Battle

"I'm sorry, Mr Li, we have no current plans for financing. If we do have such plans in the future, I will get in touch with you."

Zhao Min hung up the phone and placed it back on the landline, releasing a sigh of relief as she leaned back in her chair.

It had been a week since the official release of the Butterfly Eye, and during this time, Zhao Min had been continuously answering phone calls, all inquiring about financing.

IDG, Penguin Investment, Sequoia, Jiuding Holdings, and other major venture capital companies in China, along with numerous independent investors, reached out to her. Over the past seven days alone, she had received more than 70 calls. She would have gladly unplugged the phone line if it weren't for work-related matters.

Chen Mo, the chairman, left everything in her hands, seemingly carefree. But Zhao Min felt like she had unknowingly fallen into a deep pit after making that bet with Chen Mo.

Nevertheless, she found solace in the smooth sales of mobile phones. The users received praise for the waterproof feature and the smooth user experience of the Marching Ant system.

Many of the newly booked mobile phones have already been delivered to customers. Thanks to their cautious approach in the early stages, everything went smoothly without major issues. There were occasional negative comments on the internet, but they had little impact on the company.

Several mobile phone companies had already contacted them regarding the waterproof design port issue.

Charging port design varied among mobile phone companies, and the 3.5mm headphone jack was the common one.

The unique waterproof port design of the Butterfly Eye has piqued the interest of many companies.

During the press conference, Zhao Min mentioned they were open to external authorization, and many mobile phone companies were already discussing licensing arrangements with them.

After all, only some companies could choose wireless charging, like Apple. A waterproof port was a more cost-effective and practical option, offering the same waterproofing capability without the added cost of wireless charging.

As the company was making steady progress, Zhao Min knew it would eventually stabilise as long as it continued.

Just as she was engrossed in her documents, there was an urgent knock on the door, and Li Lingfeng rushed in with a concerned look.

"What's happened?" Zhao Min frowned. In her impression, Li Lingfeng was always very composed.

"Miss Zhao, there are some articles on the internet criticizing us, claiming that there are major security loopholes in the Marching Ant system, and now it's causing quite a stir online."

"Security loophole?" Zhao Min became cautious. "Does it exist?"

"No, it's fake. I went to the technical department and asked Lao Luo; he said the so-called security loopholes are completely baseless. Someone has hired trolls to discredit us deliberately. Julie also informed me that many users are considering returning their phones."

Zhao Min picked up her phone and checked the news. As Li Lingfeng said, many articles reported security breaches in the Marching Ant system.

After reading several articles, Zhao Min also checked the comments section.

Numerous criticisms and abuses, driven by a few trolls, flooded the comments section, attacking the Marching Ant Company.

Zhao Min briefly glanced at the comments, put down her phone, and rubbed her temples vigorously. She knew this was bound to happen; some people didn't want to see them succeed so smoothly.

"What should we do?" Li Lingfeng asked.

The emergence of the marching ant system and Butterfly Eye disrupted the big players in the mobile phone market.

Zhao Min thought momentarily and replied, "First, we need to clarify and counter these false claims. We'll issue a statement addressing the so-called security loopholes, highlighting that it's baseless misinformation. Second, we should reach out to users contemplating returns, reassuring them with the facts. Third, we must monitor the situation closely and prepare to address any other challenges."

After the hyped company make and if the company reputation is damaged, it will be disastrous to the company, causing the company to lose the user's faith. Then they'll absorb the company, rebrand the technology, and relaunch it. It's an old-fashioned tactic but very effective.

Zhao Min nodded, "Exactly. But we won't let them succeed. We'll stay vigilant and protect our company's reputation and technology.

"Don't worry; I'll contact the chairman first."

Zhao Min motioned for Li Lingfeng to sit and wait for a moment, then dialled Chen Mo's number.

"This is bad news, Chairman." Zhao Min spoke as soon as the call connected.

"Is it about a security breach in the Marching Ants' system?" Chen Mo asked after turning off the news on his computer.

The Marching Ant system was his creation, and he couldn't remain indifferent to any potential issues.

As for the online slander, he didn't care much. Being envied by others was a sign of success; every company would face such trivial matters.

"Yes, that's correct, Chairman." Zhao Min replied.

"I couldn't find any loopholes in the Marching Ants' system. I knew it was fake before even looking into it. Can't you solve it?" Chen Mo asked.

"It can be solved. I just wanted to ask you if you had any better ideas. After all, you know the Marching Ant system better than anyone."

"Is that so?" Chen Mo pondered for a moment. "I do have a bold idea."

"Your ideas have always been bold. Please, go ahead."

"Anyone who can find a loophole and crack the mobile phone system will be rewarded with one million," Chen Mo said.

"Are you crazy?"

"Don't worry; no one will be able to find it."

Chen Mo exuded confidence. The Marching Ant system was a mobile phone system he had obtained from the Science and Technology Library and developed into a basic framework. After its completion, it was optimized by the Science and Technology Library. While it might not be perfect in terms of security, it would be too difficult to crack without access to the source code. He believed the Marching Ant system was better than other mobile phone systems.

"Very well, you don't have to worry. But based on your idea, I'll make a slight change: if someone finds a loophole, the reward will increase to two million."

"As long as the reward is less than five million, you can handle it as you see fit."

Chen Mo confidently stated.

"Okay."

After ending the call, Zhao Min turned to Li Lingfeng.

"Ling Feng, send out a message. Anyone who can find a loophole in the Marching Ant system and successfully crack the system without data loss will be rewarded with two million yuan. One million will be donated to the Children's Fund, and one million will be rewarded to the person who finds the loophole in the next six months."

Zhao Min had more concerns about the company's reputation than Chen Mo. With someone smearing them, charity was the best way to restore their standing.

This kind of gimmick not only drove the sales of mobile phones but also brought a positive reputation to the company. The security of the Marching Ant system also became widely known, serving multiple purposes.

"Yes, I understand," Li Lingfeng nodded and left the office.

...

Regarding the Marching Ant system's security, the internet continued to buzz with discussions about potential loopholes.

During the peak of the topic's popularity, the official Weibo account of Marching Ants re-posted an article describing the alleged security loopholes in the Marching Ant system and issued a public response.

"Attention, everyone! The chairman has spoken: Two million yuan reward for anyone or any team that successfully finds and cracks a loophole in the Marching Ant system with the phone data intact. The company is willing to pay two million yuan, and one million yuan will be donated to the Children's Fund, with the remaining one million going to the individual or team that cracks it. (The reward is valid within half a year, and the company reserves the right for the final interpretation of this announcement)."

As soon as this response was published, it was like pouring a bucket of cold water into a boiling oil pan, instantly igniting the heat of public opinion and pushing the topic to a new climax.

#MarchingAntCompanyResponds

This topic quickly surged to the top of the hot search list.

The official Weibo of Marching Ants was quickly filled with humorous and witty comments.

"Me: Mom, give me the money quickly. I want to learn computers. I can make be rich. Mom: Are you planning to play games at an internet cafe? Quick, someone ties this child up!"

"Last time, they fooled me into thinking I could beg for money in Dubai, and then they lied about finding a wife in Ukraine. Last year, they said I could make money playing poker in jail. My butt still hurts. Now they want to trick me into learning computers and crack OS. I quit! The boss just paid me for moving bricks, I'll need the money for tuition. Oh, and I'm going to learn computers."

Numerous humorous and bizarre comments filled the official Weibo of Marching Ants, completely overshadowing the negative news.

Articles that used the alleged security vulnerabilities of the Marching Ant system as the focal point died down rapidly after the response came out. Internet reports quickly shifted their focus to the reward-offering event by Marching Ants.

The audacity of the Marching Ants Company, offering a reward of two million yuan, was bewildering. Even Apple wouldn't make such an event. Yet, this small company emerged from no one knew dared to do so.

After the news spread, various technical experts quickly followed the official Weibo of Marching Ants, reposting the news and announcing their intent to join the hacking team.

Famous cybersecurity teams like the Penguin Network Security Team and the Seven Tigers Network Security Team in China also reposted on Weibo, publicly declaring their involvement in the hacking team. They stated that if they are successful, all the money earned would be donated to charity.

A single news event sparked a vibrant wave on the internet, with numerous individuals eager to crack the Marching Ant system.