Rebirth 2010: I taught Mr. Lei how to make a mobile phone

Chapter 828 Answering Reporters' Questions: A Soul-Searching Question from Chen Mo

When the elimination line is close at hand, people fall into survivor anxiety, which will unleash even greater potential.

Just like how major internet companies use "361 assessments" to create a false sense of security, in reality everyone lives in fear of being "the next one to be optimized".

The 100 who ultimately emerged victorious were merely a testament to the other side's more efficient self-exploitation, proving that the rules themselves are the greatest form of violence.

As the final results drew near, the number of online viewers in Douyin's official live stream surpassed 500 million, with everyone eagerly awaiting the announcement of the final list.

The live chat was filled with comments like, "Holy crap, that's a monster!", "60 hours straight! My longest overtime record is only 38 hours.", and "Won't this lead to someone dying? Several people have had to be carried off on stretchers before."

Chen Mo clearly underestimated these people's perseverance, or rather, their obsession with profit.

As the workday was drawing to a close, Liu Xinyu, who was on duty, rushed over to report, and Chen Mo returned to the examination room.

From 54 hours to 60 hours, a full six hours, the number on the screen decreased by only 3.

Each number's movement became incredibly difficult, as if time itself was stretched out infinitely.

Someone applied medicated oil to their temples, leaving two pungent white marks, and forced their eyes open wide.

Some people have piled up energy drink cans on the corner of their tables, and the empty cans have already formed a small mountain.

Some people's hands were trembling, but they still refused to stop typing.
The situation remained strangely deadlocked.

Looking at those almost numb faces, Chen Mo suddenly felt that this assessment was like a silent struggle.

It's not a battle between people and tasks, but a tug-of-war between people and their own limits.

The setting sun outside the window was blocked by the heavy curtains, so they could only tell whether it was day or night from the time on the screen. At this moment, the contestants were like a group of trapped beasts in a maze.

Due to the surge in traffic, Douyin had to start using multiple live streaming rooms to distribute the traffic.

Media reports were overwhelming, with topics such as #ChenMoWantsToBeAnInternetJudge#, #TheListOfPeopleBeyondTheOtherShoreIsAboutToBeRevealed#, and #ARealRecordOfBossBreakingDown# dominating the trending searches.

Because Beyond Group is a giant in the Chinese internet industry, it has also attracted some reports from overseas media.

On the other side of the ocean, YouTuber MrBeast noticed the live stream through the news and began to wonder.

His "24-Hour Survival" challenge video series, which he planned this year, was a great success, with each episode receiving over 500 million views and his fan base soaring from 50 at the beginning of the year to 150 million.

Watching the bosses grit their teeth and persevere in the live stream, a thought flashed through my mind: what if we followed the example of the other side and created a large-scale survival reality show, with the ultimate winner taking home a huge prize?
The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. His eyes lit up, and he even started considering commercial sponsorship: "Does the other side have a branch here? Perhaps we can talk about cooperation."

Night had fallen, and the assessment had entered its 60th hour.

At his workstation in the "testing ground," a man in his thirties looked exhausted, but his eyes revealed a stubbornness.

The man was a soldier majoring in electronic warfare at a military academy. After retiring from the military, the software he developed with his partners was acquired, earning him his first pot of gold.

He then founded a technology company in Beijing and developed an app called "Avoid Pitfalls," with the slogan "Chinese people don't cheat Chinese people."

As the name suggests, the product is designed to collect the pitfalls users have encountered in their daily lives, including clothing, food, housing, and transportation. It contains many user-shared experience posts after falling into these traps, allowing users to share and exchange tips on how to avoid them.

For example, if you want to travel to a popular island in China, the travel guides on websites like Qunar and Mafengwo are full of praise, but the "avoiding pitfalls" sections are full of complaints:
"On this island, everything is free except for breathing; everything else is chargeable."

"If you rent an electric scooter and don't park it in their designated paid parking area, the tires will be deflated. If you get caught in the act, they'll even have the audacity to blame you and yell, 'Who told you to disobey?'"

"Is it the island where you have to pay a dollar to wash your feet for 30 seconds after playing on the beach?"

The product is loved by users, but it is difficult to find sponsors due to exposing industry secrets, making commercialization difficult.

His initial savings were quickly depleted, and that's when he saw the recruitment information for the Other Shore Strengthening Project, and he decided to fight with his back against the wall.

The company needs this funding from the other side, and it needs the other side's help to avoid pitfalls and get on a healthy path of development.

It's all about hard work and struggle. His past military life has honed his physique and spirit to fight tough battles!

He had to hold on until the very end, because he was the hope of the entire company!

Not only for himself, but also for the company's hundreds of employees, most of whom are veterans.

Jia Yueting felt his eyelids were so heavy, as if they were glued on; the iced Americano had long lost its magic.

His daytime vigor was likely just a fleeting moment of energy before his death.

It felt like he had been on a train for days and nights, and the world seemed a little surreal to him.

He knew this was not a hallucination, but a signal that his body was nearing its limit.

Jia Yueting quickly opened two packets of instant coffee, but instead of pouring it into a cup, he poured it into his mouth. He could only resort to his secret weapon now: chewing the instant coffee powder dry and relying on caffeine to prolong his time.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the nearly one hundred competitors around him, and couldn't help but feel a surge of respect. They truly were the most hardworking and resilient group; they were practically risking their lives for profit.

Around 8 p.m. that night, Chen Mo walked into the examination room under the cover of darkness.

Liu Xinyu's report was still echoing in his ears, but the scene before him made him pause slightly. The bosses who used to be dressed in suits and ties were now unshaven, their clothes were wrinkled, and they looked unkempt. If they changed their clothes and set up a stall on the overpass, they would surely make a lot of money.

This time, he discovered that no one was looking at him or even noticing him.

Although the medical expert team concluded that the theoretical limit for a normal person is 72 hours, he really didn't dare to push the boundaries.

After all, his original intention was just to let these people experience the hardships of working, not to cause anyone's death.

Whether there are one more spot or several more spots, it's not a very important thing to him.

It doesn't matter if there are a few more or fewer spots; what matters is that they, and everyone watching the live stream, will have a memorable experience.

"Congratulations everyone, you will become the first batch of members of the Beyond Empowerment Enterprises program." Chen Mo's voice echoed in the examination room. "Get a good rest tonight and tomorrow. Next Monday, the Beyond Group will hold a signing ceremony for those who have joined the program."

When Chen Mo began to speak, there seemed to be a delay; two or three seconds later, the people in the room slowly looked up, their pupils unfocused.
After another ten seconds or so, everyone realized that it was finally over.

There were no cheers or applause. Some people slumped to the ground, while others buried their heads in their keyboards.

Jia Yueting stood up, supporting himself on the table with both hands, his body swaying like a reed in the wind.

My first thought was, "Damn, all that coffee powder I chewed was for nothing."

The medical team became the busiest department the next moment.

On April 30, while snoring filled the surrounding hotels, Chen Mo was already sitting in the newly cleaned assessment hall, preparing for a press conference to be broadcast live on Douyin.

At the press conference, the lights were blinding, and cameras were pointed at Chen Mo, who was the only person on the stage.

He was still dressed in his signature light blue jeans and white t-shirt, a smile on his face, but his eyes were sharp as knives, facing the eager reporters below the stage with the air of a formidable defender.

Among the media present, many journalists with missions were already eager to get started.

A female reporter in the front row was the first to raise an objection.
"Chairman Chen, hello. At this event organized by the other side, 500 entrepreneurs were forced to work continuously for more than 60 hours. Many people experienced physical discomfort such as fainting and vomiting. Some people even saw these people being taken away by ambulances."

Does this violate basic human rights?

Upon hearing those last two words, Chen Mo chuckled and calmly adjusted the microphone. "Which media outlet are you from?"

"What? Chairman Chen, are you trying to evade the main issue? Please answer my question directly." The female reporter stood her ground.

Chen Mo gave her a deep look: "Your question has a very 'journalism' feel to it—'forced', 'continuous work', 'fainting and vomiting,' and then elevated to 'human rights,' it's quite representative."

He paused, then his voice suddenly became clear, “First, let’s correct a misconception: entrepreneurs focus on long-term value and industry innovation, while those who come to participate in this event are just company owners, not entrepreneurs.”

"Secondly, according to the statistics from the other side, the average working hours during this selection process were 12 hours, and all participants voluntarily signed the agreement, which was notarized by a legal department. As for the 'ambulance taking people away,' please provide evidence, otherwise the other side will sue the media you represent for defamation."

As for the final human rights"

He clicked on the remote control, and a comparison video played on the big screen.

On the left are the voices of bosses complaining about being "too tired" and "the other side is inhumane" in the live broadcasts over the past two days;

On the right are some internal company overtime records:

Programmers were still working hard, their eyes glued to their screens at 4 a.m.
Factory assembly line workers work in two shifts, their eyes vacant as they labor instinctively.

After receiving a phone call while on weekend leave, employees immediately turn on their computers and get to work.

A woman burst into tears in the company restroom, then composed herself and continued revising a PowerPoint presentation.
"You feel sorry for bosses who have no human rights, but has anyone ever taken care of them? Or do you think they aren't human beings?"

The light, airy words that came out of Chen Mo's mouth floated into the group of reporters' eyes, each word falling like a heavy hammer blow!
This shattered the aggressive tone of the media in the audience, leaving them completely silent.

After a moment, a reporter finally mustered the courage to ask, "But those bosses were lured here by the 50 billion yuan fund from the other side. Is that truly voluntary?"

Chen Mo leaned forward slightly, his tone suddenly becoming sharp as a knife: "So, if an employee chooses to work overtime to keep their job, is that truly voluntary?"

These words were like a thorn, leaving the questioner speechless. If they said it was voluntary, then their previous questioning would be invalid; if they said it wasn't voluntary, then they were admitting to corporate exploitation, and no one would dare to defy such a public opinion.

Of the dozens of media outlets present, not a single person spoke, creating an unusually quiet silence.
For some reason and for the sake of Douyin, the comment and gift-giving functions were disabled during the live broadcast of this press conference.

Chen Mo just wanted everyone to be a witness.
At this moment, the millions of likes that surged in the live stream were like countless silent shouts, deafening in the virtual world.

(End of this chapter)