Beijing, winegod.com Headquarters.
Upon learning that FoxTao's CEO had been taken in for questioning by the Shanghai police, Marketing Director Liu Zhicheng panicked. If this matter blew up, winegod.com was finished.
If a vertical e-commerce platform specializing in alcohol was caught selling counterfeit liquor, who would dare to place another order?
The Moutai is sourced through official channels. There shouldn't be any fakes. Either there's a problem at the warehouse level, or during delivery.
Liu Zhicheng frowned, thought for a moment, then rushed into the boss's office to report.
"Call the police! Clear our name first. Post the purchase invoices on the official website to show our stance to users." The boss made an immediate decision.
"What about FoxTao?" Liu Zhicheng asked softly, referring to Chen Yansen.
"Find a local lawyer and bail President Chen out first. If something happens to him, who will dare to cooperate with us in the future?" The boss ordered without hesitation.
"Understood. I'll handle it right away." Liu Zihao nodded. After receiving instructions, he called the police while simultaneously contacting the company's legal department to try and secure Chen Yansen's release.
2:44 PM. Someone broke the news on Weibo: FoxTao CEO arrested in Shanghai for selling counterfeit alcohol.
The news quickly trended. winegod.com followed closely, both becoming targets of online criticism.
However, winegod.com soon posted its purchase invoices on its official website and announced it had reported the case to the Beijing police, pledging full cooperation with the investigation.
The hashtag #FoxTaoCounterfeitAlcohol shot to the top of search results, receiving tens of thousands of clicks per second. FoxTao's daily order volume plummeted.
"Brother Sen has been arrested!"
Someone suddenly shouted on the second floor of the startup park.
Then, a Weibo link was shared in the project group chat, detailing the FoxTao counterfeit alcohol incident, complete with screenshots and videos of buyers accusing the platform of inaction.
Instantly, chaos erupted.
Some worried if Chen Yansen would go to jail. Some feared FoxTao would go bankrupt. Others worried if they'd get their commission this month.
The buzzing chatter grated on Wang Zihao's nerves.
"SHUT UP!" Wang Zihao suddenly stood, slamming his fist on the table. "Brother Sen is just assisting with the investigation. The police invited him for questioning, not arrested him! If you believe media rumors, you can resign now. I'll approve it immediately!"
The group exchanged anxious looks.
Most were third- or fourth-year university students. Their panic was understandable.
"Front-end team, back to your stations!" Zhang Wenbo reacted, helping Wang Zihao stabilize the situation.
"Back-end team! I believe in Brother Sen. I believe in FoxTao. If you feel the same, return to your seats!" Xiang Pengfei stood on his chair and shouted.
"All customer service staff, listen up. First, calm the users. We're on the front lines; we absolutely cannot panic." Meng Xibo clapped, signaling the customer service team to return to work.
"What are you all standing around for, business development? Get to work!" Zhang Yifeng glared at those beside him.
He came from a category operations background. Together with Chen Yansen, he had planned FoxTao's first brand promotion, achieving over 40 million in sales and earning a reputation in the e-commerce circle. The other business development staff trusted him and didn't dare disobey, silently returning to their seats.
Seeing this, Wang Zihao secretly sighed in relief. But he knew—everyone was just putting on a calm front. No one's heart was truly in their work.
He was the same.
He desperately wanted to rush to Shanghai, but he suppressed the impulse. He had to stay at the startup park and hold the fort for Chen Yansen.
Shanghai. Outside the window, the sky darkened. A cold north wind howled.
Bang!
The door opened. The young officer stood in the doorway. "Chen Yansen, you're free to go."
Damn it. When I find out who's behind this, I'll make them pay. Chen Yansen cursed inwardly, malice flickering in his eyes.
Since his rebirth, the person he'd offended most was Zhang Hanhua from Amazon. Regardless of whether Zhang was responsible, Chen Yansen was determined to settle the score.
Stepping out of the interrogation room into the lobby, Chen Yansen saw Meng Jie standing with three middle-aged men.
One, in police uniform, was examining him curiously. The other two wore suits, expressions calm and composed.
"Chen Yansen! Are you okay?" Meng Jie rushed into his arms, grabbing his arm.
"I'm fine. Just drank too much tea—feeling a bit bloated," Chen Yansen teased.
"Pfft." Meng Jie laughed, a snot bubble escaping her nostril. She instinctively reached to wipe it.
"Such pretty makeup, all ruined." Chen Yansen reached out, wiping the tear stains from her eyes and the smudge by her nose.
"It's dirty." Meng Jie turned her head, embarrassed.
Chen Yansen smiled and kissed her forehead. "No, it's not."
"Don't be silly. My dad's classmate is here. This is Uncle Wei Zhe. You got out thanks to him." Meng Jie broke free and pointed to Wei Zhe behind her.
"Uncle Wei, thank you for coming! Let me arrange dinner tonight—first, to express gratitude, second, to learn from a senior." Chen Yansen stepped forward with a smile.
"Since you're dating Xiao Jie, you're practically my nephew. To be honest, you got out thanks to Principal Tang's help. Let's skip dinner. We're all family. I'll treat Old Meng to a meal later, and we'll call it even." Wei Zhe waved, decisively refusing.
He now understood why Meng Zhenguo looked down on Chen Yansen. This kid was only eighteen. Even in such a major incident, his first thought was to invite him to dinner to build connections. Most people would've been terrified.
A son-in-law shrewder than his father-in-law. Interesting.
Chen Yansen tried to persuade him a few more times but, seeing Wei Zhe's insistence, didn't press further.
Wei Zhe bid them farewell, got into the patrol car, and disappeared into the evening traffic.
"Mr. Chen, I'm the legal representative for winegod.com. This is my card. winegod.com will follow up on this matter. Mr. Liu asked me to convey his apologies. He will apologize to you in person next time you're in Beijing." One of the well-dressed middle-aged men explained earnestly.
Chen Yansen didn't speak, just nodded to him, then turned his gaze to the last person.
"I'm Sun Tongbo, a classmate of Wang Jing's. I currently work at Tiancheng Law Firm, specializing in commercial disputes. I just spoke with Attorney Zhou. We will collaborate on Mr. Chen's case." Sun Tongbo adjusted his glasses, shook hands with Chen Yansen, and spoke calmly.
The "Attorney Zhou" he mentioned was winegod.com's legal counsel.
"Thank you for your trouble. I'll pay according to your firm's standards," Chen Yansen replied.
Sun Tongbo left his card and contact information, then departed.
Chen Yansen took Meng Jie's hand and strode toward the exit.
Gazing at the twilight street scene, Chen Yansen let out a long sigh. He took out his phone, checked group messages and texts, briefly replied to Wang Zihao, and gave a few more instructions.
Just then, seven or eight people dressed as reporters surrounded him, microphones in hand.
"Mr. Chen, I'm from E-commerce Morning News. Could I have two minutes for an interview?"
"Sure." Chen Yansen didn't refuse.
"Users purchased counterfeit alcohol on FoxTao. The root cause lies with winegod.com. As a shopping guide platform, does FoxTao have a solution for such situations?" The reporter turned on his camera, microphone poised.
"First, FoxTao will not shirk responsibility. User experience is our bottom line. For these 23 users who bought counterfeit alcohol, we will compensate them tenfold according to our service standards." Chen Yansen paused briefly, then continued.
"Second, all of FoxTao's partner merchants paid full deposits before going live. Therefore, if you purchase counterfeit goods, contact customer service. Once verified, we will compensate tenfold for any counterfeit product."
The scandal had exploded. Chen Yansen had to adopt a sincere attitude to win back users' understanding and trust.
Even though FoxTao was also a victim, in this world, making a mistake meant bearing the consequences.
"Finally, on behalf of FoxTao, I promise users: any user who purchased this batch of Moutai and has doubts can have it authenticated by the China National Institute of Food and Drug Control or the Moutai Anti-Counterfeiting Office. If confirmed counterfeit, FoxTao will bear all testing fees and compensate tenfold for the counterfeit product." Chen Yansen spoke slowly and deliberately.
His usual casual demeanor had vanished completely, replaced by the image of an innocent young man wrongly accused.
When it comes to acting, Chen Yansen is a pro—an essential skill for any entrepreneur.
After dealing with the reporters, he pulled Meng Jie to hail a taxi. Once inside, Meng Jie asked, "Eat first, or go back to the hotel?"
"It's still early. Driver, head to Binjiang Avenue first," Chen Yansen replied casually.
"You still want to go to the concert?" Meng Jie was shocked. She knew the venue was near Binjiang Avenue.
"It starts at 7:30 PM. We still have an hour. We have time." Chen Yansen smiled.
Meng Jie was speechless for a moment, then burst into laughter, shaking all over. The guy I like is indeed extraordinary. Spent half a day at the police station, comes out acting like nothing happened.
Chen Yansen smiled slightly and reached out to ruffle her hair.
Wang Zihao had updated him on the project team's situation. Teacher Wang Jing and Cao Dahua were helping. On FoxTao's behalf, they had reported the case to the Xucheng police station.
With a joint investigation across three cities, they believed they would soon uncover the culprit.
winegod.com was even more anxious. The investors had been preparing for half a year; they couldn't let their previous efforts go to waste.
After a quick dinner at a nearby mall, Meng Jie washed her face—now makeup-free—and accompanied Chen Yansen into the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Nearly 20,000 seats were completely full, a testament to Faye Wong's immense popularity in 2010.
On stage, Faye Wong stood center, singing softly into the microphone:
"Whose heart can I borrow to truly feel what's around me?"
"Even the pain, even the tears, are my own sorrow."
The scene of tens of thousands singing along quickly calmed Meng Jie. She waved her glow stick, singing out her emotions.
Buzz… Buzz… Buzz…
Chen Yansen took out his phone. A text message: Where are you?
He glanced at Meng Jie—oblivious, lost in the music. He quickly typed a reply and sent it.