Chapter 106: Masayoshi Son, the Timely Rain

While Zhang Zhidong felt as though he had been stabbed in the back, Pony Ma was locked in an emergency meeting with Li Dan, deliberating on the current predicament.

"Boss, it is truly difficult to sway public opinion," Li Dan replied, feeling utterly helpless in the face of Pony Ma’s demand to turn the tide. This was not an era where half of the internet was dominated by paid influencers; public opinion remained remarkably grassroots and difficult for outsiders to manipulate. Once a narrative took root, even a company like Tenda was powerless to steer it.

Not to mention, the current Tenda was still a world away from the formidable behemoth it would eventually become.

"I know, but I feel so stifled!" Pony Ma said, his voice heavy with genuine pain. "We were clearly the ones who developed the feature first, yet now we are the ones being branded as copycats. That despicable plagiarist, OO, is actually riding on our coat-tails!"

"Li Dan, do you understand the pain I am feeling?"

"I understand!" Of course, Li Dan understood. They were both Tenda men; it would be impossible not to. But understanding did not solve the problem. Tenda had indeed lagged behind by a single day, and that one day had led to a complete reversal of their fortunes.

"Li Dan, what if we file a lawsuit? What if we sue them for plagiarism?" Pony Ma had finally grasped the most powerful weapon in the internet arena.

"I am afraid that won’t work," Li Dan said, pouring a bucket of cold water over Pony Ma’s head.

"Why not? It is plain to see that OO plagiarized us!" Pony Ma said, deeply frustrated.

"Boss, we all know OO copied us, but the court is a place of evidence, and we have none!" Li Dan explained patiently. "Even if we had evidence, it wouldn't mean much. Intellectual property law protects specific expressions, not the underlying mechanics or gameplay."

"For example, if OO had stolen our art assets, our fonts, or our copywriting, we could sue them. But they copied our leveling system, which is impossible to litigate. Furthermore, since their copy and art assets are entirely different from ours, winning a case becomes even more unlikely," Li Dan added.

"Sigh!" Pony Ma let out a deep, weary sigh. He felt a profound sense of exhaustion deep in his bones. It was truly difficult; he couldn't even win a lawsuit.

As they discussed the impasse, a knock at the door interrupted them. It was Zhang Zhidong.

"Boss, I suggest we immediately develop the 'invisible login' and 'QQ emoticon' features. I have the technical groundwork for these already. Give me one week, and I can complete the update and integrate them into the new QQ leveling system," Zhang said after stewing in his own frustration for a few minutes.

"Enough!" Pony Ma jumped up, agitated. "Zhidong, do you think we aren't being scolded enough already? Do you want people to attack us further by copying their 'investiture of the gods' list, only to follow up by copying their invisible login and emoticons?"

The outburst left Li Dan and Zhang Zhidong stunned. Silence filled the office for a dozen seconds before Pony Ma realized his mistake. He draped an arm around Zhang Zhidong’s shoulder and said, "Zhidong, I’m sorry. I lost my temper. This isn't your fault; it’s mine."

"Boss, it's not your fault. OO is just too hateful!" Zhang Zhidong, having been scolded for no reason, actually turned to comfort Pony Ma. "Boss, I’ve been monitoring the situation. The criticism about us being copycats is just the usual noise. We’ve been hearing it all along; it doesn't matter."

"The key issue is that many veteran users are complaining that our QQ level system lacks these two features. Users follow the experience. If we lose these users because we lack these functions, we will suffer a truly heavy blow," Zhang Zhidong argued.

"But this still looks like copying them! My reputation will be ruined even more!" Pony Ma recalled the prophecy Huang He had made about him during their discussion on heroes—that he would carry the stigma of being a copycat for the rest of his life. It was already beginning to come true, and Pony Ma refused to accept it.

"Boss, these two features were ours to begin with. How can it be called copying?" Zhang Zhidong countered. "In fact, I suggested the invisible login and image features during our company meeting back in July. We thought of these long before OO did; we were just a bit slow in executing them."

"That’s right, we thought of these first! Why should I be called a copycat?" Pony Ma grumbled, though he felt even more aggrieved and distressed. What a mess this was!

"Zhidong, why don't you organize all your current concepts and innovations for QQ, compile them, and release them publicly? Tell everyone that we thought of these things this year, and that anything OO does in the future is just them copying us!" Pony Ma proposed a genius idea.

"Boss, if we do that, OO won't need spies anymore. They can just copy whatever information we publish," Li Dan whispered as a reminder. Pony Ma finally realized his error and could only sigh at his own clouded judgment.

Just as Pony Ma was in a state of agitation, his cell phone rang. He looked down, and his expression darkened further—the call was from Masayoshi Son.

"It seems Mr. Son is going to give me a piece of his mind over the phone," Pony Ma said with a self-deprecating smile. He answered, and heard Son’s voice chuckle, "Xiao Ma, it seems you left a document with me. Would you like to send someone to pick it up?"

"A document?" Pony Ma was stunned. He didn't remember leaving any document with Son, nor could he imagine why such a document would warrant a personal call.

"Yes, it is a report on the future development of your QQ, including the report on the QQ leveling system. You left it with me four months ago when we first met. It clearly outlines your plans for the leveling system. Oh, and it even has our company's seal on it. If necessary, I can personally testify for you," Son laughed.

"I understand. Thank you, Mr. Son. If you hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten all about it," Pony Ma said, smiling.

"Haha, it's no problem. Although young Huang is sharp-tongued, his character is lacking. It’s time to teach him a lesson and show him how to conduct himself," Son said before hanging up. A few minutes later, his secretary called to have Pony Ma send someone to Shanghai to collect the files, while simultaneously sending high-resolution photos of the document to Pony Ma's private email.

"Li Dan, with this document, can you finally help us turn defeat into victory?" A smile finally appeared on Pony Ma’s face.

"Indeed. To think such a crucial document was there all along. Mr. Son is truly a good man!" Li Dan also smiled. Only Zhang Zhidong remained puzzled.

Four months ago, Tenda had not yet had any contact with SoftBank; Pony Ma hadn't even heard the name SoftBank. How could there possibly be a document left in their possession?