Chapter 608: Keep your eyes peeled

“And the most terrifying thing is, if we continue to be stubborn, continue to provoke Fang Huan, and ignore their ‘warnings’…”
Ronald added another blow, precisely striking at everyone’s weak spot.
“Then, the next one lying on a cold morgue will be one of us!”
“…!”
In the conference room, everyone subconsciously exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting the other’s terrified face.
Who would be next?
Who wanted to become the next unlucky soul to be broadcast live on the dark web and then shot in the head by some madman who appeared out of nowhere, all for the sake of so-called industry dignity?
The answer was, no one.
“I…I was against it from the beginning! I told you we shouldn’t have provoked a dragon like Fang Huan!”
“Me too! It’s all because Chairman Carlson insisted on his own way!
I just…I was forced to follow! I didn’t want to go against those devils!”
Looking at these “allies” who instantly changed their tune and scrambled to shift blame, a trace of contempt welled up in Ronald’s heart.
But he also knew that settling scores now was pointless.
Even if they knelt and wept here, Fang Huan Investment, far away, wouldn't hear a word.
“We only have two paths before us,” Ronald said, holding up two fingers.
“Either we fight to the death, using all our resources to investigate, dig up evidence of Fang Huan's crimes, and fight them to the bitter end.
Or… we pretend nothing happened, obediently admit defeat, and let them do whatever they want.”
“…”
Is there even a choice?
Fight to the death with a bunch of thugs who won't even bother negotiating, who'll resort to 'truth' at the slightest disagreement?
Only someone with a screw loose would do that.
Besides, Fang Huan's security company, "Wildfire," wasn't some street thug.
They were a group of war machines, truly warriors who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, each a professional thug retired from the world's top special forces.
Fighting monsters like that? With what? A keyboard?
"It seems silence has provided the answer," Ronald thought, looking at the deathly quiet conference room.
Today, these once-arrogant industry giants learned a lesson they would never forget, with a burning corpse and a body covered in cold sweat:
When you're in the game, keep your eyes peeled.
First, make sure you know who your opponent is.
First, consider whether you can afford to mess with them!
***
Fanghuan Investment, Su Hao's office.
"What... all of a sudden?" Su Hao looked at the report in his hand, raising an eyebrow slightly.
“Yes, Chairman Su.” Liang Haiyuan’s voice was filled with unbelievable excitement.
“Those state regulatory agencies that were previously making all sorts of excuses and refusing to issue us licenses, overnight, it’s as if they all agreed to change their stance.”
Could it be that some deity overheard his casual wish yesterday?
Su Hao was a little confused.
How come those guys who were so adamant yesterday, claiming they would never issue tickets to Fang Huan, have suddenly become so amiable today, like a gentle spring breeze?
“So, now we can get all the licenses?”
“Yes, Chairman Su! They said that as long as we submit the application, it will be approved immediately!”
This sudden change of heart is downright eerie.
A collective change of heart overnight? Even if they were all brainwashed by aliens, the efficiency wouldn't be that high, would it?
“It must be the two recent shootings that have put the entire insurance industry on edge.”
Liang Haiyuan tried to analyze a reasonable explanation,
“Add to that the long-suppressed dissatisfaction with insurance companies on social media and various forums, and the resentment has reached a boiling point, fermenting into a nationwide social problem.
This fire is burning far too fiercely.”
Indeed, especially after the news broke that Insurance Association President Carlson was shot in the head outside his hotel bathroom, the entire industry's security alert level was raised to the highest level.
"It's said that the personal information of many insurance company executives is now rampant online, especially through the dark web, and it's impossible to delete.
Many have even been so scared that they resigned and bought plane tickets overnight to flee to the US."
Hearing this, Su Hao felt a mix of emotions.
To be honest, it was quite satisfying.
Emotionally speaking, considering the countless misdeeds those insurance companies had committed against their clients, their current fate seemed like retribution.
But then again, using assassination to uphold justice is ultimately not the right path.
What is the purpose of a state and laws?
It's to prevent judging evil based on personal emotions.
This kind of vigilante justice, bypassing the law, once opened, will inevitably lead to disaster.
"Our company's social media accounts censor and restrict inflammatory statements, right?" Su Hao asked.
"Well... Mr. Su, this topic is too sensitive right now.
Public resentment is too great, and we can't just take a blanket approach. Deleting too much could easily provoke an even bigger backlash."
Liang Haiyuan replied somewhat awkwardly.
"Right now, the platforms only dare to deal with those overly inflammatory statements.
But the main channels of dissemination are still on the dark web, and there... we really can't reach them."
Su Hao nodded slightly. This matter still needed to be contained.
Otherwise, if the situation gets out of control, innocent people will inevitably be harmed.
"However, Chairman Su, you could say it's a blessing in disguise." Liang Haiyuan's tone shifted, becoming somewhat excited.
"Because of this series of events, our 'Fanghuan Huimin Insurance' project, even before its official launch in the US, has already gained widespread fame and become the focus of online discussion."
"Oh? It's already generating buzz?"
"Yes! The marketing department reacted swiftly, leveraging this momentum to launch a large-scale publicity campaign.
The core slogan is 'Fanghuan Insurance, for the vulnerable, rescuing every family in dire straits.'
It's fair to say... they perfectly capitalized on the escalation of this event, reaping a wave of 'emotional dividends.'"
Su Hao frowned slightly. After all, two people had died; using this as a marketing opportunity seemed somewhat inappropriate.
"But Chairman Su, it's precisely because of this opportunity that our project has gained such high visibility and successfully obtained all the necessary licenses."
"From the results, this isn't a bad thing; it allows us to help more people who were previously inaccessible."
Liang Haiyuan's words left Su Hao speechless.
He couldn't very well blame his colleagues in the marketing department; after all, they were simply doing their jobs diligently.
"Moreover, colleagues from all departments within the group have truly gone to great lengths for this insurance business.
The resistance from the Insurance Association was far more intense than we had anticipated.
To resolve this, colleagues from several departments, starting with the strategy department, have been working non-stop, putting in extra hours for quite some time."