This was destined to be a feast for capital.
The mech concept sector, upon its debut in the stock market.
Instantly triggered a collective frenzy and euphoria.
With a foundation of hundreds of billions in market value, these unscrupulous capitalists, through sleight of hand, purchasing trending topics, marketing tactics, and grand pronouncements,
Were enough to elevate the already multi-hundred-billion dollar mech market to a trillion, or even tens of trillions, on the stock market!
Back then, the chip new concept was transformed into a chip scam by them using similar methods.
New energy vehicles also followed this operational approach, churning out a pile of garbage companies.
The same strategy, the same methods.
Creating concepts.
Inflating stock prices.
Attracting state intervention.
While deceiving the government for high subsidies, they also reaped fortunes by painting rosy pictures and telling stories to harvest the leeks of consumers and shareholders!
Capital, from its very inception, has had blood flowing from every pore.
Both the chip scam and the electric vehicle scam created bubbles worth trillions, even tens of trillions.
In the end.
The unscrupulous entrepreneurs, having made a fortune, would depart.
Leaving behind a mess.
Although, when the tide of capital receded, true national heroes and conscientious enterprises like BiyaDi Auto and XiaXin International would emerge from the depths,
This method of sifting through mountains of sand to find a few grains was devastating to national capital and consumers' hearts.
Of course.
For these unscrupulous entrepreneurs who only knew how to amass wealth, disregarding the livelihoods and national conditions,
As long as there was profit to be made.
They would even put a price tag on their own parents.
Let alone the insignificant, mere trifle of conscience.
…
Kyoto.
The Great Xia National Economic Development Headquarters.
This was an office area jointly established by several Great Xia functional headquarters departments.
Including, but not limited to, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Electronics and Information, the Ministry of Industry, and the Administration for Market Regulation…
In a medium-sized conference room within the Economic Development Headquarters.
Several top executives in charge of online platforms gathered.
The heads of Douyin, Weibo, Zhihu, Bilibili, and others!
These big shots were in good spirits.
After all.
The recently exposed mech concept had allowed them to feast generously.
Those numerous, haphazard, badge-engineered mech companies had poured substantial marketing fees into advertising on their platforms.
Several social media platforms had even directly invested in these mech concept companies backed by military enterprises from Western Allied countries.
A market worth hundreds of billions!
A capital market of tens, even hundreds of trillions!
This carnival of capital.
Except for Meng Hao and Huarong Industrial, they were all winners.
Money.
They had made a fortune.
These big shots, by rights, were all entrepreneurs operating online social media businesses. Competitors have always been like enemies meeting, their eyes blazing with animosity.
However.
This time was an exception.
In the name of a market worth hundreds of billions and a capital financing market of tens of trillions,
They were exceptionally harmonious.
Such a large market cake.
None of them alone could devour it.
Therefore.
"Cooperation and win-win," crushing Meng Hao, and feasting on the blood-soaked buns of Huarong Industrial, was their only choice.
The conference room was filled with cheerful laughter.
Official personnel had yet to arrive.
Uncharacteristically, the internet giants, who would normally be arguing before even meeting, were chatting happily.
“Speaking of which, why were we suddenly summoned to Kyoto? What’s going on?”
“There hasn’t been any major incident recently, right!”
“Whatever it is, as long as we haven’t violated any laws or regulations, we have nothing to worry about!”
“Could it be about that Meng Hao incident… just a private entrepreneur selling toys, the first to propose the mech concept but too foolish to make money… he can’t possibly have connections with the big shots in Kyoto, can he!”
“Guess who will be summoning us this time?”
“I bet a million… it’ll be some subordinate department of the Ministry of Commerce to discuss e-commerce monetization!”
“I’ll raise it, five million… I guess it’ll be a department in charge of internet marketing under the Ministry of Industry, wanting to discuss increasing marketing strategies for heavy industry products!”
“Count me in, I’m betting eight million… it’ll probably be a leader from a subordinate department of the Ministry of Electronics and Information, wanting to talk about guiding teenagers.”
“…”
In the conference room.
It was bustling with activity.
These internet tycoons, in excellent spirits, made their guesses one after another.
However.
They generally believed it would be some subordinate department of a headquarters office, looking to discuss some procedural work.
As for a minister from a headquarters personally gracing them with their presence, that was highly unlikely.
After all.
This was the administrative headquarters of Great Xia.
In such an informal, private exchange, having a department head show up would already be a great honor.
As they were chatting.
The conference room door opened.
“Damn.”
“The Minister of the Ministry of E-commerce, Elder Chen!”
“Elder Chen, why are you personally chairing our meeting? Just give us any instructions!”
This Elder Chen, the head of the Ministry of E-commerce, had a thunderous expression and paid no heed to these internet platform magnates who were usually seen as high and mighty by netizens.
Clearly.
This Elder Chen was seething with anger.
Soon.
More people filed into the conference room.
The head of the Ministry of Electronics and Information, Elder Hong…
The head of the Ministry of Industry, Elder Qian…
The head of the Administration for Market Regulation, Elder Ding…
The faces of these once jovial internet tycoons turned pale with fear.
What was going on?
All the top officials of the Great Xia National Economic Development Headquarters were present.
This weight.
This scale.
This gravity.
Even if they were told that Great Xia was about to engage in a trade war with the Western Allied nations, they would have believed it.
The heads of the various headquarters took their seats one by one.
Their gazes swept over the faces of these internet enterprise magnates.
The internet tycoons, terrified and unaware of any earth-shattering event, exchanged glances, none daring to speak first.
Clearly.
Something big had happened.
And this big event was related to them.
After a long while.
Elder Ding, the oldest among them and head of the Administration for Market Regulation, spoke on behalf of the other headquarters heads.
“You’ve done well, very well indeed!”
“I just want to ask, what law of Great Xia has Shilin’s Huarong Industrial and its founder, Meng Hao, broken, that allows you to collectively ostracize him?”
“What is it?”
“Is the internet a lawless zone now?”
“Or, on the internet, can you act on behalf of Great Xia to exercise all its rights?”
These words landed heavily.
Instantly.
Everyone’s faces turned ashen with fear.
The authority of Great Xia originated from the people, and the various functional departments merely exercised that authority on behalf of the people.
As a result.
These internet enterprises dared to overstep their bounds, bypassing the state to directly block Meng Hao.
The power to punish, a state apparatus!
Such coveting of state power in ancient times would have been considered insubordination.
A lesser offense would result in the execution of the entire family, a more serious one in the extermination of nine generations!