A few days ago, just as Xiao He was engrossed in "handmade modifications," a news article suddenly appeared and was disseminated by major news media outlets—
【Rongding Media's Black Market Activities Exposed】
【Rongding Media: A Living Hell】
【Breaking News! A Media Company Turns into a "Dark Cage"】
【Shocking! The Dark Web Behind the Glamour of Internet Celebrities】
【Driven by exorbitant profits, media companies are venturing into illicit activities; how can the rules governing the future development of the internet industry be improved?】
In the video, the female anchor narrating the news had a solemn makeup and a serious expression. The blue and white text at the bottom of the screen was even more glaring than the red and black text. The scrolling subtitles at the very bottom rapidly displayed on-site reports that couldn't be captured in the news footage. The words pieced together were shocking.
"After multiple investigations and verifications by reporters, it was found that the media company involved used 'star-making and signing' as a front to build a complete black industry chain °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° covering 'performance exploitation, beauty loan harvesting, sex trafficking, and obscene live streaming'..."
"The company not only takes a 90% cut, but also frequently threatens its artists with phrases like 'millions in compensation for breach of contract' to force them to participate in various parties and events and introduce paid sex transactions... Another streamer revealed that the company also built an encrypted live streaming platform to attract female streamers to perform vulgar and pornographic acts, and to attract fans to transfer money and send gifts across platforms..."
"The company's office has been sealed off, and five key personnel have been placed under criminal coercive measures. Police said they have obtained a number of pieces of evidence of the company's illegal and criminal activities and are focusing on investigating the company's core management personnel and related personnel in the upstream and downstream sectors. They also called on more victims to report the case and cooperate with the investigation."
"This incident exposed regulatory loopholes in some areas of the influencer industry. Multiple departments, including the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Public Security, have jointly launched a special campaign to rectify the industry... Be wary of online recruitment information promising 'low barriers to entry and high income.' Before signing a contract, verify the company's qualifications and refuse to sign unequal contracts. If you encounter any infringement or illegal activities, report it to the police immediately..."
When this news was seen, major short video platforms were in an uproar.
Many people had already identified the companies involved in the news based on the mosaic images, and then logged into short video platforms to check the influencer accounts on these platforms one by one. They were shocked to find that these accounts had been banned for a long time, and the unbanning time was uncertain.
In other words, it is true that some celebrities, as reported in the news, are both victims and perpetrators!
Many people gasped in shock.
【My goodness, Guoguo, such a big influencer, was banned just like that! He was one of the earliest streamers to reach tens of millions of followers, right?】
【Are you kidding? This is such a serious matter that even before the higher-ups have intervened, the platform is already rushing to sacrifice itself to save the company. You think this is a joke?】
【So, did Guoguo and the others participate too?】
【I think it is? I recommend everyone check out this official news account. The news content posted there is more detailed, and there are even undercover videos. This reporter is incredibly capable; he exposed many things before. There are also many victim testimonies; reading them really sends chills down your spine.】
【Holy crap! It's that same reporter who exposed the fake drug sales! I remember after that last news story, the authorities immediately started cracking down on the pharmaceutical industry. Now they've exposed the chaos in the influencer industry. I have a feeling this time the storm is blowing over the influencer circle.】
【It seems like they've already blown it up! Didn't you see the news mention at the end that a special rectification campaign has been launched? I think this time they're really serious.】
【After reading this, I'm really a bit scared. Rongding is a huge company in China, having incubated many internet celebrities with tens of millions of followers. Some of them even earn more money than domestic celebrities. I used to think about joining this company and giving it a try, but... I never expected this outcome.】
【Never casually join an MCN agency; some are truly rip-offs! Unless you're doing group streaming, if you're only creating and producing content yourself, try to do it yourself as much as possible. Otherwise, the account won't be yours, the content won't be yours, and the money won't be yours either. You'll have no one to blame but yourself.】
...
Rongding Media is a well-known company in the industry with a large number of internet celebrities and a huge number of fans. Some of these internet celebrities even have a wide reputation among young people and have one foot in the entertainment industry. Therefore, the large-scale ban on Rongding Media's artists has really shocked many people.
This incident has sparked a great deal of discussion among netizens, with discussions appearing on almost every platform.
While netizens were discussing it enthusiastically, another netizen discovered a key point.
【So, when "Public Enemy Number One" was suddenly taken down, was it because Xiao Ge and his team heard something? I was wondering why a perfectly good variety show was suddenly taken down; it turns out they had a backup plan.】
【Very likely. And look, all those people's accounts have been banned. If "Public Enemy Number One" were still airing, with so many people featured in it, the entire show would probably be banned as well, with no chance of being re-uploaded. Now that they've taken it down themselves, they've saved the show; they can edit out those people and put it back on air.】
【Yes, actually, "Public Enemy Number One" reacted very quickly. They probably had inside information. A social media influencer from Rongding Media went on a singing competition on a neighboring channel and made it to the finals. Now that this has happened, the entire show has been suspended for rectification, and an announcement has been posted. It's unclear whether it will ever be broadcast again.】
【Wow, that makes so much sense! I just checked, and several of Rongding Media's top anchors participated in the recording of "Public Enemy Number One," especially Guoguo. She was almost the champion, but unfortunately, she lost by a little bit in the final votes. Now, I don't know if the show was lucky or unlucky to run into these cancerous elements and had to be taken off the air to save its life. But thankfully, they weren't the champions, otherwise, variety shows would really end up being a program with a "mosaic" champion.】
【Haha, what the hell is this "mosaic" champion? I'm dying of laughter! Why am I actually feeling a little sorry for him? I really want to see how the production team edits the final video if the champion also falls from grace.】
That would be terrible, but I was also somewhat looking forward to it.
【Am I the only one thinking about something else? Little Huang is incredibly powerful! No wonder he's a ruthless guy who can bankrupt a company in one fell swoop. Just recently, one of his company's artists finally became a hit through a variety show, but then, in the blink of an eye, the show was canceled. He really screwed over Brother Xiao this time.】
【You seem to have spotted the key point.】
【It really is true! Could it be that Huang Xiaoming's "bankruptcy" aura is really at play in making "Public Enemy Number One" like this? No way! Brother Xiao, stay away from Huang Xiaoming! Don't associate with him!】
A few days later, after being reminded by He Wenming, Xiao He finally saw the concerns these netizens had for his company, Linghui Entertainment, and "Public Enemy Number One," and he was both amused and exasperated.
"No, these netizens really do connect things to anything, no wonder—"
Xiao He recalled recent events, then slapped his forehead: "Oh no, I was wondering why Mr. Huang called me yesterday, and he was stammering when he asked if the factory was still producing. I was busy with something at the time, so I just casually told him everything was as usual, and then I hung up..."
Now that everything was connected, Xiao He belatedly realized: "So, it turns out that Mr. Huang called me because he was afraid I would believe what I read online and wouldn't cooperate with him anymore?"
No sooner had Xiao He finished speaking than the person in question appeared in a flurry of activity.
Upon seeing Xiao He, he rushed over and grabbed Xiao He's arm with a loud cry: "Brother Xiao, you can't leave me out of the game—"
The sound was extremely mournful.
Xiao He: ?
Wait a moment.
