lcionline Chapter 119 Unveiling the Secrets
Chapter 119 Unveiling the Secrets
Chapter 119 Unveiling the whole truth (6k words, 2nd update)
Shanghai Jiao Tong University has already started its winter break, but Lu Sifeng, Song Qing, Huang Haitang, and others stayed at the university to work on the final version of the Momo App.
The following morning, after a brief and efficient morning meeting with the Momo development team, Geng Zhi and Li Haipeng headed to the city center ahead of time.
He arranged to meet Gu Wanning at a quiet coffee shop.
While waiting for Gu Wanning, Li Haipeng picked up Geng Zhi's phone and carefully read through the text message Zhou Haoran had sent him. His brows furrowed deeply: "Boss, from what I read in Zhou's text message, it only mentioned a simple follow-up interview and supplementary interview for a program. It didn't mention the 3.15 Gala at all. Could we be overthinking this?"
Geng Zhi picked up his coffee, took a sip, and said calmly, "The case investigation of the 3.15 Gala is top secret. How could she, a frontline reporter, possibly reveal it to you in a text message? Wouldn't that be a leak?"
"But—how can you be so sure that CCTV will target the dating and marriage industry this year on 3.15?" Li Haipeng was still puzzled.
"The logic chain is very clear!"
Geng Zhi put down his cup and started analyzing on his fingers: "First, I already fired the nail on the head regarding the problems in the marriage and dating industry in my last interview with CCTV."
"Secondly, the recent viral post on Tianya has completely ignited the powder keg, proving that this is not an isolated case, but a widespread phenomenon."
"Third, public opinion has reached such a boiling point that CCTV, as an authoritative media outlet, has both the responsibility and the motivation to break through this barrier and conduct a systematic exposé. The timing, location, and popular support are almost all in place."
Li Haipeng pondered for a moment, still doubtful, and said, "But what Reporter Zhou said was just to do a follow-up report—"
"With the year-end approaching, all departments at the TV station are incredibly busy," Geng Zhi retorted. "If it weren't for an extremely important task, would a CCTV reporter have rushed to make this trip?"
"Besides conducting preliminary research and paving the way for potential cases in the 3.15 Gala, I can't think of any other reason."
Li Haipeng pondered these words carefully and slowly nodded: "Hmm—that makes sense. So, boss, what do you think are the chances that this matter will eventually make it to March 15th (Consumer Rights Day)?"
"It should be quite high," Geng Zhi leaned back slightly, thought seriously for a moment, and gave a number: "Optimistically speaking, about 20% or 30%."
"Huh? Only twenty or thirty percent?" Li Haipeng's eyes widened. "That probability—is that considered high?"
'
"That's already quite high," Geng Zhi explained. "The CCTV 3.15 Gala's pool of potential cases eliminates countless high-profile topics every year. It's already quite an achievement for the marriage and dating industry to stand out from the pool."
"Then, what if CCTV doesn't select us for this year's 3.15?" Li Haipeng asked.
"Then we'll just have to wait until next year to broadcast it," Geng Zhi said with a shrug.
"Wouldn't that affect Momo's promotion plan?" Li Haipeng's worries shifted to Momo.
"Therefore, our core task now is to do everything possible to help the CCTV investigation team clear obstacles, improve efficiency, and solidify evidence, pushing the probability to 100%."
"Understood!" Li Haipeng nodded emphatically. "Whatever information Reporter Zhou needs, if I have it, I will not hold back!"
"wrong!"
Geng Zhi shook his head, his expression turning serious: "During your undercover work, some of the methods and information sources you used might have been operating in a gray area. Our goal is to assist the investigation, not to put yourself in jail."
"what!"
Hearing Geng Zhi say that, Li Haipeng felt a sudden panic, and a layer of fine sweat instantly broke out on his back.
He was so focused on making a contribution that he didn't really think about this aspect.
Looking back now, the extreme measures taken to obtain inside information are indeed somewhat frightening.
"Boss, what should we do? I can't tell which ones are mines either!" Li Haipeng's voice was a little weak.
The two were discussing in hushed tones when there was a gentle knock on the door of the private room, which was then pushed open.
Gu Wanning walked in briskly, carrying a briefcase.
She wore a fitted navy blue suit jacket, a simple white silk shirt underneath, matching navy blue suit trousers, and black pointed-toe mid-heel shoes—a typical lawyer's professional attire.
His straightforward gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than he had imagined.
It has to be said that Gu Wanning's aura in this battle outfit is several levels stronger than when she's dressed casually.
When Li Haipeng saw Gu Wanning, it was like seeing a savior.
He immediately stood up, his enthusiasm tinged with urgency, and said, "Attorney Gu! You've finally arrived! You've come just in time!"
"Good morning, Wan Ning."
"Good morning, President Li! Good morning, Mr. Geng!" Gu Wan Ning smiled slightly, swallowing back the word "悠" in time, and greeted the two politely.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he got straight to the point, his expression becoming more formal: "Wan Ning, it's like this, in order to purify the dating industry, President Li, in his personal capacity, conducted some in-depth experiences and investigations of several mainstream dating platforms, and collected a lot of valuable information."
At this point, Geng Zhi solemnly patted Li Haipeng on the shoulder beside him: "President Li truly deserves to be called a master in the industry."
Hearing this compliment, Li Haipeng felt a warmth in his heart.
Gu Wanning raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking: Nobody online knows President Li, the "industry insider" everyone praises.
It seems like you, Geng Da, are just spouting nonsense, aren't you?
Geng Zhi continued, "Moreover, to ensure the absolute accuracy of the information, President Li devoted tremendous energy and even sacrificed himself."
Invested enormous energy? Sacrificed oneself?
Gu Wanning looked at Li Haipeng with great surprise.
Li Haipeng looked at Geng Zhi with utter astonishment, his eyes clearly saying, "Boss, don't talk nonsense!"
Geng Zhi, however, remained calm, looking down at his phone's memo app, and continued as if reading from a prepared statement: "According to incomplete statistics, in order to gather evidence, President Li had offline dates with 21 different women, including—"
Listening to Geng Zhi's straightforward description, Gu Wan Ning's expression towards Li Hai Peng became even more interesting.
"Cough cough cough!" Li Haipeng coughed suddenly, his face turning red.
He quickly interrupted Geng Zhi, turning to Gu Wan Ning to explain, "Attorney Gu! Don't misunderstand! Those dates—were purely for work purposes, to gain trust and access core processes! I swear, there was absolutely no private activity beyond the purpose of the investigation!"
"And my girlfriend Yang Mingxia knows about it and fully understands and supports it!" He spoke rapidly, as if he wanted to raise his hand and swear.
Gu Wanning maintained a professional smile, nodded slightly to indicate that she had heard, but offered no comment.
"President Geng!" Li Haipeng looked at Geng Zhi anxiously and embarrassedly. "Didn't you say that Attorney Gu's legal consultation fees are very high? Can we skip these unimportant details and get straight to the point?" He frantically winked at him.
After his reminder, Gu Wanning seemed to remember something, and exclaimed "Ah!" She readily took out her phone, turned on the timer, and placed it in the center of the table with great seriousness.
"Sorry, I almost forgot to keep track of the time. We'll start billing now. Please get to the point."
Geng Zhi glared at Li Haipeng with annoyance.
When Li Haipeng met his boss's gaze, he inwardly groaned, wishing he could slap himself—"Serves you right for being so talkative!"
As the timer started ticking, Geng Zhi's speech quickened noticeably: "To ensure that President Li's efforts as a lone hero are not in vain, we are prepared to give the information he collected to CCTV reporters, hoping to push for a thorough investigation and publicity campaign."
After he finished speaking, he paused and stared at Gu Wanning.
"However, you're unsure which data or methods of collection might be non-compliant, and you're hesitant to release non-compliant data, so you need my opinion, right?" Gu Wanning quickly guessed.
"Yes, yes, yes! Attorney Gu's summary is spot on!" Li Haipeng nodded repeatedly, still shaken. "I don't want to go in yet."
Don't want to go in now? Go in later?
Geng Zhi glanced sideways, looking at Li Haipeng with a puzzled expression.
Li Haipeng didn't realize there was anything wrong with his words; he just looked at Gu Wanning with expectant eyes.
Gu Wanning already understood the client's core needs. She nodded and opened her notebook: "Okay, then please tell me as much detail as possible about the types of information you have, the specific channels and methods you obtained it. Don't hide anything, as this is related to the accuracy of my judgment."
For the rest of the time, Li Haipeng did most of the talking, while Gu Wanning asked questions.
As an uninformed person, Geng Zhi had never participated in Li Haipeng's undercover work and could barely get a word in edgewise, only occasionally adding a few words.
After careful review, Gu Wanning categorized the information in Li Haipeng's hands into categories such as compliant, non-compliant, sensitive, and non-sensitive, and provided specific operational suggestions.
After finishing her business, Gu Wanning closed her notebook and looked at Li Haipeng with genuine respect in her eyes. "President Li, it's hard to imagine that you've invested so much time and energy in this matter, and even taken on considerable personal risks. Your perseverance is truly admirable."
Li Haipeng scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Attorney Gu, you flatter me. Actually, I just agree with what my boss often says: whether or not something should be done depends on whether you are helping people or harming them. I think I am doing the right thing."
"President Li has demonstrated through his actions what silent glory truly means." Geng Zhi added at the opportune moment, his tone quite sincere.
At noon, Zhou Haoran and Zheng Yuxi got off the plane and immediately took a taxi to Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
To avoid unnecessary speculation, Zhou Haoran publicly stated that his trip was a routine follow-up visit to the "Finance Weekly" program, a tracking report on the social response to the previous episode.
Therefore, the process was still coordinated through the Jiaotong University Publicity Department, but many steps were simplified compared to the last time.
Around 2 p.m., accompanied by Minister Yin of the Publicity Department and others, Zhou Haoran and his entourage arrived at the Science and Technology Innovation Park.
Geng Zhi, Ma Chunmei, Li Haipeng, and others were already waiting in front of the office building.
"Reporter Zhou, welcome back again!" Ma Chunmei took the initiative to greet him this time, shaking hands with a polite smile, and her demeanor was much more composed and capable than during the last interview.
"Mr. Ma, Mr. Geng, hello!" Zhou Haoran smiled and shook hands with the two, subtly changing his address from "classmate" to "Mr."
"Your Jiaotong University matchmakers are a breath of fresh air in the dating industry now, a benchmark for reputation, congratulations!" Zhou Haoran said in a friendly greeting.
"We have to thank CCTV's platform and reporter Zhou for letting us experience what it's like to be a 'celebrity company'," Geng Zhi replied with a smile, his tact perfectly measured.
The group arrived at Ma Chunmei's office.
After taking their seats, Zhou Haoran took out the interview outline and explained the purpose of their visit again: "Mr. Ma, Mr. Geng, this follow-up visit is mainly in the form of a written interview. We will focus on some core issues that have recently attracted public attention. We would like to ask you both to share your views and the practice of the 'Jiaotong University Matchmaker' program."
"Reporter Zhou, you've come at the perfect time." Geng directly got to the point, picking up two bound documents from Ma Chunmei's desk.
"Our Jiaotong University Matchmaker" is collaborating with the School of Media and Communication at Jiaotong University in Shanghai to prepare a press conference to release the "White Paper on Trust and Security in my country's Online Dating Industry (2010)" to the entire industry.
As he spoke, he handed two copies of the white paper to Zhou Haoran and Zheng Yuxi.
Zhou Haoran's eyes lit up, and he immediately took the book and began to read it quickly, becoming more and more delighted with each page.
In the ensuing interview, Zhou Haoran proceeded methodically, asking detailed and in-depth questions.
She also skillfully balanced the interview time, giving both Ma Chunmei and Geng Zhi ample opportunity to express themselves, with the interview duration roughly split 50/50.
After the follow-up visit ended, Zhou Haoran put away his recording equipment and subconsciously glanced at Geng Zhi.
Geng Zhi opportunely suggested, "Reporter Zhou, we've also arranged a time with Vice Dean Liu Kangping, who released this white paper. If you're interested, I can take you there to hear a more macro-level interpretation from an academic expert?"
"That's wonderful! I couldn't be happier!" Zhou Haoran readily agreed.
After interviewing Vice Dean Liu, Zhou Haoran thanked Minister Yin and then assigned Zheng Yuxi the personal task of retrieving some materials from his alma mater, Fudan University.
She then suggested chatting with Geng Zhi for a while on campus, and the atmosphere became relaxed and harmonious.
After a few casual words and laughter, Zhou Haoran suddenly stopped, his expression turning serious. "Mr. Geng," he said, "I'd like to have about an hour of your time privately for an informal, in-depth discussion. Would that be convenient for you?"
A perfectly reasonable look of surprise crossed his face, then he nodded: "My time is convenient. But, what aspect would you like to know, Reporter Zhou?"
"It's still an industry issue, but it will be much more in-depth than the previous interview, and will involve some specific information and clues that may need to be verified." Zhou Haoran's gaze was candid.
"Yes, no problem, I'll answer all your questions to the best of my ability."
"Furthermore," Zhou Haoran added with unusual seriousness, "this communication is completely private, limited to just the two of us. Even Xiao Zheng won't know. Please keep it a secret as well."
Geng Zhi seemed even more surprised. He hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "Reporter Zhou, my partner, Li Haipeng, has a much deeper and more specific understanding of the industry's deep-seated problems than I do. He provided many of the firsthand materials and case studies in this white paper. Should I invite him to come along?"
"He is very reliable and is a senior user of the three major dating platforms." Geng Zhi added immediately, emphasizing the word "senior".
Zhou Haoran frowned slightly, pondered for a good ten seconds, and finally nodded: "Okay."
In a private tea room with excellent privacy, Geng Zhi, Zhou Haoran, and Li Haipeng sat facing each other.
After a brief silence, Zhou Haoran took out a voice recorder, placed it in the center of the table, and turned it off in front of the two of them.
She then spoke first: "Thank you both for accepting this informal communication. I have applied to the channel leadership for a major topic, which is to conduct a thorough experiential in-depth investigation into the dating and marriage industry."
Geng Zhi and Li Haipeng exchanged a glance and nodded.
Zhou Haoran briefly explained the background and his intentions, then opened his notebook and asked the first key question: "In your opinion, what is the core driving force behind the business model of traditional online dating platforms? Is it facilitating marriages, or something else?"
Geng Zhi gestured to Li Haipeng to answer first.
Li Haipeng took a deep breath and said, "I believe that many companies start with noble aspirations."
But when large-scale capital investment comes in and the pressure to go public becomes apparent, the situation changes.
"Their core driving force, I believe, is to prolong anxiety. The algorithm isn't designed for optimal matching, but rather to maximize user online time and paid touchpoints."
Li Haipeng took a big gulp of tea and continued to give examples: "For instance, according to feedback from anonymous users we've encountered, many platforms push out profiles of the opposite sex that seem to have very high 'quality' criteria to new users in the first few days after they register, creating the illusion that there's a lot of hope for them."
"
"Once a user pays to become a member, or shows hesitation, the style of the system's push notifications may change."
"Either they start recommending obviously unsuitable matches, or the online matchmaker bombards you with anxiety"—"This lady is very popular; several members are contacting her. You might miss out if you don't activate the XX service soon," and so on.
Li Haipeng described in detail to Zhou Haoran the tricks that several typical "anonymous users" encountered on various platforms, especially the potential traps hidden behind the warm services.
Many details made Zhou Haoran secretly alarmed.
Because she had tried registering with several other companies' products, but she didn't notice many hidden things during her brief experience with the platforms.
Zhou Haoran quickly took notes, digesting this information, and then turned to Geng Zhi: "Do you have any additional thoughts on this?"
Because the topic was sensitive, she deliberately avoided using titles like "General Manager Geng" or "General Manager Li," which could reveal her identity.
Geng Zhi calmly added, "The essence of this business model is to completely monetize dating services. The authenticity of your information and your emotional needs are not important. What matters is whether you, as a data package, can successfully monetize for the platform."
"A successful match means the loss of two paying users; while a continuous mismatch means a continued possibility of paying. This is a fundamental paradox between business models and user well-being."
"Platforms need to find a balance that maximizes profits between these two factors. Often, this balance will lean towards the latter."
Zhou Haoran paused as he took notes, his pen seemingly becoming heavy.
She pressed further, "So, you believe that the proliferation of false information, marriage scams, and bar scams are not simply due to management oversights, but rather—an inevitable product of the business model? A systemic risk?"
"You could say that," Geng Zhi nodded slowly.
When the KPIs for evaluating matchmakers and customer service representatives are "the amount of orders completed" and "the rate of payment," rather than "satisfaction" and "the number of successful matches," using persuasive language to induce, concealing some information, or even tacitly condoning certain falsehoods becomes a survival strategy and revenue-generating means that is indirectly encouraged by the system.
A heavy silence fell over the private room.
Zhou Haoran needs time to process this cold but potentially close to-the-truth deduction.
After a long silence, she asked sharply, "How exactly does this system work?"
Li Haipeng exchanged a glance with Geng Zhi before revealing to Zhou Haoran the entire chain and tactics he had figured out, from online fishing to telemarketing spree, and then to offline "pig slaughter".
"The worst part is that they exploit single people's fear of loneliness and their longing for happiness. This isn't business; it's precise emotional deception."
This straightforward remark struck a chord with Zhou Haoran, a single urban reporter.
She then realized how important the offline model of "Jiaotong University Matchmaker" was, and how important the real-name system and other related measures advocated in the white paper were.
Although it is impossible to eradicate all problems, it can at least build an important firewall.
What she finds even more unimaginable is whether, once these dating platforms go public, their operating models will become more aggressive and distorted under the pressure of profitability in the capital market.
She dared not think any further.
Zhou Haoran took a deep breath and asked the most crucial question: "If we want to launch an investigation, where should we start to break through this barrier the fastest and most effectively?"
Can you provide some specific, verifiable clues or directions?
Geng Zhi and Li Haipeng exchanged another glance.
This time, Li Haipeng took an encrypted USB drive out of his bag and gently placed it on the table.
"This USB drive contains a lot of information compiled by anonymous users. It includes databases of fake identities, fake photos, matchmaker sales pitches, complaint records, and many more cases of fraud, etc. There is a massive amount of data."
"Also, here are another group of anonymous users who provided research methods, research directions, and breakthroughs, which may help reporter Zhou quickly obtain key clues."
After Li Haipeng finished speaking, Zhou Haoran looked at the two entrepreneurs in front of her, who were much younger than her, incredulously, and was deeply shocked.
She hadn't expected them to be so well-prepared, practically clearing away most of the obstacles they might encounter on their investigation path.
"Thank you, thank you—thank you so much." Zhou Haoran's voice was tinged with emotion as she said thank you three times.
"Reporter Zhou, publishing the white paper tells society what is good. What I'm telling you now tells society what is bad. Only when we see both the good and the bad clearly can true change come."
"We are just ordinary people with limited abilities. We sincerely hope that you, as authoritative media outlets, can truly speak for millions of users and drive this industry towards a healthier future!"
As he spoke, Geng Zhi stood up with Li Haipeng and bowed deeply to Zhou Haoran, saying, "We are the ones who should be saying thank you."
Zhou Haoran stood up in surprise, unsure how to respond to this respect.
She closed the notebook, pressed it tightly to her chest, and solemnly declared, as if making a vow: "I assure you, on my professional honor, that all the content and materials from tonight's conversation will be kept strictly confidential at the highest level. If the investigation team has any further specific technical questions—"
Geng Zhi pointed to Li Haipeng beside him and interrupted, "At that time, please contact Lone Warrior directly. You can communicate directly with him; you don't need to go through me."
Geng Zhi appears to be upright and honest, but he keeps his merits and fame hidden.
Before parting, Geng Zhi extended an invitation to Zhou Haoran: "Reporter Zhou, the white paper launch is about to begin. We've invited many reporters to attend, and there's going to be quite a spectacle. If your station is interested, would you be willing to come and collaborate again?"
"Okay, I'll let Xiao Zheng participate."
After parting ways with Zhou Haoran, Geng Zhi immediately returned to the white paper research group to participate in the final preparations for the press conference.