Chapter 67: Leng Zhimeng’s Entirely New Persona

"Marketing Department, I want the most comprehensive intelligence on OO. First and foremost, I need to know exactly who our opponent is!" At this impromptu high-level meeting at Tengda, Mr. Ma looked gravely at his elite team as he spoke.

"Yes!" The head of the marketing department rose and replied, "According to the information we currently possess, OO is operated by a company from Wenzhou called Jiangnan Computer Technology Services Co., Ltd."

"This company has only been established for less than three months so far; it appears to have been founded specifically for the operation of OO."

"The current person in charge is named Leng Zhimeng. Beyond that, we know very little, as almost no one in the industry has any knowledge of her, nor does anyone know her background!"

"It's as if she appeared out of thin air—in programming terms, she hasn't left even a single line of code online."

"Still, we've dispatched two colleagues to Wenzhou for on-site investigation, hoping to uncover more detailed intelligence."

"At present, we can only speculate that Leng Zhimeng is a woman, aged between twenty-five and thirty, probably a returning overseas elite with a strong background in computer technology, keen digital instincts, and remarkable insight into the market and user psychology. This is our current sketch of her profile."

"Although this is conjecture, we believe the accuracy of this profile is around seventy percent!" The marketing director spoke with confidence, making it clear their department had truly investigated this sudden competitor.

"What do you all think of Leng Zhimeng?" Mr. Ma asked.

"I agree with the marketing department's assessment. She’s a formidable opponent—her grasp of user psychology and market intuition is absolutely top-tier. She’s an adversary we must eliminate as soon as possible!" said Cai Xin, the company’s second-in-command.

"I’ve studied OO’s user interface. I must admit, their UI design surpasses ours in refinement, exuding a sophistication that aligns perfectly with the aesthetic standards of female elites. Coupled with her product innovations and operational strategies, I believe she must have graduated from an Ivy League university in the United States, possessing degrees in computer science, business, marketing, and perhaps even psychology—a truly outstanding talent!" the head of the product department chimed in.

"What intrigues me most is her ability to conceal herself. To operate OO right under our noses for over two months without leaving any trace online, that level of patience and stealth isn’t something a young person could pull off. I think she must be over thirty," someone else mused.

"Likely, she had always used an English name abroad. Now that she’s returned to China, she’s reverted to her real name or perhaps adopted a new one, which is why we can’t find any leads on her!"

...

At this moment, the conference room felt like a character workshop. With everyone contributing, an image emerged: a woman over thirty, educated abroad, Ivy League pedigree, at least three doctoral degrees, exquisite taste, experience at several internet companies, extraordinary market and user insight, cunning and adept at hiding herself—a cold, mature, goddess-like executive.

Mr. Ma nodded repeatedly, even supplementing Leng Zhimeng’s profile to perfect the image. As the discussion continued, many found themselves longing to meet this goddess in person.

After all, in the world of instant messaging software—or indeed, the entire internet industry—such a super executive woman was unparalleled, the one and only goddess.

Don’t think this is absurd or laughable, mere fanciful speculation. That’s not the case. In reality, when two companies compete, the most crucial task is to thoroughly understand the rival: their personality, education, family, connections, business style, even their favorite clothing colors and whether their pet is a husky or a Thai Ridgeback. All this must be clarified to form a detailed character sketch.

Thus, the conjectures and profile-building surrounding Leng Zhimeng are entirely necessary.

Of course, as of now, only an adversary leader like Leng Zhimeng receives such treatment. In twenty years, all Chinese citizens will enjoy this kind of scrutiny too, under the lofty name of big data systems.

"Um..." Zhang Zhidong hesitated, debating whether to share the version of Leng Zhimeng’s profile Lin Haiquan had described to him.

Technically, Zhang Zhidong ought to disclose such crucial intelligence, but the problem was, he himself couldn’t believe it—a woman who managed to launch OO right under QQ’s nose, how could she possibly be a high school senior who couldn’t even get into college? That was simply ridiculous.

"Maybe Lin Haiquan is deceiving me. Anyway, no one knows I have information on Leng Zhimeng. If I keep quiet, there’s no issue!" With this thought, Zhang Zhidong decisively held his tongue. After all, silence from the technology department wasn’t unusual.

"Is Leng Zhimeng the investor behind OO?" Mr. Ma asked.

"Probably not. Jiangnan Computer Technology Services Co., Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jiangnan Group. The chairman is Huang He, who also owns Jiangnan Leather Factory, a business established over fifteen years ago. From the company’s legal transitions, it appears to be a family enterprise, with Jiangnan Group expanding from the foundation of Jiangnan Leather Factory."

"So, Huang He is likely the true investor behind OO, while Leng Zhimeng is his investment target," the marketing team analyzed.

"Is it possible that Huang He is the actual operator of OO?" Mr. Ma asked, the name ringing a bell though he couldn’t recall where he’d heard it.

"I don’t think so!" The marketing director replied emphatically.

"Why are you so certain?" The others asked curiously.

"I have a recording here; please listen." The marketing director took an MP3 player from his pocket, plugged it into the conference room computer, and after a few manipulations, an unmistakably familiar voice rang out.

"Wenzhou, Zhejiang, the largest leather factory—Jiangnan Leather Factory has gone bankrupt! The scoundrel boss Huang He squandered everything on eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring…"

Everyone was stunned, not so much by the shock of the voice, but by its familiarity. Every day, at the street corner they passed on their way to work, there was a stall endlessly playing this recording. The stall was always swarming with customers, so much so that everything sold out before five in the afternoon, allowing the owner to leave early—a source of envy for all.

Zhang Zhidong, meanwhile, gripped his phone a little tighter. His Tianxing brand phone seemed especially dazzling at that moment.