Chapter 107: Pony Ma Doesn't Want to Copy

That afternoon, an official announcement was posted on Tenda’s website. In a formal and solemn tone, the statement informed everyone that the concept for the QQ leveling system had been conceived and continuously refined over the past six months. To prove this, Tenda attached a photograph of a page from their "QQ Development Prospectus," which contained a detailed record of the QQ leveling plan. Tenda stated that this document had been submitted to SoftBank in accordance with their requirements during the financing process, serving as the best possible evidence.

Soon after, SoftBank released a statement confirming Tenda’s announcement. With SoftBank leveraging its reputation to publicly endorse Tenda, the direction of public opinion began to shift. Many QQ fans immediately began attacking OO, accusing it of plagiarizing QQ’s creative ideas.

In response, OO also issued a statement, noting that they had not sought investment from Japanese firms and thus had no opportunity to obtain such "evidence." However, OO guaranteed that these were original features, and as for whether Tenda had plagiarized them, God knew the truth. With this declaration from OO, the public discourse gradually subsided. Since both sides now had their own leveling systems, it appeared that a victor would not be determined anytime soon.

Meanwhile, a dispute was unfolding within Tenda.

"Boss, why do you refuse to launch the 'invisible' status and emoji features? These are highly attractive additions, and we need them to provide rewards for our QQ leveling system!" This was the fifth time Zhang Zhidong had lobbied Pony Ma to launch these features, only to be fobbed off each time. This time, however, Zhang Zhidong was not about to let him off the hook; he cornered Pony Ma in his office, demanding an answer.

"Sigh," Pony Ma sighed. "Zhidong, why don't you understand? The public opinion accusing us of plagiarism is overwhelming. We were already dragged through the mud once; if we launch 'invisible' mode and QQ emojis now, we’ll be crushed even worse than before. Do you expect me to go back to SoftBank and ask them to forge a second document to prove our innocence?"

Mentioning SoftBank brought a complex mood to Pony Ma. Although SoftBank’s statement had helped rescue QQ from the public backlash, it was, ultimately, a lie. He had known SoftBank for less than two months; four months ago, he hadn't even heard the name Masayoshi Son. It was all a lie—a lie initiated by SoftBank, using its own credibility to take the fall for him. While it made Son seem like a benefactor, Pony Ma knew better. Son had invested in Tenda, and his intervention was merely to protect his investment—it had nothing to do with kindness.

Some might think SoftBank was gambling with its reputation and would face severe consequences if the truth came out. That was overcomplicating things. Not only was it impossible for the truth to be exposed, as outsiders could never obtain evidence, but even if it were revealed, so what? At most, they would just offer a deep, performative bow—the classic "craftsman spirit." When Japanese steel mills sold ordinary steel as high-grade specialty steel, they simply bowed and were spared any official punishment. It was a non-issue. Moreover, SoftBank was an investment firm; it didn't deal directly with consumers and didn't fear reputation damage. On the contrary, other companies seeking investment might be even more moved by the fact that SoftBank would go to such lengths for its portfolio companies, and they would be clamoring for SoftBank’s backing.

Beyond that, the main reason SoftBank helped Tenda was likely Son’s personal resentment toward Huang He, whose mouth was foul enough to have genuinely infuriated him.

Still, Pony Ma remained unhappy. He hadn't plagiarized, yet he was forced to cover it up with lies, which bruised his pride. This was why he had rejected Zhang Zhidong’s previous requests—he didn't want his self-esteem wounded again. He didn't want to rely on SoftBank to take the fall for him, and even if they were willing, the users might not be fooled a second time.

"Boss, please reconsider. I believe these features are essential," Zhang Zhidong urged.

"No, these features are not important!" Pony Ma said, growing irritated. He slammed his hand on the desk. "Not only are they unimportant, but they are also potentially harmful! First, once the 'invisible' feature is opened, many users will set themselves to invisible, which will destroy trust between users and diminish the interest in chatting. You might log on only to find all your friends are offline, or even see yourself as offline. Do you really think that’s a good feature? Honestly, when OO launched it, I laughed—they are digging their own graves."

"And these OO emojis? Do these nonsensical images really enhance the chat experience? No. I don't see how they add value; instead, they just make people feel confused. When I see those OO emojis, I don't even want to chat with the person anymore. What attracts users is text, not some crude little pictures!" Pony Ma lectured, leaving Zhang Zhidong pale and humiliated, until he eventually left the office in a dejected state.

Once Zhang Zhidong left, Pony Ma felt a twinge of regret. He knew he had acted out of anger and had been irrational. Of course, what Pony Ma didn't realize was that he had begun to harbor deep-seated suspicions toward Zhang Zhidong. Once you suspect someone, everything they do seems suspicious, and you instinctively resist their suggestions, even if they are correct.

Fortunately, Pony Ma’s intellect remained intact. He called out to Zhang Zhidong’s retreating figure, "Invisible mode is absolutely off the table, but you can develop our own QQ emojis. That might actually be useful for young girls."

"Yes," Zhang Zhidong nodded.

"But tell the art department that our emojis must be completely original. They must not have any resemblance to those bean-like OO emojis. We cannot afford to bear the stigma of plagiarism again," Pony Ma added.

"Yes."

"Oh, and Boss, many people online are currently criticizing our 'Starry Sky' leveling system, claiming it's inferior to OO's 'Immortal' system. Should we..." Zhang Zhidong asked, having thought of something else.

"That is meaningless," Pony Ma waved his hand dismissively. "It’s just a name; there is no practical difference. Besides, if we really want to compare, isn't any one of our stars far more powerful than some 'immortal'?"

At the same time, on the Tianya Forum, a person named Liu Xiaoqiang posted the title of his book: *Journey to Immortality*.