"
"These deeds would make any Xia citizen feel their blood boil and feel proud!"
"That's right! Thanks to Chairman Su, not only Fang Huan, but the entire Xia nation's businesses have been revitalized!
The entire A-share market has been boosted, the index is almost hitting 4,000 points—all thanks to the 'Fang Huan effect'!"
"Not to mention your incredible achievements, which are practically straight out of a fantasy novel.
For example, single-handedly taking on the Japanese capital market, beating them to a pulp;
and making those arrogant Europeans bow their heads...
This material is practically a magic bullet for generating buzz; a little editing will send netizens into a frenzy!"
Listening to his subordinates' enthusiastic praise, Su Hao remained unmoved.
He had no desire for fame, and even less interest in becoming a public figure.
There's a saying, isn't there?
It's better to be an unknown, invisible tycoon than a household name.
The former needs eight bodyguards when they go out, while the latter can eat street food in their shorts.
Freedom is the ultimate luxury.
"Chairman Su, Fanghuan is now a top-tier global company; its brand image is its lifeline," Liang Haiyuan concluded.
"To maintain Fanghuan's brand image, the more positive, almost mythical personal stories, the better.
After all, your image is Fanghuan's banner.
As long as your image remains intact, even if a subsidiary makes a huge mistake, it won't shake the group's foundation."
That's true.
This was also his initial motivation for spearheading the establishment of the ESG Association and implementing corporate governance reforms from top to bottom.
In other words, as Fang Huan's giant ship sails towards the stars and seas of the globe, he, as the captain, is destined to no longer be able to remain comfortably hidden behind the scenes as before.
"The good news is that Chairman Su, you enjoy extremely high prestige among the people.
Especially after your last public appearance, you gained countless fans.
Many comments say that you look like a kind-hearted person, with a particularly good appearance, like a boy next door, and are especially loved by elders.
Because you've become so popular online recently, invitations from various TV stations have practically worn down the doorstep of the marketing department.
The media wanting to interview you could line up from the company entrance to the Bund."
On TV?
Just imagining that scene made Su Hao feel his camera phobia kick in; countless cold cameras staring at him like compound-eyed monsters made him extremely uncomfortable.
"No." He refused without even thinking.
"Chairman Su... the marketing department strongly suggests you could appear on one or two of the most influential programs.
They recommended an interview program, the kind where you sit and chat with the host; the atmosphere is very relaxed."
Su Hao knew that program; it had a very high national profile.
But he was genuinely afraid that he would become so nervous on stage that his brain would shut down, and he wouldn't even be able to speak coherently.
He was about to refuse again.
"...!"
Just then, deep within his mind, an invisible force suddenly plucked a string, making it buzz!
His unfailing intuition was frantically sending him a signal—go, you absolutely must go!
It was as if some crucial opportunity was waiting for him in that studio.
"...Then...arrange one or two." He changed his mind almost unconsciously.
"Yes!!"
"Wow! Chairman Su is finally going to be on TV?"
"Don't worry, Chairman Su, our whole family will be there with our chairs ready to watch!"
"..."
Su Hao was starting to regret it.
Damn it, he hadn't even gone yet, and just thinking about it made him break out in a cold sweat.